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HP ProDesk 400 G4 build/upgrade

Hello peeps
So I bought this pre-built model 400G4PDM/I77700/500HQ/4C/8f , A mouse and a keyboard included from HP
this system has:

- Intel® Core™ i7-7700 Processor

- A western digital 500GB hard-disk

- A 180 watt 80+bronze powersupply

- 1x 8GB DDR4 2133 Mhz RAM

- Intel® HD Graphics 630

 

that's for the that's for the options part, as for expansion:

Ports

Front:
Universal audio jack with CTIA headset support
2 USB 3.1 Gen 1
1 SD 3 card reader (optional)
Back:
1 audio out connector
1 DisplayPort™
1 VGA
4 USB 2.0
2 USB 3.1 Gen 1
1 audio in connector
1 RJ-45
1 power connector

Expansion slots

Turbo Drive (M.2 PCIe)
1 M.2 2230 for wireless NIC
PCI Express x16 (v3.0)(wired as a x4) 4.2", full height 6.6" length, 35 W max power
PCI Express x16 (v3.0) 4.2" full height, 6.6" length, 75 W max power

 

Upgrades:

1-SSD:(done)
For this upgrade I went with the SAMSUNG 960 EVO M.2 250GB NVMe PCI-Express 3.0 x4 plugged it in the previously mentioned PCIE x16 that is (wired as a x4) through an Asus Hyper M.2 PCI-Express x4, and it is working properly as my system bootable, keeping the 500GB hard-disk for storage.

2-GPU
With only my 1x (PCI Express x16 (v3.0) 4.2" full height, 6.6" length, 75 W max power) left for expansion, I am choosing to go with a passive cooling GeForce®GTX 1050 Ti KalmX with it's TDP at 75 watts being my built limit, although it is not available for sale right now, I will have to wait to be able to get a hold of one.

3-WiFi
I want to add WiFi solution to my PC, just so I can have my computer ready for any kind of requirements although I will be running it via cable when working on it, and Bluetooth can get very handy.

I didn't know what network card to choose exactly, just because I don't really have a lot of background knowledge about this matter.

4-RAM

To be able to carry any kind of task that I will be putting on this computer I would want to match my stick with another 8 GB of DDR4 RAM to have a total of 16 GB memory running at 2133 Mhz enabling the dual channel bandwidth supposedly increasing performance and Graphics processing performance.

 

Problems:

1-Enough power to run the GPU?

With my low wattage powersupply I am really concerned if my PC can run a 1050 ti like the KalmX, and I have no idea how to know, and in-case it can't; is it possible to upgrade the PSU in pre-built PCs???

2-I can't decide what WiFi adapter to get.

I would love to hear reviews or insights about WiFi adapters. (I care about Bluetooth, WiFi range and ping)

 

Cost:

1-HP ProDesk 400G4PDM/I77700/500HQ/4C/8f ------- 660$

2-Samsung evo 960 250GB + Asus hyper m.2  ------- 180$

.......

These prices are for the marker here in Jordan. So prices may differ drastically.

(am pretty sure you can get the ssd and the kit for cheaper than this price)

And bro aren't these boot time fast :x:x

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Hello. I bought the HP Pro desk 400 g4 which I think is the same as yours,

Do you think that the pc is compatible with the GTX 1050 TI , I mean the case is very small and I doubt it would fit it, and which PCIe port is the 75w.

 

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2 hours ago, Omar Walid said:

Hello. I bought the HP Pro desk 400 g4 which I think is the same as yours,

Do you think that the pc is compatible with the GTX 1050 TI , I mean the case is very small and I doubt it would fit it, and which PCIe port is the 75w.

 

I am optimistic that it will fit, I chose a passive cooling 1050ti so it will not require another power cable and only feed from the PCIe, with that being said I don't even know if the powersupply can even feed 75 watts.
it is the black one in my case, you can find labels beside it on the motherboard.

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  • 3 months later...

Update:

1-SSD:(done)
For this upgrade I went with the SAMSUNG 960 EVO M.2 250GB NVMe PCI-Express 3.0 x4 plugged it in the previously mentioned PCIE x16 that is (wired as a x4) through an Asus Hyper M.2 PCI-Express x4, and it is working properly as my system bootable, keeping the 500GB hard-disk for storage.

2-GPU(done)(edited)
With only my 1x (PCI Express x16 (v3.0) 4.2" full height, 6.6" length, 75 W max power) left for expansion, I am choosing to go with a passive cooling GeForce®GTX 1050 Ti KalmX with it's TDP at 75 watts being my built limit, although it is not available for sale right now, I will have to wait to be able to get a hold of one.

I managed to get a hold of a MSI - GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GT LP (that stands for low profile) that runs natively on the 75 watts supplied by the PCIE x16 3.0 without needing an external power adapter, amazing 1080p gaming results and the ability of expanding to multiple screens. Was able to also boost the core clock and the memory clock using the MSI afterburner.

3-WiFi(????)(edited)
I want to add WiFi solution to my PC, just so I can have my computer ready for any kind of requirements although I will be running it via cable when working on it, and Bluetooth can get very handy.

I didn't know what network card to choose exactly, just because I don't really have a lot of background knowledge about this matter.

I bought a D-Link DWA-131 Wireless N Nano USB Adapter That is super bad and just a temporarily solution until my fiber box and Ethernet connection comes ready.

4-RAM

To be able to carry any kind of task that I will be putting on this computer I would want to match my stick with another 8 GB of DDR4 RAM to have a total of 16 GB memory running at 2133 Mhz enabling the dual channel bandwidth supposedly increasing performance and Graphics processing performance.

 

Problems:

1-Enough power to run the GPU?(Answered)

With my low wattage powersupply I am really concerned if my PC can run a 1050 ti like the KalmX, and I have no idea how to know, and in-case it can't; is it possible to upgrade the PSU in pre-built PCs???

Yes, the PSU was able to power the GPU.........but the system am running has a recommended minimum of 300 watts and with a 180 watts installed PSU maybe a fire extinguisher nearby would come in handy.

Do I recommend this configuration? No. Will I upgrade my PSU? Probably not.

Although it's fair to say that when I ran it overclocked I faced some black screen stuttering but the problem vanished after I took it back to stock clock and reinstalled the drivers.

2-I can't decide what WiFi adapter to get.

I would love to hear reviews or insights about WiFi adapters. (I care about Bluetooth, WiFi range and ping)

 

Cost:

1-HP ProDesk 400G4PDM/I77700/500HQ/4C/8f ------- 660$ (retailed in Jordan)

2-Samsung evo 960 250GB + Asus hyper m.2  ------- 180$ (shipped to Jordan)

3-MSI - GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GT LP                ------- 250$ (retailed in KSA)

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  • 1 month later...

@HazemTurki

 

Thank you for this detailed log. It is helping a lot of people who can't make those tests. Have you been able to keep both the video card and the NVME adapter in the PC at the same time? How is your power draw and temperature status?

 

Thank you!

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  • 5 years later...

Hello, what GPU is suggested for this PC in 2023? Preferably lowrange or midrange gpu.

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  • 1 year later...

@YoungKuzma

I have bought a HP Prodesk 400 G4 myself and am wanting to turn it into a budget gaming PC. I upgraded the RAM to 2x8GB DDR4-3200, however the RAM is running at 2400MHz and turns out there is no way to change the speed in the BIOS. But to answer your question, from my search of the internet for compatible cards it seems that the Radeon RX 6400 low profile is the suggested card to pick. It has a low power draw despite decent performance, is quiet, and affordable. I'm going to buy one and once I know how well it works I'll leave a followup post here.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have been gaming on my Sapphire Radeon RX 6400 low profile and well it does get good performance. I get a smooth 160 FPS in War Thunder at 1600x900 resolution on high graphics settings. I also get completely smooth game play in Dark Souls III. In Heaven Benchmark I get 100+ FPS on high with 2x anti-aliasing. In addition the system hasn't had any issues despite running a dedicated GPU off a 180 watt power supply. It's also pretty quiet. My main complaint however is that the card runs very hot because the HP prodesk case doesn't have enough airflow to cool it. With the case lid on the GPU almost immediately hits 90C and starts thermal throttling. If you take the case lid off to allow the heat to passively dissipate out of the case then the GPU stabilizes at around 86-87C which is just low enough that you'll still be able to run things, however this is still hot and could shorten your GPU's lifespan. Due to the design of the HP prodesk the power supply blocks airflow from the GPU. After removing the power supply and just having it sit eternal to the computer the GPU temps dropped down to 70C which is a completely fine temperature for the GPU. In conclusion the RX 6400 is a great GPU upgrade for the HP Prodesk as long as you don't mind doing some case modifications.

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