I have dealt with literally hundreds of these machines. I was in IT at a large call center and this was a popular model. If it wasn't done already, it needs a complete re-cap. We had near 100% failure rate on the caps on the motherboards. It was to the point that Dell ran out of replacement motherboards and started sending us complete GX520s if we sent in a bad MB. Given how old yours is, I would also seriously consider a PS re-cap as well. We had a fair number of PS failures as well, but GX270s were worse for that.

The best CPU supported by the GX280 is the P4 570 3.8 GHz. However I've seen unconfirmed reports that the SFF ones will reject the higher speeds because of the weak PS. All the ones I dealt with had the P4 520 2.8 GHz.

With the HD5450 it might be an OK media box assuming you are using the video card to offload decoding. While they were reasonable for the time, personally a GX280 would be far too loud for use as a media box and adding a WD Black would not help. We surfing would really depend on the site and your patience. Simple sites would be fine, but something complicated with a lot of JS would be painful on such a slow machine.

I had a desktop FF Optiplex GX620 with a 3ghz P4 and an HD4550 as my HTPC, and it ran everything great except for Youtube HD videos. It could run any HD videos off the hard drive, even some older games (HL2). Alas because it couldn't deal with Youtube HD I swapped it for an Optiplex755, but now even that has trouble with 60fps videos, grrrr. Anyways, If 60fps HD Youtube videos aren't of any interest to you the 280 should be fine.

I installed the HD 5450 (not an Asus but a Sapphire one, who cares) but realized that the mem sticks are DDR2, not DDR, so it is still 1.5GB. Couldn't change HDD either, since the single drive cage it has, has some weird protrusions to allow you connect the drive only with one screw, and the drive is somehow a "slim" one although it is 3.5". HDDs with normal thickness won't fit, so it has still the original 80 GB Seagate. I might go for a small SSD, which might also help the low power (160W) PSU.

Never the less, Windows 7 installed without any fuss, started its updates and such. Only thing is, it was a Dell branded OEM version from ebay, which refuses to activate. I'm in contact with the seller, so we will see what happens next.

I also give up of the plans to upgrade the CPU since it is even now runs soooo hot. When I'm saying hot, I really mean it. After about 3-4 hours of run (Windows installation, automatic updates, a couple of driver installs, and installing some tools like Firefox and google toolbar, nothing fancy) it shots itself off, without any warning or such.

Since ambient temperature now where I live also quite high (28-29 degrees Celsius at my home at the moment), I immediately became suspicious about over heating and, boy, I was soo right! I opened up the case and touched the PSU, and believe me if I wouldn't immediately pulled my hand with a shrike, my finger tips would be full of blisters. I really don't know how this design was expected to run for longer times. Fans were screaming like gas turbines all the way, but the system was close to being redhot after an involuntary shut down.🤣

I think my "cheap TV PC" plan is going down the crappers. 😠

The main problem with the SFF design here is that the CPU runs way to hot and consumes far to much power for the thermal design of the case. If you have access to the tools (like a dremel)I would advise hacking up the case and adding fans to increase air flow. Again that would increase the power draw from the already tiny PSU, but should be miniscule enough to get away with. Also it appears that you may be able to mount this motherboard in a standard matx case, if you were so inclined.

ODwilly wrote:

The main problem with the SFF design here is that the CPU runs way to hot and consumes far to much power for the thermal design of the case. If you have access to the tools (like a dremel)I would advise hacking up the case and adding fans to increase air flow. Again that would increase the power draw from the already tiny PSU, but should be miniscule enough to get away with. Also it appears that you may be able to mount this motherboard in a standard matx case, if you were so inclined.

I was thinking exactly the same dilemma: "add fans for better flow, which will draw additional power, and make the PSU overheat more". I will most probably give it a go.

The problem is, I fell for the case itself, it is a perfect fit for my home electronics cabinet. I don't care much for a mobo otherwise, with only 2GB RAM limit and zero other upgrade options.

I also wonder if there is a less power hungry option for a CPU. The supported CPU list is short and boring so probably not:

D7459 Prescott P4 Kit, 520, 2.80G, 800FSB, 1MB, Socket-T
P8606 Prescott P4 Kit, 520, 2.80G, 800FSB, 1MB, Socket-T, E0
DD517 Prescott P4 64bit Kit, 521, 2.80G, 800FSB, 1MB, Socket-T, E0
RG427 Prescott P4 64bit Kit, 521, 2.80G, 800FSB, 1MB, Socket-T, G1
D7460 Prescott P4 Kit, 530, 3.00G, 800FSB, 1MB, Socket-T
R8419 Prescott P4 Kit, 530, 3.00G, 800FSB, 1MB, Socket-T, E0
D7462 Prescott P4 Kit, 540, 3.20G, 800FSB, 1MB, Socket-T
N8590 Prescott P4 Kit, 540, 3.20G, 800FSB, 1MB, Socket-T, E0
DD519 Prescott P4 64bit Kit, 541, 3.20G, 800FSB, 1MB, Socket-T, E0
D7463 Prescott P4 Kit, 550, 3.40G, 800FSB, 1MB, Socket-T
M8964 Prescott P4 Kit, 550, 3.40G, 800FSB, 1MB, Socket-T, E0
GH035 Prescott P4 64bit Kit, 551, 3.40G, 800FSB, 1MB, Socket-T, G10
D7464 Prescott P4 Kit, 560, 3.60G, 800FSB, 1MB, Socket-T
P8605 Prescott P4 Kit, 560, 3.60G, 800FSB, 1MB, Socket-T, E0
M8965 Prescott P4 Kit, 570, 3.80G, 800FSB, 1MB, Socket-T, E0

It already have the slowest CPU from the list.

It is to bad that it does not appear to support Cedar Mill p4 chips. They are a great option for low power consumption. If you are dead set on keeping this project going I think you can buy 300watt replacment powersupplies for this form factor. I am not 100% sure but it is worth looking into 😀

I bought a 530 cpu for $3 with shipping not to long ago, one of the 3.2-3.4ghz chips would be a good cheap upgrade. OH just had the thought, the switch from the platter 80gb drive to a SSD would decrease your power consumption a bit and would give you a little wiggle room to add a fan or two 😀

Is it possible to replace the motherboard for something that supports C2D? That might cost about the same as a new PSU, but is overall a waaay better solution - faster, cooler, less stress on the PSU.

(I have a tiny, tiny Acer that runs a desktop C2D from a power brick)

oerk wrote:

Is it possible to replace the motherboard for something that supports C2D? That might cost about the same as a new PSU, but is overall a waaay better solution - faster, cooler, less stress on the PSU.

(I have a tiny, tiny Acer that runs a desktop C2D from a power brick)

+1

ODwilly wrote:

It is to bad that it does not appear to support Cedar Mill p4 chips. They are a great option for low power consumption. If you are dead set on keeping this project going I think you can buy 300watt replacment powersupplies for this form factor. I am not 100% sure but it is worth looking into 😀

I checked the idea but most I could find was "no you can't update the PSU, period" kind of responses. If you have any leads to anywhere about this, I really appreciate it.

ODwilly wrote:

oerk wrote:

Is it possible to replace the motherboard for something that supports C2D? That might cost about the same as a new PSU, but is overall a waaay better solution - faster, cooler, less stress on the PSU.

(I have a tiny, tiny Acer that runs a desktop C2D from a power brick)

+1

Actually, the size and general shape of the mobo looks like a micro ATX. One can never be sure though, after seeing even standard height HDDs are a pain to install.

If it is possible, it might be a very nice idea, considering about 20W less consumption by CPU, ability to go up to 4GB RAM and a better, faster CPU. CPU cooling would most probably be a pain, though.

The troubling side of this is transformation of my idea of having a 60 USD TV PC, into a 60USD + CPU + RAM + MB + SSD one, rapidly. 🤣

If the case will take mATX it may take mITX - you could in theory throw a little AM1 (or similar) machine in there which (as long as the PSU is ATX compatible) would be significantly lower power, and not overheat.

If you're sticking with the Dell, any chance it will take Prescott Celeron (Celeron D)? They will run somewhat cooler at least.

You're probably right, parts of the mainboard have to fit _under_ the PSU - that might be impossible with a standard µATX board, PCI connectors etc. in the way.

obobskivich wrote:

If the case will take mATX it may take mITX - you could in theory throw a little AM1 (or similar) machine in there which (as long as the PSU is ATX compatible) would be significantly lower power, and not overheat.

That's not a bad idea at all! I'm running a µATX AMD E-350 in mine - everything integrated, but has a PCIe slot. A video card isn't even necessary, because the integrated video can decode everything in hardware. I think the whole board takes about 18W at full load.

I got one of these from an apartment dumpster a few years ago. The power supply was bad, otherwise it worked fine. I can't remember if there was any problem with the caps, I'd have to look at it to jog my memory.
I installed mine into a larger P4 era Dell case with a full size PSU. It's a standard ATX pinout.

The heatsink retaining bracket is smaller than on Dell's larger machines. Because of this you can't install one of their bigger heatsinks. You can't swap the bracket either, because the push pins don't have the same spacing. I don't know if there's any bigger heatsinks available that will fit this smaller bracket.
End result, at least for me, was that even though I swapped the board to a larger case, the CPU heatsink/fan assembly is still just as undersized as before, so it still struggles with heat and noise. Also, the SFF exhaust ducting doesn't line up properly with the rear opening on the larger case. There's no interference but it looks sloppy.

This is not a micro ATX board or case. The board attaches to a tray that slides into a Dell case of that time period. It does not have the screw holes in the right places for ATX. The tray hooks through the board in a few places and is secured by I think only 1 screw.

These boards won't fit an ATX case, it needs a clamshell Dell case that's designed for these trays. All the clamshell Dell cases that I've seen also used these trays. I don't know if that's universally true, but that's the pattern I've seen. The one P4 Dell I've seen that had a normal side panel was also micro ATX, not using the tray.

The cooling depends heavily on a high powered squirrel cage CPU fan which is erratic and whiny. I don't normally care much about fan noise but this one bugs me. It's noisy and roasting hot even when it isn't doing anything. As I recall, I think the power consumption was about 100W just sitting idle in Windows, which I find ridiculous for such a small machine. However, that was with a 550W PSU, which is obviously oversized and hurts the efficiency.
I tried swapping to some later stepping CPU (I don't remember which) thinking I could get some kind of low power throttling/undervolting out of it, but I didn't get anywhere with that idea. At that point I lost interest in the machine.
I find it occasionally useful for testing some components, but not for anything permanent.

In my opinion the motherboard is a bad joke since it relies on Prescott CPUs, which are simply hopeless in this form factor. Perhaps there are some compatible Core2 based SFF Dell motherboards that use the same sliding tray form factor. If there are, then putting one of those boards into this case might make a much better machine out of it.

In addition to what everyone else has said about the non-standard case, it does not have a backplate opening. The cutouts for the rear ports are integrated into the case. Unless you found a MB with exactly the same port layout (not happening) you would have to physically cut the case to make it fit.

I know the appeal of having a small case for your media center. I used an HP dc7600 SFF which is basically HP's version of the GX280 SFF as a media PC for several years. I thought it was great until I replaced it with a custom core 2 system in an appropriate case. Then the faults of a Prescott in a small proprietary case became glaring. Hot, loud, slow and not upgradeable. I would have replaced it years sooner had I known what a difference it would make. Having had both a dc7600 and a GX280 side by side at work the GX280 is the louder of the two, so even worse for a media PC. Silence is golden.

Thanks a lot for the very detailed info based on first hand experiences. I'm coming to the same conclusion with this one.

I always wanted to have a PC under the TV for years, but having it new or building it from new parts always irked me off, since I really don't want to shell the amount of money required for a new PC which will be only just convenient and nothing else, and will be used occasionally. I already have a couple of BD players, a WD media player and also a Samsung smart TV. I just don't like the slow and awkward browser of the TV, and wanted to have a real (but cheapo) PC for this purpose. And maybe some XBMC fun. 🤣

I found a cheapo case for the purpose having the same dimensions, better ventilation and a 300W PSU for a bout 35 USD:

http://www.vatanbilgisayar.com/frisby-fc-s603 … siyah-kasa.html

Now I really need to make up my mind about a mATX board + CPU or a mITX board with on board CPU. I'm not sure yet, since both means additional money, which will make my relation with wifey a bit tense..🤣

The thing is if it takes Cedar Mill, it most likely takes Presler or possibly even Conroe, which would be obviously superior.

My Optiplex 620 originally had a Precsott 530 that I swapped out for a Cedar Mill 631, that did indeed cut down the temps nicely. Since the 620 can't run Conroes I'd be amazed if the 280 could. If possible, at this point it might be best to cut your losses and try and find a desktop form factor 745, 755, 760, or 780, more room, better airflow, and quite a bit faster.

Unless you're a highly motivated and dexterous person, eager to spend time & work on improving that Dell thermal nightmare, for an HTPC I'd better look elsewhere from a P4.

tayyare wrote:

... Now I really need to make up my mind about a mATX board + CPU or a mITX board with on board CPU. I'm not sure yet, since both means additional money, which will make my relation with wifey a bit tense..🤣

Nowadays you can build a fairly decent and surprisingly energy-efficient HTPC for very little money.