Upgrading HP ProDesk 600 G3 MT

[NonSequitur777]

Dear Forum,

My latest HP legacy desktop Upgrade project pertains to an HP ProDesk 600 G3 MT (Micro Tower) which I just purchased very inexpensively via eBay, where you can purchase them for dimes if not nickels to the dollar.

[EDIT:] The other HP desktop Upgrade project I just started -concurrently, is the HP EliteDesk 800 G5 SFF: Re: Upgrading HP EliteDesk 800 G5 SFF - HP Support Community - 8545942, while I am waiting for the HP ProDesk 600 G3 MT to show up.

Incidentally, this is my first foray into the larger, more spacious HP "Tower" or "Mini Tower" desktop series.

The idea is to create a bad@ss gaming platform aka the best performing global HP ProDesk 600 G3 MT as per UserBenchMark [dot] com, but this time around having both the power supply and the graphics card parked inside the chassis.

The HP ProDesk 600 G3 MT I purchased is "barebones" -meaning it will ship without the CPU, RAM, or drive(s).

The processor I am going to use is the i7-7700K, RAM will be 4 x 8GB of Samsung DDR4 2400 MHz, and the primary (boot) drive will be an M.2 NVMe SSD -for speed, of course.

The graphics card I am thinking about for this project will be at least a GTX 1070 Ti 8GB -yet to be determined.

The challenge is going to be the power supply.  The OEM HP power supply that is fitted in this desktop likely is a trifling 180-watt PSU (HP p/n: 901763-001).  This is going to be scrapped, because honestly: 180 watt is barely sufficient to run this PC's basic power needs without the addition of a discrete graphics card.

Now, according to: HP ProDesk 600 G3 Microtower Business PC - Specifications | HP® Customer Support, there is a 250-watt power supply (HP p/n: 901760-002 or: 901760-004).  But this doesn't even come close to what I am going to need.

In addition, I have it on good authority that there is even a compatible 400-watt power supply available (HP p/n: 942332-001), but likewise, this is still not good enough.  I need at least a 600-watt ATX power supply providing at least one 8-pin PCIe power cable.  I will make this happen one way or another.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[NonSequitur777]

@DGroves,

How are you?  -I was thinking that you could assist me to figure out how to make an industry standard ATX PSU power an HP ProDesk 600 G3 MT.

looking at this link, for example: https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktops-Archive-Read-Only/HP-Compaq-8000-Elite-power-supply-upgarde/t..., a Forum member posted this ATX to HP diagram:

In case I need it, just ordered a 5V to 12V voltage booster converter module via AliExpress:

Any insights/directions would be greatly appreciated!

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[DGroves]

been there did that, and yes you will need the 5-12v converter module

while the circuit you posted will work,....... the fan error msg even with the booster module will most likely remain

for the atx supply consider these which will fit inside the original power supply case

the first one while listed at 500 watts is much closer to a 400 watt unit at full load

the sec one is a real 450 watt at full load

i've used the apevia 500 watt unit and it's not that bad as long as you accept the 400 watt real world rating and the simple 2 wire cooling circuit/fan it has

https://www.amazon.com/Apevia-SFX-AP500W-Solution-Micro-Supply/dp/B08R5NN4FJ

this one below is recommended if you can accept it's price!

https://www.amazon.com/FSP-Solution-Bronze-Certified-FSP450-50SAC/dp/B07T2G4XWQ/ref=pd_lpo_2?pd_rd_w...

[NonSequitur777]

Dear Forum,

The 'barebones' HP ProDesk 600 G3 MT I ordered through eBay arrived in excellent condition.

First thing I did was to clean out the chassis with compressed ('canned') air and wiping off the case with a disinfectant wipe.

Next thing I did was to swap the 180-watt power supply (p/n: 901763-001) with a compatible 250-watt power supply (p/n: 901760-004) I happen to find in my ever-expanding collection of discarded electronic bits & parts.

Second, installed 4 x 8GB Samsung DDR4 2400 MHz RAM sticks (p/n: M378A1K43CB2-CRC).

Third, installed an i7-7700K.

Fourth, installed a 256GB Silicon Power SATA SSD.

Fifth (multiple steps), installed Windows 11 (version 22H2, OS build 22621.819) and updated BIOS (HP P02 Ver. 02.44, 9/13/2022), drivers, added Ultimate Power Plan, removed bloat- and spamware, ran Intel's "Driver & Support Assistant", HP's "Software & drivers" utility, etc. etc.

System is running great, ready for further upgrading and optimizations.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[NonSequitur777]

Dear Forum,

The Windows optimization link I like to use: 🔧 How to Optimize Windows 10 For GAMING & Performance in 2019 The Ultimate Updated GUIDE - YouTube, which also discusses this very useful link starting at timestamp 20:25: Quick CPU - Real time performance optimization and Sensor monitor (coderbag.com):

And I'm adding the "Timer Resolution" program as a zip (extractable) file attachment for those who want to try it as discussed at timestamp 27:15. It is safe: virus/malware checked.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[NonSequitur777]

Dear Forum,

Ran the UserBenchMark performance test, and got this very satisfactory PC and i7-7700K processor result:

Link: HP ProDesk 600 G3 MT Performance Results - UserBenchmark.

Btw, ordered an HP p/n: 942332-001 400-watt power supply, which has one 6+2-PCIe power cable.  This power supply should be sufficient to power an HP-branded Radeon RX 5500 4GB GDDR6 graphics card which I have and isn't in use.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[NonSequitur777]

Dear Forum,

Since I was able to purchase a Dell-branded GTX 1660 Ti 6GB GDDR6 (virtually identical to the HP-branded version) via eBay for a deal I couldn't resist, this graphics card [EDIT:] will be my final choice is an intermediate step for my HP ProDesk 600 G3 MT upgrade project.

According to: Dell GTX 1660 Ti OEM Specs | TechPowerUp GPU Database, a 300-watt power supply could power it, meaning that the 400-watt power supply (HP p/n: 942332-001) I ordered will be more than sufficient to power the entire system.

[EDIT:] Also calculated PSU requirements for this desktop using this outstanding power supply calculator: Power Supply Calculator - PSU Calculator | OuterVision, and it calculated: "Recommended PSU Wattage: 375 W".

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[NonSequitur777]

Dear Forum,

The 400-watt power supply (HP p/n: 942332-001) I ordered, equipped with the additional 6+2-PCIe power cable came in and installed successfully.  Interestingly, the purple wire on the proprietary "P2" 7-pin connector was missing, but this made no difference whatsoever: the HP ProDesk 600 G3 MT issued no beeps, error message(s), a flashing red light or other issues.  The cooling fans also rev up when the CPU get hotter.

Since I am still waiting for the Dell GTX 1660 Ti 6GB to show up, I installed an HP AMD Radeon RX 5500 which also needs an 8-pin PCIe power cable. Installed the AMD RX 5500 driver only, in combination with Asus' GPU Tweak III OC software. Fitted without any issues, including the chassis drives cage.  Card is working like a charm!

Link: https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/57125920.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[PCNewGen]

will this psu work with the SFF version as well ?

[NonSequitur777]

@PCNewGen,

That is a good question.

I am quite certain that the proprietary power/control connectors would be identical and thus compatible.  As to the size of this power supply?

The dimensions of the 400-watt power supply (L x W x H) are: 6 ½ x 2 ⅞ x 3 ¾ inch (165 x 73 x 95 mm).

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777