Helping friend try to upgrade their prebuilt HP Compaq 8200 Elite SFF PC

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unknownside

Apr 4, 2018
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System Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard
System Model: HP Compaq 8200 Elite SFF PC
BIOS: Default System BIOS
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2500 CPU @ 3.30GHz (4 CPUs), ~3.3GHz
Memory: 8192MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 8080MB RAM
Chipset: Intel® Q67 Express Chipset (Intel BD82Q67 PCH)
Card name: Intel(R) HD Graphics
Manufacturer: Intel Corporation
Chip type: Intel(R) HD Graphics Family
DAC type: Internal
Display Memory: 1696 MB
Dedicated Memory: 64 MB
Shared Memory: 1632 MB

I'm still a bit new to computer hardware but I'm trying to see if there's any way to upgrade the graphics card on my friends HP Compaq 8200 Elite Small Form Factor PC.

The biggest problem I've seen so far is it has a 240w PSU and from my research doesn't appear to be up-gradable from the prebuilt model. Most graphics cards worth anything appear to need a minimum of 300w +.

So is it worth/possible to upgrade it at this point? Or could we even rebuild the machine into a bigger case and save the CPU/RAM etc and go from there?

Also If you need any more info please let me know and thanks ahead of time! (Also first post)

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c02781693
(This is the link to HP's site with computer series' specs).
 
Solution
dudmont
Pull the PSU out and measure it. Just because they say it's not up-gradable, doesn't make it so. Dimensions matter more. Get the exact dimensions and then you know what you're dealing with. If it's really small, and it probably is, that doesn't mean an SFX size wouldn't fit. Silverstone sells a whole bunch of small form factor PSUs, as do some other companies.
As far as the rest of the system, that cpu is still fairly capable(tier 2 on the CPU chart http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cpu-hierarchy,4312.html). While I wouldn't pair it with a 1080ti, it would work fine with a 980 or a 1060 class card thus giving you nice 1080p class performance. The other thing to really look at is getting a SSD for the boot drive. If the...
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jacobweaver800

jacobweaver800

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Dec 15, 2017
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Well, it depends. My old PC has a 250w PSU and I have an old Radeon HD 6350 wich is a low watt card and it perfectly fine, however it isn't much better than the integrated graphics on my A8 5500 APU. It all depends on what type of experience your friend is wanting with the new graphics. There are tons of cheap low watt cards on Ebay that would run in there. If he's looking to do any better than low-medium in games at around 30-40 FPS then you'll need to get a new PSU and replace the case.
 
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dudmont

dudmont

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Feb 23, 2015
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Pull the PSU out and measure it. Just because they say it's not up-gradable, doesn't make it so. Dimensions matter more. Get the exact dimensions and then you know what you're dealing with. If it's really small, and it probably is, that doesn't mean an SFX size wouldn't fit. Silverstone sells a whole bunch of small form factor PSUs, as do some other companies.
As far as the rest of the system, that cpu is still fairly capable(tier 2 on the CPU chart http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cpu-hierarchy,4312.html). While I wouldn't pair it with a 1080ti, it would work fine with a 980 or a 1060 class card thus giving you nice 1080p class performance. The other thing to really look at is getting a SSD for the boot drive. If the budget allows, that would really jazz the machine up.
So, to answer the other part of the question, about moving the system to a new case with a new PSU, it depends on several factors. Do the motherboard offsets line up? Do the slots line up properly? IF you have a spare case lieing around that handles standard ATX mobo, then, with that trusty tape measure, you could do some measuring and be able to answer exactly if everything will line up. The mobo offsets don't all have to work, but you need the vast majority to work or your mobo is asking for trouble.
 
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Solution
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unknownside

Apr 4, 2018
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Thanks for the answers so far, they've been a huge help. I will measure everything and hopefully checking the PC in person in a few days. The only other quick questions I have is, I've been searching for low watt graphics cards but almost all of them give a 300watt minimum, if I'm unable to find one that specifically says 240 minimum will a 300watt graphics card work? or am I gonna short out their power supply?
 
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jacobweaver800

jacobweaver800

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Dec 15, 2017
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My 6350 is a 300w minimum card and it runs stably on a 220w PSU. MOST 300w minimum cards will run just fine on a lower wattage PSU. Although, if your friend wants to have a half decent gaming experience your going to need to get a better PSU since most high end cards can draw 300w alone.
 
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