Howdy
Back with another banger of a price drop on the micro's. This time it's the 7070 9th gen version
Dell Optiplex 7070 Micro
Intel Core i5 9500t
16Gb Ram
256Gb SSD
AC Wifi + Bluetooth (built-in)
Windows 11 Pro
12 Month Warranty
yeh unlike the property market, PCs tend to go cheaper every year
Unless it’s a 4090
Can I negative gear this?
Not in this case: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/832552 [Refurb] Dell 7060 Micro i5-8500T 16GB RAM 256GB SSD Wi-Fi Win 11 Pro $197.60 ($192.66 eBay Plus) Delivered @ BNEACTTRADER eBay (About the only increase from Gen 8 to Gen 9 is marketing hype).
I got two from that deal for my kids and mounted them to screens. Excellent value for a good machine for their school work.
to be fair mine is an i5 9500
Twice the running cost… 😲
I'm rich. That's why I bought the most expensive PC on OzBargain.
Seriously, though, its maximum power rating is double that of 9500T, but it doesn't mean that it always runs at maximum power.
You made Greta cry…
@skillet: at this points its just like an subconscious response, we are simple people, we see a JV comment we hit neg
Twice the running cost… 😲
What about if they walk?
"jV" , you've done it again .
It has a great and up to date configuration for $239.
Leaves all those new sub-$1000 notebooks for dead!
Optiplex micros are equipped with good cooling system, it's very quiet when your doing regular stuff like web browsing, YouTube. The fan can get very noisy when you go full on gaming but it will never throttle like laptops with weak cooling system.
Good deal thanks op
Apologies if this has been asked before (I imagine it has a billion times in other optiplex deal threads), but could you put a graphics card in it and turn it into a cheap gaming rig?
No there's no space for a GPU in these small form factor PC's. That said you can get pretty far on Intel graphics if you're not playing heavy games
Can I remove DLCs to make it not a heavy game?
You could put a low profile graphic card in the SFF version.
I've done a SFF optiplex frankenstein-style. A cooling/power demand headache. It's definitely possible, but I would just avoid it personally.
got pics?
what gpu did you put in?
@OkayFray: Why not relocate everything into a cheapo case? Then put in whatever card you have around
Edit: nevermind… No pcie
@plague69: Not sure about these later models but I remember having one of the older models (HP though) and they had custom PSU, and also motherboard ports cover. Even the connection from PSU to motherboard, their pins were in different order so you can't just swap a PSU out.
@Chiang: Ah yes i remember that too. I think I tried and found out as I was moving and ended up only screwing in like 2-3 screws or something 😆. My PSU was then just sitting at the bottom with massive gaps in the PSU mount. Same with motherboard port/backing plate. It was so disgustingly looking… ended up switching back to OEM case but that case was also extremely heavy.
It's possible according to the post below, but could require a bit of mucking around…
https://egpu.io/forums/builds/dell-optiplex-7070-mff-no-dgpu…
And a $300 adapter… I really can't imagine any way to justify it.
Oh wow the prices really went up on that adapter but when I did this I only paid around $70 shipped for mine a few months ago.
That's an expensive adapter. The ADT-link R43GS is available for about $60 here:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/33047416121.html?spm=a2g0o.pr…
Doesnt have a removable cable though.
I have one setup with a GTX 1660 super connected via NVME M.2 to a NUC8 i5-8259u. External power to R43SG and GPU via Dell D220 8pin power brick. Works fine
I actually did this and ran into no issues, been using it as a media pc in the lounge for a few months now, it looks alittle silly but works just fine.
At $60 it's not a bad option. If it works ok. It seems these things are getting more consistent based on those above who have done it.
This is a micro version so no.
If you get the SFF version then yes but it needs to be a low profile graphics card like the 1650 or the A2000 low profile
No without some additional parts.
Yes there are two ways you can do this to any system with a M2 PCIe slot for nvme.
Firstly this 7070 micro has
1x SATA
1x M2 PCie express x4? Lanes
1x M2 PCie Wifi 1x Lane
I would attach the GPU on the x4 lane and use a SATA drive for storage. Obviously a full-size desktop GPU will not fit in a M2 pcie slot so you need an adapter something like this.
https://www.amazon.com.au/ADT-Link-Extender-Graphics-Adapter…
This is just an example. There are many types of adapter extenders in different configurations, bends, length, form factor. You need to work out how you want to attach the GPU externally. Also, make sure it's a x4 lane extender, some cheap ones are just x1.
You also need a GPU card with external power PCie, the optiplex and adapter will not have enough power to run the GPU by itself.
Next you will need a ATX power supply for the GPU. To power on the ATX without a mobo all you need is a jumper cable that pulldown the green wire PS-ON on any black ground wire.
https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Turn-on-a-Computer-Powe…
Then that's it, zip tie or make an bracket for a GPU bigger than the micro 7070 contraception. I can't believe I even egg on this mad idea.
From the previous deal, saw comments this would struggle running 4K video content for plex/media, is this still valid?
"the processor can do 4096 X 2304@60Hz but the max resolution through HDMI is 4096 x 2304@24Hz, you can get the 4096 x 2304@60Hz resolution using DisplayPort only" from a quick google. That's if you play it on this machine.
It can serve out the file size just fine. I changed the wifi M2 to wifi6 and it simple shares out to a Firestick in my projector just fine even over wifi.
@Chiang can you share what source and model of M2 WiFi you got for the upgrade please?
Amazon seller Intel AX210 chip based. I used Amazon as delivery was quick and free and that was about the price ($29). You might do better. The antannae clips are fiddly so be a bit patient.
Avoid the AX211 chips as they require an Intel 10th gen or later to share the processing with. Without it it won't even boot. It was something new for me for just a wifi card.
@Chiang: WiFi 6E AX210 NGW WiFi Card with Bluetooth 5.3 WAP3 MU-MIMO 802.11AX Wi-Fi Module Tri-Band (2.4GHz/5GHz/6GHz) 5374Mbps Wireless Network Card for Laptop M.2 NGFF Windows 10/11(64 bit) https://amzn.asia/d/denXPK5
But there's plenty. Just avoid the 201 and 211 chipsets. They have a proprietary interface with later model Intel motherboard/CPUs and aren't as flexible for use cases/just won't work in this. Get something AX210 based.
are you transcoding or are you streaming the 4k content directly? should be good for 1 4k ->4k transcode
A potato can direct play 4k locally with the proper local network setup and a client that can playback you media natively.
$200 A380 can encode AV1
I owned a refurbished 7060 (i5-8500T) w/ single stick 8GB RAM and yes it struggled with 4K with lots of dropped frames….
BUT then it plays 4K perfectly after I replaced the RAM with 32GB (2x 16GB dual channel).
It is actually about RAM settings: 4K video requires a lot more RAM bandwidth because onboard UHD 630 display chip uses RAM memory.
I did not try but I guess 2x 8GB dual channel would be enough.
I recently bought a 7060 which is running an i5-8500T w/ 8GB. Seems to transcode 4k fine.
The GPU sat at about 50-60% while building up the initial buffer, then it'd move between 1% and 20% as it processed a bit more to fill the buffer then go idle again for a bit. That was running Plex in an Ubuntu VM with igpu passed through via proxmox.
I forgot to mention: My monitor is LG 27UP850-W (27" 4K resolution).
My setting was: 4K youtube video on a 4K UHD monitor via display port (60Hz) and it struggles with 1x 8GB RAM.
1x 8GB might be enough for lower resolution monitor output (FHD, QHD).
Codec dependent… It's not just the resolution of the image
I have the same setup. It makes such a great little home server. Proxmox with Ubuntu VM for plex + I run a docker LXC for all my other home server apps.
You need to use 2 sticks of RAM instead of 1 stick, then it has the memory bandwidth for the integrated graphics to handle 4K
This used Dell stuff just works. Need to retire a physical win2k file server that has been running 24/7 for 21 years. Time to turn it into a VM
Holy heck, a Pi would probably outperform that thing by a fair margin.
How come it's been put off for so long?
Because it runs an Access97 database with legacy software backend 500MB that just works. What we did 20+ years ago in terms of data/document management hasn't changed. Raid1 sata HDD raptor then WD black and daily backups has kept the system up. Redundant equipment in terms of motherboard/case power supply/raid card all initially purchased for the long haul, then came along VMware and proxmox and voluminous data storage and cheap reliable hardware.
My 2 of my 6 Seagate HDD is dead from my Nas. Less than 3 years …
I am gonna disagree - Pi would feel way slower than this Dell.
Traditional Pi running on SD card just won't feel anywhere close to a SSD (SATA/NVMe drive).
Also processing-wise this will beat Pi hands down.
The only place where Pi might win is lower idle power consumption
Was referring to the Win2K box
21 years? Is that Pentium 3 era?
I'm curious about the front USB C port. Looking at the symbol in the product photo, it does not appear to have DisplayPort Alt Mode / video out capabilities?
I have the exact model. No video out from the USB C port.
And often scratched up by the type of people with 2% phones.
Check for "wriggler" damage to this port if it essential to you.
Translation?
@Perch: People plugging in their phones to charge them might not be able to get their cable plugged in in one go.
@Perch: When they didnt pay for it so they wiggle waggle every cable they ever plug in anywhere. Left and right like an ape pulling up a concreted fence post rather than just straight in and out as the delicate but essential electrical connection was designed for use.
Then they wonder why their house is full of broken USB ports on devices and they have to keep replacing "only" white charger cables.
$2,000 PC vs a moron who forgot to charge their phone before leaving home - who will win? Latest iPhone on a payment plan and won't stump for a spare charger in their drawer. So they borrow/break someone else's cable "just to get me up to 30 so I can watch MAFS on the train" - it's like fingernails on a chalkboard for me. I judge in seething silence. I bet they also have duct tape on their tv remotes and put the wrong fuel in borrowed cars.
You know….wrigglers.
@Perch: That and scratches to the front panel. Often when it was rear of monitor mounted and people plug in by fumble and feel.
I got one that was scratched up a bit but works fine. Black marker to the scratches then wiped off and looks fine.
Darn, I ordered one before reading this post. I hate USB standards
Time to get one of those N100 machines, assuming I can figure out which ones support DP alt-mode.
Probably a stupid question is the ram upgradeable to 32gb?
i got the previous deal 7060 with chip i5 8500T and can run 32gb dual without any issues. Youtube 4k actually runs smoother.
Yes. Depending on what it comes with you may need to either get a single 16gb stick or replace both 8gb sticks.
Yes and make sure it's running on dual channel.
Yep just keep in mind Dells are a bit finicky about what third party ram they'll support.
agree…. been stung a few times.. :(
What brands have you not had luck with?
Corsair.
@sponson: The only issue I've had was mixing the old SK Hynix 16GB stick it came with with a new 16GB Patriot stick, and by issue I mean it failed some hammer tests in Memtest which isn't clear is even a real problem. Just got a second Patriot stick and now passes memtest with flying colours. Added the old Hynix stick to a NAS.
Hi @Calmago
Couple of questions:
Will this support 3 x Dell 27 Monitor - S2721DS
Does the cpu fan ramp up and sound like a jet engine when watching youtube videos around 1080p or during teaming /zoom video calls
Thank you
These are aimed at business/office users. They are very reasonable sound wise for general use.
thanks,
I have a shuttle dh270 mini pc with an i7 in it and it takes off during video calls and you tube. Runs about 90 degrees…
Well I’d say the first problem there is a desktop i7 at a guess haha. This should be more reasonable but less performance of course.
@WhyAmICommenting: $50 from ebay i7-7700 I have to run it on low fan in the bios then use coolercontrold to set the fan at a reasonable speed to stop it continually ramping.
Had an i3-6100 before but that didn't cut it.
Just cant deal with the fan ramping…
@WhyAmICommenting: Got it the other week finally plugged it in. It's pretty quiet. I had a spare i7 9700 lying around and put that in it's still pretty quiet but fan ramps a little bit when playing 1440p video(dp max). The i5 9500T doesn't but it cant handle decent workloads.
Also came with an extra display port addon.
Terrific deal.
Waves good by to the shuttle…
I have had some come with three display ports and run three screens yes. Can't recall resolution though. Might have been at 1080p.
Barely ever heard the fan. Can mount the whole thing.to the back of a monitor if you want as well.
Hey mate, not 100% sure i have never done it personally.
Fan shouldn't be loud if been used for normal use.
So I'm not very hardware savvy but if I'm just looking for a very basic second hand computer for my grandmother only for basic word processing, email use and small other things like that, would this be a good option or is this way too much overkill? I feel like it would be overkill, especially compared to something like this which just has an i5-6500t with 8gb of RAM, which I imagine will be able to do just fine for basic word and email use, right?
Correct. That other PC will do the job. But the one listed in this deal is far better value and will be usable for longer.
Not only will this suit, she can pop it into her bag and bring it to you if there are any issues. It's only about 1 litre in size. It comes ready to just plug in and add a wifi credential and you are away. If anything you might want to downgrade to win 10 if they are unfamiliar with win 11 layout.
I use these for my parents, movie boxes and as WFH machines for office duties. My parents one is under the tv for online grocery shops, the occasional streamed website like auctions and big screen email checking.
Well the other options I'd be comparing it to like this one is also the same form factor. I also have one of those for myself for my home automation and love the size, and it was definitely a selling factor for my grandmother!
I would reccomend the Dell. Win 11 and the graphics processor can easily do h265 video playback.
Overkill processor and ram wise but this processor is supported for windows 11 and the one you linked isn't.
Windows 10 is at end of life now so I only buy Intel 8th gen or newer now.
Yes you can mess around with the install to get windows 11 to run just fine but I couldn't be bothered anymore.
It looks like Windows 10 will be end of life next year October - is there much of an issue in running windows 10 after end of life? Sorry if it's a basic question, I'm not quite sure how it all works
Security updates and patches will end, leaving the computer more vulnerable to hackers
@DogeConomy: Also while it takes a bit longer, app vendors will eventually stop supporting it too. Wouldn't want grandma to not be able to access mail or use an internet browser because Microsoft and Google stopped supporting the platform.
Last I heard, Microsoft announced they would be licensing future support for Windows 10 after the end date of October 2025, i.e. they will be charging money for it.
@Oyster59: Those extended support programs are normally for big businesses and government organisations who are on a volume licencing agreement. I doubt that consumers will have access.
have u considered mini pcs?
![[Refurb] Dell OptiPlex 7070 Micro i5 9500T 16GB RAM 256GB SSD Wi-Fi 11 Pro $239 Delivered @ Australian Computer Traders](https://files.ozbargain.com.au/n/53/837253.jpg?h=8fca209d)
Wow, this is cheap. I paid $350 less than a year ago (to be fair mine is an i5 9500, not the T variant).