war story: my new off-the-shelf desktop computer

[D. Hugh Redelmeier]

My current desktop is just fine.  But it is over 5 years old and 
I was getting wanderlust.  Then I saw this thread and similar ones: 
 <http://forums.redflagdeals.com/629-fs-hp-envy-h8-1569-desktop-computer-i7-3770-12gb-ram-2tb-hdd-16gb-ssd-1374552/>

I bought off ebay.ca, from that seller (SurplusByDesign, a front for
Staples), an HP Envy 700-019.  It differs a little bit from that
thread's computer.  Here's mine:
  <http://www8.hp.com/ca/en/products/desktops/product-detail.html?oid=5368230#!tab=specs>

- "used" (but not really: film still protected all the plastic
  surfaces; Win8 not customer-ized)

- Later-model CPU (Haswell i7-4770) so I get a few obscure goodies 
  + slightly faster in some cases
  + better integrated graphics (which I won't use)
  + Haswell New Instructions
  + Transactional Synchronization Extensions

- no SSD (but 16G isn't that large)

- auction; slightly cheaper

- later model video card [turned out to be a downgrade]

All well and good.

But I had a few surprises, and not good ones.

The video card (HP OEM AMD Radeon HD 8570 (2 GB DDR3 dedicated)) only
goes up to 1920x1200.  AMD's specs for this card say 2560x1600, which
I need for my monitor.  But OEMs can cripple cards.
  <http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktop-Audio-Video-Monitors/Envy-700-019-s-Radeon-HD-8570-won-t-support-2560x1600/td-p/3000589>
  <http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?p=35596985&posted=1#post35596985>
  <http://www.amd.com/US/PRODUCTS/DESKTOP/GRAPHICS/8000/Pages/8570.aspx#2>
Annoyingly, the HP Radeon HD 7570 in the Envy H8 *does* do 2560x1600.

Fix: I've replaced the video card with an MSI GeForce GTX 650.

The drive bays require proprietary screws.  Even though HP's blurb
says "Tool-less access for up to three HDDs or SSDs and two ODDs
provide storage for your digital library and backup. Easily add or
swap components."  These screws are not available from HP Support
(they send me to HP Parts) or HP Parts (they send me to HP Support).
The maintenance manual incorrectly describes the drive cage and how to
mount drives.  I'm not alone:
  <https://es-es.facebook.com/HP/posts/10152929263390290>

Fix: In my bucket of screws, accumulated over 30 years, I found four
screws that would do in a pinch.  They might not have the correct
threading but I can force them into a 3.5" adapter for a 2.5" SSD.

My old SSD doesn't work with Haswell.  This is a known problem with
all first generation SandForce SSD controllers.  Apparently the SSD
warranty doesn't cover this case (why not?  it seems like a defect).
  <http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/forum/showthread.php?111964-Vertex-2-Agility-2-and-Haswell>
This was not an easy problem to debug but when I went to OCZ's forum, this 
posting was prominent.

Fix: I ordered a new SSD.  It should arrive in the coming week

The chipset (Z87 stepping C1) has a USB bug, fixed in C2.  See Erratum
17 "SuperSpeed Device Re-Enumeration" in
<http://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents/specification-updates/8-series-chipset-pch-spec-update.pdf>
Amusingly, the Product Change Notice describes the fix as "Metal
layers change from C1 to C2 to fix USB SuperSpeed device
remuneration[sic] erratum."  I want remuneration :-)

Fix: ignore.  It may never hit me.

Oh, and I haven't yet figured how to install Linux on a UEFI Secure
Boot system.  I'm taking the chicken's way out:
- turn off secure boot
- install Linux on an SSD so I can select which system to boot by
  selecting the boot device
I've not tried this (I'm awaiting the SSD) so I don't know for sure
that it will work.

So who knows how many other nits I find when I actually use the
machine.

Summary: Lennart is laughing at me for buying an HP desktop.  But my last 
one worked out quite well.  I still hope that this one will.
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