First Timer Ungrading HP Pavilion

cloner8o · Jan 29, 2014

I'm kind of new to the whole PC building thing, but I do know how to keep a rig going for years on end. So I recently bought an HP Pavilion 500-164 Desktop PC from Best Buy to start with and I'm trying to upgrade the Video Graphics Card, the Case Cooling Fan, the RAM, and maybe the CPU or PSU if needed.

Right now, I'm looking at the EVGA Nvidia GeForce GT 640 as the Video Graphics Card and two 8GB sticks of Corsair Vengeance for the RAM. My price range is poor and I'm trying to keep it to a budget.

I don't know if what I'm looking at is compatible with what I have got and I'm open to any suggestions of other hardware.

Ra_V_en · Jan 29, 2014

If im correct this PC has build in GPU, check in the bios setup is it possible to switch for the other GPU instead. Branded Bioses can have a limit on that aspect, so even if you put a GPU into the PCIX slot it wont be used.

ronintexas · Jan 29, 2014

I am assuming you are gaming on the PC - 8GB of RAM should be plenty for most games - save your money there. The GPU you are looking at is a "basic gaming card" - you might want to take the money from the RAM and buy a better GPU.

On the GPU you listed, you will need to upgrade your power supply (it is 300W - EVGA recommends 350W+).

You might also want to consider a SSD drive - it will definitely speed up your computer.

cloner8o · Jan 29, 2014

ronintexas :

Currently, it has a 2 terabyte hard drive and no extra bays in the PC case. The hard drive is set up at a vertical position at the moment. And thank you for informing me about the power issue.

Daniel Sudakov · Jan 29, 2014

From my experience, OEM computers are the worst computers to upgrade. I don't know what it can do to your PC. OEM really don't want you to upgrade their computers, unless you buy their hardware. I even called them to ask about my dell vostro 430, and the whole time, they only offered my their hardware then the ones I wanted. All I wanted to know if a gtx 650 was going to be working properly without problems. They know about the motherboard I had, googling it was a pain in the ass to see if the hardware was going to working fine without bottlenecking. Then when I went to instead, buy a GTX 770, it killed my motherboard :L I threw away the motherboard, PSU, case and fans, I only have the GPU (gt 220) 8GB of ram, and a i7 870 cpu that I can't find a motherboard for it

It's not worth the money to upgrade those cheap PCs. That's just my experience with OEM PCs, and also, air intake is going to be a problem. My guess on your case, you only have a single 80mm fan. I just built my own computer and saved the pain.

cloner8o · Jan 29, 2014

Daniel Sudakov :

It has plenty of venting and a single 90mm case fan. I found out the size after trying to put in an 80mm because there was no information on the fan size to be found anywhere. But I'm use to the odd layout design due to it being AMD. Besides, I like the challenge of keeping cheap stuff living. My other computer is a Compaq Presario 6016US Desktop PC and she is still kicking today. And seeing that my new PC is an HP, information is quite easy to find... except the case fan.

HP Pavilion 500-164 Desktop PC Information.
Motherboard: MS-7778 JasmineR
Processor Upgrade info:
•TDP: up to 100 W
•Socket type: FM2
Yes, AMD does list only their CPUs on the HP support page.
Video Graphics:
•Supports PCI Express x16 graphics cards (Gen 2.0 speed)

Daniel Sudakov · Jan 29, 2014

cloner8o :

OEM's all do that to hide the real specs. It's pretty sad, all customers have the right to know what they're buying.

Ahhh the motherboard is upside down on that case, nothing to do with being a AMD, it's just HP with that design. I have a work computer like that

Did some googling on the computer. It has 8GB of ram, a a8 5500 APU (Which means it has a CPU and a GPU in one chip.) There's your graphics. It's not bad, but it'll do the job for older games.

You don't need the ram, since you have already have 8gb placed in your computer, buying new ones isn't going to make a single differences really.

Sure you think it vents everything well, but 1 single 90mm fan isn't going to do the job bring in cool air properly. Trust me, even with my pc with 4 120mm, and 2 140mm, they bring out a good amount of hot air when i'm gaming. And I have a overclocked cpu, so more heat right there. And before you upgrade anything (Which I don't recommend, but it's up to you), I first recommend a high quality power supply. At least a 80+ bronze. For the GPU, it basically has one, but you can buy the same GPU inside the APU, and you can crossfire them together to give it some more GPU performance. I think the GPU you can crossfire with that APU is the 6670. I'm not sure really, but you can get that around for under 100$.

This video explains everything what I'm talking about : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHeARjODypU

cloner8o · Jan 30, 2014

Daniel Sudakov :

"Integrated video is not available if a graphics card is installed" or so stats the HP website....
I know about the heating problem thanks to my Top Ramen cooking skills using my friends gaming laptop, and I have been made aware of the power supply issue before this post. I also bought this cheap PC so that I can get into upgrading and understanding the hardware so that I can build my own PC later on. I know that AMD has been known for generating heat when it comes to gaming, but I bought AMD simply because my Compaq is AMD and she has been running long before Circuit City closed their doors.

Right now, I can see the motherboard when shinning a light on the side vents. So I'm not that worried about the heat yet. When the time comes, I might end up buying a new desktop case to throw everything in. But for now, I'm looking into a new 90mm cooling fan. I'm also looking at a different graphics card to meet the requirements of the motherboard that supports PCI-Express 2.0 x16. I'm thinking about the EVGA nVidia GeForce 8400GS. But I'm not quite sure...

Do you have any recommendations for the PSU, like what brands I should be looking for or anything else beside being 80+ bronze?

Daniel Sudakov · Jan 30, 2014

If you crossfire the apus GPU and the same GPU it'll work with, the video says the apu will know what you're adding and when installing the drivers, the option will be available for you to crossfire. Really, you can actually get a case with more cooling options. And they will sell your fm2 chip. You can easily just buy a 40$ case, a 100$ higher quality motherboard, and a 80+ bronze PSU for under 80$. With the higher quality motherboard, you can actually have more options to upgrade. Like a higher end graphics card, like a r9 270. I'm on phone in college, so I have a terrible way of explaining and actually linking you things. When I finish and get to my work PC, I'll link you some recommended hardware.

ronintexas · Jan 30, 2014

I have purchased several HP computers in the past - and of the last 4 I purchased, all 4 are still running (laptop in 2003, 2 desktops in 2006, 1 desktop in 2008). The laptop is very slow, but still runs. All 3 desktops required a new power supply (OEM PSUs stink) - they were replaced by Corsair 430W PSUs. One two desktop mobos went bad - one in 2008 and one in 2013. Replaced the mobo and CPU, and both are working great.

The cases leave something to be desired often with ventilation, if you are looking to make a screaming machine, overclock, etc., consider a better ventilated machine.

cloner8o · Jan 30, 2014

ronintexas :

I do plan on getting a better case because I know that heat kills and that I also live in a Mojave Desert that seems more like barren wastelands to me.

I think that I've had my Compaq going since about 2002, maybe 2003 even. And although I don't really push her to the limits with high end games or demanding software, I have noticed that the some things while she is running. The noises that the Hard Drive makes such as it screaming like there's a bloody murder going on when I power up the machine or when it sounds like it's shifting gears when opening a file and even when the screensaver comes on, it sounds like an analog computer from the 60's. I wouldn't be surprised if it were to start ticking out a roll of punched paper from the Floppy Drive. But I know that this is simply due to the fact that there is no PC case cooling fan, the age, and lack of side vents too.

For the HP Pavilion 500-164 Desktop PC, using AMD hardware for not only for gaming but also video editing as well college, and that is currently running with a signal 90mm case cooling fan, what kind of specifications do you suggest that I should be focusing on while looking for a new desktop case while possibly maintaining the same height besides venting and airflow? Also, what would you recommend as a temporary solution for the meantime until that point?

cloner8o · Jan 30, 2014

Daniel Sudakov :

Thanks for helping me. I'll be looking forward to that.
And thank you for linking that informative video. I know that AMD has been odd to me in the past, but I didn't know that they did anything like that. I have always preferred a Nvidia GeForce, but now AMD is looking to be a little bit better.

ronintexas · Jan 30, 2014

I base comparisons of most processors to the Intel core i-5 3570k (this is a great overall processor for both gaming and performance) - the standard "benchmark" is 7172. Your current CPU's benchmark is 4587 - or roughly 64% of that processor. Your processor is cool enough to run in your case, adding a good GPU will definitely speed up gaming and give you the performance you want there.

The GPU you were looking at benchmarks at 500-600, where a good base gaming card rates in the 2500 range (Radeon HD 7870 runs about $200) - you will get a lot more bang for the buck with the Radeon HD 7870. You will need at least a 500W power supply for the card (which is on sale now for $159 at NewEgg - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131546&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-Video%20Cards%20-%20AMD/ATI-_-PowerColor-_-14131546&cm_sp=&AID=10440897&PID=3962334&SID=). A suggested power supply from NewEgg (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007657%20600479294&IsNodeId=1&Description=corsair%20psu&name=500W%20-%20599W&Order=BESTMATCH)

ronintexas · Jan 30, 2014

A great gaming case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=1N8-001K-00002

Daniel Sudakov · Jan 30, 2014

Alright, for the PSU, I recommend this PSU for your needs : http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-100b10500kr It's 80+ and has good ratings. I think you'll fine with 500 watts.

Case, and this case is good : http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-case-200r It's a corsair, and really good on what it does. It has good options for fans for later upgrades. For now, it's good.

Motherboard : http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-motherboard-fm2a85xag43 I really like MSI, it's a good mobo, and supports the APU socket.

The video card, you really have 2 options. You can crossfire with the card i said, or you can get a single card, powerful card. It really depends on your budget. What's your price point for a GPU?

There's nothing wrong with either graphics brands. AMD has their "price/performance" as the way people get them for. Nvidia to be honest has the drivers and temperature advantage. But costs a bit more then AMD. I prefer nvidia because of EVGA :3

cloner8o · Jan 30, 2014

Alright, so my budget isn't that great, which is why I was looking at an EVGA Nvidia GeForce GT 640 as the GPU to begin with. I saw that on the shelf over at Best Buy for about $99. But it's starting to look like $120 to about $145 is what I'll end up spending on a GPU as well the $50 to $80 for a PSU. I would love to go with a GeForce, but if it is better to crossfire with AMD, than I guess I'll have to do that.

And I want to mess with the HP before I go off and actually put together a whole new computer. So I'm not going off to buy a motherboard for awhile. But I'll keep it in mind when I get to build a custom project like that. I'm more likely to end up transferring everything into a new case if it starts getting too tight or a little hot in the current box.

Also, I heard that Corsair is a good brand. I planned on getting 8GB sticks of Corsair Vengeance RAM before this thread and now I'm looking at a Corsair PSU http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139050

cloner8o · Jan 30, 2014

ronintexas :

I'm looking at the second Corsair PSU listed on that page and I'm planning to get it.
I also checked out that GPU and the reviews didn't make it out to sound all that well.

What if I were to add an AMD A8-6600K APU to my computer instead of the current AMD A8-6500 APU? Although they both have the same AMD Radeon HD 8570D GPU, would it help in anyway? And I know that this might be a step in the wrong direction, but would it be better if I were to use the AMD CrossFireX support with something like an AMD Radeon HD 7750 GPU? It's a little bit more in my price range...

ronintexas · Jan 31, 2014

Your CPU isn't "that low on the totem pole" - while it isn't a top performer, it isn't ready for the trash heap either. Unless you are planning to play the latest and greatest games out there at 60 fps, it should be a solid CPU for a while if you are on a budget.

GPU upgrades will give you the biggest performance gain in games (where fps is a consideration).

Overall system performance, SSD drives give you the biggest bang for the buck.

My biggest gripe with the HP computers was their power supplies.

cloner8o · Feb 1, 2014

I just want to be able to play games at a medium graphics setting and get some practice in upgrading the hardware.
I am now thinking that at one point, sooner or later, I might replace the current 2TB Hard Drive with a 2TB SSD Drive due to the fact that the MS-7778 JasmineR motherboard doesn't support more than one Hard Drive and the PC case lacks room for additional drives as well. I guess that I'll reformat the 2TB Hard Drive and throw it into the Compaq if I can. But that won't be for awhile. And yes, I do have to agree with you, HP is greedy when it comes to the power supplies. They only give you enough juice to run what came in the box.

First Timer Ungrading HP Pavilion

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