Dell Vostro 5090 case front and back pannel

Dell Vostro 5090

Specification and Upgrade Options

The Dell Vostro 5090 is a scalable small business desktop designed for heavy office workloads, content creation, and home flexibility. First released in 2019, it is built on the B360 chipset and supports 9th gen Intel Core processors and up to 32GB of DIMM DDR4-2666 memory. Thanks to its larger chassis, it accommodates dedicated graphics cards, making it an excellent candidate for a gaming PC conversion or a high-performance workstation.

If you are looking for a system with maximum upgradability, Dell Vostro 5090 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 Gen9 i3/i5/i7/i9; Pentium; Celeron;
ChipsetB360
Dedicated GPU *GeForce RTX 3060 12GB
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666
RAM slots2
RAM speed2666 MT/s
RAM max32 GB
USB ports(4x)USB-A 2.0; (3x)USB-A 3.0; USB 3.0 Type C;
Video portsHDMI 1.4; DisplayPort 1.4;
Other portsRJ45; Hdph; Line-Out; Line-In;
Optional portsSD card reader
SATA ports4
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 3.0 x1; PCI
M.2 slotsM.2 2230/2280 (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);
Drive bays3.5in;
PSU260/460W
Weight7.90 kg (17.42 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 5090 to play games?

Yes, you can upgrade Dell Vostro 5090 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 5090 support Windows 11?

Yes, Dell Vostro 5090 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 5090 supports Gen9 Intel Core technology on a B360 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 5090 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

The Dell Vostro 5090 can safely support GPUs with suggested PSU of 460W, but more powerful cards require a PSU upgrade. With the stock PSU model, it supports up to an GeForce RTX 3060 12GB

GPU upgrade options for Dell Vostro 5090 with the stock 460W power supply:

GPU Power consumption Memory Req.
AMD RX 6600 160 W 8 GB DDR6 *Dual SATA to PCIe adapter
NVIDIA RTX 2060 170 W 6 GB DDR6 *Dual SATA to PCIe adapter
AMD RX 6600 XT 165 W 8 GB DDR6 *Dual SATA to PCIe adapter
NVIDIA RTX 2070 175 W 8 GB DDR6 *Dual SATA to PCIe adapter
NVIDIA RTX 3060 170 W 8 GB DDR6 *Dual SATA to PCIe adapter
NVIDIA RTX 2070 Super 215 W 8 GB DDR6 *Dual SATA to PCIe adapter
NVIDIA RTX 2080 220 W 8 GB DDR6 *Dual SATA to PCIe adapter
* 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.

GPU compatibility in the Dell Vostro 5090 depends on several hardware constraints. The physical space available inside the chassis determines the maximum GPU length, height, and thickness that can be installed. In addition, the installed power supply unit (PSU) must provide sufficient wattage and the required PCIe power connectors for the selected graphics card.

Before you begin shopping for a new GPU, it is important to check the power supply unit (PSU) currently installed. This is because the Dell Vostro 5090 is often sold with different PSU wattages depending on the original configuration.

Memory

Dell Vostro 5090 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 5090 memory configurations include 8 GB for everyday productivity and 16 GB for gaming, heavier multitasking, or professional workloads.

Wi-Fi Support

Dell Vostro 5090 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 5090:

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 5090 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 5090 includes nine USB ports in total in the following configuration - (4x)USB-A 2.0; (3x)USB-A 3.0; USB 3.0 Type C; with no USB 3.1 ports available.

Video ports

Dell Vostro 5090 features one DisplayPort 1.2 output, suitable for modern digital displays.

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 5090 comes with four SATA port(s) for connecting storage devices.

Dell Vostro 5090 has also one M.2 socket(s) that supports PCIe NVMe (PCIe 3.0 x4) or SATA M.2 drives with speed of up to 4 GB/s. This configuration works very well for both gaming and work related tasks.

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.

Best PCIe NVMe drives for Dell Vostro 5090 storage upgrade:

Model Form factor / Interface NAND type DRAM
Samsung 980 PRO SSD M.2/x4 PCIe 4.0/NVMe TLC Yes
CORSAIR MP600 PRO M.2/x4 PCIe 4.0/NVMe TLC Yes
SAMSUNG 970 EVO Plus M.2/x4 PCIe 3.0/NVMe TLC Yes
Western Digital Black SN770 M.2/x4 PCIe 4.0/NVMe TLC Yes
Kingston A2000 M.2/x4 PCIe 3.0/NVMe TLC Yes

Power Supply

The Dell Vostro 5090 comes with a 460 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 460 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_5090_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout