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Advice/check config on new SN45G based SFF

I

Ionizer86

Diamond Member
I'd like to get an SN45G based system since I like the nForce 2 SPP Ultra 400 + MCP-T. I plan on using the onboard sound, which should be pretty good. I'm bringing the SFF and an existing LCD to college.

Parts:
Shuttle SN45G $235 (this seems to be more than a few months ago??)
512MB Mushkin PC3200 $89 (Looks to be the cheapest brand name PC3200 DDR that Newegg has).
AMD Athlon XP-M 2400+ Barton $77 (Cheapest mobile Barton)
Leadtek TV2000 XP Deluxe $45 (Seems to be a popular TV card with radio)
80GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 (Existing drive in current PC)
BTC 8x DVD±RW drive (Existing drive; it burns both DVD's and CD's quickly)
Floppy (existing)
Geforce 4 Ti4200 128MB (Existing)

Existing 17" LCD
Total in new parts needed: $446

Some concerns: I've heard from others that SFF's are nowhere near as quiet as I'd imagine. What could I do to make it quieter? The default variable speed fan: is it usually spinning on the lowest gear and is it quiet at the slow speed? Could I replace the variable speed fan on the back with something like a Panaflo L1A if I wanted to? What about the PSU's fan: how loud is it?

Heat output: I don't game that much, so if my Ti4200 (which has an active fan) would produce too much heat, should I switch in something like a passive Radeon 9200? I'm getting another (cheap) video card anyway because after I rip out my current parts from my desktop, I have to fill in some other parts.

Overclocking: I'm cool with bumping up the bus speed on the XP-M to 200. A 9x multiplier will result in the default 1800MHz but at a higher bus. How much more heat will the XP-M make if I further bump up the clock speed?

Sound: my speakers take SPDIF digital via RCA. It looks like I'll have to get an optical to RCA adapter for them to work.

Misc: I have a $100 gift card at best buy. I'm thinking that they sometimes have Kingston Valueram PC2700 (which almost always overclocks to 3200) for $55 after rebate. Any other reasonably priced items pop up once in a while at BB that I can use in the SFF?

Any other recommended changes? Thanks for all the help! This will be my first SFF system!
 
Just a word of warning - do not change the VDIMM settings. If you do it may render your SN45G useless. Take this very seriously. It is not a problem if you don't touch it but if you do, you have been warned...

Yes, it is a little louder than some would like. You could replace the fan to reduce noise, as well as cutting out the rear grills (reduces air turbulence). It doesn't bother me that much (my video card fan is actually the loudest), and I just installed one for a friend who was amazed at how much quieter it was than his tower, but it won't ever be as quiet as a Dell.

You'll be fine with your Ti4200 in there, if you're worried about heat. If you want quieter, go with the passively cooled 9200.

As for bumping clock speed, you won't generate much more heat just by playing with FSB and multis. If you increase voltage, though, you will generate more heat and, more than likely, the fan will speed up, generating more noise. Just take it where it can go at stock voltage and you'll be fine.

Remember, don't try to overclock your memory or change the VDIMM - you'll regret it.
 
Thanks for the reply: I wouldn't have been aware of the Vdimm problem.

Certain higher end ram (say, the Mushkin I'm looking at) call for a default voltage of 2.6V. Some say certain Corsair ram won't operate at 2.5 or 2.6: they need 2.7 to work at PC3200. Now if my ram won't work, and I'm not allowed to bump up the voltage, then I'm screwed? :Q
 
i've got a panaflo in mine. it's not silent but it's way quieter than the tower i was running before with 3 80mm vantec fans. and definately heed the vdimm warning. try the sudhian forums for more info on sff stuff (forums.sudhian.com).
 
The Sudhian forums do look really good for SFF info. Thanks 🙂

fisher, is a Panaflo in the back sufficient for cooling both the CPU and the case? If so, then awesome! I have some spare Panaflos sitting around 🙂
 
I have a panaflo as the ICE cooler in my SN45G.

It works really well. However, I also have a blowhole with a Coolermaster rifle bearing LED fan in it. (helps with cooling a ton)
 
The stock Sunon on the ICE is definitely very, VERY loud. I use the Coolermaster Rifle Bearing fan on mine... it's quiet, cools well, and GLOWS 🙂 The panaflo I've heard is a good replacement as well. Check the Sudhian SFF forums, they'll will give you all the info you've ever wanted.

Just one thing - you say you don't game much: have you looked into a SN41G2 V2? It's 'certified' up to 400FSB and comes with the SilenX 250W power supply. Worth looking into IMHO. Again, I think Sudhian had a thread or two about the V2.
 
Another quick note:

The 250W SilentX PSU is now coming with both the SN45G and the SN41G2V2. This will not fix the VDIMM issue, however.

As for the voltage issue and particular brands of RAM, you should be OK. It should auto-detect the voltage and set it correctly. But I would shy away from something that needs 2.7V.
 
Wow, if the SN45G now has the 250W SilentX, I suppose I'll wait a tad longer until Newegg changes the description on their site. Then I'll order 🙂 Thanks!

I hear from others that while the 250W's fans are quieter, they have a different tonal sound. However, I'm always able to replace the 40mm fans with quieter ones without having to dodo wielding because they use a standard connector. Looking good 🙂
 
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