Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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Hey everyone, Chaz from Carputing here! In this Part 1 video, I'm bringing back to life my old Dell Optiplex 780—a system my mom gave me back in high school nearly 15 years ago. It’s been sitting unused for ages, but now it's finally back up and running with a bunch of upgrades!

Here’s what I did in Part 1:

Upgraded the CPU from a Q6600 to a Q9650
Installed 16GB of DDR3 RAM (4×4GB low-density)
Swapped the HDD for a 500GB SSD
Added an Asus M-Disc Blu-ray drive
Replaced the aging PSU with a modern unit
Cleaned out all the dust and gave it new life
Attempted to install a GTX 750 Ti (didn't work yet—more on that in Part 2!)
Got it to boot and run Windows 10 successfully

This is the beginning of a fun retro-modern build. Part 2 will focus on getting a working GPU installed and testing some games.

If you're into old PCs, Dell Optiplex mods, or just love seeing retro machines get a second life, this is the series for you!

Connect With Me:
Join my chat server chaz.gg/chat.html
Twitter: For build updates and content drops: twitter.com/Carputing