I just love how much enthusiasm you have for a freaking optical drive. It's criminally hard to find people who are actually showing an installation and not just commenting on how they won't be doing that.
Heh. I have developed a bit of a specialty for them since this video was published. Based on the success of this series, I created an entire tech channel that you may enjoy. The Broken Tech I'm right in the middle of a 4K UHD Bluray series. 😂
I got a dell inspiron 3881 desktop today and it is awesome, it has a core i5-10400f, a gtx 1650 super, 8gb ram but I upgraded it to 32gb, 256gb ssd+1tb hdd, and an optical drive
Thank you for a excellent video. I just received my optical drive from dell, but they didn't include the bezel. So i'll be waiting for that to come before installing the drive.
Decided to add an optical drive in the 3880. I needed one to be able to rip Blu ray and play 4K discs. The video was a nice refresher. I might want to p[ut a SATA card in the machine and I need to see if I have enough room.
I really suggest going with an external drive if you want one to do those sorts of tasks. Oddly enough, that's a subject I'm in the midst of covering over on my other channel. th-cam.com/video/8vqOIV6s1g8/w-d-xo.html
Neat video. It's crazy how the toolkit you linked looks EXACTLY like your 30 year old kit. I'm surprised they still found vinyl to be cost effective instead of blow molded plastic.
Thank you! I was incredibly surprised to find the nearly identical kit as well. I bought my kit at a Ham radio show (which was largely a PC hardware swap meet, which is why I was there) in the early 1990s. No branding or anything else on it. It comes with a couple of tools that most people have probably never seen before, like jumper pullers. Not that many people will need to pull jumpers anymore, but that's one of the main reasons I bought my kit to begin with. I've worked on an absurd number of computers with it over the years, so, may as well toss it out there for others.
@@TheBrokenLife It is probably identical in form only. I've used these kits before from various no-name vendors and they are way too soft. Although I have to admit I have a 3 pronged hook spring loaded thingy from one of these kits I bought like 35 years ago and I never see them around anymore and they come in handy. I have a set of tools from Compaq that are great. I've had them since the 90s. They are made well, but they were also expensive (corporate stuff, I never paid for it). Compaq couldn't just use normal screws like everyone else. So we had these $25 torx screw drivers from Compaq. Plus they made sets, which is what I have.
@@tarstarkusz You convinced me! I just ordered the Startech one from Amazon, will switch off to it, and review it (and likely give it away) when the series wraps up. If it won't do the job, then I don't want people buying it either. For the 3 prong tools, just look up pickle grabber. That's how I was originally introduced to the concept. Torx are of the Devil and should be outlawed (along with straight blade). There are many, and good, reasons to use them in manufacturing but they suck for everything outside of the factory.
I couldn't have done it without you. Clear, concise, straightforward. And - It worked. Thanks. Yep. No bezel. No screws from Dell. Just a cheap drive. I open and close with a pencil on the front dome switch. The world has moved to the Clouds. I like to keep some stuff terrestrial. For simple stuff, it's easier and thus the DVD/CD drive. THANKS SO MUCH!!!!!!
@@Oldroyalty That's the one on everyone's mind. Prices are so inflated right now that I prefer to wait the market out. But... The highest option Dell offered is the GTX 1030, but I've gotten reports that the GTX 1050 is also fine.
@@Oldroyalty I feel bad for waiting it out because I know so many viewers want to see it. Maybe in a few more weeks the tide will change? It seems that 1050 prices might be slowly receding from their peak. I'm thinking an i7 upgrade may be coming first as it seems the better value these days.
Great video, and, IMO, good camera angles and focus. Seeing your experience with not being able to navigate the BIOS with an HDMI monitor attached will probably save me from a confusing moment in the future.
Thanks! I'm always trying to get better at the production side of things and its a constant struggle. I don't know if it's just my setup or not, but it certainly doesn't like that TV over HDMI. In the long run the 3880 is going to live on a Sony TV so I'll get the chance to try it again and see if it remains quirky. I also just remembered I have an actual monitor with an HDMI input too.
Thanks for this info, I reference your way on my 3910 desktop, it also works! There is one thing I can provide some feedback.I choose 12.7 mm front Panel DVD, it also can fit it 🙂 So I think it has less gap than your 9.5mm front panel DVD. You can try it!!!
I'm not near it right now to measure it, but I think all of the "slim" optical drives are the same thickness. It's pretty likely that I should have been calling this a 12.7mm drive.
This video was very useful! I just got a Dell Inspiron 3891 and it has the same build. Your other video about adding a hard drive was useful as well! I definitely would like to buy a Trim Bezel if you have any available. I sent an email to what you posted in the description.
You know that in other countries, there is a dell inspiron 3881 which has a usb type c and a DisplayPort 1.4. It has 3 video ports so you can connect up to 3 monitors
@@Dabs_Rulez I believe I'm wrong on this one. They have the 3881 listed on the support page for Dell US, but all of the sales links are for pretty much every county _except_ the US. My mistake.
Just an update, I was able to find a data cord from a HP, thank god they were universal, that worked. however the way the data end , that was intended to fit into the DVD RW, the connection was upside down, (and because the connection needed to go down instead of up ) I had to reverse the ends to make it work. Thank god both ends had the same connection points_. I'm not sure if this is a DVD RW issue or dell/HP cord issue. Both Dell and HP data cords seem to be same, except for the length. It will work for now. This is too hard.
@@randallswartzfager4090 SATA cables are, more or less, universal. Neither end is designated to go any particular place. Dell does do some odd things with their 90 degree cables sometimes, but I can't remember anything specific to the optical drive. If you want to learn more about it I made a "What SATA cable do I need" video a couple of years ago where I illustrate a few configurations.
Just ordered an original one on eBay Still some left there (5 or so) Genuine Dell Inspiron 3910 Sata DVD +/-RW Drive with Bezel 9M9FK $37.49 Unit price $37.49 Returns accepted through Dec 6, 2023.
I like the contrast trim bezel look. It's good to know you were able to make them. After your Most Expensive Tool video and all the problems you had with that 3D printer I had my doubts if it would ever make parts to spec. The bent base plate seemed especially problematic. Maybe give an update on what it took to get it right.
I like it too, but the black really is sharp in real life too. The Marks-a-lot gives it a really nice semi-gloss. Fortunately for me I can change at will. The design just friction fits. Took me some effort to get that "just so" as well. There are currently 3 more videos on the printer recorded and needing editing (and a 4th about to get filmed), but people had been asking about a Dell update _a lot._ Honestly, I wouldn't have wheeled the printer out to the channel just yet if I didn't need it for the Dell video, so, catch 22. I didn't want to create a time paradox for the regular viewers by just producing 3D printed parts out of the sky, but, now ya gotta wait a short bit for an update on _that_ project. Then there are the 10 other projects in the shop... and on it goes! :)
It depends on which specific model you order. FWIW, right now it looks like Dell is having some really good sales so it may be easier to order from them directly to verify what it actually comes with.
I bought this exactly pc, I will be following your upgrade, new subscriber :D pd: I'm so curious about how do you upgrade the psu xD pd2: Sorry for my rusty english
That seems to be the hot topic on everyone's mind. There are a few approached, but none are particularly elegant. I'm planning to show at least 2 of those options, and maybe 3...
Any 9.5mm height drive will fit the case. You just need to be sure that the front of the drive tray is flat, and not some strange shape for a laptop. I have links in the description of appropriate drives.
Could you make a video on how to install a microSD card adapter in the Dell Inspiron, my Dell Inspiron 3891 didn't come with a microSD card adapter in it, but it came with everything else, and I can't find any videos on how to do this?
I don't know if I've ever seen an internal microSD reader. There are USB microSD readers that would be 95% of what you're asking for. Take a look at this: amzn.to/3LJSWCq
@@TheBrokenLife well that's okay, I've actually already have one because of this problem, but I was hoping that maybe there was a fix for my missing internal micro SD card reader, and I thought maybe you could help 🙂.
Just purchased and gotten the same Dell 3880 machine. i7 CPU, 8 GB, with the weak 200 W PSU. There is a DELL 315 Watt PSU, 80 PLUS GOLD, with a pigtail 6 pin video power connector. MODEL: D315ES-00 However it may not fit the case. I'm looking forward to what solution(s) you come up with. Thank you. Great content. Subscribed.
I decided at that outset that if I couldn't do 500w+, it wasn't worth it to bother, but that Dell PN may work out. I have another sub that also put a factory part in his and it's going just fine.
@@TheBrokenLife I would prefer a 500+ W PSU as well. The 315 W unit was the only one I saw that might work. I'm waiting on your deep dive and solution(s). I plan on putting a GIGABYTE GEFORCE GTX 1650 GDDR6 Low Profile card. It does not require a 6 Pin power connector, only the PCI Express 3.0 x16 slot to power it. BUT they run hot. Wondering if a 500 W might solve the issue by powering the Mobo fully? I'm a clown show. I'm using this box as the living room Media Machine; (I'm a Cable TV Cutter) Web based video channels (TCM, HGTV, Hallmark), Zoom Meetings, NAS, Blu-ray Disc player, Mild Steam Gaming, and light Office communication and printing. Looking forward to all of your 3880 videos. Thanks... in advance.
Hi, Kevin! It's a 9.5mm bay (which in reality will measure anywhere from 9-10mm based on the specific drive). I'm not sure if I've ever seen a 12mm drive..?
Great video thanks. I could not make out the correct size of the the screws to hold the cd/dvd in place. Would it be M2-0.40x1.5? I saw you used M2 *3 and they were to long. Look forward to next video on this machine.
Thanks! I believe that M2x2 is the correct screw, but they're fairly difficult to find. I believe 0.40 is the correct pitch, but my kit isn't labeled and I don't have a tap that small to confirm.
I just ordered a new model with Alder Lake I3, i'll add 8GB of memory and let it roll. These lower priced computers are great for what they are. If you want a gaming rig, build one.
Thanks very much for this video. I purchased a 3880 desktop last summer, and it's been great so far. My model includes an optical drive, but I'm already thinking ahead and considering buying a replacement drive to have on hand, if/when the current drive fails. I bought a souped-up Dell laptop in 2008 and I ran its CD/DVD drive into the ground (I ripped my entire CD collection and a good number of movies on it). The laptop still powers on and works, but the drive has been toast for years. Anyway, are all "slim" internal CD/DVD drives for desktops pretty much universal (they'd all fit into the 3880)? If I purchase a replacement, I'd maybe look to upgrade a bit from the LG you installed (a Panasonic UJ-272, perhaps). The good news is I have the drive "faceplate" since my 3880 has the stock optical drive already installed. Thanks again!
You're very welcome. All 9.5mm drives will "fit", but I've seen a few different tray-to-face plate configurations over the years and it seems there's no standard. What you get is nearly impossible to research ahead of time so you pretty much just have to roll the dice on whether or not your face plate will fit. I would suggest buying from the same manufacturer as whatever Dell installed (usually an LG/HLDS) and see if you get lucky. FWIW, I've had very good success with LG optical drives over the years. I haven't had a Panasonic drive since the '00s. To be really honest, if you're a heavy optical drive user the 9.5mm format isn't for you. As you've discovered, they're not all that durable. I suggest a full size 5.25" drive in an external enclosure. Especially when it comes to bluray drives, you're going to end up paying about the same money in the end, but have a much better drive for your trouble. This is a topic I will be covering on The Broken Tech channel in the near-ish future. Subscribe over there if you'd like to follow along. 👍
Very good video ! I was just wondering if i could install a low profile gpu in it like a gt 1030 or 1050. There's not alot of option considering the 200w psu.
i saw you video last night because i have the same DELL I purchased and arrived yesterday I have 2 question I checked Amazon and I don't see new CD/DVD i found one but used it I don't want it, also the red cover where did you buy it for cover the holeit.
It looks like the LG drives may be temporarily out of stock on Amazon. I know they still had them in stock yesterday, so hopefully it won't be too long before they're back again. I made the red cover. Unfortunately I have to suspend sales of them over a quality concern. It seems that they don't withstand shipping now that the weather is warmer in the US.
That's next on the list, as well as doubling the RAM up to 8GB. I did the optical drive first because, to my shock, multiple people expressly asked me about it.
Man, Have I been looking for this! Great video! Now the question: Do you know if this would work for the follow-on 3910? The form factors look pretty much the same to me.
@@TheBrokenLife You suggested in retrospect that the 10700 was the way to go. I bought the 3880 10700 last week works like a charm, fast - does the job. I had a problem setting the boot sequence, never got it done. There's a video for ya. Replaced an old system (12 years) AMD 1055t
@@lightgearwire Oh, for sure buying the up-market system is the way to go if that's what you want in the long run. I'd recommend no less than an i5 to anyone shopping. What's your issue with the boot sequence? What order do you prefer which things to proceed in?
@@TheBrokenLife I was trying to load windows pro from a disk, my mistake. Eventually got it figured and entered the activation key. However, knowing how to set the sequence will allow a USB boot.
@@lightgearwire I already have a Win10 bootable USB stick ready to go so I'll give it a shot and see what happens. Probably wait until after I mirror the HDD to an SSD though just so I don't have to rebuild the entire installation if I accidentally proceed too far.
my Inspiron 3880 was supposed to have 16GB of RAM but it only has one 8GB instead of 2 x 8GB and because of that my RAM usage usually gets up to 80 percent or higher
A few years ago the Opti drive in my DELL laptop died. Do you know what DELL wants for an opti drive?!?! I found an external opti drive on AMAZON for $30. Then the OPTI drive in my Pc died so I have been using the external whenever I need to which is not very often. I just bought a new DELL 3910 which does not come with an opti drive. So what? My external worked just fine to load the drivers for my all in 1. !
I have a 3880 (the i5 model) that DID come with a disk drive but it is horrendously slow. Takes 7-8 minutes to rip a CD to FLAC. I had an Optiplex that was close to 10 years old that ripped twice that fast.
Interesting... Ripping FLAC audio is actually on my mind. Mine will have an i7 in it shortly. I'll try to remember to rip a disc and update this comment with the results. Are you using EAC? Any special settings?
@@TheBrokenLife yes, EAC through Foobar2000. I assume the problem is with the optical drive - my old Optiplex was a 4th gen i3 with 8 GB RAM, my new 3880 is 10th gen i5 with 16 GB RAM so the weak link almost has to be the disk drive it shipped with. Overall, these are nice little machines though. Aside from the CD rip speed I'm super happy with this thing, it's lightning fast and only cost me $530. And that's for the i5 model with the SSD. Really a tremendous bargain.
@@mdd47 I'm not familiar with Foobar2000. I'll have to look into all of this. If you want, you could always gamble the $30 on the drive I put in mine and see what happens. As long as people recognize what they're getting for their money, I agree that these machines are a great value.
It's shocking to me how many people just do _not_ want an external optical drive. As time marches on, I think that's going to become the only real option though.
I followed everything here, bought all the pieces recommended. Everything worked up to...the end. Windows doesn't detect the drive for me. I followed your instructions on the BIOS side and it sees the drive there on SATA 3 and it also shows in Device Manager, but nothing on the Windows side. I've tried other suggestions online--updating driver (Windows says I'm up to date on device and Windows), for instance--but I'm still not seeing it in Windows so I can use the optical drive. Any ideas?
Hummm... If you can see it in the BIOS and in Device Manager then both the PC hardware and Windows know its there, but it sounds like File Explorer doesn't recognize it as a drive for some reason. Does it behave any differently if you put a disc in it (a disc with stuff on it, like an audio CD or application installation disc)? Does the drive also show up in Disk Management?
@@TheBrokenLife Sorry for the slow reply. No, nothing shows up at all. The disc spins, as the drive reads it, then it whirs to a stop. File explorer just doesn't see it and the drive does not show up in Disk Management.
@@robertgraves9679 Weird. If it's not too late I suggest attempting to exchange it. My next move would be to try it on another machine if you have that option. It's always handy to have a USB to SATA adapter around for such occasions. I'm sorry it's giving you trouble. Mine plugged in and took right off. :/
@@TheBrokenLife The error message I get on the device manager is "Windows cannot start this hardware device because its configuration information (in the registry) is incomplete or damaged. (Code 19)" - apparently this is a driver-related issue, but there is no driver update beyond the one I have.
@@robertgraves9679 Have you attempted to run Windows repair? I haven't had to install a driver for an optical drive in at least 10 years so it must be a Windows component that is corrupted?
Did you have to install specific drivers for it to work or can any optical drive just plug and play? I'm curious how to add one as I'm interested in getting one of these computers.
The entire process is in the video. Just plug it in and go. I can't even remember the last time I had to install any specific optical drive drivers. BUT... You'll be miles ahead to just buy a model with the drive already in it from Dell. At the time I ordered mine, it was like a $20 price difference. I ordered the bottom end _only_ so I could make these videos.
@@TheBrokenLife Thanks so much! That totally answers my question. I'll have to look on Dell's website, but for now the configuration I want is on Amazon, and it has everything I'm after aside from an optical drive. Thanks again for the reply, I'll go ahead and subscribe just for that!
@@toyota-eh3ub Dell has sales and specials all the time if it's a money question that is steering you to Amazon. I'm glad you found my response helpful. That's what I'm here for!
@@TheBrokenLife I'll be sure to take a look and see what they have. I really did find your response helpful. Not too many channels these days actually take the time to reply to every comment, and the it leaves people hanging with unanswered questions. I was really impressed to find another channel that did that.
Hey man I was thinking of getting the same pc as yours with this specs 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10700 processor(8-Core, 16M Cache, 2.9GHz to 4.8GHz) NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1650 SUPER™ 4GB GDDR6 memory 8GB, 8Gx1, DDR4, 2933MHz harddrive 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive 360W EPA Black Chassis I got to ask you how is the cooling on the pc like is it going to cope with this power hardware, how is the airflow?
Those are all factory options from Dell so I would imagine the cooling will be fine. The 360w PSU and 1650 are new options since I bought mine, so I really have no idea what other changes they may have made to help cooling.
@@Dabs_Rulez No, I haven't upgraded the CPU yet to find out. Yes, you will likely need some sort of shroud, or maybe secondary fan, to get the heat out of the case.
@@TheBrokenLife the fan is slightly rotated and i don’t think it is possible to put one that is a completely straight and I don’t know if the fan shroud will still fit, can I still add a 120mm fan on the back, I know there is no fan connector on the motherboard except for the cpu fan, can I use a fan to sata adapter to connect a 120mm fan to an empty sata power
Do you intend your question literally like you're not sure if there is one installed in the case or do you mean that digitally like you don't see it in "My Computer"?
It makes no sense to anyone, why dell would take the time and money to create a DVD RW drive bay and not sell a usable drive or offer service for it. And to show the space, like it was actually usable is insane. I ordered the vostro 3888. Which is the business version of it and with the SSD hardrive and is fast, but I did not realize that each time I use it, it gradually wears out. The price of SSD chip is pretty cheap. The bigger problem will be getting the data from it , to the new SSD chip you'll need to put it. Of course, by that time the SSD chip will be outdated.
As far as the DVD drive, I agree with you. Sadly, when Dell sees the light, they're more likely to end the bay than to include a drive. 😞 As far as the SSD, the wear isn't really a big deal. Most of the drives are designed to have hundreds of times their capacity written before failure. The Samsung drive I installed in my Dell is warrantied for 5 years/600 TBW (terabytes written). My first SSD is now about 5 years old, and gets used a ton, and the last time I looked it was at something like 99% health. So... Like all data, simply back up your SSD from time-to-time (I suggest monthly) and you're at no greater risk than you would be with a HDD. Most people believe you're at a lesser risk.
What lunacy has compelled pc manufacturers to exclude the cdrom drive from their computers? What about the family photos. Pictures. Sketches. Documents. Invoices. Receipts and other irreplaceable items that people have stored on CD discs over time? How is one supposed to access these things without a cd drive? Yes, an external drive is an option, but it takes up extra space on the desk!!!!
Sadly, it's just the way of the times. Fewer and fewer people want or need physical media. I imagine in another few hardware generations the drives themselves will even become difficult to find.
First of, very good video information. However, I paid top dollar for this Dell computer (Inspiron 3880) and then it does not even have a CD drive. Unreal....Salesperson at best buy never even mentioned it. Never noticed that there was not one till I tried to use some of my discs that I had saved tax information on. Then, as outlined in this video you can not even get to buy a cd drive or even get hold of these people at Dell. When I bought computer and took it home, it would not allow me to download google chrome. I tried to call best buy and no one ever answered so I had to unhook everything and take computer back to best buy for the technician to make some type of adjustment. Since then, I have continued to have problems with downloading stuff and getting the correct icons to appear on the screen. Last time I will by a Dell anything and use best buy. Word to the wise, maybe buy another brand computer. I had to buy a video camera, a microphone, etc. Keyboard was not even wireless. I also called support about 3 months after I bought it because I had a simple question I wanted to ask, nothing technical, and when gave the guy my info on back of computer, he then said it was out of warranty. I was then explaining to him that I just bought it and that was not possible. Apparently during my conversation, I realized he had hung up on me. Apparently, that is their modus operandi. Never again.
You're very welcome. Thanks for watching! I'm no great fan of Best Buy for many reasons, and Dell after sales support is indeed non-existent, but the other issues you outlined are not normal. I can't think of anything specifically Dell related that would give you software installation issues. Maybe McAfee is standing in the way? Failing to "Run as Administrator"? It could be many things. You can confirm your warranty status via Dell's support page. Entering your service tag number will tell you when your machine was built. If you never registered it with Dell upon purchase, then they're going to default back to the build date based on the tag. So... depending on how long your machine sat on a shelf or in a warehouse for Best Buy, it could have burned up a good bit of warranty. Dell's inept customer support failing to get that ironed out via a sales receipt (or disconnecting you out of pure incompetence while attempting it) is 100% on them though. Or if you did register it, that's even worse... Dell customer service earns a solid 0 from me every time I give them the opportunity. Their support website is the best in the business though. How they can do one thing so right, and the other so wrong, is a mystery for the ages. As to wireless keyboard/mouse, camera, etc... I'm not sure how common it is to have those as packed in items on most desktop machines, regardless of brand. For my part, my unboxing video, where I reviewed what was included in the purchase, has been published for just over a year. I did what I could to put that information out into the world for anyone to find. I even made a buyer's guide video a few weeks later where I went over some of the other options in the Dell line at the time. I'm lining up some other brands to cover for similar series next year, so we'll see how they stack up to the Dell. It's been my experience in the past that most machines at any given price point are typically not that different from another machine at the same price point, but we'll see.
What a nightmare. I highly recommend against most of those kits, though obviously the one you have seems to be fine. In my experience, these tools are just way too soft. They strip out and then they start stripping the lousy quality soft screws in most modern electronics.
Yeah... Dell didn't do me any favors by not selling me the drive. I have to admit I didn't see that one coming. But, that's the entire point of the series. I'm in general agreement with you on the kit, and cheap tools in general, but you have to remember the audience the these videos attract: folks who generally don't have much cash or experience and just want something that will do for now. I'm reasonably confident that I can do everything that needs done out of only that kit, and if I can, it's well worth the buy-in for the folks at home. So, it's also a challenge to myself to stay within that boundary and see what happens.
@@TheBrokenLife I guess if you don't already own Philips head screw drivers and you really have no use for them other than this one upgrade to your PC, it's probably not a bad deal.
@@TheBrokenLife sir problem is i need a new gaming pc, but there still some components that include a program disc, is insane and i don't know what to do or where else to look, what is ruining me is a gaming chassis with no optical drive.
I just love how much enthusiasm you have for a freaking optical drive. It's criminally hard to find people who are actually showing an installation and not just commenting on how they won't be doing that.
Heh. I have developed a bit of a specialty for them since this video was published. Based on the success of this series, I created an entire tech channel that you may enjoy. The Broken Tech
I'm right in the middle of a 4K UHD Bluray series. 😂
I got a dell inspiron 3881 desktop today and it is awesome, it has a core i5-10400f, a gtx 1650 super, 8gb ram but I upgraded it to 32gb, 256gb ssd+1tb hdd, and an optical drive
And I can connect 3 monitors because the graphics card has DisplayPort 1.4 port, HDMI 2.0 port, DVI-D Dual Link port
@@Dabs_Rulez Sweet! Glad you like it!
Absolutely brilliant. Saved me a fortune getting someone into replace a broken optical drive. So easy to follow Thank you!
Thanks. You're very welcome!
Thanks very much for the Optical Drive installation video and link to an appropriate DVD drive for the Dell Inspiron. It was extremely helpful!
I'm happy to help! Thanks for the kind comment!
Thank you so much for this video. I just installed an optical drive, and it's working great. You made it very easy.
Awesome! I'm glad you found the video helpful!
Thank you for a excellent video. I just received my optical drive from dell, but they didn't include the bezel. So i'll be waiting for that to come before installing the drive.
Glad I could help!
That was a thorough and helpful video! Thank you!!!
You're very welcome. Thanks for watching!
Decided to add an optical drive in the 3880. I needed one to be able to rip Blu ray and play 4K discs. The video was a nice refresher. I might want to p[ut a SATA card in the machine and I need to see if I have enough room.
I really suggest going with an external drive if you want one to do those sorts of tasks. Oddly enough, that's a subject I'm in the midst of covering over on my other channel.
th-cam.com/video/8vqOIV6s1g8/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for the help. Thumbs up, purchased drive through link and all works good.🙏
Awesome! I'm glad it all worked out well! 👍
Neat video. It's crazy how the toolkit you linked looks EXACTLY like your 30 year old kit. I'm surprised they still found vinyl to be cost effective instead of blow molded plastic.
Thank you!
I was incredibly surprised to find the nearly identical kit as well. I bought my kit at a Ham radio show (which was largely a PC hardware swap meet, which is why I was there) in the early 1990s. No branding or anything else on it.
It comes with a couple of tools that most people have probably never seen before, like jumper pullers. Not that many people will need to pull jumpers anymore, but that's one of the main reasons I bought my kit to begin with. I've worked on an absurd number of computers with it over the years, so, may as well toss it out there for others.
@@TheBrokenLife It is probably identical in form only. I've used these kits before from various no-name vendors and they are way too soft. Although I have to admit I have a 3 pronged hook spring loaded thingy from one of these kits I bought like 35 years ago and I never see them around anymore and they come in handy.
I have a set of tools from Compaq that are great. I've had them since the 90s. They are made well, but they were also expensive (corporate stuff, I never paid for it). Compaq couldn't just use normal screws like everyone else. So we had these $25 torx screw drivers from Compaq. Plus they made sets, which is what I have.
@@tarstarkusz You convinced me! I just ordered the Startech one from Amazon, will switch off to it, and review it (and likely give it away) when the series wraps up. If it won't do the job, then I don't want people buying it either.
For the 3 prong tools, just look up pickle grabber. That's how I was originally introduced to the concept.
Torx are of the Devil and should be outlawed (along with straight blade). There are many, and good, reasons to use them in manufacturing but they suck for everything outside of the factory.
@@TheBrokenLife Cool. Looking forward to the video.
@@tarstarkusz Thanks! I'm glad you convinced me to buy another one just because my curiosity is growing more and more since Ben made his comment.
I couldn't have done it without you. Clear, concise, straightforward. And - It worked. Thanks.
Yep. No bezel. No screws from Dell. Just a cheap drive. I open and close with a pencil on the front dome switch.
The world has moved to the Clouds. I like to keep some stuff terrestrial. For simple stuff, it's easier and thus the DVD/CD drive. THANKS SO MUCH!!!!!!
Glad to hear it! You're very welcome! 👍
Followed the directions, got it done - cd/dvd combo internal installed.
Awesome!
Now what is the appropriate graphics cards to go in the beast?
@@Oldroyalty That's the one on everyone's mind. Prices are so inflated right now that I prefer to wait the market out. But... The highest option Dell offered is the GTX 1030, but I've gotten reports that the GTX 1050 is also fine.
@@TheBrokenLife I looked at the prices... you're right. Sitting it out for now.
@@Oldroyalty I feel bad for waiting it out because I know so many viewers want to see it. Maybe in a few more weeks the tide will change? It seems that 1050 prices might be slowly receding from their peak.
I'm thinking an i7 upgrade may be coming first as it seems the better value these days.
Great video, and, IMO, good camera angles and focus. Seeing your experience with not being able to navigate the BIOS with an HDMI monitor attached will probably save me from a confusing moment in the future.
Thanks! I'm always trying to get better at the production side of things and its a constant struggle.
I don't know if it's just my setup or not, but it certainly doesn't like that TV over HDMI. In the long run the 3880 is going to live on a Sony TV so I'll get the chance to try it again and see if it remains quirky. I also just remembered I have an actual monitor with an HDMI input too.
Thanks for this info, I reference your way on my 3910 desktop, it also works! There is one thing I can provide some feedback.I choose 12.7 mm front Panel DVD, it also can fit it 🙂 So I think it has less gap than your 9.5mm front panel DVD. You can try it!!!
I'm not near it right now to measure it, but I think all of the "slim" optical drives are the same thickness. It's pretty likely that I should have been calling this a 12.7mm drive.
This video was very useful! I just got a Dell Inspiron 3891 and it has the same build. Your other video about adding a hard drive was useful as well! I definitely would like to buy a Trim Bezel if you have any available. I sent an email to what you posted in the description.
Thanks, Nick! 👍
You know that in other countries, there is a dell inspiron 3881 which has a usb type c and a DisplayPort 1.4. It has 3 video ports so you can connect up to 3 monitors
There's a 3881 in the US as well.
@@TheBrokenLife where
@@Dabs_Rulez I believe I'm wrong on this one. They have the 3881 listed on the support page for Dell US, but all of the sales links are for pretty much every county _except_ the US. My mistake.
surprise surprise, tried to install the DVD RW into the Dell Vostro 3888, but couldn't because the Data cord was 3 inches to short. Thanks Dell.
That's frustrating. At least the cables are inexpensive. 🤷♂️
Just an update, I was able to find a data cord from a HP, thank god they were universal, that worked. however the way the data end , that was intended to fit into the DVD RW, the connection was upside down, (and because the connection needed to go down instead of up ) I had to reverse the ends to make it work. Thank god both ends had the same connection points_. I'm not sure if this is a DVD RW issue or dell/HP cord issue. Both Dell and HP data cords seem to be same, except for the length. It will work for now. This is too hard.
@@randallswartzfager4090 SATA cables are, more or less, universal. Neither end is designated to go any particular place. Dell does do some odd things with their 90 degree cables sometimes, but I can't remember anything specific to the optical drive.
If you want to learn more about it I made a "What SATA cable do I need" video a couple of years ago where I illustrate a few configurations.
Just ordered an original one on eBay
Still some left there (5 or so)
Genuine Dell Inspiron 3910 Sata DVD +/-RW Drive with Bezel 9M9FK
$37.49
Unit price $37.49
Returns accepted through Dec 6, 2023.
Cool!
I like the contrast trim bezel look. It's good to know you were able to make them. After your Most Expensive Tool video and all the problems you had with that 3D printer I had my doubts if it would ever make parts to spec. The bent base plate seemed especially problematic. Maybe give an update on what it took to get it right.
I like it too, but the black really is sharp in real life too. The Marks-a-lot gives it a really nice semi-gloss. Fortunately for me I can change at will. The design just friction fits. Took me some effort to get that "just so" as well.
There are currently 3 more videos on the printer recorded and needing editing (and a 4th about to get filmed), but people had been asking about a Dell update _a lot._ Honestly, I wouldn't have wheeled the printer out to the channel just yet if I didn't need it for the Dell video, so, catch 22. I didn't want to create a time paradox for the regular viewers by just producing 3D printed parts out of the sky, but, now ya gotta wait a short bit for an update on _that_ project. Then there are the 10 other projects in the shop... and on it goes! :)
Do you know that if you order from amazon it will already have an optical drive
It depends on which specific model you order. FWIW, right now it looks like Dell is having some really good sales so it may be easier to order from them directly to verify what it actually comes with.
I bought this exactly pc, I will be following your upgrade, new subscriber :D
pd: I'm so curious about how do you upgrade the psu xD
pd2: Sorry for my rusty english
That seems to be the hot topic on everyone's mind. There are a few approached, but none are particularly elegant. I'm planning to show at least 2 of those options, and maybe 3...
HLDS BU40N Ultra Slim Internal Ultra HD Blu-Ray Optical Drive/ 9.5mm/ UHD Drive// will this blu ray drive work with my dell inspiron 3880?
Any 9.5mm height drive will fit the case. You just need to be sure that the front of the drive tray is flat, and not some strange shape for a laptop.
I have links in the description of appropriate drives.
Could you make a video on how to install a microSD card adapter in the Dell Inspiron, my Dell Inspiron 3891 didn't come with a microSD card adapter in it, but it came with everything else, and I can't find any videos on how to do this?
I don't know if I've ever seen an internal microSD reader. There are USB microSD readers that would be 95% of what you're asking for.
Take a look at this: amzn.to/3LJSWCq
@@TheBrokenLife well that's okay, I've actually already have one because of this problem, but I was hoping that maybe there was a fix for my missing internal micro SD card reader, and I thought maybe you could help 🙂.
@@___Sunflower Unfortunately, I don't believe any better option exists. Sorry.
@@TheBrokenLife OK 😞 but thank you for at least getting back to me on my comment 🙂
@@___Sunflower You're welcome! Good luck with it!
Just purchased and gotten the same Dell 3880 machine.
i7 CPU, 8 GB, with the weak 200 W PSU. There is a DELL 315 Watt PSU, 80 PLUS GOLD, with a pigtail 6 pin video power connector.
MODEL: D315ES-00
However it may not fit the case.
I'm looking forward to what solution(s) you come up with.
Thank you. Great content. Subscribed.
I decided at that outset that if I couldn't do 500w+, it wasn't worth it to bother, but that Dell PN may work out. I have another sub that also put a factory part in his and it's going just fine.
@@TheBrokenLife I would prefer a 500+ W PSU as well. The 315 W unit was the only one I saw that might work. I'm waiting on your deep dive and solution(s).
I plan on putting a GIGABYTE GEFORCE GTX 1650 GDDR6 Low Profile card. It does not require a 6 Pin power connector, only the PCI Express 3.0 x16 slot to power it. BUT they run hot. Wondering if a 500 W might solve the issue by powering the Mobo fully? I'm a clown show.
I'm using this box as the living room Media Machine; (I'm a Cable TV Cutter) Web based video channels (TCM, HGTV, Hallmark), Zoom Meetings, NAS, Blu-ray Disc player, Mild Steam Gaming, and light Office communication and printing.
Looking forward to all of your 3880 videos. Thanks... in advance.
Hi, Will a 12mm height dvd fit into this slot on the Dell 3880 ?
kevin rea
lancaster, calif
Hi, Kevin!
It's a 9.5mm bay (which in reality will measure anywhere from 9-10mm based on the specific drive). I'm not sure if I've ever seen a 12mm drive..?
Great video thanks. I could not make out the correct size of the the screws to hold the cd/dvd in place. Would it be M2-0.40x1.5? I saw you used M2 *3 and they were to long. Look forward to next video on this machine.
Thanks!
I believe that M2x2 is the correct screw, but they're fairly difficult to find. I believe 0.40 is the correct pitch, but my kit isn't labeled and I don't have a tap that small to confirm.
@@TheBrokenLife I was able to get a hold of some M2x2... that is the exact size.
@@Oldroyalty Awesome!
OMG! Thank you. It is awful that Dell has gone down hill! I had a similar wasted day.
It seems many of us have.
I just ordered a new model with Alder Lake I3, i'll add 8GB of memory and let it roll. These lower priced computers are great for what they are. If you want a gaming rig, build one.
@@thomasward00 I agree, but some folks like to tinker anyhow.
Thanks very much for this video. I purchased a 3880 desktop last summer, and it's been great so far. My model includes an optical drive, but I'm already thinking ahead and considering buying a replacement drive to have on hand, if/when the current drive fails. I bought a souped-up Dell laptop in 2008 and I ran its CD/DVD drive into the ground (I ripped my entire CD collection and a good number of movies on it). The laptop still powers on and works, but the drive has been toast for years. Anyway, are all "slim" internal CD/DVD drives for desktops pretty much universal (they'd all fit into the 3880)? If I purchase a replacement, I'd maybe look to upgrade a bit from the LG you installed (a Panasonic UJ-272, perhaps). The good news is I have the drive "faceplate" since my 3880 has the stock optical drive already installed. Thanks again!
You're very welcome.
All 9.5mm drives will "fit", but I've seen a few different tray-to-face plate configurations over the years and it seems there's no standard. What you get is nearly impossible to research ahead of time so you pretty much just have to roll the dice on whether or not your face plate will fit. I would suggest buying from the same manufacturer as whatever Dell installed (usually an LG/HLDS) and see if you get lucky. FWIW, I've had very good success with LG optical drives over the years. I haven't had a Panasonic drive since the '00s.
To be really honest, if you're a heavy optical drive user the 9.5mm format isn't for you. As you've discovered, they're not all that durable. I suggest a full size 5.25" drive in an external enclosure. Especially when it comes to bluray drives, you're going to end up paying about the same money in the end, but have a much better drive for your trouble.
This is a topic I will be covering on The Broken Tech channel in the near-ish future. Subscribe over there if you'd like to follow along. 👍
@@TheBrokenLife Great info, thank you sir. Subbed!
@@jfrey1 You're welcome. Thanks for watching!
Nice video! Excited to see if it’s possible to upgrade the psu and gpu on it
Thanks!
It's possible, but not exactly simple.
I didn't think the newest generation 2022 had a CD writer tray
I don't believe Dell is offering it anymore either. Your only option if you want a drive in that bay is to do what I did here.
Very good video ! I was just wondering if i could install a low profile gpu in it like a gt 1030 or 1050. There's not alot of option considering the 200w psu.
The 1030 is a factory supported option, so that should just plug right in. Lots of people have said that the 1050 works just fine too.
Awesome thanks for the reply !
@@ADON702 You're very welcome. Good luck with it!
There is a video by knowledge sharing tech called “will a gtx 1650 work in a dell inspiron 3671”
i saw you video last night because i have the same DELL I purchased and arrived yesterday I have 2 question I checked Amazon and I don't see new CD/DVD i found one but used it I don't want it, also the red cover where did you buy it for cover the holeit.
It looks like the LG drives may be temporarily out of stock on Amazon. I know they still had them in stock yesterday, so hopefully it won't be too long before they're back again.
I made the red cover. Unfortunately I have to suspend sales of them over a quality concern. It seems that they don't withstand shipping now that the weather is warmer in the US.
The LG drives are now back in stock.
thought the first thing to add would be a nvme drive to see how fast it is after that, and then see if anything else is worth adding.
That's next on the list, as well as doubling the RAM up to 8GB. I did the optical drive first because, to my shock, multiple people expressly asked me about it.
I bought mine from Dell and I can see the gaps too
Pobody's nerfect, I suppose? You can always pull the factory drive and paint the case with a marker. It will tame it down more than you'd imagine.
Man, Have I been looking for this! Great video! Now the question: Do you know if this would work for the follow-on 3910? The form factors look pretty much the same to me.
OOPS, I just saw Jason Huang's comment that says this does work for a 3910 also. Off to Amazon I go! 😀
Good luck with it. 👍
you were right about the 10700
In what way? I don't remember what I said.
@@TheBrokenLife You suggested in retrospect that the 10700 was the way to go.
I bought the 3880 10700 last week works like a charm, fast - does the job.
I had a problem setting the boot sequence, never got it done. There's a video for ya.
Replaced an old system (12 years) AMD 1055t
@@lightgearwire Oh, for sure buying the up-market system is the way to go if that's what you want in the long run. I'd recommend no less than an i5 to anyone shopping.
What's your issue with the boot sequence? What order do you prefer which things to proceed in?
@@TheBrokenLife I was trying to load windows pro from a disk, my mistake. Eventually got it figured and entered the activation key. However, knowing how to set the sequence will allow a USB boot.
@@lightgearwire I already have a Win10 bootable USB stick ready to go so I'll give it a shot and see what happens. Probably wait until after I mirror the HDD to an SSD though just so I don't have to rebuild the entire installation if I accidentally proceed too far.
my Dell PC didn't come with an optical drive but now I got one
Awesome!
my Inspiron 3880 was supposed to have 16GB of RAM but it only has one 8GB instead of 2 x 8GB and because of that my RAM usage usually gets up to 80 percent or higher
A few years ago the Opti drive in my DELL laptop died. Do you know
what DELL wants for an opti drive?!?! I found an external opti drive
on AMAZON for $30. Then the OPTI drive in my Pc died so I have been
using the external whenever I need to which is not very often. I just
bought a new DELL 3910 which does not come with an opti drive. So
what? My external worked just fine to load the drivers for my all in 1.
!
External is always an option, but some people _really_ want an internal drive. 🤷♂️
I have a 3880 (the i5 model) that DID come with a disk drive but it is horrendously slow. Takes 7-8 minutes to rip a CD to FLAC. I had an Optiplex that was close to 10 years old that ripped twice that fast.
Interesting... Ripping FLAC audio is actually on my mind. Mine will have an i7 in it shortly. I'll try to remember to rip a disc and update this comment with the results.
Are you using EAC? Any special settings?
@@TheBrokenLife yes, EAC through Foobar2000. I assume the problem is with the optical drive - my old Optiplex was a 4th gen i3 with 8 GB RAM, my new 3880 is 10th gen i5 with 16 GB RAM so the weak link almost has to be the disk drive it shipped with.
Overall, these are nice little machines though. Aside from the CD rip speed I'm super happy with this thing, it's lightning fast and only cost me $530. And that's for the i5 model with the SSD. Really a tremendous bargain.
@@mdd47 I'm not familiar with Foobar2000. I'll have to look into all of this.
If you want, you could always gamble the $30 on the drive I put in mine and see what happens.
As long as people recognize what they're getting for their money, I agree that these machines are a great value.
I always keep a small external USB DVD drive available.
It's shocking to me how many people just do _not_ want an external optical drive. As time marches on, I think that's going to become the only real option though.
I followed everything here, bought all the pieces recommended. Everything worked up to...the end. Windows doesn't detect the drive for me. I followed your instructions on the BIOS side and it sees the drive there on SATA 3 and it also shows in Device Manager, but nothing on the Windows side. I've tried other suggestions online--updating driver (Windows says I'm up to date on device and Windows), for instance--but I'm still not seeing it in Windows so I can use the optical drive. Any ideas?
Hummm... If you can see it in the BIOS and in Device Manager then both the PC hardware and Windows know its there, but it sounds like File Explorer doesn't recognize it as a drive for some reason. Does it behave any differently if you put a disc in it (a disc with stuff on it, like an audio CD or application installation disc)? Does the drive also show up in Disk Management?
@@TheBrokenLife Sorry for the slow reply. No, nothing shows up at all. The disc spins, as the drive reads it, then it whirs to a stop. File explorer just doesn't see it and the drive does not show up in Disk Management.
@@robertgraves9679 Weird. If it's not too late I suggest attempting to exchange it. My next move would be to try it on another machine if you have that option. It's always handy to have a USB to SATA adapter around for such occasions.
I'm sorry it's giving you trouble. Mine plugged in and took right off. :/
@@TheBrokenLife The error message I get on the device manager is "Windows cannot start this hardware device because its configuration information (in the registry) is incomplete or damaged. (Code 19)" - apparently this is a driver-related issue, but there is no driver update beyond the one I have.
@@robertgraves9679 Have you attempted to run Windows repair? I haven't had to install a driver for an optical drive in at least 10 years so it must be a Windows component that is corrupted?
4:20 how old were you when you got that tool kit
I can't recall for sure, but Nirvana was still releasing new albums.
Optical drive bezels are available for purchase! Contact me at info@thebrokenlife.net for more details.
Thank you for your support!
Did you have to install specific drivers for it to work or can any optical drive just plug and play? I'm curious how to add one as I'm interested in getting one of these computers.
The entire process is in the video. Just plug it in and go. I can't even remember the last time I had to install any specific optical drive drivers.
BUT... You'll be miles ahead to just buy a model with the drive already in it from Dell. At the time I ordered mine, it was like a $20 price difference. I ordered the bottom end _only_ so I could make these videos.
@@TheBrokenLife Thanks so much! That totally answers my question. I'll have to look on Dell's website, but for now the configuration I want is on Amazon, and it has everything I'm after aside from an optical drive. Thanks again for the reply, I'll go ahead and subscribe just for that!
@@toyota-eh3ub Dell has sales and specials all the time if it's a money question that is steering you to Amazon.
I'm glad you found my response helpful. That's what I'm here for!
@@TheBrokenLife I'll be sure to take a look and see what they have.
I really did find your response helpful. Not too many channels these days actually take the time to reply to every comment, and the it leaves people hanging with unanswered questions. I was really impressed to find another channel that did that.
@@toyota-eh3ub I'll always try to respond to as many comments as I possibly can. Right now the channel is so small that it's usually not a problem.
Hey sir ! Thanks for this video, very useful to me ! :) May I ask if you could share the 3d file for the printed piece ?
Thanks !
No, sorry. I spent an entire day engineering that part as a reward for channel supporters.
@@TheBrokenLife ok ok
Hey man I was thinking of getting the same pc as yours with this specs
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10700 processor(8-Core, 16M Cache, 2.9GHz to 4.8GHz)
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1650 SUPER™ 4GB GDDR6
memory
8GB, 8Gx1, DDR4, 2933MHz
harddrive
512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive
360W EPA Black Chassis
I got to ask you how is the cooling on the pc like is it going to cope with this power hardware, how is the airflow?
Those are all factory options from Dell so I would imagine the cooling will be fine. The 360w PSU and 1650 are new options since I bought mine, so I really have no idea what other changes they may have made to help cooling.
I have a question, when I upgrade the cpu, do I need to reapply thermal paste
Yes, absolutely, and you'll likely need to upgrade the heatsink as well.
Do you know any cpu fans that are compatible with this pc, and also is it still possible to put on the fan shroud. Do I need the fan shroud
@@Dabs_Rulez No, I haven't upgraded the CPU yet to find out.
Yes, you will likely need some sort of shroud, or maybe secondary fan, to get the heat out of the case.
@@TheBrokenLife the fan is slightly rotated and i don’t think it is possible to put one that is a completely straight and I don’t know if the fan shroud will still fit, can I still add a 120mm fan on the back, I know there is no fan connector on the motherboard except for the cpu fan, can I use a fan to sata adapter to connect a 120mm fan to an empty sata power
@@Dabs_Rulez I can't think of any reason why you wouldn't be able to put a fan on the back.
What is part# for LG DVD DRIVE
All links are in the video description.
I would play a DVD when its done.
I didn't even think of it at the time.
@@TheBrokenLife No worries, but nice!
what do i do if it dont see the cd drive
Do you intend your question literally like you're not sure if there is one installed in the case or do you mean that digitally like you don't see it in "My Computer"?
Green motherboard!
Well, spring _is_ here...
It makes no sense to anyone, why dell would take the time and money to create a DVD RW drive bay and not sell a usable drive or offer service for it. And to show the space, like it was actually usable is insane. I ordered the vostro 3888. Which is the business version of it and with the SSD hardrive and is fast, but I did not realize that each time I use it, it gradually wears out. The price of SSD chip is pretty cheap. The bigger problem will be getting the data from it , to the new SSD chip you'll need to put it. Of course, by that time the SSD chip will be outdated.
As far as the DVD drive, I agree with you. Sadly, when Dell sees the light, they're more likely to end the bay than to include a drive. 😞
As far as the SSD, the wear isn't really a big deal. Most of the drives are designed to have hundreds of times their capacity written before failure. The Samsung drive I installed in my Dell is warrantied for 5 years/600 TBW (terabytes written). My first SSD is now about 5 years old, and gets used a ton, and the last time I looked it was at something like 99% health.
So... Like all data, simply back up your SSD from time-to-time (I suggest monthly) and you're at no greater risk than you would be with a HDD. Most people believe you're at a lesser risk.
Next video, Installing a graphics card in it
Sadly, it's gonna be a little while on that one. Next video is probably going to be SSD and RAM.
@@TheBrokenLife how long till that vid?
@@oscarphillips1082 Probably a couple of months. I have others lined up in the queue already and there's only so much money for this stuff.
@@TheBrokenLife that’s fair enough, I’ll keep watching
@@oscarphillips1082 I appreciate your support!
What lunacy has compelled pc manufacturers to exclude the cdrom drive from their computers? What about the family photos. Pictures. Sketches. Documents. Invoices. Receipts and other irreplaceable items that people have stored on CD discs over time? How is one supposed to access these things without a cd drive? Yes, an external drive is an option, but it takes up extra space on the desk!!!!
Sadly, it's just the way of the times. Fewer and fewer people want or need physical media. I imagine in another few hardware generations the drives themselves will even become difficult to find.
You are wrong!
The smaller one sata-data and long one is sata-power
If I misspoke somewhere in the video, I apologize.
First of, very good video information. However, I paid top dollar for this Dell computer (Inspiron 3880) and then it does not even have a CD drive. Unreal....Salesperson at best buy never even mentioned it. Never noticed that there was not one till I tried to use some of my discs that I had saved tax information on. Then, as outlined in this video you can not even get to buy a cd drive or even get hold of these people at Dell. When I bought computer and took it home, it would not allow me to download google chrome. I tried to call best buy and no one ever answered so I had to unhook everything and take computer back to best buy for the technician to make some type of adjustment. Since then, I have continued to have problems with downloading stuff and getting the correct icons to appear on the screen. Last time I will by a Dell anything and use best buy. Word to the wise, maybe buy another brand computer. I had to buy a video camera, a microphone, etc. Keyboard was not even wireless. I also called support about 3 months after I bought it because I had a simple question I wanted to ask, nothing technical, and when gave the guy my info on back of computer, he then said it was out of warranty. I was then explaining to him that I just bought it and that was not possible. Apparently during my conversation, I realized he had hung up on me. Apparently, that is their modus operandi. Never again.
You're very welcome. Thanks for watching!
I'm no great fan of Best Buy for many reasons, and Dell after sales support is indeed non-existent, but the other issues you outlined are not normal. I can't think of anything specifically Dell related that would give you software installation issues. Maybe McAfee is standing in the way? Failing to "Run as Administrator"? It could be many things.
You can confirm your warranty status via Dell's support page. Entering your service tag number will tell you when your machine was built. If you never registered it with Dell upon purchase, then they're going to default back to the build date based on the tag. So... depending on how long your machine sat on a shelf or in a warehouse for Best Buy, it could have burned up a good bit of warranty. Dell's inept customer support failing to get that ironed out via a sales receipt (or disconnecting you out of pure incompetence while attempting it) is 100% on them though. Or if you did register it, that's even worse... Dell customer service earns a solid 0 from me every time I give them the opportunity. Their support website is the best in the business though. How they can do one thing so right, and the other so wrong, is a mystery for the ages.
As to wireless keyboard/mouse, camera, etc... I'm not sure how common it is to have those as packed in items on most desktop machines, regardless of brand. For my part, my unboxing video, where I reviewed what was included in the purchase, has been published for just over a year. I did what I could to put that information out into the world for anyone to find. I even made a buyer's guide video a few weeks later where I went over some of the other options in the Dell line at the time.
I'm lining up some other brands to cover for similar series next year, so we'll see how they stack up to the Dell. It's been my experience in the past that most machines at any given price point are typically not that different from another machine at the same price point, but we'll see.
What a nightmare.
I highly recommend against most of those kits, though obviously the one you have seems to be fine. In my experience, these tools are just way too soft. They strip out and then they start stripping the lousy quality soft screws in most modern electronics.
Yeah... Dell didn't do me any favors by not selling me the drive. I have to admit I didn't see that one coming. But, that's the entire point of the series.
I'm in general agreement with you on the kit, and cheap tools in general, but you have to remember the audience the these videos attract: folks who generally don't have much cash or experience and just want something that will do for now. I'm reasonably confident that I can do everything that needs done out of only that kit, and if I can, it's well worth the buy-in for the folks at home. So, it's also a challenge to myself to stay within that boundary and see what happens.
@@TheBrokenLife I guess if you don't already own Philips head screw drivers and you really have no use for them other than this one upgrade to your PC, it's probably not a bad deal.
Gaming chasis now comes with no optical drives, this is stupid everryone knows a good pc needs a optical drives for this!
New cars haven't come with CD players in ages either... The bell tolls for every technology eventually.
@@TheBrokenLife sir problem is i need a new gaming pc, but there still some components that include a program disc, is insane and i don't know what to do or where else to look, what is ruining me is a gaming chassis with no optical drive.
@@lordmetallium9678 An external USB drive is probably your best bet for that situation.
@@TheBrokenLife understood