I recently acquired an HP t420 thin client for 50 yuan.
Here’s what it looks like:
External Configuration Ports:
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
| High-Speed USB 2.0 | 2 ports accessible from the front; 2 ports from the back |
| Video | 1 DVI-D video output; 1 VGA video output |
| Audio | 3.5 mm headphone jack with headphone icon on the front panel |
| Network | RJ45 modular connector for gigabit Ethernet |
Detailed Configuration
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
| Memory Type | 2 GB onboard; DDR3L SDRAM |
| Processor (CPU) | AMD Embedded G-Series GX-209JA SOC (1 GHz, dual-core) includes a 1.0 GHz dual-core APU and discrete-level GPU |
| Storage | USB flash drive with internal USB 3.0 interface; can be replaced with your own USB drive |
| Power Supply | 19.5V |
Having inspected everything, I’m ready to install the operating system.
Preparation for OS Installation:
- A USB drive with a pre-installed Windows 10 system. USB Installation Guide for Windows 10.
- Connect keyboard and mouse to the external USB ports.
- Open the case to replace the storage.
Before replacing the storage, first remove the two screws from the back of the T420, then gently push up the cover as shown in the image below:
The internal structure is shown in the image above. To remove the built-in 8GB system USB drive, gently push the latch marked “bm” towards the USB drive direction.
Now, replace it with our USB drive that has Windows 10 installed, and secure it with the latch.
Finally, power it on and you will see our Windows 10 system. After some simple setup, it’s ready to use.
Overall, the experience has been rather sluggish. Running Windows 10 with 2GB of low-frequency memory is quite challenging. Flashing OpenWrt for use as a bypass router could be a good option, especially since it’s based on x86 architecture and supports gigabit Ethernet. Installing Linux could also be a viable choice.