I need help finding the right GPU for my motherboard.

[Piratesnafer]

I recently bought a PC that came without a GPU. I'd like to purchase one, but I don't know which GPU would be compatible with my motherboard. I did tons of research but had no luck. Can any of you please help me in this matter?

Motherboard: HP2B5E version 1.00 

RAM: 8.0GB 
HDD: 500GB 
CPU: I5-6500 

OBS: Yes: it is a really old system. I still bought it because I always dreamed of having a PC  and this was all I could get with the money I saved. 

[old_geekster]

@Piratesnafer , welcome to the Community.

What is the Product Number of the computer? I need this information to review the specifications of it. Please don't furnish the Serial # or other personal information. You can find the Product Number at the bottom of the page when you open HP Support Assistant.

[Piratesnafer]

Thank you so much for trying to help. 

Product number: W4A85ES#ACQ

[old_geekster · Accepted solution]

You are very welcome, @Piratesnafer!  Thank you for the additional information.

Here is the Maintenance and Service Guide for your computer.  If you look at Page 8, "Misc boards" there is a list of three video cards that are compatible with your motherboard.  They all have been tested to assure that they are compatible.

Please click the "Yes" button if my reply was helpful and "Accept as Solution" if your problem is Solved!

[NonSequitur777]

@Piratesnafer,

As always, @old_geekster provided excellent information, kudos to him.

I would like to point out to you though, that your HP 280 G2 Microtower PC has likely been fitted with a listless 180-watt power supply (please verify).  However, you should can upgrade it to a 300-watt PSU as per https://partsurfer.hp.com/partsurfer?searchtext=W4A85ES:

You can purchase this 300-watt power supply for your PC for as little as $36 via eBay: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=HP+759766-001&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&LH_PrefLoc=2&_s....

Reason why I would like to point this out, is that with a 300-watt power supply, you can actually fit a very decent graphics card, rather than the awful performing GPU options mentioned on page 8 in the Manual.

For example: the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1650 D6 OC Low Profile 4GB GDDR6 RAM, which can be purchased for a very reasonable $175 via Amazon, for example: https://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-GeForce-Profile-Graphics-GV-N1656OC-4GL/dp/B087R7V2Q6/ref=sr_1_1?cri....

Hope this was helpful.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[Piratesnafer]

THANK YOU! Now I can upgrade it. 
By the way, that quote is really awesome as well. 

[Piratesnafer]

Thank you! Your comment was very helpful. Yes: the PSU I have has a max capacity of 180W, so I'll upgrade it to a 300W PSU as you said (thank you for providing a link). Now, Is the GPU you mentioned actually compatible with my motherboard? I really don't want to make mistakes. 

[NonSequitur777]

@Piratesnafer,

Yes, your HP 280 G2 MT motherboard (HP p/n: 849953-601 ("System board (motherboard) - 280 G2 MT Manny WIN, SSID: 2B5E"), is very much compatible with the GTX 1650 4GB. For example, the very first spot in UserBenchMark's best legacy HP 280 G2 MT desktops, is occupied by a rig fitted with a GTX 1660 Super -proof positive, I would say: https://www.userbenchmark.com/System/HP-280-G2-MT-Legacy/36750.

This piqued my interest, because this particular graphics card has to be powered by a 500+ watt power supply, I looked into this matter more closely.

And what do you know: speaking about the 300-watt replacement power supply I recommended, please verify that your motherboard looks like this:

Because if this is the case, forget about proprietary HP power supplies.  Rather, because your motherboard is ATX-power enabled, replace your 180-watt PSU with any form-fitting (LxHxW) 24-pin ATX standard power supply. If you were to fit, say a 500-watt ATX power supply in your desktop, you could think about a GTX 1660 Super or RTX 1660 Ti, for example.

Hope this was helpful.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[Piratesnafer]

My motherboard actually looks like this: 

Does it still apply to me? Or I can just do what you previously recommended me to do. 

[NonSequitur777]

@Piratesnafer,

Yes, you can use the HP-issued 300-watt power supply to power a GTX 1650 4GB graphics card, but I only wanted to point out that because your motherboard is ATX-power enabled, you have wonderful (ATX) power supply upgrade options if you so choose.

Speaking of the Amazon's GTX 1650 4GB link I posted, I just found out that they ramped up the pricing from $174.99 to $257.46 -a whopping 47% increase in just one day...

If you didn't place the order yet for this card -assuming this is what you wanted, here is another link for a similar GTX 1650 low power graphics card (drawing its power from the PCIe x16 slot) priced for $160 [11/07/2022]: Amazon.com: ZOTAC GAMING GeForce GTX 1650 OC 4GB GDDR6 128-bit Gaming Graphics Card, Super Compact, ....

If interested, make sure that this card's dimensions (length x width x height): 11.14 inches x 8.58 inches x 2.36 inches, fit inside your desktop.

Hope this was helpful.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777