HP T5730: Hardware 

• Hardware
• Firmware
• Linux

The HP T5730 I have (model: HSTNC-003-TC) was manufactured in March 2009. When I first unpacked it it seemed a little large to me. In fact this is an optical illusion(!) and it's almost the same size as the Neoware Capio 620. The photograph on the right shows it with a Neoware Capio and Wyse SX0 for comparison.

Specifications

Processor
Type    Speed	AMD Sempron 2100+ 1GHz
Memory
Flash    RAM	1GB 1GB
Video
Chip    Max resolution	ATI Radeon X1250 2048 x 1536 32-bit colour
Ports
Network    USB    Serial    Parallel    PS/2	10/100/1000 8 x USB2.0 1 0 2 (Kybd and Mouse)
Power
Plug    Off    Running	12V 0 W 19-24W
Dimensions
H x W x D (mm)	255 x 46 x 216 (Excluding Stand)
Security
	Kensington Lock Slot Mounting Bracket

The embedded operating system is Windows XPe sp3.

The T5730 has two concealed USB slots under the top cover. These can be seen in the photograph below.

CPU

For those to whom it matters here is some detail from Linux's /proc/cpuinfo

vendor_id	:	AuthenticAMD
cpu family	:	15
model	:	108
model name	:	Mobile AMD Sempron(tm) Processor 2100+
stepping	:	2

Power Supply

The unit requires a 12V supply.

Expansion

Flash: The Flash memory (top left in the photograph) is easily replaceable. It's a DOM plugged into a standard 44-pin IDE connector.

RAM: The RAM is a standard 200-pin SODIMM. The one fitted is manufactured by hynix and is marked: PC2-5300S-555-12. The part number is HYMP112S64CP6-Y5. (It's a DDR2 667MHz SODIMM).

CPU:. Tom Williams emailed me about the possibility of overclocking the CPU - something I didn't think was possible. However he persevered and emailed me again in June 2011:

"It is possible to upgrade the CPU of the t5730. The CPU socket is an S1 (Generation 1) (S1G1) so any replacement processor must be compatible with that variant. An AMD Mobile Sempron 3600+ which ticks at up to 2GHz worked. In order to deal with the increased heat, I have fitted a couple of low-profile 12V 30mm fans on the grille across from the heatsink fins, powered from the PSU input jack, and these keep the CPU temperature reasonable. They do not make an appreciable noise either, so it retains its (near) silent operation.

Reprising its role as a set-top box, the new turbocharged beast can now cope with HD video (720p) and full de-interlacing."

"The 3600+ supports PowerNow CPU frequency scaling; it idles at 800Mhz (slower than the original part) and can scale up to 2GHz as required for the more challenging video.

It seems that despite the GPU being a dedicated unit, the frame rate is quite dependant on the CPU, and drops below 'smooth' i.e. 25fps at 800Mhz. This is using the open-source R300/Mesa Gallium drivers under Linux, which may not (yet) be able to make the most of all ATI/AMD's esoteric hardware features and thus fall back to software for some operations."

Looking at the CPU specs you can see that the 3600+ has a 10x internal clock multiplier compared to the 5x one of the 2100+, so the real clock rate has jumped from 1GHz to 2GHz. However do note Tom's comment above about additional cooling. The 2100+ has a Thermal Design Power (TDP) of 8W whilst that of the 3600+ is 25W - a substantial jump! You might also need to upgrade your 12V PSU.

Click on the photo for a larger version.

Any comments? email me. Last update June 2011