Search found 83 matches

by Maelwys
Wed Mar 11, 2015 6:06 pm
Forum: SPCR Article Discussion
Topic: Quiet Mini-ITX Gaming Build Guide #2: NCASE M1 Edition
Replies: 36
Views: 37051

Re: Quiet Mini-ITX Gaming Build Guide #2: NCASE M1 Edition

Just a quick update on my NCASE experience. First, I will say that this case was a lot of fun to build in, and by that I mean it took a while to get everything figured out. It's challenging, like a 1000 piece puzzle - you can't be in a big hurry. After many changes, I ended up putting the following ...
by Maelwys
Tue Feb 24, 2015 10:40 am
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: Help with 1080p gaming PC shopping list
Replies: 47
Views: 26060

Re: Help with 1080p gaming PC shopping list

I used to play EVE Online just fine on my rMBP with a GT 650M and i7-3720 at 2880x1800, so that gives an idea of how much (or little) performance is needed to run it well. I kept the settings somewhere in the middle of the road, mostly because of Jita, but I always found EVE was much more about desk...
by Maelwys
Mon Feb 23, 2015 6:37 pm
Forum: SPCR Article Discussion
Topic: Quiet Mini-ITX Gaming Build Guide #2: NCASE M1 Edition
Replies: 36
Views: 37051

Re: Quiet Mini-ITX Gaming Build Guide #2: NCASE M1 Edition

The 3rd slot height limitation is due to the panel clips, which extend into the case. Are you actually planning to have the card in the third slot? As a reminder, the only way that's possible is using a 2 or 3 slot compact mATX/mini-DTX motherboard (or a flex riser if you're up to the challenge). A...
by Maelwys
Mon Feb 23, 2015 1:39 pm
Forum: SPCR Article Discussion
Topic: Quiet Mini-ITX Gaming Build Guide #2: NCASE M1 Edition
Replies: 36
Views: 37051

Re: Quiet Mini-ITX Gaming Build Guide #2: NCASE M1 Edition

Great build guide and extremely timely for my own build. I'm in the process of ordering parts now as I should have my V3 case in a week or so. Used the SPCR link for ordering so hopefully that tosses a few bucks your way Mike. One question on the VC: the GTX 970 Strix is too tall for the case (5.5")...
by Maelwys
Fri May 07, 2010 9:14 am
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: Need a totally silent HTPC...
Replies: 3
Views: 2003

DVD drive uses a minimum of power - that's not your biggest concern with the Pico. Discrete video will likely be your greatest challenge once you have the rest of the system running as you like it. Regarding the motherboard, since you want to support Core 2, an Nvidia 9300 or G41/45 would be best be...
by Maelwys
Fri May 07, 2010 8:51 am
Forum: CPUs and Motherboards
Topic: AM3 power consumption in AM2 motherboard?
Replies: 9
Views: 8229

I recently dropped an AM3 Sempron 140 into an older Asus M2A-VM AM2 motherboard and my power usage dropped pretty significantly with some judicious undervolting. Prior to the Sempron, I was running a Brisbane 3600. The CPU is passively cooled with one 800 RPM exhaust and it runs perfectly cool and c...
by Maelwys
Wed May 05, 2010 1:36 pm
Forum: Silent Storage
Topic: Lowest RPM large hard drive
Replies: 11
Views: 11539

If the computer is idle most of the time, wouldn't putting the hard drive to sleep via power management settings accomplish what you need?
by Maelwys
Mon May 03, 2010 4:59 pm
Forum: Silent Storage
Topic: Lowest RPM large hard drive
Replies: 11
Views: 11539

I'm not an expert on this topic, but I believe 3600 rpm drives (and 4500 rpm drives) went out of vogue back in the 80s and 90s. Some notebook drives still run at 4500 rpm spec, but nothing over 100 GB. About the slowest I know of is the WD Scorpio Blue which comes in a 1TB version and spins at 5200 ...
by Maelwys
Mon May 03, 2010 4:54 am
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: small full ATX desktop case
Replies: 5
Views: 5391

Judging from the location, will this PC be used primarily as an HTPC? If that is the case, you don't need nearly as much room as you're thinking, especially if your plans are to go integrated graphics, TV capture, and 2.5" hard drive. Any other reason you need to go with a full ATX board? The board ...
by Maelwys
Sun May 02, 2010 8:19 pm
Forum: The Silent Front
Topic: [Poll] What's your system's noisiest parts ?
Replies: 31
Views: 25181

Even suspended, the hard drives make the most audible noise. Still, my rig is sitting a little over a foot from my head, and the drives make a very faint whoosh that isn't at all distracting. The same is true of my HTPC - the only noise that system makes comes from the drive. Even then, I sometimes ...
by Maelwys
Sun May 02, 2010 1:50 pm
Forum: CPUs and Motherboards
Topic: Upgrade Path from a Brisbane 3600+
Replies: 18
Views: 6944

Just a quick follow-up of power consumption measures for components in the machine. My hand was slightly forced by my cable provider who decided that I really needed set-top boxes for all tuners just to complicate my life. That required I get an IR blaster, so I bought a Hauppauge HVR-2250 instead. ...
by Maelwys
Wed Apr 21, 2010 8:19 pm
Forum: CPUs and Motherboards
Topic: Upgrade Path from a Brisbane 3600+
Replies: 18
Views: 6944

It's a K10-based CPU, socket AM3. Since the machine will do no gaming, the single core is likely sufficient for my needs. You're also right ntavlas, it's a PW-200-V, so technically not a PicoPSU, but along the same lines with 95%+ efficiency. Apologies if the naming confused anyone: http://www.mini-...
by Maelwys
Sun Apr 18, 2010 12:16 pm
Forum: CPUs and Motherboards
Topic: Upgrade Path from a Brisbane 3600+
Replies: 18
Views: 6944

As promised, some numbers. The Sempron 140 is passively cooled with a Scythe Mini. There is one 120mm 800 RPM Gentle Typhoon fan as the exhaust for the entire system. Power supply is an older 200W PicoPSU modded to for use with a Dell brick. CPU Voltage set in BIOS. Temps recorded using Speedfan 4.4...
by Maelwys
Sat Apr 17, 2010 7:57 pm
Forum: CPUs and Motherboards
Topic: Upgrade Path from a Brisbane 3600+
Replies: 18
Views: 6944

Just a quick update to this: First, I know I don't technically *need* to upgrade the CPU, but to be honest, I spend money on computer parts all the time - need is really just another way of saying 'really really want'. :) Second, Asus released a Beta BIOS that adds official AM3 support to the M2A-VM...
by Maelwys
Sun Apr 04, 2010 1:27 pm
Forum: CPUs and Motherboards
Topic: Looks Like 1156 Socket is being superseded by a new socket
Replies: 45
Views: 19998

Long live Socket 775! Hear hear! I'm limping along just fine with my E6600 thank you very much. Eventually I'll upgrade to a Q9650 when they're old and cheap and get another 3-4 years out of my board. Perhaps a better metric for socket lifespan is how many years it takes before the best CPU availab...
by Maelwys
Fri Apr 02, 2010 5:01 am
Forum: CPUs and Motherboards
Topic: Upgrade Path from a Brisbane 3600+
Replies: 18
Views: 6944

Vortex: Thanks for the information. It sounds like the video board has taken over much of the heavy lifting from playback, so that upgrade might give the most bang for the buck. Perhaps I don't need to worry about the CPU at all, which would be great. I only wish that the 5450 had a legacy port or d...
by Maelwys
Thu Apr 01, 2010 9:26 am
Forum: CPUs and Motherboards
Topic: Upgrade Path from a Brisbane 3600+
Replies: 18
Views: 6944

Interesting about AM3 - the Asus website only lists AM2/AM2+ CPUs in the qualified list so I didn't even bother to research further. There are a few 45W and 65W AM3 cores, so it might be worth looking into. As for the Semprons, as near as I can tell from piecing together performance results, the onl...
by Maelwys
Thu Apr 01, 2010 7:53 am
Forum: CPUs and Motherboards
Topic: Upgrade Path from a Brisbane 3600+
Replies: 18
Views: 6944

Upgrade Path from a Brisbane 3600+

I did some searching through the forums but wasn't able to find a clear answer to the following: What is the best CPU upgrade path from a Brisbane 3600+ for a low power HTPC? Some details: my HTPC is running a passively cooled 3600+ on an Asus M2A-VM HDMI board (AMD 690G) using the IGP (X1250). The ...
by Maelwys
Mon May 07, 2007 8:26 am
Forum: Silent Storage
Topic: Quietest 250GB & 500GB SATA2 drives with 16MB cache
Replies: 11
Views: 8051

I just recently picked up a WD 2500KS because I wanted to move my Samsung 501LJ to my media PC. I as expecting a similar lack of noise from the WD, but was surprised at how loud it was. Even with AAM enabled it's louder than the Samsung ever was. Bottom line, get a Samsung and suspend it if you can ...
by Maelwys
Fri May 04, 2007 1:35 pm
Forum: Silent Storage
Topic: Uneasy about enclosing hard disk
Replies: 8
Views: 4989

I sometimes call it the 'ka-chunka of death'. It kinda sounds like that:

Ka-chunka, ka-chunka, ka-chunka! *pause* Ka-chunka, ka-chunka, ka-chunka! *pause*
by Maelwys
Thu May 03, 2007 7:40 pm
Forum: Deals, Vendors and Classifieds
Topic: Problems with newegg?
Replies: 8
Views: 7897

I've noticed problems with their email service as well on the last few orders I've places. Order confirmation emails are quick, but tracking emails have recently been arriving a day or two after I've gotten my package. Still, the shipping is super fast - I just ordered a hard drive and heat sink fro...
by Maelwys
Mon Apr 30, 2007 9:38 am
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: nVidia 6150 vs. AMD 690G
Replies: 36
Views: 20492

I think this begs the question however, especially when it comes to the new 8xxx series nVidia cards: which is better, using the CPU to decode video, or having to install a dedicated video card to do the decoding for you? If you have just the CPU doing the legwork using onboard video, then you can g...
by Maelwys
Mon Apr 30, 2007 5:02 am
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: A Rubbermaid computer...now solar powered.
Replies: 40
Views: 28559

IsaacKuo wrote:Rubbermaid is a popular maker of garbage cans.
They're also quite well known for their Tupperware. Maybe I'll build a PC into a square Tupperware box one of these days. To open the case, simply pop the lid.

Of course, heat might lead to warping, which would fubar the whole thing. Hmmm.
by Maelwys
Fri Apr 27, 2007 9:32 am
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: Old PC games
Replies: 15
Views: 9556

I keep an old P133 system with a Voodoo 3 card around for playing Dos and Windows 98 games. I tried using Dosbox for a while, but it won't work for Mechwarrior 2 or any of the Mech2 Expansions. Sadly, the only way to make that game work is on the old hardware itself. Another great place to look for ...
by Maelwys
Thu Apr 26, 2007 5:14 am
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: SOLO question
Replies: 11
Views: 7538

Likewise, a Scythe Infinity or Thermalright Ultra-120 will fit fine in a Solo.
by Maelwys
Thu Apr 26, 2007 5:02 am
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: Need help on a cheap SFF silent HTPC..I have no parts list.
Replies: 1
Views: 2202

If the MicroFly case was too big, then this one will probably be too big for your tastes as well, but I thought I'd suggest it since it fits your needs (quiet, dual external 5.25" drive bays, takes mATX boards so you can customize): The Antec NSK3300 / 3400. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp...
by Maelwys
Thu Apr 26, 2007 4:47 am
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: Please validate my approach...
Replies: 4
Views: 3009

Your build looks a lot like my own, so I can comment on a few things. For starters, I would think about replacing the included Antec Tri-Cool fan with a Yate Loon or Nexus - because you're using a Corsair HX520, that Tri-Cool fan will be the primary noise you'll hear, even on low. Also, on the subje...
by Maelwys
Wed Apr 25, 2007 12:49 pm
Forum: Fans and Control
Topic: Seriously, are SilenX fans terrible?
Replies: 35
Views: 32169

"We also ran brief test results comparing the cooling efficiency and noise of the Scythe SFLEX SFF21F 64cfm/28 dB-A fan that was used in Thermalright reviews and the SilenX fan used in several of the most recent reviews. Cooling results were similar with either fan on the Noctua heatsink, with the ...
by Maelwys
Wed Apr 25, 2007 12:38 pm
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: Updated Antec NSK3300, the new NSK3400
Replies: 114
Views: 85499

I think that they should have put in a different PSU, with a minimum of cables. On an old mod where I needed to cut down on cables coming from the PSU for routing purposes, I snipped off two cables right at the PS case and capped the wires. Granted, you can't get those plugs back if you need them i...
by Maelwys
Wed Apr 25, 2007 9:46 am
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: OS for new build: XP or Vista?
Replies: 20
Views: 10618

Ralf Hutter wrote:I'd go with XP sp2, or look at some variety of Linux. There's a reason that MS Vista is starting to be called "Windows ME 2".
Wholeheartedly seconded!