LAN party rig build, critiques, recommendations?

[imported_Shakespeare]

Well my plan to build a SLI SFF or mATX box has gone by the wayside. I've decided to build a single card unit. I wanted to stay near $1000. I don't overclock. I'm building this box stressing performance and portability (on the afore mentioned $1000 budget). I play some FPS but mostly Flight Sims and Neverwinter Nights. I've spec?ed this out:


Shuttle SN25P AMD Socket 939 AMD Athlon 64 FX/Athlon 64/Sempron NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra, VIA Envy24PT 8-CH Audio, 10/100/1000 LAN, Silent X 350W Power Supply, 12.2" x 7.8" x 7.2"
- Front Panel Ports: USB 2, IEEE 1394, Card Reader 8 in 1
- Back Panel Ports: PS/2 2, COM 1, USB 4, RJ45, IEEE 1394, S/PDIF In, S/PDIF Out, Audio Ports 5 jacks

AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Venice 2000MHz HT Socket 939 Processor

Patriot 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200)

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD3200KS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s

eVGA 256-P2-N564 Geforce 7900GT KO 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16

NEC 16X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE/ATAPI Model ND-3550A


... at $1200 delivered.


I saw a post that I should stay away from the 3500+ and go with a 3000 or a 3700. Does anyone know why? Are there issues with the 3500?

I'm new to SFF and mATX. Will the components above fit into my chosen case? I've noticed that DVD drives may have clearance issues.

Your recommendations are appreciated.

TIA

Check Six,
Shakespeare

 

[VooDooAddict]

The 3500+ should be fine for your targeted apps. (If you were doing development or using a few VMware instances I'd give you the Dual Core rant.)

I'm betting that the recomendation on the 3000+ was for overclocking, which you don't sound interested in.

As for the 3700+ recomendation I'm not entirely certain ... At this stage I think getting up into the range of the 3700+ you'd be better off saving a bit more and going with the 3800 X2 (Dual Core).


Sounds like a nice setup. I'm trying to wait till after Conroe hits before setting up my next box. However if I were to setup one now it would be similar:
- Shuttle SN25P
- X2 4200 or 4600 (depeding on available deals)
- 2Gig (2x1Gig)
- 7900GTX (they fit with minor modification ... I'm not quite adventurous enough to be the first to try the new 7950GX2 in a SN25P)

Enjoy!

 

[imported_Shakespeare]

Thanks VooDooAdict.

Can anyone comment on the DVD drive size issue. Will there be enough space in the Shuttle case?

Check Six,
Shakespeare

 

[Fraggable]

I don't know much about SFF systems, but in case you're not aware, AMD's CPU prices are dropping very soon - in fact they already have at mwave.com. Just be aware of that when ordering. I think the 3800+ single core was less than $150 this morning.

 

[imported_Shakespeare]

Thanks, I'm keeping my eye on them.

Check Six,
Shakespeare

 

[imported_Shakespeare]

<Bump>
Can anyone comment on whether my chosen DVD drive has the clearances in the Shuttle case? Potential problems?

TIA

Check Six,
Shakespeare

 

[Steeeeve]

does it have to be a shuttle? You could get a cheaper system if you use the MicroFly or other shoebox case

 

[Brainonska511]

If you haven't gotten the processor yet, you may want to hold off a little longer. DailyTech had an article about a week or two ago that shows AMD plans drastic price cuts the day Conroe is released.

As for Steeeeve's comment, it may be better to go with a mATX board instead, since there may be a few more options available, plus the ability to use full size PSUs in some of those mATX cases (such as the X-QPack, but you need to use a short DVD drive) and sometimes being able to go with SLI systems in such a small space.

For short DVD drives: I know Lite-on drives tend to be shorter, but there is another brand or two that has shorter drives that help out a lot in the small mATX cases.

 

[imported_Shakespeare]

Originally posted by: Steeeeve
does it have to be a shuttle? You could get a cheaper system if you use the MicroFly or other shoebox case

No, it doesn't have to be a Shuttle. I chose the case because it was a one stop shop for a lot of my needs. Case, MB, Audio, LAN, PSU all in a barebones. At $350 delivered as well, it wasnot as unpalatable as the $550 for the SLI solution.

Do you have a recommendation to replace the Shuttle barbones? What MB, does the MicroFly have a 350w PSU? etc.

My choices aren't set in stone.

Originally posted by: Brainonska511
If you haven't gotten the processor yet, you may want to hold off a little longer. DailyTech had an article about a week or two ago that shows AMD plans drastic price cuts the day Conroe is released.

As for Steeeeve's comment, it may be better to go with a mATX board instead, since there may be a few more options available, plus the ability to use full size PSUs in some of those mATX cases (such as the X-QPack, but you need to use a short DVD drive) and sometimes being able to go with SLI systems in such a small space.

For short DVD drives: I know Lite-on drives tend to be shorter, but there is another brand or two that has shorter drives that help out a lot in the small mATX cases.

I'm looking at pricing almost daily. My problem is I look and wait so long that the next technology is out before I pull the trigger starting my slection thinking all over again!

I looked at mATX. I'm not going to SLI with this build as well. I don't see this build needing 4 RAM slots or even a second IDE controller. My upgrade path will probably be nothing more than a CPU and a video card. Maybe a larger HD, but this is to just have games to take to LAN parties so 300Gb should last a while.

TIA

Check Six,
Shakespeare

 

[aznbumbaclot]

Yes the drive does have enough clearance (you really don't have to worry about that for Shuttles, the QPACK is another story). The Shuttle is a very DIY-friendly barebones though, you could probably save a lot of money by buying parts used/new from the F/S forum and put if together yourself. Most of the setup is screwless.

 

[Steeeeve]

Originally posted by: Shakespeare

Originally posted by: Steeeeve
does it have to be a shuttle? You could get a cheaper system if you use the MicroFly or other shoebox case

No, it doesn't have to be a Shuttle. I chose the case because it was a one stop shop for a lot of my needs. Case, MB, Audio, LAN, PSU all in a barebones. At $350 delivered as well, it wasnot as unpalatable as the $550 for the SLI solution.

Do you have a recommendation to replace the Shuttle barbones? What MB, does the MicroFly have a 350w PSU? etc.

First, I am happy to help I wouldn't have built a whole site dedicated to SFF if my goal wasn't to just spread the word about everything SFF. I also want to point out that I am not biased against shuttles...I love shuttles and which I could get the new SN27P2! I am biased towards all things SFF though.

With that said, the shuttles have the benefit of being small and well built. The Micro Fly, Qpack, Qmicra, Aria, etc.. of the word use the mATX mobo and have the ability to be small and have upgradability (not as small as the shuttle though). Its kind of a trade off until mini-itx gets bigger hehe.

To date my favorite SFF for mATX is the Qmicra but it costs a lot. I am obsessed with quality though which is why I like the case. The Micro Fly is also a favorite mine and the Lian Li PC V300 also is an amazing choice. The Micro Fly will be the cheapest and still provide a great SFF experience . It can come with a PSU (400w) and you can read my review at sffclub.com for more details. For someone looking for a case under 100, this would be it. Oh, by the way, these cases are all build it yourself. They don't come with a mobo and normally don't come with a PSU.

The shuttles are great for the LAN crowd because they are attractive and really really small. The new gen of shuttles look nice and are very well built. The SN27P2 is the new AM2 one probably is your best bet if you plan on taking the shuttle road (its due out mid-July).

So many choices I know but stick with it and visit some SFF sites such as www.sfftech.com or my own www.sffclub.com (shuttle section being worked on now)

I hope this helps!

 

[deathwalker]

I just built a SFF on a Micro Fly case for around $1000...
Micro Fly case
450 watt PS
Biostar T6100 mobo
AMD X2 3800
2 gb RAM
250 gb SATA HD
Lite-on DVD/CDR bruner(short frame perfect for SFF cases)
7600 GT PCIe graphics card.

 

[imported_Shakespeare]

Thanks deathwalker.

The Biostar MB doesn't do it for me though. LAN is only 10/100 and the audio is not as robust as my current selection. However, I'll look into the Lite-on DVD. Any little bit of space saved is space earned!