Dell Optiplex Dell Optiplex 5060 Desktop Computer | Hexa Core Review
The refurbished Dell Optiplex 5060 packs 32GB of RAM into a reliable office tower, but its aging Intel i7 CPU lands in the slow 15th percentile. It's a basic machine with one standout spec.
The 30-Second Version
This is a refurbished office workhorse, not a performance PC. Its 32GB of RAM is great, but its 8th-gen Intel CPU is in the 15th percentile for speed. Only buy this if you need a basic, reliable machine for spreadsheets and email and you find it under $350.
Overview
The Dell Optiplex 5060 is a refurbished business tower that scores a 59.9 out of 100 in our database. Its best numbers are in social proof and reliability, landing in the 91st and 78th percentiles respectively, which tells you a lot of people have bought and trusted this model. Under the hood, you're getting a 6-core Intel i7-8700, 32GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 1TB SSD, all wrapped up in a Windows 11 Pro license.
Performance
Performance is a story of two halves. The 32GB of RAM puts it in the 71st percentile, which is genuinely great for heavy multitasking, and the 1TB SSD is a solid middle-of-the-pack performer. The CPU, however, is an older 8th-gen chip that sits in the 15th percentile. That means for single-threaded tasks, it'll feel its age. The real bottleneck is the integrated Intel HD 630 graphics, which scores in the 24th percentile. This thing is not for gaming or any serious GPU work. It's a basic display adapter, period.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Massive 32GB RAM (71st percentile) for heavy multitasking and browser tab hoarding. 92th
- Strong social proof score (91st percentile) from over a thousand reviews. 77th
- Reliability rating in the 78th percentile suggests these refurbished units hold up. 70th
- Comes with a full Windows 11 Pro license, which is a nice value add.
- 1TB SSD provides decent boot and load speeds for the price.
Cons
- Aged Intel i7-8700 CPU lands in the weak 15th percentile for processing power. 14th
- Integrated Intel HD 630 graphics are in the 24th percentile, useless for anything beyond basic video. 20th
- Wi-Fi 4 connectivity is ancient and will bottleneck your internet speed. 24th
- Heavy 5.32kg tower form factor isn't exactly sleek or modern.
- Gaming performance score is a dismal 12.8 out of 100, as expected.
The Word on the Street
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| CPU | 3 GHz core_i7 |
| Cores | 6 |
| Frequency | 3.0 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB |
Graphics
| GPU | Graphics |
| Type | integrated |
| VRAM | 48 GB |
| VRAM Type | GDDR6 |
Memory & Storage
| RAM | 32 GB |
| RAM Generation | DDR4 |
| Storage | 1 TB |
| Storage Type | SSD |
Build
| Form Factor | Tower |
| Weight | 5.3 kg / 11.7 lbs |
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi | WiFi 4 |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
System
| OS | Windows 11 Pro |
Value & Pricing
Prices swing from $316 to $450 depending on the vendor, so shop around. For the lower end of that range, you're getting a capable office machine with an excellent amount of RAM and a professional OS. Just know you're paying for volume and reliability, not cutting-edge speed. At the high end of that spread, it starts to look less compelling against newer budget builds.
Price History
vs Competition
Stack this up against its intended rivals—other refurbished business towers—and the 32GB RAM is a standout. Many competitors at this price point offer 16GB or less. However, compared to a modern budget mini-PC with a newer Ryzen or Intel 12th-gen chip, the Optiplex's 15th-percentile CPU looks painfully slow. It also gets demolished by any dedicated gaming desktop like an HP Omen or Alienware Aurora, but that's not its job. Its real competition is other old office hardware, and there it wins on RAM capacity and perceived reliability.
| Spec | Dell Optiplex Dell Optiplex 5060 Desktop Computer | Hexa Core | HP OMEN HP OMEN 45L Gaming Desktop, Intel Core Ultra 7 | Dell Aurora Dell Alienware Aurora Gaming Desktop | Lenovo Legion Tower Lenovo Legion Tower 5i Desktop Computer | Acer Nitro Acer Nitro 60 Desktop Computer | Asus ASUS Republic of Gamers NUC NUC15JNK Mini Desktop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 3 GHz core_i7 | Intel Core Ultra 7 265K | Intel Core Ultra 9 285K | Intel Core Ultra 7 265F | AMD Ryzen 9 7900 | Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX |
| RAM (GB) | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 64 | 32 |
| Storage (GB) | 1024 | 2048 | 2048 | 2048 | 2048 | 1024 |
| GPU | AMD Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 |
| Form Factor | Tower | Desktop | Desktop | Tower | Desktop | Mini |
| Psu W | - | 850 | - | 850 | 850 | 330 |
| OS | Windows 11 Pro | Windows 11 Pro | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home |
Common Questions
Q: Can this PC run modern games?
No, not in any meaningful way. Its gaming performance score is 12.8/100. It uses integrated Intel HD 630 graphics, which are in the 24th percentile overall and are only meant for displaying your desktop and videos.
Q: Is the 32GB of RAM overkill?
For basic office work, yes. But it's the machine's best feature, sitting in the 71st percentile. It future-proofs the system for heavy multitasking, like having dozens of browser tabs open alongside office apps, which is where this PC's value lies.
Q: How does the Intel i7-8700 hold up today?
It's showing its age. In our percentile rankings, this CPU scores in the 15th percentile. It has six cores, which helps with multitasking, but for single-threaded performance—which affects general system responsiveness—it will feel slower than modern budget CPUs.
Who Should Skip This
Skip this if you need any graphical power, modern CPU performance, or plan to play games. The GPU is in the 24th percentile and the CPU in the 15th. Also, avoid it if you need fast wireless; Wi-Fi 4 is a dinosaur. Content creators, gamers, and anyone doing video editing should look at systems with a dedicated GPU and a CPU from the last two generations.
Verdict
We can recommend this as a data point: if you need a basic, reliable desktop for office work, web browsing, and light duty, and you find it for around $350, the 32GB RAM is a genuine asset. But that recommendation comes with a giant asterisk about its aging CPU and utterly useless graphics. For any task requiring modern processing grunt or visual horsepower, look elsewhere immediately.