New Shuttle PC shopping list

[NeilMcRae]

Onboard wireless is just a USB wireless card connected internally. I have it and its quite cool.

Neil.

[kazurm]

I bought the SN95G5 last week, with a AMD 64 3500+ CPU, a single 1GB DDR400 stick and today will get a Sapphire X800 PRO (to switch for my too loud 9500PRO).

The thing is: do you mind having a loud/noisy system? Almost all single slot 6800GTs are very noisy, especially compared to for example a stock X800 PRO solutions.

At boot, you'll hear the system's fan at the loudest setting, which is LOUD. You can set the speed of the fan in the bios to either smart (=dependent on temp.) or fixed settings as 'ultra low', 'low', 'mid', 'high'. I put mine at 'low' and during normal operation, it's ok.

My current problem was that my old 9500 PRO's fan is way too loud. This being a shuttle, I put it on the desk, next to my monitor, but the humming is getting to me. That's why I decided to get a quieter, yet faster, gfx-card, which would fit in a single slot.

In short, my recommendation:

- get a single 1GB DDR400 stick
- get two (SATA) 74GB WD 10000 rpm disks and put them in RAID 0.
- get either a AMD64 3500+ or 3800+ (4000 too expensive?)
- get a QUIET video card, your (stock?) 6800GT is probably noisy (you'll thank me for it later)
- put in a nice DVD burner (I put in a black NEC-3500A)

[marcus]

Ive just purchased -

AMD Athlon 64 3500 Winchester 90nm Socket 939 CPU
Corsair 1GB DDR Pro Twinx 2 x 512 Ram
WD Raptor 74 GB 10000 RPM Sata drive
Pioneer DVR-108 16 x DVD+-RW Dual Layer Rewriter Black
Shuttle SN95G5 Mini Aluminium Barebone system

I spent more than I was intending, but the above list came in at around the ?700 mark, and I think it should be pretty reasonable performance.

What I intend to do is put my server in my loft (only worry there is it gets rather damp and very cold) and have that on constantly. Ill access via remote from my shuttle, which I wont leave on overnight so Im not so concerned about noise issues.

[kazurm]

Your shuttle is not your server, right? I just think that the 6800GT could be a tad loud in a system running on your desk while your there.

Nice system though, have fun playing HL2 on it!

[marcus]

Nah my server will be my existing tower PC. That already runs HL2 very well, but I just wanted a shuttle and server configuration again, and it was a good opportunity for me to buy the best I can realistically afford right now.

[Super Stu]

Just reread the description, it seems the processor I picked is only 2.2ghz - which is a lot slower than the 2.6 P4 I have already, despite costing more.

Marcus, even the fabled video encoding, the last bastion of "nur nur na nurrr nurrr" for Intel fanboys, was trumped by an A64 the other day.

Don't be fooled by hz.

Well, I see you weren't, but it needed saying

[marcus]

Aye Stu, I guess thats why Atholn badge their CPUs as 3500 (whatever), so as to make people think it is the P4 equivelant in GHZ. Maybe.

[Super Stu]

Yeah, it's their PR thing, which I assume means processor rating.

Nice maching btw, think I'll go for something small and swanky like this next time myself.

[Montaver]

That is a class system marcus, would turn most gamers green with envy.

[marcus]

Thanks Hardware isnt my strongest point, although I have a basic knowlege, the problem is by the time youve gone to sleep and woken up again theres a new standard emerging. I forgot to ask about DDR and DDR 2 memory, I cant see that the Shuttle supported DDR2 so bought DDR instead, Im told there isnt a great performance difference in any case though.

[Nijo]

All you need to know about Intel vs Athlon:

http://www.tomshardware.com/cpu/20041115/pentium4_570-12.html#directx_9

[Pij]

so as to make people think it is the P4 equivelant in GHZ. Maybe.

They say its the speed rating when compared to there old Thunderbird range. But i think thats just what they say to keep Intel off there arse with a lawsuit tbh

[Super Stu]

In case folk cba to sift through it:

If games are your main interest, AMD is still impossible to beat. However, the more you move into the professional area with applications such as A/V encoding or rendering, the more attractive the P4 will be. Increased support for the SSE3 instruction set will only add on top of Intel's advantage here; this is an area that still needs to be addressed by AMD.

So unless you rip dvds to divx all day long and want to save a few minutes, you'll be fine.

Sounds like that 570 needs a fridge freezer worth of cooling too, even at 90nm.

[Inertia_]

Marcus - look forward to putting that thing together cause it's a dream. The layout of the board, the precise lengths of the various cables - it's a marvel of engineering. Plenty of oohs and ahhs with practically no arghs.

Dunno whether to try fixing the fan speed or not. Hmmmm.

[superkully]

Unless you don't have midget like hands.

I put toghether a SN41G2 and that some bits of that were a complete bugger for me (and I don't even have huge hands).

And are you sure that PSU has enough wattage for you? tomshardware recommends at least a good 350W unit for your spec.