I personally also recommend running your unit for a few days BEFORE doing any upgrades (other than adding another disk, if desired) to let it burn in and get confidence that everything is OK. Go ahead and install some Add-Ins as desired, just recognize that performance will greatly improve when you add the memory.

I also recommend replacing the CPU with the LE-1640. It's not a lot of additional effort once you have everything apart to do the memory upgrade.

Either of those upgrades should cost you around $40. If you are paying much more shop around! NewEgg is MUCH better than the local stores for these.

...JohnBick

EX475 + 3 1TB WD (2.5TB "pool", 1.5TB backup), 2 GB mmry, LE-1640, APC UPS
PC1: Vista/32 Ultimate SP1, 2x150 GB Raptor RAID-1 Sys (C) & 4x320GB RAID-5 Data (D)
PC2: Laptop, Win XP Home SP3
Linksys WRT54G v1.1, 2xNetGear GS105

I just popped the Patriot stick (from Newegg naturally) that was originally recommended by homeserverhack.com before they started touting the gskill memory and WOW what a difference! HP needs to make this available NOW or offer amnesty to those who have already done the upgrade. I happen to have tools suited for this work but if you do not get a decent quality OO philips screwdriver before you try to pop the screws on the front bezel. Otherwise chances are you will damage or strip them making it obvious you have opened it up if you do have to put the original in for warranty work. I thought about doing the CPU as well but heck, I am mostly just moving files and doing backups anyway and didn't want to run into potential voltage problems with the newer revisions of the processors available now. If you have any doubts about it I can tell you the memory alone made a huge huge difference.

It is actually very easy to upgrade - even the processor :-)

Chris -

There is quirte a bit of discussion about (successful) dual-core modifications over on MediaSmartServer.net. This is probably the "key" thread over there:

http://www.mediasmartserver.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1102&hilit=amd

(It is NOT for the "faint of heart"!)

...JohnBick

EX475 + 3 1TB WD (2.5TB "pool", 1.5TB backup), 2 GB mmry, LE-1640, APC UPS
PC1: Vista/32 Ultimate SP1, 2x150 GB Raptor RAID-1 Sys (C) & 4x320GB RAID-5 Data (D)
PC2: Laptop, Win XP Home SP3
Linksys WRT54G v1.1, 2xNetGear GS105

cj said:

ChrisCalderon said: It is actually very easy to upgrade - even the processor :-)

I agree, the upgrade process is certainly very simple, but here are my reasons for choosing to not upgrade the processor.  First, all of the mentioned compatible processors on homeserverhacks were no longer available at the sites I checked for them.  While in theory any socket 940 proc will by physically compatible, core voltages and thermal profiles are not all the same.  Since there is little that can easily be done with the (unknown) quantity with the PSU, potential bios settings controlling voltages, and especially the passive or nearly passive cooling solution employed, I hesitate to drop any of the processors I did find available as many of them consume larger amounts of power and are dual core as opposed to the single core proc specified in the list of confirmed compatible processors.  Additionally, running a higher core voltage and hotter processor will consume more energy, while additional ram will not.  While small, over time, that adds up to operational dollars. Having said that, I wonder if anyone has successfully dropped a multiple core proc in and if so how much of a performance boost was really gained.  I just don't see a machine being used in a file and backup server capacity gaining a whole lot from a hot dual core processor as these are not really long term processor intensive tasks.

I tried dropping a dual core in mine. It didn't work. The mobo either won't support dual core or a custom bios needs to be installed.

Martin said:

cj said:

ChrisCalderon said: It is actually very easy to upgrade - even the processor :-)

I agree, the upgrade process is certainly very simple, but here are my reasons for choosing to not upgrade the processor.  First, all of the mentioned compatible processors on homeserverhacks were no longer available at the sites I checked for them.  While in theory any socket 940 proc will by physically compatible, core voltages and thermal profiles are not all the same.  Since there is little that can easily be done with the (unknown) quantity with the PSU, potential bios settings controlling voltages, and especially the passive or nearly passive cooling solution employed, I hesitate to drop any of the processors I did find available as many of them consume larger amounts of power and are dual core as opposed to the single core proc specified in the list of confirmed compatible processors.  Additionally, running a higher core voltage and hotter processor will consume more energy, while additional ram will not.  While small, over time, that adds up to operational dollars. Having said that, I wonder if anyone has successfully dropped a multiple core proc in and if so how much of a performance boost was really gained.  I just don't see a machine being used in a file and backup server capacity gaining a whole lot from a hot dual core processor as these are not really long term processor intensive tasks.

I tried dropping a dual core in mine. It didn't work. The mobo either won't support dual core or a custom bios needs to be installed.

A dual core processor will NOT "drop in" in the MSS. There is an extensive discussion about dual core procesors here:

http://www.mediasmartserver.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1102&hilit=amd

It is possible to do this but it is not a simple modification. I suggest you thoroughly check out that thread before attempting it. 

...JohnBick

EX475 + 3 1TB WD (2.5TB "pool", 1.5TB backup), 2 GB mmry, LE-1640, APC UPS
PC1: Vista/32 Ultimate SP1, 2x150 GB Raptor RAID-1 Sys (C) & 4x320GB RAID-5 Data (D)
PC2: Laptop, Win XP Home SP3
Linksys WRT54G v1.1, 2xNetGear GS105