Turning a Dell Optiplex 7040 Into a Gaming Computer!

Hey Guys! I'm back after a while! In this project we will be fully fixing up and modding this old Dell Optiplex 7040 from 2015 to be a sick budget gaming computer! We will be adding 24GB of ram, 620gb of storage which will vary depending on what option you do, a GTX 1060 and something that I haven't seen done with the 7040 which is a case swap into this amazing looking budget mid tower ATX case!

Also if you wanna check out my YouTube channel nowadays you can find it through this link or just search up ShepTheCreator!

https://www.youtube.com/@ShepTheCreator/shorts

Some additional notes is to get a graphics card slightly smaller than me because I ran into an issue later in the build where I had to get a PCI-e extender and hacked it together which doesn't necessarily look bad just isn't preferable.

Supplies

For this build you will need the following

Optiplex 7040 (MT) https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=dell+optiplex+7040+MT&_sacat=0&_odkw=dell+optiplex+7040+full+size&_osacat=0

GTX 1060 (or GPU of choice) https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=gtx+1060&_sacat=0&_odkw=dell+optiplex+7040+MT&_osacat=0

16 GB of white ram https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08K2TXFRZ?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

ATX Case https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQBGRDQB?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

600w Power Supply https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B9VGG83Z?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

512 GB SATA SSDhttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CX91BJWG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

24 pin to 8 pin Adapter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C6K47JPX?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Fan adepter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HYSHFQZ?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Wifi Adapter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P5PRK7J?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Bluetooth adapter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0728D7W6L?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

ARGB controller https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CR7PGHG7?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

OPTIONAL/Depends

Cable Extensions (For GPUS Over the recommended size) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJBGKTG7?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

ROG GPU Stand https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B173F6RM?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Thermal Paste https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L9BDY3T?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Step 1: Open the Optiplex!

Alright so this is fairly easy. All you have to do is find a blue switch on the back near the fan and pull it down which will release the back panel. Then push the second blue tab which should allow access into the computer!

Step 2: Removing Every Cable Attached to the Motherboard!

Next we will need to detach all of the cables that are attached. Including the 8 pin power connector, Speaker which is a bit hard, the dvd/cdROM drive, the external fan and the SATA cable for now.

Step 3: Removing the Motherboard Screws

Next we will unscrew each screw on the motherboard! There are a total of 8 including one under the ssd. Make sure to remember that one since it's kinda hiding! Also make sure to remove the 4 screws connected to the cooler!

Step 4: Remove the Motherboard!

Finally we are ready to move the motherboard and get into the swap! To do this we will carefully lift the motherboard up once everything is detached and slide the motherboard out! But trust me its not as delicate as you think lol mine has taken a beating.

Step 5: Attaching the Motherboard

Next we will attach the motherboard to the case! To do that we will obviously open the case then remove all of the black screws that a normal ATX motherboard would stand on since only 2 screws line up. Cause unfortunately it wasn't built for any other case! But I combated this by drilling another place to put a screw near the PCI-e port later on.

Step 6: Step 6 Installing Ram and SATA SSD

We will Attach the Sata drive normally by connecting the bigger half to the power supply and the other part to the motherboard! To install our 16 gigs of ram we will do that normally by pulling the tab back on the ram slot then slotting it in! A pretty easy way to upgrade our system! Bringing up our total ram size to 24GB with the additional stick.

Step 7: Installing Our Power Supply!

Next we will install our SPIRIT600w power supply! It should fit perfectly in our case! Just slot it in the 4 screws sent with the power supply then it should be all secure. Also before people hate on it this power supply should work great for the amount of power we are drawing and the nature of the components not being too high end!

Step 8: Install the Power Cables

Next we will install the CPU power and the 8-Pin power connector. For the CPU power we will need to find one of the 8 pin connectors attached to the power supply then split it by sliding them in opposition. After than you can plug it in to the top 4 pin power connector above the CPU like the image above. Next we will need the 24 to 8 pin adapter from the supply list! Which we will just plug in to the 24 pin connector from the power supply to the adapter like the image above! now we should be able to boot! But we are not done yet.

Step 9: Thermal Paste and Attach CPU Cooler

Next we will reapply our thermal paste since when I removed it it looked like it hasn't been reapplied since it was built. Plus it wasn't well applied so I definitely needed to replace it. Especially since the 1060 will bottleneck the Core i5 a bit! So ever bit of performance helps.

Step 10: Attach GPU

Now this is where I regretted buying my GPU! It was less than a half an inch to thick so that in interfered with the dell power connector on the bottom. Unfortunately those are just some things I had to expect when working on the Optiplex, so I bought a PCI-e extender and simply plugged it in. Next we needed to seat it above The ROG Sag Bracket. Yes... I know, but the end result looked great but like I said earlier it's not preferable. But hey it works perfectly fine, and at least I still got to use the ROG sag bracket and really had no other choice! Now we so are close to finishing the build!

Step 11: Fans and ARGB

After that larger step all we have to do is connect our ARGB controller since our motherboard doesn't support ARGB! It's simple by just plugging in the back to the SATA drive then plugging the ROG and fans to the controller! Next you will need to connect your fans to Sata and they should be all powered on and working! All controllable by the remote or by the built in LED button on the case.

Step 12: Closing Up the Case!

Nice! We are almost there! Now all we have to do is shove all of the cables in the back and close it up using the 2 screws that we removed in the beginning! and vice versa for the front of the case!

Step 13: Adding Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Now before purchasing the adapters check if your Optiplex has Wi-Fi and Buetooth since it varies from computer to computer depending on the previous owner/ companies use case of the machine! Unfortunately mine came with no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth So all I did was purchase 2 adapters Totaling around 15 dollars for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi! Yes you could install a Wi-Fi card but so far I haven't noticed much of a speed difference though there is some if you have great internet so keep that in mind!

Step 14: Installing Windows! (LAST STEP)

Next all we have to do is take a thumb drive that has to be over 8 gb then use the Windows installation installer to flash it to the usb! And if you don't have another computer then you can buy a Windows usb that has it preinstalled! Now this is a BIG DEAL because it may say that you don't meet the Windows 11 requirements but you do don't worry! Go into your bios by pressing F2 which should bring you to a similar menu above! And check your TPM (Trusted Platform Module) settings and secure boot if it says that you can't run Windows 11. Since the system laps the minimum requirements!

Step 15: The Final Setup!

Nice! We have finished the whole build now it's just up to the peripherals! Now for the mouse I went with the Razr Deathadder V2 which i've had for a while now so I didn't have to waste money plus I love it! It has 2 extra buttons and fits the white build!

For the keyboard I went with a budget keyboard, the Royal Kludge RK61 which honestly I think is great for the price since I picked it up for just $20! It fits with our white aesthetic and has plenty of fun modes and sounds great with 3 different switches! Red Brown and Blue.

Now I didn't want to spend hundreds on a good monitor since that would basically be doubling our build cost so I went with something that I already had which is the Apple Cinema Display. Though it's turning 20 this year!!! And is only 60hz so not ideal for gaming but since this is a budget build a 244hz monitor at 1440p would bottleneck the system so i'm perfectly fine saving all the cash for a perfectly fine and stylish monitor to fit the white aesthetic! Plus It looks so cursed running windows on an apple display 😂

Anyways if you did this project please let me know since I would love to see how it looks or how it's going! And thank you so much just for getting to the end of this! I had this idea a few weeks ago since I needed a PC for some other projects and thought I might as well turn an old office pc into a gaming computer! So it was definitely down to the wire but I had an amazing time and hope you do too if you start this project! Make sure to check out my channel if you want to see more and hopefully I will see you in another project very soon!

https://www.youtube.com/@ShepTheCreator/shorts