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That's great to hear that you were able to upgrade with a GTX 660 Ti and it's working well! If you want to upgrade further in the future, you can convert one of the 6 pin connectors to an 8 pin. The 6 pin connectors on this PSU provide plenty of power for an 8 pin adapter. I used a 6 pin to 8 pin connector to install a GTX 1070 and it works great. Thank you for commenting!

Thank you for your comment and for watching the video!

Iti s certainly possible, they are constanting updating these types of tools. Thank you for your comment!

Thank you for your comment! I am glad you also appreciate the value of this workstation. I like the idea of adding an RTX GPU because they allow you to use Nvidia Broadcast, which is very helpful when creating videos. The background blur or replacement without a green screen works very well, and the noise removal feature for your mic ensures excellent audio, even when there is background noise like a fan or AC unit.

Hi, I agree with you that it seems odd, but this is the default configuration for this workstation. I am quite certain Lenovo would not have oriented the fans in this way if it didn't provide optimal cooling. In my tests, the only issue I have had is that the hard drive temperatures could be a little cooler. However, using one of their hard drive cage fans helped alleviate that problem. Maybe I will do a test someday to determine if reorienting the fans improves cooling. If you have or ever do a test, please feel free to share your results with us; it would be interesting to know if there was an improvement. Thank you for commenting! James

​@@jamesturnertech thank you james for sharing I am looking for e5 ddr3 machine, i can say that the S30 lenovo and the T3610 dell looks very good. Where dell have a better ventillation. I have found a guy offering a S30 mobo+CPU for ~ 50$ but arent know if it works with an aftermarket psu or not i can use it without a case 😊 or buy one with fans in top my goal is to fill 265gb ram 😮 🤞

@@ajingolk7716 The Lenovo ThinkStation S30 uses a standard 24-pin PSU. However, if you're planning to upgrade or replace the power supply, make sure to get a 700W Gold or better PSU. You may also be able to find a Lenovo S30 PSU or barebone case on eBay at a good price.I purchased a barebone S30 case with a good MBO and PSU for about $70 or so before and have seen complete systems from time to time at a decent price.

Thank you for watching my video, and good luck building your NAS!

@@jamesturnertech İ have a question tho. İş there security issues when İ access it över the internet? İ hear a lot of that and İ dont know ıf TrueNAS has enough protection for my information. Do you know anything?

@@diogopedro1991 When properly configured, TrueNAS provides protection against threats, but any time you allow remote access, you introduce potential security risks. The best way to prevent that issue is to only allow access from specific IP addresses. If that is too hard, you can allow access from a range of possible IP addresses your internet and phone providers use. That is not a perfect solution, but it is a good choice if you are not accessing from a static IP. Other suggestions are using a firewall, a VPN, and updating TrueNAS often. Lastly, monitor your system logs regularly for any unusual activity or potential security breaches. This can alert you to bad actors accessing or trying to access your system.

Hi Benjamin, It is possible to swap it, but not a straight-forward process because you will most likely need to use adapters. However, the 700W PSU available for the HP Z440 is more than enough for any GPU you should be using in this system. Most modern GPUs would be CPU-bound in this system, except for GPU-intensive applications like video editing and rendering. So, my advice would be buying a Z440 with the 700W power supply, which is very high quality and will handle a lot of excellent GPUs. Personally, I would go with a GTX 1060 6GB or 1080 Ti for gaming. If you are creating and editing videos, an RTX 3060 12GB will allow you to use Nvidia Broadcast, which offers fantastic background blur and replacement, even without a green screen. It also does an excellent job with noise canceling. Thank you for your comment! James

Hi, Yes, the 6-pin connection should be able to power either the M4000 or M5000 GPU. If you need a larger power supply, you may want to consider the Dell T3610. There are much larger power supplies available for that model, including 425W, 685W, and 825W. Thank you for commenting! James

​@jamesturnertech I ended up going with a Dell 5820 with a Xeon 2145, 64GB Ram, and 950 watt PSU. I got an M5000 Nvidia 8GB GPU. Lastly a platinum l Hynix NVMe M.2 SSD. Thanks for your videos. ​@jamesturnertech

Hi Dogan, The perfect card depends on what you want to do with the workstation and your budget. The best card that will not be CPU bound is the GTX 960, which is a perfect match for the i7 6700 or equivalent Xeon. However, I feel the best card is the GTX 1060 6GB version, because some graphics-intensive programs like editing images and video editing programs like DaVinci Resolve and VideStudio rely heavily on the GPU. Also, if a game relies more heavily on the GPU, this card may give you a few extra FPS. If you are recording videos, using Zoom, etc. I would go with the RTX 30350 because only RTX GPUs work with Nvidia Broadcast. With Nvidia Broadcast, you get superior background blur and replacement, even without a green screen. You also get excellent noise reduction. I record videos and have Zoom meetings in a room that often has a good deal of noise, and Nvidia Broadcast removes the background noise very well. Thank you for commenting, and I hope I have provided you with some good options for your GPU upgrade. James

Thank you for watching my video and for commenting. I am glad you liked it! James

Hi, That is the best V3 CPU you can use for this system, but you may be able to install the e5-2699 V4 with a BIOS upgrade. I would refer to Dell documentation or their forum to make sure, but I have read where some people claimed to have been successful. e5-2699 V3 Multithread Rating: 20316 e5-2699 V4 Multithread Rating: 25604 You also get a slight boost in single-threaded performance with the V4 CPU, though the base clock is slightly lower (2.2 vs 2.3 for the V3). Good luck with your upgrade!

@jamesturnertech thanks

The boot error you're experiencing when upgrading from a GT710 to a GTX1650 might be due to a few common issues related to compatibility, power, or BIOS settings: Power Supply: The GTX1650 typically requires more power than the GT710, and some versions of the GTX1650 may need an additional PCIe power connector. If there is a connector, be sure it is connected, and make sure your power supply has enough wattage and is properly connected to the GPU (if needed). BIOS Settings: Some motherboards require you to change settings when installing a new GPU. Try resetting the BIOS to default settings or ensure that the correct PCIe slot is selected as the primary display output. Legacy/UEFI Compatibility: If your system is set to legacy boot mode, the GTX1650 might require UEFI mode to function properly. Check your BIOS/UEFI settings and switch to UEFI mode if necessary. Driver Conflicts: Uninstall the old GPU drivers (for the GT710) and install fresh drivers for the GTX1650 from NVIDIA's website. Sometimes, lingering drivers can cause boot errors. These steps should help resolve the boot error. Thank you for your comment and I hope one of these solutions resolves your problem. I have used quite a few different GPUs with the Z440 without any issues, so I would lean towards it being a driver conflict.

@@jamesturnertechthanks very much for your help will take a look today

Ok so I set bios to default settings ,but when starting again now windows starts but getting the your device ran into a problem message ,tried system repair but still no good.Would be grateful for any further advice.Forgot to mention enabled uefi mode aswell

5:25 nvm you answered my question 😅

Thank you for your comment! I am glad the video answered your question.

Hi Stevie, The first thing I would check is if the SSD shows up in the BIOS. Look for storage options and make sure the SSD is listed. Next, you should change the SATA mode to AHCI if it is set to RAID or IDE, this can help Windows detect the drive. Try to install Windows again, and if it still fails, try the other options below. *Other Options* Provide the Correct Driver: If the BIOS settings are correct but Windows can't find the SSD, you'll need to provide the correct storage driver. Download the driver for your motherboard's storage controller (RAID or NVMe) from the manufacturer’s website. Save it to a USB drive and, during the Windows installation, when prompted to load a driver, select the USB drive and install the appropriate driver. *Use a Different USB Port:* If you're installing Windows from a USB drive, try switching to a different USB port, particularly if you're currently using a USB 3.0 port. Sometimes using a USB 2.0 port resolves installation issues. *Still Not Working? There is Still Hope* If the drive is detected, you just can't get Windows to install, and you have another PC or access to another PC, you can use that system to install Windows on the SSD. Insert the SSD in that system, clone Windows onto the SSD, remove it and install it in your PC, and it should boot. *Now you have two options:* 1) You can deactivate Windows 10 and use a new key to reactivate it, delete any programs and files from the other PC, and you are all good. 2) RECOMMENDED OPTION: Complete Step #1 above, but before adding the new key, perform a clean install of Windows and allow it to remove all programs and files. After installation, deactivate Windows and reactivate using a new key. Good Luck and Thank You for Your Comment!

Thank you for watching!

Thank you for watching and sharing your story. You got a fantastic deal on your new workstation. It will serve you well for years to come.

The HP Z440 is a solid system, as you have noted, and is more than capable of fulfilling the purpose you have in mind. How do you plan to backup files to your Z440?

lumion 12

Hi, The Lenovo ThinkStation S20 workstations come in three types, the 4105, 4157, and 4217. I seem to remember that not all types support the same processors. There should be a number on the lower right side of the front panel indicating what type you have. If I remember this right, the 4105 supports less powerful processors, but you need to confirm that to be sure. Your best source of information is the Lenovo forum. forums.lenovo.com/ However, I do know for a fact that the 4157 will support an Intel Xeon X5680 @ 3.33GHz with 6 cores and 12 threads. PassMark gives the following CPU scores: Multithread Rating: 6834 Single Thread Rating: 1532 Granted, this is not a powerful CPU compared to what is offered in 2024, but I have used one for years for a variety of tasks, including graphic design and video, and it has always performed very well. The Intel Xeon X5690 may be compatible, but I have not tried it and it is only marginally better, so I have always used the x5680 because I know it will work in the type 4157 S20. Thank you for your comment, and good luck upgrading your S20!

You got a lot of bang for your buck with that build. Feel free to drop by again if you make future upgrades.

Thank you for sharing your specs. Your upgrade is impressive!

Thank you for watchuing and your comment! I do try to build budget systems that have a good CPU, though the GPU isn't always the best possible match, so I like to offer suggestions for what I believe would be a good GPU. The reason for that is most of the latest builds are available for sale on my website and people use computers for different tasks, so it is usually better to let the buyer decide which graphics card will be the best match for their use case.

You have made good use of your system over the years... people should follow your example and stop throwing away good PCs and workstations and instead repurpose them.

@@jamesturnertech Also worth mentioning spare parts for things like the fan wall and PSU's are easy to get second hand for reasonable prices. And yeah, for the $400-$500 spent on the system, some extra ram and replacement CPU(s) this system has served me well for the last 4 years.

Glad it was helpful! I have at least two more Lenovo S30 builds planned. My plan is to make each oen a little different, but at this point I have not decided on the upgrades.

@@jamesturnertech I will be waiting for those

That is a solid workstation! I am going to build a HP Z440 soon on this channel with a Xeon E5-2698 V3, 64GB memory, 500GB SSD, an HHD for storage, and most likely a Quadro M4000 GPU with 8GB Memory. I may use a different GPU, I am still trying to decide if a GTX 1060 or 1070 would be better so it could also be used as a gaming PC. Do you have any thoughts on the graphics card I should use? I hope you are subscribed and you check out that build when I get to it. I have about 15 more builds ready, so I am not sure when I will get to it, but it is going to happen. Thank you for your comment!

It is a great idea to use the HP motherboard for your NAS, and the E5-2699 V3 is an excellent CPU. When complete, it looks like you will have a fine NAS.

Hi Jesus Lozano, If you have the HP Z440 with a 700W power supply, you should be able to use a 6 to 8-pin for that card. The HP Z440 power supply is a 90% Efficient Custom PSU (Wide-Ranging, Active PFC). It is a very well-made power supply and will handle the 132W draw of that card. I have used a GTX 1070 (150W draw) running on a single 6-pin to 8-pin without any issues, and I know at least one other person who has also run a 1070 in the same manner. In addition, I have read on forums that the Lenovo S30, HP Z440 (700W), and Dell 5810 (685 and 825W versions) all have good enough power supplies to handle similar spec GPUs. Thank You for your comment!

Hi Ryan, 1) I have used this type of adapter card without any issues in two Lenovo S30s, two S20s, a Lenovo desktop, and several other workstations. 2) I have not attempted to boot from one, though I plan to do so soon because I have heard conflicting accounts on this topic. Some say you can, some say you can't. One more thought on this topic, there are different cards available, 1X and 4X, so you should go with the 4X version, which, in theory, will provide better performance. Thank you for your comment, Ryan, and good luck with your upgrades.

Ho Big Foz 50, Thank you for your feedback, I will keep that in mind because I will be doing additional builds of this same system.

Hi Turtle Juice, You have a fantastic build there. Thank you for sharing your personal experience with this system. My favorite benefit of owning an RTX card is Nvidia Broadcast, which has excellent features for anyone making videos. If you are considering adding an RTX 3090 for gaming, you may want to check to see how CPU-bound that card would be. Per pc-builds.com/bottleneck-calculator/, "Intel Xeon E5-2689 v4 is too weak for NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 on 1920 × 1080 pixels screen resolution for General Tasks. This configuration has 41.0% of processor bottleneck." It is still GPU-bound in GPU-intensive tasks like video rendering, but much less so (26.3% of processor bottleneck for Graphic Card Intense Tasks). To be honest, I am not a gamer and have no personal knowledge of how much of a bottleneck it would actually incur, but hopefully, this will encourage you to do your own research and choose the best card for your system.

@@jamesturnertech thank you for your advise and in my research i found the Nvidia rtx 3050 to be the best gpu for my system as its powered by the pcie slot, doesn't need additional pins and should run a 4% bottleneck for my system overall and should be all the power i need for my system

Thank you for your comments! Good luck with your build, the i7-6700 is an excellent CPU for a home server because it is powerful and low power at only 65W. I may have to consider upgrading my home server at some point using that very CPU. Currently my home server is running on a Phenom X4 955 (125W) and performance is about 1/3 of the i7-6700 while drawing nearly twice as much power. However, I had the Phenom X4 955, motherboard, and memory from what was my main system many years ago, so I wanted to give them a new life.

Hi ScaleSpeedworks, I really do need to make a video showing how I use my home server. It has 12 drives in it and over 100 TB of storage, with room to grow. However, aside from more storage options it is used in the exact same way I would recommend using this home server. That is, using windows 10 or 11, sharing the drives on the server, with password protection, then mapping those drives on the other computers in your home or office. It's a very simple setup, but when you combine it with a free program like SyncBack, it is a set it and forget it backup system. Thank you for your comment!

That's fantastic! The E5-2699 v4 matched with a GTX 1070 is an excellent pairing. I use an RTX 2060 and RTX 3060 in my main systems because NVIDIA Broadcast is so useful for creating videos. However, the RTX 2060 barely edges out the GTX 1070, making it an excellent card for gaming or video. Thank you for your comment and feel free to post more information on your build, I find it very interesting to hear how others are using these older but still very worthy workstations.

Thank you for your question! The load order according to the HP Manual is sequential, so 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. There is a sticker on the inside of the HP Z440 case panel with the memory load order and the slots are numbered, so follow those instructions. If you don't have the sticker for some reason do a search for "HP Z440 Memory Load Order" and check the images for that search. To achieve maximum performance, consider purchasing two more identical modules and installing them in slots three and four. That will take you from dual-channel (two identical modules in slots oen and two) to a quad-channel memory configuration, which will ensure your workstation is performing optimally. If you use modules of different sizes, start with the largest. However, as mentioned in the video, using modules of different sizes is not recommended.

@@jamesturnertech ty very much for your response for now i have 3 models of 16 gb 2133 what do you think i should do for now buy 1 more 16 gb 2133 to use quad or buy other 4 16 gb 2400

@@eladeditingfactory681 Hi, You should buy one more 16GB 2133 MHz to give you quad-channel and maximum performance for that configuration. I do not recommend mixing RAM speeds because the system will operate at the lowest common speed when you mix different RAM speeds (2133 MHz and 2400 MHz) in a quad-channel configuration. In this case, both RAM modules will work at 2133 MHz (the slower speed), which can result in suboptimal performance compared to using identical RAM modules. However, removing the three existing 2133 MHz modules and only installing the 2400 MHz memory modules will increase performance by up to 10%.

Hi Michael, Thank you for your comment! Hopefully, people will read your comment and enable XMS if supported. As you noted, XMS memory timings are typically associated with consumer-grade motherboards rather than professional workstations. Most workstations focus more on stability and compatibility with professional applications rather than overclocking or advanced memory timing adjustments.

Hi deeeezel! I’ve had two systems with the Phenom II X4 955 processors since they first came out and never had any issues. This CPU isn’t a "faildozer" because it’s from the Phenom II series, which was well-regarded for its performance. I even moved one to a server case recently, and it’s been great giving this reliable processor a new life! Thanks for your comment!

Thank you for your comment, Harry! I agree that the braided SATA cables are excellent, but the back of the case is tight, so the standard cables work better there. I love this case, though it could use more space on the back.

Thank you for your comment, Harry!

Hi Toby, I cannot be sure why you are having this problem, but I have had similar issues several times, and it was usually due to the drives not being recognized. You may want to try these things if you haven't already: 1) Try inserting the card into a different PCIe slot. Sometimes specific slots have better compatibility. 2) Test the PCIe SATA card on a different machine if you have one to verify that it’s not faulty. 3) If you are connecting more than one drive, remove all but one and try them one at a time. #3 worked for me on one of the systems I created, and I still don't know why. For some reason, one of the drives wouldn't work properly. To make it even more confusing, I added it back after I got everything working with the remaining drives, and it worked fine, but later it stopped booting again. I took it out, and it started working again. I updated all the drivers, Windows, etc., put it in again, worked, then stopped again. The drive is a 4TB HGST Ultrastar, but identical drives worked perfectly, so I have no idea why this one was having issues. Needless to say, it was very frustrating and I never figured it out. That drive is still running on a different system, and I have never had any problems with it on that system, but it doesn't seem to like being connected via a SATA card. Good luck, my friend, and thank you for commenting!

Hi Giant, I use only standard drives on all my builds, even the workstations because I like to keep things simple. Basically, simplicity and budget-friendly are what I always strive for when creating videos. Thank you for commenting, and I would be happy to hear more about why you would use a SAS expander instead of a PCIe SATA card.

You can use a standard ATX power supply, but it is a safer bet to go with a stock power supply. The S30 includes a 610W 80+ gold power supply, which will handle any graphics card suitable for this system. I have an RTX 3060 12GB in one, and an RTX 2060 in another (uses a 6 and a 6 to 8 pin adapter, which the Lenovo forum states will supply enough power). If you don't use the system for recording and editing videos, I would probably stick with a GTX 1060 6GB. Anything more powerful would likely be CPU bound.

@@jamesturnertech I was more wondering about the motherboard, i was thinking of modding the case a bit and then making a sleeper build, so i was kind of wondering about the form factor of the motherboard

Thanks for the tips! I usually use alcohol in the manner described after removing the CPU, but yes, if I were careful, I think it would be fine to use it on an installed CPU.

To be honest, I haven't tried yet, but your question makes me want to give it a go. I have read in the HP forum that it is possible, and I have also read of people failing. One of the commenters said they had installed a Samsung M.2 950 Pro and it was the only storage device. Thank you for commenting!

You're welcome Ben!

Yes, you can upgrade to either of those but not V2 or later versions. I would go with the 1650 because it is much cheaper, and you gain very little going to the 1660, which is about 10 times more expensive. You can search for other compatible CPU's here: www.cpu-upgrade.com/CPUs/Intel/Xeon/E5-1620.html Thank you for commenting, and good luck with your upgrade.

Gratz! I also use an S30 to rip DVD's for various reasons. But mostly because I have hundreds of them I have picked up over the years and like finding a use for them. Thanks for commenting!

Hi mannequinplayer, Glad to hear it! A solid choice for most PC games.