Wil this graphics card fit in a HP 800 G4 SFF?

[ecrispy]

I have a HP Elitedesk 800 G4 SFF pc. I'd like to add a graphics card for some data processing/AI models work I need. The card I want is a Nvidia Tesla P4. Its a low profile, 75W, so that is not a problem.

But since this card needs active cooling its sold with a fan that goes on the rear, it looks like this -

the fan will add ~50mm to the card length which is 6.6", similar to other Nvidia cards others have used in this system according to other posts like - https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktop-Hardware-and-Upgrade-Questions/HP-Elitedesk-800-G4-SFF-Graphic...

I'd like to know how much clearance there is and will this card with fan fit.

And also -

- is there a free motherboard header for the fan power

- can I use either of the PCIe slots? I know one of them is only x4

Thanks

[NonSequitur777]

@ecrispy,

Welcome to our HP Community Forum!

Having worked quite extensively on the HP EliteDesk 800 G3/G4/G5 SFF platforms, I should be able to provide some useful feedback.

Yes, you can fit a Nvidia Tesla P4 inside your case using a low-profile bracket, provided you remove a little bit of the drives bay (see red boxes):

You have to eyeball this carefully, and if you decide on your own volition (disclaimer!) to apply this chassis bay modification, do so very carefully and safely.  I have used heavy-duty metal shears before to make similar 'adjustments'.

Hope this was helpful.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[NonSequitur777 · Accepted solution]

@ecrispy,

And lest I forgot: you can plug in/power your GPU-cooling fan using the #2 PWM 4-pin connector:

And you should use the (black) x16 PCIe graphics card slot for a number of reasons: 1.) more PCI data lanes, 2.) there are some obstructions on your motherboard to the left of the (white) x4 PCIe slot as circled, 3.) better cooling position for your graphics card:

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[ecrispy]

Hi NonSequitur777,

Thank you very much for the reply. Are you saying I have to remove the drive bay that holds the hdd's to be able to use this card, or are you saying that I can have both hdd's and the card installed with some modifications to the chassis?

I don't have any experience with such power tools etc nor do I own them and I'd be worried about damaging the case.

To be honest after seeing the scale in your pic and how the length is so short I'm not sure it will fit. I don't understand how people are using other gfx cards since there seems to be no clearance here at all?

[NonSequitur777]

@ecrispy,

You don't need to remove the drives bay, you just have to remove a small section of it as outlined.

And yes, it shouldn't affect keeping your storage drives.

Btw, your low profile card is shown with a full size bracket, you'll need a low-profile bracket or else it is not going to fit anyway in your SFF.

Not having experience with applying needed modifications is an issue of course. You could also use a bolt cutter, perhaps you got a trusted acquaintance or relative who is more comfortable or skilled to apply this relatively minor "snip".

Anyway, once this mod is applied, your graphics card will fit.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[NonSequitur777]

@ecrispy,

All right, I got some additional information which may be helpful:

The low-profile bracket for your Nvidia Tesla P4 I mentioned can be purchased here:

And after giving it a second look, it looks like you may have to make a lesser cut in your drives bay:

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[ecrispy]

@NonSequitur777, ok, I will be taking a look when I get the card. It seems the same cards are also sold with low profile bracket, I wasn't aware of that before I ordered, but that can be added, thank you.

Can I ask you, I also want to add a LSI HBA card to attach an external disk enclosure. This will be something like a LSI 9207-8e low profile card. I was initially planning to use the x16 slot for this so I could get full bandwidth for storage drives. But with the gfx card going in that, it only leaves the x4 one, would that be ok?

Finally, would a tower model of G4/G3 be a better fit for my needs?

[NonSequitur777]

@ecrispy,

Adding an LSI 9207-8e Raid Controller low profile card in the (white) PCIe x16 (wired as x4) is the way to go -plenty of bandwidth, no worries:

An HP EliteDesk G3/G4 Tower would, of course, provide ample more space, which makes installing any sized cards and such a breeze compared with an SFF.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777