In this video I finally jump back into Optiplex builds and try to build what I’d call the ULTIMATE Dell Optiplex 7040 Mini Tower gaming PC. For a long time I avoided this generation because of all the proprietary Dell stuff (8-pin motherboard power, 4-pin CPU power, tight case clearance), but after doing a bunch of research I realized you actually can mod these—plus the price has come way down. I picked the 7040 specifically because I found one with an i7-6700, 16GB DDR4, and a 256GB NVMe for just over $135, which is insane value for a DDR4 platform. I swap the stock 240W PSU for a 500W Apevia SFX unit (SFX is the key for this case), use an 8-pin-to-24-pin adapter, and add a CPU power extension because the cable barely reaches. I also drop in an 80mm fan in the little gap between the drive bays (it literally fits perfectly) and upgrade the CPU cooler without needing to pull the motherboard. Then the fun part: GPU fitment. A chunky RTX 3050 doesn’t fit, but the MSI RX 6650 XT Mech actually slides in and the case closes—barely. I run 3DMark Time Spy (8038) and test games like Doom Eternal, Apex Legends, and Cyberpunk at 1080p, and the main takeaway is simple: the 6650 XT rips, but the i7-6700 can CPU-bottleneck in some titles. Still, for under ~$400 with a used 6650 XT, this thing is a legit budget gaming monster.