spepper
join:2003-11-09
USA
| quiet mini pc
just built a barebones PC, an ASUS mini PC, model MP945VX-- form factor is mini ITX i believe, uses socket M Intel Core Duo cpu, SODIMM DDR2 RAM, 2.5 in. SATA HDD ("mobile on desktop" technology)-- it has external "brick" power adapter/cord-- DVDRW drive, slot insertion type-- it uses a parallel flow fan cooler, with contact surfaces for the chipset and cpu both, sort of like the PCI slot fan coolers-- upon powering on, the first 5 or 6 seconds, it runs the cooling fan at full RPM, sounds pretty loud, then after the CMOS kicks in its control, it spools down the fan to near silent operation-- running NHC (notebook hardware control, monitoring software for XP), it continues silent operation, with temps below average notebook operating temps (below 50ºC) the entire PC case is about size of external DVD drive-- with all full ATX I/O connectors (4 USB, ethernet, firewire, 5.1 HD audio, DVI) on the back-- very slick, small, silent design-- with full ATX form factor functionality-- I sound like an ad-man for ASUS, but really, only a home user-- and a solid fan of ASUS! |
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Happyrat
Google Is Your Best Friend
Premium
join:2002-07-01
Disneyland
1 edit | I bought one of these last month from a different retailer with slightly different specs. Mine has an AMD 64 X2 4000+ instead of a 3500. Also mine shipped with a Gig of RAM but I replaced it with 2 Gigs a few weeks later. Mine also shipped with a 250 Gig drive instead of the 160.
»www.tigerdirect.com/applications···180-2098
Also paid $449 for mine and I didn't have to build a single thing. Also runs silent, cool and micro-ATX form factor.
The whole unit is about the size of an 800 Page Computer Paperback Manual.
BTW, I'm a big Acer Phanboi too  Running a conventional Acer Desktop and an Acer notebook as well, all running Linux as primary OS.
If you want the place I bought it from here's a link, but I'm in Canada, so you'll probably have to shop around for an equivalent deal from an American retailer.
»www.canadacomputers.com/main.php···d=170.45
--
So... WHEN exactly does Hell freeze over anyway? »fuzzyrat.com |
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spepper
join:2003-11-09
USA | reply to spepper
so sorry, strike the word ASUS in my previous post, that should read AOPEN -- major brain fart! |
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Happyrat
Google Is Your Best Friend
Premium
join:2002-07-01
Disneyland
1 edit | You should still be able to edit your original post for several days after posting it.
Just go to the small red link that says "Edit" on the lower left corner of your post...
[EDIT]
Btw, how much did you end up paying for the whole system up and running and assembled in the end anyway? |
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spepper
join:2003-11-09
USA
| thanks for the heads-up about the post-edit-- let's see, the AOpen barebones mini-pc (MP945VDR i believe) was $300 at Buy.com-- had to add a socket M cpu (intel T7200), a 2.5 inch notebook hard drive, and SODIMM ram memory-- so that would be about $500 total for those-- I had them lying around anyway from a notebook that died-- so I got lucky on that stuff-- the mini-pc kit included the optical drive (CDRW + DL-DVDRW), board, and case-- it has onboard ethernet, but I also added ($30) a mini PCI internal WIFI card-- be advised, this unit is not exactly a "hard core gamer" rig, but they recently came out with the latest form of that model, MP965, with latest onboard Intel graphics chip (X3100), mine only has the "950" on it, but suitable for what I use it for- |
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