Dell Coupon: 50% Off Select OptiPlex 5040 Desktops: i3-6100, DVD, 4GB, 320GB, Win10 Pro $179 + free s/h (and more)

Any good options for running a Blue Iris server?

That's exactly what I am using mine for.
You kind of have to hunt for them because the good ones come and go quickly.

- Look for i5 or i7 (but preferably not the low power "T" versions)
- Ideally 6th generation since it included H.265 hardware acceleration, but anything 2nd generation and beyond has Quick Sync for H.264 acceleration.
- 8GB of RAM is enough unless you are running a whole lot of cameras or using the box for other tasks
- The SFF and MT form factors can fit an SSD for the OS+Blue Iris, and a 3.5" drive for a larger spinning drive.

You can filter for specific systems using the URL so you won't have to look through the entire list everything they add new stock throughout the day. Here are some filters I used.

Optiplex &filter_brand=188
i7 6th Gen &filter_processor_brand=373
i5 6th Gen &filter_processor_brand=359
8GB RAM &filter_memory=81
SFF &filter_chassis_type=242
Mini Tower &filter_chassis_type=236

That's exactly what I am using mine for.
You kind of have to hunt for them because the good ones come and go quickly.

- Look for i5 or i7 (but preferably not the low power "T" versions)
- Ideally 6th generation since it included H.265 hardware acceleration, but anything 2nd generation and beyond has Quick Sync for H.264 acceleration.
- 8GB of RAM is enough unless you are running a whole lot of cameras or using the box for other tasks
- The SFF and MT form factors can fit an SSD for the OS+Blue Iris, and a 3.5" drive for a larger spinning drive.

You can filter for specific systems using the URL so you won't have to look through the entire list everytime they add new stock throughout the day. Here are some filters I used.

Optiplex &filter_brand=188
i7 6th Gen &filter_processor_brand=373
i5 6th Gen &filter_processor_brand=359
8GB RAM &filter_memory=81
SFF &filter_chassis_type=242
Mini Tower &filter_chassis_type=236

Looks like they are all i3 processors

Thank you for the very insightful post! I am looking for a computer for basic work tasks like email, QuickBooks, web browsing 8 hours/day. Right now I am using windows 7 on a dell (i3 3.7ghz 4gb ram) and it recently has gotten unbearably slow... Do you think the windows 10, i5 6th gen 8GB ram will be much better although its only 2.5GHZ? It's also $349 and I feel like there have been much better deals...

I'm thinking I should hold out for either discount. I don't mind spending $600ish for i7 but don't need a monitor and not sure the order of spec importance when looking...How important is generation and windows 10, What do you think would be a good base target for me if I only have 2 weeks? Not married to Dell either if you have suggestions, it would be greatly appreciated!

I would recommend either a newer i5 or an i7 if one pops up at a good price.

For OS, I find Windows 10 to feel more responsive and modern than 7/8.

With a little patience and $300, a basic system based on either of those processors should not be too difficult to come by on Dell's Refurbished (with a 40-50% coupon) or Clearance section.
With a budget of $600 you should be able to get a nice one at the higher end of my recommendations below.

It took me about 3 or 4 days of checking a few times a day for the right system to pop up. The majority are either way under powered or overpriced for what you get.

OptiPlex model numbers are 30xx,
50xx, 70xx. The xx represents the generation.
For example 3040/5040/7040 all use Skylake series chips.
3040 - Cheap, but less desirable because they use DDR3 vs DDR4 memory and only have 2 DIMM slots, can't accept m.2 drive slot, have slower PCIe slots, and have fewer USB ports.
5040/7040 are nearly the same and overcome all the limitations mentioned above with the 3040, but are priced accordingly.

Lastly, "B-Grade" looks nearly brand new in my experience. If I was between two otherwise identical systems, I wouldn't spend more for "A".

TL;DR
i5-6500 or i7-6700 (avoid the "6x00T" they are low power and stripped down versions)
8GB or 16GB
Preferably an SSD 250-500GB, however I would jump on one with an HDD if the price is right, the upgrade that later
Model suggestions: OptiPlex 3040, 5040, 7040 or newer.
Don't worry about "No OS" odds are it was originally licensed for Windows and can be restored.

How do you get 40-50% coupon? Thanks in advance.

I would recommend either a newer i5 or an i7 if one pops up at a good price.

For OS, I find Windows 10 to feel more responsive and modern than 7/8.

With a little patience and $300, a basic system based on either of those processors should not be too difficult to come by on Dell's Refurbished (with a 40-50% coupon) or Clearance section.
With a budget of $600 you should be able to get a nice one at the higher end of my recommendations below.

It took me about 3 or 4 days of checking a few times a day for the right system to pop up. The majority are either way under powered or overpriced for what you get.

OptiPlex model numbers are 30xx,
50xx, 70xx. The xx represents the generation.
For example 3040/5040/7040 all use Skylake series chips.
3040 - Cheap, but less desirable because they use DDR3 vs DDR4 memory and only have 2 DIMM slots, can't accept m.2 drive slot, have slower PCIe slots, and have fewer USB ports.
5040/7040 are nearly the same and overcome all the limitations mentioned above with the 3040, but are priced accordingly.

Lastly, "B-Grade" looks nearly brand new in my experience. If I was between two otherwise identical systems, I wouldn't spend more for "A".

TL;DR
i5-6500 or i7-6700 (avoid the "6x00T" they are low power and stripped down versions)
8GB or 16GB
Preferably an SSD 250-500GB, however I would jump on one with an HDD if the price is right, the upgrade that later
Model suggestions: OptiPlex 3040, 5040, 7040 or newer.
Don't worry about "No OS" odds are it was originally licensed for Windows and can be restored.

I would also suggest keeping an eye on the clearance systems [dellrefurbished.com].
They come and go throughout the day, often just one or two at a time but you can get some good deals even if the coupon doesn't apply.

I just picked up a OptiPlex 3040 i7-6700, 8GB, 250GB, No OS for $139

Also for anyone not familiar with Dell OEM systems, even the ones listed as "No OS" will often have a valid Windows key associated with them.

You can use the Dell OS Recover Tool [dell.com] to lookup the OS that originally came with the system and download the install media for it which auto activates. If that OS isn't already Windows 10, you can then perform the free upgrade to Windows 10 using the standard Microsoft Windows 10 upgrade tool [microsoft.com].

If you create the admin account using your Microsoft ID, the new Windows 10 license will be saved to your account in case you ever need to reinstall in the future so you won't have to jump through those hoops again.