Dell Vostro 3690 case front and back pannel

Dell Vostro 3690

Specification and Upgrade Options

The Dell Vostro 3690 is a pre-built small business desktop computer first released in 2021. The motherboard is using the B560 chipset and supports 11th gen Intel Core processor, and 64GB of DIMM DDR4-2666/2933 memory.

Dell Vostro 3690 is a Small form factor computer. 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 Gen10&11 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium
ChipsetB560
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666/2933
RAM slots2
RAM speed2933 MT/s
RAM max64 GB
USB ports(4x) USB 3.0 Type A; (4x) USB-A 2.0;
Video portsHDMI 1.4b; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out;
Optional portsN.A.
SATA ports2
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x1;
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);
Drive bays3.5in; (2x) 2.5in; 9.5mm
PSU260 W
Weight6.40 kg (14.11 lbs)
Released2021
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 3690 to play games?

Yes, you can upgrade Dell Vostro 3690 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 3690.

Windows 11 compatibility

Yes, Dell Vostro 3690 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

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 3690 with the stock 260W 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.

Processor

The Dell Vostro 3690 supports Gen11 Intel Core technology. The 11th generation of Intel Core processors were released in 2020. The main differences from the previous generations are the significant improvement in base and boost clock. A cool new feature is the presence of Thunderbolt 4 (which includes also USB4) and PCI Express 4.0 (not for Pentium and Celeron).

Best CPUs for Dell Vostro 3690 upgrade:

Model Cores (Threads) Base frequency Turbo
Core i5 11500 6(12) 2.7 GHz 4.6 GHz
Core i5 11600 6(12) 2.8 GHz 4.8 GHz
Core i7 11700 8(16) 2.5 GHz 4.9 GHz
Core i7 11700F 8(16) 2.5 GHz 4.9 GHz
Core i9 11900 8(16) 2.5 GHz 5.1 GHz
Core i9 11900F 8(16) 2.5 GHz 5.1 GHz

Memory

Dell Vostro 3690 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 3690 supports up to 64 GB of DIMM DDR4-2666/2933 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 3690 supports RAM speeds of up to 2933 MT/s.

Wi-Fi Support

Dell Vostro 3690 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 3690:

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 3690 comes with eight 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 3690 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 3690 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 3690 comes with two 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.

Dell Vostro 3690 has also one M.2 socket(s) that supports both PCIe NVMe (PCIe 3.0 x4) and 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.

Best PCIe NVMe drives for Dell Vostro 3690 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 3690 comes with a 260 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 260 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_3690_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout