Does this count as a miniPC?

[unrealrocks]

OK - just sorting out my HTPC for my HT (well duh). Decided agaisn't the shuttle and decided to go for an mATX system instead (mainly for the flexibility and later upgradability).

Heres the specs, I'll give a few links for the weird bits ...



Compucase 7328 - Anyone used one of these, they look pritty nice.

Asus A7N266-VM (does this board allow undervolting?)

256Mb PC2100 (Samsung, just got it lying around)

2400XP Tbred

Some really quiet cooler I got for review.

ATi 9600 - It has the Chrontel TV chip which is the one I want for native DVD resolution isn't it?

ATi Saphire remote (looks really cool)


A couple of questions...

Whats the onboard sound like on the NForce266? Would it be worth getting better, it'll be going through quite a high(ish) end surround system (Denon, Wharfedale etc.)

Does the Shaphire remote work well with myHTPC?

How well do wireless keyboard mice recivers work inside cases? Would it make sence to take out a fan grill at the front so theres just plastic intfront of them?

Is there any problem with putting a PC right under a sizeable CRT TV - just I know they screw up VCRs after time, wondered if PCs have better sheilding?

Cheers

[jon bda]

LOL, got something similar here myself...based around a laptop board. Mini PC or not?.





Its an AST Century City 100, running a passive cooled Celly 500 (i think!), currently with 64meg of RAM and an 8gig hard drive. It needs a quieter 80mm fan on the PSU to be silent...i'm thinking quiet download box. Only pain is it has no PS2 ports for mouse and keyboard...

[Allen]

That Compucase looks quite nice, might have to get one for my old m-ATX board... I'd certainly be interested to hear peoples views on it if anyone has one. And for £35 +VAT it's a snip! Not extremely small though, but can use full height PCI and AGP cards.

:edit: Sod it, for a few quid more you could get this.



Much sexier and smaller, though only half height PCI cards...

[Jonny M]

Where you getting the Compucase case from m8?

[malfunction]

I've got the A7N266-VM... Good little board but you're locked out of the decent BIOS adjustments unless you do a modification. Above the AGP slot there's a block of jumpers that's 3 x 2 and also has 3 pads where more jumper pins could be and two of these are bridged... If you can unsolder those (pins 1 and 2) and re-solder pins 2 and 3 you can actually do some FSB and vcore modifications IIRC (multiplier is there but doesn't do anything)... 'ASCII art' to the rescue:

 ...
 ooo
 ooo
[=========================]
[=========================]

Where the pins are 1,2,3 from left to right and the '.'s are solder pads.

You can test out the BIOS options if you can at least cut the existing bridge and temporarily bridge pins 2 and 3 (with a screwdriver for example). IIRC you only have to bridge the pins until the BIOS screen appears. I did this be gently lifting up and then cutting through the existing bridge between pins 1 and 2. If you don't want to use the over / under clocking features then leaving all of the pins open doesn't do any harm (it still acts like pins 1 and 2 are bridged)

Can't really comment on the sound - it's def. got the MCP-D but my board is in my file server / firewall PC so I don't use the sound at all.

[malfunction]

Where you getting the Compucase case from m8?

Looking at the source of the pic it's from www.xcase.co.uk:

http://www.xcase.co.uk/acatalog/Compucase_.html

[Gunbuster]

LOL, got something similar here myself...based around a laptop board. Mini PC or not?.

Its an AST Century City 100, running a passive cooled Celly 500 (i think!), currently with 64meg of RAM and an 8gig hard drive. It needs a quieter 80mm fan on the PSU to be silent...i'm thinking quiet download box. Only pain is it has no PS2 ports for mouse and keyboard...

Lol it looks just right in your kitchen, very similar to my cordless kettle

[unrealrocks]

Lol it looks just right in your kitchen, very similar to my cordless kettle

I was thinking that

Yeah - I'm getting it from XCase, they've been good in the past.

Any ideas on the other things though?

I guessed the FSB/Multi to be pritty limited but can I lower the VCore?

[Gunbuster]

Yeah most of what you said sounds fine, tho I'd get a proper nforce 2 board. Try and get a soundstorm certified one, that should have optical out and stuff.
Like this one http://uk.asus.com/products/mb/socke...0/overview.htm
Otherwise maybe pick up a decent PCI sound card.
Um the sapphire remote is actually a rebranded ATI so its should be pucka.
Also Check out http://myhtpc.net/

[Mars]

Is the definition of a Mini PC not just a small or very small PC ? So any PC say around Shuttle size or under is a mini PC ?
If so then I would definatley says yes it is.

Mars

[jon bda]

Lol it looks just right in your kitchen, very similar to my cordless kettle

Its the appliance everyone needs...except the missus found that thick sliced bread wouldn't fit in the laptop cd rom slot when she tried to make toast with it...

[roc69]

Mini PC? More like "book" PC... You might want to check out Shuttle's new Zen. Don't know if it's shipping just yet, but the reviews so far look good.

http://www.sfftech.com/showdocs.cfm?aid=482

http://www.silentpcreview.com/news346.html

And, da ting that peeked my interest is that it's Prescott-ready or so says the spin...

[unrealrocks]

One word - Intel I try to keep all my systems AMD as I prefer them, I only have one P4 system which is a 2.6 800, but I just use that for testing and reviewing!

Also means I'd have to buy that and the P4 which'll set me back quite alot, althoguh I've allerady got the 2400XP!

[Stoo]

lol, I thought it was a breadmaker or something for a minute lol