# [SOLVED] Optiplex 755 sff 280PSU low profile graphics card



## ogquinn (Jan 20, 2013)

i need help finding a cheap low profile graphics card for my computer its psu is only 280W and every card i see recommended watt is always 300-450 im not the tech savy :angry:


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## emosun (Oct 4, 2006)

*Re: Optiplex 755 sff 280PSU low profile graphics card*

What are you trying to do with the machine?

If it's simply to add another monitor a usb gpu is a good alternative.

If it's for games then we really don't recommend any gpu's to use on stock dell power supplies.


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## ogquinn (Jan 20, 2013)

*Re: Optiplex 755 sff 280PSU low profile graphics card*

trying to get a good card so i can play some browser games and low end games like gta sa or gta 4 on medium settings and i dont think i can upgrade my 280w psu


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## emosun (Oct 4, 2006)

*Re: Optiplex 755 sff 280PSU low profile graphics card*

You have the option of buying a used full sized btx dell case. Or simply buying a full size power supply and card and running the machine without it's side panel.

But other then that your machine was pretty much made to be hard to upgrade. It's more an office/school type machine.


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## ogquinn (Jan 20, 2013)

*Re: Optiplex 755 sff 280PSU low profile graphics card*

i think it might be better for me wait and just get a entry level gaming pc they usually pop up for like 250$ on different sites plus it would probably cost me like 150 for parts anyway ty for input though


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## emosun (Oct 4, 2006)

*Re: Optiplex 755 sff 280PSU low profile graphics card*

Any gaming pc that is 250$ is going to be made from junk parts.

When it comes to pc components there aren't really any sort of laws or rules manufacturers have to follow. 250$ is going to make for a truly bad machine.


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## ogquinn (Jan 20, 2013)

*Re: Optiplex 755 sff 280PSU low profile graphics card*

i have another ? why are the dell website recommended graphics cards 300-350w psu cards ?

im not trying to play new games just ones like GTA SANANDREAS med settings or dead frontier 3d runescape low- med settings

heres a short list 
PNY GeForce GT 610 - graphics card - GF GT 610 - 1 GB 350w 
PNY GeForce 8400GS 1 GB DDR3 PCIe Graphic Card watt n/a 
PNY NVIDIA GeForce GT 620 1 GB DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 Graphics Card 350w 
GT520COMMERCIAL 1GB GDDR3-PCIEX16TAA COMPLIANT 1DV psu usage27.7w
AMD Radeon HD 6450 1 GB PCI Express Graphic Card 300w 
Radeon HD 5450 512 MB PCI Express Graphics Card 350w
i also post the link to the page Graphic Cards : Desktop Accessories : Parts & Upgrades | Dell


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## emosun (Oct 4, 2006)

*Re: Optiplex 755 sff 280PSU low profile graphics card*



emosun said:


> *we really don't recommend* any gpu's to use on stock dell power supplies.


Is what I said. There is of course no way of us stopping you from using it anyway.


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## ogquinn (Jan 20, 2013)

*Re: Optiplex 755 sff 280PSU low profile graphics card*

i dont think my dell optiplex 755 psu cant be upgraded it supposed to be propreitary PSU or something


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## hickc (May 18, 2011)

*Re: Optiplex 755 sff 280PSU low profile graphics card*

Go for a hd 7750, it is the best card you can get that doesnt need a 6 pin connector. The manufacturer's recommended power requirements are ******** because they don't know what other power hungry components you may have in your computer, so they compensate by making a suggestion which is way more than necessary. This also helps them to avoid warranties and rma's It is simple math. The cpu and gpu are the only real power hungry components. I'll be conservative and assume you have a core 2 quad. That means this:
-cpu: 100 watts
-gpu: 55 watts (hd 7750)
-others: 50 watts (fans, hdds, ram, mobo)
-total: 205 watts

This still leaves 75 watts free. 

You may also question if a dell oem psu is stable enough for a gpu, and it is because the card is not stressful. Just playing games and browsing the net, ie normal usage will not stress the psu enough to fail. As long as you don't overclock it or play 24/7 or run furmark, you will be fine. 

This brings me to my last point of compatibility. You have a sff case, and through experience I can tell you that you need a low profile AND a one pci slot card. The best card that meets these requirements is the sapphire hd 7750. Here is a link:

Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE 100357LP Radeon HD 7750 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready Low Profile Video Card

this is a very solid card and will run your games great. There is actually no point getting a better card because it would be bottlenecked by your cpu anyway. If that is too expensive you can go for these also:

Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6670 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready Low Profile Video Card (100326LP )

Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE 100323-2L Radeon HD 6570 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card

and for nvidia

Newegg.com - SPARKLE 700004 GeForce GT 640 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card

these are the only cards which meet your requirements. Btw, I am not an amd fanboy, it is just that all good nvidia cards require a 6 pin power connector. Definitely try to go with the sapphire 7750 though, as it is by far the best card of these and would run perfect in your computer, I can guarantee it, just don't do anything crazy and keep an eye on temps.

I hope this helps.


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## ogquinn (Jan 20, 2013)

*Re: Optiplex 755 sff 280PSU low profile graphics card*

ok that sounds good and my cpu is Central Processor Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E4500 @ 2.20GHz


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## hickc (May 18, 2011)

*Re: Optiplex 755 sff 280PSU low profile graphics card*

well thats even better, as that cpu uses less power. It only uses 65 watts, making a total of 170 watts approx used. You can even round up to 200 just to be safe. You should have no problems with any of those cards power wise, but the 7750 would be my pick.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

*Re: Optiplex 755 sff 280PSU low profile graphics card*

Forget it, running a HD7750 card on a Dell 280w PSU is going to cause nothing but trouble and possibly damage the PC.

Even the LP HD6670 is too high a card, the system requirements are stated as


> System Requirements
> Minimum of a 400 Watt power supply.


For a reason.


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## ogquinn (Jan 20, 2013)

*Re: Optiplex 755 sff 280PSU low profile graphics card*

lol i had a saw a list for alot of gpu cards with their watts listed before my browser froze gonna try to find my pci e x 16 slot has a max of 25 watts i saw some cards that said like 10-24 watt max power consumption


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## hickc (May 18, 2011)

*Re: Optiplex 755 sff 280PSU low profile graphics card*

Really, have you actually tried using a 7750 with a dell 280 watt psu? Oh yes it is 400 watt required psu and uses 55 watts, that makes a ton of sense. Stop trying to convince someone that they need a whole new computer when what they have now is perfectly fine. Take my word for it, it will work fine.

a pci e slot provides 75 watts of power, not 25, so once again the 55 watt tdp of the 7750 is easily covered.


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## ogquinn (Jan 20, 2013)

*Re: Optiplex 755 sff 280PSU low profile graphics card*

hmm oh but should i look for cards with less than 60 watts usage for safety plus i heared that some 300watt rec cards work on 250-280 psu and i also think that the dell website must be run by crazy people because all their recommended cards are 300-450 watt gpu cards


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## koala (Mar 27, 2005)

*Re: Optiplex 755 sff 280PSU low profile graphics card*

hickc, do you how many +12V amps are needed to safely run a 7750? Compare that to the +12V amps provided by a 280W PSU.


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## ogquinn (Jan 20, 2013)

*Re: Optiplex 755 sff 280PSU low profile graphics card*

i think its +12V 16A max

Actual Power Consumption And Current Requirements : How Much Power Does Your Graphics Card Need?


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## koala (Mar 27, 2005)

*Re: Optiplex 755 sff 280PSU low profile graphics card*

18A is the minimum required for AGP cards and integrated graphics, so a PCIE card is going to need more.

A 280W PSU is too weak to safely run an HD7750 for any length of time.


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## ogquinn (Jan 20, 2013)

*Re: Optiplex 755 sff 280PSU low profile graphics card*

Radeon HD 3650 (512 MB) 20.6w-51.9w 4.3 amp?


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## koala (Mar 27, 2005)

*Re: Optiplex 755 sff 280PSU low profile graphics card*



ogquinn said:


> Radeon HD 3650 (512 MB) 20.6w-51.9w 4.3 amp?


Not good for gaming.


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## ogquinn (Jan 20, 2013)

*Re: Optiplex 755 sff 280PSU low profile graphics card*

i just noticed that i only paid 130$ for pc and i got what i paid for a work pc atleast i can play gta sa low settings and watch/burn movies and music all day while browsing web


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## hickc (May 18, 2011)

You guys are all wrong about this. For starters the dell 280 watt psu provides 17 amps on the 12v rail.

http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/optix/en/opti_755_techspecs.pdf 
pg 28

Also here is the formula for determining required amperage on the 12v rail:

Actual Power Consumption And Current Requirements : How Much Power Does Your Graphics Card Need?

Formula for the calculation:

Current Strength (Amps) = Watt : Volt25 A = 300 Watts : 12 Volts

With this in mind we can determine that the load is going to be approx 170 watts:
-cpu core 2 duo (65 watts)
-gpu hd 7750 (55 watts)
-peripherals (mobo, ram, fans, hdd) (50 watts)
-total = 170 watts

using the formula: amerpage = 170/12
= 14.1666 amps
the psu provides 17 amps.
Therefore the psu is using 170 watts out of 280 = 60% of total power usage
psu is using 14.166 amps of 17 = 83% of total amperage usage

So therefore I have proved that it will work fine, as long as it is not used very strenuously such as overclocking, 24/7 gaming or furmark. How long it will run will depend on the psu, and may not be for many years, but it will run. Also dell psu's are better for oem's psu's and I can say from experience that all my dell machines have run fine in terms of power. You can give me another infraction for providing "deliberately misleading advice" which is total b*llshit, just because I have an opinion which is different to you. You should at least be able to recognize that I am trying to help this person and I have even proven that it will work. I already explained how it will work and that the recommended psu requirements from manufacturers are bs, because they don't take into account other components. A hd 7750 requires 400 watts because it needs to be able to run in a system with a core 2 duo using 170 watts total, and needs to run in a system with a 3960x, 5 hdds, 10 fans and 24gbs ram which uses 400 watts. They need to make that accommodation of not knowing what you have, but what really matters is your individual system and how much power it uses. Its simple math like I said. 

Anyway you can take my word on this or not, but I hope you do. The 7750 is the best card you can get and it will run fine with normal usage.


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## ogquinn (Jan 20, 2013)

ok but are there any cheaper than 100$? if not i can save up


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## hickc (May 18, 2011)

its all about levels of performance. You have the 7750 for $110
then down a level you have the 6670 for about $85, however for the extra $25 you get MUCH better peformance, I wouldn't recommend that 6670.

down another level you have the 6570 for $60, and this is a good deal for the performance it provides. You can play new games at medium settings at 1080p decently with this card. 

I really wouldn't recommend the gt 640 because it is $85, but worse than the 6670 as the gt 640 uses ddr3 and not ddr5 like the 6670. It also requires more power than the amd cards, and I wouldn't want to strain your psu any more than necessary. Only get that one if you REALLY must have nvidia. But I seriously wouldn't recommend it.

Basically my advice is to either get the hd 7750 for $110 if you can as it is by FAR the best card.

Or get the hd 6570 for $60, as it is a lot cheaper and still offers decent performance. I would avoid the 6670 personally as for an extra $25 the 7750 is much better.

Here are the links:

7750 - Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE 100357LP Radeon HD 7750 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready Low Profile Video Card

6670 - Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6670 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready Low Profile Video Card (100326LP )

6570 - Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE 100323-2L Radeon HD 6570 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card

let me know which one you go for!


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## ogquinn (Jan 20, 2013)

i might get the 60$ one as it looks like good and would play old games gta sa,mercenaries 2


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## hickc (May 18, 2011)

yes that is a very good choice. Just make sure you know how to attach the low profile bracket.


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## ogquinn (Jan 20, 2013)

ty for helping i was bout to say hell with it


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## hickc (May 18, 2011)

no problem. I wanted to help out because I had the exact same problem before and didn't know any of this stuff. But yeah, that card should breathe new life into your computer. So enjoy!


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## ogquinn (Jan 20, 2013)

would i need a vga bracket? my aoc monitor only takes vga i think


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## ogquinn (Jan 20, 2013)

found the 6570 on amazon for 59.99 lol


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## hickc (May 18, 2011)

since your case only allows for low profile pci slots, you need to take off the full length pci bracket on the card when you get it and swap on the low profile bracket. That would leave you with a dvi and hdmi output connector, so you would then need to buy a dvi to vga connector and plug that onto the dvi output and then plug your vga cord into that and then connect that to your monitor. It sounds complicated I know, but it isn't really. Here is a link:

amazon.com/StarTech-DVI-Cable-Adapter-DVIVGAMF/dp/B000067SOH/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358834104&sr=8-1&keywords=dvi+to+vga

this is assuming your monitor doesn't take dvi.


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## ogquinn (Jan 20, 2013)

its a RGB D-Sub i thought that was the same as vga :facepalm:


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## hickc (May 18, 2011)

d sub is the same thing as vga


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## ogquinn (Jan 20, 2013)

:whistling:oh


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## ogquinn (Jan 20, 2013)

nope have to get it from newegg new or used like new from amazon 50$ the others are different or newer models of the card


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## emosun (Oct 4, 2006)

hickc said:


> You guys are all wrong about this. For starters the dell 280 watt psu provides 17 amps on the 12v rail.


Slight typo there , should be "the dell 280 watt psu *claims it* provides 17 amps on the 12v rail."



hickc said:


> You can give me another infraction for providing "deliberately misleading advice" which is total b*llshit, just because I have an opinion which is different to you. You should at least be able to recognize that I am trying to help this person and I have even proven that it will work.


You need to actually learn how a power supply works before making posts or recommendations regarding them. I suggest you read this sticky in it's entirety before continuing to post on the topic.

http://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f210/power-supply-information-and-selection-192217.html

The sticky is written and assembled by a *TEAM* of people who know how power supplies actually work.


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## emosun (Oct 4, 2006)

This is also my attempt at correcting the situation before another mod sees it and simply removes/deletes posts or locks the thread.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Attempting to use that OEM PSU on a dedicated GPU is only asking for problems/damage. 
"Minimum" power, recommended by the chipset manufacturer, for the 6570 - 6670 -7750 is 400W.


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## ogquinn (Jan 20, 2013)

Overall
General
Operating System Microsoft Windows 7 Professional
Central Processor Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E4500 @ 2.20GHz
User Name jim
Graphics
Video Adapter Intel(R) Q35 Express Chipset Family
Video Memory 256.00 MB
Screen Resolution 1440 x 900
Storage
Total Memory 3.24 GB
Free Memory 1.51 GB
Total Hard disk 297.99 GB
Free Hard disk 229.86 GB
I/O
Mouse USB Input Device
Keyboard USB Input Device

Top
Operating System
Computer System
Computer Name JIM-PC
User Name jim
Organization N/A
Operating System
OS Name Microsoft Windows 7 Professional
OS Version 6.1.7601
Service Pack 1.0
Product ID 00371-OEM-8992671-00008
System Up Time 1/20/2013 9:09:43 PM
Internet Explorer Version 9.0.8112.16421
Microsoft DirectX Version 4.09.00.0904
OpenGL Version 6.1.7600.16385 (win7_rtm.090713-1255)
Registry
Maximum Size 682 MB
Current Size 67 MB
Status OK

Top
Processor MainBoard
Central Processor
CPU Name Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E4500 @ 2.20GHz
Code Name Model 15, Stepping 13
Manufacturer GenuineIntel
Current Clock Speed 2194 Mhz
Max Clock Speed 2194 Mhz
Voltage 1.3V
External Clock 800 Mhz
Serial Number BFEBFBFF000006FD
CPU ID x64 Family 6 Model 15 Stepping 13
Socket Designation CPU
N/A 32 KB
N/A 2048 KB
Motherboard
Model 0DR845
Manufacturer Dell Inc.
Serial Number ..CN137407CB00W9.
BIOS Name Phoenix ROM BIOS PLUS Version 1.10 A08
BIOS Vendor Dell Inc.
SMBIOS Version A08
BIOS Date 2/19/2008
BIOS Features
PCI is supported Yes
Plug and Play is supported Yes
APM is supported Yes
BIOS is Upgradable (Flash) Yes
BIOS shadowing is allowed Yes
ESCD support is available Yes
Boot from CD is supported Yes
Selectable Boot is supported Yes
EDD (Enhanced Disk Drive) Specification is supported Yes
Int 13h - Japanese Floppy for Toshiba 1.2mb (3.5, 360 RPM) is supported Yes
Int 13h - 3.5 / 720 KB Floppy Services are supported Yes
Int 5h, Print Screen Service is supported Yes
Int 9h, 8042 Keyboard services are supported Yes
Int 14h, Serial Services are supported Yes
Int 17h, printer services are supported Yes
ACPI supported Yes
USB Legacy is supported Yes

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Memory Device
Memory Resource
Total Memory 3.24 GB
Used Memory 1.72 GB
Free Memory 1.51 GB
Memory Usage 53%
Physical Memory
Memory Bank N/A
Description Physical Memory 0
Device Locator DIMM_1
Capacity 1.00 GB
Speed 667 Mhz
Manufacturer CE00000000000000
Data Width 64 bit
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Capacity 1.00 GB
Speed 667 Mhz
Manufacturer CE00000000000000
Data Width 64 bit
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Capacity 1.00 GB
Speed 667 Mhz
Manufacturer CE00000000000000
Data Width 64 bit
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Device Locator DIMM_4
Capacity 1.00 GB
Speed 667 Mhz
Manufacturer AD00000000000000
Data Width 64 bit
Memory Type 
Form Factor DIMM

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Drives
Disk Drives
Name WDC WD3200JD-22KLB0 ATA Device
Media Type Fixed hard disk media
Capability 298.09 GB
Interface Type IDE
Partitions 2
Total Cylinders 38913
Total Heads 255
Total Sectors 625137345
Total Tracks 9922815
Tracks Per Cylinder 255
Bytes Per Sector 512
Sectors Per Track 63
S.M.A.R.T Support Yes
Current Temperature 0C (32F)
CD-ROM Drive
Name Optiarc DVD RW AD-7170S ATA Device
Drive D:
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Status OK
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Name ATA Channel 0
Manufacturer (Standard IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers)
Status OK
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Name ATA Channel 1
Manufacturer (Standard IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers)
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IDE Controller
Name ATA Channel 0
Manufacturer (Standard IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers)
Status OK
IDE Controller
Name ATA Channel 1
Manufacturer (Standard IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers)
Status OK
IDE Controller
Name Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller
Manufacturer (Standard IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers)
Status OK
IDE Controller
Name Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller
Manufacturer (Standard IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers)
Status OK
IDE Controller
Name Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller
Manufacturer (Standard IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers)
Status OK
IDE Controller
Name ATA Channel 0
Manufacturer (Standard IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers)
Status OK
IDE Controller
Name ATA Channel 1
Manufacturer (Standard IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers)
Status OK

Top
Display
Video Adapter
Name Intel(R) Q35 Express Chipset Family
Video Processor Intel(R) GMA 3100
Manufacturer  Intel Corporation
Video Architecture VGA
DAC Type Internal
Memory Size 256.00 MB
Memory Type Unknown
Video Mode 1440 x 900 x 4294967296 colors
Current Refresh Rate 59 Hz
Driver Version 8.15.10.1930
Driver Date 9/23/2009
Monitor
Name Generic PnP Monitor
Screen Height 900
Screen Width 1440
Status OK


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## ogquinn (Jan 20, 2013)

i got 2 weeks to find out what card if any can be used gonna try to contact dell:dance:


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## ogquinn (Jan 20, 2013)

PNY - GeForce GT 610 1GB DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 Graphics Card there a post on website saying a guy uses this with his 250psu and its 300w? he says he plays gta4 mid to high settings


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

The 610 is a entry level card, draws minimal wattage. Sure it will work for a while the question you have to ask yourself is > If it overloads the PSU and damages other components on the PC are you ready to toss it all and start over again? < Also keep in mind Power Supplies degrade over time due to what's called capacitor aging so a supply that's already 5 years old and past the end of it's life-cycle.
The Optiplex 755 is from 2007 and has a 19 month life-cycle > http://www.itsu.clahs.vt.edu/pdf/LifecycleOptiPlex_March_2009.pdf < That means Dell Designed and Produced it expecting it to live for about 2 years, will they go longer yes sure they will but don't look to push them hard.


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## ogquinn (Jan 20, 2013)

ill just buy a new pc f-it


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