HP uses non standard low profile PCIe slot bracket?

[NickKz]

I bought this hunk of junk from HP called a Z2 Mini G9 and I thought it just used regular low profile PCIe brackets…but apparently not.

 

I tried to install an Intel X540 dual channel 10GbE low profile NIC in here, and the bracket won’t fit.  It runs fine without a bracket, but that’s so jank…

 

From what I can tell there is no way I can modify the exiting bracket to fit.  Even if I cut off the bottom tab with a dremel (which I did try already lol)  the top part still protrudes, and then if I cut off the top part, then there’s no retention mechanism anyway, so it would basically be like running it without a bracket.  I would have to cut off the top part and then cut a tiny tab out to get it to align…ugh.

Anyone here have 

the tools / skills to make me a bracket for this?  I’ll definitely reimburse you for your time and help

 

Additional photos incoming.

 

 

[NickKz]

Additional photos…is there a name for this specific kind of bracket?  Maybe I can find a bracket that already made.  Surely HP didn’t make this standard for just this pc?!

[emosun]

you could just ziptie the card down inside the machine and it wont move or pop out. no need to get fancy with a 100% static machine that doesn't move.

 

[NickKz]

6 hours ago, emosun said:

you could just ziptie the card down inside the machine and it wont move or pop out. no need to get fancy with a 100% static machine that doesn't move.

 

That’ll work!  Still kinda jank but better than nothing if I can’t find or make a bracket.  I still would love to know if anyone has ever seen this before and if there’s a name for it

 

EDIT: So the press fittings from the SFP cages definitely touch the back of the PCIe tray if wobbled too much.  Might have to get some electrical tape too, aside from the zip ties.
 

 Or someone leet with the tools could make me a bracket?  
 

A man can dream

[Zomeguy]

Their website for that unit even states "standard low-profile". I guess standard is their standard so you have to buy from them for a card to fit properly.

[manikyath]

afaik the mini's never had standardized slots due to size limitations.. now, wether those size issues are just the result of close minded engineers is something i'll leave up in the air...

 

2 minutes ago, Zomeguy said:

Their website for that unit even states "standard low-profile".

mind linking me a sauce for this? because i cant find it...  i was excited for HP to claim anything "standard" for once

[NickKz]

Edit: Actually it explicitly does say “standard low profile graphics” which it absolutely isn’t

 

I suspect there are no other low profile gfx cards that would fit in this system besides the custom bracketed models that HP sells...

 

https://www.hp.com/us-en/workstations/z2-mini.html

 

The Intel x520 card itself fits and works just fine, it’s just the bracket that is the issue really...

 

This looks really bad for HP, as if they needed any help in that department lol

 

But honestly for my first PC in ten years this has been a disaster, and all the online trolls who love to yell at Apple for doing Apple things and love to shout “just get a PC” don’t seem to be as loud when it comes to PC companies doing stuff like this

 

I don’t want to make any assumptions here but I would reckon that the sole purpose of using proprietary brackets has nothing to do with space or form factor and has everything to do with HP charging more for their custom bracketed version of the gfx cards they support in here like the A2000. 
 

 

 

 

 

[NickKz]

Here it is in the manual… “custom rear bulkhead” and “it intent to supported HP certified dGFX card” lol

 

So much for “standard low profile graphics”

 

Seriously though if anyone knows how I could possibly get a bracket made I wouldn’t mind paying a reasonable fee 

 

I hope other people who are considering buying this garbage find this post and change their minds!

 

I still have trouble believing that they created their own PCIe bracket format just so they could sell marked up GPUs…I can’t imagine there are even that many people buying these models, there’s almost nothing on the web about them except Linus’s “glowing” review LOL — I could only find a handful of forum posts on Reddit and on HPs own forums; Serve the home, etc…I mean it doesn’t look like these are very popular at all.