I've decided to build a second computer for chat, browsing, and occasionally movie watching.
Here's the list for the initial build:

Case: Habey EMC-600S
MB: ASRock E350M1
Ram: OCZ Platinum OCZ3P20002GK 2X1GB @ 7-7-7-21-1T 1333MHz 1.5V (left from upgrades)
SSD: Patriot Warp V.2 32 GB(left from upgrades)
SATA cable: OKGEAR OK3437 RT
Fans: SUNON KDE1205PFV2(intake, 50X50X10mm) and 2XSilenX IXP-11-14(exhaust & CPU, 40X40X10mm)
CPU heat-sink: SilenX IXN-40C
OS: Ubuntu 10.04 64 bit

Monitor, keyboard & mouse shared with the main computer thru KVM switch.
Initial mods: move the power plug from the side of the case to the back-plate and fill up the resulting case hole with grey epoxy, replace the annoying blue power LED with a white one and focus the LED on the power sign, replace the blue LED on the DC-DC converter with a green one, replace the original CPU heat-sink with the SilenX(the heat-sink needed some trim at the base to remove interference with the MB capacitors), replace the original MB power cable with a custom made one.
Result: Noisy & hot; to get around 55C processor & 45C internal case temperature(25C room temperature) on idle, all the fans has to run around 3500 RPM - time to evaluate the modding possibilities.

The most obvious mod is to place a 80-120mm slim fan on the top of the unit, and remove all the small fans. This mod means that the SSD has to move, and the holding bracket has to go. The only solution to move the SSD is is to exchange the DC-DC converter with a PicoPSU, and use the room to place the SSD. Options: use an 1.8" SSD mounted vertically, or take out the PCB from the Patriot SSD, isolate it, and place it under the motherboard. Since my only 1.8" SSD option(OCZ Onyx 32 GB, the only one under $100 AFAIK) is no longer available, time to take out the Patriot SSD PCB from his case, isolate with 0.8mm thick self-adhesive closed cell foam, and place it under the MB. Check the clearance between the top of the RAM(highest edge in the case) and top of the case: 13mm - time to add a slim SlipStream(120X120X12mm) to blow some air into the case.

Modding materials:
Fan filter: Silverstone FF121(left from upgrades)
Case fan: Scythe SY1212SL12M(left from upgrades)
Power supply: PICOPSU-80
Leftovers: SUNON KDE1205PFV2, 2XSilenX IXP-11-14, Habey DC-DC converter(inefficient BTW: 1W off(74mA@12.2V) and 2W on(146mA@12.2V))

Result: with the SlipStream fan running around 900RPM, both case & CPU idle temp is around 38C(25C room temp).
Power consumption on idle is 14.1W(12.2V*1.16A), and barely move up on normal use.

Gallery:




Pic 1&2: Initial build; observe how crowded is, not much room left for airflow.

Pic 3: Patriot Warp in pieces.

Pic 4: Motherboard & SSD in place; notice the space between the edge of the data connector and cable; if I don't do something about, the cable will slide out from the connector.



Pic 5&6: Modded cover, fan, filter and assembled top cover.



Pic 7&8: Close-up of the SSD data connector; a piece of foam keep the connector in place.

Pic 9: The original place for the power connector; the purpose of the other hole is unknown(reset?).



Pic 10&11: Close-up of the CPU heat-sink with the trimmed wings.

Pic 12: Clearance between the top of the RAM and top of the case = 13mm(15mm(measured)-2mm(thickness of the top cover)).

Pic 13: Back panel from inside.

Pic 14: Ready to close.

Pic 15: Back panel from outside.



Pic 16&17: Power consumption.

Pic 18: Screenshot during the power consumption measurement.

Pic 19: Discreet white LED.

Pic 20: Finished unit in his place.

Really nice!

I might do something similar with the Asus E35 Deluxe (passive cooling) of the Zacae platform. I'm trying however to take the black version of the Habey case (the silver looks too bright for my taste).

With what kind of tool did you cut your 120mm hole?

Under load, what kind of temp do you get? I read you get 38C on idle and that power consumption is really low and that it barely moves up under load. does that also concern the load temp or only the consumption?

Thanks! I'm just waiting Newegg.ca to have back the EMC-600b

edit - On the multimedia side...did you succeed at enabling the hardware acceleration under Linux?

Thank you; regarding the Asus board, I don't think that will fit with this mod, since it's taller then the ASRock board; if you have the board and some standard height DIMM's, you can do an estimate: if the heat-sink is taller then the mounted DIMM's, the fan would not fit(I have ~1mm clearance between the DIMM's and the fan).

A friend of mine done it on mill , using an labeled template.

My CPU temp never get over 50C, I think once I saw 48C, after some Flash lockup, which produced 100% load on both cores overnight ; case temp: once I saw 40C. As power consumption, I meant normal load(sum on both cores under 100%); under boot I saw around 30 W, so if you intend to use the GPU(Windows), expect higher power consumption. Maybe over the weekend I will try Prime95, and I will post the results, but I don't expect more than 22W.

AFAIK, none of the media players support AMD's acceleration yet; I would expect some kind of support by the end of the year.
P.S.: I'm writing this reply on the presented machine...

I don't have the MB yet. I'm still into pre-research. But I've narrowed down to the Habey + AMD E350 APU, but I'm not totally set for the Asus Deluxe. I guess that if I take instead a MB like the MSI (which has a CPU fan) combined with a 120mm fan over the case that the CPU fan shouldn't spin right?



Nice numbers! Really low temp and nearly silent with your 120mm fan. I'm definitely going with a similar setup! Especially considering that it is not really expensive...

Concerning the video acceleration, there is some folks over the XBMC forum that are able to do it by compiling some programs....

Here : http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?t=99154
and here : http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?t=106898

The main idea behind the mod was to remove the CPU fan, and replace it with an 120mm case fan.
Motherboards: I've checked the offer on Newegg, and is no-no for the Asuses and Foxconn: heat-sink too tall, the others looks OK.
If I would choose an E-350 motherboard today for the Habey case, I would go with the Giada MI-E350T-01. Pros: easy to mod(just remove the heat-sink cover and the CPU fan), direct external power supply(+12V) - no need for the DC-DC converter, 2 mini PCIE connectors(one for the SSD, one for the wireless), low height construction, optical out, good price for the included features. Cons: no DVI, only 2 USB connectors on the backplate, one DIMM socket, laptop memory, max 4GB RAM, relatively unknown brand.
And don't forget: do your homework, research your choices, seek advice from multiple sources.


Thanks for the links, I've read something about the possibilities before, but for me was enough to compile the kernel module for the HW monitoring; I'll stay with VLC.

Ok, I'll forget the Asus then! No real benefit from the passive coolong with the 120mm fan just overhead.

From what you can see, do you think the MSI (here : Newegg.ca : MSI E350IA-E45 or here: ncix.com) could be used? The fact is that I have a nice rebate for the MSI MB on ncix.com and cost the same as the Giada (on newegg.ca) in Canada. Moreover, I know better about MSI than Giada (doesn't mean the MB is better though!). However, the CPU fan seems to be difficult to remove on the MSI.

In a worst case scenario, could I mount the fan a little higher on the case? Like on the case (which of course will mean that there is a "protuberance" over the case).

edit - the Gigabyte could also be an option (124$ after rebate) : http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=58835



But does VLC supports HW acceleration of HD files? I know that there is an easy way to compile mplayer to use VAAPI. With the smplayer frontend for mplayer, it might be a good alternative if you want to play 1080p files.

On the case fan, I can't seem to find 120x120x12mm fans. Only 120x120x25mm... ?!
ie : http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.as ... case%20fan
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.as ... 6835185057

I guess you case fan is this one (http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.as ... 6835185138), but this product is deactivated. I'll look for something similar elsewhere.

edit - I found the 1200rpm version : ncix.com but it might be too much noise...
Also found it here on newegg.ca : http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.as ... 6835185137

I guess I'll go with the 1200rpm version then.

I would guess, that with 120mm fan the ASUS E35M1-I DELUXE would be great.



The massive heatsink might allow to undervolt the fan a lot more, then again this is just my guess.

There was an anandtech review on E350 mobos, Fusion E-350 Review: ASUS E35M1-I Deluxe, ECS HDC-I and Zotac FUSION350-A-E, where the ZOTAC FUSION350-A-E wins on the cooling, so might be worth looking. I still think the Deluxe with 120mm fan should cool better due to the large heatsink, again just my guess.

Both should fit the modded case; with the MSI, you have to completely remove the HSF combo from the MB to work with. I suspect the top(blue) cover is mounted snap-on or slide-on, so it wouldn't be too difficult to remove fist the cover, then the fan, then remount the heat-sink without the cover and the fan, with fresh thermal compound.
The Gigabyte board is straightforward: just unscrew the fan, and is ready to go.
Other thoughts:
Warranty - with the MSI, it could be difficult to maintain the original state of the HSF, with Gigabyte - no problem.
Power consumption: MSI is the winner; according to the reviews, is the most economical E-350 board, beating the Gigabyte with a few Watts.
Worst case scenario: if you still have height problems at the final assembly, you can look for some low height north-bridge heat-sinks to replace the original heat-sinks(or just go with the bigger brother, Habey EMC-800B, which has room for an 2.5" HDD, and a 120X120X25 mm fan ).

VLC doesn't support HW acceleration under Linux, AFAIK.
Here's a few reasons why I'm not really interested to mess around with the HW acceleration:
1. My monitor's resolution is 1600X1200(20" Samsung LCD)
2. VLC plays back the 720p files just fine - not perfect, but good enough
3. Flash video plays back just fine(up to 720p)
4. My other computer(PH II 955, HD 5850, etc.) is only a couple of button-pushes away...
5. When I decide to watch a movie, I'm watching on the other computer...
6. No NAS(yet), so not much space to keep movies...

Good guess

I think all of the new MB's support fan control from BIOS(UEFI), so you can turn down the fan to the desired level easily; looks like you didn't observed, but my fan is an 1600 RPM model, which I've turned down to 900 RPM from BIOS(UEFI).
On side-note, some of the slim Scythe 120mm fans(mine too) suffer of the "RPM signal loss", which means that under a certain RPM(read: supply voltage) the sensor output doesn't work(fan otherwise is unaffected); the most reported RPM threshold is somewhere around 800-900 RPM(~850 in my case).
Two more questions which you should ask yourself:
What hard-drive are you intend to use? If an 2.5" SSD with with the presented placement(pic 5&6 OP), is worth losing the warranty? If an 1.8" SSD, don't forget the cable-adapter(check Newegg 1.8" Kingston section reviews for the description).
What Pico-PSU are you intend to use? Don't forget, both MSI and Gigabyte board needs the +12V CPU connector, and not all the Pico-PSU's have them by default, but you can buy(order) them as separate item.

Thanka zolishoru for the thorough infos!



I'm not sure about the EMC-800B as there is also a slim slot for an optical drive and I don't need it. With the spacing it gives, I'd need to either buy one (and possibly remove the necessary space for the 120mm fan) or leave it empty (and collect dust). Unless I find something to block this slim slot but it might be apparent. I'll have to think about it. the room for a 3.5" HDD might prove to be interesting. But I plan to use a USB thumbdrive to boot XBMC Live or another Linux distro.

I do agree that removing the top blue cover will void the warranty (I remember reading that somewhere in a review). The low consumption number of the MSI was one of my main reason to take the MSI, but 4-5 more Watts from the Gigabyte will not matter that much.


Oh I see!

Yeah, I've noticed that you had the 1600rpm version after I posted my msg. I didn't thought I could just use the BIOS to change the RPM. One less worry then!


My 1st idea was to use a USB thumbdrive to boot the OS. All my media files are on my NAS, so I don't need much in terms of HDD. However, if there a nice rebate when I buy the whole system, I might just buy a SSD. Looking at newegg.ca, 1.8" SSD are not cheap though. This make me rethink about the EMC-800B.



Re-reading your OP, I see that you needed the space from the PSU. Again, this make me rethink about the EMC-800B. As I planned to use directly the DC-DC converter provided by the Habey case.

New scheme :
Gigabyte E350 and remove the CPU fan
Habey EMC-800B
120mm on top
2.5" SSD (to save maximum space vs a 3.5") or simply a USB drive
Mod the metal tray (to let air go on the MB) as it seems to block the space between the MB and the 120mm fan
Block the optical drive with a black cover (I've read somewhere that the stock cover was white on the EMC-800B!)

This might prove to be less difficult! Anyway, the EMC-600B is still not back on newegg.ca catalog and who knows how long it takes!

edit - By using the EMC-800B and assuming there is enough space for the 120mm fan and the CPU fan. Is it possible to leave the fan there but to "disable" it (either through the BIOS or simply disconnecting it) ?

edit2- What about mSATA SSD? They seem really slim and they could fit better into the EMC-600.

Actually, if I go with the EMC-800B which has 3/4" more vertical space, the Asus and Zotac might be a possible alternative to the Gigabyte MB! I also think that I could lower the fan RPM with a bigger heatsink.

With the EMC-600B I'll stick with Zolishoru's advice on height limitation though!

With the new case(Habey EMC-800B and the included DC-DC converter) you have 2 fan/HDD choices: 120/12mm&2.5" SSD, or 120/25mm&USB; personally, I would go with a good USB-3 drive(like this one). If you choose the SSD path , I would recommend a home built wire-frame adapter instead of the metal tray(I don't see how the tray can be modified), and an off-center mounting of the top fan, opposing the SSD. BTW, with the new case, the ASUS E35M1-I DELUXE is a choice again
Optical cover: can be repainted(spray, sharpie), or use as template for replacement.
CPU fan: you can leave it mounted and unplugged, but "removed for cleaning" wouldn't void the warranty, and it would help with a couple degrees on the processor.
mSATA: needs on-board connector with full size length(the Giada MB has one ), the ASUS has only a half length position for the wireless; I didn't saw any mSATA(PCI-E)-SATA adapters, but didn't looked for them either.
Newegg: the EMC-600B is in stock on newegg.com ...Shame.

Funny. The EMC-600B is back at newegg.ca! However, I think I'll go with the 800B for the added space and a (maybe) future SSD. It will be more future-proof. I'll use the 12mm depth fan onto either the Asrock or MSI (apparently, the Gigabyte seems to have problems with booting from USB.... thought it was a standard feature by 2011!). Do you know if you can boot from USB with your Asrock board? Also, the Asus Deluxe is too expensive and with the added 120mm fan, I don't need to have such a big heatsink that finally cost me about 50$ more for no benefit except having the 120mm fan spinning slower.

By going with the 12mm depth fan and the 800B case, I should have enough space to easily put a SSD in there if I change my mind about the USB boot later on.

Another question that pops up in my head by looking at your figures. Your filter and fan seems bolted by the same screw. Is that right? Is it a special screw or it is standard (included screw from the filter?) to have the filter bolted on the fan?

Here's my order so far :


Not sure when I'll buy, probably in the next weeks. Cashflow is low now but should be OK by the end/beginning of august!

a big thank to you Zolishoru! I've researched the HTPC subject since beginning of June and you did what I was looking for but couldn't find yet! It is strange that there no case with a 120mm fan just over the top case blowing air directly on the heatsink.

Thanks again!

edit - What kind of LED did you bought to replace the front blue LED? People seems to complaint that it is way too bright! I also plan to either disconnect it or change it for something less bright.

Regarding the slim fan: is always handy to have one, even if over time will get replaced with a regular one. Some data about my fan placement: the edge of the fan is 35 mm away from the back edge of the top cover; the holes for the screws are 5.5mm in diameter.
USB: I've installed Ubuntu from USB stick, and I've run Memtest from USB stick to get the tightest timing and lowest voltage with stable operation on the memory, so my Asrock board has no problems to boot from USB(USB 2.0; my board doesn't have USB 3.0, so I can't speak on that matter).
The main advantage of the EMC-800 over the EMC-600 from my POV is the possibility to install one(or maybe even two ) 2.5" HDD in the place of the original DC-DC converter without interfering with the top fan; the brick included with the case is compatible with the PicoPSU's(connector size is the same), and the cheapest compatible PicoPSU is listed $25@mini-box...Good to know for the future(when you get sick from the blue light coming out from the case ).

Filter: in the presented pictures(real situation meantime changed) one set of screw is keeping the fan and the filter together with the top of the case. The screws are the ones included with the Silverstone FF121 case filter; the filter is listed both on ncix and newegg. The fan is installed to blow into the case, keeping the dust out...
Your order: I won't argue with the finances... One suggestion only: go with single memory stick, since the E-350 has single channel memory controller, capable of DDR3-1333 without any problem And the single stick solution is cheaper, and leaves room for future upgrade; the price difference will cover the Silverstone filter .

No problem, glad to help, and I hope that our discussion will help present and future builders to make better builds with Habey or other similar cases. Pictures from your future build, maybe ?
The original power LED is extra bright, same as the one on the DC-DC converter; both are standard 3 mm LED's, easy to change with some soldering skills; replacement(red, green, yellow; normal brightness) can be found @ The Source(ex Radio Shack) or in specialty store. My white LED is a salvaged one from an LCD back-light, SMD variety, so is not an easy mod, I wouldn't recommend, unless you have good soldering skills. If you just want to reduce the luminosity of the power LED, I would suggest to place over the back of the PCB a 1-2k resistor(cut and clean the trace, solder the resistor over the cut). For "focusing" the light from the power LED, I used a piece of 3/32" black heat-shrink tube, cut to proper length, and kept in place(on the LED) with some super glue.

Good to know for the USB2 booting possibilities. I've enquired at Asrock to know if we can boot also from USB3. I'll post the answer if they get back to me.

You're telling me that there is also a light coming from inside the case, from the DC-DC converter? Lots of lights to manage!

I'll use the EMC-800B for sure now. Just because the Hardware acceleration is not a "out of the box" experience yet under linux. I want to be able to install W7 on a 2.5" HDD if I can't manage to enable the HW acceleration, which is essential to my objective of building a HTPC out of the Zacate and be able to play 1080p files from my NAS.



Thanks for the details about mounting the fan and filter! I've dropped one stick of RAM. I should have enough with 2GB anyway for my purpose. If not, I'll just buy a 2nd one.



Sure! I'll post pictures of my own set-up here in this thread when I complete the project in the next weeks. I'm pretty sure this thread will help people that wants a small, silent and cool running PC with the Habey! I've seen a thread at avsforum complaining about their CPU temps inside the Habey. They should come here!

LED mod: My soldering skills are rather inexistent (or more precisely, I've never attempted to solder anything!, so maybe I'm really good and I don't know it yet!). I'll try it with my friend tools later on the project. As a 1st attempt, I'll just unplug the LED for eyes "comfort"!

With the Asrock, do you know if there's a always powered-on USB port? Might be handy to cold-start the HTPC with a remote! I know there's a CIR header, but I don't know if the header is "on" when the PC is "off" (don't know much about IR receiver, etc..).

LED's: make a decision before attempt to mod: change the power LED to different color or just reduce the luminosity of the blue one, then proceed. The DC-DC converter LED is connected to the +5V standby, so is always on, and cannot be disconnected, just removed or exchanged from/on the PCB; (Edit) or just covered with something black...
Asrock: I suppose the USB ports are always on, but I don't know for sure, since my machine is always on ... OTOH I've remember reading somewhere(I don't remember where ) about the problems to turn on the computers from USB(keyboard or mice), and the conclusion was ugly(only PS/2, IIRC).
CIR header: I've never played with one, so I don't know much about, but at least the idea is promising; lets see, how is is implemented.
Advice regarding the build: first thing to do is update the BIOS, since the BIOS doesn't keep the settings or setting profiles between the updates, and after each update you have to do all the BIOS setup manually, unless you want to use the default settings(so far I've re-done my settings 3 times ).

lol only PS/2. Reminds me of the old days on my 286 computer. I will try the CIR header which has a USB connected to it. We'll see! The ability to start the HTPC from cold is not a deal breaker anyway, just the icing on the cake.

At first, I'll just cover with the DC-DC LED.

Good advice on the BIOS! I tend to forget these kind of "details".

Back later in the month, thanks again!

edit - Just remembered that I have a 2.5" 120GB HDD that I could use... I think I'll just go directly by installing on the HDD as I don't use much this external HDD (just need to open the enclosure that has no screws!).

edit2- Humm.. the E-450 will be out soon : http://www.anandtech.com/show/4660/amd- ... d-c60-apus
Might be a good idea to wait for the E450 or price drop on the e350.

Hello!

so my build is finally complete!.

http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?t= ... ht=a6-3500

Over the time, changes have been made to the build though.

First of all, my wife didn't liked the Habey. She thought it was too industrial to put that under the HDTV! So, I changed to case to a Wesena ITX7. Main difference between the 2 case is that the airflow is much better (I presume) and hence cooler temperature are easily achieved. The CPU fan (70mm) runs at about 1200RPM and the case fan (Noctua RF8 80mm) has a similar speed. The fans are barely audible in complete silence (of course, we don't sit next to the HTPC. We are about 8-10ft from the PC) and temps hover around 40C when playing a 1080P file (90% of the use is for playing back HD files or BD disc on the HDTV).

So, considering the fact that temps are low and noise is also low, I postponed the modification of adding a 120mm fan over the top. I do have the fan and fan cover, but I'll wait to see if the emulators (PS2, PS1, N64, etc..) run the system too hot. I'm not there yet, so if I modify the case with the fan, I'll post picture over here!

Thank again for your help, it helped me to get where I am right now, even if I didn't modify the case!

edit- Forgot to tell that I bought an A6-3500 triple core AMD APU. Run great!