MSI nforce 420 flexATX MB for $38 + sh, USB cable $1

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lsman

Diamond Member
Jul 10, 2001
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Originally posted by: RandyHarris
I'm using my 6353 as a Media Center Edition and it works awesome. 512megs of pc2100 (but the SiSoft Sandra 2300 memory bandwidth scores are still not very good) a the low power 1.2ghz Athlon, Thermalright SK6+ with a Panaflo 80mm fan, and the Hauppauge PVR250 TV card, and SnapStream Remote.

Works just fine.
Click to expand...

Yes, the Sisoft sandra is a bit low for me to compare to a 1600+

512 MB pc2100, XP1700+ thoroughbred-A, GC68 HSF. (not yet set in a IBM case)
 
Ziptar

Ziptar

Platinum Member
Jul 7, 2001
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Originally posted by: RandyHarris
I'm using my 6353 as a Media Center Edition and it works awesome. 512megs of pc2100 (but the SiSoft Sandra 2300 memory bandwidth scores are still not very good) a the low power 1.2ghz Athlon, Thermalright SK6+ with a Panaflo 80mm fan, and the Hauppauge PVR250 TV card, and SnapStream Remote.

Works just fine.
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Wow! we think alike, sounds exactly like what I am building. Mine is not done yet, I need the Hard Disk and to swap my Win-TV PVR for the PVR 250. How does the TV look? Interlaced?? What case are you using? I bought This Case and it will work but I need to move the offsets over about 1/16th of an inch to get the board to fit in it. I'll also have to use a ribbon cable 1U PCI riser to lay the PVR250 on it's side and I will need to modify the back of the case to accomodate the card. I am using the MCE remote, I have it but I am waiting for the receiver and IR blaster to show up.

Overall Question... So its safe to flash to the K7N420 Bios then?
 
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RandyHarris

Member
Mar 9, 2001
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I was originally putting my 6353 mobo into the NetVista case, but that change when I decided to use it as the heart of an MCE system, because I couldn't fit the PVR250 card into the case... I'm still looking for the right case for me. btw - the sale may still be going on, OfficeMax stores have (or maybe had now) the Hauppauge PVR250 for $99.99 after a $20 instant rebate and a $30 MIR.

The TV looks great (actual TV) the menus and such are a little faded/washed out, but then I don't have a high def TV or anything, just a plain old 35".

Hey where'd you snag the MCE remote? I'd love to get that.
 
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vladgur

Golden Member
Jul 31, 2000
1,825
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I finally completed the system as well. I installed XP on it with a dual boot to Mandrake -- lemme tell you Mandrake sux. It did recognize all the hardware aside from sound, but I havent tinkered with sound yet, but boy, mandrake is sure unstable

I will install redhat 8.0 on it shortly to see if that makes any difference.

As far as fitting it all in there, I decided to go the simple way -- I aint gonna have an optical drive internally. When I needed to install something like an OS, Id open up the case and attach the cdrom directly to ide. For other purposes i have an external cdrw(usb 2.0 but also works under usb 1.1) and an externall floppy.
I bought a $10 atx extension cable and some cable wrapping at frys and put the power supply outside the case(hidden from view).

I am running 1.2ghz SFF from compgeeks and its doesnt get over 40C(idont stress it much either, but considering that the case has 0 ventilation it aint bad. The heatsink is one of those gold thermlatake thingies that i picked up couple years ago. Oh yeah and all of this is crammed into the netvista case.

So far so good... We'll see if redhat likes usb
 
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bzo

Member
Jun 26, 2001
83
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Just about finished my system as well. I have a 1.2G Duron running on a 133Mhz bus. I reconfigured the bridges so it would run a 9x multiplier and undervolted it to 1.6V. Set up like this and with a cheapo GC68 heatsink and it's 80mm fan exhausting directly out of the case, it seems runs pretty cool and quiet. Btw, with the K7N420 BIOS I've clocked the cpu and memory as high as 140Mhz. Might go higher, but haven't tried.

I went with a slightly different approach with the power supply - I cut some of the metal out to make it fit near the stock position. This way nothing else is relocated, and from outside the case, it looks clean. I have a post over at Sudhian with pictures if anyone is interested. Sudhian Thread

I was able to fit in both a DVD and floppy cleanly without blocking anything by using a laptop DVD drive and 5 1/4 mounting bracket that fits a laptop optical drive + regular floppy.

I'm going to be using this as my new HTPC, and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Good Tv out and being able to output Dolby Digital to my receiver is sweet!

Btw, I originally bought 2 of everything thinking that I was going to build 2, but only ended up needing one. Have another set of new unused components (MB, Netvista case, laptop DVD drive, laptop DVD IDE adapter, 5 1/4 laptop optical/floppy bracket). PM me if you're interested.
 
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gsiener

Senior member
Jun 14, 2000
436
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Well I tried flashing the k7n420 bios and it wouldn't let me...any advice on how to do it?

Thanks
 
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bzo

Member
Jun 26, 2001
83
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Originally posted by: gsiener
Well I tried flashing the k7n420 bios and it wouldn't let me...any advice on how to do it?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I think Dagar mentioned this earlier - use the flags /cc /cp /F
 
Ziptar

Ziptar

Platinum Member
Jul 7, 2001
2,077
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Originally posted by: Ziptar
Here you go... Watch them get hammered with orders... I just called on the IR blaster and receiver and mine is back ordered until 3/10/2003 (I ordered it 12/16/02) :(

HP MCE Receiver and IR Blaster $55.00

HP MCE Remote $12.50


Thanks for the heads up on the PVR 250 I will check it out.
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I received the MCE receiver and IR blaster Yesterday... Way to go HP... It's going to be a little while before i can mess with it though....
 
OrionAntares

OrionAntares

Golden Member
Aug 2, 2002
1,887
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Originally posted by: Ziptar
Here you go... Watch them get hammered with orders... I just called on the IR blaster and receiver and mine is back ordered until 3/10/2003 (I ordered it 12/16/02) :(

HP MCE Receiver and IR Blaster $55.00

HP MCE Remote $12.50


Thanks for the heads up on the PVR 250 I will check it out.
Click to expand...

Will these remotes work with any IR reciever? I have one for one of the little Creative PC-DVD remotes.
 
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pcNate

Member
Apr 24, 2002
114
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I remember compgeeks had that deal where if you spent over $50, you got that free creative IR remote...so I have one of those, it could probably be used here.

Anyway, I haven't been on much since I was home during the interim month from college, and home is an AOL connection, so no posting from there. Didn't want to have to mess with a proxy, things were already slow enough with the 56k being shared 3 ways.

Anyway, I still have my little IBM case...keeping an eye out for any other good deals on tiny mobo's, but I didn't have any problems with the msi in a regular case...
 
Ziptar

Ziptar

Platinum Member
Jul 7, 2001
2,077
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Originally posted by: OrionAntares
Will these remotes work with any IR reciever? I have one for one of the little Creative PC-DVD remotes.
Click to expand...



I doubt it. I do know that the Microsoft MCE remotes are proprietary. The receiver (also proprietary) has an emitter that works as an IR blaster if you use MCE with an external cable box. From what I have found that is one function for sure that is not supported by other remotes.. Other than that the MCE remote looks just like a regular remote, I have a feeling though that the button function are specific to MCE. I looked at an MCE machine at gateway and in contol panel the Remote and receiver are listed as "Freestyle something or other" devices.

I have seen posts that people use the ATI remote wonder with no problem in MCE, but not allot of details.
 
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gsiener

Senior member
Jun 14, 2000
436
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Sorry to keep dragging this thread out...but I flashed the board with the k7n420 bios and I can't get the modem driver to work anymore...

Any luck you guys?

PS anyone have problems with the 1700+, or does it default to the right settings for everyone?
 
OrionAntares

OrionAntares

Golden Member
Aug 2, 2002
1,887
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windows and the BIOS seem to indicate that there is a MIDI port for this board, does anyone have any idea which header it could be? also, does anyone know how to setup a second line out for a 4.1 surround system? thanks
 
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Dagar

Member
Nov 16, 2002
45
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Check out the sudhian forum on the same board (search for "MSI NFORCE"). A couple of the guys, as I seem to recall, were into that, there.
 
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bzo

Member
Jun 26, 2001
83
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Originally posted by: gsiener
Sorry to keep dragging this thread out...but I flashed the board with the k7n420 bios and I can't get the modem driver to work anymore...
Click to expand...

make sure that the modem is enabled in the bios - I think in the k7n420 it is disabled by default. If that by itself doesn't work also try to manually install the modem driver (available on the fujitsu-siemens site).
 
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lbhskier37

Member
Oct 24, 2001
184
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so anyone got any creative ways of putting this board in the netvista case? Preferably without having to cut stuff. Also, does anyone have pictures of a working spdif bracket hey made?
 
OrionAntares

OrionAntares

Golden Member
Aug 2, 2002
1,887
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Originally posted by: Dagar
Check out the sudhian forum on the same board (search for "MSI NFORCE"). A couple of the guys, as I seem to recall, were into that, there.
Click to expand...

I didn't find anything prevelent there.
 
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lbhskier37

Member
Oct 24, 2001
184
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0
where can i get an adaptor to put a laptop dvdrom in this thing? I cant find anyone that sells the cable adapter.
 
Ziptar

Ziptar

Platinum Member
Jul 7, 2001
2,077
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86
On most of them the connector on the back of the DVD / CD drive is basically an adapter already that can be removed and that will expose the standar laptop IDE pins on the drive itself, these are identical to the pins on a laptop drive and you could use a laptop to full size IDE adapter... If not This for $9.99 or maybe this $19.99? yet another.. I hear that Rackmount Pro has them for $12 but they aren't listed on the website.. you have to call...
 
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