Compaq SR1710NX upgradable

[imported_kushko]

The last PC I had was an ASUS A7N266VM with a Duron 1.2 GHz CPU and an ATI 8500 GPU. At the time it was a pretty good setup for a "budget" system.

I was going to build a new system to replace this one when I saw a Compaq SR1710NX (Specs, Motherboard). I also needed to upgrade my OS from WinME, so I needed to figure that cost into the equation too. The Compaq with OS+ ended up costing me $430CDN, a lot less than even putting together a very budget system.

The Compaq has:
939 Motherboard with ATIs RS480, dual channel capable, x200 integrated graphics
Sempron 3400+ (not dual channel capable)
PCI-e slot
100GB SATA
Win XP

I know you'll say the graphics suck for gaming, but because most of the games we play in our house are 2 years old anyway I figure the x200 will do for now.

The things I like about this setup is:
1) The MB allows me to use an Athlon 64 or X2 when I have some extra money
2) The MB is dual channel capable, so I can add another 512MB DDR to the one I have (when I replace the CPU) and get even more performance
3) I can replace the integrated graphics with a PCI-e card.

I'd like to know what others think of this PC.

Thanks,

Kevin

 

[Steaksauce]

This is a very capable system with a skt 939 Sempron. I'm thinking it comes with 2x128? It would be best to get rid of that and get a 2x512, especially if you are to upgrade to a 6600GT and up for gaming. Also, might want to upgrade the PSU as well when you get a 6600gt and up video card.

 

[imported_kushko]

Thanks,

it actually came with a single 256MB module. I added a single 512MB Kingston Value module (There are 2 pairs of memory slots). Since it's running a Sempron without dual-channel support I didn't need to have a matched pair.

When I upgrade to a dual-channel capable CPU I'll add another 512MB and chuck the single 256MB module.

The PSU is pretty skimping, so I'll probably have to replace it when I add anything to this system.

As you seem to suggest I'll probably upgrade the video card first and later the CPU&RAM.

K.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

You won't have a hard time finding a buyer for that S939 Sempron, I'll tell you that much.

The only thing you won't be able to do is throw in a monster video card with huge power draw - I doubt the HP/Compaq OEM PSU could handle it.

Edit - Oh, and you'll want to reformat that with a clean OS as soon as you possibly can.

- M4H

 

[Steaksauce]

I'm pretty sure that Sempron 939 is dual-channel capable.

Yeah, for now, a RAM upgrade as you suggested. I would upgrade the video card and PSU at the same time, if I was you, especially with a 6800 and up video card.

 

[imported_kushko]

Thanks.

I found this review today at X-Bit Labs. It's the only review of the Sempron 939 I've found.

It says the Sempron 939 IS dual-channel capable! I just assumed it was not...

According to the benchmark of the x200 on AnandTech, I should be able to get 20-30% improvement in games by using the dual-channel memory controller for the integrated graphics memory. (Hmm maybe I should go out and get another 512MB module).

K.

 

[jdkick]

I just picked up one of these systems for myself (SR1710NX). I cleaned up the factory install a little (read bloated) and installed a spare 512MB DDR400 DIMM. So far, things are moving along quite well - the system is stable, responsive and quiet. The integrated video is of no use for 3D tasks/gaming, as should expected, but is fine for general use and at high resolutions (1280x1024@85Hz currently). I plan on making use of the open PCI-Express x16 slot sometime soon tho with either a 6600GT or x800.

Anyway, this seems like a decent system. It will serve as my primary machine until I get around to building a new machine (AMD 64 X2 w/ SLI).

 

[reset]

Would this be faster than an Athlon 3500+ (first generation)?

 

[reset]

oops, sorry 2X

 

[Arcanedeath]

a 3500+ even a 130nm one is faster than a 939 3400+ sempron that 3400+ is prolly around the same spead as a 2ghz Venice IE a 3200+ or a bit slower

 

[reset]

thanks, was wondering about that. i bought a 939 3500+ when it first came out and bought one of these systems too. probably sell my sr1710nx or maybe setup a little htpc with it.

 

[jdkick]

Looking for some feedback on HDD support. I'm looking into add a 250GB Maxtor IDE that was pulled from another system. Anyone else running an IDE > 137GB? I've tried to confirm 48-bt LBA support in the BIOS via HP, but they're giving me the run around. I'm only being paranoid because the drive has quite a bit of data on it. It would be pain to restore it all from backups...

Otherwise, this machine rocks. I bought it in January and tossed in a 485W Enermax, Corsair 512MB DDR400, Pioneer 16X DVD±RW and a Sapphire X1600XT. I fills all my desktop needs and handles games well (Splinter Cell: CT... maxed out @ 1024x768 w/ SM3.0, medium-high'ish @ 1280x1024).

Thanks.

 

[jdkick]

ttt

 

[ScrapSilicon]

Originally posted by: jdkick
Looking for some feedback on HDD support. I'm looking into add a 250GB Maxtor IDE that was pulled from another system. Anyone else running an IDE > 137GB? I've tried to confirm 48-bt LBA support in the BIOS via HP, but they're giving me the run around. I'm only being paranoid because the drive has quite a bit of data on it. It would be pain to restore it all from backups...

Otherwise, this machine rocks. I bought it in January and tossed in a 485W Enermax, Corsair 512MB DDR400, Pioneer 16X DVD±RW and a Sapphire X1600XT. I fills all my desktop needs and handles games well (Splinter Cell: CT... maxed out @ 1024x768 w/ SM3.0, medium-high'ish @ 1280x1024).

Thanks.

you should have started a fresh thread ..you'll have no trouble w/ 250gb pata hd just do not put it on the primary ide best to have your opticals on the primary ide and your data/storage hds(pata) on the secondary ide as the boot/os sata drive tries to get lost if there's a pata hd on the primary ide(might just be because of my experience w/ same but the pata drive I was dealing with did have a bootable os on it...ymmv) ..gl

 

[mechBgon]

If the SR1710NX is like the other home-oriented Compaqs they're making lately, it'll have a "short ATX" power supply. Meaning, it's very short in the front-to-rear direction. And the reason for that, is evidently because a normal one would hit the rear ends of DVD/CD drives. Why the retards didn't make the case a couple inches deeper, I have no idea

Upshot: do not count on the ability to upgrade PSUs, unless you're going to do some custom chop work on the chassis or use super-short DVD drives.

 

[ScrapSilicon]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
If the SR1710NX is like the other home-oriented Compaqs they're making lately, it'll have a "short ATX" power supply. Meaning, it's very short in the front-to-rear direction. And the reason for that, is evidently because a normal one would hit the rear ends of DVD/CD drives. Why the retards didn't make the case a couple inches deeper, I have no idea

Upshot: do not count on the ability to upgrade PSUs, unless you're going to do some custom chop work on the chassis or use super-short DVD drives.

or get a real case and psu

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: ScrapSilicon

Originally posted by: mechBgon
If the SR1710NX is like the other home-oriented Compaqs they're making lately, it'll have a "short ATX" power supply. Meaning, it's very short in the front-to-rear direction. And the reason for that, is evidently because a normal one would hit the rear ends of DVD/CD drives. Why the retards didn't make the case a couple inches deeper, I have no idea

Upshot: do not count on the ability to upgrade PSUs, unless you're going to do some custom chop work on the chassis or use super-short DVD drives.

or get a real case and psu

that doesn't have the Windows license stuck to it They should just leave a blank spot on motherboards for OEM Windows licenses to be stuck to, if Microsoft really wants the motherboard to be the definitive item that the license must stay with.

 

[jdkick]

you should have started a fresh thread ..you'll have no trouble w/ 250gb pata hd

Thanks for the reply... I just figured this fit as an "upgrade".

As for other posts, I had no issue upgrading the PSU with a standard ATX Enermax... tho I opened the case in the store so I could take at it's guts. I was sold as soon as I saw the ASUS board, free x16 slot and spare SATA/PATA connectors.

I may have a go at putting the 250GB in tomorrow night... maybe take it to work and snag a Ghost image of it first.

 

[RichU]

I am new here, so please let me know if I am not following the rules. I have a Compaq SR1710NX and am in the process of upgrading, following some of the previous suggestions here. So far I have added a DL DVD/rw, two matching 512 ddr sdram chips, an extra 200G SATA HD (in the case, but not yet attached to the power supply or MB), and an external USB 2.0 160G IDE HD. I still have an XMDIA GeForce 7300 256MB DDR2 PCI Express graphics card and a Thermaltake TR2 430w power supply to install. The power supply appears to be just 2 cm longer than the original, but looks like it should fit.
Do you guys think this PS is powerful enough? I would really like to know before I attempt to put this one in, because I am starting to get cold feet. Putting in a drive using instructions is one thing, but changing a PS seems much more envolved. Also, I couldn't find any documentation on changing PSs on the HP site.

 

[RichU]

I have another question. With the Compaq SR1710NX system I described above, what would be the advantage to upgrading from the included Sempron 3400 to an AMD Athlon 64 3200+ 2.0GHz / 512KB Cache / 2000MHz FSB / ClawHammer / Hyper-Transport / OEM / Socket 939 / Processor? Thanks, Rich

 

[larciel]

Originally posted by: RichU
I have another question. With the Compaq SR1710NX system I described above, what would be the advantage to upgrading from the included Sempron 3400 to an AMD Athlon 64 3200+ 2.0GHz / 512KB Cache / 2000MHz FSB / ClawHammer / Hyper-Transport / OEM / Socket 939 / Processor? Thanks, Rich

your money will be better spent elsewhere.

about your PSU. I don't see any problem with it. (btw can you fit your TT PSU inside a compaq??)

 

[RichU]

The TT PSU has two fans, but is only two cm longer than the original equipment, and it looks like it would fit without overcrowding the two DVD drives. BTW, I noticed that the DVD drives actually stick out of the case 2 cm, so I guess that helps on the inside. Also, this PS has special braided cables that are supposed to help circulation because they can be routed in nooks and crannys and even under the MB to leave the interior space for more air circulation. Having said all that, I haven't been brave enough to yet tackle the task of uninstalling and reinstalling the PS, but if/when I do I'll let you know if it fits.

To rephrase my question about the Sempron vs the Athlon, if I could trade the Sempron 3400 for the AMD Athlon 64 3200+ 2.0GHz / 512KB Cache / 2000MHz FSB / ClawHammer / Hyper-Transport / OEM / Socket 939 for just a few bucks shipping, what would the advantages be? Is the Sempron in this SR1710NX system a 64 bit processor?

For anyone who hasn't removed the front cover yet, it is a bear! Or at least it was for me. It has three clips on each side which need to be pried up while someone else is prying up the clips on the other side. The documentation actually recommends that two people should remove the cover. I'm not putting it back on until I have finished ALL my upgrades, and then it is not coming off again until the year 3000!!!

Thanks, Rich

 

[zephyrprime]

Originally posted by: ScrapSilicon

Originally posted by: jdkick
Looking for some feedback on HDD support. I'm looking into add a 250GB Maxtor IDE that was pulled from another system. Anyone else running an IDE > 137GB? I've tried to confirm 48-bt LBA support in the BIOS via HP, but they're giving me the run around. I'm only being paranoid because the drive has quite a bit of data on it. It would be pain to restore it all from backups...

Otherwise, this machine rocks. I bought it in January and tossed in a 485W Enermax, Corsair 512MB DDR400, Pioneer 16X DVD±RW and a Sapphire X1600XT. I fills all my desktop needs and handles games well (Splinter Cell: CT... maxed out @ 1024x768 w/ SM3.0, medium-high'ish @ 1280x1024).

Thanks.

you should have started a fresh thread ..you'll have no trouble w/ 250gb pata hd just do not put it on the primary ide best to have your opticals on the primary ide and your data/storage hds(pata) on the secondary ide as the boot/os sata drive tries to get lost if there's a pata hd on the primary ide(might just be because of my experience w/ same but the pata drive I was dealing with did have a bootable os on it...ymmv) ..gl

The new retail computers use SATA as their primary ATA so the user doesn't really has any control over primary/secondary issues. I'm sure the computer will have no prom with drives bigger than 137GB. That't hasn't been an issue for years.

 

[RichU]

I'm not sure if its the same thing he was asking about, but I added a 200GB ATA 100 within a USB 2.0 external enclosure to this system, and it shows as 190GB in My Computer, as a removable drive. Didn't have to do anything special to get it to see the entire drive, except to go into Administrative Tools, Computer Management, Storage, Disk Management and select the drive. Since it was new, I chose to partition it as a primary partition and I also chose to assign a drive letter (R:/). hope that answered his question.

While inside the case, I noticed that the SR1710NX appears to have three PCI expansion slots and what i would assume is a PCI express video expansion slot. My question is: If I were to install a PCI Express video card, are all three PCI slots still available, or do you lose one like you did with AGP?

Thanks, Rich

 

[HomeAppraiser]

My sister-in-law has one of these. Is the stock power supply sufficient for an eVGA GeForce 7600GS?