GT 1030 Passive Actual Power Consumption/ Safe Limit

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Qwerty_McSpacebar

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Hello,

I have a Lenovo ideacentre, model 310S - 08IAP. It's a low power machine with an intel J4205 quad core at 10 W TDP. I would love to turn the machine into an HTPC capable of 4k via display port, and it does have a PCIe x 16 slot. MSI's passively cooled GT 1030 would give me what I'm looking for, but there's a catch: this machine is powered by an external laptop-style power brick that plugs into the rear I/O shield. Output of the power brick is listed at 20V 3.25A, so roughly 65 watts max. Would the machine be capable of safely powering the GT 1030 at its 30 W rated consumption?

*I will be swapping the HDD with an 850 EVO SSD regardless, which only consumes ~3.2W under full load.
 
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yowen said:
Just to let you know that Netflix @ 4k will not work at this setup, I believe it requires a 3gb+ card.
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Yeah, if you want to watch video, a Roku would be a way easier purchase than a $150 video card.

EDIT: now that I think about it, that Apollo Lake CPU in that Lenovo is CAPABLE of 4k.

You should try hooking the HDMI port up to your 4k TV, and see if it works.
 
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defaultluser said:
Yeah, if you want to watch video, a Roku would be a way easier purchase than a $150 video card.
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It'd be nice if they make 4k happen with onboard video in the near future. It's unfortunate you need at minimum a 1050TI to watch Netflix in 4k.

I know a streaming device like a Roku is ideal for streaming in 4K, but I just REALLY like having a computer right on my TV at all times. It's just so convenient for me. For now I'm fine since my plasma TV is 1080p.
 
yowen said:
It'd be nice if they make 4k happen with onboard video in the near future. It's unfortunate you need at minimum a 1050TI to watch Netflix in 4k.

I know a streaming device like a Roku is ideal for streaming in 4K, but I just REALLY like having a computer right on my TV at all times. It's just so convenient for me. For now I'm fine since my plasma TV is 1080p.
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It's not a limitation of onboard video, it's a limitation of money.

Netflix 4k streaming is supported by:

1. Kaby Lake onboard graphics
2. Nvidia Pascal video cards with 4GB ram.

This exclusive access costs money to develop, so they lock-down access to the latest-and-greatest.

Even though Skylake onboard supports 4k HEVC decoding, you can't use it on Netflix.
Even though that Pentium processor in the Lenovo supports 4k HEVC decoding, you can't use it on Netflix.
Even though the GT 1030, and the GTX 960 from 2015 supports HEVC 4k decoding, you can't use it on Netflix.
Even though AMD's RX 480 and Vega series cards support this feature, but that can't afford the certification cash.
 
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Thank you all for the replies and for the info. I will see how it fairs using the HDMI out. I also like having a PC hooked to my computer, and it is kind of a bummer that services like Netflix won't support all hardware capable of 4k. Though you can stream almost everything from your phone nowadays, the PC isn't quite obsolete yet. Things like Steam in home streaming are still best accomplished through an actual PC. For entertaining guests and family, sharing pictures, Googling stuff to win arguments, and accessing other computers on the network an HTPC is my favorite option. I am in the process of pricing out a NAS and want to build up a UHD movie library. Maybe this machine will cut the mustard for what I need as is... Thanks again
 
Qwerty_McSpacebar said:
Thank you all for the replies and for the info. I will see how it fairs using the HDMI out. I also like having a PC hooked to my computer, and it is kind of a bummer that services like Netflix won't support all hardware capable of 4k. Though you can stream almost everything from your phone nowadays, the PC isn't quite obsolete yet. Things like Steam in home streaming are still best accomplished through an actual PC. For entertaining guests and family, sharing pictures, Googling stuff to win arguments, and accessing other computers on the network an HTPC is my favorite option. I am in the process of pricing out a NAS and want to build up a UHD movie library. Maybe this machine will cut the mustard for what I need as is... Thanks again
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Well, you can still stream 1080p Netflix on any PC.

Just use the built-in application on Windows 10. You'll be hard-pressed to tell the difference between 1080p and 4k, streaming video, unless you're a foot away from the screen :D

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/p/netflix/9wzdncrfj3tj?SilentAuth=1&wa=wsignin1.0

This is just because the movie industry is having a fucking cow with the introduction of 4k with HDR.

There was a similar waiting period for getting 1080p Netflix on PCs, because the movie indutry freaked for the first few years. But they eventually caved, and added 1080p back with the release of Windows 8. 4k will also slowly become universal.

But for normal desktop usage that Pentium should handle it splendidly. Lenovo may have cheaped-out and only specced the port for HDMI 1.4, but that will still get you 4k at 30 Hz.

And if you're just going to build a Nas and serve out your own decrypted 4k content, then you don't need to worry. The built-in video decoder on that Pentium is more than capable. You only need to worry about "certifications" if you're going entirely "legal."

See here where it handles 4k 10-bit HEVC with ease:

http://www.nerd-monkey.com/test-7-asrock_j4205_itx_test_apollo_lake_with_hdmi_2.0_and_10_bit_hevc

The only real question is if Lenovo speced the HDMI plug for 2.0a (60Hz) or 1.4 (30Hz). The chip is supposedly capable of 60.
 
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defaultluser said:
The chip is supposedly capable of 60.
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Nope. Gemini Lake is the first Intel chip ever to feature native HDMI 2.0. The review you linked is of a board which has the necessary LSPCon (Level Shifter Protocol Converter) chip to make HDMI 2.0 out of DP. Skull Canyon has it too. I knew this but skimming the review has this:

In order to do this, ASRock uses a trick which Intel itself used with the Intel NUC6i7KYK: a special DisplayPort chip supplies the HDMI port with data.
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It doesn't call it an LSPCon because it's a monkey for a nerd not a real nerd :p

Also earlier this year there have been firmware issues with the kludge, as can be expected from a kludge. https://rewster.uk/2016/11/21/asrock-j4205-itx-kodinas-build/
 
I have been using this Lenovo for regular tasks such as web browsing and watching YouTube for about a week, and I am finding that it sluggishly gets by with these tasks in its current configuration at 1080p. Perfectly fine for out in my shop and uses barely any power. Perhaps I will dedicate this machine to that purpose. I think I am leaning towards the Intel Compute Stick with the Core m3 for my HTPC solution. I just had a look at the specs. It is one impressive piece of hardware, and you can't get much more portable than that! For the price, it seems much more sensible than upgrading the RAM in the Lenovo to its max 8GB single channel capacity, investing in a GT 1030, and an SSD. I feel the Compute Stick will run circles around it, and it will fit in my damn pocket! Case closed?
 
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Also, I have never built a NAS before so I would like to submit my component selection once I figure out the most economical solution. Perhaps on a different thread, of course :) I prefer purchasing my media, so I feel as though that will considerably reduce the amount of horsepower required for my build. I do have an old DELL machine with a Core2 Duo, but all those Watts! For everything but gaming, I prefer my hardware to be Green Machines....
 
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Yeah, if you don't want to build it yourself, the Compute Stick is the cheapest you can go while getting close to a true desktop experience.

You can get better performance if you build it yourself, but that takes effort, and will cost the same, and will have a larger case.

I think the only problem is the max supported resolution is 4k at 30 Hz. The port is only HDMI 1.4

I think if you want 4k @ 60 in a small PC (Display Port) you're going to have to build it yourself. OR jump that price up to the $500-600 range.

Let me know what you decide - I can help you if you want to do your own build.
 
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Oh! Well that changes my decision. Thank you for the heads up! The ASRock DeskMini with a G4620 would be my next choice. I don't mind building. Cost and energy efficiency are really the biggest factors for this one. I am not well versed in HTPC and NAS usage or the intricacies involved. I am just hoping to have whatever I choose last me at least 5-6 years, and still be capable of whatever the "norm" is as things are rapidly progressing. I know the G4620 is fairly low wattage and comes with HD 630 graphics. If I paired that with 4-8GB of RAM would that do the trick? I was hoping to avoid the extra cost of a Windows license... lol. OR maybe I could upgrade this Lenovo at ~$250 for RAM, GPU, and SSD. As far as streaming content from services like Netflix and the like, I like using the Chromecast
 
Nahh, the limiting factor is going to be the dog-slow CPU. If you're spending that kind of money you might as well upgrade it all.

If you cant browse the web smoothly on a machine with 4GB ram, then you're processor-limited.

But you don't need to drop $100 on a processor. The $40 Kaby Lake Celeron lacks 4 threads, but otherwise is almost identical to that $100 Pentium.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16819117748

Your call if you want to spend that much. I think you'll notice the faster speed of this processor more than the 4 threads.

But that %25 faster clock and quad threads and beefier iGPU is a lot more future-proof.
 
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If you are gunning for cheap and high value the AMD X4 950 is currently king and it uses the AM4 platform so when Raven Ridge desktop happens you have a nice update ahead of you, potentially even the next generation after as well. Newegg has several MBs that are either $40 outright or have a mail in rebate bringing it down there. So you can get a MB + CPU for $100.
 
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That would be taking a step backward.

He's already using a slow quad core that turbos up to 2.6 GHz. That will not be enough of an upgrade to justify.

I also doesn't come with integrated graphics. There's a very good reason it's priced that low.

And if you want to split hairs, this is the best value chip, no questions asked.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117739
 
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I have decided to go with the DeskMini, Intel G4620, and 4GB or RAM. I like that the DeskMini comes with MOBO, case, power supply, and wireless for a decent price. Its also very small and will fit about anywhere. It has support for all the way up to a 7700K, 32GB of RAM, and NVMe storage capability. The G4620 will still be a nice chip to repurpose if I ever choose to upgrade this down the road. I will just put a Linux distro on it until I can find a reasonable price option for Windows 10, as $400 is the absolute most I want to spend on this for now.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856158048

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117736

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16820232145

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16820250086
 
4K Netflix on PC is a mess. I have an i7-7700, use the onboard video hooked up to a 4K monitor, and it still won't work because my Gigabyte Z170X-UD5 doesn't have the required LSPCon.

I just watch it on my Sony Android TV's native app, has HDR too.
 
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