Here is an update to my config. I have put in the E8500 and have it running close to 100% for 4 days reencoding my music to MP3 VBR and the hottest I have seen it was 77 with an average of 72. The fans are continually running around 2500 to 2600 RPM. I was hoping the dynatron heatsink was usable but alas HP uses a custom placement of the contact points as yakuza stated. I also upgrade the RAM to KVR800D2N6/4G which makes a huge improvement. I will post with screen shots soon. Does anyone have an idea to get more powerful fans? Putting a Quad in here could definitely be done, just cooling and power consumption is the only concern. I also noticed it ran hotter before I maxed out the drive bays making forced air more useful. Just my two cents. This is one little mighty box!

So far
CPU E8500 (3.16)
4 TB RE3 WD Drives
4GB RAM 800MHz

Works Like A Champ! Just a Thought since I don't have the video cable is it possible to boot to an optical drive? I was thinking about getting one of these for a headless Win2K08 box.

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2008 R2 (ASUS ZPE-D18 E5520 x 2 24GB RAM 8TB Storage)
Exchange 2010
Windows Home Server 2003 (Dell 760)
HP EX490 (E8500 4GB RAM 4TB Storage)
3 Windows 7 Ultimate Clients
2 Mac Clients

Here are images as promised.

Edit: Added SPD tab as requested.

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2008 R2 (ASUS ZPE-D18 E5520 x 2 24GB RAM 8TB Storage)
Exchange 2010
Windows Home Server 2003 (Dell 760)
HP EX490 (E8500 4GB RAM 4TB Storage)
3 Windows 7 Ultimate Clients
2 Mac Clients

Would you be willing to share your SPD tab in CPU-Z? Thanks for all the information!

Thanks for the info.

As I read, the Core2Duo is a 45 nm processor, and the celeron seems to be 65nm processor.

So in this case maybe the Core2Duo uses less power than the celeron? Or at least the same with more power...

Did the exchange of the processor worked directly? Or did you changed the heatsink as well?

@ bradyholt

I'm kind of curious why the 4 GB stick? Having gone from a stock ex470 to one with 2 GB of memory I can see the need to upgrade to 2 GB, but looking at what you have posted here, I *believe* that expanding memory to 4 GB is not really helpful.... I would have tried this (faster memory), Mushkin Enhanced Redline 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) Desktop Memory Model 991593 first myself. At 2.0 to 2.1 V there is a chance that it would not work, but the cost is relatively small... I've got to think you would see more of an improvement with this. Thoughts?

This should be a safer bet, Crucial 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Desktop Memory Model CT25664AA1067 as it is 1.8v but it is slower memory...

The processors are drop in replacements. As has been posted before the Celeron® Processor 450 (512K Cache, 2.20 GHz, 800 MHz FSB) is a 35 watt unit in the ex490 the Core2Duo is a 65 watt unit (the same wattage as a stock EX495 Intel® Pentium® Processor E5200 (2M Cache, 2.50 GHz, 800 MHz FSB) I believe), at full load the power is almost doubled in theory over the Celeron. Looking at my stock ex490 on a P3 International P4460 Electricity Usage Monitor the moment to moment power draw is all over. One can talk about minimum power draw, or maximum power draw, but in my opinion average is what is meaningful here, and that takes a meter and knowing over how long it is averaged....

From how I read what he has posted he is using the stock heat sink.

I am also planning on getting the ex490 and doing an upgrade to e7500. How much of the Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound should I use? I have heard a small rice-size dap will do?


DCT

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EX470 w/ 2GB RAM + TR4M: 4.5TB
EX490 w/ e7500 + TR5M: 9TB

Yes! Small, is key here. Also you'll need to go through a few thermal cycles to see the full effect. It must get both hot and cold to cure correctly.

Really? Why 4GB? Because it can! So much is gained by the upping of the CPU and RAM. I don't know where to begin to explain how much performance has been gained. All I can say is try it then see for yourself. As for the voltage I don't know if that would prevent it either. I don't know if going for the faster memory would matter anyway since it more than likely be limited by the board. I just wished they made it for dual channel memory. That is where we could really see improvements.

As for the question regarding the heatsink, no I used the original, although I did notice there is a fan power near the cpu slot which I hope someone comes up with a manufactured fan/heatsink combo soon!

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2008 R2 (ASUS ZPE-D18 E5520 x 2 24GB RAM 8TB Storage)
Exchange 2010
Windows Home Server 2003 (Dell 760)
HP EX490 (E8500 4GB RAM 4TB Storage)
3 Windows 7 Ultimate Clients
2 Mac Clients

Can anyone provide info on the PN of the mobo or any other markings? Perhaps there's some tech data/setup info floating around in the ether, especially if the mobo was designed and manufactured by a third party....

Mike

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From CPUZ:

DMI Baseboard
vendor Wistron
model 532837-ZH1
revision A
serial XXXXXX-ZHYYYYYYYEAJ0A1A

So "Wistron" model # "532837-ZH1"

Mitch

Edit: googling, I only found this link: http://www.homeserverhacks.com/
and this: http://www.homeserverhacks.com/2009/10/ ... ew-hp.html

I've been known to take apart a server or two as well.

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Alex Kuretz
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There are at least two ways to up the ram, simply add more ram, or add faster ram. Based on what you've posted at a full CPU load you are using about 12% of your ram. (At least that is what I believe I am seeing from your charts) But the ram is talking to the CPU at the same speed it was talking to the old slow CPU that you replaced. The CPU needs to slow down and wait for the ram each time it access the ram. You have raised the bus speed of the CPU to 1333 MHz from 800 MHz but the memory is still talking at the old slow 399 MHz it was talking to the 800 MHz CPU. I believe by replacing the slow memory with faster memory we should see a performance increase...

To me it's simple if you want a faster MSS faster ram should be the way to go...

Is the EX490 series capable of running 1333mhz DDR3? Has anyone tried to put 4GB in it to see if the OS can deal with it?

Yes, if you look at bradyholt post from Tue Nov 10, 2009 12:52 am you'll see he has put 4 GB in his server. He is running an E8500 cpu that appears to be near the thermal limits... I believe that what I have seen suggest that the EX49x is configured to run the SPD settings of the memory. He has a CAS# Latency of 6 at 400 MHz (PC2-6400). I'm thinking faster ram will make more of a difference here than bigger ram that does not appear to be fully used. I'm new at this and I could be wrong, but that is what I am thinking.