Hotwo for a quiet Shuttle/Slix

[Diabolik]

Hi there! My friend Jed and I have (relatively) quiet Shuttle/SLiX's now. Find out how on www.rosboch.net under "Andreas' Quiet PC Projects). Basically it's all about using the right hardware and software.
Cheers,
A

 

[tombance]

What are you trying to ask/say?

<A HREF="http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k1=5467618 " target="_new">Almost Breaking 12k!!</A>

 

[Crashman]

Anyone with the poor judgement it requires to actually BUY one of those Mini PC's doesn't DESERVE to come to America, there are enough natural born idiots here that we need not import them!

<font color=blue>There are no stupid questions, only stupid people doling out faulty information based upon rumors, myths, and poor logic!</font color=blue>

 

[igottaknife]

Crash you actually have one of these? I do and enjoy it. I also find Frank Völkel to be very wrong in terms of operating noise. My SN41G2 is pretty quiet. I dont see a real arguement against them. THere is one things that they never mentioned tho. The GFarse FX wont fit in these cases. The AGP slot is on the edge of the board. I don't know who'd want a GFFX anyways.

Leave a real <A HREF="http://forumz.tomshardware.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=faq" target="_new">link</A>

 

[Crashman]

In several places I've made some fairly strong arguments against them. A Micro ATX board is only about 1.5 inches longer. An ATX power supply is only about 1 inch wider. I'm seeing Micro ATX towers in the traditional form that are only 2 inches larger than these things, weigh the same, and have twice the expandability. I look at is as a conspiracy to force complete system upgrades where smaller upgrades would have worked on more traditional systems.

Oh, that two inches; If you lay a traditional Micro ATX tower on it's side, it's the same height and two inches wider than a Mini PC. And that entire 2 inches is taken up by the two extra PCI slots you hate so much, and the extra height of the REAL power supply you don't care for.

That 2 inches, in only one direction, adds almost no weight.

<font color=blue>There are no stupid questions, only stupid people doling out faulty information based upon rumors, myths, and poor logic!</font color=blue>

 

[Diabolik]

Well, it does look good, which at least for me, is a pretty important argument. I was getting tired of ugly big greywhite boxes.
I am quite happy with it, although I would suggest to Shuttle that they offer a "hush kit" for an extra $30 or so as an option.
As for the America thing: Crashman, you are entitled to your opinion, and I do respect it, but there is no need to become insulting.
A

 

[Crashman]

I've been insulting a lot of people over this system type. Why? Frank of THG is promoting them. I'm trying to shock people into thinking about their needs before they rush out and buy one on Frank's recommendation. A large number of people considering them are looking for Home Theater PC's, where a Micro ATX desktop case that resembles home audio equipement would look better and offer them things they might need, like a place to put the second hard drive for TiVO functions and a place to put a separate TV tuner card in case they want advanced features such as hardware compression (something Windows Media Center REQUIRES). You see, in America most people buy impulsively based on the "coolness" factor. Most of these people would buy such a PC and then not have enough money to replace it when they found out they made a bad decision.

So I insult you not because I don't like you, but to draw the attention of impulse buyers in this forum to force them to think these things through more carefully.

<font color=blue>There are no stupid questions, only stupid people doling out faulty information based upon rumors, myths, and poor logic!</font color=blue>

 

[Diabolik]

I can absolutely accept your arguments. If I had been looking for the most quiet PC around, I would have bought a Chieftec something or other and fleeced it properly. So I will add my voice to yours and say that it is not THAT quiet. I am just saying that it is possible to get the noise level down to what I THINK is an ACCEPTABLE level.

As for a second hard drive, I have two in mine since I never use a floppy. Also, the TV Tuner card could go in the PCI slot.

I know three people with mini-PC's and they are all quite happy with it. As you say though, it important to know what limitations the purchase signifies. DO NOT buy this system if you need more that two hard drives, more than one PCI slot, a REALLY quiet system, watercooling, overclocking possibilities. Buy it if you want a small good looking box (and yes this is subjective), a rather quiet low performance box (but you would need to change the fans), a less quiet performance box.

As for the "you see, in America..." comment, what are you trying to say, that we don't have moronic buyers in Europe? Believe me when I say plenty of buyers over here are impressed by the "coolness" factor too. Anyone who buys a $350-400 piece of hardware on impulse is not being smart, whichever shore of the pond he or she lives on. Caveat Emptor!

So, in conclusion, I agree with all your objective arguments, but I disagree with your subjective assesment that a Micro ATX case looks nicer.

 

[Crashman]

My argument that a Micro ATX DESKTOP designed to match your home theater components looks better than one of these when they are stacked together should be fairly obvious. The idea of a case that blends in so well with your other components that people don't even notice it's a computer is "almost a given". If it were a given it would be objective...Anyway

I don't think most people realize how much Americans are like the rest of the world. Which is why I make those kind of references. I can prove we are the same by implying we are different. Europe tend to be more "progressive" than the U.S., meaning more Liberal, or at least that's what most people believe (I've seen both sides). In America (notice the reference again) we see that Liberals tend to be more "free spirited" with their money while Consevatives tend to be "penny pinchers". Of course that's not always true either. Few things are. But it all comes back to the perception that Europeans are looser with their money, perhaps because they are more liberal. Both tend to be inaccurate in many cases of course, but these views are still held by more people than not. When you're well educated and able to think for yourself, it's important to keep the viewpoints of the "masses" in mind. So when I point out that so many Americans are spendthrifts, it may come as a surprise to those who don't live here.

<font color=blue>There are no stupid questions, only stupid people doling out faulty information based upon rumors, myths, and poor logic!</font color=blue>

 

[igottaknife]

You know Crash I do agree with you on that point of microATX but here's the hitch. What microATX board uses nForce2? None that I can find. The last microATX with a new chipset was the KT266. I have the Epox 8KHM and loved it until an accident caused me to go look for a new one. Guess what... they don't sell them anymore. I think you'll find that microATX is being phased out. I actually plan to use my microATX as a Tivo box. I have a desktop Coolermaster case that goes well with my stereo system. Once the Radeon 9700 AIW comes down in price then I'll do it.

Leave a real <A HREF="http://forumz.tomshardware.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=faq" target="_new">link</A>

 

[Crashman]

Someone just recently introduced a mATX nForce2 board, it might have been shuttle? LOL. Anyway, how many Mini ITX boards do you see with it? mATX boards are most often used in "budget" PC's, so the only way to get companies to speed up the release of hotter mATX boards is...to start buying mATX boards...there isn't enough demand right now for them in the performance sector.

<font color=blue>There are no stupid questions, only stupid people doling out faulty information based upon rumors, myths, and poor logic!</font color=blue>