While shopping tonight, I ran into the newer Asus Terminator. Has *everything* I need already integrated into one little lightweight mobo/box. Total cost to put it together should be under $300.
Problem is, I can't find any reasonable information on the box! Various sellers and reviews have called the motherboard by at least six different acronyms. Asus itself lists two different motherboards in one (enormous) table -- the A7SC and A7CV (and other pages list at least one more variation!) -- so there might be two versions, but their main webpage for it lists only one model. Maximum speeds are stated as being anything from a 1400+ on up to a 2800+ depending on who wrote the review/salespitch.
The only halfway decent review I've run across is for (what may be) the older model, and says that it has an onboard video chip that steals from main memory instead of having separate VRAM -- maximum 64MB, crappy 3D performance. The review is eighteen months old -- ancient history -- and is written (quite well -- no insult to the author intended) for the perspective of a complete neophyte building Baby's First Box:
http://www.thetechzone.com/display.php?i=150&p=1
One reason I think there may be a new model is because they are now sold WITH MODEM, and the author of the above specifically mentions that there's no modem in his unit.
So, anyone know any solid information about this SFF box? Are there two versions? What's in the newer one -- any video improvement, what are the video output modes (640x480, 16 colors??
), and what's the maximum CPU now?
Also, how quiet are these puppies? Is there enough room for a big, slow fan like the Zalman stuff?
In an archive search here, I found a couple of people getting rid of theirs, with no takers, and a few people begging for info, with no answers. I guess I'm about to join the latter group, but I sure hope someone can tell me whether buying one of these is a big mistake or a jewel waiting to be found.
I was thinking of a Shuttle, but my roommate just got one, and it spontaneously reboots about six times a day. He's pretty pissed.
Problem is, I can't find any reasonable information on the box! Various sellers and reviews have called the motherboard by at least six different acronyms. Asus itself lists two different motherboards in one (enormous) table -- the A7SC and A7CV (and other pages list at least one more variation!) -- so there might be two versions, but their main webpage for it lists only one model. Maximum speeds are stated as being anything from a 1400+ on up to a 2800+ depending on who wrote the review/salespitch.
The only halfway decent review I've run across is for (what may be) the older model, and says that it has an onboard video chip that steals from main memory instead of having separate VRAM -- maximum 64MB, crappy 3D performance. The review is eighteen months old -- ancient history -- and is written (quite well -- no insult to the author intended) for the perspective of a complete neophyte building Baby's First Box:
http://www.thetechzone.com/display.php?i=150&p=1
One reason I think there may be a new model is because they are now sold WITH MODEM, and the author of the above specifically mentions that there's no modem in his unit.
So, anyone know any solid information about this SFF box? Are there two versions? What's in the newer one -- any video improvement, what are the video output modes (640x480, 16 colors??
), and what's the maximum CPU now?Also, how quiet are these puppies? Is there enough room for a big, slow fan like the Zalman stuff?
In an archive search here, I found a couple of people getting rid of theirs, with no takers, and a few people begging for info, with no answers. I guess I'm about to join the latter group, but I sure hope someone can tell me whether buying one of these is a big mistake or a jewel waiting to be found.
I was thinking of a Shuttle, but my roommate just got one, and it spontaneously reboots about six times a day. He's pretty pissed.
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