Upgrading the HP z440 makes for a solid budget PC build, and the performance may surprise you. Specs - Xeon e5-2667 v3 (8 cores), 32 GB DDR4 2133mhz RAM, GTX 1070 GPU. Serious budget gaming.
Found you video’s recently, really enjoying them and you style is bit different which is refreshing. These sort of builds are always more interesting than slapping brand new parts together IMO.
Love your vids! Just found this and immediately caught my attention due to Z440, which is my daily driver I bought from my friend couple years ago. I run it with e5 1660 v4 and RX 6600 XT, and it run almost everything perfectly!
I appreciate that, thank you! That sounds like an awesome setup. I'm really liking the z440s too, they are super versatile, reasonably priced. A lot of fun.
Dunno how I landed here. I mean yeah it my type of content, but never heared of this channel. I normally never write comments on big channels, because I think they will get lost anyway. But I really like the videos here. Kinda unique style. Doing stuff like this my self. If you do it good and can resell some of your projects you can klimb up the price letter of your items. But the process kinda keeps the same.
Yeah I use most of the computers I mess with. I enjoy doing projects like this so when I do sell my computers it's not really to profit, it's just so I can get more hardware/do more projects and such.
Just stumbled upon this video and your channel and I absolutely loved the video I love your sense of humor too haha it's awesome, definitely gonna keep up with your videos now :D
This is badass. Keep making videos! Maybe even more lighting outside of the close ups? The close up lighting was great. But maybe an even bigger light or set up for the standing and talking parts? Either way this is awesome. I like your attitude and your humour haha! Keep it up! 🙌
Thank you, I appreciate that! And I'm with you on the lighting. I'm looking into getting a better lighting setup, probably will need to grab a better camera eventually as well. Nothing crazy but the one I'm using is pretty minimal. 🙂
Absolutely hilarious video. Definitely earned a subscription. I 100% agree with everything you've said (I've also been saying as much for years), and coupled with your unique flair and humor this channel definitely immediately jumped up to one of my favorite tech channels full-stop. My YT channel is rather small currently (and not up to my quality standards at all, plus it's dead thanks to moving out of state XD), but this channel has definitely inspired me. Great content! Super eager to watch more.
Thanks for making this video. I wasn't aware of the Z440 platform and its potential. I'll have to show this video to my nephew that's interested in a PC. However, I'm more thankful for Chair-Desk. I feel like I've gained +5 to "Awesomeness" for witnessing it.
I've been rocking this system for a whole year now and I love it though the main reason it's hard to hold up compared to the new systems with their superior cpus. Though I more or less want a case swap for mine it's just no one has done it before.
yup keep up the great work!!! Like i said try the dell precision they are easier to work in.. plus they have modular supplies... mine came with 685 but u can get 825 or 1300 and their fricken cheap AF ... i just needed to add an exhaust fan, when I added my 1080ti.... ooo yeah and the dell comes with 2 6 pin pcie cables for gpu... with another unpopulated 8 pin on the dell poweredge connecter
That fluid on the gpu could also be from leaky caps. Great build. Unfortunately dealers have jumped on the bandwagon and you'll be lucky to buy a bare bones for $50. At least in the UK they range from £120-200 on ebay now. So that stings a bit after buying the upgrades.
Q: if I add a 1080ti gpu which is 2- 8pin sockets for my z440 then I have to buy 2-6pin to 8 pin connectors, right? Will any do or are there ones I definitely have to buy like HP OEM connectors?
I think it would be fun to cluster a bunch of these z440 computers together into a supercomputer... I'm not sure what I'd use it for, but I think it would be fun.
Took out the quadro 600 and replaced it on my z420 -2690 i bought yesterday and it has a 600 w cpu but it wont boot with the radeon hd 7770 2gb card, i plugged in the 6 pin connector but it only beeps for times and the power button flashes red and turns of ...why wont it accept that simple card if the Power Supply is original 600 w ? It boots with the quadro card tho...please help me i bought it for my son to game i we were planning to get an even better graphic card than mine we tested with from my old htpc , so please help why won't it boot with another card ...?
hey bro i hope you are well. can you help me i want to install nvidia rtx 3070 in hp z640. and can we change the power supply in it.. The whole spice that is coming is the 8 pin connector inside the graphics card which is not there in this machine.. then what do i do and how to install.. Plz help me thanks..
Could you explain more about the issue with the power adapter for the GPU you mentioned? I was thinking about getting a 1070 for my T5500, and doing the same dual 6 pin to 8 pin. Thanks.
Yeah, for sure. The dual 6 pin to single 8 pin should be fine, but the reason I mention it is that, just in general, most of the research I do says to avoid using any kind of adapters with a PSU. Usually this has to do with people trying to force power where they shouldn't. Though I've also heard of poorly made adapters getting too hot and melting down, stuff like that. It also might just be some people being overly cautious, at least when it comes to this adapter specifically. The one I've been using has worked fine so far, I haven't felt it get too hot or anything. Technically speaking everything lines up power-wise, (dual 75w to 150w). Also, I've seen GPUs that come with that kind of adapter in the box when you buy them. So everything points to it being perfectly fine, it's possible that I just worry a bit too much. 🙂
I have almost the same setup, but kept the 525w power supply with a GTX1070 by crimping an 8 pin power connector in place of the hard drive power cables. Perfectly stable.
Interesting! That sounds pretty tight. A while ago I was trying to find a cable that might connect the 6pin SATA power out (that many of the older HP models have) to 8pin PCIe. I figured since it is running 3-4 SATA cables from that 6pin connector on the board, that it should have enough juice. But I couldn't find anything relevant, all the results were giving me 6pin PCIe to 8pin PCIe which is not what I wanted. I'm actually not even sure what that 6pin SATA power out is technically, ATX? Any way sounds like you were able to just make something for yourself, that really is awesome.
I love tinkering with old tech as well but more so for VR testing. Recently tried to play VRChat on and old AM3 DDR2 machine with 8 GB of 1066 RAM and a Phenom ii x4 940 that came with a RX 480 8GB i snagged off a coworker for 100 bucks. The game just refuses to run haha. Other DX 12 games though work and run with no issues and surprisingly really well on a 2009 rig. Though when it comes to office machine conversions to gaming machines I find I have too many lenovos lol.. i should sell em or something xD
Awesome. I've never really had a chance to get into VR, that sounds like a lot of fun though. And I'm right there with you on having too many upgraded office PCs 🙂. I've been selling off a few of mine here and there, but that's mainly just so I can buy more of them and do more projects. It is a vicious cycle 😂
I have a 36 core z840 that performs well and got a z6 that im gonna top off with 48 cores and see how it does. never had a problem w these work stations.
Hi! Help me, please. I just bought an RTX 3060 GPU and it requires an additional 8-pin power supply from the PSU. However, it doesn't have one, but there are two 6-pins that I have plugged into the front panel audio. Can I use them with a 2x 6-pin to 8-pin adapter?
Generally, the dual 6-pin PCIe to 8-pin adapters are ok to use. Typically, you want to use caution with power adapters, but each 6-pin carries 75 watts and the 8 pin is a 150 watt draw. So they do have enough power and are pretty common. I've used them in the past as well. If you do grab one, I would just say try to look for a reputable brand and keep an eye on it when you are first using it and whatnot. From what I've seen they seem to be fine. Hope that helps!
I use an "old" Workstation from Lenovo for the last years, 2* 8 cores/16threads Xeons, 16GB RAM per CPU, upgraded SSD and an NVidia 1050ti and an USB3 upgrade-card. Runs really smooth, not as fast as a modern build, but it is silent and built like a tank.
That's awesome. I really like the idea of keeping older hardware alive, keeping it from going to waste. It's a big part of why I do these projects, I end up using most of the computers like the one in this vid. I like the sound of that setup 🙂
I have one of these relics. Best $240 au I ever spent. Ran a E5 1620 v4 16 GB ram 256 g ssd. Quadro k2200. Since upgraded to E5 2680 v3 64 GB 500 GB nvme pcie. 700 watt PSU. Had to buy ram cooler for $70 au. Yet to upgrade GPU. All up I spent a further $150 au. I only upgraded because it was so simple. Cheers.
Awesome, that sounds like a pretty sweet setup. I had the same issue with the cooling, getting the BIOS message because I'm using every RAM slot. Haven't got the RAM fan yet, so instead I just forced an extra case fan in there using the Molex connection and rigged it together with double sided tape 😂. Actually works pretty well for extra cooling, but I still get the "please get a memory fan" message.
Just ordered a z440 for $220 with 1650v4, 32GB ram, 700 watt psu and a 512GB SSD with windows 10 Pro on it. I will be taking my other SSDs out of my current i5 2500k system and rx 6650 xt! Question is can I use any m.2 adapter if I want to add a nvme drive?
Nice, sounds like a solid build. And yes, you should be able to use an m.2 to PCIe adapter, that's what I have going on with mine. There is something called the "HP Z Turbo Drive" specifically made for them, that is usually like 15 bucks on eBay. That's what I use, but I imagine any generic m.2 to PCIe should work.
@@LowcastleTech Do you have it as a boot drive? Anything special to get it as the boot drive? Also is this the adapter HP Z Turbo G2 M.2 PCIe Adapter Card 742006-003.
Does it have USB3, if not, then that 1x slot and missing plate at the top is a perfect place to add it Also, looking up the options, it's "how many cores do you want", with that 8 core being 200Mhz base / 100Mhz peak below the 6 core, with the 10 core dropping another 200MHz The "uniprocessor" E5-1860 V3 is 100MHz better for an 8 core, but I'm betting the "dual CPU" E5-2667 V3 is way cheaper and more available as server pulls
It does have USB 3, but thanks for the tip, I have a lot of old hardware so can always use suggestions 🙂. And yeah, as far as the CPU there are a bunch of options with the older Xeons, but I was trying to focus more on price/budget for this build, and landed on the 2667 mostly because they are super cheap. Thank you for dropping a comment!
🙂 I have a Z200 in my library, its a regular consumer first gen i series platform, it can take i3 and i5 and i7 and some Xeons, rite out of the box, no bios update needed
I've thought about trying a standard PSU, and it looks like it might be possible, but there are a few potential issues. One is that you would need a couple adapters. A 24 pin to 18 and an 8 pin to 12, to feed both non-standard power connectors on the board. While they do make these, using any kind of adapter for power is generally discouraged as it may cause issues. Also, there is the weird proprietary shape of the z440 PSU, which is frustrating. While it may be possible to cut/modify the case manually, this would likely be a challenge. So it looks like it is possible, with a standard PSU that had enough connectors/adapters but I haven't tried it yet, and is difficult to say how it would go, and how it would pan out long term.
@@LowcastleTech Thanks for the response, and great vid. Halfway tempted to pick up one of these. I've always been fascinated by xeons, and the fact you can get the memory for so cheap on top of that is a big selling point.
@@steamedauroraborealis8208 No problem, thank you for watching! And yeah I've really been liking this model so far. A lot of Xeon options, almost all of them super cheap. And like you said, RAM is not bad either. Solid budget machines.
@@LowcastleTech Since you're the only other person I've found who seems to know about this system, can I make a request for a future video? Hell, forget the video, I just want advice on something. I've migrated my z440 to a consumer PC case, an antec 900, and I'm trying to iron out every kink and incompatibility. The biggest one by far though is the power switch. the z440 has a power button mounted to the motherboard in the back, which I've been using, but having the case button would be such an improvement. the back's kinda hard to access for me. Issue is, the z440 is designed for an entire PCB-mounted front panel, and no-one anywhere as far as I can tell has figured out which 2 pins are the power switch pins. I'd use trial and error, except that the front panel PCB has USB 2 and sound in it as well, so shorting the wrong pins will send 5v power directly into a data pin. You probably know a fair bit more about computers in general than I do, and have roots in the right hobbyist forums, is there any way you can think of to find the pinout?
@@curvingfyre6810 I had this exact same problem with the HP prodesk G1, they have the weird proprietary pinout that's like impossible to find information on. Even read through the motherboard manual and couldn't find it. I eventually was able to get it working for that machine, let me make sure it's the same on the z440 and that I still have the generic power button laying around. If so, i'll make a quick video on it. maybe post it later this evening as a short or something. I'll post the link here once I get it (assuming it is the same).
@@curvingfyre6810 Hey, if you still need z440 pinout for generic power button, I just dropped a short. ru-vid.comTVL7DCAVog4?feature=share hope that helps!
Spent more of a motherboard for my Skylake desktop But the desktop was free and was already a moderate gaming pc You'll be surprised what you can get when you just ask your friends. I was about to build a pretty crappy PC but my friend gave me his old broken desktop which I couldn't have thought about otherwise
I think a RTX 3060 or RX 6600 XT would pair nicely with this setup. Had seen another channel (Miyconst) where an identical Xeon setup was paired with a RX 5700 XT with no issues.
That does sound pretty tight. I focus a lot on tightening down budget builds, but one day I'm going to have to grab a decent card like one of those and give it a shot. Would be cool to push it to the upper limits and see what it can really do.
Thank you! Typically you can just go to google and search for "name of your motherboard + socket type", or type name of your board along with "compatible processors" or something like that. Also, a lot of manufacturers have spec sheets for their motherboards that will include info like compatible processors on their websites.
I don't have a spare chair, but I can put a computer ATX box on my lap while sitting on a chair. Does that count? It's quite hot though.......and my legs hurt now.........and I need a wee. Edit: you really don't need to spend $1.5/2k+ to just play games, most mid range sytems is all you need.
Yeah it can be hit or miss. I got this and another one for $50 US. They were practically a barebones type deal, and I haven't seen them that cheap since. But, I usually try to check a lot and stay aware of the specs as well. For example, I just got another z440 (I may have a problem 😂). It cost a good bit more, at around $150 US. But it had a decent GPU, 32 GB RAM, and the 700 watt PSU. All things that are necessary, that the $50 deal didn't come with. I'd say the key for me has been to check obsessively, and keep an eye on the specs most importantly. Finding a good component to price balance can be just as good as finding something super cheap.
I have a z440 but my idiot friend lost the ram sticks when the motherboard killed itself. Great machine just can’t find ram that’s compatible Lucky me… 😤
That sucks. I was able to find some on eBay. DDR4 2133, it has to be the ECC version though. Sometimes it will pop up for pretty cheap, but fluctuates just like pretty much any other used equipment. Sorry to hear that though!
It's just the HP Z Turbo drive thing. Not as fast with the adapter, but it is still a lot faster than a 2.5" SSD (or at least the specs say it is). Seems to have better performance.
