The highly rated HP Pavilion Slimline PC thread

HeLRaZR said:
Ahh I see, so they were sold concurrently, just depended upon your config as to what motheroard you'd end up with I assume.
Click to expand...

Maybe I should rephrase that...

Acacia was never offered as a warranty replacement to busted HematiteXL boards. I have no clue on how HP handled selling these units, though due to the nVidia chipset going kaput in large enough numbers to trigger a class action lawsuit, I'd assume they dropped the old HematiteXL boards immediately for the Acacia boards.
 
jeremyshaw said:
In my experience, the HD4350 cleans the floor with the 8500gt. I have both cards :)

I've used them on both a:
Phenom X4 9100e 4GB (Slimline S3430f)
Athlon X2 4200+ 2GB (Slimline S3200n CTO)

and the results are identical, the HD4350 is faster*, and it runs a good deal cooler (the PSU doesn't run anywhere near as hot).

I think you do have an Irvine, I'm sorry, I jumped to assume you had an AMD system.

The stock PSU is it. There still is the Sparkle 270W listed on the first page, but it's noisey without some minor metalwork.


*empirically. I only used Cod4/5 and Age of Empires 3 as the references. All at 1600x900 resolution. Cod4/5 was playable on dead min settings with the 8500gt, for me. The HD4350 allowed me to at elast run it at native resolution, with extremely fluid gameplay. I ran Cod5's tank mission without any pause, stuttering, or slowdown at 1600x900p, max everything but AA and soft smoke edges.
Click to expand...

That's great news! And the HD4350 will run with no problems using the stock PSU? Like I said, I'm not a big computer guy I only play 2 games (Battlefield 1942 [1943 if it ever comes out] and IL-2 Sturmovik 1946) and do a lot of video editing.

I've just looked online and are you talking about the 512MB or 1GB HD4350?
 
The HD4350 will run with no issue on a loaded AMD Phenom quad and the lesser 160W PSU. I've had this setup for about 2+ years, now. The old 8500gt caused random "sudden powerdowns" with it, but the HD4350 doesn't. The entire system runs much cooler, now. The main system fan never spins all the way up, since the entire case is cooler as a result.

I own both a XFX HD4350 1GB and a Gigabyte HD4350 512MB, and both perform the same at 900p and 1080p. The 64bit bus makes 1GB of VRAM kind of useless, unfortuneately. If you can, get either a HD5450 or a HD4550. Either will run fine. I'd also recommend the HD4550, which only uses a few more watts (marginal, since HD4350/HD4550 use about 60% of what the 8500gt draws) and the HD5450 uses about 3 watts less, though it's performance is roughly inbetween a HD4350/HD4550.

Ranked by performance, best at bottom, worst at top.
8500GT is about 40W
HD4350 is about 22W
HD5450 is about 19W
HD4550 is about 25W
 
Thanks. I hope this works. In reply to others - yes I have more pics for you to see - only made one very small and easy cut on back panel - the PSU is in picture, and I did upgrade the CPU and heatsink but this was only because original heatsink screw was defective - temp in low range of normal, even under load and very quite.
cimg0443q.th.jpg
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[/URL][/IMG][/IMG]
 
jeremyshaw said:
The HD4350 will run with no issue on a loaded AMD Phenom quad and the lesser 160W PSU. I've had this setup for about 2+ years, now. The old 8500gt caused random "sudden powerdowns" with it, but the HD4350 doesn't. The entire system runs much cooler, now. The main system fan never spins all the way up, since the entire case is cooler as a result.

I own both a XFX HD4350 1GB and a Gigabyte HD4350 512MB, and both perform the same at 900p and 1080p. The 64bit bus makes 1GB of VRAM kind of useless, unfortuneately. If you can, get either a HD5450 or a HD4550. Either will run fine. I'd also recommend the HD4550, which only uses a few more watts (marginal, since HD4350/HD4550 use about 60% of what the 8500gt draws) and the HD5450 uses about 3 watts less, though it's performance is roughly inbetween a HD4350/HD4550.

Ranked by performance, best at bottom, worst at top.
8500GT is about 40W
HD4350 is about 22W
HD5450 is about 19W
HD4550 is about 25W
Click to expand...

Well obviously I'd like to get the best performance I can without doing anything to the power supply. So would it be safe to say that you recommend the 512MB HD4550 because it has better performance than the 512MB HD5450, and even at drawing 25W, the 180W PSU will still be able to power that, the 4GB RAM I have, and the core 2 duo processor?

You are really making my day! I'm about to step out to the store and buy one or the other GPU if the local store carries them!
 
TheOnlyFTG said:
Well obviously I'd like to get the best performance I can without doing anything to the power supply. So would it be safe to say that you recommend the 512MB HD4550 because it has better performance than the 512MB HD5450, and even at drawing 25W, the 180W PSU will still be able to power that, the 4GB RAM I have, and the core 2 duo processor?

You are really making my day! I'm about to step out to the store and buy one or the other GPU if the local store carries them!
Click to expand...

Yes, it will work fine. The HD4550 is about 2x the HD4350 in terms of FPS, so... :D


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150484&cm_re=4550-_-14-150-484-_-Product - no HDMI
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125337&cm_re=4550-_-14-125-337-_-Product - HDMI


is probably a better price than most B&M can give.
 
I have an 4550 and it works great and is low power consuming. :cool: My HTPC (Dell, not HP) typically uses 80 W according to my Kill A Watt.
 
jeremyshaw said:
Yes, it will work fine. The HD4550 is about 2x the HD4350 in terms of FPS, so... :D


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150484&cm_re=4550-_-14-150-484-_-Product - no HDMI
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125337&cm_re=4550-_-14-125-337-_-Product - HDMI


is probably a better price than most B&M can give.
Click to expand...

I searched my local tech store and found this: "XFX ATI Radeon™ HD 5450 1024 MB DDR2 PCI-EXPRESS VIDEO CARD (HD-545X-ZNF2)" Will this work?
 
yes. How much is it, though?



It's slightly slower than a HD4550, slightly faster than a HD4350.
 
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jeremyshaw said:
yes. How much is it, though?



It's slightly slower than a HD4550, slightly faster than a HD4350.
Click to expand...

So I went to the store to buy the XFX HD5450 1GB DDR2 HDMI DVI VGA ($69) (Part No. HD-545X-ZNF2 / S/N: L4H168935) before I ordered it online ($48). Unfortunately, it did not work. I went to the website (which I probably should have done before) to get the latest drivers. I stumbled upon this http://xfxforce.com/en-us/products/graphiccards/HD 5000series/5450.aspx#2 which said that it has a minimum power requirement of 400W. So my computer did not even detect that there was anything sitting in the PCI slot. The GPU fan went on, but that was it. After installing the drivers, uninstalling my old drivers, and setting the BIOS to use PCI, it STILL didn't work. I'm assuming because it says that it needs 400W and I only have a 180W PSU? This http://support.amd.com/us/certified/power-supplies/Pages/listing.aspx shows the list of recommended PSUs.

So since this didn't work, is there any chance the other GPUs you suggested will? Also, didn't somebody post previously on this massive topic that some company was coming out with a low profile GPU that draws incredibly minimal power that could be used for <180W PSUs? Any word on that?
 
TheOnlyFTG said:
So I went to the store to buy the XFX HD5450 1GB DDR2 HDMI DVI VGA ($69) (Part No. HD-545X-ZNF2 / S/N: L4H168935) before I ordered it online ($48). Unfortunately, it did not work. I went to the website (which I probably should have done before) to get the latest drivers. I stumbled upon this http://xfxforce.com/en-us/products/graphiccards/HD 5000series/5450.aspx#2 which said that it has a minimum power requirement of 400W. So my computer did not even detect that there was anything sitting in the PCI slot. The GPU fan went on, but that was it. After installing the drivers, uninstalling my old drivers, and setting the BIOS to use PCI, it STILL didn't work. I'm assuming because it says that it needs 400W and I only have a 180W PSU? This http://support.amd.com/us/certified/power-supplies/Pages/listing.aspx shows the list of recommended PSUs.

So since this didn't work, is there any chance the other GPUs you suggested will? Also, didn't somebody post previously on this massive topic that some company was coming out with a low profile GPU that draws incredibly minimal power that could be used for <180W PSUs? Any word on that?
Click to expand...

That figure that XFX gives a worst case scenario for an entire computer (CPU, mobo, ram, HDD, fans, GPU, etc) with a cheap PSU that can barely pull 200W, much the 400W it's advertised at (and likely rated at room temp, and not the more effective 40C rating). The systems we have are using decent Delta Electronics sourced PSU with a build that is centered around that 160W/180W limit.

At any rate, the GPU draws 19W (according the AMD, the actual GPU designer), and if you look at HPs service guide for your unit (look at your service&support page for your desktop), it recommends a GPU that draws less than 40W. The 8500gt ran at 40W, so it was hitting that limit hard. Since HP Slimlines are configed with upto a HD4550 (at the time), so it's definately not an issue.

Did you try:

setting BIOS to use PCIe
shut off PC
insert card. Plug video cable ONLY into the card (all other video cables must be disconnected).
Startup computer.
 
jeremyshaw said:
That figure that XFX gives a worst case scenario for an entire computer (CPU, mobo, ram, HDD, fans, GPU, etc) with a cheap PSU that can barely pull 200W, much the 400W it's advertised at (and likely rated at room temp, and not the more effective 40C rating). The systems we have are using decent Delta Electronics sourced PSU with a build that is centered around that 160W/180W limit.

At any rate, the GPU draws 19W (according the AMD, the actual GPU designer), and if you look at HPs service guide for your unit (look at your service&support page for your desktop), it recommends a GPU that draws less than 40W. The 8500gt ran at 40W, so it was hitting that limit hard. Since HP Slimlines are configed with upto a HD4550 (at the time), so it's definately not an issue.

Did you try:

setting BIOS to use PCIe
shut off PC
insert card. Plug video cable ONLY into the card (all other video cables must be disconnected).
Startup computer.
Click to expand...

I sure did try that. At the blue start up screen, hit F10 to enter setup, selected PCI, and saved and exited. Then turned off the computer. Plugged in the card and disconnected all other video cables. When I turned the computer back on, the screen remained blank.

I even uninstalled the onboard drivers and went online to download the HD 5450 drivers, and still nothing. Under device manager, the card wasn't even shown under the display drop down.

For some reason, the XFX ATI Radeon HD 5450 does not work as a GPU for my slimline using the stock 180W PSU. Any other suggestions? I don't want to order the other GPUs from the internet, find out that they don't work, and then go through an ordeal to try and return them. Any thoughts?
 
hmmm... did you cycle through the screen inputs, just in case? Did you wait for about 1 min the first time around? It could be the BIOS running a thorough check because of new HW being detected...

I remember having such an issue early on, but I just waited it out (well, I did the above :p)

Also, is there a "PCIe" option for graphics in your BIOS? PCI is an entirely different connection bus, despite the similar names.
 
jeremyshaw said:
hmmm... did you cycle through the screen inputs, just in case? Did you wait for about 1 min the first time around? It could be the BIOS running a thorough check because of new HW being detected...

I remember having such an issue early on, but I just waited it out (well, I did the above :p)

Also, is there a "PCIe" option for graphics in your BIOS? PCI is an entirely different connection bus, despite the similar names.
Click to expand...

I cycled through all the screen inputs and everything remained blank. I waited quite a bit the first time around to no avail.

There are only 2 options in the BIOS: integrated and PCIe. I switched it to PCIe with no luck :(
 
Halsey said:
Whoa, Sweet! You used some sort of 90 degree/right angle PCI Express motherboard adapter then, to plug it into your PCIE slot, correct?
Click to expand...
Yes, IMPORTANT: it must be a ribbon adapter, 3 inch, pci-x16, GEN 2. The GEN 2 part is especially important. I can't remember the website where I got it but I had to call to order. It specifically stated GEN 2, the ribbon is blue in color, wasn't that expensive so I also got a 2 inch and 1 inch. I can use them to put cards in the 3 pci-x slots that I found on the motherboard after removing the psu.I plan to detail the build w/pics so check back.
 
Separate post for separate item of discussion. Hope nobody minds.

<shamelessplug>
I have an HP Slimline PC, but it's older... it's an s7220n model... it's one of the silver ones that would work as a tower (rather than desktop) if someone stuck a slim CD drive in them ;)

Hey, I didn't say HP was my favorite computer company :rolleyes:

If anyone's interested in it, drop by my FS thread. I have one person interested right now, but I'd be glad to hear that someone else was interested as well...
</shamelessplug>

OK, I'll go away now :p
 


My Slimline s5160f :
Q8200
6 GB
750 HD
Blu-ray
TV tuner w/remote
Geforce G210
etc....

My Slimline with all those unnecessary parts removed. ( notice the previously hidden 3 pci-e slots ). I also discovered one of the heatsink screw supports was defective/cracked. More about this later on what heatsink you will need that will fit in this tight space.
 
SlimKiwi said:
Thanks for the update, CHF0. It appears that the Stock 160W PSU can deliver a lot more juice than advertised - or everyone is playing it safe by overstating the power requirements. Like milicz, I've had no power problems whatsoever, but it would be nice to find a 300W or more "no brainer" replacement - just in case. Chances of that happening appear to be slim - considering the age of the 3-series Slims. I'll prolly have to upgrade to one of those sexy 5-series Slims, if and when my PSU gives up the ghost.
Click to expand...
Dont have a hp slimline pc but did have to replace a psu in one for somebody (this was awhile back it was a silver cased slimline) and not sure of the wattage on it but I found it at pcmall and if I remember correctly there was a few choices so they may have one over 300w. Hope this helps any of you looking for a psu for the slimlines. If not Im sorry for wasting your time !!
 
Slimfast said:


My Slimline s5160f :
Q8200
6 GB
750 HD
Blu-ray
TV tuner w/remote
Geforce G210
etc....

My Slimline with all those unnecessary parts removed. ( notice the previously hidden 3 pci-e slots ). I also discovered one of the heatsink screw supports was defective/cracked. More about this later on what heatsink you will need that will fit in this tight space.
Click to expand...

There are 2 hidden PCI-e x1 slots. Are you able to use them? Is there any metal to hold the cards in place?
 
jeremyshaw said:
hmmm... did you cycle through the screen inputs, just in case? Did you wait for about 1 min the first time around? It could be the BIOS running a thorough check because of new HW being detected...

I remember having such an issue early on, but I just waited it out (well, I did the above :p)

Also, is there a "PCIe" option for graphics in your BIOS? PCI is an entirely different connection bus, despite the similar names.
Click to expand...

You know, I tried the GPU on another slimline I have, with an AMD CPU, and it worked! I gather than most likely what has happened is that the PCI slot on my Irvine MB is busted :( I guess that means I will have to replace it, though I'm not sure I know how.
 
TheOnlyFTG said:
You know, I tried the GPU on another slimline I have, with an AMD CPU, and it worked! I gather than most likely what has happened is that the PCI slot on my Irvine MB is busted :( I guess that means I will have to replace it, though I'm not sure I know how.
Click to expand...

If there are no burn marks on the physical slots themselves, and no unusual discolorations nearby, then it's likely a trace gave out, or the chipset --> mobo connection (BGA) is not tight...

did you try updating the BIOS? Maybe there was an old BIOS lock? unlikely on a desktop, but HP does do that on their laptops.
 
AirCool said:
There are 2 hidden PCI-e x1 slots. Are you able to use them? Is there any metal to hold the cards in place?
Click to expand...

Because of the limited width of the case, and that now the cards are sideways, if you use the ribbon connectors (PCI-e x1), you can use two of the three,( the bottom one sits too close to the bottom of the case).I got 2 inch and 1 inch PCI-e x1 ribbon connectors which allow me enough bending room on the ribbon to do this.
Note: I put in a GTX470 which is as wide as two cards, so even though I might get two more cards in there I would only put in one more in order to keep good air-flow.
Also since the slot openings on the back of the case are horizontal and not vertical, I will show later how I secured them ( it was actually a simple solution).
[URL=http://img197.imageshack.us/i/imgrr.jpg/][/URL]
 
This is what I replaced my defective heatsink/fan on me IPIEL-LA3 motherboard with. This is the largest that will fit in this case. When taking out the old one you have to remove the motherboard screws and also slide out the DVD drive, but you can leave all the MB connections attached.. Then just tilt the board up and remove the heatsink bracket on the back of the MB, ( it's glued on but with gentle pulling it comes right off).
When putting in the new one make sure it's rotated so that it doesn't hit anything, also make note of where things plug in, the 4 pin power connector is a little tricky to get reconnected after the heatsink is in.
This is an excellent heatsink, it lines right up with the ventilation holes in the side cover and keeps it cool enough for the GTX 470 (43c at idle) and the upgraded Q9550 (32c - 41c, depending on which core, at idle).
Note: Cooler Master website directs to WRONG Vortex , you want this one- Cooler Master Vortex 752 . I found it here, it shows out-of-stock but it is available elsewhere.
http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-.../dp/B000WHAHFY

 
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roinujnomma said:
Slimfast, did you just cut a hole in the side of your case, so the video card could stick out? I plan on doing this, and using Epower's 5.25" suplementary PSU. What kind of temps are you getting? What model of Slimline do you have? What CPU are you using, and how much memory do you have? Could you e-mail me the pics? I'm just trying to figure out how crazy maybe I am.

I'd also like to know from anyone how much power a gtx 460 of 470 draws from the motherboard. Maybe a link to where someone else has answered it.
Click to expand...

I believe most of your questions have been answered in my posts since you posted this.
I hope this helps with the rest of them.
From Nvidia these are the requirements for the GTX 470 :
"Minimum of a 550 Watt power supply.with a combined +12 Volt current rating of 38 Amps
Two available 6-pin PCI-E power connectors".
The Cooler Master GS 650w has all this and is very quiet. It also has long enough cables to still reach the connections when it is mounted outside the case, http://coolermaster-usa.com/product.php?product_id=2973
You will still need two 6-pin PCI-E power connector extenders to reach the GTX 470 connectors. These can be found at Fry's, http://www.frys.com/product/6171729?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
This pic shows the only cut you will have to make. Yes that's it - just one small, easy cut is the only modification you will have to make to the case for the entire build.

note: "clippers not included"
 
beowulf7 said:
FYI, here's a CNET review of the HP Pavilion Slimline s5660f done on 11/16/2010.
Click to expand...

I have one and love it. stuffed another 2GB DIMM into it and a Radeon 5570 prior to first boot (pulled the tv-tuner as well). Runs like a champ. I was almost disappointed as the first blu-ray I tried failed to load (American Pyscho) but every other BR I have works fine in it. Nice to play WoW on with the 5570, pretty much 45-50FPS on any continent and in Dalaran.
 
jeremyshaw said:
If there are no burn marks on the physical slots themselves, and no unusual discolorations nearby, then it's likely a trace gave out, or the chipset --> mobo connection (BGA) is not tight...

did you try updating the BIOS? Maybe there was an old BIOS lock? unlikely on a desktop, but HP does do that on their laptops.
Click to expand...

First, I want to thank you for all of your help so far. Everything you have helped me with has worked out! The HD 5450 GPU works for my 7-year-old game without the need of replacing the PSU! I am thinking of returning it to my local store for favor of the one you said was slightly better, if you are sure that it will also run on a 180W PSU.

Second, there are no burn marks of any sort anywhere, and no discolorations. But knowing next to nothing about hardware, I do not know what a trace is, or how to determine if it was indeed what gave out. Is there anyway to tell/fix? If it is in fact that the chipset --> MB connection (BGA) is no tight, is there a way to determine/fix that? Also, I have not updated the BIOS since I got the computer some 2 years ago. Where do I go to update the BIOS, and how do I do that? If it is something as simple as that I will be really happy.

I would prefer to fix my situation without the need of buying a new GPU, but something tells me that if the problem is either suggestion you gave, that it will not be easy to fix...
 
Okay I have the slimline s3620f. The video doesn't work so I got a PCI-E ATI 4350. The video still doesn't work. Any advice?!?
 
TheOnlyFTG said:
First, I want to thank you for all of your help so far. Everything you have helped me with has worked out! The HD 5450 GPU works for my 7-year-old game without the need of replacing the PSU! I am thinking of returning it to my local store for favor of the one you said was slightly better, if you are sure that it will also run on a 180W PSU.

Second, there are no burn marks of any sort anywhere, and no discolorations. But knowing next to nothing about hardware, I do not know what a trace is, or how to determine if it was indeed what gave out. Is there anyway to tell/fix? If it is in fact that the chipset --> MB connection (BGA) is no tight, is there a way to determine/fix that? Also, I have not updated the BIOS since I got the computer some 2 years ago. Where do I go to update the BIOS, and how do I do that? If it is something as simple as that I will be really happy.

I would prefer to fix my situation without the need of buying a new GPU, but something tells me that if the problem is either suggestion you gave, that it will not be easy to fix...
Click to expand...
Traces are the little color lines you see on your mobo. Not the white ones, the light greenish ones (there should be an abundance of them). You cannot see the BGA connection, since it's inbetween the mobo and chipset. I don't know of any real way of diagnosing that :(

The HP model number should be on the computer itself... Otherwise, just post up the number that has "ABA" in it. The serial number, keep that secret, product number is the "internal HP product name." Ther prodcut name should correlate to a page iin HP's support site, which will give you the drivers, software, and any existing BIOS updates. The latest update to the Irvine board (if indeed you have an Irvine board) is from ~May 2009.

Jrb599 said:
Okay I have the slimline s3620f. The video doesn't work so I got a PCI-E ATI 4350. The video still doesn't work. Any advice?!?
Click to expand...

Well... that's two Irvine boards going kaput on posts right next to each other. I'm sort of wondering is this yet another case of the nForce (630i, in this case) chipset screwing up...

Anyhow, ask HP support. The mobo video not working is likely a case of the chipset ingeneral not working. Since both the IGP and the PCIe lanes are from the single chipset, if it fails to work, then both are affected. I don't know if that is the actual issue you are facing, I'm a bit more tired than I should be right now, I'm sorry :(
 
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