Tiny ITX fanless server?

[Hades]

I'm looking to build a very small ITX based fanless system. It will be used for downloads and for a web server. Ideally all it would have is an ITX board, a case, an external brick PSU and a hard drive.

I'm thinking of getting the Travela C134 case as it's the smallest I can find. I'm not bothered about putting a CD in it. So does it have a blanking plate?

Also, are there any ITX boards which will runn cool enough to turn off the C134 case fan? I was thinking of the M6000 as this is passively cooled. But from what I've read it can run a little too hot without a case fan. If that's the case, will any of the other boards run cool enough?

Would getting a bigger case be a better option for totally passive cooling instead? I'd rather not go this route if possible as I just want a tiny system.

Or am I just going to have to bite the bullet and get as quiet a fan as possible?

Thanks...

[walibe]

Ive never seen an ITX on the market before, I think you want M-ITX.

[orgasmo]

just a few suggestions matey ...

If you not going to put a CD-ROM in (could get a USB one) then u could use the drive bay to fit a fan controller and use that get the perfect balance between fan noise and cooling requirements.

Or you could use the drive bay to mount a HDD cooler and silencer and then use Zlaman silent cooling systems on the Graphics card, memory and CPU.

Not sure how small you could take the case though to get all this going.

Good Luck Anyway.

[Ultim8pc]

The EPIA5000 runs fine with no case fan...

[Hades]

That sounds an option. I don't really need the extras on the M series. Would an EPIA 5000 run without a casefan in the C134 too?

[Hades]

Ultim8pc - I'te just occured to me that what I'm after is almost exactly what the LEX Barebones systems are: small, passively cooled, doesn't need an optical drive.

I'm assuming you run a certain site with a name not too dissimilar to your forum name so could I ask something:

You sell LEX systems based on the 500 mhz (passively cooled) and 800 mhz EPIAs. Some of the 800's are actively cooled but one is passive. Is it really cool enough? Why are some actively cooled and one of them not?

[Ultim8pc]

Hehe - correct!

Originally the LEX's came out with active cooling only. (The noise really spoiled the product). Then they worked on passive cooling for the 533MHz unit, a large heatsink that's bonded to the aluminium case.
Then recently, they passively cooled the 800MHz - This uses large heatsinks & a heatpipe. It works well enough, but adds a premium over the actively cooled product, but works well.
I have a review coming up real soon!

Lex have a new passively cooled barebone based on the VIA Nehemiah core & CLE266 chipset coming up real soon - it 'out-spooges' the Light by a mile! Info on this & more coming up in my 'SFF - Past, Present & Future' article coming up imminently!

Hope this helps.

[Hades]

Sounds interesting. I'll keep my eyes out for it