The Most Unwanted, Boring PC: Dell OptiPlex GX270
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Date: 2024-02-16
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Comments and reviews: 19
Leeki85
There's a whole generation of worthless PC hardware. Starting with first PCs that had no ISA slots and ending at first modern Intel generation like I5-760.
The reason is that i5-2500K up to Haswell 4th-gen Intel CPUs are still compatible with Windows XP and have really good integrated GPUs. They're comparable to Geforce 8600 which is good enough for Windows XP gaming. If you pair them with some discrete GPUs they can deliver 4K 60 FPS, since even GTX 9xx series supports Windows XP and these GPUs have HDMI 2. 0 or can go even higher with Display Port like 1440p 144 Hz.
If you build a PC based on i7 4790K GTX 980 Ti you'll be able to natively run MS-DOS 6. 22, Windows XP and Windows 10 (or 11 with hacks. Such config will run almost all PC games ever released natively. Even new games will run at 30 FPS in 1080p.
We also have gaming on LInux now. We now can run Windows 3. x, Win 9x, XP and 7 games on Linux with higher compatibility than on Windows 10. Currently Linux is my favorite way to play older PC games. Runs almost everything and performance is superb even on such old integrated GPUs.
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There's a whole generation of worthless PC hardware. Starting with first PCs that had no ISA slots and ending at first modern Intel generation like I5-760.
The reason is that i5-2500K up to Haswell 4th-gen Intel CPUs are still compatible with Windows XP and have really good integrated GPUs. They're comparable to Geforce 8600 which is good enough for Windows XP gaming. If you pair them with some discrete GPUs they can deliver 4K 60 FPS, since even GTX 9xx series supports Windows XP and these GPUs have HDMI 2. 0 or can go even higher with Display Port like 1440p 144 Hz.
If you build a PC based on i7 4790K GTX 980 Ti you'll be able to natively run MS-DOS 6. 22, Windows XP and Windows 10 (or 11 with hacks. Such config will run almost all PC games ever released natively. Even new games will run at 30 FPS in 1080p.
We also have gaming on LInux now. We now can run Windows 3. x, Win 9x, XP and 7 games on Linux with higher compatibility than on Windows 10. Currently Linux is my favorite way to play older PC games. Runs almost everything and performance is superb even on such old integrated GPUs.
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nep-nep6575
I am incredibly nostalgic for this era of dells. Not only are were everywhere, but I basically learned about the internet and how to take computers apart on these.
Schools had used them basically all the way up until around 2009-ish when they were all replaced with the HP elitedesk series, my grandparents had an optiplex or a dimension that looked like this that they used all the way until 2013 and it still was reliably chugging along. I specifically remember going on coolamathgames to play BTD3, playing so many unlicensed flash games and reading GameFAQ forums on Dreamcast games back when that was their main computer.
And those were the first computers I ever took apart. My computer repair class in high school had us take these old optiplexes and dimensions apart, pit them back together, and then install Debian Linux on them. They’re certainly boring, but they hold a special place in my heart.
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I am incredibly nostalgic for this era of dells. Not only are were everywhere, but I basically learned about the internet and how to take computers apart on these.
Schools had used them basically all the way up until around 2009-ish when they were all replaced with the HP elitedesk series, my grandparents had an optiplex or a dimension that looked like this that they used all the way until 2013 and it still was reliably chugging along. I specifically remember going on coolamathgames to play BTD3, playing so many unlicensed flash games and reading GameFAQ forums on Dreamcast games back when that was their main computer.
And those were the first computers I ever took apart. My computer repair class in high school had us take these old optiplexes and dimensions apart, pit them back together, and then install Debian Linux on them. They’re certainly boring, but they hold a special place in my heart.
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railsrust
Yeah, these old Optiplexes are kind of mid at best. On the other hand, they work great as baby's first retro pc. It's a great, cheap introduction to the world of retro stuff without breaking the bank.
As you can see, they kind of just work in Windows 98 with the right drivers. They're actually pretty nice in DOS. I believe they have Soundblaster emulation.
Maybe buy an OPL3LPT and a better video solution on the cheap, and you can have some retro fun on a budget.
You can find all sorts of Pentium 4 hardware from this era for very little cash. Keep an eye out for bad capacitors, though!
There's so many of these machines, it's not worth dealing with replacing the caps on one right now, unless you just happen to want to.
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Yeah, these old Optiplexes are kind of mid at best. On the other hand, they work great as baby's first retro pc. It's a great, cheap introduction to the world of retro stuff without breaking the bank.
As you can see, they kind of just work in Windows 98 with the right drivers. They're actually pretty nice in DOS. I believe they have Soundblaster emulation.
Maybe buy an OPL3LPT and a better video solution on the cheap, and you can have some retro fun on a budget.
You can find all sorts of Pentium 4 hardware from this era for very little cash. Keep an eye out for bad capacitors, though!
There's so many of these machines, it's not worth dealing with replacing the caps on one right now, unless you just happen to want to.
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WMSJacob
The GX270 was considered a hot rod in elementary school and I remember vividly trying to get to early morning latchkey first - all in order to get on either the 270 or the newer 280 and play RuneScape in High Detail mode! Later on it was E series P4HT Gateways as the district contract with Dell went under in 2006, then Gateway swooped in and dropped their mid-range turds in our computer labs. It wasn't until 2012 that we were able to shake them and finally go back to Dell, then we started receiving bi-yearly upgrades on the regular! Always fun to see the old 270s and 280s still hanging in there. It boggles the mind to think what these computers would have been like had the capacitors actually been worth anything.
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The GX270 was considered a hot rod in elementary school and I remember vividly trying to get to early morning latchkey first - all in order to get on either the 270 or the newer 280 and play RuneScape in High Detail mode! Later on it was E series P4HT Gateways as the district contract with Dell went under in 2006, then Gateway swooped in and dropped their mid-range turds in our computer labs. It wasn't until 2012 that we were able to shake them and finally go back to Dell, then we started receiving bi-yearly upgrades on the regular! Always fun to see the old 270s and 280s still hanging in there. It boggles the mind to think what these computers would have been like had the capacitors actually been worth anything.
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tacomeru
Okay, I'll admit to being one of those with a little soft spot for the Dimension 2400 at least. Back in early '05, my dad got a good deal on some bundle that had a couple of them, monitors, and a horrid Dell printer that gave my sister and I our first computers to replace the family room Windows 98s.
I don't know how many times I had to reset XP on those things from terrible internet usage. I ended up putting some kind of Radeon in it and about a gig of RAM and mine lasted me until '11 when I built myself my first gaming PC, but we kept that one around as a hand-me-down to our younger brother as his desktop until like '15 when it went on to Goodwill.
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Okay, I'll admit to being one of those with a little soft spot for the Dimension 2400 at least. Back in early '05, my dad got a good deal on some bundle that had a couple of them, monitors, and a horrid Dell printer that gave my sister and I our first computers to replace the family room Windows 98s.
I don't know how many times I had to reset XP on those things from terrible internet usage. I ended up putting some kind of Radeon in it and about a gig of RAM and mine lasted me until '11 when I built myself my first gaming PC, but we kept that one around as a hand-me-down to our younger brother as his desktop until like '15 when it went on to Goodwill.
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woodch
I was an NCR Customer Engineer from 2008 to 2012, and I replaced SO many motherboards in these exact machines across the north-west part or Arizona, for exactly the reason you highlighted-- bulging, leaking capacitors. The one you have, and the small-form-factor version. They also had a habit of burning out their weird, proprietary cooling fan/temperature-sensor situation-- replaced a ton of those as well.
Thankfully, it was clear that Dell (or someone) was meticulously re-capping all the affected boards with brand new caps, all marked with Sharpie X's, and they worked at least long enough for me to move on career-wise. What a memory!
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I was an NCR Customer Engineer from 2008 to 2012, and I replaced SO many motherboards in these exact machines across the north-west part or Arizona, for exactly the reason you highlighted-- bulging, leaking capacitors. The one you have, and the small-form-factor version. They also had a habit of burning out their weird, proprietary cooling fan/temperature-sensor situation-- replaced a ton of those as well.
Thankfully, it was clear that Dell (or someone) was meticulously re-capping all the affected boards with brand new caps, all marked with Sharpie X's, and they worked at least long enough for me to move on career-wise. What a memory!
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michaelault5096
I remember this pc very well this was the one I learned how to do dialup networking to a gateway 2000 pc that I traded for an playstation back in the day, it really was not a bad machine my school had nothing but these for the computers in school. but I agree I ran windows 2000 professional because xp was not the best on these. my dad ran this up till December 2008 when I bought him a new dell when I got out of the marines and we had this pc for awhile after that sitting next to the gateway in the old storage room. but they are both long gone now. I like watching your stuff brings back some good memories.
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I remember this pc very well this was the one I learned how to do dialup networking to a gateway 2000 pc that I traded for an playstation back in the day, it really was not a bad machine my school had nothing but these for the computers in school. but I agree I ran windows 2000 professional because xp was not the best on these. my dad ran this up till December 2008 when I bought him a new dell when I got out of the marines and we had this pc for awhile after that sitting next to the gateway in the old storage room. but they are both long gone now. I like watching your stuff brings back some good memories.
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aghostyboi3075
Ive been wondering what this model is, this was our first home computer.
I was born in 05’ and man im so glad i got to experience the space pinballand windows XP considering i mainly grew up with windows 7.
Bout all i used it for though, but that gave it purpose for me at least. i was only 3/4 at the time so it didn’t take much to satisfy
Thankful ours kicked for longer than expected with whole capacitor issue
It did kick the bucket eventually 2009/2010.
But wow, i never thought I’d see one of these again.
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Ive been wondering what this model is, this was our first home computer.
I was born in 05’ and man im so glad i got to experience the space pinballand windows XP considering i mainly grew up with windows 7.
Bout all i used it for though, but that gave it purpose for me at least. i was only 3/4 at the time so it didn’t take much to satisfy
Thankful ours kicked for longer than expected with whole capacitor issue
It did kick the bucket eventually 2009/2010.
But wow, i never thought I’d see one of these again.
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Nobe_Oddy
That EXACT Pentium 4 machine has caused me SOOO MUICH GRIEF over the past 24 years of my life. and I'm supposed to pay Dell $8000 FOR IT! HELL NO! - My younger brother (may he Rest In Peace: '( ) decided to BUY a $2000 Dell system WITH MY CREDIT when I turned 18 and HID THIS FACT FROM ME UNTIOL I WAS 22 AND TRYING TO GET A CREDIT CARD! - I AM NOT PAYING DELL FOR THIS THING NOR WILL I PAY THEM THE $6000 IN INTEREST THEY CLAIM I OWE THEM! TO H31L WITH D31L!
Ok. back to the video
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That EXACT Pentium 4 machine has caused me SOOO MUICH GRIEF over the past 24 years of my life. and I'm supposed to pay Dell $8000 FOR IT! HELL NO! - My younger brother (may he Rest In Peace: '( ) decided to BUY a $2000 Dell system WITH MY CREDIT when I turned 18 and HID THIS FACT FROM ME UNTIOL I WAS 22 AND TRYING TO GET A CREDIT CARD! - I AM NOT PAYING DELL FOR THIS THING NOR WILL I PAY THEM THE $6000 IN INTEREST THEY CLAIM I OWE THEM! TO H31L WITH D31L!
Ok. back to the video
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Crimerenegade
I have GX260 (so previous model to this) in the desktop factor (not SFF) with Pentium III 1, 13 Tualatin, 512MB of RAM, Geforce 2 440MX 64MB and Soundblaster 128 (CT4810) Running Windows 98 SE as my retro rig. And it's a love hate relationship type of deal. But I can't be too mad at it considering it's age and the fact i got it for free from the place I work for as local IT. It was supposed to scrape. Also got DELL XPS260 desktop (C2D 8400 4GB and HD5450) in the same deal
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I have GX260 (so previous model to this) in the desktop factor (not SFF) with Pentium III 1, 13 Tualatin, 512MB of RAM, Geforce 2 440MX 64MB and Soundblaster 128 (CT4810) Running Windows 98 SE as my retro rig. And it's a love hate relationship type of deal. But I can't be too mad at it considering it's age and the fact i got it for free from the place I work for as local IT. It was supposed to scrape. Also got DELL XPS260 desktop (C2D 8400 4GB and HD5450) in the same deal
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Iruparazzo
Literally viewing this video on my Dell OptiPlex I bought off ebay for $100 cuz it came with a graphics card lol. Legit I still game on it tho, the processor is still pretty good for modern gaming tbh, with a 1050Ti stuck in it. [edit to be fair] Pretty sure the mobo had been replaced with something more upgraded, since no capacitor issues and significantly stronger CPU, also I replaced the power supply with a stronger one so really its the Dell OptiPlex of Theseus lol]
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Literally viewing this video on my Dell OptiPlex I bought off ebay for $100 cuz it came with a graphics card lol. Legit I still game on it tho, the processor is still pretty good for modern gaming tbh, with a 1050Ti stuck in it. [edit to be fair] Pretty sure the mobo had been replaced with something more upgraded, since no capacitor issues and significantly stronger CPU, also I replaced the power supply with a stronger one so really its the Dell OptiPlex of Theseus lol]
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benjaminvlz
2: 41 My school totally had those horizontal OptiPlex computers back then.
3: 28 I used a Dell Dimension 2400 as my main PC back in the day. An Intel Celeron II processor and a 32 GB HDD. As cheap as it could get. lol I still have it, but it's not being used for anything. To be honest, I think the Dimension/OptiPlex case designs of this period were pretty nice, compared to those gray computer cases of the 1980s and 1990s that would turn an ugly yellow over time.
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2: 41 My school totally had those horizontal OptiPlex computers back then.
3: 28 I used a Dell Dimension 2400 as my main PC back in the day. An Intel Celeron II processor and a 32 GB HDD. As cheap as it could get. lol I still have it, but it's not being used for anything. To be honest, I think the Dimension/OptiPlex case designs of this period were pretty nice, compared to those gray computer cases of the 1980s and 1990s that would turn an ugly yellow over time.
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30AndHatingIt
Ah yes, the computers that all of us cut our teeth on, learning how to hack and playing a game of weapons manufacturer vs armor manufacturer with the two IT guys the school hired to maintain parental controls / network security. We'd find a way around their parental controls to look at naughty websites or get games to work, they'd update the system and try to block it, we'd come back with a new workaround, they'd come back trying another block. Good times: )
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Ah yes, the computers that all of us cut our teeth on, learning how to hack and playing a game of weapons manufacturer vs armor manufacturer with the two IT guys the school hired to maintain parental controls / network security. We'd find a way around their parental controls to look at naughty websites or get games to work, they'd update the system and try to block it, we'd come back with a new workaround, they'd come back trying another block. Good times: )
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palmtopturtle1727
We had a Dell Dimension model for our family computer back in the day; honestly, just as boring as the OptiPlex series. It could run most of the games I wanted to play, like RCT3 or SC4. just not very well. All I can think about is how it would fail to render the water in RCT3, so wherever there was supposed to be water there would instead be a white void. But hey, somehow I managed to enjoy it as a kid as it chugged along at like 15 FPS.
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We had a Dell Dimension model for our family computer back in the day; honestly, just as boring as the OptiPlex series. It could run most of the games I wanted to play, like RCT3 or SC4. just not very well. All I can think about is how it would fail to render the water in RCT3, so wherever there was supposed to be water there would instead be a white void. But hey, somehow I managed to enjoy it as a kid as it chugged along at like 15 FPS.
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CapComa
Damn! Saw an ASUS eeeeeek notebook on that twitter thread. What a throwback
Bought one of those crap things, thinking it might be good strictly for writing text documents. for 100
That piece of. would barely run windows Notepad (and that's what I did. Wrote exclusively on Notepad)
Still can't figure out why I didn't just send it back.
Eventually gave it away to a friend in need.
. Little did he know, it wasn't exactly a gift
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Damn! Saw an ASUS eeeeeek notebook on that twitter thread. What a throwback
Bought one of those crap things, thinking it might be good strictly for writing text documents. for 100
That piece of. would barely run windows Notepad (and that's what I did. Wrote exclusively on Notepad)
Still can't figure out why I didn't just send it back.
Eventually gave it away to a friend in need.
. Little did he know, it wasn't exactly a gift
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Mini-z1994
These really were everywhere, seen probably 20 - 30 of them that was NOT in schools.
It's at least a reasonable spec machine having both PCI & AGP for upgrades too so with a powersupply upgrade, fixing the capacitors it would actually be reasonably good on a minimal budget.
The later socket 775 era machines started not including AGP or PCI-E at all & some despite being on 775 for some reason kept using DDR1 compatible chipsets.
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These really were everywhere, seen probably 20 - 30 of them that was NOT in schools.
It's at least a reasonable spec machine having both PCI & AGP for upgrades too so with a powersupply upgrade, fixing the capacitors it would actually be reasonably good on a minimal budget.
The later socket 775 era machines started not including AGP or PCI-E at all & some despite being on 775 for some reason kept using DDR1 compatible chipsets.
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PhirePhlame
I had a GX240 (kind of a thinner, horizontal version of the GX270) as a kid, and for years once I'd rediscovered it it's been kind of my go-to retro tinkering box. I got a PCI sound card with SB16 emulation (no ISA slots or I'd have had a real one) and pulled out an old copy of Windows ME (it was all I could find on hand, but it struck a fitting balance of before-my-time retro and nostalgic retro for me, and I was off to the races.
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I had a GX240 (kind of a thinner, horizontal version of the GX270) as a kid, and for years once I'd rediscovered it it's been kind of my go-to retro tinkering box. I got a PCI sound card with SB16 emulation (no ISA slots or I'd have had a real one) and pulled out an old copy of Windows ME (it was all I could find on hand, but it struck a fitting balance of before-my-time retro and nostalgic retro for me, and I was off to the races.
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remakeyourself
Oh no. Ohhhhh no! I worked in IT Support for a College in Ohio from 2003-2007. I personally supported about 3, 000 of these and roughly 30% of my job was carrying these things.
This video. I can feel the plastic. I can smell opening Dell part boxes. I can sense the pressure of the power button.
. I can remember how many hours of GBA I played while waiting for them to restart.
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Oh no. Ohhhhh no! I worked in IT Support for a College in Ohio from 2003-2007. I personally supported about 3, 000 of these and roughly 30% of my job was carrying these things.
This video. I can feel the plastic. I can smell opening Dell part boxes. I can sense the pressure of the power button.
. I can remember how many hours of GBA I played while waiting for them to restart.
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EvilTurkeySlices
I’ve been eying up this listing since December, this video made me pull the trigger. I’m nostalgic about these as my elementary school had dozens of them. This is the computer I learned how to do basic computer tasks on, this is where I was taught to type, and where I did most of my essays. It also where I played flash games in the computer lab instead of working.
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I’ve been eying up this listing since December, this video made me pull the trigger. I’m nostalgic about these as my elementary school had dozens of them. This is the computer I learned how to do basic computer tasks on, this is where I was taught to type, and where I did most of my essays. It also where I played flash games in the computer lab instead of working.
reply
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