Mini-itx FM2 build part 1

The parts have been ordered! I got bored of waiting for the MSI or Zotac boards with extra (actually unneeded) features to come into stock so went for the Asrock board. Bought so far:

• Asrock Fm2a75m-itx
• AMD A10 5700
• Patriot 8GB Black Mamba DDR3 2133MHz
• Microsoft Windows 8 64-bit DVD - OEM :eek:

Part of the rush was to get Windows 8 installed and claim the Media Centre upgrade for free. I've got an 2.5" HDD in my current computer which I'll take over to the new build, and I'll either try and hack it into an old Shuttle SN45G case or in my Antec Fusion case.

The long term project involves a Streacom F7C EVO case, pico-PSU, remote, low profile CPU cooler and a PCI-E dual HDTV tuner for maximum fun. Unsure as to whether it's worth having a optical drive as I have a PS3 for DVD/Blueray duties. Breaking the purchases in two helps to spread the cost and feed my impatience...

Fingers crossed for a trouble free build :)

Good luck! If you don't need the ODD I'd leave it out based on my experience trying to squeeze loads of kit into the earlier Streacom case and have more room for the air to circulate.

My FM2A75M & A10 5700 build-log

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Originally Posted by Jake_UK

My FM2A75M & A10 5700 build-log

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Hehe yes that was the thread which got me looking at the Streacom cases! How is the CPU cooler for you? I was thinking about trying to squeeze a Scythe Kozuti in but thinking it might foul the RAM or something else on the tight motherboard.

How does the Kozuti compare with the Vanxie and Slim Silence? They both fit fine with the RAM (though Vanxie is too tall to work with a drive slung underneath the cage in the Streacom (and the Slim Silence is only just fitting - it would be nice to have a tiny bit more clearance). If you're just doing one drive, should be OK.

With RAM, it's more of a squeeze to get the PSU in there next to it than the heatsink TBH but it does go.

I would look at the Noctua NHL9A:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/NOCTUA-NH-L9...7562752&sr=8-1

http://www.quietpc.com/nh-l9a

It is only 37MM high. Here are some pcitures of it mounted on AM3+ motherboards:

http://www.radeon3d.org/forum/thread-3139.html

http://www.gogaminggiant.com/2012/12...cooler-review/

http://www.pcoverlook.com/page/obzor...-noctua-nh-l9a

http://www.pcaxe.com/hardver/hladjen...nh-l9/strana-7

Excellent links, thanks cat. It was a choice between the Scythe Kozuti, Reeven Vanxie RC-0801 (as Jake used) and Noctua NH-L9a. The Scythe looked like the best cooler, but airflow above it due to a 2mm clearance above and worry about fitting on the motherboard were a concern. If this review is correct then we may have a winner though:

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Originally Posted by http://www.gogaminggiant.com/2012/12/14/noctua-nh-l9a-low-profile-cpu-cooler-review/

My first impressions when I first turned the PC on was “holy crap, this CPU cooler is SO QUIET!” My next impression was that it backed up that quietness with excellent cooling performance.

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I was just going to mention one fairly low profile cool that while it's a bit old did get overlooked a lot
The zalman VF2000 http://www.zalman.com/global/product...ad.php?Idx=338
it's 45mm tall so not as short as these others.

although it seems there are more low profile coolers for intel than amd

remember copper or aluminium fins can be trimmed ;) just not heat pipes

Low, but not low enough! I can't say I fancy hacking up a brand new cooler either :o There're quite a few 'low profile' coolers that just aren't bit enough for the Streacom cases. "42mm without 3.5" installed (32mm with 3.5" installed)" - the lowest on QuietPC for AMD I can see is the Reeven Vanxie RC-0801 at 34mm, I guess you're into proper 1U server fans if you did want to have the second hard disc in.

*Snip*

Hi jimbo, I have just joined up to warn you about this!

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Originally Posted by jimbouk

If this review is correct then we may have a winner though:

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Following the link from quietpc.com if you scroll down there is another link for a compatability list. I haven't posted enough times to allow links so you'll have to look I'm afraid.
Guess which mobo is listed as NOT compatable. The AsRock FM2A75M-ITX!
Quote "Components at the back prevent installation of the backplate "

So although it will clear the RAM and the PCIE lane something prevents the backplate from fitting correctly.

I am looking to build a similar PC myself, which is how I stumbled across this thread.
Im going with the Streacom F7C-EVO which is a slightly bigger case, but components wise its basically the same
AMD A-10 5700
AsRock FM2A75M-ITX
8GB DDR3 whatever is cheap when I place the order
SSD Intel 80GB I have a spare one
HHD Western Digital Scorpio Black 750GB 2.5"
ODD Samsung TS-TB23 slim slot load
PSU 200W Pico PSU with a 250W AC/DC adapter
Tuner TBS6981 Dual DVBS 2
CPU Cooler - think I will go with Scythe Kozuti TBH (using a 2.5" HDD gives 42mm of clearance in the EVO7)
Logitech Harmony Remote (will use AsRock IR reciever which attaches to the case)

Have been a bit worried about being able to pull off this build in this case. Didn't think that a Pico PSU was going to be enough.
I have managed to find a shop on ebay it_tech_uk that sells 200W PSU with either 200W or 250W AC/DC adapters.
Apparently the tuner card can draw a fair amount of power when changing channel, but amount is unknown. Hoping that 200W will do it :confused:

Anyway good luck with the project, I'll post back when mine gets off the ground! :)

I wonder if this MSI would be fine instead:

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/msi-f...oogle+shopping

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Originally Posted by Robster_UK

Guess which mobo is listed as NOT compatable. The AsRock FM2A75M-ITX!

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Thanks for that, teach me for not doing my research! Looks like I'll stick with the Reeven Vanxie RC-0801 to be on the safe side. No compaints Jake? Here's the link if anyone is interested in the Noctua compatibility: http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=c...products_id=51.

Still waiting for stock on the MSI board, and I wouldn't buy from Scan again. It does look like a better board with bluetooth and wifi built in - if you need that stuff then I'd wait for it to be available. Other shops are £10 more expensive, but no-one has stock atm.

My only complaint with the Vanxie is that it doesn't fit with a second (i.e. underslung) drive. :) Fitted fine in the mobo though.

I think that for my dedicated gaming SFF build I'm going to go with a Shuttle which has it's own custom cooler. I was holding onto the Vanxie for that build but with the Shuttle it becomes surplus.

I'm just over in your city's big neighbour if you want to take the Vanxie for say a tenner? I fitted it but never turned the system on/used it as it became apparent it wouldn't all fit. I've cleared off the thermal paste and it's back in it's box if you want it - no worries if you'd rather buy new.

Well everything is here except the ram, which was in stock and is now no-longer available. Have sent an eNote to them, fingers crossed!

Jake, ygpm :-)

Hi Jim, I replied to the PM but it's not showing up in my sent folder - I think my pop-up blocker screwed with it somehow but if you get 2 PMs now you know why!

EDIT: just realised that it's because I didn't tick the 'save copy to my Sent folder'! doh

Hehe, will respond later once I've worked out when I'm needed decorating this weekend.

On sad news the RAM is no longer stocked by Ebuyer. Within 5 hours I've had two responses, the first asking if I wanted an alternative product and the second confirming my request for a refund. Shame everything won't be here for the weekend but I can't fault Ebuyer for how they dealt with the situation. Paid a couple of quid more at Amazon, but really wanted the 1.5V stuff to keep the heat and power usage down whilst being speedy.

Ebuyer refunded my card on Saturday, Amazon delivered the RAM today :) Will have to borrow a USB DVD drive and try and get this system up and running tomorrow evening. The motherboard looks a bit out of place in my Antec Fusion case, will take pictures when it's all together. Thanks to Jake for the CPU cooler, installed no trouble.

Well I made a booboo. I didn't read the rather large small print about needing Windows 8 Pro to qualify for the free Media Centre upgrade :( £24.99 gets me a Pro upgrade from any previous Windows version back to XP, or £49.99 gets me the Pro pack to upgrade my Windows 8 normal version! I wanted a completely legit clean install on this machine but they aren't making it cheap or easy. Think I'll drag out an old MSDN-AA licence and pay the £25, I should be able to move my Windows 8 normal key to a new machine in the future.

At least all the hardware is running well, no dead ram or other silliness. Looking a bit lost in my chunky Antec Fusion case!

http://mcampbell.me.uk/hexus/mitx_fusion_small.png

Well, so, erm, yeah. It went pop :censored: Raised an RMA request for the motherboard (for a refund), fingers crossed nothing else was taken with it.

So I've ordered the MSI board, from Scan (against my better judgement but I need this sorted before the end of the month to get media centre). Hopefully this one will be ok...

Needless to say, not a happy bunny at the moment.

Scan order has been authorised and picked, despite them having the wrong invoice address (second time this has happened but never mind). Had to call Ebuyer, but they have authorised the return for a refund and sent me a label. This might just work out ok...

My MSI FM2-A75IA-E53 motherboard is here. The black and white colour scheme almost works as well as the straight black of the Asrock board, except for the blue ports and the yellow battery wrap :rolleyes: The bluetooth and wifi look like they're just cheap usb devices, and the wifi has a non-standard aerial adapter which is a shame. At least it will save me running a network cable round the room or using another power-line adapter to keep things neat.

Fingers crossed everything else still works and I may have a functioning PC by the end of the day...

That ASRock mini-ITX motherboard seems to have had a lot of issues,which is sad as usually their motherboards are not that bad!! It looks like it not only overvolted the CPU but the VRMs seem ti run hot too. The MSI appears to use a 5 phase VRM instead of the 4 phase VRM in the ASRock though.

Yeah I got worried when comments like that popped up on the forum but crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. It does seem like an odd one, ASRock don't drop the ball often. Fingers crossed they'll push out a V2 with it fixed.

They have launched an A85 based one which has a 6 phase VRM with additional cooling:

http://forums.hexus.net/pc-hardware/...3-0-ports.html

It might be worth seeing if there are any small heatsinks that can be stuck onto the VRM section,although they would need to not touch any parts which conduct electricity.

I wonder when/if we'll see it in this country? Took long enough to get the MSI board in stock anywhere and the Zotac board still seems to be vapourware.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jimbouk

Well I made a booboo. I didn't read the rather large small print about needing Windows 8 Pro to qualify for the free Media Centre upgrade :( £24.99 gets me a Pro upgrade from any previous Windows version back to XP, or £49.99 gets me the Pro pack to upgrade my Windows 8 normal version! I wanted a completely legit clean install on this machine but they aren't making it cheap or easy. Think I'll drag out an old MSDN-AA licence and pay the £25, I should be able to move my Windows 8 normal key to a new machine in the future.

At least all the hardware is running well, no dead ram or other silliness. Looking a bit lost in my chunky Antec Fusion case!

http://mcampbell.me.uk/hexus/mitx_fusion_small.png

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I have a media center pack key if you like ? If it will activate on a none pro windows 8, Its a new key I havent used it.

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Originally Posted by modd1uk

I have a media center pack key if you like ? If it will activate on a none pro windows 8, Its a new key I havent used it.

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No it won't activate on a non-pro version of Windows 8, I've tried. Maybe once month has ended you will be able to buy Media Centre for standard Windows 8 online (maybe you can buy it now via the "Add features" but I haven't looked that hard).


On build news, I'm all up and running! I liked the Windows 8 install via USB key, I managed a nice clean install as well (great idea coming from Vista...). My Media Centre pack is activated, I left it downloading/installing. I only had a minor panic when I forgot to plug power into the hard drive and thought it was dead...

The motherboard, well, I can't say I'd recommend it. Sadly saying that means I can't recommend any FM2 mini-ITX motherboard that are available at the moment! The layout is just a bit odd, headers for USB, audio and power buttons/LEDs are scattered far and wide meaning the cables only just reached to some of them.

Then there's the BIOS. Yes, well done, you can use a mouse in it. No, that doesn't mean it should be poorly arranged and difficult to use (double clicking needed to open menu items, lacking help text, I still don't know how to disable my unused SATA ports). Really poor compared to the ASRock board (but it hasn't exploded yet).

But yeah, it's all working :) Next step, buy a right sized box for it!

TV card arrived from Amazon, I needed a couple of cables and noticed they had the TBS Dual DVB-T2 PCIe TV Tuner Card (TBS6280) cheaper than elsewhere. Still sat in a box in a drawer, fingers crossed it will work well with Windows 8.

Just put in an order with QuietPC for the case, PSU, remote, internal USB3 cable, thermal paste and a case fan. I'll have to do a proper build log and review once I have all the bits :)

Oh will it never end? My build thread was meant to be a nice clean summary of the process so I'm back here to rant!

I'm on my second Streacom 150W PSU with the same symptoms, the CPU fan spins when the power button is pressed by the systems doesn't boot. With a normal PSU it's fine. With a 65W CPU and just a motherboard, 2 sticks of 1.5V ram, TV card and a 2.5" hdd I can't be pulling more that the full load.

Video with a Streacom PSU: streacom_psu.m4v
Video with a normal PSU: normal_psu.m4v

I've contacted QuietPC and will see what they say, hopefully I can upgrade to the proper picoPSU without any difficulty, although they said they had tested the second Streacom one before sending it out to me :confused:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jimbouk

Oh will it never end? My build thread was meant to be a nice clean summary of the process so I'm back here to rant!

I'm on my second Streacom 150W PSU with the same symptoms, the CPU fan spins when the power button is pressed by the systems doesn't boot. With a normal PSU it's fine. With a 65W CPU and just a motherboard, 2 sticks of 1.5V ram, TV card and a 2.5" hdd I can't be pulling more that the full load.

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I've got a Pico PSU 160W, with a 200W power brick which seems to be powering my system OK so far.
Its powering: AMD A-10 5700, 2x4GB Crucial RAM, Asrock mobo, 1 x SSD, 1 x 2.5" HDD, 1xSlot load ODD, TBS DVB-S2 TV Card.
Hope that helps!

Cheers Robster. QuietPC have been excellent with their customer support and have upgraded me to a 160W picoPSU at no cost. Still waiting to get everything up and running but will update when I do.

Well to cut a long story short, I have a working media PC! Not that I've had time to do more than turn it on and off again...

I've working with the 160W picoPSU and a 120W power brick from ebay. I didn't have much luck with the 150W ones supplied as the latest one just went pop, so I gambled £20 on a quick fix and it worked :)

although it seems there are more low profile coolers for intel than amd

remember copper or aluminium fins can be trimmed just not heat pipes