Build Advice Building an Inexpensive, but full featured TVPC ?

[Imacflier]

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Use Case:

• Media server
• Gaming on the big flat screen
• Controlling the 30 TB NAS

Background:

I have been using HP EliteDesk 800 G5 Mini’s for a (crippled) TVPC, for my personal desktop computer, and for my wife’s personal desktop for many years. Acquired as off-lease business computers from EBay, they have proven compact, reliable, nearly silent, expandable (to a limited extent but including dual NVME slots), frequently come with HP factory warranty, are serviceable at the local Microcenter (an HP authorized service center), and quite capable for MS Office applications and even for CAD (although fairly slow).

On the other hand, they are also relatively slow (I5-6500t processors), have no direct provision for video other than on processor graphics, are restricted to 1151 socket processors, and are cooling challenged.

Now that I am truly retired and all my consulting gigs complete, it was time to satisfy all the use cases above. Since I am a 100% disabled Vietnam vet, living to large extent on disability, cost was extremely important to me.

I am thoroughly gratified at how well I satisfied or exceeded my use cases!

By using the parts listed below and sourcing them with a lot of patience and luck from EBay and Amazon, it cost less than $550 for the whole thing!

The Parts List:

CPU: HP EliteDesk 800 G5 Mini (Refurbished with 1 year warranty) – EBay, $324.79

Processor: I7-9700t

Ram: 32 GB

Storage: 1TB NVME

OS: Windows 11 Pro (activated)


GPU: ASUS Phoenix RTX 3050 (8GB vram, single fan) – Ebay $149.97

M.2 to PCIE adapter: ADTLINK – Amazon – $34.98

GPU Power Supply: Dell ZVC220HD12S1 12V 18A 220W Power Supply D3860 8 Pin ADP-220AB – EBay -$22.81

The only assembly ‘trick’ is fold the GPU on top of the CPU and maintain the 7” x 7” profile.

This works! (Pics to follow once I figure out how to post them).

Please let me know if you try this or if you see a better way.

Next project: Upgrading the old TVPC, but with an I9-9900KS and an RTX 3070!

Larry

 

[USAFRet]

OS: Windows 11 Pro (activated)

What does this mean?


There are any number of $200-$300 tiny PCs, very suitable for a HTPC.

I have a Beelink for exactly this.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DDG8TM4R

 

[Imacflier]

By OS (activated) I meant that it did not require a new license

 

[Misgar]

Next project: Upgrading the old TVPC, but with an I9-9900KS and an RTX 3070!

Do you intend playing games on the TVPC?

I'm still using an LGA 1150 mobo with an i5-4160 (quad core 3.6GHz) and a half-height (low profile) GTX 1650. It suffices for playing back 4K UHD 2160p at 30Hz, which is all my 2017 OLED TV will support.

The problem with buying top-of-the-range obsolete CPUs is the "silly" prices on eBay. I've just checked a few i9-9900KS on my local eBay and they cost the equivalent of $250 to $450. It's for this reason I don't upgrade all my other LGA1150 rigs past i7-4770K.

If you need a more powerful CPU to play recent games on the TV, you could probably buy a brand new mATX mobo/CPU combination and transfer any working DDR4 RAM. I'm not sure if this would be cheaper than a complete mini PC though.

There is the potential problem of shoe-horning a standard mobo into a proprietary chassis. Some of my Dell and HP systems use non-standard board sizes and PSU connections.

By OS (activated) I meant that it did not require a new license

The other problem with upgrading the mobo/cpu is that if your current Windows license is OEM, it will probably lapse after a major hardware change. An OEM license from HP, Dell, Lenovo, is tied to the original hardware, whereas Retail Licenses can usually be transferred.

 

[Imacflier]

USAFret,

One of the performance criteria specified was the ability to play games. That is why I am running an RTX 3050 over m.2. Intel's on board graphics handle most any resolution for simple display purposes.

Since in all uses I am retaining the original chassis there is no issue of a non-standard MB as the I7-9700t is a factory installed processor.

Which Beelink cpu did you buy? It appears that unless you buy one of the top three Beelink computers you are limited to Intel on-board graphics with no game playing ability. Only the top three receive Intel Arc Graphics and have limited gaming abililty. Those three computers range from $600 $1200 dollars and kind of defeat the "inexpensive" criteria I was targeting.

Larry

 

[Misgar]

Since in all uses I am retaining the original chassis there is no issue of a non-standard MB as the I7-9700t is a factory installed processor.

I frequently retain old computer chassis, but when it becomes uneconomical to upgrade the CPU, I find a "better" motherboard second-hand on eBay and switch cards.

I've learned to be careful when upgrading Dell office computers (I know yours is HP). The BIOS doesn't always accept the complete range of available processors. If you fit a CPU that isn't on the Dell support list, the PC might not power up. If you do find an i9-9900KS (or similar) make sure it's supported.

The TDP for the i9-9900KS is quoted as 127W by Intel:
https://www.intel.com/content/www/u...-16m-cache-up-to-5-00-ghz/specifications.html

The TDP for the existing i7-9700T is only 35W:
https://www.intel.com/content/www/u...o-4-30-ghz/specifications.html?wapkw=i7-9700t

I have doubts as to the ability of an HP desktop fitted with a 35W T-series CPU to cope with a 127W beast like the i9-9900KS. There might not be enough capacity in the VRM stages on the mobo and you'd probably need a bigger CPU cooler.


I might be wrong in my assumption if this article is correct, but please check BIOS compatibiilty carefully to avoid disappointment. You might need a BIOS update to cope with an i9:

https://www.hardware-corner.net/desktop-models/HP-EliteDesk-800-G5-Mini/

Processor​

The HP EliteDesk 800 G5 Mini supports Gen9 Intel Core technology. The 9th generation of Intel Core processors were released in 2018. They features [sic] the new i9-9900K flagship CPU. This is the first Intel Core i9 desktop processor targeted toward the mainstream user. The i9 has 8 cores and 16 threads. Additionally, this is the first time that Intel supports up to 128 GB of RAM for consumer CPU.
Best CPUs for HP EliteDesk 800 G5 Mini upgrade:

Model	Cores (Threads)	Base frequency	Turbo
Core i5 9500	6(6)	3.0 GHz	4.4 GHz
Core i5 9600	6(6)	3.1 GHz	4.6 GHz
Core i7 9700	6(8)	3.0 GHz	4.7 GHz
Core i9 9900	8(9)	3.1 GHz	5.0 GHz

It's vaguely possible that HP fitted higher capacity PSUs in machines they supplied with an i9. Check the rating of your PSU and if it's down in the 200 to 250W range, it might not be enough for an i9, let alone a GPU requiring a separate PCIe +12V power lead.

Since I am a 100% disabled Vietnam vet

I remember listening to stories from a Vietnam vet back in the early eighties, when we were camping in the Rockies. He took us to the top of Pike's Peak in an old big-blocky Chevvy.

 

[Imacflier]

Good Morning, Misgar.

Thanks for your concern about my planned project. What I know at this point is: The bios is compatible, HP offered an I9 (the 35 wt I-9900t) from the factory. Not to mention that I spoke with Tech Support about it!

I will use separate PSUs (ac/dc power blocks), for the cpu and gpu: a 270 wt unit from HP, and a 220 unit from Dell.

HP offers/installs a 125 wt heatsink. Since the I9-9900KS is nominally a 127 wt CPU, it should suffice until turbo-boost kicks in....and I honestly do not believe I will performing any work which needs more than the 4GHz base clock.....then good old thermal throttling

BTW, in my specific case, I already own the I9-9900KS, so it is a sunk cost and I really have nowhere else to put it!

There is no doubt that this more risky than my TVPC, but it will be more fun....even if it fails!

You know, very few Vietnam Vets are willing to talk about their service....and I am certainly not one of them. You were very fortunate to run across one who was.

Very Warm Regards,

Larry

 

[USAFRet]

One of the performance criteria specified was the ability to play games. That is why I am running an RTX 3050 over m.2. Intel's on board graphics handle most any resolution for simple display purposes.

Yes.
If you include games in the mix, the low end Beelinks are not up to the task.