Optilplex 745 psu issues

[Medlar]

Hi all,

Im really frustrated at the moment and feel like banging my head off a brick wall due to the lack of advice i seem to be getting on this matter and im really hoping someone here might be able to help me with some solid information, pretty please

Ok, so i recently came into possesion of a Dell Optiplex 745 Small Form. (Dell are a pain in the *** to deal with i know), with the intention of upgrading it to as best i could to run games on like wow for example.

The base system came like this:
http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/optix/en/opti_745techspecs.pdf


Noticing it had the capacity to take 8gb ram, i ordered the 8gb, a new sata hdd online along with a 2gb low rise Graphics Card:
http://www.elara.ie/productdetail.aspx?productcode=MMEM310893

This being the only 2gb low rise card i could find, with the same dimensions as the 256mb Ati Radeon x1300 thats already in it i thought to myself this would work well for me.

Until i checked the power needed to run the new card

Currently the psu in the Dell is 275w, defo not enough to run the hd 6570 which im being told will need a minimum of about a 400w psu.

The only thing is, which ive been told today on the Dell support forum is that the Dell psu system is proprietary and cannot be changed to use an atx psu of any kind.
http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/p/19422537/19995500.aspx#19995500

What i need to know is HOW i can make this happen for me or if i can at all?
Is there a higher wattage Dell psu that i can upgrade with, is there a mod or a psu out there that i can do/use without having to change the mobo?

Is there any solution at all?? lol

Ive spent alot of money so-far on bits an pieces for this machine, only to now be told i may have to scrap it and get a system that takes industry standard parts

Help me, pleeeeease

http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=339053

 

[Medlar]

Thought i should probably post some pics too of the connection etc.

 

[win2kpro]

At one time PC Power & Cooling made some 500 watt power supply's for Dell's, and had power supply's for the Optiplex 745 mini tower, but not for the small form factor.

I would just take some accurate measurements of the power supply and do a Google search. Search for Dell Optiplex small form factor power supply.

 

[crjdriver]

SSF cases use smaller than standard pw supplies. From your pics, it looks like your case has enough depth to take a standard pw supply however you need to closely check width and height.

Even IF you can successfully install a standard pw supply, you have other issues to deal with. The specs you linked to show no pci-e slot and I do not see one in your pics. How do you intend to install the card with no slot?

In short this looks like an exercise in futility to me. I would RMA the parts you purchased and just use the system for what it is intended ie email, word docs, etc.

FWIW dells are decent office computers; we use them at work however dells are NOT upgradeable in any real sense. While you can install a larger hd or more ram, that is about it. Support for new cpus, a real video card, etc is usually out of the question. In short with a dell it is what it is and trying to make it something else will only frustrate you.

 

[win2kpro]

I just looked online and with the shape of that power supply and it's reported use of a proprietary 4 pin 3 wire P5 connector (whatever that is used for) I don't believe you will find a large enough power supply for that chassis.

http://www.google.com/products/cata...SbFTruvH8r20gGxv8H4Dg&sqi=2&ved=0CIQBEPMCMAM#

 

[Medlar]

Cheers guys for the quick replies

@Win2kPro, google has been my enemy of late, cant seem to find any that would fit the measurements that would have a high enough wattage.

*edit, just read your second post and that psu you linked would probably be ideal, il look into it some more, again, it doesnt matter if the psu needs to be mounted outside the case if needs be if i can get a higher psu 500+ that wont fry everything up on me

@CrjDriver, i doubt a standard power supply will fit mate, its a tight space near that area and the current 275w psu is smaller then a standard.
There is a pci-e slot available also, its where the current 256mb radeon x1300 sits at the moment in the top left corner of the pic above, you might of mistaken it for the Ultra Small Form Factor spec from the base spec list here:
http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/optix/en/opti_745techspecs.pdf

Currently it has one low profile pci-e slot so the card can just replace the other.

And i can see where your coming from with Dell systems being difficult if not impossible to upgrade, the head-ache this has generated over the past few days is immense lol.


*Edit - added some pics to first post to show connectors, casing etc