....and now it's upgrade time for the Pavilion desktop : new GPU + CPU!

[MikeWalsh]

Right, guys'n'gals.

I found some spare time this afternoon, so.....I thought I'd tackle this wee upgrade job.

The heatsink took a bit of figuring out. That was my first experience of an Intel heatsink, AND the screw-down variety.

The last one I changed - several years ago, now - was the old K8-series AMD Athlon64....a single-core to a dual-core X2 on a Socket 939 board. Massive great square lump of aluminium, and heavy-duty over-centre spring clips onto locking latches. By comparison, the Intel set-ups seem almost "delicate". It's MOST disconcerting, though of course power consumption is so much lower than it used to be, years ago. "Sipping" the juice, rather than "guzzling" the stuff like there was no tomorrow...

Lololol!!

Here's CPU-X (our version of CPU-Z, of course):-

.....and an Inxi readout (for those that prefer such things):-

System:    Host: MiqBP64Pup Kernel: 5.4.53 x86_64 bits: 64 gcc: 9.3.0 Desktop: JWM 2.3.7
           Distro: bionicpup64 8.0
Machine:   Device: desktop System: HP product: HP Pavilion Desktop 590-p0xxx serial: <filter>
           Mobo: HP model: 843B v: 00 serial: <filter> UEFI [Legacy]: AMI v: F.31 date: 05/27/2019
CPU:       6 core Intel Core i7-8700 (-MT-MCP-) arch: Skylake rev.10 cache: 12288 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 38399
           clock speeds: max: 3700 MHz 1: 3700 MHz 2: 3700 MHz 3: 3700 MHz 4: 3701 MHz
           5: 3701 MHz 6: 3700 MHz 7: 3700 MHz 8: 3702 MHz 9: 3700 MHz 10: 3702 MHz 11: 3700 MHz
           12: 3702 MHz
Graphics:  Card: NVIDIA GP108 [GeForce GT 1030] bus-ID: 01:00.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.20.8
           drivers: nvidia (unloaded: modesetting) FAILED: fbdev,vesa,nouveau
           Resolution: [email protected]
           OpenGL: renderer: GeForce GT 1030/PCIe/SSE2
           version: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 450.57 Direct Render: Yes
Audio:     Card-1 Intel Cannon Lake PCH cAVS driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1f.3
           Card-2 NVIDIA GP108 High Def. Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 01:00.1
           Card-3 Logitech driver: USB Audio usb-ID: 001-006
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k5.4.53
Network:   Card-1: Realtek RTL8822BE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac WiFi adapter
           driver: rtw_pci port: 4000 bus-ID: 03:00.0
           IF: wlan0 state: down mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCIE Gigabit Ethernet Controller
           driver: r8169 port: 3000 bus-ID: 04:00.0
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 4000.8GB (38.8% used)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: CT1000MX500SSD1 size: 1000.2GB
           ID-2: /dev/sdb model: ST3000DM007 size: 3000.6GB
Partition: ID-1: swap-1 size: 68.72GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sdb4
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   None detected - is lm-sensors installed and configured?
Repos:     Error: No repo data detected. Does inxi support your package manager?
Info:      Processes: 321 Uptime: 35 min Memory: 2964.7/31984.1MB
           Init: SysVinit runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 7.3.0 Client: Shell (rxvt) inxi: 2.3.56

Look at those temps.....given this is a 12-thread behemoth now gracing this petite "mid-tower" case. Astonishing!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

All joking aside, though, that was NOT hard. Should have done it years ago....

Never mind. So; now to see how she performs over the next few days!


Mike.

 

[Brickwizard]

so you no longer have a puppy but now have a whippet

 

[MikeWalsh]

@Brickwizard :-

Mm-hm.....a whippet, yes, but with more than a touch of Dobermann, methinks! Time will tell, of course. I'll give things a good workout over the course of the next few weeks, annnd.....we'll see what's what.

I don't regret spending the money, Brian. I think it's well worth it.

EDIT:- The heatsink WAS all but identical to the one you posted. Those springs threw me out, big time; I was expecting to have to do weird stuff to get the thing undone, until I realized that you just treat 'em like normal screws.....unscrew 'em until they come free.

It gave me an opportunity to replace the old CPU fan, though. It was a cheap'n'nasty job; barely five years old, yet it's been re-lubricated some half-a-dozen times so far. Hardly nine months would go by before it was squealing & graunching again. Never had one that rough before.

Replaced it with a Thermalright TL-B8W. Quiet as a whisper.....you have to listen hard to hear it running at all. 80mm dual-function, y'see; with the 4-pin PWM plug, it'll double as a case fan OR a CPU fan, depending on the header you plug it into.

Seems to be working very nicely so far.


Mike.

 

[MikeWalsh]

I have to say, I'm very pleased with this wee beastie. And it doesn't seem to matter WHAT I run.....I've had a video-rendering job going, the Ventusky interactive weather site on the go (this is quite CPU/GPU intensive), Google Earth zipping all over the place, along with watching Star Trek : Voyager, ALL running at the same time.....and I've yet to see the i7-8700 break through the 40° C mark.

Even on the video render job with Openshot, the GT 1030 never went above 45° C. For a 'passive-cooler' - no fan! - that's pretty impressive.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

I was a little concerned as to whether I'd got the thermal paste right on this high-performance CPU; my usual method is to use a pea-sized dollop of the stuff, followed by using my finger-tip to spread it into a thin film right across the entire heat-sink BEFORE replacing the cooler. I needn't have worried; with temps like those, it's quite obviously doing its job!

This was using the tail-end of a applicator syringe of CoolerMaster's E1 IC 'Essential' TPM.....which must be almost 8 years old at this point. Doesn't appear to have lost any of its efficiency (it WAS thoroughly sealed against the air after the last time it got used on the Athlon64 X2, mind you). Hadn't dried out at all, so.....I'm WELL pleased with that.

(No idea if this stuff is considered 'good' or 'bad' by enthusiasts. TBH, I couldn't care less; all I know is, it's worked extremely well for me.....and even after several years use, it still doesn't 'dry-out'. Must say summat about its formulation, I guess.)

The CoolerMaster E1 & Thermalright TL-B8W seem to be an effective combo. No complaints here.

@The Duck :-

Just been watching that "Primitive Pete" video on YT. For an 80-yr old film, that's not bad.....and much of what it talks about is still highly relevant, even today!


Mike.

 

[Condobloke]

 

[Condobloke]

That is to hold the pc in question down on the desk with its newly installed power plant threatening to help it become airborne

 

[The Duck]

I was a little concerned as to whether I'd got the thermal paste right on this high-performance CPU; my usual method is to use a pea-sized dollop of the stuff, followed by using my finger-tip to spread it into a thin film right across the entire heat-sink BEFORE replacing the cooler. I needn't have worried; with temps like those, it's quite obviously doing its job!

This was using the tail-end of a applicator syringe of CoolerMaster's E1 IC 'Essential' TPM.....which must be almost 8 years old at this point. Doesn't appear to have lost any of its efficiency (it WAS thoroughly sealed against the air after the last time it got used on the Athlon64 X2, mind you). Hadn't dried out at all, so.....I'm WELL pleased with that.

(No idea if this stuff is considered 'good' or 'bad' by enthusiasts. TBH, I couldn't care less; all I know is, it's worked EXTREMELY well for me.....and even after several years use, it still doesn't 'dry-out'. Must say summat about its formulation, I guess.)

The CoolerMaster E1 & Thermalright TL-B8W seem to be an effective combo. No complaints here.

@MikeWalsh

I've yet to see any thermal compound / paste dry out and harden.

I still use the Wakefield white transistor heat sink compound / paste I bought back in 1970s.

I've spread it and I've pea sized it and I've rice sized it and TBH made no difference in temps they were all the same.

All the paste does is fill the imperfections from poor manufacturing machining between the processor heat spreader and heat sink.

@The Duck :-

Just been watching that "Primitive Pete" video on YT. For an 80-yr old film, that's not bad.....and much of what it talks about is still highly relevant, even today!


Mike. "Primitive Pete" video

That "Primitive Pete" video is an excellent video.

Teaches about something very much lacking by some folks these days.

Common Sense.

 

[MikeWalsh]

I've yet to see any thermal compound / paste dry out and harden.

I still use the Wakefield white transistor heat sink compound / paste I bought back in 1970s.

I've spread it and I've pea sized it and I've rice sized it and TBH made no difference in temps they were all the same.

@The Duck :-

Mm-hm. I think you're right.

I, too, must have tried every method there IS over the years. I settled on the way I do it, because I HAVE seen folks use some of the alternate methods, put a bit too much on and then it squeezes out the sides. I'd rather remove the excess first.

But, as for temperature variations, nah; I can't say as I've noticed any difference myself (if done correctly). It only needs to be in the right place - and the right amount; not too little, not too much - to do the job.

It amuses me when I read some people saying how they swear by one method or another, but.....well; so long as it has the desired outcome, does it really matter?

(shrug...)


Mike.

 

[The Duck]

 

[theLegionWithin]

it doesn't seem to matter WHAT I run.....I've had a video-rendering job going, the Ventusky interactive weather site on the go (this is quite CPU/GPU intensive)

hadnt seen that weather website before, it's quite impressive!

 

[MikeWalsh]

O-kayyy.... One last upgrade.

I decided I wanted more storage space.....before even HDD prices went silly. (My media collection just keeps on growing. What can I say?) Accordingly, I've treated myself to an 8 TB Seagate 'Barracuda' (to replace the existing 3 TB 'Barracuda' cold storage).

I like these Barracudas. The 3 TB is coming up to 9 years old, and although it's still running like a champ, S.M.A.R.T is starting to report the odd wee fault here & there. Not enough to stop it functioning fine - yet! - but it's a timely reminder that this is no 'spring chicken' any longer...

So I've also treated myself to an external 3.5" USB 3.0 enclosure.....and this will now be a 'backup' drive. If the new 8 TB behaves itself for as long as the older, smaller drive has, I shall be well chuffed.

Time will, of course, tell....


Mike

 

[VP9KS]

@f33dm3bits :-

I will, Maarten.....but I shall be even happier when I get this silly 180W PSU replaced in the next few days.

I didn't think it was possible to upgrade the dozy thing, but I'd heard through the grapevine that it was.....so some digging unearthed a post on the HP Support Forums from somebody else who wanted to upgrade their 590-series Pavilion. Coincidentally they, too, wanted to install a GeForce 10-series GPU, though a bit "hotter" than mine (a GTX 1650 ti).

The post was only a few months old, and it led me to a link on Amazon for a company that do 400W replacements for these Pavilions. No, it's not much by today's standards, I know.....but that'll more than double what I'm stuck with at present, AND put my mind at ease!

(Running a PSU calculator the night before last showed I was right on the limit with this new card.....and that's NOT a situation I'm comfortable with).

By all accounts, the replacement should be relatively straight-forward & painless. We shall see...


Mike.

"Should Be", "You Can't Miss it", and my all time favorite "TRUST ME". What could possibly go wrong, eh?
Good luck, and be sure to use a shoe horn and lubricant to get that new PSU in.

 

[Rocketing-warp9]

Hope all goes well!

 

[Brickwizard]

Mike, you are supposed to walk puppies, not make them Fly


have fun

 

[VP9KS]

O-kayyy.... One last upgrade.

I decided I wanted more storage space.....before even HDD prices went silly. (My media collection just keeps on growing. What can I say?) Accordingly, I've treated myself to an 8 TB Seagate 'Barracuda' (to replace the existing 3 TB 'Barracuda' cold storage).

I like these Barracudas. The 3 TB is coming up to 9 years old, and although it's still running like a champ, S.M.A.R.T is starting to report the odd wee fault here & there. Not enough to stop it functioning fine - yet! - but it's a timely reminder that this is no 'spring chicken' any longer...

So I've also treated myself to an external 3.5" USB 3.0 enclosure.....and this will now be a 'backup' drive. If the new 8 TB behaves itself for as long as the older, smaller drive has, I shall be well chuffed.

Time will, of course, tell....


Mike

Mike,
I have a drive caddie on my desk with a Seagate ST3144A (130.7 MB) which I use for DOS 6.22. It still runs well. I remember, when I bought it, thinking that I would never fill it up.

Happy Trails,
Paul

 

[MikeWalsh]

@VP9KS :-

Oh, tell me about it, Paul. I didn't think I'd get anywhere near filling a 3 TB drive up. But you know how it is; you keep downloading, and saving stuff.....month in, month out, year after year. After a few years, a quick squizz with gParted, and......where on earth did all that space go? Huh??

It's the same principle as applied to girls & their handbags....have you noticed? They get so their bag is overflowing, so they buy a bigger one. Before long, the new one is gasping for air.....so they go bigger still.....and so on, and on.....ad infinitum.

Software devs are just the same. It's a constant tug-of-war between them and hardware manufacturers.....with the poor user caught in the middle. Manufacturers add more RAM, more storage, more of everything.....and software devs are convinced it's all been put there for them to fill up with their junk.....which becomes more & more lazily-coded - thus 'bigger' - as time goes by.

Ya can't win, mate!

(Our very first 'puter - a Dell lappie, back in 2001, came with all of 128 MB of DDR1.....and a whopping 20GB Hitachi Travelstar HDD. I still managed to get Win XP on there, along with Xubuntu and a couple of Puppies. I bought a 32 GB flash drive to add more storage.....which nearly tripled it!)


Mike.

 

[VP9KS]

My first IBM compatible was a Tandy 1400LT. Before that was a Timex ZX81 (a whopping 1K of ram!!), a Commodore 64, Commodore 128, and the rest, as they say, is history.In school I did my first program in a Fabri-Tek "BI-TRAN SIX" using front panel switches to input the program, step by step, into its core memory. Kinda sloooow, don't ya know (back in 1972). Yeah, I'm an old fart, so what! Someone has to train the younglings.

Oh, yeah, that school was Fire Control Tech "A" school at Great Lakes, just a FEW years ago. That jump started my career in Electronics. I did my 20, got to live in some interesting places, then entered the private sector. Got my degree, and retired as a Senior Customer Engineer. Installed, Maintained, and taught high speed robotics. What a blast!!!!! I was having so much fun, I forgot to retire until I reached 69.

 

[MikeWalsh]

@VP9KS :-

The Dell was our very first 'modern' computer. I went thru all the usual stuff late seventies/eighties; started off with a C64 myself. The old man bought it for me and my younger bro.....but John had just discovered gurls, so what was a pile of electronic junk compared to raging teenage hormones?

It DID mean I had the C64 more or less to myself. Taught myself BASIC programming. Wrote a 'Hangman' program. It had a database of all of 20 words. Chuffed to bits with that, I was..!

Tried to talk the old man into a 1541 floppy drive, but he was having none of it. "Too expensive", he said. "What would you use it for?" Truth to tell, I hadn't thought that far ahead; I had no answer for him, so I soldiered on with the trusty Datasette.....which to be fair, WAS dead reliable & easy to use. It was just slowww....

I look back on those days with a kind of nostalgic "horror" now. Were things REALLY that primitive.....or is it a case of rose-tinted glasses? 'Cos we're spoilt with all this modern tech nowadays.....aren't we?

It was cutting-edge stuff back then.....and we were SO proud of ourselves. Happy days..!


Mike.

 

[MikeRocor]

Tried to talk the old man into a 1541 floppy drive, but he was having none of it. "Too expensive", he said. "What would you use it for?" Truth to tell, I hadn't thought that far ahead; I had no answer for him, so I soldiered on with the trusty Datasette.....which to be fair, WAS dead reliable & easy to use. It was just slowww....

Did you ever get that 1541? Blazingly fast! ... compared to the cassette drive.

 

[MikeWalsh]

Did you ever get that 1541? Blazingly fast! ... compared to the cassette drive.

Nah, it never materialized, Mike. And you know how life goes.....often in directions you don't expect. 18 months later, I started my first job, and shortly after I started getting into motorbikes in a big way.

Computing got put on the "back burner".....for several years, as it turned out. It was the late 90's before my interest was re-kindled.....and by then, a whole new generation of far more capable hardware was available (often, at far more reasonable prices!) Made no sense to return to the dawn of home computing, hardware-wise.....


Mike.