How do I change a used HP Workstation Z2 G4 into something that runs old software?
How do I change a used HP Workstation Z2 G4 into something that runs old software?
Hi everyone, I got a brand new HP Z2 G4 and want to turn it into an emulator rig. The laptop is specifically the 5DU92UT#ABA model. I know what PC building means but have never built one before or touched computer parts except just swapping out RAM. My goal is to play at least 4K60, maybe even 4K120 on my big living room TV. Based on all I learned so far about this machine here are some details: It has an Intel i7-8700 processor paired with a Nvidia Quadro P1000 graphics card and a 500-watt power supply. It comes with 16GB of DDR4 RAM running at 2666MHz speed and a 512GB SSD storage drive. I've read some stuff online that says the GPU only has a mini display port, so I will need to buy a special adapter to turn it into HDMI for my TV. When I looked those up they seem to be limited in how fast they can handle video. I think they are capped at 4K30 which is not enough because my TV doesn't play games well if the frame rate drops below 120Hz. Even though I could get 60 frames per second, that's better than 30 so I will make do with that. Because of all this I thought about selling the GPU and buying a used or open-box one instead. I have some old RAM from another computer that has 16GB but it is running at 3200MHz which I am not sure if works well here. I also found a Thermalright Assassin X120 cooler for my CPU and assume it will fit but need to check the size first. Is anyone else giving me any tips or suggestions? I don't know if the power supply has a standard 6-pin connection or needs an extra 6+2 pin connector so I've been looking at used AMD cards like the 1650 and open-box Nvidia cards that are 3050 with 6GB. One thing I saw was a 1650 for about $80 and some open box 3050s were around $130. I would really prefer to spend less than $100 total after selling the GPU. I read that Nvidia usually gets along better with games like Dolphin but if that isn't true I could look into some AMD options. Any help or advice is super appreciated, thanks!
If you have video output on your motherboard, try using the graphics card first instead of just relying on the integrated GPU. That way, there are fewer parts to worry about, less heat and less noise. It might handle 4K at 60 frames per second, but it probably won't be able to run games like Dolphin when they're stretched up to that resolution either. I don't think a GTX 1650 would work well for that either; maybe the 3050 is better.
OK sounds good. It seems like $40 is enough for me to do that. I think I'd be better off grabbing a 75W card now since I'm already buying stuff I don't need yet, even though I have some HDMI 2.1 cables. My regular PC is currently connected with a 25' powered HDMI cable and it took three tries just to find one that works for 4K@120fps. I'm not sure if I want to deal with more trial and error on an adapter and cable. I hope the PSU still has a 6-pin or 6+2 so I have some other options. My computer should arrive later this week, then we'll see what happens. There are about three or four machines around here, so maybe I could take them all and sell the CPUs and GPUs to bump up my budget a little bit.
Yeah - at that length, an active cable is pretty much the only choice. I have a Quadro card, and when they first came out, they included miniDP-to-DP adapter plugs in the box. So I asked them to include a couple. Then all you'd need is something like this ($30 USD).
Okay so I bought my PC yesterday and it has both a 6-pin connector and a 6+2 port, which means I spent way too much money on it. The original HP New Old Stock 2060 cost $125, the Thermalright case fans were $11, two magnetic dust filters for 120mm fans cost $7, and the Coolermaster i30 CPU cooler was $13. With tax and shipping, everything totaled $165. I am planning to modify this case this weekend so it fits inside my media console. I will put one fan on the front and another on a side panel to handle airflow. I'll leave the third fan as a spare just in case. Originally, I wanted to buy a used RX6600 card because it would support HDMI 2.1, but I am going to stick with 4K at 60 frames per second instead.
It works! Top down view here. Speed holes give extra power. Bigger speed hole there. A little rough but I'm fine with it. I cut those holes right after putting the mobo inside, so I was scared I would brick the whole thing. I used a piece of wood to line up the panel while drilling and took my time. Now downloading Cyberpunk to check how hot things get. The GPU is running at 36C. I left the stock HP cooler on because the new one doesn't look much better. I'll see how it goes tomorrow and then think again about upgrading. edit: OK, getting the new cooler tomorrow! It's 90 degrees in the Cyberpunk menu lol