SFF S370 Motherboard + WORKING!! IR Keyboard $30 @ Package2You

[alm99]

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[Allegro]

Vladgur, I'm sorry but I don't have anything that fancy at home to try this thing. I'm telling you the output from the MD player was of excellent quality. Now, does 5.1 channel SPDIF work? I don't know what to tell you there.

Alm99, I don't know if PS will be enough, but couldn't you use one of those cheapo 5v-powered USB hubs...

 

[alm99]

Originally posted by: Allegro
Vladgur, I'm sorry but I don't have anything that fancy at home to try this thing. I'm telling you the output from the MD player was of excellent quality. Now, does 5.1 channel SPDIF work? I don't know what to tell you there.

Alm99, I don't know if PS will be enough, but couldn't you use one of those cheapo 5v-powered USB hubs...

good point

 

[mindless1]

If these weren't cheap motherboards I probably wouldn't suggest this, but instead of a powered hub, all that's really needed is to run a separate jumper wire on the back of the board, direct from one of the ATX power connector 5V pins, to USB 5V pin(s). Ground is "usually" good enough already, at least on one of the ground pins, the other might have a tiny trace, but they're next to each other, the lesser ground trace could be fortified too if higher power is needed from BOTH USB ports.

 

[Waco10]

fxsts, Here are a few audio alternatives you might want to consider:

This sound card can be made into a low profile card
link

Here are some USB speakers in which the USB to audio is built into the speakers.
link

Here is a source for cheap USB speakers which can be Hacked/butchered for the USB to audio converter.
link

Here is the Hack
link

USB to audio adapter
link

The choices:
- Hack the PCI sound card - should be simple
- Hack a set of donor USB speakers for the USB audio connector
- Buy an adapter

lotsa luck. If you're successful I may try one of these little buggers out. I have three evergreen spectra (C3) cpu upgardes that are doing nothing.

 

[fxsts]

Originally posted by: Waco10
fxsts, Here are a few audio alternatives you might want to consider:

This sound card can be made into a low profile card
link

Here are some USB speakers in which the USB to audio is built into the speakers.
link

Here is a source for cheap USB speakers which can be Hacked/butchered for the USB to audio converter.
link

Here is the Hack
link

USB to audio adapter
link

The choices:
- Hack the PCI sound card - should be simple
- Hack a set of donor USB speakers for the USB audio connector
- Buy an adapter

lotsa luck. If you're successful I may try one of these little buggers out. I have three evergreen spectra (C3) cpu upgardes that are doing nothing.

First of all, thank you for all the links.

It looks that those cheap USB speakers you linked only get power through USB but do not have sound circuitry. Theystill need sound card to drive them.

Yamaha speakers look nice but too expensive so as the adaptor.

It looks to me the sound card from Overstock would be the best choice. I am gonna look into it. They may have some extra coupon or so.

Thanks again.




EDIT: I have just found out that the Trident version of SoundWave Pro PCI (P/N: IC-137012), which the overstocks card is according to their site, does not support Windows XP.

I am also not 100% sure that I am going to get the right SIIG version. SoundWave Pro PCI (P/N: IC-137012) has 8 different versions with exact same part number. most of them do not have the low profile configurarion like the one shown on Overstock.

 

[NovaPolice]

Hmm I saw this and thought:c3, pci video card, usb audio and usb tv-tuner. Any sff cases deals going on?

Oh yeah, how does the KB/Mouse connect to the motherboard - is there a special jack on the back of the mobo, or is it an internal header? What drivers are needed for it? I'm curious, most of these ir accessories either connect via ps2 or serial. From what I've heard, it's a royal pain in the @$$ to try and make irda and consumer kb/mouse/remote work together. The keyboard looks interesting tho.

 

[Allegro]

Dude, I don't know much about this chipset but there is a Trident 4D Wave driver for XP here!
Good luck!

 

[alm99]

Originally posted by: NovaPolice
Hmm I saw this and thought:c3, pci video card, usb audio and usb tv-tuner. Any sff cases deals going on?

Oh yeah, how does the KB/Mouse connect to the motherboard - is there a special jack on the back of the mobo, or is it an internal header? What drivers are needed for it? I'm curious, most of these ir accessories either connect via ps2 or serial. From what I've heard, it's a royal pain in the @$$ to try and make irda and consumer kb/mouse/remote work together. The keyboard looks interesting tho.

where did you hear this?

 

[mindless1]

^ Bump ^ for price drop, now $32

 

[dude]

Originally posted by: alm99

Originally posted by: NovaPolice Hmm I saw this and thought:c3, pci video card, usb audio and usb tv-tuner. Any sff cases deals going on? Oh yeah, how does the KB/Mouse connect to the motherboard - is there a special jack on the back of the mobo, or is it an internal header? What drivers are needed for it? I'm curious, most of these ir accessories either connect via ps2 or serial. From what I've heard, it's a royal pain in the @$$ to try and make irda and consumer kb/mouse/remote work together. The keyboard looks interesting tho.

where did you hear this?

Hm... how far away would you have to be to use the keyboard? IRDA is pretty slow (perfect for keyboard) and you must be in direct line of sight to be used.

 

[alm99]

I took the plunge, hopefully I can use this as an mp3 box for the living room instead of having to swap cds all the time

 

[alm99]

Would XP run on this motherboard since the last BIOS update was 7/2001? I had a Abit KT7 that would crash/lockup every 5 secs until I updated the BIOS

 

[fxsts]

Originally posted by: Allegro
Dude, I don't know much about this chipset but there is a Trident 4D Wave driver for XP here!
Good luck!

The linked driver is only 37.1KB. I am not so sure if it is really going to work.

 

[fxsts]

I think that I found a nice low profile sound Here.

They also have ECS Intel 815E based Flex ATX motherboard for fairly good price if you are looking for one instead of This Sis based board $35 for Retail OR $25 for OEM

There is a 15% off coupon as well (technologybargains)

EDIT: Whoops, $9+ shipping just for a $15 soundcard!! This really gives me second thought.
EDIT2: And, the coupon does not seem to work.

 

[mindless1]

Originally posted by: fxsts
I think that I found a nice low profile sound Here.

They also have ECS Intel 815E based Flex ATX motherboard for fairly good price if you are looking for one instead of This Sis based board $35 for Retail OR $25 for OEM

There is a 15% off coupon as well (technologybargains)

EDIT: Whoops, $9+ shipping just for a $15 soundcard!! This really gives me second thought.
EDIT2: And, the coupon does not seem to work.

This forum post makes me wonder if that CT5807 audio card is really half-height or not... if it IS, then it can be had for ~$9 + 6 S/H HERE. (Might need mention Pricewatch to get $15 delivered price).

On a different note, Directron reduced the price of Celeron 700, now $27 + ~$5.50 UPS Ground = $32.50 delivered.

While I'm posting, here's an Antec miniATX 155W PSU $13 + S/H. I have one of these, can verify that the motherboard and drive power leads are VERY short as seen in picture (motherboard leads 3.5-4.5", drive leads 7-7.5"), but possibly/probably could work with this motherboard if positioned directly above it, but connecting the drives would likely require an extension depending on system layout. This PSU does have thermal speed-controlled (Sunon dual Ball-bearing) fan, is very quiet at low/typical system load.

It seems as though this motherboard has a modem header taking up the same slot position as the PCI slot... Does anyone know if it's possible to use BOTH a (typical PCChips PCTel) modem riser AND use the PCI slot, if a ribbon-cable adapter were used to relocate the modem riser? On the other hand, maybe the motherboard manual is generic/wrong, and that pin header is only an alternate for the network interface? I wonder because I don't see the PCTel modem chip on the picture of the board.

 

[alm99]

those who have purchase this from package2you has your order been shipped? how long did it take?

 

[fxsts]

Originally posted by: mindless1L=This forum post]http://lists.contesting.com/_writelog/2001-February/004042.html[/L] makes me wonder if that CT5807 audio card is really half-height or not... if it IS, then it can be had for ~$9 + 6 S/H HERE. (Might need mention Pricewatch to get $15 delivered price).

I also saw the one you linked. It seems that they have more than one versions of the cards, so it's a little bit of a gamble.

Originally posted by: alm99
those who have purchase this from package2you has your order been shipped? how long did it take?

I received mine yesterday at work although I have not go down to get it. It took about a couple of days for them to ship it.

 

[fxsts]

I have just gotten the package and opened up in my office. It indeed does not have the sound ports header and missing jumpers for SPDIF connection.

There is a chip missing which is located between the CPU socket and Parallel connection. I wonder if that's where the sound codec chip is supposed to be on.

There are jumpers for digital/analog I/O port for front panel. (may be a little hope?)

It does not look like you can use the PCI slot and modem card together.

 

[mindless1]

Anyone have a nice scanner and/or camera they could use to show off the peculiarities of these motherboards?

 

[alm99]

Originally posted by: fxsts
I have just gotten the package and opened up in my office. It indeed does not have the sound ports header and missing jumpers for SPDIF connection.

There is a chip missing which is located between the CPU socket and Parallel connection. I wonder if that's where the sound codec chip is supposed to be on.

There are jumpers for digital/analog I/O port for front panel. (may be a little hope?)

It does not look like you can use the PCI slot and modem card together.

Does this mean that the USB Box from cablesamerica won't support SPDIF? If it doesn't matter, will I be able to use a software dvd player and get surround sound you think from the USB box if I wanted to use it as this?

 

[fxsts]

Originally posted by: alm99

Originally posted by: fxsts
I have just gotten the package and opened up in my office. It indeed does not have the sound ports header and missing jumpers for SPDIF connection.

There is a chip missing which is located between the CPU socket and Parallel connection. I wonder if that's where the sound codec chip is supposed to be on.

There are jumpers for digital/analog I/O port for front panel. (may be a little hope?)

It does not look like you can use the PCI slot and modem card together.

Does this mean that the USB Box from cablesamerica won't support SPDIF? If it doesn't matter, will I be able to use a software dvd player and get surround sound you think from the USB box if I wanted to use it as this?

USB box should connect to the USB port. It should not have anything to do with on board SPDIF connection.

 

[alm99]

fxsts, let us know how the quality of the s-video output is.

 

[fxsts]

I have just finished installing WinXP in the system. The installation was fairly straight forward, although I could not really figured out how the IR connector get installed. There seems not enough pins for the connector. I left it unconnected. Let me know if anyone is familiar with this.

The manual is not the greatest. It does not say which pin is for what (ie. ground, 5V, and etc), so you need to figure each one of them out individually.

Mutimedia Sound Device was detected by Windows XP, and I installed C-Media sound driver from ECS website without any problem. (Infact, it even came with a driver CD with Yamaha XG in it) After a reboot, I got a volume control and everything. I put in a audio CD and Media Player starts playing with the equalizer visually showing the tune. No sound, of course. From this, I feel that I might get the sound if I connect a sound output to the on-board front panel sound connection or solder on an audio connector from a dead motherboard. Let's see.

I updated the BIOS to the latest one which I could find on ECS website (stpn21d.bin), and it worked out fine (exactly 1 year newer than the old one).

The I/O panel which came with the NetVista has a fairly similar layout as the I/O connections on the board. You can make it fit very well by making two holes for video and S-video outs and making the top USB port bigger for the LAN connection. A little Dremel work should take care of them pretty nicely.

I have not got to connecting it to a TV yet, so I don't know about the quality of TV out. I will try to do that tomorrow.

 

[TechDreamer]

fxsts -

I was wondering what you mean by, "I might get the sound if I connect a sound output to the on-board front panel sound connection". Are you saying there are something like header pins for hooking up a cable? I was also wondering if you have a part number or model number for that NetVista case? I saw the case on E-Bay, but there was no info really given for it. I tried Google and the IBM website, but NetVista is a generic name for so many products. Thanks...