The highly rated HP Pavilion Slimline PC thread

I didn't take after the Shuttle, and almost the Slimline, because of the 'box' form. I would of liked it in a slim tower/desktop form, as I would of had more placement options there.

While the Slimline isn't designed to go flat, at least it's... slim.

I never liked shuttle for their outrageous prices for low-end equipment. They have changed a little, but not much. I used to be able to get laptops with similar specs at similar prices.

But even so, a Slimline is much more unassuming, after all, who would expect a slim 9800gt? The shuttle case can obviously fit a fill height card (not sure about the heatsink/fan though?), so the shock value is decreased.

My desk was limited enough in space, so in early 2008, this made my decison to go for a s3120n, and a s3430f.

I mean, I am a Dell fan, personally, but Dell didn't have any offers retail like this. I am not a huge fan of buying stuff online, because of the lack of retail presence, combined with an inability to 'see' the product before purchasing.






btw... that is off topic. no-one can get further off topic then I can.
 
Vancouver... I drove there once, from Sacramento (well, I live about 30min away... on a good day of traffic). We used to be able to get in with just a verbal declaration!

The options I listed were just a few I found on the NewEgg.ca site. There are a lot more, but I was rushed this morning.

Somehow, I'm gonna find a way to convince you to stay Slimline... or look at some of the good multimedia Barebones kits on newegg, they are decent (though TigerDirect's deals are better, they are not gonna fit in a small case, mostly).

Still, my has shock value.
 
Ahh – appreciate and understand the dedication to the fine slimline! I still won’t be getting rid of mine – my study is quite small and it will work well as an excellent desktop productivity machine. As far as the main media machine connected to a large LCD – it has done well – but the issues of heat and wanting a higher end graphics card can only be overcome with tweaks and mods – I was already to do them – as you can tell my the stuff I have offered for sale – but then got a rather amazing deal on a SX48P2 shuttle which will allow me to go even higher on quite a few components – that deal is done and already picked up the parts! We have slightly different space requirements – the shorter box of the shuttle fits my entertainment center better than the slimline – it was a tad high and I had to jury rig one of the shelves in the furniture to fit it in. The 450 watt power supply in the shuttle will allow me to run a full height dual slot 4850 with the heat dispersed out the rear of the box – pretty much required with the heat those things give out. This will allow pretty decent performance for FSX – which is the only gaming habit (but a key driver for the upgrade). If it was not for such a good deal – I was in for the slimline upgrade – time will tell if it was the right choice or not! There is a real similarity between shuttle and slimline on-line communities – both have a large number of users that are trying to push the various models well beyond the original specs – that’s a lot of fun – but I’ve discovered that I don’t have such a great interest in fiddling with it anymore… Certainly the slimlines are much less expensive – I agree with that point – on the question of value – I guess I will form an opinion on that over the next little while when I get the new machine!

On Canada/US Border – yeah – pretty tight these days… it’s not so much the identification issue as it is the long border waits! Passport or expensive new drivers license with a chip required now!
 
Hey guys, after my countless attempts during the past few months to try and reset the CMOS, my M2NC51-AR finally booted. I feel super lucky.

It doesn't turn on EVERY time though. Most of the time I get no display, but other times it does post.

However, once it does post, it won't die, no matter what amounts of testing I put through it.

The thing is, I want to get it into windows so I could flash the bios. I have no SATA DVD drives, and when I install windows with a USB drive, it does die sometimes during reboots and that doesn't help with the installation at all. (needs to be un-interrupted)

Is there anyone out there, with a working M2NC51-AR, willing to share a copy of their HDD image with me? Just so I could boot into windows straight away and flash the bios? Ghost images would be very nice, but I could learn other programs too. Anything will do as long as it has drivers already installed. I could pay a slight amount for the trouble. Thanks!
 
MikeMcLarenF1 said:
Hey guys, after my countless attempts during the past few months to try and reset the CMOS, my M2NC51-AR finally booted. I feel super lucky.

It doesn't turn on EVERY time though. Most of the time I get no display, but other times it does post.

However, once it does post, it won't die, no matter what amounts of testing I put through it.

The thing is, I want to get it into windows so I could flash the bios. I have no SATA DVD drives, and when I install windows with a USB drive, it does die sometimes during reboots and that doesn't help with the installation at all. (needs to be un-interrupted)

Is there anyone out there, with a working M2NC51-AR, willing to share a copy of their HDD image with me? Just so I could boot into windows straight away and flash the bios? Ghost images would be very nice, but I could learn other programs too. Anything will do as long as it has drivers already installed. I could pay a slight amount for the trouble. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Get It Replaced.

The MCP51 was caught up in the nVidia overheating issue. HP has offered a free replacement upto one year after the expiration of the standard warranty.
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...lc=en&cc=us&product=3440605&rule=2337&lang=en

quickly, before they run out.

The MCP51 is supposed to run below 70c, but typically runs at 90-100c, therefore, problem.

I got my s3120n replaced in 4 days (total time), with a new motherboard (need to check if it is the new one, or the old one).


The MCP51 (MCP61 in the newer boards) are all in one chips (only for AMD, intel requires 2 chips, due to the lack of an on-CPU ddr2 ram controller [so AMDs are even better now: less power, and they have to run an integrated memory controller - makes me think, due how the default mcp51 handles memory remapping, can the AMD version go above 4gb because of the CPU based controller?]).

Anyhow, the MCPs are all in one chipsets, handling video, audio, and all bios i/o functions.

Has your audio been skipping out? If so, then it is another symptom indicating failure of the MCP chipset.
 
mug_c said:
Ahh – appreciate and understand the dedication to the fine slimline! I still won’t be getting rid of mine – my study is quite small and it will work well as an excellent desktop productivity machine. As far as the main media machine connected to a large LCD – it has done well – but the issues of heat and wanting a higher end graphics card can only be overcome with tweaks and mods – I was already to do them – as you can tell my the stuff I have offered for sale – but then got a rather amazing deal on a SX48P2 shuttle which will allow me to go even higher on quite a few components – that deal is done and already picked up the parts! We have slightly different space requirements – the shorter box of the shuttle fits my entertainment center better than the slimline – it was a tad high and I had to jury rig one of the shelves in the furniture to fit it in. The 450 watt power supply in the shuttle will allow me to run a full height dual slot 4850 with the heat dispersed out the rear of the box – pretty much required with the heat those things give out. This will allow pretty decent performance for FSX – which is the only gaming habit (but a key driver for the upgrade). If it was not for such a good deal – I was in for the slimline upgrade – time will tell if it was the right choice or not! There is a real similarity between shuttle and slimline on-line communities – both have a large number of users that are trying to push the various models well beyond the original specs – that’s a lot of fun – but I’ve discovered that I don’t have such a great interest in fiddling with it anymore… Certainly the slimlines are much less expensive – I agree with that point – on the question of value – I guess I will form an opinion on that over the next little while when I get the new machine!
Click to expand...


Ahhh...
I just have my slimline on my desk edge (against a bookshelf). It has adequete cooling... and shock value. Now I just have to wait for a working camera (DOA, now RMA, so FUBAR) to compliment it.

The funny thing about these small computers are: how powerful they can be, just no OEM tries to even make them good. The parts are there, off the shelf, just no will nor drive.

The gt240 was the greatest hope, but then nVidia will not be releasing it retail, just OEM only. The power of that card could of really turned heads, but HP is just sitting in a corner...

Seriously... the gt240 is equivelent to a 9800gt on a 40nm process.
It can go places. (but then, it's not half height, and it needs 120w!? - what was nVidia thinking, after the 9800gt?)
 
If my previous post wasn't clear, then:

http://www.nvidia.com/object/product_geforce_gts_240_us.html
http://www.nvidia.com/object/product_geforce_9800gt_us.html
click on 'specs'

anyhow, it looks like the gt240 is larger the the standard card!
Standard is 4", the 240 is 4.3"+ !
The 120w is still eluding me, however. While it has double the ram on a slightly faster memory clock, the GPU is 15-25nm process smaller!
The 9600gt from 65-55nm changed power from 95-59w!
The 9800gt from 125-105w!
The gts240 to 120w?

EDIT: Nevermind, after searching some more, it looks like the gts240 was just a rebranded 9800gt, with OC and that was it. (the 8800gt has gone far...)
 
jeremyshaw said:
Get It Replaced.

The MCP51 was caught up in the nVidia overheating issue. HP has offered a free replacement upto one year after the expiration of the standard warranty.
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...lc=en&cc=us&product=3440605&rule=2337&lang=en

quickly, before they run out.

The MCP51 is supposed to run below 70c, but typically runs at 90-100c, therefore, problem.

I got my s3120n replaced in 4 days (total time), with a new motherboard (need to check if it is the new one, or the old one).
Click to expand...


How did you get them to replace it? I have an S3120 as well, and it is out of warranty by half a year now. The last time I called them, asked about the issue, brought up the link that you just sent me, and everything is pointing towards motherboard failure, deemed for replacement. However, they denied service for me, saying I'm SOL and should buy a new machine. What a bunch of crooks.
 
Never bring up the page. Do the chat support option, and slowly, patiently explain. Never ask, just accept.

It took me 45+ min of non-commital waiting, but I got it repaired for free.

NEVER bring up the page.

State what you have done to test it, and if he asks again, state again, patiently.

Chat support is going to take a while, and if you don't have a free hour to spare (don't multitask), you are left with 2 options:
find someone willing to make the time,
or
buy a new Acacia board from eBay (never the hematiteXL).

Sorry if this is dissapointing, but it really did take that long, and required alot of active patience and attention (I have also worked on the other end of the line, as a campus tech [as part of some student slave labor project spawned by "student government" - which doesn't do anything but make posters]).

HP tech support is designed to screw people who do their homework/have a higher tech understanding/know what they want (other then the obvious).

and when they accept it, hope it doesn't magically work when they try to boot it.
 
Also, respond to every <insert commentary here>-ing comment they make.

If they type: Please wait
reply: Okay.

If they type: thank you
reply: you're welcome

Never use sarcasm, veiled threats, impatience.

Never appear to be anything but a happy, dumb, hapless, HP user who doesn't know WTF is a CPU, other then his computer is not working at all. Also mention you have nothing important on the hard drive.

HP warranty is very nice to modders, just return everything back to retail shape before sending it in.

And no, they don't use warranty stickers.
 
Wow thanks. That is very important info, I didn't know that. I only acted as a mid-level user, didnt know you had to pretend to be computer illiterate.

What happens though, when they as for your details? I bought this computer second hand, about 4 months after the first user had it. The warranty page also states the age of the computer correctly. But, the computer has been registered before and it obviously is NOT in my name. Should I also pretend to be that user?

Lastly, the computer came with vista pre-installed, but being a vista hater I took it off immediately. I don't have the recovery DVD's, neither do I have access to any. Should I buy some to reload the system before sending it back?

Thanks for all the information.
 
MikeMcLarenF1 said:
Wow thanks. That is very important info, I didn't know that. I only acted as a mid-level user, didnt know you had to pretend to be computer illiterate.

What happens though, when they as for your details? I bought this computer second hand, about 4 months after the first user had it. The warranty page also states the age of the computer correctly. But, the computer has been registered before and it obviously is NOT in my name. Should I also pretend to be that user?

Lastly, the computer came with vista pre-installed, but being a vista hater I took it off immediately. I don't have the recovery DVD's, neither do I have access to any. Should I buy some to reload the system before sending it back?

Thanks for all the information.
Click to expand...

I know this is horrible reading, but read every word, don't skim!

Reregister it in your name. HP warranties transfer until the time runs out. (incuding extended, so if it was purchased in the last 2 years, you're in the clear).

You don't have to reload vista, as in my case, I stated I didn't have any critical data (on a blank drive, though), and they reloaded the revcovery partition, and reinstalled Vista on it.

If you modified the system, they will try any and all tactics to evade the free replacement.

My s3120n was 'preowned' by someone who didn't know about the warranty, I registered it online, contacted the chat support, and they asked the standard throughfare:
Hallo! Willkommen von der HP [just kidding]

Hello, I am (I pretty sure I'd break a Federal law revealing this guy's fake name)
[lots of nice greetings all around, act as if you were 2 friendly strangers meeting face to face... but don't overdo it by asking the weather. Just be nice and respond, don't take any iniative that they didn't prompt from you, as you will see in a little bit]

Did you modify the system?
(no, I don't know how to open up this computer [true at the time, actually])

What is wrong?
(The computer will boot, but there is no video. I tried 2 different monitors, a HP 24" and a dell 15" (old), but both didn't work. My laptop works with both monitors, though.)

[he asks alot here, and I am just confirming it like I heard the question for the first time, and answered it for the first time, if you really don't have 45+min/1 hour of absolutely free time, no multitasking, no interruptions (don't even open another tab on your browser, maybe a book, but that is IT), this is where you will not make it]

Okay.

Please wait a 2-3 minutes as I research this matter.
(Okay)
[do de dum]
Thank you for waiting for me.
(you're welcome)
This is a known problem of the HematiteXL motherboard in your system [I had no clue what that meant at the time, but I did see the warranty page and I assumed that meant the motherboard code name], this will be replaced for free.
[don't <seriously... you get the point, right?>-ing make a smart aleck comment here!]

Please wait 10 to 15 min as I set up the process.
What is your address?
(classified - I kill over this...jk-)
[12.7 min later]
here is your warranty repair number....





You see what I mean, right?

Don't do anything to piss them off.
Always capitalize HP, lowercase other companies.
Never outright state how much you know about technology, and only hint that you don't know smack. (by stating you don't know how to open a case, or remove a dvd drive... you know)
HP is very accepting of computer modifications, even give you a guide how to, but you must return the hardware (not software, that is not important) to retail state. Must on DVD drive, must on hard drive, and must on CPU/Memory. But if you come forth with an attitude like it's HPs fault and how dell (see the tech support grammar?) is much better, then SOL/ you got a FUBAR computer.

I have the actual transcript, and hope this helps (I think there is a Federal law against me revealing my transcript, even privately).

For the details question, I was never asked on how I got such great luck on this computer purchase, so I never supplied any.
Otherwise, just say you got it from (whereever sold the EXACT same model), and give the actual purchase date, to one month of accuracy.

If they ask is it working, just say no. After all, 90% is not 100% working, right? Finishing only 99.999% of a maraton, and collapsing on the last meter... in not finishing a marathon, right?

Everything I stated here is true.
 
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chklin said:
You got onto the $150 SX48P2 deal? You lucky bastard.
Click to expand...

That is what I was thinking, and he is from Canada, too! (CADvsUSD).

If I got such a deal... well, I don't like how Intel criples their low end processors.

anyhow, I also don't like how Intel doesn't really tell you the truth on their TDP (how it's actually higher then what it says).

But if there was an equally priced AMD version...
(due to my lack of funds right now, I still wouldn't actually buy one... but I'd be interested)
 
chklin said:
You got onto the $150 SX48P2 deal? You lucky bastard.
Click to expand...

Did not get in on that deal - but managed a pretty good one on a clearance... The slimline is great - but as Archaea has mentioned - pushing these little boxes beyond there limits carries a fair amount of risk... FSX is the only intensive app that I run - CPU and memory intensive - but you can get away with a mid-range graphics card. The slimline works well for it - but a PSU upgrade is really needed... The SX48P2 with an intel 9550 and a load of ram should do the job nicely - it has a 450 watt PSU - so power to spare...

On the issue of warantee repair - I had a great experience with HP - my first machine was a s3020n - went in for the MB replacement - HP swapped it out with another that had the same issue - shipped it back - the machine got mangled in shipping - back again - the returned machine had more issues - HP uses the 3 strikes and you are out rule - so they replaced it with a slimline of my choice (of what they had in stock for replacment units). Ended up getting an S3530F at no additional charge. Plan to use it for a long time - but will cut its use back to a basic desktop machine without the intensive demand of FSX. The stock PSU and standard 9500GS should be fine for that use...

I could not agree more with Jeremy - acting very polite and humble - letting the HP rep you are dealing with believe that his/her knowledge is greater than your own can be a great tactic....
 
mug_c said:
Did not get in on that deal - but managed a pretty good one on a clearance... The slimline is great - but as Archaea has mentioned - pushing these little boxes beyond there limits carries a fair amount of risk... FSX is the only intensive app that I run - CPU and memory intensive - but you can get away with a mid-range graphics card. The slimline works well for it - but a PSU upgrade is really needed... The SX48P2 with an intel 9550 and a load of ram should do the job nicely - it has a 450 watt PSU - so power to spare...

On the issue of warantee repair - I had a great experience with HP - my first machine was a s3020n - went in for the MB replacement - HP swapped it out with another that had the same issue - shipped it back - the machine got mangled in shipping - back again - the returned machine had more issues - HP uses the 3 strikes and you are out rule - so they replaced it with a slimline of my choice (of what they had in stock for replacment units). Ended up getting an S3530F at no additional charge. Plan to use it for a long time - but will cut its use back to a basic desktop machine without the intensive demand of FSX. The stock PSU and standard 9500GS should be fine for that use...

I could not agree more with Jeremy - acting very polite and humble - letting the HP rep you are dealing with believe that his/her knowledge is greater than your own can be a great tactic....
Click to expand...

Mine is currently in the wonderful workings of HP.(s3120n) - looks like the bad video thing again, or something.

Did they replace it with the same motherboard series? or did they replace it with an Acacia?

I had a s3430f and I kind of mixed up one of my previous posts, believeing (now, let me explain, I got 2, then sent the s3430f to my parents, since they were going to need a more reliable, but powerful, unit. The s3120n had nothing in it, so was a great starting point) I got an Acacia replacement, while I think I really got a HematiteXL.

Argh... I will know by thursday, anyhow.

EDIT: If it is the same board, I am putting a decent chipset cooler + fan on it. If that doesn't keep everything below 45c, then I will show you a very ugly water cooling case mod (i.e. extra-case mod, not internal).
 
jeremyshaw said:
Hi, sorry for my bad response. I was just awake and on the way to school.

The stock PSU will work with the 4550.

The 4550 draws a maximun of 28w (reference board, fan will draw 3 w more). The 8500gt/9500gs that comes with the s3430f (the one I have) draws 43w, on top of that, the PSU has to support a Blu-ray drive, and a TV tuner.

The stock psu will support a ATI 4550. (I also used to have one, but I deemed it too underpowered for anything other then HTPC (it is more powerful then any stock card that ships with the HP Slimline, however); and it was the final straw in my decision to not compromise on my current build.).


I also don't know what is up, but many companies will not ship to Italy.

I used INWIN for 3 years They started producing power supplies to be included with their cases (wierd, I know). But later on, as quality increased, INWIN started selling their power supplies retail.

I am also using INWIN in my current HP Slimline upgrade. Another user (pigskin80... I think) also is using INWIN (same as me, tfx 300w).

If you aren't convinced, the new shuttle has 2-14a 12v rails. The old one had 1-8a and 1-13.5a rail (more power from the 12v rail = good).
The new one is also 80% efficient, unlike the old pc50 which wasn't even rated. The PC50 is also not for sale anymore.

If you still like Shuttle (technically, both INWIN and Shuttle are both Taiwanese companies, Taiwan makes most of the good tech for computers [if not all...]).

While I personally don't like Shuttle, and I currently use INWIN, I'd recommend the Shuttle.
The Shuttle is more power efficient, pushes hot air OUT of the case, and, while rated lower on the 12v rails, will provide more then enough power (assuming the two 12v rails are not seperated, and are just current-limited, like most PSU are) to power both good processor with a good graphics card. Both are, however, overkill for just the 4550. The stock PSU can easily handle the 4550.

Also, a quick check reveals you have an Intel board... What was HP thinking? Intel CPUs never draw 'just' 65w. Intel means: 'the average maximum high is 65w, but it can excede that for some time before SpeedStep lowers power consumption'. AMD 65w means: ' This CPU will draw a MAXIMUM of 65w... no matter what.'
The HP website states your computer comes with a 9300ge, which isn't a halfway bad card.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...07&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=au&lang=en&product=3809317

It can easily do HDMI, CUDA (basic), and HDCP videos (though you would need a blu-ray drive to do that... and blu-ray can be expectedly replaced by digital downloads in a short while... but either way).

The 9300ge is decent, but not uber. It's appreciably lower end then the 8500gt and the 9500gs.

The 9300ge specs are hard to find, but my experience with nVidia's cooky way of naming cards makes me believe it only has 8 shader cores, compared to 16 on the 8500gt and 112 on the 9800gt.

Somehow, HP (to put it very nicely) gave you a 32bit OS...
I know dell does the free 64bit update, but HP... doesn't?
Check with HP support for that.
Click to expand...

Hi and sorry if I didn't reply before but I was out the country the last three days.
I really appreciated your help guys and after reading your advices I decided to wait a little bit before upgrading the stock PSU. In October Windows 7 will be officially released and Nvidia and Ati will release new lplp video cards and I want to buy a new vga that supports Directx11.
For the moment I changed the stock 9300GE with the new HD4550: no big changes in my windows scores but good enough for what I have to do.
I also tried for a few hours to run the system with 4 GB using 2GB that my wife pc has: no big changes at all so I don’t need to spend money on it for the moment.
My Win7 64bit is going really fast – it was already like this with the old VGA - so I can wait a little bit to see what’s going to change with new low power low profile video cards.
Thanks again a lot for your help.
 
nVidia will take longer then October... (if I remember correctly)

ATI is confirmed for September.
 
Hi all,

I have a s7712n slimline. Right now I have a low profile 4350 video card in the unit. I also recently upgraded the hard drive to 1.5 TB.

I tried to upgrade the optical drive to my blu ray/ hd dvd rom. However, I could not get the fan part to fit in properly....the drive is too long.

Anybody successfully fit the fan in a similar situation?

How hard is it to repurpose the insides of this box to a new case?

Thanks!
 
originalsnuffy said:
Hi all,

I have a s7712n slimline. Right now I have a low profile 4350 video card in the unit. I also recently upgraded the hard drive to 1.5 TB.

I tried to upgrade the optical drive to my blu ray/ hd dvd rom. However, I could not get the fan part to fit in properly....the drive is too long.

Anybody successfully fit the fan in a similar situation?

How hard is it to repurpose the insides of this box to a new case?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I remeber (it's a little far away now) the s3430f uses an earlier version of this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136162
but these
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106325

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118013

will do fine.
I never had a disc drive with a built in fan, and I remember most drives having a standard length.

It's not hard, it can even be your first computer build, you just need to take all the addons peripherals off, before starting at the motherboard.

HP has a guide somethere on their website on this...

But in short unplug the power cable (external),
ground yourself to the case, remove the pocker media bay (if you have one, I don't think the s7xxx series have one),
remove the ODD/HDD cage (it has a few screws in wierd locations),
then everything from there on out is standard work.
Those were just general tips I picked up from taking apart my slimline (s3xxx series, similar, except for the black case).


Can you tell us what model BluRay drive you have? It would help greatly.
Also, I'm going to try all I can to convince you to keep your slimline in the origional case, after all, what is the point of a bigger case fitting smaller components inside?
Also, you are going to need a geforce 8 card/radeon 4xxx card or higher. For geforce 8400gs, watch out for the older models without HDCP, they still are lurking out there. (To tell, the non HDCP has 8 shaders, the HDCP [new core] has 16 shaders).
 
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I actually have a question, for the HematiteXL board, is it possible to replace the Chipset cooler?

I have been looking in quite a few places, but haven't found any decent ones, price is no object, but I'd really hate to take up my threat of an ugly water cooling mod, JUST for the famously overheating chipset (nVidia...).

Or is it just better if I attach a fan to it/ direct a case fan at it?
I don't have the exact system with me, as it is in the mail... on the way to HP for a no video, but boots error.
 
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Archaea said:
Originally Posted by AirCool View Post
This is not the case according to this thread:

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread....post1032920825

Q9300 was not listed as an option for s3200t and s3300t even though they use the same GL6E motherboard as s3400t.
Click to expand...
IMO - that was a hack job that does not qualify as any kind of test. There have been multiple official BIOS revisions since then. If the BIOS revisions/updates are the same for all GL6E's (and my s3600t has no revision notation on it that I've ever seen in silkscreen) then the q9300 is going to be compatible with any GL6E motherboard, regardless of the slimline model it shipped in --- is my bet.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure why you think it is a hack job. The guy had tried the stock BIOS and didn't work with Q9300. At the time he could not find another BIOS because there were no BIOS update. He actually got a BIOS image from 3500t and try it and it boots up but does not support Q9300 still. That's a lot of good work. I'm not going to bet on buying a $200 CPU unless I know it will work. And I'm not sure about yours. This is the only time I see an BIOS update for s3300t.
 
Hi all,

Jeremy's response makes me think that I was not clear about what I am doing.

I am trying to replace the IDE DVD drive in my 7712 with a SATA blu ray drive. It happen to be an LG drive I bought from NewEgg, that has both Blu Ray and HD DVD.

The new blu ray drive is at least an inch longer than the previous drive. I can get it in the case just fine. HP did give good instructions on how to get the old one out and the new one in.

The problem is that the custom fan and housing that HP supplies will not fit when the drive is too big. It is designed to drop down into the empty space behind the factory optical drive. But that space is not empty when occupied by a longer drive!

The units won't start up unless the fan is installed. So somehow I need to either put in a custom fan and housing, or somehow modify the existing fan.
 
I'd recommend you to return the drive, and hunt for a smaller one.
I'm not even 50% sure on what the s7xxx series cooling system is like, but HP typically does an okay job with the cooling. I now for sure, the vertical heatsink in the s3xxx series also cools the entire system as a main fan, not just a CPU fan.

On an off note, in the older motherboard designs, the microfit adapter makes a lot more sense.

for others:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...47&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&lang=en&product=3347755 is the s7712n motherboard.

I'm not sure about the cooling setup in s7xxx series slimlines, may you tell us if the CPU fan is flat, or standing? it would help immensly, thank you.
 
It wants an optical disc drive of max 170mm (about 6.7in), due to the limited size.

I see the s3xxx and s5xxx series fixed that error with a more compact heatsink design (different in both).

EDIT: all HP slimline's have a optical drive limit of 170mm (6.7in), just the newer ones can 'push' that limit, unlike the s7xxx series, which has a physical fan housing blocking the way.
 
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AirCool said:
I'm not sure why you think it is a hack job. The guy had tried the stock BIOS and didn't work with Q9300. At the time he could not find another BIOS because there were no BIOS update. He actually got a BIOS image from 3500t and try it and it boots up but does not support Q9300 still. That's a lot of good work. I'm not going to bet on buying a $200 CPU unless I know it will work. And I'm not sure about yours. This is the only time I see an BIOS update for s3300t.
Click to expand...
I am the person who did that little experiment with Q9300.

I agree with Archaea that it was a hack job. However, it was a well thought-out hack job, and if the only problem was an old BIOS, it should have worked, and I wouldn't have to sell the CPU at a loss.

I could have screwed up somewhere. However, with HP doing its best to be utterly unhelpful, a hack job is all you can do for CPU upgrades. If you want to give it a try, make sure that you have an exit strategy in case it does not work.
 
chklin said:
I am the person who did that little experiment with Q9300.

I agree with Archaea that it was a hack job. However, it was a well thought-out hack job, and if the only problem was an old BIOS, it should have worked, and I wouldn't have to sell the CPU at a loss.

I could have screwed up somewhere. However, with HP doing its best to be utterly unhelpful, a hack job is all you can do for CPU upgrades. If you want to give it a try, make sure that you have an exit strategy in case it does not work.
Click to expand...

Yeah... I need to see if my 4450e will work with the HematiteXL board. When I get it back, it will be the thrid thing I do (new chipset cooling solution [still looking for a better solution then my hackob], 9800gt!, and then CPU/bios breaking).

I also have a 9100e... randomly out there...
 
Jeremy,

I appreciate you thoughts. I agree that the fan brace is a limit.

The drive can't be replaced. Nobody else makes a blu ray and hd dvd combo drive.

My goal is to somehow get it into the enclosure and rig up some kind of cooling scheme.

I have a feeling that I can rig up some kind of fan and bracket to work in the available space. But I am not all that handy, so I am
looking for some clues, hints, or general direction from this highly evolved group!

Thanks.
 
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Okay, I have opened up the s3430f and found out what kind of drive it is:

The GGC-H20L, this model ships inside the HP slimlines, so it should fit. It was a VERY popular series, and has now been discontinued (it's also compact), however, ebay and some retailers may still have some in stock.

However, it is still listed as 185mm (15 mm to large).

This is a combo BluRay/HDDVD drive.

For the drive you have, the internal fan part is what really confuses me. I have never heard of a fan on an internal drive.


ANYHOW, as I cannot find any pictures online, a few photos with the case cover off
(official HP guide for your model, ignore the minor inconsistencies, this encompasses all s7xxx series computers)
http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c00843633.pdf
to remove the main case, and it will tell you how to remove the CPU fan.

Please take a picture with the fan on and one with the fan off. Thank you,
 
Hold on, you could just replace the CPU cooling fan, however, you need one that pushes air out to the side, or straight up.

The majority of CPU fans push air down, so most of those are no-nos, unless you are willing to modify the fan/heatsink.

The s3xxx series use a vertical ASUS cooler (for quad cores) or TaiSol (for earlier models) for cooling, allowing a ridiculous amount of extra space for a Slimline PC.

I cannot find out much more about these! Just know, you may get away with an inward blowing fan, but the system will get hot.

I also do no know if the side panels have cooling holes/vents, may you tell us?
If not, any cpu cooler change will require an additional 40-60mm exhaust fan.

This, seems like a promising candidate, due to the dimentions, however, it seems alittle long.
http://www.directron.com/cfhpp4.html#caption

I know this seems like a bit of work, but it's what we do...
 
Jeremy,

I think you now have a good idea what my problem is.

The LG drive is too long. The "fan assembly" on my unit is built into a special plastic bracket that is designed for fit snugly against a shorter optical drive. This is the assembly shown in the HP guide you provided as a pointer in your second to last post.

I am not referring to anything but this "fan assembly". I am not looking for a disc drive fan etc. Just something to replace the custom fan and plastic fan housing that HP used on my machine. The assembly design from HP assumes an optical drive replacement will be exactly the same dimensions as the old one. And I have already removed the old drive once, put the new one in, and then put the original one back. So I know how to do that much.

You have some very interesting thoughts on the direction that the fan goes. I assume that if I buy a generic fan I can just flip it over to make the air go any direction I want...is that right?

My guess is that I would need some kind of bracket or clip that attaches to the side of the case somewhere to hold a replacement fan. In you last post there was a picture of a very substantial cooling unit. I am not sure if that could fit into the case, but anything is possible.

I can, of course, just give this up. But I would rather have the drive inside the machine that in the external case it is in now. As it is now, the drive eats up quite a bit of room, and negates the whole concept of a slimline pc.

By the way, has anybody changed out an ide optical drive for a SATA drive in these machines? The motherboard has a spare SATA connector, so I assume the bios will recognize the new drive as SATA. Otherwise, I could buy an IDE to SATA converter.

Thanks!
 
HP does allow you to swap out the old IDE for a SATA drive.

I'll be back on about 8 hours.
 
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But I really believe you will have to get a vertical cpu heatsink, less then 69mm in height, and preferabbly thinner, to fit the elongated bluray drive, as that is how HP fit it in later models.

BluRay drives all seem to be a little longer then normal drives...
 
Okay, I am not sure if the HP power supply includes 2 sata power cables, or one sata and one molex.

It will affect this list a little depending on the connectors.

The list is:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812198027
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811999106
http://cgi.ebay.com/Dynatron-I54G-C...in_0?hash=item587dfd0d45&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100007

Remove the fan.

unscrew the cpu heatsink.
When you remove it, if it takes more then a few 2 pounds of force, then you haven't unscrewed it all the way (they are spring loaded screws, presumeably). The 2 pounds of force will overcome the thermal grease.

Use a qtip and some decent alcohol (80%+ isotropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol will do fine), remove the old thermal paste from the CPU.

Add a BB (6-8mm sphere) size amount of Arctic Silver 5 (it is NOT overrated, it's too good, almost) onto the CPU (smack dab into the center). Then push the new cooler flat against the CPU, twist it 15 degrees, then twist it back. Screw it in.

Plug in the CPU fan.

Take the power from the SATA power cable, plug it into the adapter.

Plug the adaptor into the DVD drive, and the new fan into the molex adapter.

Using 2 screws, mount the fan into the metal grill over the ports on the back.
Try to position it near the CPU for better airflow.

With the case open, power it up. Check to see which ways the exhast fan is blowing. If it is blowing in, then flip it around. Try to maximize it's intake area.

NOW the BluRay drive should fit properly.

I'd prefer it (actually recommend), if you bought and used 2 60mm fans for exhaust, not just one. One is woefully inadequate, almost. Especially with the fan on the back of the bluray drive.
However, do not buy anything until you post a reply:
It the built in power connector molex or SATA?

(sorry for the lopsided grammar, it's the result of not sleeping well this week)
 
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