Upgrading HP Compaq Elite 8300 USDT

[baupfhor]

 

[baupfhor]

 

[NonSequitur777]

No worries, this will all be worked out.  Part of the challenge is the language barrier. Stay tuned.

[baupfhor]

Thanks, yeah I just don’t want them to be confused and have me order a thunderbolt dock to only end up with a thunderbolt dock. 

[baupfhor]

Hey thanks for your help! Bestar sent me a link and I placed the order. I ended up just getting the x8 version because my ass shouldn’t be spending 200usd on old iMacs. The performance difference is pretty negligible for the gpu I’ll be running. 

[NonSequitur777]

You are quite welcome, Baupfhor

No kidding my friend, they jacked up the pricing 27% since August for the MXM 3.0 to PCIe X16 ($140 to $178)...

But at least these elusive computer parts are now actual orderable stock items managed/purchasable through a reputable business chain.

Hard to believe, but BESTAR is currently the only legit source globally for the MXM 3.0 to PCIe X8 / X16 connector/dock: https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20211209071714&SearchText=ADT+MXM+To+P...

Based on various non-HP blog discussions about the MXM 3.0 to PCIe X16 connector/dock over the years I am aware of, I think that it is very likely that this item will remain a marketable product for a small niche of PC hobbyists for years to come, including HP desktop owners.

Anyways, I will continue to work with Amazon.  One can hope that competition will bring the pricing down.

[NonSequitur777]

This is encouraging info: researching the difference in GPU performance between the X8 and X16 versions, it turns out according to various sources that the difference between the two PCIe options is negligible.

For example, according to GamersNexus [dot] com, when they bench tested both versions, their conclusion was, quote:

"[T]here is a little below a 1% performance difference in PCI-e 3.0 x16 and PCI-e 3.0 x8 slots. The difference is not even close to perceptible and should be ignored as inconsequential to users fretting over potential slot or lane limitations."

Link: https://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/2488-pci-e-3-x8-vs-x16-performance-impact-on-gpus

[baupfhor]

Yeah in my gaming rig I’ve run my previous 1080ti in the x8 slot because it fit my loop setup better. No hit on performance. I think a lowly rx560 will be just fine. 

[NonSequitur777]

Baupfhor

 -I was thinking this through some more: be advised that I don't know if BESTAR's [MXM 3.0 to] PCIe X8 slot is going to have the same dimensions as a physical PCIe X16 slot -i.e. a downgraded PCIe X16, or if the "X8" slot has the actual smaller PCIe X8 physical slot dimensions.  If the latter turns out to be the case, not to panic.  There is a solution without having to sacrifice any bandwidth:

[NonSequitur777]

Baupfhor

-Well, I'll be ......  Assuming the Seller's response means what I think it means -I'd wait until you get the product- but you may have to prepare yourself mentally to cough up a few more bucks for a PCIe X8 to PCIe X16 conversion adapter.