The Dell OptiPlex 7050 SFF is a capable machine for virtualization thanks to its Intel Core i5-7500 processor with built-in virtualization technology. It can be transformed into a powerful Proxmox or ESXi host with a few hardware upgrades.This allows you to consolidate multiple virtual machines (VMs) onto a single physical machine.
However, the base model's 8GB of RAM might be a bottleneck. Proxmox, a popular virtualization platform, recommends allocating at least 2GB to itself, leaving only 6GB for VMs. This can limit the number and performance of VMs you can run concurrently.
The good news is that the OptiPlex 7050 SFF is designed for upgrades. By expanding the RAM, adding a network card, and upgrading the storage, you can create a robust system capable of running multiple virtual machines smoothly.
Figure 1 - Dell OptiPlex 7050 SFF Front Panel
Figure 2 - Dell OptiPlex 7050 SFF Rear Panel
In this tutorial, we will walk you through upgrading the hard drive, RAM, and network cards in your Dell OptiPlex 7050 Small Form Factor (SFF) desktop. Before we dive in, let's take a quick look at the default configuration of the OptiPlex 7050 SFF.
- CPU: Intel Core i5-7500 3.4GHz 4 Cores
- RAM: 1x 8GB PC4 (DDR4)
- GPU: Intel HD Graphic 630
- HDD: 2.5 Seagate BarraCuda Pro 1TB, 7200 RPM
Note: The Dell OptiPlex 50 SFF Owner's manual is a valuable resource for anyone who owns this SFF desktop PC.
1. RAM Upgrade
The out-of-box OptiPlex 7050 SFF boasts impressive RAM upgradeability. You can expand the memory up to 64GB, significantly boosting performance, especially when running multiple VMs on Proxmox. As you will see in Figure 3, the motherboard is equipped with 4 DDR4 memory module connectors, giving you plenty of room for expansion.
In our setup, we chose to install 4 x 8GB Micron DDR4-2400MHz SODIMM modules. While DDR4-2400MHz is perfectly suitable for running many virtual machines, consider upgrading to faster RAM if your VMs require intensive memory operations.
1. PCI-e x16 connector (slot 2)
2. PCI-e x4 connector (slot 1)
3. Processor connector (CPU)
4. CPU power connector
5. Intrusion switch connector
6. CPU fan connector
7. Memory module connectors
8. M.2 Slot 3 Connector
9. Power switch connector
10. Media card reader connector
11. VGA daughter board connector
12. SATA 2 connector
13. SATA 0 connector
14. ATX power connector
15. HDD and ODD power cable connector
16. Service mode jumper
17. Speaker connector
18. SATA 1 connector
19. Coin cell battery
Figure 3 - Dell OptiPlex 7050 SFF Motherboard
2. Network Interface Card (NIC) Upgrade
The Dell OptiPlex 7050 SFF comes with a single Intel I219-LM NIC, which is sufficient for basic Proxmox use. However, since we plan to run a firewall such as OPNsense, we will install additional NICs.
We have chosen a dual-port PCIe Gigabit Ethernet card (Intel 82575/82576) with two RJ45 ports. It is compatible with multiple operating systems and includes a low-profile bracket, making it ideal for SFF machines. The bracket is shown in Figure 4.
Note: The Intel 82575/82576 NIC is a legacy card and is not supported in VMware ESXi 7.0 or later. Please consider this before purchasing the NIC.
The good news is that our chosen dual-port PCIe Gigabit Ethernet card uses a PCIe x1 interface. This means it is physically compatible with a wide range of PCIe slots, including x1, x4, x8, and even x16. As a result, installation in the OptiPlex 7050 SFF is straightforward.
As shown in Figure 3, the OptiPlex 7050 SFF includes a PCIe x4 slot (slot 1), which is an ideal fit for the network card.
3. Hard Disk and SSD Disk Upgrade
The out-of-box OptiPlex 7050 SFF comes with a 2.5-inch Seagate ST1000LM049 1TB hard drive, which might be sufficient for basic use. However, for a robust Proxmox setup with multiple VMs, you'll likely need more storage.
1. Adding a Second Hard Drive: The motherboard provides 3 SATA ports, allowing you to install an additional 2.5-inch hard drive. This is a cost-effective way to increase storage capacity for your VMs. Simply remove the CD-ROM drive and install a second 1TB hard drive using a 12.7mm SATA 2nd SSD Hard Drive Caddy (like the one showcased in Figure 5).
Figure 5 - Universal SATA 2nd SSD Hard Drive Caddy for DVD-ROM CD Optical Bay
2. Upgrading to an M.2 SSD: For the ultimate performance boost, we also leveraged the M.2 Slot 3 connector. In our setup, we installed a 2 TB Apacer AS2280Q4 (PCIe 4.0 4x NVMe) TLC SSD (shown in Figure 6 and 7). This M.2 SSD is a fantastic choice for experiencing lightning-fast boot times, application loading, and overall system responsiveness.
Figure 6 - Apacer AS2280Q4 2TB SSD M.2 (PCIe 4.0 4x NVMe)
Figure 7 depicts the mounted 2 TB Apacer NVMe SSD (also shown in Figure 6).
Figure 7 - Mounted Apacer AS2280Q4 2TB SSD M.2 (PCIe 4.0 4x NVMe)
By utilizing both a second hard drive and an M.2 SSD, we significantly enhanced the storage capabilities of our OptiPlex 7050 SFF for running Proxmox. This approach provides a balance between cost-effective storage expansion and performance for critical applications.
4. BIOS - Power Management Configuration
Aggressive power-saving on the Dell OptiPlex 7050 can break network connectivity for ESXi or Proxmox. Change these BIOS settings to keep the NIC and PCIe devices fully active:
- Deep Sleep Control -> Disabled (prevents the system from entering sleep states)
- Block Sleep -> Enabled (prevents the system from entering sleep states)
- Intel Ready Mode -> Disabled (disables aggressive Windows power-saving, which breaks ESXi)
- C-States -> Disabled (removes CPU sleep bugs and often fixes network issues)
- ASPM -> Disabled (stops the PCIe link (NIC) from entering low-power states)
Conclusion
This guide outlined the upgrade process for RAM, network interface cards (NICs), and storage solutions, including both hard drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs). Upgrading to an M.2 SSD offers significant performance improvements, while adding a second HDD provides a cost-effective way to increase storage capacity for your VMs.