Best Barebones?

Kernel

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone has any advice on the best barebones system, meaning build quality, price and most importantly, noise level! Are there barebones which are pretty much silent, or as noisy as a cheap DVD player? For example, I would like something more quiet than my playstation2.

I'm thinking of going the whole media PC route rather than new hi-fi, dvd-recorder etc (already have a wireless network)... Any advice as to any potential pitfalls in my quest for the ultimate home entertainment rig would be great.

uberpixie

Kernel wrote:

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone has any advice on the best barebones system, meaning build quality, price and most importantly, noise level! Are there barebones which are pretty much silent, or as noisy as a cheap DVD player? For example, I would like something more quiet than my playstation2.

I'm thinking of going the whole media PC route rather than new hi-fi, dvd-recorder etc (already have a wireless network)... Any advice as to any potential pitfalls in my quest for the ultimate home entertainment rig would be great.

First off decide what you want your bare bones to do. Then research to see what they actually CAN do.

Do you want simply a pc hooked up to your telly and have all the functionality of a full pc using linux/win2k/win xp?

Or do you want to use windows media edition as your os and have a more specalised barebones for entertainment using a remote control?

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-3672_7-5536454.html

http://www.gamepc.com/labs/view_content.asp?id=xpmce2005&page=1

http://www.digitalconnectmag.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=55801381

(some reviews of win media ed 2005)


As regards the barebones: have a look at the idea of making a pentium M micro atx box.

http://www.tomshardware.com/motherboard/20041224/index.html

Review from tom's on 2 pentium m boards. PMs are a very sweet cpu as regards power consumption, punch well above their weight as regards clockspeed and run at very low temps so they don't require very powerful fan cooling: meaning a lot less noise.

They are expensive however and the mobos for them are only begining to appear on market. The starting soc 479 PM 1.4 costs £140. An aopen mobo costs £160. (both prices from overclockers.co.uk)

Link for mobo on clockers:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Soltek2.html

link for PM cpus on clockers:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Intel_Pentium_4_Mobile.html

Expensive but requires the least amount of fans/cooling yet giving a substantial amount of performance. The dogs boll ixs.


If you want to go the barebones route:
http://www6.tomshardware.com/howto/20040804/barebones-01.html
http://www6.tomshardware.com/howto/20040713/index.html

Some basic reviews to get you started and help you look on other sites for more reviews.

also have a look at this review of a kloss bare bones:
http://www17.tomshardware.com/firstlook/20050117/index.html

It uses prescot cpus and ddr400 and has pci express x16 for gfx and a standard pci slot. A very nice mix of old and new tech and dacent onboard sound.

on sale in clockers:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Kloss.html



Another option might be to get an atx case that lies horizontal like the old destop style cases.

i.e.
http://www.coolermaster.com/index.php?LT=english&Language_s=2&url_place=product&p_serial=CAV-T04&other_title=+CAV-T04+Cavalier%204

can be bought from clockers on this page:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Coolermaster_Cases_126.html

This way you can build an atx sized box out old components you have lying around and get a box that wont clash too badly in your sitting room and fit in a cabinate or on a shelf. Ther are other cases like it on the market for building atx sized media pcs: have a look around.


Just throwing some ideas at you. Sorry about all the links being overclockers or tom's hardware guide but it's all i can remember off the top of my head but they should give you a few ideas and help you track down alternative reviews/ websites to buy from.

Best of luck with the build.

Kernel

Wow, that's some great info uberpixie, thanks very much. I've just had a quick look at a couple of the links, but I'll have a more in depth read after work.

Gives me a good place to start anyway, thanks.

Nukem

OcUK have improved their Barbones stock

Khannie

Yeah, just wanted to reiterate what kernel said....fair play uberpixie. Posts like that are what make this community.

deckie27

I would go for a shuttle
I have a shuttle sn45ng. Its a great little box. Deffo buy another when upgrading.

Dec

Creamy Goodness

what's the deal with shuttles and their power supply? 250watt?

what's the bestest card you can put into one of them?

voxpop

http://www.mini-itx.com/ can give you some nice ideas - have a look at their online store http://www.mini-itx.com/store/product.asp?sid=ATX-MEDIA - expensive but near silent.

uberpixie

Cremo wrote:

what's the deal with shuttles and their power supply? 250watt?

what's the bestest card you can put into one of them?

PC builders over in england have been specing the shuttle 939 box, which has a 240 w psu, with:

amd 64 3500+
1 or 2 gig of ram
250 gig maxtor dimond max 10
nvidia 6800gt.

Have seen reviews that have had the suttle 939 box speced with a audigy sound card and a x800xt with no problems.

Wont take a 6800 ultra though :-)

angelofdeath

i wonder would that kloss take a 6800gt, id love to put one together, 250watt psu is a little worrying though

Creamy Goodness

was thinking of putting one together in the summer but i was gonna go amd64 route. the 240w supply is off putting espically when the first one on this list has a 350w supply, i'd rather have an amd64 as i've never had an athlon before and i got a p4 right here

uberpixie

Cremo wrote:

was thinking of putting one together in the summer but i was gonna go amd64 route. the 240w supply is off putting espically when the first one on this list has a 350w supply, i'd rather have an amd64 as i've never had an athlon before and i got a p4 right here

http://www.tekheads.co.uk/s/product?product=603814

Soltek 939 barebones with a 300w psu.....

Creamy Goodness

uberpixie wrote:

http://www.tekheads.co.uk/s/product?product=603814

Soltek 939 barebones with a 300w psu.....

i think that looks ugly, much prefer to go the shuttle route

alantc

I've got q shuttle sn45g v2. It's a lot noisier than I expected it to be. I wouldn't leave it on going to sleep. Shuttle brought out another model that uses a laptop style power supply so it wouldn't need any fans but it's the CPU fan that is making all the noise.

Great PC though. Bought the carry case too and a 17" TFT screen. Came to France 2 weeks ago and brought it all with me.

I don't know anything about power but it's got a labteck a280 (geforce4 ti4800se i think) 2 200gb seagate drives, amd xp3200 and 1gb RAM.
I have an IDE cable running out the back of it that I sometimes but a third 200g seagate onto but I've never pushed the computer at all.


everyone should have one.