Dell Vostro 3470 case front and back pannel

Dell Vostro 3470

Specification and Upgrade Options

The Dell Vostro 3470 is a compact small business desktop engineered for space-constrained offices and users who value desk real estate. First brought to market in 2018, it features the H370 chipset, supporting 9th gen Intel Core processors and up to 32GB of DIMM DDR4-2666 memory. Despite its small footprint, it remains a capable daily driver that can even support a low-profile graphics card for enhanced visual performance.

The Small Form Factor (SFF) is an in-between model. It has less space for the larger form factors (Mid tower, Mini tower, and Desktop), but it is still easily upgradable. Usually the SFF come with 2x PCIe slots, so fitting a low profile graphics card is possible.

Specification

Model
Form factorSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen8&9 i3/i5/i7; Pentium; Celeron;
ChipsetH370
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666
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; SD card reader
Optional portsN/A
SATA ports2
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1;
M.2 slotsM.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 2280 (SATA only);
Drive bays3.5in; 5.25in;
PSU200 W
Weight4.80 kg (10.51 lbs)
Released2018
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 3470 to play games?

Yes, you can upgrade Dell Vostro 3470 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.

Does Dell Vostro 3470 support Windows 11?

Yes, Dell Vostro 3470 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.

Processor

The Dell Vostro 3470 supports Gen9 Intel Core technology on a H370 chipset. 9th generation Intel Core CPUs (Coffee Lake Refresh) further refined core counts and clock speeds. High-end models are well-balanced for gaming, programming, and advanced homelab environments. Emulation performance is excellent on flagship CPUs.

Best CPUs for Dell Vostro 3470 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

GPU upgrade

To upgrade the GPU of OptiPlex 7040 SFF, a low-power, low-profile graphics card must be used. Currently, the most reasonable GPU option is AMD's Radeon RX 6400 low profile. This model has a good price point, delivers decent FPS, and does not require any addtional hardware upgrades.

The low power requirements of this model make it the perfect option for an SFF gaming build. The RX 6400 low does not need any additional power from the PSU and can rely solely on the power delivered by the PCIe slot (75W).

GPU upgrade options for Dell Vostro 3470 with the stock 200W power supply:

GPU Power consumption Memory Req.
RX 6400 Low profile 50 W 4 GB DDR6 Works with no additional hardware changes
GTX 1050 Ti Low profile 75 W 4 GB DDR5 Works with no additional hardware changes
GTX 1650 Low profile 75 W 4 GB DDR5 Works with no additional hardware changes
RTX A2000 Low profile 70 W 6 GB DDR6
12 GB DDR6
Works with no additional hardware changes

Keep in mind that these low-profile, low-power GPUs can be quite noisy and may run hot when under full load.

Memory

Dell Vostro 3470 supports up to 32 GB of DIMM DDR4-2666 RAM across two DIMM slots, with memory speeds up to 2666 MT/s and dual-channel support depending on the installed configuration.

Actual supported memory capacity and memory channels may vary depending on the installed CPU and chipset.

Typical Dell Vostro 3470 memory configurations include 8 GB for everyday productivity and 16 GB for gaming, heavier multitasking, or professional workloads.

Wi-Fi Support

Dell Vostro 3470 supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo card with the on-board M.2 2230 (Wi-Fi/BT) slot. The card contains a Wi-Fi module that supports various Wi-Fi standards, as well as a Bluetooth module. It is small circuit board that is designed to fit into a dedicated slot on the motherboard.

Keep in mind that the card is not always included and you have to install one yourself.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless adapter upgrades for Dell Vostro 3470:

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

Dell Vostro 3470 provides a fixed set of external I/O ports for connecting peripherals and displays. Port availability and versions determine supported data transfer speeds and display capabilities.

USB ports

Dell Vostro 3470 includes six USB ports in total in the following configuration - (4x)USB-A 2.0; (2x)USB-A 3.0; with no USB 3.1 ports available.

Video ports

Dell Vostro 3470 does not include a DisplayPort output.

HDMI output is provided via one HDMI 1.4 port.

Motherboard video outputs require a CPU with integrated graphics. Systems equipped with a dedicated GPU must use the video ports on the graphics card instead.

SSD storage - M.2 sockets and SATA ports

The Dell Vostro 3470 comes with two SATA port(s) for connecting storage devices.

Dell Vostro 3470 has also one M.2 socket(s) that supports only SATA drives with 600 MB/s speed. The SATA interface works well for gaming, but for work related tasks, like video editing, you are better off with PC that has PCIe NVMe support.

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.

*Keep in mind that some M.2 connectors may not support SATA SSDs. Check the motherboard manual to confirm compatibility.

Power Supply

The Dell Vostro 3470 comes with a 200 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 200 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_3470_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout