Javascript Disabled Detected

You currently have javascript disabled. Several functions may not work. Please re-enable javascript to access full functionality.

Register a free account to unlock additional features at BleepingComputer.com

Welcome to BleepingComputer, a free community where people like yourself come together to discuss and learn how to use their computers. Using the site is easy and fun. As a guest, you can browse and view the various discussions in the forums, but can not create a new topic or reply to an existing one unless you are logged in. Other benefits of registering an account are subscribing to topics and forums, creating a blog, and having no ads shown anywhere on the site.

Click here to Register a free account now! or read our Welcome Guide to learn how to use this site.

Upgrading small form factor PC?

Started by ghunt , Jan 09 2013 12:44 PM

Next

Please log in to reply

17 replies to this topic

#1 ghunt

Member

Members
35 posts

Posted 09 January 2013 - 12:44 PM

I just recently bought an off-lease HP dc5800 computer from TigerDirect. The hardware sounded impressive- Intel Core 2 Duo @ 3.0gHz, 4 GB RAM, 1 TB hard drive, with Windows 7. I didn't realize until after buying it that it was a small form factor computer.

Also, after getting the computer and setting it up, I found out the integrated video card is craptastic at best. It doesn't even run Win 7 smoothly, much less any games.

I want to upgrade my video card to something with 1 GB RAM, but every video card I'm finding requires at least a 300W power supply, some of them 400 or 450W! And, of course, hardly anyone makes upgraded PSU's for SFF computers and if they do, they cost almost as much as I paid for this computer.

What can I do? Is there any way I can swap the components of this computer to something like a microtower that uses a regular size PSU?

I feel like I'm stuck with this nice hardware hindered by a bleepty graphics card in barely-upgradeable case

Back to top

BC Ads
BleepingComputer.com

#2 diggi

Forum Regular

Members
243 posts

Posted 09 January 2013 - 03:06 PM

You could in theory buy a Micro or midtower case and a decent 430-500 watt psu and install it. But it all depends on the motherboard itself, sometimes manufacturers use custom mobo's that are'nt the standard/micro ATX. I'd suggest find out what type of mother board you have, see how and where it is connected to the case. Compare it to a standard/micro ATx board(look @ pics on Newegg) and see if the screws line up, if they do you should be good to go.

Back to top

#3 ghunt

Member

Members
35 posts

Posted 09 January 2013 - 06:31 PM

I printed out a template of a Micro ATX but I can't really tell. Just looking at the motherboard it doesn't look like it's the same size as a standard Micro ATX. But, HP made a version of this exact model that was in a micro tower (not that that necessarily means anything).

This computer currently has a 240W power supply...do I absolutely have to have 300W to run a card rated that high?

What sucks is that I don't even have a spare 5.25" bay to run a power supply in...sigh

Back to top

#4 diggi

Forum Regular

Members
243 posts

Posted 09 January 2013 - 07:39 PM

Try and locate the screw holes and see if they line up It seems as if you might have a BTX mobo does it look like this ?

Look at these My link400 watt BTX Power supplies

This is the Cheapest case I've seen so far it looks like they are rare

You might be able to use it for a card that needs a 300w power supply but I dunno if you can get by if it needs 400w

Edited by diggi, 09 January 2013 - 07:41 PM.

Back to top

#5 killerx525

Bleepin' Aussie

Members
6,306 posts

Gender:Male
Location:Melbourne, Australia

Posted 09 January 2013 - 08:55 PM

Something like this would work as it a very low power consumption and you just have to switch the full slot to a low profile bracket.

>Michael
System: CPU- AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition Oc'ed to 3.8GHz, CPU Cooler- Noctua NH-D14, RAM- G.Skill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL 8GB Kit(4Gx2) DDR3 1600MHz, HDD- Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB, GPU- 2x Asus 6950 1GB Crossfire 850/1250MHz, Motherboard- Gigabyte 990FXA-D3, Case- Coolermaster HAF 932, PSU- Corsair TX-750 V2, Soundcard- Realtek High Definition Audio Sound, OS- Windows 8 Pro 64-Bit
Posted Image

Back to top

#6 diggi

Forum Regular

Members
243 posts

Posted 09 January 2013 - 09:13 PM

Yeah but he still needs a 400 watt psu for that

Back to top

#7 ghunt

Member

Members
35 posts

Posted 09 January 2013 - 10:33 PM

I've looked at a couple that called for 300W PSU's, so I will probably go with one of them.

Diggi, I'm not sure. It looks similar to a BTX.

This is the motherboard:
http://img.tjskl.org.cn/nimg/e0/60/bb999d4c49da191a460ef7f556f7-0x0-1/for_hp_motherboard_461536_001_450667_001_for_hp_compaq_dc5800_sff_intel_socket_lga775_ddr2_desktop_99_new_condition.jpg

The PSU is weird on these ones, it's kind of similar to the a desktop BTX PSU but still a different shape.
http://computerpartdiscounters.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/500x500/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/h/p/hpps1_003.jpg

This is the case opened up: http://images.tigerdirect.com/itemdetails/H24-KA421-SB/H24-KA421-SB-out-4-la.jpg

Back to top

#8 diggi

Forum Regular

Members
243 posts

Posted 10 January 2013 - 12:54 AM

Looks like you are rocking a BTX most likely you'll need a low profile GPU card any of these should do I don't know your budget
It looks like you'll need a 400watt BTX psu for all of them

Back to top

#9 killerx525

Bleepin' Aussie

Members
6,306 posts

Gender:Male
Location:Melbourne, Australia

Posted 10 January 2013 - 01:32 AM

Do note that the card itself only draws a maximum of 13W and it should work, so there is no need to upgrade the power supply or muck around with it.

>Michael
System: CPU- AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition Oc'ed to 3.8GHz, CPU Cooler- Noctua NH-D14, RAM- G.Skill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL 8GB Kit(4Gx2) DDR3 1600MHz, HDD- Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB, GPU- 2x Asus 6950 1GB Crossfire 850/1250MHz, Motherboard- Gigabyte 990FXA-D3, Case- Coolermaster HAF 932, PSU- Corsair TX-750 V2, Soundcard- Realtek High Definition Audio Sound, OS- Windows 8 Pro 64-Bit
Posted Image

Back to top

#10 ghunt

Member

Members
35 posts

Posted 10 January 2013 - 01:46 PM

Do you guys recommend one with a fan? I found two I like, both Asus, a Gt 430 (fan) and a gt 610 (heat sink). Which would be better?

Back to top

#11 diggi

Forum Regular

Members
243 posts

Posted 10 January 2013 - 02:02 PM

What are their specs? I'd guess the one with a fan'd be better

Back to top

#12 ghunt

Member

Members
35 posts

Posted 10 January 2013 - 02:29 PM

The 610 is rated at 810 MHz core clock with 64 bit RAM, the 430 is 700 MHz with 128 bit RAM. They sound pretty similar. Both are 1 gb DDR3 ram.

Edited by ghunt, 10 January 2013 - 02:30 PM.

Back to top

#13 rotor123

Forum Addict

Moderator
5,244 posts

Gender:Male
Location:New Jersey

Posted 10 January 2013 - 04:53 PM

I'm going to make a different suggestion for that computer. It is what it is. It will never be a good gaming computer due to power supply and size limitations.

It should run Windows 7 just fine. That is not a standard form factor motherboard or power supply. They are special non standard designs from what I can see.
I have large doubts you can find a case for that motherboard.

All you could do is leave the case open and if the color codes on the 24pin and 4 pin wiring match use a standard power supply laying outside the case to get more power.

Good Luck
Roger

My next Upgrade, USB 3 on my remaining desktop. The only External storage devices I currently Buy are USB3 devices

How Does a computer get Infected? http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/2520/how-did-i-get-infected/

My first Computer had a Whopping 16K of memory @ 0.89MHz. My first hard drive held 20 Megabytes and never filled up.
My Oldest Motherboard and Hard Drive are a 80286 @ 8Mhz and a Seagate 20 Megabyte MFM drive.

Forum Rules, The BC Welcome Guide