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Help me upgrade my hp H8-1300Z

post #1 of 18
8/19/12 at 2:43pm
Thread Starter 
I just purchased a hp h8-1300z. I got a great deal on it. I maxed out the warranty and only upgraded the psu, the wifi/bt module and the usb ports on the front of the machine. The logic was I can do the rest, memory, ssd, graphics, cooling etc.

Can you take a look at this build and make recommendations as how to efficiently and effectively bring this thing to another level? It will be a multi-purpose machine, but I do want to game and overclock a little.

If you guys have good ideas, then I'll start with this as my base model and work from there. The PSU is 600 watt, so I think I'm ok with upgrading the graphics heavily. My worry was the mobo is older and pcie 2.0.

I paid about 700 for the machine but the warranty was almost 200 bucks and it covers 4 years. I am aware if I modify the machine I may have difficulty with warranty coverage. That said, what Ideas do you guys have?

HP Pavilion HPE h8-1300z Desktop PC
• Windows 7 Home Premium [64-bit]
• AMD FX-6120 six-core processor [3.6GHz, 6MB L2/8MB L3 Cache]
• FREE UPGRADE to 6GB DDR3-1600MHz SDRAM [2 DIMMs] from 4GB
• 1TB 7200 rpm SATA hard drive
• No secondary hard drive
• Microsoft(R) Office Starter: reduced-functionality Word & Excel w/ ads. No PowerPoint or Outlook
• No additional security software
• 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT620 [DVI, HDMI, VGA via Adapter]
• 600W Power supply
• SuperMulti DVD Burner
• Premium Wireless-N LAN card and Bluetooth(R )(2x2)
• 15-in-1 memory card reader, 4 USB 2.0 (front), 2 USB 3.0 (top)
• No TV Tuner
• Beats Audio (tm) -- integrated studio quality sound
• HP wireless keyboard and wireless optical mouse
• FREE Adobe(R) Premiere Elements & Photoshop 10 [$149 value]


Thank you
Edited by yakaway - 8/20/12 at 2:02pm
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post #2 of 18
8/19/12 at 2:51pm
Looks fine just wait for 78xx series to be lowered then grab one .iwouldnt touch the rest. .diminishing return and all that.
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post #3 of 18
8/19/12 at 3:14pm
Thread Starter 
I sincererly appreciate the comment however I think the graphics card needs attention and I am considering a SSD drive. Likely the samsung 830 256gb drive.

Any recommendations for memory, graphics, cooling, blu ray etc?

I'm considering a GeForce gtxt670 graphics. Not sure if it's overboard for this machine though.
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post #4 of 18
8/19/12 at 3:20pm
You might want to look into the recently released gtx660ti if you think the 670 would be overkill. Also, the 830 is a solid SSD, and it'll be a huge upgrade in speed from just the 7200rpm HD smile.gif
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post #5 of 18
8/19/12 at 3:27pm
Thread Starter 
I may get this 670, 4 gig card vs teh 680. Thoughts?

http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-SuperClocked-Dual-Link-Graphics-04G-P4-2673-KR/dp/B007Z3HZLM/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top


I am concerned about heat. Of couse I will need a good fan for the chip but I may need to upgrade the stock fans or cooling system.

If you have any ideas that might work for this hp desktop, I'd be happy to hear about them.

thanks!
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post #6 of 18
8/20/12 at 10:57am
Thread Starter 
Tigerdirect.com has the VisionTek Radeon HD 7970 for 359.99 with coupon code DCZ69391


Do you think I should just go for that? The pice seems good.
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post #7 of 18
8/20/12 at 11:57am
I think a 7970 would be overkill for this PC. A 78XX or a 660 would probably be better choice. Also, the bios is probably locked on your PC.

What do you plan on using it for and @ what resolution?
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post #8 of 18
8/20/12 at 12:52pm
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When you say too much, how so do you mean? I was planning on using msi afterburner to oc the machine and while the cpu cannot be overclocked due to a locked bios, I still am unsure exactly how you mean.

The cost for the card is a few buck more than the options you provided. I do think that the options you mention are great cards and I will consider it, however I was hoping you could elaborate more as to why the 79870 or 680 would be too much.

With the stock processor and ram, an added ssd and one of those cards, I think I'd get great if not stellar performance.

thanks,
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post #9 of 18
8/20/12 at 6:35pm
Replace the GPU with whatever fits your budget and that's all. You probably can't OC much if at all on an HP motherboard, so I recommend not trying. THAT will probably void your warranty and be risky. I also wouldn't trust the power supply too far (600w means next to nothing without knowing the manufacturer).

pci-e 2.0 vs 3.0 doesn't matter at all for your purposes. Ignore that completely.

If you ever have warranty-type problems, just replace the new video card with the old one and pretend you never replaced it.

As for GPU... hoo boy... do not get that 670. Graphics cards aren't overpowered for the machine, they're over or under-powered for the MONITOR. Specifically, monitor resolution (NOT size). Also, VRAM size doesn't not indicate performance (meaning that 4gb 670 is a total waste of money unless you're playing on a triple-monitor configuration).

Get a (2gb) 670 if your budget extends to $400. Get a 660ti if your budget extends to $300 (I think there's some MSI ones with a custom fan at $300?). Get a 7850 if you want to pay about $220.

No other changes needed. Though you can add a 128gb SSD. Choose one from the following brands:
Plextor M3
Samsung 830
Corsair Performance Pro (NOT other corsairs)
Crucial m4
Intel 520
Intel 330.

P.S.
If you can return the HP for a full refund, you can do better building yourself. If not, don't worry about it.
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post #10 of 18
8/20/12 at 6:45pm
Thread Starter 
Hi Misterfred. Thank you for your great input. I got a really really great deal on the hp desktop. I'll spare you the details. The options were to build that machine up or to build another one. I think that, eventhough I cannot oc the chip, I can still uprade the graphics, add ssd, blu-ray, and be happy with that.

The psu is 600 watts and on their site, that machine can be built with Radeon HD 7950 (3 GB) . That's a pretty heavy card, so I have less concerns about the psu being able to keep up, so to speak.

I am with you about the monitor. I will be using either a 1080p screen or getting the acer 23 inch, which would be fine.

Thank you for the point about the vram. I'll look at the three cards you recommended.

Thank you again for your input. I will go with the samsung 830. That one seems to be the best for my needs.

If I'm missing anything, please let me know.
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