Dell Vostro 3070 case front and back pannel

Dell Vostro 3070

Specification and Upgrade Options

The Dell Vostro 3070 is a pre-built small business desktop computer first released in 2019. The motherboard is using the B360 chipset and supports 9th gen Intel Core processor, and 32GB of DIMM DDR4-2400/2666 memory.

Dell Vostro 3070 is a Mini Tower form factor computer. The Mini Tower is the largest chassis in the business class desktops segment. If you are looking for a system with maximum upgradability, Dell Vostro 3070 is a good option. Models in this category usually have 4x PCIe slots, several drive bays and better cooling.

Specification

Model
Form factorMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen8&9 i3/i5/i7/i9;
ChipsetB360
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAMDIMM DDR4-2400/2666
RAM slots2
RAM speed2666 MT/s
RAM max32 GB
USB ports(4x)USB-A 2.0; (2x)USB-A 3.0;
Video portsHDMI 1.4; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In;
Optional portsN/A
SATA ports1
PCI slotsN.A.
M.2 slotsN.A.
Drive bays3.5in;
PSU180 W
Weight5.2kg (11.46 lbs)
Released2019
Manuallink
Price**Check Price

* Dedicated GPU warning: Check if your particular power supply model has enough power. Additionally some PSUs don't come with an auxiliary PCIe power connector and you may need to buy a SATA to PCIe power adapter.
** As an Amazon associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Can you upgrade Dell Vostro 3070 to play games?

Yes, you can upgrade Dell Vostro 3070 for gaming with better processors, graphics card, memory, and storage devices. However, like many other business pre-built PCs, this model may have proprietary elements like the power supply, the chassis or the power connector, which can make it difficult for users to install aftermarket PSUs to support better GPUs. You can also find that there is space constrains inside the chassis, making it difficult to accommodete larger GPU to boost the gaming performance.

Please explore the sections bellow to find ideas and suggestions on how to upgrade Dell Vostro 3070.

Windows 11 compatibility

Yes, Dell Vostro 3070 is compatible with Windows 11. According to Windows 11 specification, all models that have Intel 8th Gen processors (or newer) with TPM 2.0 support and a UEFI BIOS with Secure boot, are eligible to upgrade form Windows 10 to Windows 11 through Windows Update.

GPU upgrade

You can upgrade Dell Vostro 3070 with a full size GPU. Models like NVIDIA GTX 1660 or GTX 1650 Super are good and safe upgrade option and will work with most Mini Tower form factor. However, keep in mind that the type of GPU you can install will depend on the available space in the chassis and the PSU power rating.

Before you begin shopping for a new GPU, it's important to consider the power supply unit (PSU) currently installed. This is because powerful GPUs require more power than the stock PSU can provide, which means that you may need to upgrade your PSU as well.

According to the manual, the maximum stock power supply available on Dell Vostro 3070 is 180W. However, to be absolutely sure, check the stock power supply power rating and use one of the GPUs from the table.

GPU upgrade options for Dell Vostro 3070 with the stock 180W power supply:

GPU Power consumption Memory Req.
AMD RX 6400 50 W 4 GB DDR6 Works with no additional hardware changes
NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti 75 W 4 GB DDR5 Works with no additional hardware changes
NVIDIA GTX 1650 75 W 4 GB DDR5 Works with no additional hardware changes
NVIDIA A2000 Low 70 W 6 GB DDR6
12 GB DDR6
Works with no additional hardware changes
* Typically, the stock power supply in a business PC does not have the necessary 6 or 8 pin connectors to power the GPU. In such cases, you may need to use a low-power GPU or a SATA to PCIe power adapter. Alternatively, you can change the entire PSU.

Processor

The Dell Vostro 3070 supports Gen9 Intel Core technology. The 9th generation of Intel Core processors were released in 2018. They features the new i9-9900K flagship CPU. This is the first Intel Core i9 desktop processor targeted toward the mainstream user. The i9 has 8 cores and 16 threads. Additionally, this is the first time that Intel supports up to 128 GB of RAM for consumer CPU.

Best CPUs for Dell Vostro 3070 upgrade:

Model Cores (Threads) Base frequency Turbo
Core i5 9500 6(6) 3.0 GHz 4.4 GHz
Core i5 9600 6(6) 3.1 GHz 4.6 GHz
Core i7 9700 6(8) 3.0 GHz 4.7 GHz
Core i9 9900 8(9) 3.1 GHz 5.0 GHz

Memory

Dell Vostro 3070 has two RAM slots. This is more than enough for most users. For those of you who need extra flexibility and RAM size, go for a model with 4 memory slots.

To cover the needs of your OS, games, and apps, Dell Vostro 3070 supports up to 32 GB of DIMM DDR4-2400/2666 RAM. For office work, home use, and light gaming we recommend 8GB of RAM. For everything else, use 16GB or more.

Faster RAM speeds permit your processor to access the data stored inside the memory faster. This is important for the overall speed of your system. The motherboard of the Dell Vostro 3070 supports RAM speeds of up to 2666 MT/s.

Wi-Fi Support

Dell Vostro 3070 doesn't come with any on-board Wi-Fi support. In that case, you have two options to upgrade this model with Wi-Fi. You either use an external USB Wi-Fi adapter (wireless network dongle) or a PCIe-based wireless adapter.

The USB dongle is much more convenient and easy to install, but has less space for a decent antenna and can have thermal problems. On the other hand, the PCIe based adapter is much more powerful, more reliable, and has better antenna, but it is harder to install.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless adapter upgrades for Dell Vostro 3070:

Model Speed Frequency Interface
WiFi 6E (Gig+) Kit 3000 Mbit/s 2.4GHz / 5GHz NGFF M.2 A/E Key
Rekong AX210 3000 Mbit/s 2.4GHz / 5GHz NGFF M.2 A/E Key
Gigabyte GC-Wbax200 2400 Mbit/s 2.4GHz / 5GHz PCIe
TP-Link Archer TX50E 2400 Mbit/s 2.4GHz / 5GHz PCIe
TP-Link Archer T9UH 1300 Mbit/s 2.4GHz / 5GHz USB 3.0

Ports

Ports are important and often people don't think about them when buying a PC. For example, if you don't have enough USB ports, using external devices becomes problematic. Before you buy any system, considering your use case, check the number of external devices you are going to use and plan the number of the extension ports accordingly.

USB ports

The Dell Vostro 3070 comes with six USB ports in total. Having more USB ports is always better, but also pay attention to the version of those USB ports. Higher version ports support faster transfer speeds. Unfortunately, this model doesn't come with a USB 3.1 port. If you need a faster connection for your peripherals, like external Solid State Drive, you will need to choose another model.

Video ports

The DisplayPort (DP) is now the most widely used digital interface for transmitting digital video and audio between display devices and PCs. It is unfortunate to see that the Dell Vostro 3070 doesn't have one. Check out the HDMI section and make sure that you are at least getting an HDMI port - a good substitution for the DP.

The HDMI port is another digital video port you can use to connect external display. It has very similar capabilities to the DisplayPort with few exceptions. Dell Vostro 3070 comes with one HDMI 1.4 port(s) on the motherboard. In case your monitor supports another interface, you can always use an adapter.

*Please keep in mind in order to use the video ports available through the motherboard, you need a CPU with integrated graphics card. If you have a dedicated GPU, use his ports instead.

SSD storage - M.2 sockets and SATA ports

The SATA port is one of the places where you can connect a stora gedevice. The Dell Vostro 3070 comes with one SATA port(s). Not enough SATA ports might limit your options for additional storage devices. Think about your use case and decide if the SATA ports provided by this model will be sufficient.

Unfortunately, the Dell Vostro 3070 has no M.2 PCIe soket and you have to rely on the available SATA ports to connect your drives.

The M.2 PCIe SSD connector in combination with an NVMe drive allows for higher transfer rates, compared to the old SATA interface. In some situations, NVMe device connected to the M.2 PCIe socket can be more than 5 times faster.

Power Supply

The Dell Vostro 3070 comes with a 180 Watt PSU. Having a power supply with high power rating is important, especially if you are doing upgrade with addtional components, like dedicated GPU and more HDDs. Will this 180 W be enough, it all depends on your specific use. Please keep in mind that some models might have more than one PSU option. Whenever possible get the most powerful one, as it might make future upgrades easier.

Motherboard

Dell_Vostro_3070_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout