lookin at a mini pc

NorgeNorge Sidney, Ohio
edited February 2004 in Hardware
I've been wanting to build a mini PC for some time and am finally starting to give some serious thought to it. I really don't know a whole lot about them but I know basically what I want.

I want to try and build a decent gaming mini so that I can take it home with me from college since my computer back home really can't run many of the latest games. For a processor I was thinking about an AMD 2500+ Mobile. mmonnin was telling me that those use a lower voltage than regular AMDs so it should help keep heat down a bit. From there I have some questions.

First off is there a particular brand that anyone suggest? New Egg has a pretty good selection of Shuttle minis that I was looking at. I suppose the main thing I want to know about is overclocking on a mini. Is it possible to overclock much with the motherboards that come with them? It isn't a real necessity to be able to overclock but I think it would be fun to tinker with. I guess that is all that I can think to ask right now. Any information or experiences you'd like to share would be great. I'm gonna be browing the internet tonight browsing all of my options but I figured I'd ask first since we have plenty of techies around. :bigggrin:

Norge

Comments

  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited February 2004
    The Shuttle with the nForce2 chipset is decent. With the XP-M in it you might get decent temps out of it, even OC'd. Shuttle is pretty much the way to go with the supermicro PCs.
  • TheLostSwedeTheLostSwede Trondheim, Norway Icrontian
    edited February 2004
    The new Aopen and MSI with the 865 chipset will have the great feature that it can play DVD's with the system powered off. That's the ultimate HETPC in my eyes.
    There's a million others micros than Shuttle, most of them better as well. If you are going to use it at full load most of the time, you need to mod it for better cooling, no matter what kind of chip or chipset you have in it.
  • croc_croc_ New
    edited February 2004
    I don't recall my Shuttle XPC having multiplier settings in the bios. That would mean it wouldn't work with the xp-m. I am not 100% sure though.
  • croc_croc_ New
    edited February 2004
    Mackanz wrote:
    The new Aopen and MSI with the 865 chipset will have the great feature that it can play DVD's with the system powered off. That's the ultimate HETPC in my eyes.
    There's a million others micros than Shuttle, most of them better as well. If you are going to use it at full load most of the time, you need to mod it for better cooling, no matter what kind of chip or chipset you have in it.

    Yes, mine got "hot". Around 52c load for the 2500+ all stock.
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited February 2004
    I looked at the manual and it has lots of multis, vcore up to 2.0V. 2.6/2.7 vmem and thats about it. No FSB option really.

    Some cooling would most likely be needed. Dont think it would be that hard.

    And he would be buying a AMD system.
  • croc_croc_ New
    edited February 2004
    mmonnin wrote:
    I looked at the manual and it has lots of multis, vcore up to 2.0V. 2.6/2.7 vmem and thats about it. No FSB option really.

    Some cooling would most likely be needed. Dont think it would be that hard.

    And he would be buying a AMD system.

    Thats weird, mine was a SN41G2, it had voltage and FSB options, but no multi's. Maybe it was an old BIOS? I swear I flashed it new though ..... *shrug*
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited February 2004
    Mackanz wrote:
    The new Aopen and MSI with the 865 chipset will have the great feature that it can play DVD's with the system powered off. That's the ultimate HETPC in my eyes.
    There's a million others micros than Shuttle, most of them better as well. If you are going to use it at full load most of the time, you need to mod it for better cooling, no matter what kind of chip or chipset you have in it.

    I don't think that he can use an XP-M 2500+ with the Intel 865 chipset...
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited February 2004
    Thats the model I looked at actuallt croc. I think it was a version3. It had v3 in the middle of the manual file.
  • NorgeNorge Sidney, Ohio
    edited February 2004
    I'll have to look into Aopen and MSI. That DVD feature would be pretty cool. If croc's mini runs at 52C I don't think that would be too bad. This computer ran around that temperature before I got a new heatsink fan. Heck it still runs around 46C. I don't know if I would want to overclock it much, if at all, at that temperature though. Would the 2500+ mobile work with the chipset on the one croc has? That might help cooling some.

    Norge
  • croc_croc_ New
    edited February 2004
    mmonnin wrote:
    Thats the model I looked at actuallt croc. I think it was a version3. It had v3 in the middle of the manual file.

    Well, I think mine was the first version, it was also the 333 FSB version. The newer ones support 400 fsb I think ... IDK anymore. I wish mine had multi settings when I had it though =(
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited February 2004
    I have a shuttle XPC and the one thing I hate about it is how hot and loud it can be.

    I built an MSI M.E.G.A for a customer, and I'm jealous - I want one. you can use the optical drive, the DVD player, and CD Audio + radio without powering up the PC. It roxxorz
  • TheLostSwedeTheLostSwede Trondheim, Norway Icrontian
    edited February 2004
    GHoosdum wrote:
    I don't think that he can use an XP-M 2500+ with the Intel 865 chipset...

    Couldn't agree more. But IF i would build me a mini-pc, moi would choose one of the Intel chipsets.
  • NorgeNorge Sidney, Ohio
    edited February 2004
    I have a shuttle XPC and the one thing I hate about it is how hot and loud it can be.

    I built an MSI M.E.G.A for a customer, and I'm jealous - I want one. you can use the optical drive, the DVD player, and CD Audio + radio without powering up the PC. It roxxorz

    Ooooh!!! That one sounds swanky! How much does one of those cost though? I'm kinda wanting to keep cost down if possible.

    Norge
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited February 2004
    Pricewatch puts them @ $195 at newegg.com.

    Of course, you'll need a proc, memory, a drive, and an optical drive.
  • NorgeNorge Sidney, Ohio
    edited February 2004
    That's not too bad I guess. I was planning on having to buy the other things as well. I'll need to check on the video though. If it is going to double as secondary gaming PC that has to be up to par. Anyhoo I am assuming it was cooler and quieter than the Shuttle? Noise isn't really a big factor to me but heat might if I try to over clock.

    Norge
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited February 2004
    The onboard video is not up to par for gaming. You'll have to get an add-in card.
  • NorgeNorge Sidney, Ohio
    edited February 2004
    I just looked at a review and it reported that with a 9800 pro in it the idle temperature on the CPU is 66C. I doubt I'd get one of those to put in it but that is pretty toasty. The only other downside is that it is a Pentium 4 motherboard so I couldn't use the AMD processor I was looking at. So far shuttle seems to have the most variety of the companies I've looked at. Do all Shuttles run really hot and loud? About what temperature does your run at?

    Norge
  • NorgeNorge Sidney, Ohio
    edited February 2004
    I've been looking at New Egg and the Shuttle SN45G is sounding really nice. Out of all the reviews pretty much everyone loves it. Most say that OCing is really easy, it is quiet, and temperatures top out at around 52C. One guy said he had his 2500+ running at a 3000+ speed and it was at 52C. Sounds pretty darn good to me. I might be able to keep the temerature a little lower if I go with that Mobile 2500+ also. The only downside is that quite a few people reported their power supply going bad. That is definitly a downer but they did say that New Egg was very helpful at replacing the broken unit. As of right now this one is looking pretty darn good. http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=56-101-410&catalog=3&manufactory=BROWSE&depa=0

    Norge
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited February 2004
    I have a shuttle XPC and the one thing I hate about it is how hot and loud it can be.

    I built an MSI M.E.G.A for a customer, and I'm jealous - I want one. you can use the optical drive, the DVD player, and CD Audio + radio without powering up the PC. It roxxorz

    A Mega is the next one I want to build at the house actually. Just sexy and it will be a fun project to do all the home entertainment type stuff... I love the packaging but.... I saw the first opteron mini the other day. A socket 940 too00000. My 240 opteron was only 140 bucks, A top end P4 is probably close? And that opteron is so dad gum cool and quiet it might actually do vey well in a mini case. Its got my head spinning..... Mega... Opteron.... I wish MSI would make my dream come true... (grin)

    tex
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited February 2004
    Where did you see that? I want to see too!! Links please!
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited February 2004
    http://www.amdboard.com/shuttle_sn85g4.html

    That one is a athlon 64 though
  • NorgeNorge Sidney, Ohio
    edited February 2004
    An opteron on a mini. Now that would be sweet.

    Norge
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