I'm looking to build a low-power machine that'll run 24/7. My requirements are simple:

small case
single 120mm fan to cool the whole system
no other fans

I'm looking to use an Antec NSK1300 with a pico PSU and a 120mm fan in place of the Antec PSU. I'd want to use a Ninja or similar, which would mean I couldn't use the drive cage, right? Not a big deal. I can install the OS from a USB drive.

I'd use an AMD 4850E, if I can find one, or maybe a 2350 or a Celeron 430. Ideally 780 integrated graphics, but could settle for less.

I'd use Compact Flash with a SATA adapter for hard drive, maybe just taped in front of the MB if I can't use the drive cage.

Anyone used this case with a fan in place of the PSU? Comments?

Hello

Im using the NSK1300 like that.
Powered by a PW200.

Running a 1200RPM Slipstream @ ~570RPM cools down my:
E4500
G33M-DS2R
2GB RAM
HD3870
500GB HD501LJ

Using a Ninja you will have to lose the drive cage.

Heres some pics.
Sorry for the mess. Im rebuilding it a bit right now.

Great setup, I was curious if this was possible, I'd love to do the same thing with my system. At one point I owned a PW-200-M, but it wouldnt boot my system, while a PicoPSU would...now that I have an HD3870, I probably wouldn't use the PicoPSU with it unless I had a seriously low power CPU. This is great info, makes it tough to decide between this and the SG02.

what VGA cooler is that?

Oh, this is a good thread to find. I'm just in the process of waiting a *bit* longer for my PW-200-V to show up so that I can finish building a server box very similar to AuraAllan.

NSK1380 (new vers. of NSK1300)
E4500
Ninja
2Gb Ram
P5E-VM HDMI motherboard
onboard video
2x 320Gb hard drives
PW-200-V
Dell SX280 220W power brick
hopefully 1x Yate Loon


I have been very worried about amperage on the +5V and +12V lines being too much for the PW200 to handle. Good to see that's not the case. And with a video card, too? Sounds like an ideal install. I'm going to have to try that.

So, the difference with my build is that I have taken the drive cage and drilled out the rivets holding the CD-ROM cage. Then I have drilled a second set of HD mounting holes on one side of the cage, so that I can fit both the ninja and two hard drives. Because I wanted to keep the easy mounting of the removable HDD tray.

When I can do the assembly, I'll post pics.

A word of caution: The PW-200-V is a good fit for this box. Being long and slender, it can be mounted next to the motherboard. The PW-200-M is square and doesn't fit as easily. But. The PW-200-V is discontinued (according to mini-box). When I went to buy it, in Canada, I had to search to find it. Of the two canadian stores that stocked it, only one had any in stock, and I bought the last one.

US stores might be different.

If I were you I would investigate the Shuttle equivalent of the PW-200, as it is a premade power brick + DC/DC adapter. See http://www.silentpcreview.com/forums/vi ... highlight=

Its an Accelero S1 without all the plastic parts removed.

Thanks for the post, AuraAllan. My build should be easy.

Since you removed the PSU, why did you go with the (more expensive) 1380? The difference is only about $15 so I might get the 1380 just in case I ever want to use the PSU, but I'm wondering if there are any other differences between the 1300 and 1380.

2 reasons:

1. Now I have a high quality, SFF power supply to re-use/sell
2. My local store no longer carries NSK1300

I am not sure about any other differences, I thought the 1380 had improved cooling but I'm not too sure about that.

The NSK1300 is on sale at newegg today

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... pk=nsk1300

So that's what I bought. I plan to use a picoPSU with it.

Here's what's going in it:

GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-S2H AMD 780G Micro ATX
Athlon 4450E 2.3GHz 45W
Ninja
2x2G RAM
no graphics card

I have to choose a fan, and I don't have the pico yet, but I have time. I'm going to build this system in an old Sonata case and test it with a Sparkle 250W 80+ PSU that is destined for my main rig.

I ordered the pico PSU and a Nexus 1000 RPM case fan. I'll post undervolt/underclock power usage stats for both PSUs when I get this thing built.

What did you get for a power brick?

I got one of these...

http://www.logicsupply.com/products/pw12_9a

I think it has a fan, which gives me some concern, but from what I understand it doesn't come on except under high load. This is one of the things I will test. If I can get away with it I might use an 80W brick instead, but wanted some headroom for my tests. That, and I couldn't find an 80W brick

Any updates on the progress? I'd really like to see this build in it's final form...it's inspired me.

No, sorry. Nothing yet.
Anything in particaular you would like pictures off?
I could upload a few for you.

Will post the final build in general gallery when done.

Will take some time though. Have alot on my hands right now and im not home all next week. Going to the states

I was actually just curious what you were doing with the front panel and side panels. Did you paint them? What are you going to do about the optical drive cover? I'm really eager now to try a project like this,
AMD X2 4000+ Passive w/HR-01 Plus,
HD3870
1xEnermax Marathon as a positive pressure intake
1xquiet blower for the video card
HDD(my 150gb raptor until I can convince myself to buy the 2.5'' one)
External USB powered Lacie dvd burner
PW-200M/V(I've got a PicoPSU, but it isn't enough for the video card)

So basically just curious what you're doing with the cosmetics of the front and side panels, if anything. Also curious how well the system is cooled with a low RPM fan like you're using.

First: @ amyhughes .......... I hope its okay were doing this in your thread.

@ ryboto

The sidepanels are stock. Havent done anything to 'em.
Top cover is painted. Black The grill is closed with clear packing tape.
The "frame" of the case is painted black aswell.
The front panel used to look like this when I used a slim ODD:

I think ill be making the front completely "clean" and black. Maybe ill slap an Oakland Raiders sticker on it. Buttons (not the ones in the pic) will probably be fitted in one of the airslot between the front panel and one of the sidepanels.

Front panel looks like this right now:

I hope to get some time to get it done pretty soon but as said before I have alot of time on my hands right now.

Temps are really great actually.

Ambient: 20-22c

Idle (after 7-8 hours on) some light activity:
NB: 33
HDD: 29
CPU: 25
GPU: 38

Load (RTHDRIBL for 15min.) RTHDRIBL loads the GPU ~100% and the CPU~50%:
NB: 34
HDD: 30
CPU: 35
GPU: 69-70 (Switching back and forth for a few mins indicating that it wouldnt go any higher)

Let me know if you want more info

Please do

That's really great. My only beef with the case is the front panel. I wont stick a case badge on it, and I wont use the phone/mic jacks, so their placement is useless and ugly to me. Also, I wont have an internal optical drive, so the drive cover is useless. How exactly did you fabricate that front panel? I'd like to reproduce something like what you've done, only keeping some USB connectivity in the front.

Edit: yea, sorry for hijacking!

Thanks


Thats what I thought. Thats exactly why I redid the front panel.


I didnt fabricate it per se. Its the original front panel. I just removed the buttons/plugs and filled out the holes. Sanded it down and painted it.
Not too hard (but kinda time consuming)

After looking at those two pictures, I'm still not certain I see how you made the modification. Also, I'm not sure what exactly I'm looking at in the last picture where the front of the case appears shiny. If it is as simple as sanding down and painting, I'd give it a try.

Well, I attempted a similar build with a PW-200-M, but the system wont POST. Shuts off immediately after I hit the power button to turn it on.

You can keep the DVD drive if you use one heatsink like these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6835200015
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u126 ... htside.jpg
http://www.silentpcreview.com/forums/vi ... hp?t=38787

Another one that may work:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6835150091

That's a great idea, Lucas. Thanks for the links. I might do something similar if I build another one, but this machine will almost never need a DVD-ROM.

Shiny? No, not at all.

When I sanded it down to redo it a second time I sanded through the paint alot of places because it wasnt pefectly flat from my first "redo". Thats why it may apear "shiny". It the polyester putty you can see under the paint/primer.

Sorry about the late answer but I was far far away last week

(me feeeeel jet-laggy)

AuraAllan,

What you've done is similar to what I am thinking about for a new SPCR recording PC. The Shuttle Zen currently used for this function probably needs more computing power and replaced before bad caps kill it. (It's already gone through one replacement board.)

But rather than go with a picoPSU, I'm considering a fanless ATX PSU on rubber feet sitting a foot away behind the PC. A new Silverstone 300W is sitting idle on the shelf right now. The output cables would be a bit of a mess unless they were nicely sheathed, but this would give me the freedom to put whatever CPU I wanted in there w/o worrying about 12V current limits.

Did you do anything to increase intake venting, btw?

That sounds like a good idea Mike.

No, nothing has been done about intake venting.

Good job getting all that in that tiny case!

I also have a G33-DS2R and was looking to use either a ninja, Xigmatek1283 or OCZ Vendetta 2 in my NSK3480. What is the distance between the edge of the ninja and the edge of the mboard?

If my calculations are correct I can allow just under 5mm overhang.

I've been thinking of building a similar system. I was wondering what you thought about a few changes:

- 3HDDs (will be using as a file server. Will probably only need two but just in case.)
- 802.11n PCI adapter.

Do you think that this additional hardware will overwhelm the PW200?

Also, do you use a Ninja, or a Ninja Mini?

@ "redironman" and "tastysheriff"

Are you asking me? Seems like it.

If yes, this is not my thread.
Please make another thread and I will "try to" answer your questions there.