Hey everyone! I picked up a Dell Precision 3620 MT for $280 recently, and I'm looking to upgrade it without breaking the bank. It's got an i5-7500 CPU and a GTX 1660 Super, plus 16GB of RAM and both a 256GB NVMe and 1TB HDD. The motherboard is the stock Dell one (0MWYPT). I know I might need to upgrade the motherboard if I want to change the CPU, but I'm not sure. My goal is to reduce the 90-105% CPU usage while playing Minecraft, especially when running mods with my friends. I don't require top-tier gaming, just want it to perform better for casual gaming and maybe use it as a Plex server part-time too. Any advice on budget upgrades would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!
4 Answers
Honestly, I think you might have paid a bit too much for that setup. That said, while you can't easily upgrade the motherboard due to its proprietary nature, you can still swap out the CPU for something compatible. Check out the Xeon E3-1280 V5 for about $40-$50, as it could give you a decent performance boost without needing a new motherboard! As for RAM, trying to max out to 64GB could help, but stick to the 2133MHz speeds since that’s all it supports. Make sure the 1TB HDD is 7200RPM to avoid lag, and consider using a Linux setup if you want to game on a budget!
The real downside with this Dell setup is how proprietary everything is, especially the PSU. If you do upgrade the GPU, you're probably going to need a beefier power supply. But hey, if you want to maximize your current setup, the Xeon E3-1270 v5 is another option. It’s fairly cheap and can give you around a 38% performance increase over your current CPU. Just remember, your motherboard and case will limit you!”
Thanks for the heads up! I’ll consider the Xeon too, but what do you recommend for the power supply?
I’d suggest hunting for an i7-8700 on eBay if you want a solid upgrade. You can usually find them for around $80-$85. Pair that with an RTX 3050, which typically runs between $200-$250, and you should see significant performance gains. Just be wary of rising prices!
I appreciate that! Those prices sound reasonable, but I'll keep an eye out for sales or better deals too.
If you're planning to upgrade the PSU, you should look into a standard ATX supply. It looks like you might need a 24-pin to 8-pin adapter to make it work with your current motherboard. This unlocks a lot of potential upgrades later on!
Got it! I’ll definitely check out those adapters and that PSU direction.
Thanks for the recommendations! I’ll look into that Xeon upgrade. What about other components like a new GPU?