Fractal Arc Mini R2 winners - what are you doing with the case?

[Bluecube]

As the subject. Cause I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to do with mine when it turns up. The first thing I thought when I saw the case was that'll be a fab NAS because of all the drive bays but that's a bit boring... I'm now thinking Steam Box but I'm a tad brassic. We'll see!

What's everyone else got planned?

Anyone else with MATX cases feel free to chip in with what you've done/ are doing with them!

[virtuo]

I'm using mine to replace my day-to-day desktop, http://forums.hexus.net/review-my-bu...-microatx.html

Nothing fancy, will put a mid-range GPU in there at some point and water cooling later on as well.

I have got a NAS build in mind but was planning on using that other Fractal case (forget the name, small cube thing) for that. Reckon the chassis is a bit big for a steam box, will see when it arrives - they aren't compact going by the reviews.

Just hope it's not the last thing to show up...

[tamzzy]

i dunno yet. i got a watercooled prodigy
may/may not transplant it over, or just build a cheap rig

[naturbo2000]

I have little idea either Bluecube - see my thread here

I'm quite happy with my existing HTPC (though it's getting a little long in the tooth and has started playing up) - the Mini R2 is not a HTPC case...

I'm also happy with the relative freedom my laptop and egpu gives me. Except I want to upgrade my GTX560ti448.


I'm thinking I might like to try out Steam home streaming as an alternative to my egpu. It might work out better fps as long as the lag is managable. But I don't want to buy a gaming rig to test it out, find out I don't like it and sell it all on.

So my plan is to buy parts that I'd upgrade the HTPC with (new CPU, MB, RAM) and a GTX760. Set that all up as a gaming rig in the Mini R2 and test out home streaming. If it's good, then sell on my egpu parts. If it's bad then swap the CPU, MB, RAM into my HTPC and the GTX760 into my egpu (assuming it actually works better than the 560 when run on the PCIE 2.0 x1 link!). Then sell the Mini R2
What I'm currently wrestling with is what parts I want for a gaming rig (Haswell i5-K?) that would otherwise be a sensible choice in my HTPC (low power).

[SUMMONER]

Congrats, apparently I am getting one too.
Someone must have not claimed their price, because I (normally) never win anything in competitions.

I am contemplating building a new Intel rig with it, first one since errr...... my Pentium III 933MHz back in 2002.

I am thinking....
- Intel i5-4670K with an old Scythe Mugen 2 CPU Cooler plonked on top of it
- 8GB Crucial/Kingston memory (which ever turns out to be the cheapest)
- MSI Z87M-GAMING mATX motherboard
- Geforce GTX 650Ti Boost 2GB from my other system
- 120GB Crucial M500 SSD (these are cheaper than dirt at present)
- old Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB SATA HDD (lovely drive, used to short stroke this to 120GB before I got my 1st SSD)
- spare Zahlman 450W PSU that was in a PC a client threw out

I am rather disappointed with AMD's offerings as of late.

[virtuo]

- 120GB Crucial M500 SSD

Pretty similar to what I'm going for, I was initially looking at the Crucial SSD, but the reviews aren't favourable (particularly on write speeds). Got the Samsung 840 EVO 120Gb for about £6 extra on Amazon.

[tamzzy]

so i've sourced a maximus v gene...hopefully (when we eventually get the case) i'll stick it in the arc mini along with my current rig =x

[Bluecube]

I'm still thinking a NAS-y type box. I'm really intrigued about AMDs new Kabini(sp?) APUs. Cheap yet powerful.

[Bluecube]

Twiddles thumbs. Whistles distractedly. Looks out the window for a courier. Sighs disappointedly.

[virtuo]

Twiddles thumbs. Whistles distractedly. Looks out the window for a courier. Sighs disappointedly.

Yup. This wait is costing me a fortune. Already upgraded my system and I've not even put it together yet

[tamzzy]

lol, i know right?
i've got my MVG here waiting and i can't even use it.
well i lie, i can, but i have to dismantle my whole loop. and i dont want to do that before the mini arrives =x

[naturbo2000]

Have no fear, they're nearly here:

I have nagged and I am told they will go out this week.

[virtuo]

I feel cheeky pestering considering they are freebies, but nice to know I don't have to look at my pile of shiny new components for much longer. Almost went and bought a cheap mATX case from Maplin to tide me over, but I'd have been far too lazy to move it all over again.

Any clues as to where they are "going out" from?

[naturbo2000]

No. idea. I cheekily PM'd DR for this info and didn't want to pester him further.

[Bluecube]

Good work fella. Hopefully they'll be here by Friday!

[tamzzy]

bleh, going out when i'm working a 12 day week (including the bank holiday!) gawddammit