ARCTIC MC001-N ~ MultiMedia Barebone PC - €114.95 Delivered. [Amazon.de]

Do-more · 05-02-2013 4:32pm

TheIrishGrover wrote: »

Hey folks, I'm thinking about one of these alright. Looks interesting. My German's not up to scratch so can I ask a question of ye?

It's a barebones system so it comes with no HDD/RAM. Does anyone know what RAM it takes? Does it take Laptop or desktop RAM? I have a 2 gig Laptop DIMM at home (Not sure about the pin count though)

I'm asuming it takes a 2.5 in HDD.

Oh, I knew there was another question. The site seemed to recommend an MCI remote. Does this device have a built-in IR detector or does it need a USB adaptor?

Cheers for the info folks

If you look near the bottom of the first post there is a link to the manufacturer's website for the full specs in English.

But in short it takes laptop components and there is an IR receiver built in to the front of the case.

Pete67 · 05-02-2013 4:56pm

It's DDR3 SODIMM laptop ram, I bought this 1.35V ram and it works perfectly.

The thermal transfer pads inside do not seem overly sticky when you pull off the plastic, so I'd say you can reopen the case without too much bother. I have not tried it though (yet)

robfowler78 wrote: »

Hey lads was looking to stick 2gb of ram that I have spare into this while I wait for my ram to arrive what's the danger in taking the plastic of in the inside and reopening the unit later to replace the ram. Is it worth doing to test or would you recommend I leave it and just open and close once.

05-02-2013 5:10pm

robfowler78 wrote: »

Hey lads was looking to stick 2gb of ram that I have spare into this while I wait for my ram to arrive what's the danger in taking the plastic of in the inside and reopening the unit later to replace the ram. Is it worth doing to test or would you recommend I leave it and just open and close once.

The point of the pads is to transfer some heat into the metal side-panel but that's not the main heatsink, its only an additional bit of cooling. I would say it only makes a few C difference. In the short term you should be fine just leaving the plastic film on the pads, once you keep an eye on the temps and don't run the machine too hard.

Also some people were asking if it could be run horizontally - I tested mine for a decent length of time in that that position and was happy with the temps. The GPU didn't go much over 61C which is nothing for a passive system. So that's how i'll run mine, with the stand removed, it fits better in my unit. Note that I use OpenElec which is pretty light on CPU useage, don't complain to me if you try this with Windows and overheat it.

robfowler78 · 05-02-2013 5:13pm

I Kill You Scum! wrote: »

The point of the pads is to transfer some heat into the metal side-panel but that's not the main heatsink, its only an additional bit of cooling. In the short term you should be fine just leaving the plastic film on the pads, once you keep an eye on the temps and don't run the machine too hard.

Cheers I just want to test it and install a hdd and setup openelect or windows xbmc so it's ready to go when the full memory finally arrives.

guinnessdrinker · 05-02-2013 7:34pm

I was having problems installing openelec, kept getting an error message saying that it failed an md5 check and that the file was probably corrupt! Anyone else get this error?

Anyway I didn't have much time to tinker with it yesterday because of work so I installed xbmcubuntu on a usb. Running very smoothly so far only downside is it takes a minute to boot.

Mr McBoatface · 05-02-2013 8:16pm

jobyrne30 wrote: »

Private Joker wrote: »

i seem to have a faulty one . It seems to be booting up( all lights are on) but there is nothing showing up on the screen.

Brother in law got one the exact same, same ram , same hd and his seems to be ok, we swapped over everything but no luck.

That's exactly what I've got, thought it may have been incompatible ram but with " I Kill You Scum!" confirming that PC3-10600 works on his system + your post I'm thinking otherwise now.

I pressed the "del" key immediately after power on but got nothing...

Just to put my mind at ease today I tired again with brand new compatible Kingston ram and I get the same problem. There is no boot screen, nothing displayed at all. Not looking forward to RMA'ing this:(.

Regarding the RMA, can somebody confirm who is responsible for the cost of shipping the faulty unit back. It's my understanding they should cover the cost is this correct ?

Allyall · 05-02-2013 8:24pm

I have yet to power mine on. I really hope i don't have a faulty one.

This may be of some help to you

http://www.amazon.de/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=505560

I think these were purchased directly from Amazon.de (Not the marketplace)? So this should apply..

We will guide you through our return process. If you want to return an article within Germany, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland or Portugal, we even supply you with a pre-paid return mailing label ("vorfrankiertes Rücksende-Etikett").

In the following cases the return of the items is free of charge:
(i) Amazon has delivered a wrong, damaged or defective item.
(ii) You are cancelling the purchase of an item within the right of withdrawal period of 14 days and the price of the item to be returned amounts to more than 40 Euro (please note: The amount of 40 Euro refers to the price of the single item to be returned and not to the sum of all items to be returned). For more information please visit our Terms and Conditions page (in German).
(iii) You return an item from our clothing or shoes shop within our voluntary 30 day return policy.

If you are not using our pre-paid return mailing label please ensure that your package is adequately franked. In the above cases (i) to (ii) we will refund you the return costs.

Please use the Amazon.de cardboard box and the manufacturer's original package to return the item.

If the Amazon.de cardboard box is no longer available for the return of the item, please indicate the name of the person who ordered the item and the order number in the addressor field on the package.

If you return your item within Austria to the respective return centre you may return the package with no pre-payment.

05-02-2013 8:33pm

guinnessdrinker wrote: »

I was having problems installing openelec, kept getting an error message saying that it failed an md5 check and that the file was probably corrupt! Anyone else get this error?

It means your OpenElec image is corrupt. It can happen during download or something on your end (bad flash drive etc).

Just re-download and start fresh.

OpenELEC-Generic.i386-2.99.2 is what you should be using.

Calibos · 05-02-2013 9:34pm

About to Turn mine on and install Openelec for the first time. Spent 18 out of the last 24 hours sorting out my Media folders with Filebot and Ember.

I don't like my odds of getting a dud. Remember.......

I bought 4 !!!!!

Calibos · 05-02-2013 9:42pm

jobyrne30 wrote: »

Just to put my mind at ease today I tired again with brand new compatible Kingston ram and I get the same problem. There is no boot screen, nothing displayed at all. Not looking forward to RMA'ing this:(.

Regarding the RMA, can somebody confirm who is responsible for the cost of shipping the faulty unit back. It's my understanding they should cover the cost is this correct ?

Are you trying your first boot with it hooked up via HDMI to your TV??

I wonder does one simply need to do setup connected to a vga monitor first. ie. HDMI videocard drivers not installed yet???

Calibos · 05-02-2013 10:33pm

3 down one to go. Only taking 5 minutes each. Lovin it!!

Calibos · 05-02-2013 10:50pm

It's freaky watching a pc boot up in utter and complete silence

Mr McBoatface · 05-02-2013 11:28pm

Calibos wrote: »

Are you trying your first boot with it hooked up via HDMI to your TV??

I wonder does one simply need to do setup connected to a vga monitor first. ie. HDMI videocard drivers not installed yet???

Tired VGA first then hdmi, no joy either way..... looks like I defo gotta dud.

I'm building or upgrading PC's the best part of 10 years now, I never had a component die or require RMA until about 2 months ago when a WD 2TB green just packed in (a week out of warranty !!!). Then last month a Dual DVB-S2 pci-e card I bought again from a German store was DOA. I returned it 3 weeks ago and still waiting on the replacement to ship, none in stock. Last week a two week old Benq Monitor just decided not to work anymore, RMA'ed that last week, now this :eek:.

It's the PC component god's getting back at me for buying a box of 10 faulty 1TB Samsung drives for a tenner only to find that 6 where still in warranty. I RMA'ed them but I don't count that as a real RMA :pac::pac::pac::pac:.

In the case of the all the above RMA's the manufacturers or retailers sent a courier, DPD if I remember correctly. All expect the German company who are a PITA to deal with, I'd to post it back myself via anpost. I am waiting on word on how they'll refund the cost of postage. Don't fancy forking out on the postage cost for this, hopefully a prepaid courier like the others will be sent.

Calibos · 06-02-2013 12:08am

All 4 of my MC001's seem to be working touch wood. However, had a build last year with 4 failures. Corsair H100 CPU cooler, 2tb HDD, case fan controller and finally the one that stung the most, a GTX580!!!

loopymum · 06-02-2013 1:04am

Hi all!

I'm looking for some advice please? I'm thinking of buying the €99 one as I have an Inspiron 1764 laptop die on me, water damage on the motherboard I think so there is a good chance that the rest of the components will fit the barebones? The Ram seems the same but I'm not sure about the number of pins?
Would I be able to put the DVD drive into the barebones as well as the hdd? Is there something to hold them in it? I have a 19 inch tv that is going to be redundant soon so was hoping to use the barebones and tv as a desktop to tide me over for a while? would it be up to this?

Thanks for any replies

dahamsta · 06-02-2013 1:14am

Anyone installed Fedora or CentOS on one of these, with XBMC or Myth? I have a PS3 feeding off PS3 Media Server at home and I'd love to retire it.

06-02-2013 1:20am

Arctic have announced a version of the MC001 with OpenElec pre-installed.

What this means for us is that there will be official dedicated builds of OE for the system, if there's any driver issues etc they should all be sorted and it'll work great without any config tweaks.

Calibos · 06-02-2013 2:11am

Yeah Baby!!!

http://openelec.tv/news/21-partners/82-arctic-announces-passive-cooled-systems-with-openelec-installed

Now we know there is a little more behind the specific build than some sole over worked coder. Or if it is he'll now get access to firmware code or get the manufacturers to update the firmware quickly to move the project along quicker. Great News.

Someone at Arctic must have been wondering why so many were being sold by Amazon even at that great price and dug a little deeper. I'd expect the price of even the barebones to go back up very soon again.

Allyall · 06-02-2013 2:27am

loopymum wrote: »

Hi all!

I'm looking for some advice please? I'm thinking of buying the €99 one as I have an Inspiron 1764 laptop die on me, water damage on the motherboard I think so there is a good chance that the rest of the components will fit the barebones? The Ram seems the same but I'm not sure about the number of pins?
Would I be able to put the DVD drive into the barebones as well as the hdd? Is there something to hold them in it? I have a 19 inch tv that is going to be redundant soon so was hoping to use the barebones and tv as a desktop to tide me over for a while? would it be up to this?

Thanks for any replies

A lot of DVD/CD drives for laptops are generic, there are quite a few that are different. You'd have to know the connection type. Some have an add on that you can separate from the drive.
I am not getting a DVD drive. I am happy as it is.
The Hard drive (HDD) will fit, but you'll have to format it (or install the drivers for the Arctic) --> Format it. Back it up first.
I may buy a Blu-ray drive from Ebay. (Saw one for €30)
But yes, the hard drive will fit, you can search on sites like http://www.crucial.com/uk/ and see if your ram is compatible. But the 4GB Ram is only €22 extra.

As a desktop with Monitor it is capable of doing anything the 1764 does.

If you don't mind me asking how much damage was done to the laptop? Was it immersed in water or did it get a splash on the keyboard?

It could be the keyboard has a couple of stuck keys..

witnessmenow · 06-02-2013 2:28am

That price is actually pretty good

Its a €135 for the barebones with DVD drive off amazon. So that leaves you €65 to spend on a 1tb hard drive, 2gb of ram and the remote. For some people it might be just handier to buy the pre built one

Calibos · 06-02-2013 2:39am

Allyall wrote: »

A lot of DVD/CD drives for laptops are generic, there are quite a few that are different. You'd have to know the connection type. Some have an add on that you can separate from the drive.
I am not getting a DVD drive. I am happy as it is.
The Hard drive (HDD) will fit, but you'll have to format it (or install the drivers for the Arctic) --> Format it. Back it up first.
I may buy a Blu-ray drive from Ebay. (Saw one for €30)
But yes, the hard drive will fit, you can search on sites like http://www.crucial.com/uk/ and see if your ram is compatible. But the 4GB Ram is only €22 extra.

As a desktop with Monitor it is capable of doing anything the 1764 does.

If you don't mind me asking how much damage was done to the laptop? Was it immersed in water or did it get a splash on the keyboard?

It could be the keyboard has a couple of stuck keys..

Funnily enough I have a dead Dell Vostro 1700 laptop that I gave thought to fixing the other night. Power tripped out and my elderly desktop appeared dead. I was trying to decide, which was more cost effective. Get onto amazon quick and pick up another MC001 to use as my internet PC with Win 7 installed and transfer the Dvd and HDD and Ram (Assuming DDR2 worked) over from the Vostro for a cost of around €120 or buy the new Motherboard the Vostro needs at about €180.

Thought to myself, that the latter was a silly thought as the Vostro is nearly 5 year old Tech.....until I checked some benchmark results.

My Old Pentium 4 Dell = 400 CPU marks
Atom D525 (in MC001) = 750 CPU marks
2Ghz C2D in Vostro 1700 = 1150 CPU marks

TBH, it probably is worth fitting a new Mobo, sticking in 4 gigs of ram and maybe even a Sandisk SSD cache-drive (The €35 30gig ones)

ie. Dunno why I soldiered on with the old Desktop for so long when I should've just repaired the bloody laptop.

Allyall · 06-02-2013 2:46am

Calibos wrote: »

Funnily enough I have a dead Dell Vostro 1700 ...........new Motherboard the Vostro needs at about €180.

I'm not 100% sure, but before you buy that, check the Nvidia Defect forum.

I think that model suffered from that, i wouldn't trust a new Motherboard..

-- worth checking first. It could be nothing.

EDIT

http://en.community.dell.com/dell-blogs/direct2dell/b/direct2dell/archive/2010/09/30/nvidia-gpu-update-nvidia-class-action-lawsuit-and-limited-warranty-enhancement.aspx

Calibos · 06-02-2013 5:06am

Allyall wrote: »

I'm not 100% sure, but before you buy that, check the Nvidia Defect forum.

I think that model suffered from that, i wouldn't trust a new Motherboard..

-- worth checking first. It could be nothing.

EDIT

http://en.community.dell.com/dell-blogs/direct2dell/b/direct2dell/archive/2010/09/30/nvidia-gpu-update-nvidia-class-action-lawsuit-and-limited-warranty-enhancement.aspx

I'd need to refresh my memory with re-research

before I make my final decision, but I do recall concluding that the NVidia GPU was not the cause. Lots of others also had dead Vostro mobo's not cause by the GPU IIRC

Redriddick · 06-02-2013 10:36am

Lads,
Anyone get the internal ir to work from a mce remote??
Have a remote lying around and was hoping to use it with this.Have the drivers installed and the ir is showing up in device manager.
Any ideas??
Thanks

Mr McBoatface · 06-02-2013 12:16pm

I, got a reply from Arctic about the faulty one I recieved, happy enough seems like a painless enough RMA process, providing postage cost is refunded quickly.

I assume anpost will be expensive enough to post this back to Germany. Is there any cheaper alternatives you guys may be aware of ?

ARCTIC, Amazon wrote:

Dear jobyrne30

Thanks for your email and please excuse the inconvenience.

We think it will be a faulty main board.

Please send back the defective device to us.

ARCTIC GmbH
Rösekenwinkel 9
Braunschweig
38110
Germany

We will ship you a replacement when the defective item arrived.

Please keep the receipt for the shipping costs so that we can refund you afterwards.

Thanks and best regards,
Jens

Allyall · 06-02-2013 12:27pm

jobyrne30 wrote: »

I, got a reply from Arctic about the faulty one I recieved, happy enough seems like a painless enough RMA process, providing postage cost is refunded quickly.

I assume anpost will be expensive enough to post this back to Germany. Is there any cheaper alternatives you guys may be aware of ?

Don't know them, but have heard about them. I think i read something about them here in one of the forums.
http://www.citypost.ie/

Do-more · 06-02-2013 1:43pm

The postman just delivered mine which was ordered on Jan. 31st. just opened it for a quick look, will have to wait until this evening to do any more than that.

Debating whether to stick my €15 W8 upgrade on it or just go with OpenElec.

If anyone has a link to a cheap blu ray drive suitable for this do please post it.

Pete67 · 06-02-2013 2:33pm

Do-more wrote: »

The postman just delivered mine which was ordered on Jan. 31st. just opened it for a quick look, will have to wait until this evening to do any more than that.

Debating whether to stick my €15 W8 upgrade on it or just go with OpenElec.

If anyone has a link to a cheap blu ray drive suitable for this do please post it.

I have mine running on 64bit Win8 Pro (€15 upgrade) and it's pretty decent. HD video is no problem, but to get sound on HDMI I had to get an additional driver from Realtek. Most of the drivers supplied on CD and on the Arctic website are for 32 bit OS only - primarily for Win 7. However the one for the built in tuner card did work with Win8 64.

I plan to dual boot with OpenElec, but have not got around to this yet.

Cheapest blueray I've found here

livEwirE · 06-02-2013 2:48pm

Can someone test this playing 35-40gb high bitrate mkv's, Youtube 1080p and Netflix HD please? Just curious to see if the Atom processor can cope with them.

Headshot · 06-02-2013 3:00pm

I cant wait for mine

I got the remote with it but ill be needing a wireless keyboard too. Any suggestions?

ARCTIC MC001-N ~ MultiMedia Barebone PC - €114.95 Delivered. [Amazon.de]

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