Mini-ITX... how cool is that?

Kevin · 06-21-2002, 07:51 PM

Have you guys taken a look at the Via Mini-ITX stuff @ www.idot.com ? I think i'm going to buy some stuff and put together a computer w/ spare parts based on the slower processor. It looks fun to play with. I'm really into small/quiet ocmputers now it seems.
-Kev

Bignuts · 06-22-2002, 02:09 PM

Kev, are we the only people who think this stuff is cool?

I forsee a multiple ITX box with one unit being a DNS server, one a web server, etc. with a KVM switch...

...and its quiet to boot!

The only real problems I see is that its too weak in processing power to handle a stand alone video only box,and the fact that you can get a ECS K7S5A and a Duron 1.2 for the same price.But I say, bring it on!

..or wait for them to be clearanced....

Kevin · 06-22-2002, 02:29 PM

I'm serious... I love my small, quiet computer I built my grandpa's PC around a C3 and like everyone else seems to think the idea of a cheap, fanless, sleek computer is weak. Like right now my little brother has a Celeron @ 900 mhz system w/ an Iwill motherboard and stuff. I'm scraping his stuff and taking him to the C3 box :-), even if it is a bit slower hehe just cuz I know he'll like the size and for surfing the net, it really doesn't matter.
-Kev

Kevin · 06-22-2002, 02:33 PM

Another use I thought of is that we have 4 PCs in our household on a wireless LAN + my PDA. I was thinking that it would be awesome to have a small PC hooked up 100mbps to the router as a fileserver to the rest of the household. Instead of saving MP3s to our harddrives, we could just keep them on that PC and stuff. Always a handy thing. Actually I'm rather curious about what is more important in a computer right now... it's processor or it's video card. I'm thinking of grabbing that mini-ITX 800 mhz C3 and sticking a Radeon 7500 under the hood. I'm sure it could handle current games at an OKAY rate.
-Kev

Cyco-Dude · 06-22-2002, 06:13 PM

good idea, but no thx. now if it came with a Socket and AGP 2.0 compliant slot, plus DDR SDRAM (and onboard 5.1 sound and NIC too lol), then yeah, that would be sweet. it would make a badass LAN box for sure.

but if all you want is an MP3 box, or file server, or just something to type papers and surf the web and chat w/ ppl, or maybe a DVD box (make it your entertainment system; stick in a R8500 DV

) then it might be ok. but i play games, so the C3 is not an option.

Kevin · 06-22-2002, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Cyco-Dude
good idea, but no thx. now if it came with a Socket and AGP 2.0 compliant slot, plus DDR SDRAM (and onboard 5.1 sound and NIC too lol), then yeah, that would be sweet. it would make a badass LAN box for sure.

Socket A = a fan
AGP = another slot

We've just added more area to the motherboard and noise to the system. There goes its whole appeal...

-Kev

Cyco-Dude · 06-23-2002, 12:38 PM

for you maybe...

gmat · 06-24-2002, 04:13 AM

For me as well

I wouldnt buy this stuff to kill its only interest: silence.

MeltMan · 06-24-2002, 10:37 AM

Oh comeon guys.. they would make EXCELLENT standalone mp3 file servers/players. Plus they are silent, tiny, and even able to run DVD's! Heck, with the pci slot and a ribbon slot cable you could upgrade the video and make yourself a fully functional DVD player/Mp3 server/player /internet surfer appliance with one tiny psu fan.

THINK OF THE POSSIBILITIES!

Cyco-Dude · 06-24-2002, 11:47 AM

thats what im saying........but im also saying it would be cool to have one with a better CPU and AGP slot so you can make a nice LAN box. i know shuttle makes one, i just havent read up on it.

Kevin · 06-24-2002, 06:20 PM

Yah but the shuttle box is much bigger, more expensive, and louder. Granted, I will be buying a Shuttle box in the near future though

-Kevin

Cyco-Dude · 06-25-2002, 04:11 PM

now you just have to figure out how to watercool it

call it the super-mico-mini (heh....)

Kevin · 06-25-2002, 06:12 PM

hehe just to squeeze out more worthless mhz of the C3

-kev

Cyco-Dude · 06-25-2002, 11:25 PM

hahahaa, i forgot sar

it doesnt need that much cooling anyway....

but those shuttles on the other hand...............

lol

jag_e_fattig · 06-26-2002, 12:32 PM

if you guys want a small, sleek mp3 player to play with. why not get one of these?

one thing that i don't get is that the assembled version costs as much as the unassembled version

MeltMan · 06-26-2002, 03:47 PM

cause its still much cheaper to hack a webplayer and get a 10" lcd screen to boot!

Heavy_Equipment · 06-27-2002, 12:12 PM

Ok, a PC in a case this big ...errr small would be cool.

Aridmoose · 06-28-2002, 01:39 AM

I'm liking this small stuff too. I'm gonna keep this old monitor, it may come in useful someday. 120 gig hdd full of mp3's hmm...

Kevin · 06-29-2002, 07:31 PM

Yup yup. My parents are sick of their iMac so they are having me build them a PC for surfing the net, word processing, viewing and editing pics of the digital camera, and occasionally edit videos w/ Videowave. They wanted to not spend much and wanted it to be small... Here's what i'm building 'em.

Mobo/CPU - Via EPIA 800
Case/Power - Black Superslim ITX
Memory - 512mb PC133 (1 dimm)
Firewire - Via-VPSD Firewire PCI card
Harddrive - Seagate Barracuda IV 40 gig
DVD - SuperSlim laptop DVD
Key/Mouse - Logitech Cordless Freedom Optical
OS - Win XP Home
Speakers - Logitech Z-340

Total = $577

Look at how small the system is...
http://www.procase.com.tw/2677.htm

They're getting the black one with either a 15" Viewsonic LCD or a 17" NEC LCD.

-Kev

06-21-2002, 07:51 PM	#1
Kevin Slacking more than your weird uncle Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: San Diego, CA (UCSD) / Los Angeles, CA (home) Posts: 1,605	Mini-ITX... how cool is that? Have you guys taken a look at the Via Mini-ITX stuff @ www.idot.com ? I think i'm going to buy some stuff and put together a computer w/ spare parts based on the slower processor. It looks fun to play with. I'm really into small/quiet ocmputers now it seems. -Kev __________________ I used to throw hot coffee all over the ass of the horse there, then whip him while he was kickin' at me. Those f***in things are crazy.

06-22-2002, 02:09 PM	#2
Bignuts Cooling Savant Join Date: Mar 2001 Posts: 155	ITX Kev, are we the only people who think this stuff is cool? I forsee a multiple ITX box with one unit being a DNS server, one a web server, etc. with a KVM switch... ...and its quiet to boot! The only real problems I see is that its too weak in processing power to handle a stand alone video only box,and the fact that you can get a ECS K7S5A and a Duron 1.2 for the same price.But I say, bring it on! ..or wait for them to be clearanced....

06-22-2002, 02:29 PM	#3
Kevin Slacking more than your weird uncle Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: San Diego, CA (UCSD) / Los Angeles, CA (home) Posts: 1,605	I'm serious... I love my small, quiet computer I built my grandpa's PC around a C3 and like everyone else seems to think the idea of a cheap, fanless, sleek computer is weak. Like right now my little brother has a Celeron @ 900 mhz system w/ an Iwill motherboard and stuff. I'm scraping his stuff and taking him to the C3 box :-), even if it is a bit slower hehe just cuz I know he'll like the size and for surfing the net, it really doesn't matter. -Kev __________________ I used to throw hot coffee all over the ass of the horse there, then whip him while he was kickin' at me. Those f***in things are crazy.

06-22-2002, 02:33 PM	#4
Kevin Slacking more than your weird uncle Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: San Diego, CA (UCSD) / Los Angeles, CA (home) Posts: 1,605	Another use I thought of is that we have 4 PCs in our household on a wireless LAN + my PDA. I was thinking that it would be awesome to have a small PC hooked up 100mbps to the router as a fileserver to the rest of the household. Instead of saving MP3s to our harddrives, we could just keep them on that PC and stuff. Always a handy thing. Actually I'm rather curious about what is more important in a computer right now... it's processor or it's video card. I'm thinking of grabbing that mini-ITX 800 mhz C3 and sticking a Radeon 7500 under the hood. I'm sure it could handle current games at an OKAY rate. -Kev __________________ I used to throw hot coffee all over the ass of the horse there, then whip him while he was kickin' at me. Those f***in things are crazy.

06-24-2002, 10:37 AM	#9
MeltMan Cooling Savant Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: KS Posts: 374	Oh comeon guys.. they would make EXCELLENT standalone mp3 file servers/players. Plus they are silent, tiny, and even able to run DVD's! Heck, with the pci slot and a ribbon slot cable you could upgrade the video and make yourself a fully functional DVD player/Mp3 server/player /internet surfer appliance with one tiny psu fan. THINK OF THE POSSIBILITIES! __________________ MeltMan Lurker Supreme!

06-22-2002, 06:13 PM	#5
Cyco-Dude Cooling Savant Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Dayton, Ohio Posts: 836	good idea, but no thx. now if it came with a Socket and AGP 2.0 compliant slot, plus DDR SDRAM (and onboard 5.1 sound and NIC too lol), then yeah, that would be sweet. it would make a badass LAN box for sure. but if all you want is an MP3 box, or file server, or just something to type papers and surf the web and chat w/ ppl, or maybe a DVD box (make it your entertainment system; stick in a R8500 DV ) then it might be ok. but i play games, so the C3 is not an option.

06-23-2002, 12:38 PM	#7
Cyco-Dude Cooling Savant Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Dayton, Ohio Posts: 836	for you maybe...

06-24-2002, 04:13 AM	#8
gmat Thermophile Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: France Posts: 1,221	For me as well I wouldnt buy this stuff to kill its only interest: silence.

06-24-2002, 11:47 AM	#10
Cyco-Dude Cooling Savant Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Dayton, Ohio Posts: 836	thats what im saying........but im also saying it would be cool to have one with a better CPU and AGP slot so you can make a nice LAN box. i know shuttle makes one, i just havent read up on it.

06-24-2002, 06:20 PM	#11
Kevin Slacking more than your weird uncle Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: San Diego, CA (UCSD) / Los Angeles, CA (home) Posts: 1,605	Yah but the shuttle box is much bigger, more expensive, and louder. Granted, I will be buying a Shuttle box in the near future though -Kevin __________________ I used to throw hot coffee all over the ass of the horse there, then whip him while he was kickin' at me. Those f***in things are crazy.

06-25-2002, 04:11 PM	#12
Cyco-Dude Cooling Savant Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Dayton, Ohio Posts: 836	now you just have to figure out how to watercool it call it the super-mico-mini (heh....)

06-25-2002, 06:12 PM	#13
Kevin Slacking more than your weird uncle Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: San Diego, CA (UCSD) / Los Angeles, CA (home) Posts: 1,605	hehe just to squeeze out more worthless mhz of the C3 -kev __________________ I used to throw hot coffee all over the ass of the horse there, then whip him while he was kickin' at me. Those f***in things are crazy.

06-25-2002, 11:25 PM	#14
Cyco-Dude Cooling Savant Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Dayton, Ohio Posts: 836	hahahaa, i forgot sar it doesnt need that much cooling anyway.... but those shuttles on the other hand............... lol

06-26-2002, 12:32 PM	#15
jag_e_fattig Cooling Savant Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: SoCal, formerly Sweden. Posts: 110	if you guys want a small, sleek mp3 player to play with. why not get one of these? one thing that i don't get is that the assembled version costs as much as the unassembled version __________________ Tearing it up AER - 05/29/87-10/26/03, I'll never forget.

06-26-2002, 03:47 PM	#16
MeltMan Cooling Savant Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: KS Posts: 374	cause its still much cheaper to hack a webplayer and get a 10" lcd screen to boot! __________________ MeltMan Lurker Supreme!

06-27-2002, 12:12 PM	#17
Heavy_Equipment Cooling Savant Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Newmarket, Ontario, Canada Posts: 282	Ok, a PC in a case this big ...errr small would be cool.

06-28-2002, 01:39 AM	#18
Aridmoose Cooling Neophyte Join Date: May 2002 Location: In the shadows Posts: 55	I'm liking this small stuff too. I'm gonna keep this old monitor, it may come in useful someday. 120 gig hdd full of mp3's hmm... __________________ Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb. Batman? BATMAN? NOOOO!!! Over here, Robin. HOLY HEART FAILURE BATMAN!! Luckily I was able to hide behind these heavy iron bars.

06-29-2002, 07:31 PM	#19
Kevin Slacking more than your weird uncle Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: San Diego, CA (UCSD) / Los Angeles, CA (home) Posts: 1,605	Yup yup. My parents are sick of their iMac so they are having me build them a PC for surfing the net, word processing, viewing and editing pics of the digital camera, and occasionally edit videos w/ Videowave. They wanted to not spend much and wanted it to be small... Here's what i'm building 'em. Mobo/CPU - Via EPIA 800 Case/Power - Black Superslim ITX Memory - 512mb PC133 (1 dimm) Firewire - Via-VPSD Firewire PCI card Harddrive - Seagate Barracuda IV 40 gig DVD - SuperSlim laptop DVD Key/Mouse - Logitech Cordless Freedom Optical OS - Win XP Home Speakers - Logitech Z-340 Total = $577 Look at how small the system is... http://www.procase.com.tw/2677.htm They're getting the black one with either a 15" Viewsonic LCD or a 17" NEC LCD. -Kev __________________ I used to throw hot coffee all over the ass of the horse there, then whip him while he was kickin' at me. Those f***in things are crazy.

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