What should I pay for EliteDesk, 800-G3 , i5 7500 3.4GHz, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Win 10 Pro?

[IAmATeaf]

Ive installed an SSD and 2 regular 3.5” hard disks in mine. I had to take out the DVD drive to do this so I just replaced the hole left with a blanking plate. I would have otherwise disconnected the DVD anyway as there’s no point having it consuming power.

 

[Oceanslider]

Ive installed an SSD and 2 regular 3.5” hard disks in mine. I had to take out the DVD drive to do this so I just replaced the hole left with a blanking plate. I would have otherwise disconnected the DVD anyway as there’s no point having it consuming power.

In the Wiki, ProDesk are not mentioned. But I looked them up and they are basic no frills business class computers. I will keep an eye out for these too.

 

[windguy]

In the Wiki, ProDesk are not mentioned. But I looked them up and they are basic no frills business class computers. I will keep an eye out for these too.

The G1 and G2 ProDesk shared the same SFF case size with the Elitedesk. But the G3 and G4 ProDesk changed to a smaller size SFF case and can only accommodate a single 3.5" HDD and two 2.5" HDD. Smaller power supply as well. I came close to getting one of these, but decided I'd rather have the extra 3.5" expansion option and stuck with an Elitedesk G4. I think that's a better option if you want to add a second WD Purple drive down the road. All Elitedesk models (G1-G4) have a drive bay for two 3.5" and one 2.5" HDD plus a DVD. It's a really nice design. I got some excellent advice and coaching from another forum member and that really helped me in this process. Shout out to TL1096R.

I would suggestion you do some homework and download the Maintenance Manuals for these computers so you can familiarize yourself with these system before getting into the buying phase on ebay. Same mantra driven home on this forum, study before buying. Google "HP Elitedesk 800 G4" and you'll find a PDF link for the manual. Very comprehensive.

In the two months that I searched on ebay for a computer I learned that there is always another deal that comes up. You just have to be patient and understand the value of what you are buying unless you don't mind spending extra. Be aware that the pictures posted by the seller don't always match the product for sale. Sometimes they are from a previous sale or stock photos so it's deceptive. Good luck!

 

[danimal86]

double check your numbers. You need to add the delivery fee as well. You are likely paying 20c or more.

That's the winter rate I'm paying right now.....straight from my SMUD bill.
If you are talking about the standard fees that get added each month, you are paying that no matter what.

I'll try to pull the bill up again and see.

 

[Oceanslider]

The G1 and G2 ProDesk shared the same SFF case size with the Elitedesk. But the G3 and G4 ProDesk changed to a smaller size SFF case and can only accommodate a single 3.5" HDD and two 2.5" HDD. Smaller power supply as well. I came close to getting one of these, but decided I'd rather have the extra 3.5" expansion option and stuck with an Elitedesk G4. I think that's a better option if you want to add a second WD Purple drive down the road. All Elitedesk models (G1-G4) have a drive bay for two 3.5" and one 2.5" HDD plus a DVD. It's a really nice design. I got some excellent advice and coaching from another forum member and that really helped me in this process. Shout out to TL1096R.

I would suggestion you do some homework and download the Maintenance Manuals for these computers so you can familiarize yourself with these system before getting into the buying phase on ebay. Same mantra driven home on this forum, study before buying. Google "HP Elitedesk 800 G4" and you'll find a PDF link for the manual. Very comprehensive.

In the two months that I searched on ebay for a computer I learned that there is always another deal that comes up. You just have to be patient and understand the value of what you are buying unless you don't mind spending extra. Be aware that the pictures posted by the seller don't always match the product for sale. Sometimes they are from a previous sale or stock photos so it's deceptive. Good luck!

Thanks! Good info. I did search the ProDesk line and the 400 and 600 series do have a MicroTower model that has 3 bays. So with these you can put in two 3.5" drives and a 2.5" SSD. That is all I would want or need. Just for reference they look like this: Amazon.com: HP ProDesk 600 G4 Desktop Computer, Intel Core i5-8500, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 630 (4HP17UT#ABA): Computers & Accessories

 

[fenderman]

That's the winter rate I'm paying right now.....straight from my SMUD bill.
If you are talking about the standard fees that get added each month, you are paying that no matter what.

I'll try to pull the bill up again and see.

many unities have a delivery fee for the transmission of the electricity billed at a per kwh rate.

 

[Oceanslider]

Okay search is over. Went with an i5-8500 ProDesk 400 G5 Mini-Tower, with 8gb ram, 256gb ssd, Windows 10 Pro. Submitted a low "Best Offer" and was accepted.
Here is a video (warning might want to mute) that shows the inside of these computers. Also you can see a single M.2 SSD slot just above the 3 SATA ports.

Edit: here is another showing how an SSD is mounted under the tray:

 

[IAmATeaf]

Seems a strange form factor, looking at the internals it seems to offers nothing extra apart from the ability to accept full height cards. I was expecting the hard drives to be in a tray in the front, plenty of room and could have room for 3-4?

 

[Oceanslider]

Seems a strange form factor, looking at the internals it seems to offers nothing extra apart from the ability to accept full height cards. I was expecting the hard drives to be in a tray in the front, plenty of room and could have room for 3-4?

Yeah it’s basic. You can put two 3.5” drives in the top tray and mount one 2.5” under. But for me, it strictly will be for Blue Iris. A low wattage machine that runs full time, sitting on a shelf fairly high up in the garage, for the most part untouched.

 

[tigerwillow1]

many unities have a delivery fee for the transmission of the electricity billed at a per kwh rate.

Are some of them really that simple? I've got 7 more listed under the delivery fee. The most cryptic one is "Copco Iron Gate Dams Remv Schg for 8 day(s)".

 

[Oceanslider]

Seems a strange form factor, looking at the internals it seems to offers nothing extra apart from the ability to accept full height cards. I was expecting the hard drives to be in a tray in the front, plenty of room and could have room for 3-4?

Yeah, I don't think it is as high-end as the EliteDesk. But you can install two 3.5" drives in the upper tray and still keep the DVD drive. If you look at that first video I linked above it also shows a single M.2 slot on the motherboard above the 3 SATA ports (around the 4 minute mark).
So initially I will set it up with an M.2 SSD for the OS, and a single 3.5" drive for storage.

The EliteDesk has a larger power supply and also has two M.2 slots. I have to think for my use that this with the smaller power supply will be more economical wattage wise than an EliteDesk.

Here is a post showing the two M.2 SSD slots on the motherboard of an EliteDesk: HP Elitedesk SFF G4

 

[Valiant]

I recently added a 4TB 3.5inch drive to an Elitedesk 800 G4. The biggest pain was that no HDD screws were included inside the case.

The mounting cage required proprietary isolation/spacer style screws to mount the drive. I had to scrounge for something suitable in my spare parts box to make do.

 

[windguy]

I recently added a 4TB 3.5inch drive to an Elitedesk 800 G4. The biggest pain was that no HDD screws were included inside the case.
The mounting cage required proprietary isolation/spacer style screws to mount the drive. I had to scrounge for something suitable in my spare parts box to make do.

I would suggest you get the proper isolation mounting screws for the HDD. They are inexpensive and can be sourced on ebay from lots of sellers.
Not sure if not having the proper screws leads to premature HDD failure due to vibration, but it's not worth the risk for me.
I bought two sets of four screws from the seller below. They now only have one set left. Says "used" but they were in new condition.

Lot of 4 Blue Hard Drive Mounting Screws HP 7800 7900 8000 8100 8200 | eBay

Lot of4 Light Blue Hard Drive Mounting Screws. You'll receive 4 screws. I do my best to make sure the item you receive is exactly or better than you are expecting.

www.ebay.com

Other posts on this forum showed the source below in China for a lower cost but the lead time appears to be longer. Good luck!

HP Compaq Blue Hard Drive Mounting Guide Screws 450712-001 x 10 screws for sale online

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for HP Compaq Blue Hard Drive Mounting Guide Screws 450712-001 x 10 screws at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[Oceanslider]

I would suggest you get the proper isolation mounting screws for the HDD. They are inexpensive and can be sourced on ebay from lots of sellers.
Not sure if not having the proper screws leads to premature HDD failure due to vibration, but it's not worth the risk for me.
I bought two sets of four screws from the seller below. They now only have one set left. Says "used" but they were in new condition.

Lot of 4 Blue Hard Drive Mounting Screws HP 7800 7900 8000 8100 8200 | eBay

Lot of4 Light Blue Hard Drive Mounting Screws. You'll receive 4 screws. I do my best to make sure the item you receive is exactly or better than you are expecting.

www.ebay.com

Other posts on this forum showed the source below in China for a lower cost but the lead time appears to be longer. Good luck!

HP Compaq Blue Hard Drive Mounting Guide Screws 450712-001 x 10 screws for sale online

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for HP Compaq Blue Hard Drive Mounting Guide Screws 450712-001 x 10 screws at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Thanks for posting these links. I may want some of these for my ProDesk that will be arriving at the end of the week. As it appears from the videos I posted here, shows needing what looks like the same screw for 3 5" drives.

I understand from the EliteDesk thread by Fenderman that the M.2 screws are somewhat proprietary too

EDIT NOTE FYI: I ordered these from eBay but they are not correct for my ProDesk's tray, not only are the ones I received not the correct thread size they don't allow the drive to fit the tray when installed. I just ended up using the screws from my shucked 8tb EasyStore. I've always just screwed hard drives in directly so don't really see a problem with that. I think it is possible they sent me screws for a 2.5" drive. But I have just decided to forgo using this proprietary mounting screw for the time being.

 

[Valiant]

Windguy, thanks for the tips on the screws. I've built dozens of PC's and the majority do not have rubber insulation for vibration so that shouldn't be an issue. I'm not sure however if the purpose of those is to insulate against vibration or rather to electrically isolate the drive from the chassis. Doesn't make sense to me.

 

[windguy]

Windguy, thanks for the tips on the screws. I've built dozens of PC's and the majority do not have rubber insulation for vibration so that shouldn't be an issue. I'm not sure however if the purpose of those is to insulate against vibration or rather to electrically isolate the drive from the chassis. Doesn't make sense to me.

Understand. My experience has always been to attach a hard drive to the cage using screws that go through the cage or a tray from the side. This HDD cage on this Elitedesk is very different and kind of a neat design. I can see how an IT person would find it easy and fast to maintain. Is the proper screw required? I have no idea but the cost for the set of proper screws was so low it wasn't worth my time to analyze it too much. I figured some engineer(s) at HP spent months doing that and this was the design they came up with. Probably over-engineered but it works for me. Good luck!

 

[IAmATeaf]

Aren’t these types of fittings used simply as the drive installation is tool less, except that you do need a screwdriver to install the grommets onto the drive. All took less PCs have some form bespoke fitting, yes very annoying but done so that they put the words ergonomic onto their fact sheet.

 

[Oceanslider]

Got my ProDesk this afternoon. The eBay posting said 256gb SSD, but I got a pleasant surprise when I opened it up to find a Samsung MZVLB256HAHQ-001 - 256GB M.2 PCIe NVM3 2280 MCL 3D-Nand with a fresh install of Windows 10 Pro on it. I'm not totally up on all the M.2 specs but do know that MCL is good. I don't see that this computer was ever used. it looks new with keyboard and mouse all packed up as new in the HP box. The SSD is the top M.2 offering from HP for this computer line, I'm very happy with that.

If all you need is a OS drive and a storage drive these ProDesks I think are a good call to keep an eye out for. I got this Computer for $337 to my door, and warranty till December 2022. I forgot how good eBay can be.

Thanks to everyone for your input and help with a Blue Iris Computer decision.

Would there any reason to get a WiFi card? Where I plan to keep it out in the garage I would have to run a Cat 6 to where my office computer is.

 

[looney2ns]

Got my ProDesk this afternoon. The eBay posting said 256gb SSD, but I got a pleasant surprise when I opened it up to find a Samsung MZVLB256HAHQ-001 - 256GB M.2 PCIe NVM3 2280 MCL 3D-Nand with a fresh install of Windows 10 Pro on it. I'm not totally up on all the M.2 specs but do know that MCL is good. I don't see that this computer was ever used. it looks new with keyboard and mouse all packed up as new in the HP box. The SSD is the top M.2 offering from HP for this computer line, I'm very happy with that.

If all you need is a OS drive and a storage drive these ProDesks I think are a good call to keep an eye out for. I got this Computer for $337 to my door, and warranty till December 2022. I forgot how good eBay can be.

Thanks to everyone for your input and help with a Blue Iris Computer decision.

Would there any reason to get a WiFi card? Where I plan to keep it out in the garage I would have to run a Cat 6 to where my office computer is.

NO, don't use Wifi in a security cam system.

 

[Oceanslider]

NO, don't use Wifi in a security cam system.

Okay I will hard wire from this BI PC to my office. I was not sure if it people controlled their BI PCs via a WiFi on their LAN. Thanks