HP t5540 Thin Client Teardown and Upgrade

Overview

This HP t5540 thin client packs a Via Eden 1GHz CPU with VX800 chipset and S3 Chrome9 GPU into a tiny fanless package. I’ve upgraded it to 1GB RAM and an 8GB SATA SSD and installed Windows XP. In this teardown, I show the surprisingly full-featured port selection, hidden internal USB slots, and the passive cooling design. Perfect for parallel port projects or Windows XP retro gaming.

Key Moments

• External overview: parallel port, serial port, DVI-D, VGA, PS/2, gigabit Ethernet, 4x USB 2.0
• Hidden L-shaped internal USB ports for Wi-Fi adapters or storage
• Single screw holds the entire case together
• Tool-less disassembly with sliding panels
• 1GB DDR2 RAM (upgradeable to 2GB)
• 8GB SATA SSD replaces 128MB flash disk
• Passive metal chassis acts as heatsink
• Via Eden 1GHz CPU (rated 1.3GHz, 400MHz FSB, underclocked for thermals)
• VX800 chipset (system-on-chip with S3 Chrome9 video)
• Realtek audio, Ethernet controller
• Installing Windows XP drivers (used Snappy Driver Installer for most, manual S3 Chrome9 drivers)

Full Transcript (Edited)

[Due to length, transcript is summarized—see video for full teardown details]