Thank you!

Ty

Came back to say that the modifications were a success! My new system is a Dell XPS 8940 with RTX 2060 and a 500W power supply. HUGE upgrade considering that I was gaming on laptop integrated graphics before. Thank you to all who gave advice. My set-up: - Replaced stock CPU cooler with a Vetroo V5. You don't have to put in the backplate. The Vetroo V5 screws into the Dell Intel backplate that is already provided. - Replaced stock rear exhaust fan with a 92mm Noctua NF-A9 chromax. Also mounted another Noctua NF-A9 chromax to the front for intake. - Took the stock rear exhaust fan and repurposed it into a second intake fan to help cool the GPU. It's a tight fit, but it works. - Used the Awxlumv 2.8 x 1 VRM heatsink. It's a little longer than needed, but it covers all the VRM and stays affixed. - Paired my set-up with an Acer ConceptD CP1. Not a lot of people use this monitor, but it runs at 144Hz ( 165Hz overclocked ) with a 1ms response time. Comes in a more understated design on a wooden stand. Pretty decent gaming monitor for under $250. Problems I encountered: - I ordered the HONBAY 40pc rubber fan screws. They were very short and difficult to pull through the fan mounts, so I ended up not using them. Definitely order the longer screws or use zip ties, which is what I did. There are no holes in the chassis to mount anything bigger, so you'll have to use zip ties if you want bigger than 92mm fans. - You have to push VERY hard on the Dell RAM to seat it. It will feel wrong, but you'll know it's seated properly when the latches click. - This is about Dell's build quality, but I found that the power button on the front plastic chassis does not extend far enough when pushed. I learned this after putting together my system, only to find that the tower wouldn't power on AT ALL when I pushed the button. Thought I messed up or that my tower came with a faulty part. Nope, for some reason, the button on the plastic case won't reach the actual power button on the tower even when properly attached. Until I find a way to fix this, I'm keeping the front chassis off. Not the prettiest arrangement, but at least it'll help with ventilation. This is the first time I've ever messed with the computer parts myself, and I'm satisfied with the work! The PC runs very cool and is surprisingly quiet with the Noctua fans. Edit: Played through the entirety of Little Nightmares on Ultra with no lagging or stuttering. Also get 100 FPS on Final Fantasy XIV on medium settings. Ran Speccy and find that my CPU and GPU run at a cool 30C during normal browsing and a solid 35C ( CPU ) and 60C ( GPU ) while running FFXIV on medium at 1080p. 45C and 60C on Far Cry 5 on medium 1080P. The CPU cooler makes the biggest difference. For some reason, RAM speed is capped at 2666 Mhz for i5 processors in the 8940. For i7/i9, it's about 2950 Mhz. People have also had issues upgrading the RAM, so I'm leaving my single stick 16gb alone ftm. Next, I'll be upgrading my internal 256gb Kioxia M.2 to a 1tb WD Blue. Will update again afterwards.

Another update for those who are curious: I upgraded the stock Kioxia 256gb internal SSD to a WD Blue SN550 1tb. Pleased to say that I have had no issues thus far, and I do notice faster load speeds from my system! It doesn't run too hot, staying at a cool 30C during normal browsing. Temps remain within the 30C range during gaming. I have not noticed any change in noise level. Transferring my data from the stock SSD to the new one was a simple process. All it requires is an SSD enclosure ( I used SSK Aluminum ) and the free version of Macrium Reflect. Problems I encountered: - When cloning to a larger SSD drive, you MUST allocate the remaining "free" space on your new SSD to the OS partition so that you can actually use that space. I didn't do that during the first cloning ( just made an identical copy of my partitions ) and was confused as to why all the space on my new 1tb SSD was already filled up. Keeping my old SSD in the enclosure to use as an emergency boot drive. Next, might mess with the RAM if I can find something that is compatible. Would like to change my single channel SK Hynix 16gb stick to dual channel 16gb.

Update: - The VRM heatsink keeps falling off, so I'm keeping it off until I can pick up thermal tape or another adhesive that is safe for my motherboard. Thus far, my system is still running smoothly without it, and I've been regularly gaming on my new PC for about a month and a half now. - Replaced the stock 256gb Kioxia internal SSD with that 1tb WD Blue. Swapping the SSD card required me to take off my CPU cooler and reattach it after the swap was finished, which was expected. Overall, no issues. - The internal SSD that the Dell 8940 uses is a standard 5-pin M key NVME, NOT Sata. To clone data from internal SSD onto another internal SSD, you'll need a proper M.2 enclosure ( I used SSK Aluminum ) and the free version of Macrium Reflect. Remember to allocate the free space on your new SSD to your OS partition BEFORE you clone. Nothing irreversibly bad will happen if you forget, but it'll be a waste of about 30 mins to reclone your SSD. I forgot to do that the first time around and wondered why all the space on my new SSD was already used up. That free space has to be allocated to a partition before you can use it. Oops. Can't tell you about read and write times, but I can say after a month of gaming with a bigger, faster SSD that I do notice faster load times from my PC. In FFXIV, I am often one of the first people in and out of cutscenes, and mechanics ( hazards to avoid ) appear quickly on my screen. Very useful in a game that prioritizes speedrunning dungeons and dodging AOEs. It also stays at a more-than-acceptable 35C even during heavy gaming, and I have not noticed any change in audible noise from my system. The WD Blue SN550 is a safe bet for a Dell 8940. I would like to switch to dual channel RAM in the future, but it's not really a priority. The OEM 16gb single stick suffices. If I continue upgrading, I'll probably get a better CPU than the Intel 10500 I have currently.

Update after nearly a year: I've been gaming regularly on this rig for about eight months now, a couple hours a day. Mostly on Final Fantasy XIV. Thus far, I have had absolutely zero issues with this build. - Had to buy thermal tape to help with my sister's build, so I was finally able to reattach my VRM heatsink! It has not fallen off since, and I do notice a slight difference in temps. Generally, my temperatures still stay within the 30C range with normal browsing and rarely go above the 40s range when gaming. The hottest I've ever seen it was in the 60s. - Finally upgraded to dual channel RAM. Swapped my generic 16gb stick for 2x8gb Crucial Ballistix at 3200. No issues. I think those are the last upgrades I'll make. I considered upgrading the CPU, but I figured that by the time I'll need a better CPU, I'll be switching to a new rig, anyway. In hindsight, I'm glad I worked on this build last year because prices for pre-builts have actually gone up by about 30% this year. Desktops with 1650s are selling for what I paid for this 2060 system. However, it is still possible to find the rare deal for a 3060 pre-built below $1000 before tax. For people thinking about getting a new gaming desktop, I would highly suggest buying a pre-built and fixing it up rather than building it yourself. A friend tried the latter but found she couldn't get a decent graphics card at a reasonable price and actually ended up paying more than if she had just bought a pre-built with the graphics card she wanted. Save money, wait for deals. It is 1000% worth it.

Awesome, great to hear that! Give us some more info what did you needed to do to get the Noctua installed, anything special?

@@HardwareSense The ONLY thing needed for the CPU cooler/heatsink assembly for the NH-D9L is 4 m3-16mm screws and 4 m3 washers. That is literally it. I found all the information from the Dell community and it helped tremendously.

@@itsehsanh Thanks for sharing, I'm the beginner as well try to learn to do the same thing, so question for your installation on NH-D9L, do you need to install any base at the backside of the mother board?

@@pengbiaozhang4239 No you do NOT have to insert the backplate. I did not do it and it worked out fine. What you need to buy are 4 16m3 screws and 3m washers. In the Noctua packaging, you need to use the provided black spacers

@@itsehsanh good to know~ thank you

I bought the pre-built 8940 and received (per my invoice) the proper 8x2 ram and then supplemented that with another 8x2 from crucial.

Mine got shipped 2 weeks ago with the 2 x8gb. Legit 2 channels

Thank you, appreciate the support!

@@HardwareSense thank you for making it all so simple. With dell having a proprietary motherboard, how do I know what new coolers I could put in place of the stock fan?

@@itsehsanh It will take some reading over at the Dell Community forum

@@HardwareSense I did plenty of that per your suggestion. Lots of information to process, especially for a beginner. But i noted a lot of fans and wrote down their names...also what screws/spacers/washers needed. If you decide to put a 80/92mm fans where the HDD slot used to be, can you make a video on it? That would be great learning material for those who also have Dell XPS 8940s

@@itsehsanh For the front intake you only need rubber isolators, no screws needed, I am going to show that in the upcoming Dell G5 desktop video. As for the main one, I see some people have used Noctua model towers, but I thought that is too complicated to find the right screws and spacers, I think the stock tower is very good and super easy to install.

Yes that works

There are a few sellers that have them, some even sell brand new, and they have a lot of stock

@@HardwareSense Weird! I searched for "dell VWMTJ" on ebay and only got two sellers, both international.

@@myfavoritemovies I bought from that one in HK that have brand new ones, and bought from domestic as well, but they are out of stock at the moment.

@@HardwareSense Ah, cool. I'll keep checking... fortunately it's not a critical matter, I'd just like something a bit beefier for when I'm doing rendering. Thanks!

My XPS 8490 came with an RTX2070 Super

@@JamarConley Oh, nice

Appreciate the support!

Wow those people at Amazon want $24 for this 612F7, and it's only $5 on Dell!

I’m waiting on the 612f7 to be back in stock from either dell or Amazon.

@@HardwareSense where do you go to order direct from Dell? I have searched the part numbers on their site a get nothing.

@@motleyhobbies5738 dell.com chat with sales reps

I ended up just calling and got the VRM Heatsink, CPU Heatsink, 500W PSU (not too happy with the 360 in with an i7 and 1660ti) and an extra 2.5" drive caddy for just under $200USD after tax.

In the video description now.

no if you dont have the k series you get the ass cooler installed, but if you get the k series they install the better one for you, you do not have to

Almost the same, and yes you can do the exact same upgrades there.

Those are capacitors and they are fine exposed, if you look at the stock one, it is also not covering those.

Great information, I was wondering if this one would work here

@Card Capers - Did you use the XPS screws or do screws come with the cooler? Which mounting bracket if any?

@@mattwolrad Everything comes with it, no bracelets needed

Would that work with the G5? Did your XPS have the same case pieces that have to be removed on the G5 to replace with other coolers? Did it work out of the box or did you have to use any extra parts for it to work? Thank you in advance

@@tyria6866 Yes it works on both

Amazon has it but it's 5 times more expensive

Does the k version come with vram heat sink?

@@JSyntax yes. K series processors come with the vrm heat sink and the better heat sink. It should anyways

@@JSyntax Yes they do

@@HardwareSense I bought the expensive one from amazon ($25) and it was worth it to avoid dicking around wasting time trying to get it through Dell support. And... it works great! No regrets.

That is 1650 Super, I have one

Of course I did, but I wanted to avoid unwanted criticism, as everyone has their own way of doing it.

The Noctua NH-D9L is a little over $50, sitting at $59.99 on Amazon. And I can say it fits perfect with no mods to the back-plate needed for install. The only parts you will need that don't come with the unit are 4 M3 x 16mm screws and 4 M3 washers, that's it!

and do you know which size the regular cooler has?

You don't need to remove or install a backplate. The OEM cooler uses what's there and other coolers can use it too! Like this one: www.amazon.com/Vetroo-Cooler-Processor-Universal-Socket/dp/B08F2BS9J8

It is a custom MATX, in other words, you can't really use it in another case.

What do you mean by not having access to it?

Yes that's what I did

Honestly I see people are using a lot of Noctua and CM coolers with the 92mm fans and they all look great, the issue for me is having to search and read for days to find out what screws exactly I need and what spacers I need to find with what washers, when the OEM tower is just as good and requires nothing but thermal paste and a screwdriver.

yay they sent an engineer out to replace the heat sink/fan & also replace the rear case/exhaust fan with a larger one & add the missing voltage regulator heat sink. the engineer even let me keep everything he took off as spares :) if its in the marketing material on the page for this model it really should have been in the computer from the start.

@@ruspj I should send them an email too

Yes you need 4pin PWM fan otherwise it will run at its maximum rpm

@@HardwareSense thanks a lot for the prompt response. I ended up connecting the front one to the 4-pin and the Noctua to the 3 pin. Now the front one is not as loud and the Noctua is really quiet but I see its rpm varies when needed, or is it always recommended to have the exhaust fan in the 4-pin of the splitter?

@@deadroller It's recommended just because if you want the motherboard to control the RPMs

There are several that would work, some Noctua models and the Vetroo V5 is a perfect fit

Yes of course, new paste is reapplied

I showed the rubber mounting isolators that you can push through the holes

The 10400 has integrated GPU, and thee are output ports in the back, so it should.

but you should check with your exact configuration, if you have an F processor such as i5 10400F, it will NOT have onboard graphics.

Yes that's absolutely normal

Not sure about the mounting mechanism on it, if you need to install a back plate, it will be complicated

@@HardwareSense I saw a few videos and forum posts, apparently no black plate modifications needed just use some m3 bolts and washers

@@SpringdalepreetPannu Yes, screws and washers are needed

@@SpringdalepreetPannu link please? :)

@@patman5948 www.amazon.de/Noctua-NH-U9S-chromax-Black-Single-Tower-CPU Should work with this super fast cooler.

Well it's in the grey area, if you are using their cooler probably not, even if it is, keeping the old one and installing it back if any issues arrive, will solve the problem.

Correct

No need for bracket, it bolts to the permanent PC bracket

Yes that's the one

Scroll through the comments below, I think someone mentioned that is working

Yes it is

There is about half an inch gap between the frame and the outside panel, it's not ideal but it delivers some air

The intake is more important if you can add fans, create some positive pressure

@@HardwareSense Okay thank you.

It's a 92mm fan, you probably can swap it out for a different one, but it will be a challenge to find a fan that doesn't throw a Bios error, personally I don't see a reason to swap it

Nothing special, just a regular Philips one.

@@HardwareSense Sorry to ask but what size would count at “regular”? I’m struggling to find one the fits at the moment

Yes just remove the hard drive

Bump @hard

Is the Noctua rated low RPM, I think the stock is something like 100 or 200rpm low speed start

Minimum is 400, max 2000. Do I need a lower rated fan then? Could that be the issue?

@@maxhigh Most likely that is the issue, I have seen it with Dell and HP.

Its in the video description

Lower temps and lower noise.

Yeah I guess not. I also need it

Yes you can, but the stock one is whisper quiet

@@HardwareSense Well the cooler I received makes a very loud whining noise under load so I'm looking to replace it. By chance do you know what mm fan is in the cooller? It's hard to measure without removing it. Thank you for the help

@@mayrui2203 I think it is a 92mm fan, but it's easily removable and can definitely be replaced

@@HardwareSense Thank you for the answers I really appreciate it. Keep up making great content!

@@mayrui2203 Appreciate your support!

Me too haha

@@blakew7187 I sadly haven't used it too much but it runs most games pretty smooth

Yes, even bigger, as video editing is taxing the CPU to the max

Yes

@@HardwareSense I am so glad to hear you say that! I have a heavily modded 3670, Corsair PSU with holes drilled in bottom for the flow out, two 80mm exhaust fans and 1 80mm side intake fan. Thanks to molex! I will probably have to move the side intake from inside the case to back outside for the new cpu cooler to fit.

@@ssjbart2003 Wow!

Now I just wish it was $25 dollars now! Minimum $54 from China. I don't mind the time though. Also, does my Inspiron 3670 need the VRM heatsink? Thank you and sorry to keep bugging you.

@@ssjbart2003 Nah no need

Yes

Everything but the motherboard and power supply

It's in the video description. I am having a G5 video coming up in a few days too.

Define regular use, just browsing and office? If yes, then you don't need to.

@@HardwareSense Regular as in browsing, home office/accounting... photo shop, .....

@@HardwareSense Also, i live in a home without central air and the house tends to get hot in the summer, living in So. California..

@@DeeDee-rr3sn Photoshop is not very regular, but I think that you should be good, it just might be a bit noisy

@@DeeDee-rr3sn Well... In this case, you could use all the cooling that you can get for this PC, temp will be higher, but the fan will spin faster, producing more noise, but still cooling

Probably not, if you keep the old one and if anything happens, swap it back.

Nothing, other than having to buy a new motherboard, case and PSU

Probably

i don’t think so. i have seen one video comparing this tower to a noctua tower. the dell tower is competitive, but noctua is the king of cooling.

This is the Bios battery

@@HardwareSense Thanks for the response, I looked it up and I guess you learn something new every day.

It's in the video description

I tested it with 3060 and it's fine, video coming out tomorrow

@@HardwareSense - Since you can't find the Dell cooler you recommended anywhere can you post your thoughts on an available alternative that can be found. I just bought this 1660Ti version at Costco. 360w power supply and 16 gb RAM I want to make the cooler upgrade that you described in this video. Great timing for me.

@@mattwolrad Yes, I am planning to get the same one like yours from costco too. But, I confused with some negative reviews from Costco buyers, some types on blue screen problem? How do you like it?

@@arthurhnguyen - So far so good. Only paid $999 with 1 TB Hard Drive, 512 SSD MEME2, 16 GB RAM and 1660TI but I haven’t played any games. Computer only at 40c.

@@mattwolrad Thanks. It is a good deal but I think it needs to upgrade cooling and fans as HardwareSense host suggested in video. Thanks for great video.

Use Intel XTU

Very possible

That will just not look aesthetically pleasing

No, that is not correct. Air gets sucked INTO the GPU and then out through a channel in the back, it's not designed to blow air against the side of the case (give Dell engineers some credit please). Some of the heat from the back of the card will enter the case but if you have an adequate cooling solution for the CPU and case this will not be a problem. I have a 120mm Noctua fan mounted in the front of the case, a Noctua CPU cooler with 2 fans in a push-pull arrangement and I replaced the stock Dell output fan with another Noctua fan. This arrangement cools everything down nicely. Taking off the side of the case would be a big mistake as I wouldn't get proper air flow from front to back. Cutting a hole in the side panel to mount a fan would be another mistake.

Just bought one and it,s a beast machine

What fan did you use?

@@HardwareSense Arctic Freezer Xtreme

@@bentechy Yeah that fan on the arctic might not have a super low power/rpm start point.

@@HardwareSense Thanks for the response. Kindly let me know if there are settings I can change in the bios to get around this one.

@@bentechy No settings that I know can help you, just a different cooler/fan. I know plenty of people are using Noctua

It should be

@@HardwareSense It isn't FYI. The chipset doesn't support Thunderbolt.

@@digitaldeltablues Even with a PCIe card?

@@HardwareSense No - I am 100% certain of this. I spoke with the technicians at Dell who explained why. The Dell XPS 8940 does not have a Thunderbolt controller.

@@digitaldeltablues Thank you, I will have to test myself and see.

Well it was around $600, but you are right.

@@HardwareSense Wow, you paid a lot less than others did (probably less add-ons or something). You got lucky.

Actually apart from the CPU cooler which is pretty straightforward to replace its a very good PC. I'm more than pleased with mine now that I've ipgraded the cooler to a Noctua NH-U9S which has bought CPU temps down by 25 degrees at full loading.