Do you have a HP EX470 and want to upgrade to the HP 3.0 Software release? If so, you should upgrade the memory to 2GB. This week I made a video with John “Diehard” Zajdler walking me through the EX470 memory upgrade!
Background
My parents EX470 has been running well since November of 2008. I had the main drive fail last year (just before warranty was up) and HP me sent a replacement drive. I was up and running the next day. Thank you HP for great service and a great product!
Now that the EX470 is out of warranty I am going to upgrade the memory from 512MB to 2GB. It would not have voided the warranty to change the memory before, but I had no reason to upgrade it before now. Once the memory upgrade is complete I will be able to install the HP 3.0 Software upgrade!
In addition, HP never released any documentation on servicing the EX470 so the memory upgrade is at YOUR OWN RISK.
Equipment Needed
- 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667
- John Zajdler (Optional)
- Torx T15 and Phillips #00 Screwdriver
- Two Pints (Optional as always, pints are 16 ounces so adjust accordingly)
Memory Purchase
You should purchase the 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300). I installed the Patriot brand but there are other manufacturers out there.
Make sure you get just ONE chip and NOT a pair of 1GB!
Patriot 2GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220231&Tpk=N82E16820220231
Kingston 2GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820139039&Tpk=N82E16820139039
I bought mine on sale a while back at Newegg so you might want to shop around for the best deal. Do not forget to use BING!
EX470 Memory Upgrade Video – Watch in 720 HD.
I had seen instructions and videos on HomeServerShow and Home Server Hacks but I wanted to do something a little different. I used my Sony Webbie, a tripod, LifeCam HD, 9 inches of Scotch brand tape and Skype’d up John Zajdler.
The process is mostly edit free but I had to break it into four videos because of the 10 minute YouTube time limit. In addition, I had Skype sound issues so keep your hand near the volume.
Conclusion – Upgrade Successful
I was fortunate enough to have one of the best hardware people out there to walk me through the process. With these videos you now also have a copy of that resource. Do not worry and take your time!
After John and I completed the upgrade John asked me to plug it in to give it a try. I connected the power plug and Ethernet connection and waited for the blue lights. Three minutes later I had a third server on my network! Sweet.
Thank you to John Zajdler for walking me through the upgrade.
See you next Friday night,
Timothy Daleo
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EX470 Support – Not Available
The EX470 is no longer supported (according to the HP website) so you will not find anything of value on the HP website regarding parts.
You will find some old part numbers but that is about it.
EX470 Specifications
These are not needed for the memory upgrade but since support is up I would suggest downloading them and putting them on your server somewhere just incase you ever want to reference the original documentation in a digital format.
HP EX470/EX475 MediaSmart Servers (3493.0KB, PDF)
HP EX470, EX475 MediaSmart Server – User’s Guide
HP MediaSmart Server – Installation and Troubleshooting Guide
Great videos. I enjoyed watching them. It is also recommended to Remote Desktop into the MediaSmart Server and adjust the virtual memory for the new 2GB memory capacity. This will help the server take advantage of the increased memory.
FYI, not all memory seems to work with the EX470. I tried the "Corsair 2GB PC2 – 5300 667 Mhz 40 – Pin CL5 DDR2" from Amazon, and it caused a ton of frustration. Even after putting the original memory back in, the server wouldn't boot, so I had to do a complete restore…ouch. I still have the memory in its original packaging, and the server with its original memory. I think I'll give it a shot again soon with a different brand of memory.
I just did a quick look on Amazon and NewEgg, and the cost of this memory has doubled since late last year. It used to sell for ~$25, now it's ~$50.
Thank you for the comment. I only verified the two brands I linked to in the post. If anyone else has issues with a specific brand I would like to see them add a comment. If it gets to be too many we could add a forum topic.
I did the 2 GB upgrade last year … now i was wondering if that is really a limit just just a Financial/Practical limit ? would this work
Kingston ValueRAM 4GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM ECC Registered DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Server Memory Model KVR667D2D4P5/4G – Retail
a Single 4GB stick ?
Thanks
2GB is NOT the upper limit but you would not see any real performance benefit from more than 2GB of RAM. In fact, for the $100+ you would spend for the 4GB chip you could get the 2GB memory AND upgrade the processor!
Good point ~ : )
What is the Highest preforming processor the EX475 can handle ?
here is a link to a thread on what processors have been tried and their success or failure. I personally have the BE-2300
http://www.mediasmartserver.net/forums/viewtopic….
What is the best process for the EX470?
Thanks .. it seems most of these Processors are Disco'd .. Humm maybe i will just wait till the next EX comes out and just stick with mine as is : )
Sorry, meant to say processor
Great tutorial, Thank you.
Thank you for this nice and efficient video. When I was in front of my EX470 to manage this 2Gb upgrade I was really anxious (no documentation from HP about this operation)
So, Thank you again for this help.
Patrick … from France
You will be happy with the upgrade and notice a difference when accessing the Console and the Add-Ins!