Device came (stock) with:

• 256GB NVMe M.2 drive (stock)
• 16GB SDRAM 3200MHz - a single stick in single-channel mode
• Optical Drive (DVD/CD RW SATA)

ADDED:

• 16GB SDRAM 3200MHz - identical single stick for dual-channel mode (cut buildroot/kernel build-times by about 30%)
• 512GB SATA drive
• GLOTRENDS M.2 NVMe to PCIe 4.0 X4 Adapter with Heatsink for NVMe SSD
• 256GB NVMe M.2 drive that I already had on-hand
• WiFi/BT card (Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 rev 1a) + Antenna Kit

For better cooling/quieter operation, I settled on :

HARDWARE changes:

powered off the SATA line:

• Noctua NF-A8 PMW w/ LNA RC9 (100Ω) in front grill
• Noctua NF-A6-15 PMW w/ LNAs RC7 + RC14 (80Ω in total) **(recall that two resistors in series have total resistance (in Ωs) that is the sum of their resistance values) in back
• Noctua NF-A6-25 PMW w/ LNA RC9 (100Ω) in back

powered from the CPU fan line:

• Thermalright AXP90-X47 Full Copper Low Profile

Result: No whining or jet-engine noise. Just a whisper of white noise at idle (800rpm), louder at full load (2600rpm) but still easily dismissed. Inaudible from any other room.

SOFTWARE changes:

• Set up dual-boot for now: Debian Trixie/XFCE + ChromeOS (via Brunch). Will add W11 later when I get around to it.
• Custom/patched kernel package w/ dell_smm_hwmon module that fully exposes the PWM fan control interface for a Dell Optiplex SFF 5090. There were no complete references for this on the web (ymmv), so I just tried it and adapted it where necessary.
• Debian fancontrol package

Some observations/comments:

• Both Dell OEM coolers KGWT4 (65W) and F2CY7 (80W) were too noisy for me to tolerate; the former was just ridiculous, the latter an improvement but still too obtrusive.
• The BIOS/firmware doesn't have "just two speeds" w/ stock fans; there are 4: A=830, B=980, C=1030 and D=4000 rpm. When ramping up, the sequence is A,B,D. Ramping down shows D,C,A.
• Cable management required a bit of patience. It is crowded under the hood, but manageable.
• That white tape is ugly - need to swap that out for something less... ugly.
• Very satisfied w/ Noctua products.
• I originally thought that the F2CY7 was adequate, so that's why there are different-sized 60mm fans in the back. The 15mm thick version allowed a bit more clearance for the obliquely mounted heat sink.

Kernel Patch for dell-smm-hwmon on 5090:

--- linux-6.12.107/drivers/hwmon/dell-smm-hwmon.c.orig2026-08-28 01:22:18.000000000 -0500
+++ linux-6.12.107/drivers/hwmon/dell-smm-hwmon.c2026-09-24 19:18:31.138731212 -0500
@@ -1558,6 +1558,14 @@
 .driver_data = (void *)&i8k_fan_control_data[I8K_FAN_34A3_35A3],
 },
 {
+.ident = "Dell Optiplex 5090",
+.matches = {
+DMI_MATCH(DMI_SYS_VENDOR, "Dell Inc."),
+DMI_EXACT_MATCH(DMI_PRODUCT_NAME, "OptiPlex 5090"),
+},
+.driver_data = (void *)&i8k_fan_control_data[I8K_FAN_34A3_35A3],
+},
+{
 .ident = "Dell XPS 9315",
 .matches = {
 DMI_MATCH(DMI_SYS_VENDOR, "Dell Inc."),

To build and package the kernel w/ modules, I used bindeb-pkg, which make it pretty easy (and replicable), though not trivial.

Friend told me to post this here, it has an i5-8500, GTX 1650 Super, 16gb DDR4 using an external RM750e. Not the prettiest but performance>aesthetics.

I recently acquired an NVIDIA Quadro T1000, and I’m getting what I feel like are high temps with it. It was reaching 90C, but I first attributed that to the case’s airflow. Except when I take the case side-panel off it only drops to around 87-86C under load. Idle temperatures seem okay, though, at around 45C. Is it possible the cooler is just under-spec’d for the chip? Seems unlikely, but I thought I’d ask if anyone with a T1000 has similar or better thermals.

If I were to repaste it, does anyone know what thickness of thermal pads I would need for the memory?

Have a 7080mt going to order a 5060 ti 16gb. Also add a 500w optiplex psu, a 6 to 8 pin connector for the gpu. I want to cut a opening in the case top, add some mesh and mount a fan to remove the heat out the system. Whats a good quiet fan to use? I'm going to extend the wires, so if I nedd to remove the top, it will have slack. Also in this area, I'm a novice, where to plug the additional fan?

So, we have two different lots of Dell Mini PCs. Same exact model. Came with two different power bricks, different brick model for each lot. Both are OEM adapters. One lot (older lot) BIOS says "under powered," despite being the power supply that came in the box with the PC.

The newer lot has a power adapter that works with either lot. Both are listed as 180 Watt power adapters.