best processor upgrade for Dell Optiplex GX620

Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E6700

(4M Cache, 2.66 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB) its best processor with PLGA775 socket

dell OptiPlex gx620 only have PLGA775, but Intel® Core™2 Extreme Processor QX6800 support only LGA775 socket so Intel Pentium extreme edition processors only the best uP ever for dell OptiPlex gx620.

Are you making educated guess based on Intel information? If so, you are forgetting that you are dealing with Dell first, and second, see the production date for QX CPU and date of the latest BIOS.

If you are trying to say that QX is working, please provide some proof of it, would you, can you? Proof would be CPUZ validation screenshot or something similar, just words are not expected to fly here.

If not, I have no comments!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Intel® Core™2 Duo'S DO NOT WORK.

Seriously. Are people still replying on this topic?

This is ridiculous.

Indeed, i'm glad this topic is still active -- the Optiplex 620 Rocks!  :emotion-11:

So, from reading the thread:

1)  Intel 960 is only supported with the copper heatsink,etc.

2)  I was considering the 945 (at 95 watts) to alleviate having to spend $ on the heatsink, but am weary that it may then cause the fan to cycle between High & Low -- as was mentioned a few posts up earlier in thread.

Is this true as my current Intel P4 3.2 (640) has a TDP max of 84 -- so i suppose there is a 9 degree difference.

However!  I also have a Pentium D 2.8 (820) with TDP max of 95, which does *NOT* fan cycle.

Summary:

I'd like to upgrade current P4 3.2 (Intel 640)  TDP max of 84 to the Pentium D (Intel 945) w/ TDP max of 95.  Based on my current experience with another Optiplex 620, a Pentium D 2.8 (820) also having TDP max of 95, it does not appear that fan cycling would occur.  But perhaps the extra .4 GHz (of the 945 vs 82) is enough to warrant more fan cycling.

I'm just 'speaking out loud' if anyone has opinions/thoughts -- i'm going to go for the 945 and hope it does not fan cycle.  :emotion-9:

Thanks!

Ed

Actually I have fresh confirmation of LGA775 top down cooler adapted to fit newer Optiplex, but mounting is the same. I did not do it myself, so I can not comment here, but it was done somehow, so probably it can be repeated if absolutely necessary.

Coming back to you, grinn206, which heatsink you actually have, aluminum or copper?

Might not be exact model, but the idea.

So which one you have?

The 620 FAQ describes the Copper Heatsink that needs to be installed.

DELL OptiPlex GX620 - FAQ - Frequently Asked (and answered ...

HEATSINK D9729     SHROUD J9761  for the tower.

There is also a copper Heatpipe version for the Desktop and SFF models.

Not all Pentium 4 processors support VT  there isnt any approach.  Either the CPU has it or it does not.

The only way to get it is to change the CPU to a model that supports VT.

So that leaves

Intel Pentium D 950 - HH80553PG0964M / BX80553950 / BX80553950T SL8WP, SL94P SL95V SL9K8

Intel Pentium D 960 - HH80553PG1044M / BX80553960 SL9AP SL9K7

ARK | Intel® Pentium® D Processor 945 (4M Cache, 3.40 GHz, 800 ...

To find out if your Intel® desktop or mobile processor supports Intel® Virtualization Technology (Intel® VT), use one of the methods below:

• Intel® Virtualization Technology List
• Intel® Processor Identification Utility

Thanks  kisianik  & SpeedStep for the onslaught of great information!  :emotion-15:

I checked our Optiplex 620 which was ordered from Dell with the Pentium D.  It has the:

Copper Heat Sink!

So it appears if I want to upgrade the existing Pentium 4 620s with Pentium Ds, a heatsink upgrade may be in order as well.

Ebay the best route for the copper heatsink?

Thanks!!

Ed

As a follow up to this thread:

So i  picked up some Pentium D 945 chips, which are replacing my existing P4 3.2 (Intel 640) to install on a Mini Tower 620 with latest A11 BIOS

1. Cleaned the aluminum heat sink of any residue with Arctic Silver cleaning solution.
2. Prepped the aluminum heat sink with Arctic Silver prepping solution
3. Used Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound by following the Instructions from Arctic Silver's site on how to 'spread' the compound on a Pentium D CPU & Heat Sink.

And booted up the machine...

Viola!  No fan cycling!!!  Installed Windows 7x64 on an OWC SSD, and this machine rocks nicely :emotion-5:

The WEI score for processor increased from 4.3 to 5.1, yay!

Thanks everyone for this awesome resource / thread!

-------------------------------------

Question, that is unrelated to this thread.  Does the Optiplex 620 use...run most efficient with the built in Windows 7x64 AHCI drivers?  Or are there some updated Intel drivers -- if so which version from Intel?

As I've discovered on Optiplex 755 machines, the latest Intel RST drivers do not work on the 755 (for the ICH9R), but an older version from 2011 succeeds.

-------------------------------------

Is there an version (older?) of Intel AHCI drivers that are used on Opiplex 620 machines?

Thanks again all!!

Ed

I'm glad this is active... my niece has one, the desktop, and I have a spare E6600 cpu that, if fits/works, I'd like to use.

There are those 'Rockstar' users that keeps posting that a Core2Duo will not work, but same time, there are a good half dozen posts of people running a Core2Duo in their system... so... no idea.

Was there a final verdict on this?

For a desktop (not mid-tower) would an E6600 Core2Duo work? ideally, does anyone have a GX620 with an E6600 running in it?

I have a gx620 sff  htpc with a pentium D 945. I use a GeForce 210 video card (passively cooled so low power). Also have a 5.1 audio card. I use a remote external tuner. The silicon dust model. It works great. The fan is quiet for live TV or media center playback. It's quiet for Netflix etc. however it is loud for window update and virus scans. Been running it for over a year. 

There are those 'Rockstar' users that keeps posting that a Core2Duo will not work, but same time, there are a good half dozen posts of people running a Core2Duo in their system... so... no idea. Was there a final verdict on this?

I installed an E6300 Conroe in a GX620 SFF and it would not POST. Said GX620 booted normally after the original CPU was reinstalled.

The E6300 is incompatible. End of story.

Hi, I got a Core 2 Duo 6300 from Amazon, and put on Dell optiplex GX620. After I turn on power, fan is working but pc won't boot. Could you help me or show me how do you setup,please? Thank you! By the way my bios is already A11.