HP RP5700 Graphics Card

[EdVicker]

Hello,

I read a thread started by Hugebee regarding this computer which like him I bought from a going out of business sale at Borders book store.

I was hoping to use this computer to stream HD media from the net or play blue ray discs on my HDTV. Would any of the products below work?

Radeon HD4350 X1 Pcie 512MB DDR2 DMS59 SFFB2 or

StarTech.com PCI Express X1 to X16 Low Profile Slot Extension Adapter (PEX1TO162)

Thanks everyone,
Ed.

 

[Archean]

Can you link us to the specs page? What is the casing type i.e. midtower/or desktop ?

I could find this on HP's site but not sure it is what you are describing:
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/en/WF06a/12454-12454-64287-321881-3328896-3375897.html

 

[EdVicker]

Thank you for your replies.

Here is the link to HP's page:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/CoreRedirect.jsp?redirectReason=DocIndexPDF&prodSeriesId=3375926&targetPage=http%3A%2F%2Fbizsupport2.austin.hp.com%2Fbc%2Fdocs%2Fsupport%2FSupportManual%2Fc01082180%2Fc01082180.pdf

Page 19 describes the ADD2 & PCI X1 card for the computer.

Also, there was another thread on this forum but was closed before I could add to it & here's the link:

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/273535-28-please-help-noob-question.

I did some research after I read all replies before I posed my own questions which you all replied.

Thanks again,
Ed.

 

[Archean]

Thanks for the link.

You will surely need a PCI-E x16 to x1 connector to connect any of the modern graphic cards, which will set you back by 25$ or so.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815158285

But the one issue which I can see is the slot on this converter card is placed sideways, so it comes down to how much space do you have inside this box, also it will most likely block other slots (i.e. PCI).

This Radeon HD 5570, should be sufficient for all your needs:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131342

You'll end up spending roughly 70$ (after mail-in rebate). Hope this will be helpful. Regards

 

[EdVicker]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.

It sounds like I need to convert the PCIe x1 to a x6. Do you think the StarTech.com PCI Express X1 to X16 Low Profile Slot Extension Adapter would also work? It allows the card to sit vertical instead of horizontal.

http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-Express-Profile-Extension-PEX1TO162/dp/B0039XPS5W

Now the Radeon HD 5570 you suggested sounds great & for a reasonable price too. It has DDR3 memory. Would that be incompatible w/the computer which runs on DDR2?

Thanks,
Ed.

 

[Archean]

It would be much better option to have a vertical x16/x1 adapter, so go ahead and get that startech one.

vRam (i.e. Graphic Card RAM) type doesn't have anything to do with the main system RAM. GDDRx (x = number, e.g. GDDR3 or GDDR5) is developed/optimized separately for graphic cards only, then there are differences in operating voltages, latencies and burst lengths, and cell layout etc. If you want to read a little on GDDR, here is a link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GDDR5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GDDR3

 

[EdVicker]

Thanks for your reply & links.

Does the amount of RAM (i.e. 512MB vs 1GB) on the graphics card matter to stream video or use a BD writer on an HDTV?

Also, with the power to this computer limited to 240W, I wondered whether a fan would increase power consumption. Thus I found this one w/ASUS which doesn't have a fan:

www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121447&Tpk=ASUS EAH5450 SILENT%2fDI%2f1GD3%2fV2(LP)

Thanks,
Ed.

 

[Archean]

Larger frame buffer is generally helpful for playing games at higher resolution. For simple tasks like video playback / streaming even 512MB will do the job.

I think your PSU could be an issue if paired with HD 5450 or 5570. AMD says ( http://www.amd.com/us/products/desktop/graphics/ati-radeon-hd-5000/hd-5570/Pages/hd-5570-overview.aspx#3 ) these cards needs 300W and 400W PSU (lesser PSU with 32 Amps on 12V rail should be able to do just fine). So, that lead us to another issue, i.e PSU requirement, especially one which can fit in your PC. What say you on the issue of replacement of PSU ?

 

[EdVicker]

Hi,

If 512MB will do the job I will go with that.

The PSU will be an issue because it is only 240W. Can I just put in one w/more power? What do I need to watch for? If space is an issue perhaps I can modify the case a little.

What do you think?

Ed.

 

[Archean]

Hi sorry I've been pretty busy with things lately so haven't had the chance to reply to your question. There will be a part number on your computer's PSU, it can help us find a compatible PSU for your PC.

 

[EdVicker]

Hi,

I've been plenty busy too. Thanks for your interest, still.

Here is the link to HP PartSurfer for the computer

http://partsurfer.hp.com/Search.aspx?searchText=+RT980UT


It lists all the parts & the PSU number is 445771-001. I've done some research & 240W is the limit on this PSU. I've looked inside the computer case & it looked cramped. I don't think a micro ATX PSU will even fit in it. If you have some ideas, please let me know.

I've looked in HP's forum to see if any posed a similar question b/c Borders Books stores are closing everywhere & I'm sure others also bought these computers too. So voila:

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktop-Hardware/What-video-cards-are-compatible-with-an-HP-RP-5700/td-p/537683

So posted my same question as here & Frank's posted a reply -- 4th one from the bottom -- is interesting. He stated, "While the Startech solution may work, it is unlikely that you will gain much of the performance you expect to see. Using an adapter like that is analogous to taking 16 lanes of high speed freeway traffic and put it all on a one lane road." This got me thinking & researching some more towards PCI x1 instead.

I found the Zotac card:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500164

I posted my findings on the HP forum & Frank replied:

"... the ZOTAC ION doesn't state a minimum PSU requirement but does claim to consume 18watts, which should be doable in your system."

So, what are your thoughts?

I booted up the computer finally & found that it will only go to the Border Kiosk program. It won't even let me go to task manager to end the program. I went to Safe Mode & it just gives me a black screen w/the usual Safe Mode borders. So, I'm not sure what to do, exactly. This is like buying a used car & finding out more issues w/it. But I'm learning a lot about computer hardware though.

Also, the computer runs XP Business Professional. I'm not sure if it has any bearing on what I'd like to do. I am anticipating having to upgrade to another OS for to play media on the computer.

Thank you for your interest & help,
Ed.

 

[Archean]

Have a look at the back of your system, it probably will have a sticker stating WinXP's serial /license details etc. If they are present you can re-install OS by using the key (provided you can find someone to loan you the media in the first place).

Secondly, as we were mainly focusing on getting this thing to play videos / Blue ray etc. my thinking was that these low end cards will at least be able to do that even when used with a x16 to x1 converter. Although, you wouldn't be able to game much anyway. So IMO it is worth a try (as long as the cost is low).

 

[EdVicker]

I've been busy, but last night I stayed up to tinker with the RP7000. I was able to get recovery disks with Vista Business specifically for the RP7000 from eBay as a back up plan. In the end, I wasn't able to stop the Border's Kiosk program from working. I tried msconfig and other DOS ways but I didn't have the security level to do it.

So, I put the recovery disks to work. It reformatted the hd & re-installed Windows Vista for Business without any programs from Borders.

I ordered the Zotac GPU & will give an update when I install it.

Wish me luck,
Ed.

 

[Archean]

Please do so.

 

[EdVicker]

Hi,

With your help, I got the computer to work on our HDTV. The picture is great!!!

These are the following steps:
1. Reinstalled Vista Business via HP's recovery discs (in my case) or computer restore.
2. Installed Avast anti-virus.
3. The Vista OS that came with the computer was pretty old. I hooked the computer up to the internet & use Windows Update to get Vista totally updated.
4. Downloaded NVIDIA most recent driver for the Zotac GPU (280.26-desktop-win7-winvista-32bit-english-whql) from the NVIDIA website.
5. Increased RAM to 3Gb. One 1Gb existing DIMM + Corsair ValueSelect 2 GB (2 X 1 GB) PC2-5300 667 MHz 240-PIN DDR2 Memory Kit. I didn't know the computer has 4 DIMM slots.
6. Installed the ZOTAC GeForce GT218 (ION) 512MB DDR3 DVI/HDMI PCI Express 1 Graphics Card, ION-GPU-A-E into the computer.
7. Hook the computer up to our HDTV via HDMI cable.
8. Installed the 280.26 driver for the GPU.
9. Configure the settings for the HDTV.
10. Hook the ethernet line onto the computer & voila.

I've been testing it out on Hulu, & NBC & got great pictures. I watched some of The Matrix DVD using VLC instead of RealPlayer or Window Media Player. They both produced pictures that were jittery.

I'm considering getting a Rii Mini Wireless Keyboard, but I'm not sure how well it will be suited for controlling the computer. I'd welcome your input.

This little project wouldn't have been successful without the support & guidance from Archean here & Frank at the HP forum.

I'm sure there are many people out there who bought these computers at the Borders Bookstore's going out of business sale. If you want to turn it into a media computer, this would be one way of doing it. The whole thing cost $200.

I have no idea how it would do playing video games because I'm not using this computer for that purpose.

Thanks again,
Ed.

 

[EdVicker]

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