The highly rated HP Pavilion Slimline PC thread

After about 4 hours of Halo 2 (1920x1200, everything on high) the case got too hot and I noticed video corruption (snow pattern). Rebooted and the problem went away.

The card produces too much heat...

I'm going to try a run with the side of the case off - if that works then I'll be fairly certain I need to come up with a cooling solution for the back of the case. Probably something to pull hot air away from the card, or push cool air into the case right by the card. Since the second slot is blocked by the GPU, the normal slot cooler card won't do...

--------------------9800GT COOLING UPDATE----------------------

Left case off for another 4 hours and played through Halo2. No glitches. Definitely a temperature (not power) issue.

Closing up case and leaving extra PCI slot open. Let's see if that's enough airflow.

Simultaneously ordering proper cabling (to improve case airflow) as well as looking for a fan of some kind for the back of the case near the PCI slot (usb powered).


---------------------EXTRA USB PORTS---------------

For those looking to add a wifi and bluetooth adapter, I believe you can purchase http://www.amazon.com/Port-USB-Motherboard-Header-Adapter/dp/B002GNU2V6/ref=pd_sim_e_2 or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...erboard_header_adapter-_-15-201-028-_-Product and insert it into the case on the motherboard USB headers. There is enough space near the cable bundles and I think I'll be able to permanently place my bluetooth and wifi adapters there).
 
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gamedeveloper said:
---------------------EXTRA USB PORTS---------------

For those looking to add a wifi and bluetooth adapter, I believe you can purchase http://www.amazon.com/Port-USB-Motherboard-Header-Adapter/dp/B002GNU2V6/ref=pd_sim_e_2 or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...erboard_header_adapter-_-15-201-028-_-Product and insert it into the case on the motherboard USB headers. There is enough space near the cable bundles and I think I'll be able to permanently place my bluetooth and wifi adapters there).
Click to expand...

Should not USB Bluetooth or WiFi dongles be outside the Slimline case, a metal box?
 
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cephusjed said:
Should not USB Bluetooth or WiFi dongles be outside the Slimline case, a metal box?
Click to expand...

I thought that, but when I was reading through the options for the s5280t it appears that there is an 'internal' USB Wifi option: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...:3&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=sg&lang=en&product=4065948

Anyway, I'm just hoping to get a few USB adapters out of the way - if the Wifi and Bluetooth take too much of a hit, I'll try the wireless keyboard and mouse instead (they only need to transmit about a meter).
 
I don't know about current WiFi options. Older slimlime models came with stock WiFi that plugged into a USB header which ran to the adapter internally fixed to the back of the case. An external antenna on the back of the case was necessarily provided. There was also a wire running to the front of the case to what I assume was an antenna, although I am not sure why it was needed.
 
Looking for a good low profile PCI fan cooler. Something external. Here's what I've found - looking for some advance guidance.

(a) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811996017&Tpk=waveair
http://www.endpcnoise.com/cgi-bin/e/std/sku=nexus_waveair
***is there a low profile variant of this, somewhere...?

(b) http://www99.shopping.com/xPO-StarTech-com-External-Notebook-Cpu-Cooling-Fan
***I wonder if this could be made to fit the low profile slot ... sloppy, but might get the job done.

(c) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835106140&Tpk=thermaltake mobile fan
***Interesting, but doubt it could draw/push enough air through single PCI slot, even if mounted to back of case

(d) http://skinflint.co.uk/a380793.html
***another cool external solution - wish they came in low profile
 
cephusjed said:
An external antenna on the back of the case was necessarily provided. There was also a wire running to the front of the case to what I assume was an antenna, although I am not sure why it was needed.
Click to expand...

A (receiving?) antenna of the type that is in the s3xxx series is basically a grounded wire whose physical properties (length,etc) somehow corresponds to the properties (wavelength,etc) of the signal it's meant to pick up. The wire (that ran to the front), by itself, is the antenna for the WiFi. This means that with this type of antenna, depending on (a large number of factors, but mostly) how far way from your wireless router you are, you can actually remove the external portion and not have any connection problems.
EDIT: That being said, I think that an add-on USB WiFi device is going to have a different type of antenna. Gamedeveloper: Keep us updated on this, please - I'm really interested to see how they work out. Thanks!
 
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just an FYI, I have an S3220n that i just decided to use again. Ordered an Athlon 64 X2 4850E to replace the 65w cpu on there currently due to me wanting to install an ATI 5570 GPU, figured i'd reduce wattage wherever i could. Well, the GPU arrived first since the CPU is coming from Hong Kong. I was impatient and installed the GPU for kicks, and it's working just fine! Of course, it's currently only installing Windows 7 so i haven't put any serious load on it, but just figured it might be useful for someone :)

I was about to order the sparkle psu, but maybe now i'll wait for the CPU to arrive, install and torture test it to see if the stock PSU is up to the job :D
 
Played Torchlight for an hour and it's been stable so far. Isn't meant to be a gaming rig, so it looks like the stock PSU will be enough
 
Halsey said:
.
EDIT: That being said, I think that an add-on USB WiFi device is going to have a different type of antenna. Gamedeveloper: Keep us updated on this, please - I'm really interested to see how they work out. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Gamedeveloper I still am not optimistic that you can use Bluetooth, WiFi or even wireless keyboard/mouse USB adapters inside a Slimline due to the "Faraday cage" effect. If you attempt try removing the Pocket Media Drive cage and see if that provides a RF opening to the Slimline. Just a suggestion. May not work. Good luck!

Any speculation how USB 3.0 will impact future Slimlines? Possibly a USB 3.0 version of the Pocket Media Drive? Obsolete SATA?
 
The USB connector I purchased was the wrong type for the S5000 slimlines. They require 4 pin types (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000IV6S9S/ref=oss_product)

I'll purchase 2 of these and velcro them to an appropriate part of the case interior (near the ventilation grill).

I'm in the process of slightly underclocking my 9800GT to reduce heat. Seems to be working.

Still looking for a good external cooler to plug into the low profile port next to the card...
 
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Hi,

A couple of weeks ago we had power failure due to thunder storms. The HP Slimline s3200n has been dead ever since. When I plug in the pc and turn it on, nothing happens (no fan sound, led inside the power switch is off etc). However, the led on the power supply (on the back) is blinking. I called HP customer support and they said that I can buy some kind of a plan for $200 and they will fix what ever is wrong (my warranty has expired). They also said it is most probably a blown power supply.

Is there a way for me to conform 100% its the power supply? And, is it easy to replace that on this PC?

The question is:
- Can I do this on my own and save some money? That way I can upgrade the power supply (The Sparkle SPI270LE 270 watt) since I plan to upgrade the video card soon.
- Should I take HP's offer?

Please help... :confused:

Regards
Nick
 
If you plan on upgrading the power supply anyway, might as well give that a shot first before sending it in for repairs.
 
Any thought on The Sparkle SPI270LE 270 watt power supply? Is it easy to change the power supply in a slimline? Also, how do I make sure it is the power supply?

Regards
Nick

QwaarJet said:
If you plan on upgrading the power supply anyway, might as well give that a shot first before sending it in for repairs.
Click to expand...
 
So, I ordered a 4850e on ebay, shipping from China. What I got was a 4850b :\ i know, it should be the same exact chip, but you know how motherboards are..... it tells me "Unsupported CPU installed. System will power down" and then does so. Well, after smashing my keyboard in fustration, it actually booted up. Finally figured out that when the message is being displayed, if i hit F2, it would boot right up.

I don't know what to do now..... I could put my old 65w CPU back in there since I did end up upgrading the PSU after all, but blah.... i want the 4850 to work without issues :(
 
ok.. so I jumped the gun (thanks to the previous posts) and decided to upgrade the PSU and video card. Hopefully the PSU is the issue with my PC in the first place.

Here are the components that I ordered:

1. Video Card: SAPPHIRE 100253HDMI from NewEgg $45 after MIR

2. PSU: SPARKLE SPI270LE (80+) 270 Watts from NewEgg $55

3. PSU Converter Cable: APEVIA 4 Pin CVT46 from NewEgg $3

4. SATA Power cable: OKGEAR 8" molex 4pin male from NewEgg $2.50

5. ATX Converter Adapter: 2024SMALLCONVERTER from ATXPowerSupplies.com $ 25 (incl shipping)

I believe I got a good deal on all the above items except the ATX converter adapter. :rolleyes:

Hopefully I am on the right track. :confused: Any feedback is much appreciated.

Will post results...

Regards
Nick


defriend said:
Any thought on The Sparkle SPI270LE 270 watt power supply? Is it easy to change the power supply in a slimline? Also, how do I make sure it is the power supply?

Regards
Nick
Click to expand...
 
Search "HP ITX" on ebay. 7 days out of 10, the correct adaptor is in stock for 15usd (shipping included) :D
 
Another super edit:

i think i'm done with this slimline case. The only cards that i could ugprade to even with the slightly better psu's are still pretty bad for todays games (albeit the 9800 is pretty beast). Im just gonna gut the case and move it all to a medium sized case, order the psu adapter and buy a big psu to get a normal card. Not worth the trouble since this slimline is killing my card as is..
 
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vashnlol said:
Another super edit:

i think i'm done with this slimline case. The only cards that i could ugprade to even with the slightly better psu's are still pretty bad for todays games (albeit the 9800 is pretty beast). Im just gonna gut the case and move it all to a medium sized case, order the psu adapter and buy a big psu to get a normal card. Not worth the trouble since this slimline is killing my card as is..
Click to expand...

What model slimline do you have (e.g. s3400f, s5280t)? Some of the newer slimlines have bigger motherboards and don't need the MicroFit ATX Adapter. Depending on the type of motherboard, you may or may not need the PSU Adapter.

Also, about your earlier post - that non-spinning fan (from your description, i think it's the CPU heatsink fan) is most likely the source of your problems. It may be completely clogged with dust or the fan may not be properly plugged into the motherboard, either way, getting that fan started again will surely alleviate most (if not all) of your problems with it. Whether or not the damage is permanent, that I don't know. With the small case of the slimline and the inherent lack of airflow, I'm surprised it even turns on. But its definitely worth a shot to troubleshoot and subsequently fix the fan, because if it is the CPU fan and you put the same motherboard, CPU and fan in a new case, you'll more than likely still have some problems, regardless of case size.
 
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sweetsak said:
So I am looking for any alternative Motherboard to replace and found the below Motherboard suits exactly with same size as HP Motherboard.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813186178

Now the Problem is above M/B also has 24 Pin PowerSupply but Slimline 24 pin is smaller one.
I would like to know if there is any other adapter/converter i can use for 24 pin small to 24pin regular connector.

Thanks and Appreciate your help
Click to expand...
hey did you ever wind up buying this mobo? cuz I need a replacement for my IRVINE GL6E too)

I think I found the adapter you need (Convert "regular" 24 pin ATX power plug into mini/slimline version..... this one here
http://www.atxpowersupplies.com/24-pin-to-20-pin-hp-slimline-atx-converter.php

well let me know!! I need a viable replacement for this board
 
Halsey said:
What model slimline do you have (e.g. s3400f, s5280t)? Some of the newer slimlines have bigger motherboards and don't need the MicroFit ATX Adapter. Depending on the type of motherboard, you may or may not need the PSU Adapter.

Also, about your earlier post - that non-spinning fan (from your description, i think it's the CPU heatsink fan) is most likely the source of your problems. It may be completely clogged with dust or the fan may not be properly plugged into the motherboard, either way, getting that fan started again will surely alleviate most (if not all) of your problems with it. Whether or not the damage is permanent, that I don't know. With the small case of the slimline and the inherent lack of airflow, I'm surprised it even turns on. But its definitely worth a shot to troubleshoot and subsequently fix the fan, because if it is the CPU fan and you put the same motherboard, CPU and fan in a new case, you'll more than likely still have some problems, regardless of case size.
Click to expand...

it's the fan looking directly through the dvd drive, you'll see it directly through it if your disc drive is taken out. it's on the far back

i cleaned the dust off it when i removed the dvd drive, ima open it up right now and see if it is unplugged somewhere. it has to be that or it's just dead..watching speedfan and other programs my gpu rises to 130 yet it doesn't even crank

and after my last post i changed my mind once again, i tend to do that alot, im going to put a 4650 and just use it for normal computering, not gaming. depending on if i can get the fan working again, cuz i won't buy a new card just to get it destroyed by 130+ celcius

edit, just checked. and ya it's the cpu heatsink/fan. i looked at it. cleaned the dust off. noticed THE ONE CABLE CONNECTED TO THE MOBO wasn't connected in the one slot..wow i feel so dumb to have not noticed it sooner, i ran it for a year and half of counterstrike and tf2 without that plugged in at all, no wonder it was running so hot.
also managed some cables. successful project was successful.

wonder what it actually did to my that integrated card..i use to run counterstrike at 40-50 fps on medium, now it's 15-20 at best times lol
 
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Hey folks, found this site after searching for a possible fix for my slimline.

I have a s3020n, and a few weeks back it would occasionaly freeze up and then start to do weird screen squiggles and steps ( hopefully that makes sense, each bunch of lines would step down as if the monitor was turned on a 45 degree angle). After a few days of 2 or 3 occurances, the computer just died. Turning it on would do nothing and the monitor would stay blank, not even go into sleep/power save mode. I can hear the PSU and CPU fan running, and it sounded like the HD would spool up for a moment or two, and that would be it. After searching online for troubleshooting and a bit of help from a friend we suspected that the on board video card packed it in. My monitor works fine with the laptop, and we hooked up the computer to his monitor and there was no change. The blue light comes on on the front, and the PSU light on the back as well. But otherwise nothing. I bought a cheap $30 Graphics card, (before finding this site and seeing the massive amount of posts.....) The card is a Gigabyte HD 4350, Model name "GV-R4350C-512I, that I bought here......
http://ncix.com/products/?sku=34811&vpn=GV-R435OC-512I&manufacture=Gigabyte

I popped it in and there is still no change. The guy at the shop said it would work, and I told him about the 160 W PSU. After getting it home I find in the manual it calls for a 400W, so I am thinking that it does not work because of that.

So first things first, am I going in the correct direction here in thinking that the on board video card has packed it in, or is it something else??? Mobo, Hard drive....???
Any thoughts.

If it is the On board video card, after reading the first post about "known working GPU's", it states that an ATI 4350 will work, and this one says on the box ATI Radeon HD 4350, are these different???

I was at first looking at this card, but they did not have it in stock at the time. I found out that it draws 23 W, so that seems to be ok...http://ncix.com/products/?sku=39266&vpn=EAH4350 Silent/DI/512MD2(LP)&manufacture=ASUS&promoid=1016

Or am I looking at a different card again altogether.???



Any thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks


Marc
 
I have an S3220N and I installed an ATI 5570 w/o issue, and this was before i upgraded my CPU to a 45w 4850e (from a 65w cpu) and PSU from the stock delta 160w to a Sparkle 220w
 
Hi,

I finally replaced by stock PSU with Sparkle. The first thing I noticed was the fan sounds substantially louder. This is my kitchen computer (an was planning to make this a small HTPC). But with such a loud fan noise, I am not sure any more. :confused:

Has any body else had this problem?

I also noticed that my 2 GB RAM now shows as 1 GB.. what gives!!!

I will now work on adding the HDMI video card...

Regards
Nick

defriend said:
ok.. so I jumped the gun (thanks to the previous posts) and decided to upgrade the PSU and video card. Hopefully the PSU is the issue with my PC in the first place.

Here are the components that I ordered:

1. Video Card: SAPPHIRE 100253HDMI from NewEgg $45 after MIR

2. PSU: SPARKLE SPI270LE (80+) 270 Watts from NewEgg $55

3. PSU Converter Cable: APEVIA 4 Pin CVT46 from NewEgg $3

4. SATA Power cable: OKGEAR 8" molex 4pin male from NewEgg $2.50

5. ATX Converter Adapter: 2024SMALLCONVERTER from ATXPowerSupplies.com $ 25 (incl shipping)

I believe I got a good deal on all the above items except the ATX converter adapter. :rolleyes:

Hopefully I am on the right track. :confused: Any feedback is much appreciated.

Will post results...

Regards
Nick
Click to expand...
 
I have a 3200n, stock, with the 180W PSU, and am thinking of upgrading the videocard so that I can display using HDMI. Will the below cards work in the slimline?

(1) PNY GeForce 210: http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=44828&vpn=VCGG2105XEB&manufacture=PNY Technologies Inc

(2) PNY GeForce 8400GS: http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=41456&vpn=VCG84512SPEB&manufacture=PNY Technologies Inc

(3) Palit GeForce 8400GS Super: http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=46562&vpn=NE28400SFHD56&manufacture=Palit Microsystems
 
Is there any possibility that USB devices can over-tax 160 watt stock power supplies? Have had several instances of BSOD lately using a Diamond ATI TV Wonder HD 600 USB 2.0 Tuner. Other than a Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 4550 (fanless) graphics card in the PCIe slot on an Acacia mb and a 120 mm fan on the side a la Archaea, there is nothing particularly remarkable about my computer. I even use a 45 watt CPU (AMD BE-2400). No gaming: HTPC only.
 
For anyone considering upgrading a s3300 series, this was my upgrade path:

AMD x2 BE2300 (45W)
250GB Sata HD
2GB DDR2 RAM
GeForce 6150 Nvidia Graphics
160 Watt PSU

to

AMD x2 5200+ (65W) - ($50)
250GB Sata HD
4GB DDR2 6400 RAM - ($100)
ATI Radeon HD 5570 - ($90)
230 Watt PSU - ($80)

After upgrading the processor, I started to run across problems when I would push the system, so I took to ebay and found a company that sells brand new HP parts, and I bought the 230 Watt PSU from the new slimlines. It worked perfectly and it wasn't too expensive as well as being completely silent. After that I figured I would upgrade the video card also, and the Radeon HD 5570 (which is new and supports DX11) is priced right, and has pretty good performance, as well has HDMI out and three monitor support, and is really quiet.

I would recommend anyone with a 160 or 180 watt PSU looking for a pretty good upgrade path to consider buying the power supply from the newer slimlines. You can find them on ebay or get them from HP if you know the part number. I would also recommend the Radeon HD 5570 (which is technically low power, and doesn't need an extra power connector)
 
cephusjed said:
Is there any possibility that USB devices can over-tax 160 watt stock power supplies? Have had several instances of BSOD lately using a Diamond ATI TV Wonder HD 600 USB 2.0 Tuner. Other than a Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 4550 (fanless) graphics card in the PCIe slot on an Acacia mb and a 120 mm fan on the side a la Archaea, there is nothing particularly remarkable about my computer. I even use a 45 watt CPU (AMD BE-2400). No gaming: HTPC only.
Click to expand...

TV Tuners are usually power hungry so mebbe. Before i upgraded my PSU, i had a 160w PSU taxed with a 65w cpu, 2gb ram, 1tb wd green, 5570, wireless usb mouse, wireless usb keyboard, usb 120mm fan and it seemed fine even after some gaming.

I still upgraded the PSU to a sparkle 220w despite replacing the 65w cpu to 45w 4850e just to be safe though :\
 
QwaarJet said:
TV Tuners are usually power hungry so mebbe. Before i upgraded my PSU, i had a 160w PSU taxed with a 65w cpu, 2gb ram, 1tb wd green, 5570, wireless usb mouse, wireless usb keyboard, usb 120mm fan and it seemed fine even after some gaming.

I still upgraded the PSU to a sparkle 220w despite replacing the 65w cpu to 45w 4850e just to be safe though :\
Click to expand...

Hey QwaarJet

I have a similar setup and I want to add some extra cooling since coretemp is telling me I am idling at the mid 30s C and on a 30~ min stress stress I was reaching 67C, (which isnt too bad, since the stress test was built to take the system to its limits) but how did you add the 120mm fan, bolted to the outside of the case?
 
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Cooling, cooling, cooling... I'm still looking for a way to cool my system through the low profile PCI slot... If anyone knows of an external low profile PCI slot cooler, please let me know! (need external because the GeForce 9800GT low profile card is taking up both internal slots).
 
I'll take a pic later, but all i did was cut a square on the vented side panel and screwed the 120mm fan to the side powered via usb.

this was the fan
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835106140

works well, in it's lowest setting it's pretty damn quiet and does a good job cool. so much so that i didn't have to add the exhaust fan i had been planning to do.

removed one fan grill, flipped the speed nob and it fit just fine. while it would work best if you cut a hole on the side panel, you can mount it without any cutting. The screws & bolts that hold together the grills will fit thru the existing side panel holes if you expand them just a tiny bit. I just forced some needle nose pliars a little bit to expan the holes just enough so that the screws would fit. if you angle the fan just slightly, you can screw it in on opposite holes and it holds well with no vibrations.

again, i'll post some pics later so that i can illustrate better.
 
Kiden said:
Hey QwaarJet

I have a similar setup and I want to add some extra cooling since coretemp is telling me I am idling at the mid 30s C and on a 30~ min stress stress I was reaching 67C, (which isnt too bad, since the stress test was built to take the system to its limits) but how did you add the 120mm fan, bolted to the outside of the case?
Click to expand...

Archaea discusses/references his own and others experiences with case cooling on Page 1 including his own modification with a 120 mm Yate Loon fan bolted over a square hole he cut into his case with a Dremel. I believe he posted pictures. I had access to a drill press/118 mm hole saw myself so I bolted mine over a round hole and powered it from a 2-pin connector on my Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 4550 fanless graphics card using a 3-pin to 2-pin adapter.
 
Just to update my Rig Spec ... Ive added the XFX HD 5450 1gb DDR3 it runs no problem overclocked maxed out at 750 / 900 using the built in Overdrive.
 
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