HP Pavilion Revamp: Plan B

[QueenDemetria]

I did some overclocking, not much though. Due to the pump panel covering up everything, I was flying blind as far as temperatures go, so I wanted to do a conservative overclock while keeping my board happy. I was able to reach 4Ghz which I know this chip can do more, but so far I'm limited by the capabilities of this motherboard. I tried OCing on the stock voltages(1.2v), but the motherboard wouldn't allow it and the wimpy LLC was getting in the way("Extreme" wasn't so extreme). Sadly, the lowest manual voltage for this board is 1.4v, so I cant use the 1.35v like I did with the UD5, but I can work around it I guess. Also the coolant temp stayed below 60c, so no worries there(this was with the CPU and GPU under load, and an ambient temp of 22c).

I didn't run Prime95 for long since it passed the initial fail test, but with my chip it should be stable at 1.4v so running P95 for long would just be unnecessary wear(I mean, I was pushing 4.6Ghz at 1.35v, so its fine).

 

 

God I wish there was more case manufactures that flipped the motherboard like HP and Compaq, I know Lian Li has a case that does but more manufactures need to do it :blink:  

Yeah, but oh well. It just means more modding fun

 

You should zip tie those barbs! Other than that, this is a pretty cool project great job  B)

I'm using clamps on all of the barbs except for the inlet on the radiator and outlet of the CPU block. I'm not using clamps on those since they are extremely tight as it is and won't leak or fall off(I've done some testing). Since I'm using non computer barbs, the ridges are more "gripy", so it would require much more pressure than what my pump could provide to pop them off. I appreciate the concern and thank you

[flibberdipper]

:3 I like your cat.

Shanks.

[DildorTheDecent]

Some OC is better than no OC. 

 

What happens if one of the tubes or fittings has an accident?

[QueenDemetria]

Hey everyone, I don't have much of an update for today but its something at least. Basically, I was having problems with the new OS and GTA V, so I had to reinstall the OS. I chose Windows 7 Professional vs the Home Premium that I was using before since it already had Service Pack 1 pre-installed, and the old OS was refusing to install SP1 no matter what I tried. It all works now, and the Social Club launcher doesn't crash now , but I have to redo some things still(theme, virtual machines, etc.). The new installation went good except for a few minor issues:

^Lol, it didn't really hurt anything. It basically solved itself, I'm not sure why my HD 7770 does this.

 

This is the part where I'm not sure how to feel. This project will need to be ended early, even though I still have lots planned(and potentially planned). Basically I can't work on this PC since its my only running desktop at the moment(and its surprisingly reliable), and I can't have it be non functional for hours at a time(or even days). To remedy this, I'm going to end this build log and start two more(at the same time, you heard it folks). Once those PCs are running(well, one of them), I can then have plenty of time to work on this PC, since I won't care if its not running. This isn't the end though, I want to conclude this project with the external power supply for the RAM drive and I want to paint the front of this PC(design and all), but I'll revisit this project at a later time and really perfect the design(Part 2, or 1B?). I'm also anticipating the worst and might need surgery soon, so I'm planning on freeing up time for that(hopefully I won't need it, but if I do I don't want you guys waiting). But yeah, I hate to call it finished when it still needs a lot of things done to it, but “I just can't even”. I'm planning on wrapping it up this weekend, but I'll start the other two builds almost immediately(and TBH, they will be much more fun than this one).

 

Some OC is better than no OC. 

 

What happens if one of the tubes or fittings has an accident?

True, but I feel like I'm 600Mhz short . If one of the tubes has an accident it will be GG(or hopefully not), but they are on pretty tight(all of them) and are hard to pull off. An accident shouldn't happen, but if it ever does then there will be another exciting update(although I really don't want it to happen).

[WolfDeville]

I'm not sure why my HD 7770 does this.

I know why: AMD.

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH *MLG HORN SOUNDS*

 

jk ;P

[Frankie]

I know why: AMD.

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH *MLG HORN SOUNDS*

 

jk ;P

 

 

[DildorTheDecent]

True, but I feel like I'm 600Mhz short . If one of the tubes has an accident it will be GG(or hopefully not), but they are on pretty tight(all of them) and are hard to pull off. An accident shouldn't happen, but if it ever does then there will be another exciting update(although I really don't want it to happen).

Don't mean to jinx it but, updates will be missed of the PC doesn't leak :I

[thekeemo]

Feminine species, lol. Its ihascupquake from YouTube. I'm a huge fan, but I needed to see that picture today since I needed a smile

[QueenDemetria]

Hey everyone, just wanted to apologize for my absence. I got a little busy with finals, so yeah, had to prioritize. I'm on break now so progress will continue . In my last update I said that I would add a power supply and paint the case before I finish, which I've decided that I'm not going to paint the case. The power supply is a must, but I've decided that I'm going to do something a little different to the exterior of the case. I'm not going to spoil much for now, but I want to get creative with bending metal, however this will be in part 2 of the build.

 

For now though I want to solve two “problems” with the current build. #1, I need my Sound Blaster, like now. And #2 Moar GPU powah! So I did a little shopping and:  

(#potatocam) Yep, this is a R7 260x from Sapphire. I got it used so I need to do some testing(just to make sure there aren't any problems), but assuming all goes well I'm ripping that ugly heatsink off and waterblocking it. The block on the 7770 will fit, so the only thing left to do is make it a single slot card. I haven't decided if I'm going to cut the original PCI slot in half or just make a new bracket, but either way this needs to be a single slot card. While I'm doing this I'll add the other power supply as well. Now, with adding the 260x I will be adding more heat to the cooling system, and I still want to squeeze out a few more Mhz, so lets just say I have a cooling system upgrade planned for part 2(“Its giving me a Hadron just thinking about it”).

 

That's all I have for now, I'm off to torture a 260x

 

Also @TehStranger? , you are probably correct. The 7770 was one of AMD's first true cards(not a rebadge like the 6000 series) so yeah that's probably why it has random problems. Still a good card though, don't regret buying it.

 

Update: Found out real quick why this was a used "return" card at my local computer store: Fan noise and coil whine. Luckily neither concern me, so its all good.

[MblaZe7run]

Update: Found out real quick why this was a used "return" card at my local computer store: Fan noise and coil whine. Luckily neither concern me, so its all good.

 

I envy you.. I'd pull out my hair. It pisses me off when my GPU fan rarely goes above 30% (happens about once a day at about 8 hours of use)

[QueenDemetria]

Welp, all good things have to come to an end I guess. After a night of playing GTA V with @Ryou-kun, my 260x had "enough". It went black, and that was it. I couldn't get my system to gracefully shut off, nor post after I forced it off.I reinstalled the 7770(which I never disconnected from the loop, it was hanging out the side of my computer lel) and my system was full of life again. Oh well, I have to go back to Microcenter anyways(gotta get that EVGA RAM while its on sale), but I'm not going to get another 260x(Only 1 open box left, I imagine it has the same problems as my card, hence why its an open box). The 750 ti is the closest card I can find, most of them are single slot(for the outputs) and most of them have the same heatsink pattern, so I'll probably end up with one of those. For now, rest in peace 260x, you won't be missed:

Aside from it killing itself, it handled GTA V very well. I was averaging 60 FPS with high-ultra settings(no AA of course).

 

Edit: SMH Microcenter

[Decon]

+1 for wasted edit

[Guest]

Can you tag me in the next builds please?

 

I like the wasted thing, especially how you killed playing GTA.

[QueenDemetria]

Currently I am debating about GPU's. I sent somebody to return the 260x and they came back with an Asus GTX 750. On one hand, its not the 2GB version or the ti, but out of the box its a single slot card(for the I/O) and has VGA(which I'll be needing soon). I might use this card for another project and get a MSI “twin frozer” 750 ti or the 2GB version, but I haven't decided yet. The tough decision for me is that this card is more powerful than the 7770, but handles everything I throw at it fine(even GTA), so I have no real reason to upgrade from it. The one “catch” about this card is that its heatsink mounting holes are spaced way far apart compared to my water blocks mounting, but that won't stop me(if I decide to keep this card in this rig). If anything, its time for more tools . Once I decide what GPU I'm going to use I'll do a huge update.

[QueenDemetria]

Aaand I'm back . So basically I have been doing “HP” updates through  the status updates, but for those who don't follow them I'll summarize them here(and don't worry about following my status updates for this build log, that was just a temporary thing):

So after I replaced my R7 260x with an Asus GTX 750, it too was a short lived GPU. Basically, the fan locked up and the GPU cooked itself. Why it didn't shut down from reaching 126c(the last recorded temperature), I don't know, but even with the thermal throttling it still was holding up well(which is why I didn't know it was burning). I wanted to RMA through Asus since it was an almost perfect GPU for my use, but Asus reassured me why there RMA services are terribad(TLDR: They told me that the locked up fan sucks, but they don't cover burned GPU's from “mis-use”). Luckily I was well within the return period, so thats just what I did(well, I wasn't the one that took it back, but you get the point). Since I knew I was going to be left without a GPU(again), I did my research(again), and found another perfect GPU(again... lol), and ended up replacing the Asus 750 with a MSI GTX 750 ti “Twin Frozer”(thanks to @QuadCore for shopping for me ). Really I didn't want to spend that much on a GPU(since even the 7770 is fine), but I think I'll be able to justify the cost. Essentially, here is what I liked about the MSI:

• Single slot I/O

• DVI/VGA/HDMI

• 2GB VRAM

• same heatsink mounting as my 7770(so I can reuse the waterblock without modification)

And best of all I have a somewhat simple solution for the dual slot PCI-e bracket: use a different one. The layout of the DVI and VGA ports are very similar to those on my 9500 gt. So I figure I would just trade the brackets lol. I will still have to make a hole for the HDMI port(since that was omitted from my 9500 gt), but thats not as bad as cutting the bracket in half(like I originally planned).

Quad also got me a 16GB kit of EVGA's new DDR3 RAM, but heres a pic of my new things:

Having 24GB of RAM will be nice for all of the stuff I do, but mixing the EVGA stuff with my existing Crucial kit was um, troublesome. Basically, it wouldn't post with my OC(my bios reset this many times), but even with the “safe settings” it still wouldn't boot. I fixed this by manually setting the timings(since it defaulted to the 9-9-9-24 of the Crucial, when it should have been 10-12-12-31). After changing this I was able to get my OC back(4GHz), but my RAM is clocked at 1333Mhz(I want to get this up to 1600Mhz if I can).

^^Old and the new. I got the 2133Mhz kit for future proofing and screwing around with other projects(OCing random CPU's, a future A10-7850K, and any other use I can find).

^^Screenshot of the nvidia system info and CPU-Z memory info.

 

As far as testing goes(other than the RAM, which is fine), the 750 ti plays everything great, and the twin frozer cooler is dead silent under load. Sadly, I'll have to cut the testing short since I had to bend the card to get it to fit in my case(the card was too long lol). I'll modify the PCI bracket and mount the water block “soon”, but I might have to make some repairs to my cooling system(kinked tube and the  pump mount failed). That's all I have for now, I want to wrap up the first half of this project soon so I can build the KFHP(although I might have to call it “The Myth Buster”) and the mystery fish tank PC.

[QueenDemetria]

Okay, just removed the 750 ti(reinstalled the HD 7770) and my OC causes the system to not post. Not sure what that's about, but whatever. I've tried a couple of things but it still won't OC. For now I'm too tired to deal with this crap, but I might have time to investigate this weirdness tomorrow(I suspect the RAM is the cause). If its the RAM, then I'll return it and get something special(actually, the foundation of Part 2). Hopefully I can get it to work with the 24GB and the 7770(then the 750 ti if this breaks things too), but for now, I need some sleep .

[DildorTheDecent]

Not fond of those 2133MHz timings.

What I use: 9-10-10-21 1T 1.55V

2133 and 2200MHz for me.

Although all dat RAM is cool.

[-rascal-]

A little late to the party, but still well worth it  .

 

I'm actually surprised the Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 is holding up okay *knock on wood* with the FX-8320 @ 4.0GHz, considering the 4+1 VRM's and the tiny heatsink passively cooling it.

 

It's weird that your system is having POST issues; hope it isn't motherboard related =X

 

IMO, run your system at stock for the timing being -- at least until your GPUs stop suiciding, and you know your DRAM kits are not defective and can run together without trying to kill one another.

 

 

Otherwise:

• Dem FX-8320 + GPU overclocks on a single 120mm rad
• 'Pimp my Ride' PC Edition, case
• Fancy RAM Drive (pretty cool actually)
• All the chaos

 

I Love It.

-APPROVE-

 

(I'm all out of Guinness in my...reserved beer storage  , but I'd personally take a picture of myself doing this with a pint of Guinness, and post it here  -- probably)

 

 

 

EDIT:

Out curiosity, are those heatsinks between the two Gigabyte motherboards interchangeable??

It seems doable...

 

[QueenDemetria]

So, I'm still debating about what I want to do with the RAM. Basically, I wanted to upgrade two sticks in this build so that the old sticks could be used in another machine. As of now, I don't think that plan will work out, however if the new RAM isn't bad then it might just go in that other build(since it only has 2 slots anyways, so I would be maxing out that machine). Basically this is what I am going to do tomorrow:

• Reinstall the original DIMM's like it originally was, then OC. If its fine, then its the RAM. If its not fine, then I'm going back to the Athlon and DDR2(lol).
• If the original kit tests fine, then I'll just test the new kit to see if it has issues on its own(to isolate mixing kits as the problem). If its fine, then it will go in my other rig(and get submerged in oil lel), but if it still has problems then its going back.
• Now, if it tests bad in this projects board, I will give the RAM a second chance with two other boards: My soon to be retired server board and my brothers POS. Really I just want it to work in my server board, since that's going to be the foundation for my next build(fish tank) .

That's all I have for now, but stay tuned since the 750 ti won't be the only upgrade when I work on this machine again (Spoiler: It will make you say “finally”)

 

 

Not fond of those 2133MHz timings.

What I use: 9-10-10-21 1T 1.55V
2133 and 2200MHz for me.

Although all dat RAM is cool.

Yeah, the timings do seem weird to me, but its what they are specified to run at so that's what I'm rolling with. I also can't run this kit at 2133Mhz either, since my Crucial kit is holding it back(its only 1600Mhz). I think my motherboard is also a limitation for RAM clocks, since Gigabyte lists it as “Support for 1600(O.C.)/1333/1066 MHz memory modules”, however the bios allows for me to clock it at 2666, so I'll keep it safe/stable at 1333(since this is a workstation, oddly enough lol). I might play with timings when I do my other troubleshooting tomorrow, I'll just see what works and what doesn't. Thanks for the suggestion

 

 

A little late to the party, but still well worth it  .

Nah, never late to the party lol. I'm only half way done with the project, so there is still much more to go(I am splitting this in two parts however). 

 

Yeah actually this is a really good board. Even with the OC(and the voltage bump that I wanted to avoid), the VRM stays relatively cool. I was expecting this, since Gigabyte is known for making quality VRM(everything else is debatable lol). 4+1 really isn't a measurement of power either, so the actual AMP's(unknown by the way) could be really high. The low phase count just causes the power to be rough, which the whining coils and EMI through the audio confirms(lol). I don't think I'll push it any further since I need the stability and reliability.

 

I'm hoping the post issues are caused from the RAM(and mixing the least compatible kits), but I'll do a bunch of testing(as outlined above) to solve this mess. I have it running stock now, since I need this machine to run since its my only running desktop(I had to part out my other machines to make this one lol).

 

But yeah,the single 120mm Rad surprised me, I thought I was going to run into cooling problems(kinda did when I ran the the vegetable oil), but now its perfectly fine(that won't stop me from what I'm doing in part 2 lol). I've really grown to like this case, there is just something personal about it since I changed the design(and its not nearly as boring as the empty 300R that sits next to it). Funny thing, the RAM Drive is one of the reasons why project started lol, but I have two more of them so they will be in future builds(I even got new batteries, so they will be fully functional). I love the chaos from this build, I get a laugh from things that make people cringe , but one of my next projects will have even more chaos(since I'm testing PC myths and torturing components, for science).

 

Also good observation with the heatsinks I had the same thought, but after I put the build together lol. When I remove the GPU next it will be the perfect time to remove the motherboard and measure. If they are the same, then I'm switching them out. Gigabytes new heatsinks are terrible for dissipating heat, they mainly are for looks lol. Alternatively I could ghetto mount a waterblock to the northbridge, but either way it would be good to give it better cooling(I could even remove the “Turbo3D” badge to give better airflow with the other heatsink).

 

Thanks for the approval lol  

[QueenDemetria]

Just finished testing the RAM, luckily I won't be going back to the Athlon . So I tested just the Cruicial kit and it booted up fine, even with an OC of 4.2Ghz(I kicked it up a notch ). Then I tested just the EVGA stuff, and it was fine with the OC, so I'm guessing all of this was caused by a compatibility problem. It kind of sucks that I won't have 24GB of system RAM, but I cant be too butt hurt since I have 32GB of RAM Drive(being used as page file/swap space). Now I just need to test the EVGA RAM in the server board, since it needs more RAM(It will be a web browsing machine soon, so 16GB will be nice). 

 

Welp, that's it for now. I might try messing with PCI brackets in a little bit.

 

Edit: The EVGA RAM in the server works, even defaults to the same speeds as the HP's board. http://i.imgur.com/mjuJmnd.png

[MachineKillx]

"This copy of windows is not genuine" lol

Very nice build though

[QueenDemetria]

"This copy of windows is not genuine" lol

Very nice build though

Shhh, you didn't see anything (Lol ).

 

Thanks

[Flabby Waffles]

Over the last few years HP has gotten their act together and has decent cooling now.

 

My 2012 Pavilion only gets up to 50c

[Vebb]

Not to be rude, but this build doesn't make any sense at all...

 

Vegetable oil in tubing... why? (dont you have water? tapwater with some benzyl-C8-18- alkyldimetyl would be better...

http://www.lytron.com/Tools-and-Technical-Reference/Application-Notes/The-Best-Heat-Transfer-Fluids-for-Liquid-Cooling

 

+for the effort.

[-rascal-]

- snip -

 

Also good observation with the heatsinks I had the same thought, but after I put the build together lol. When I remove the GPU next it will be the perfect time to remove the motherboard and measure. If they are the same, then I'm switching them out. Gigabytes new heatsinks are terrible for dissipating heat, they mainly are for looks lol. Alternatively I could ghetto mount a waterblock to the northbridge, but either way it would be good to give it better cooling(I could even remove the “Turbo3D” badge to give better airflow with the other heatsink).

 

 

- snip -

 

Hey, it's another little "mod" you can do after -- stand out from ALL the other "casual" GA-78LMT-USB3 boards out there  .

 

"This copy of windows is not genuine" lol

Very nice build though

 

What are you talking about, I see no "Windows Genuine Advantage" logo anywhere...

 

Over the last few years HP has gotten their act together and has decent cooling now.

 

My 2012 Pavilion only gets up to 50c

 

I wouldn't be surprised if they have improved cooling over the years (of course, still not as good as retail computer cases).

A HP system from 2009 that I had deal with was just garbage -- it was even choking a sub 100W TDP graphics card to death from lack of airflow.