I ended up taking the plunge today on the whole kit and kaboodle. I've been using the trial WHS software on a virtual machine but today NewEgg suckered me in with an additional $35 off coupon code on the EX470 (EMCAEAJCB if you're interested. Expires 4/8 at 11:59pm).

So, I got the EX470, 2GB G.Skill Mem, LE-1640, and a Seagate 1TB drive that I will make the system drive.

When it gets here I'll boot it up to make sure everything is working and then I'll swap out the processor and memory at the same time. Wish me luck!

Not only back in stock but $8 cheaper today than yesterday. Of course I ordered yesterday

I documented my systems performance then upgraded to LE-1640 last weekend. I also ran Performance test 6.1 before and after verifying the 23-34% performance increase.

I noticed that Performance test 6.1 provides detailed baseline info about the computer hardware. It reports that the motherboard in the MSS is a Wistron SJD4 Version A.0.
As expected it also reports the new processor as AMD processor model unknown.

A quick search shows that Wistron is one of the Taiwan manufacturers that major companies contract with to supply motherboards so I think HP would have to be the source of any BIOS updates. I doubt HP will be inclined to issue a BIOS update that supports anything but the factory installed processor though.

The Quiet and Cool technology is still working as it should. AMDs Power monitor utility shows the processor idling at 1000 MHz and 1.1 volt. It ramps up to different speeds as needed and tops out at 2600 MHz at 1.25 volt.

The processor runs only 1-2º C warmer than with the stock processor even with the processor pegged at 100% by CPU burn software for 5 hours. The fans run 110 to 120 rpm faster than with the stock processor to achieve this. The front door restricts airflow some. Opening the front door will drop processor temperature by 2 degrees C.

I did not have an easy way to check the power consumption before and after so I don't know how that changed.

The price on the LE-1640 at Newegg is now $48 shipped. It figures since I just received mine for $55 from them. Plus I still need to return the LE-1620 i got from them. I wanted to wait until I get my 1640 installed. But I guess I'll have to Ebay it since you only get 7 days to return a CPU.

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3TB MSS EX490(upgraded CPU-E6300(2.8Ghz dual core Pentium)),
4GB memory
57TB unRAID1a--49TB unRAID2--76TB unRAID3

I got my 1640 in tonight! It's been running for the last 4 hours and I haven't seen the temp go above 45C. WIth the stock CPU I saw it go as high as 60C. So this looks promising. Hopefulyy everything will still be fine in the morning.
The system is also more responsive now than before. Thanks ahgain everyone for all the great info.

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3TB MSS EX490(upgraded CPU-E6300(2.8Ghz dual core Pentium)),
4GB memory
57TB unRAID1a--49TB unRAID2--76TB unRAID3

I put an LE-1620 in mine this morning, the 1640 is almost impossible to find in the UK.

Idle temp seems to be around 40c, and running the cpu burn-in program from wegotserved it rises to around 58c and stays there.

Even the 1620 seems to make a big difference to the performance.

I'm joining the processor upgrade parade.

Ordered both the ram and a Le 1640 w/grease from NewEgg at the same time as my HP MSS and a 750GB Seagate. Can't wait!!

I think I'm gonna follow the example of those who did only a little unit testing, but no customization, to be sure it's not a doa or real hot running unit. Then then go straight to the upgrades. And also right after that (and those working at a decent temp for an hour or so) to a swap of the 750gb into drive bay 1 instead of the 500gb, with attendant factory reinstall. Nothing for me to have to redo that way.

Actually I'd rather put the 1TB Seagate I have on order from Best Buy at their super discount rate of $190, but that's backordered, might take weeks, and I ain't anywhere near that patient!

Anyone see any problems with this approach?

JohnBic--

I was noticing your signature line, incliuding:



WOW, that some impressive disk array on that PC. Sounds like a homebrew. I might well be inserested in building something like that, maybe with a view towards Vista 64. Probably not imminently, but on the near horizon. Like to see more drivers and more support for V 64 -- which I figure has to be coming, since Vista particularly tends to be bottlenecked by the 3.3gb effective or so of it's 32 bit implementation (at least that's all 32 bit XP SP2 sees on my 4gb machine, and I've heard its the same story with 32 bit Vista.

ANYWAY, did you follow, somewhat or more or less, any article anywhere when you put together that PC 1 machine of yours?

I havre been doing alittle research on overclocking the le1640. Most pple that overclock it have no problems with it running at 3ghz. I was taking into consideration that right now no one has mentioned it and also that fact that we dont have a cooling fan mounted on the cpu to cool it. I was thinking that if we could use Asetek Low Cost Liquid Cooling (LCLC) System. Webstie for info that i have found so far is here http://www.hothardware.com/Articles/Ase ... em/?page=2. I was thinking we woulc possible replace on of the 120mm exhaust fans to run this. It looks like the probile would be low enought to fit in the mss. I am curious if losing one ehaust fan could possible raise the system temp to high. Another idea would be to power the fan off located on the motherboard. I just throwing this out there and wondering what others think and advise. I will do more research and hope others will join me so we can make this happen.
thanks
Currently running ls1640, 2g ram and 500g. Running system on deployment in desert and system temp never gets over 28, right now but cpu runs around 35 average. Did install all with gerber and babywipes to clean paste off. I figure when i get home will re do the arc silver install to fix the cpu running alittle hot, but for over here working great.

It would be better to Add the arc silver sooner to help distrubute heat more evenly and equally over the surface. And if you are overclocking at all, I would not wait at all. Just MHO

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Thanks for Sharing,
~SirD~

BY gerber, i meant I used a knife blade the first and only time i plan on opening it out here. That was a act of patient right there. I did use arc silver on it this time, just miss applied to or not enough. System is stable so we risk something dont need to right now out here. Thanks for your concern and let hope we can get this thing overclocked, so i have a good reeason then to have to open it up again. Mods rule and good luck too everyone.
thanks for all your support
black


ps-if anyone want to join the army drop me aline so i can get the 2k referal bonus, lol, could us a few more mods on stuff.

No "blueprint". Just bought a VERY large case and a VERY large power supply (with a heavy emphasis on QUIET --120mm-- fans). Picked a motherboard with the support for the two RAID configurations (plus an eSATA and a PATA connection and some USB and Firewire connections). Bought a large but QUIET fan assembly for the processor. Chose the 2x150 Raptors for speed (10,000 rpm) and the 320's for capacity. (A year later I would still choose the Raptors but would be able to get 750s for the amount I spent on the 320s.) Then I selected a video card with no fans as I am interested in low noise more than high end graphics. Then I just put it all together -- with a couple of delays to get some longer SATA cables for that large enclosure!

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....JBick

EX475, 2 GB, LE-1640
PC1: Vista-->W7 Ultimate/32, (D-Drive RAID-5 Array)
PC2: Lenovo Laptop, Win XP Home SP3
2xLinksys WRT54G v1.1 and 2xNetGear GS105 Gbit switch

I upgraded the processor to the "Orleans AMD-LE1640." It is not a dual core processor and it actually runs a bit cooler than the original processor. I suppose that my main reason for doing it is for the same reason that people climb mountains. The main advantage is that the upgraded processor has a larger cache which should speed up memory intensive tasks. If it runs cooler and can work faster, I say, why not go for it?

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djsprat

Ordered 1 Orleans AMD-LE1640.

I was going to order the Artic-Silver but it added $4.99 to the shipping!!!

Will find it locally.

I think the only reason it runs cooler is because of a proper thermal paste application. My stock processor had way too much. It was slapped on mine like peanut butter. I would have needed to use the entire tube of the arctic silver to look like the stock CPU did. Instead I put down an amount a little larger than a grain of rice like the instructions said. And it has been running cooler than the system temp since I installed it on Friday. Of course when the processing ramps up the temp does go up to between 45C and 50C. But the stock CPU went between 55C and 60C. My unit is in a closet that has been around 80F all weekend so when at idle the system temp is around 37C while the CPU temp is around 35C. Much cooler than when the stock CPU was in there.
Definitely a worthwhile upgrade.

_________________
3TB MSS EX490(upgraded CPU-E6300(2.8Ghz dual core Pentium)),
4GB memory
57TB unRAID1a--49TB unRAID2--76TB unRAID3