Shuttle SN41G2: Power Supply Query

[Fionavar]

I need some advice before I make the move to SFF. The only issue for me as I see it for my needs is the stability of the PSU with add-ons - like my Radeon 9700 and DVD-Combo Samsung drive. According to the FiringSquad Guide the 12v is all important and the SFF PSU on the SN41G2 12v only reaches 10A. Not enough according to my math to run RAM/XP 2600/1 GIG PC2700/3 fans/Optical Drive in any stable manner. But according to all of the reviews, the 9700 has been benched rather well. So could someone explain this to me? I do not want to got to the SFF if power stability may be an issue, but according to the reviews it is not. I have checked here and @ Sudhian before posting, but I have found nothing that really addresses this questiont hat I know many others share, so any explanation - pro or con will help me determine whether SFF is mature enough for me to make the move.

 

[specktre]

my friend has a thunderbird 1.33 a geforce 4 ti4400 512 pc2100 dvd reader cd-r/w in his S41G or what ever the via kl133, and amd XPC is. and it has had no stability problems whatso ever just get the XPC and it will be fine.

 

[Fionavar]

specktre,

What have his temps been like - and what about sound? Less/more than a regular ATX Tower?

 

[drG]

Hi Fionavar,

Here are the results of my fan mod benchmarks, not amd I know but should give you or others an idea anyways of XPC temps.

First of all I ran some benchmarks, 3dmark, codecreatures & then 1.5hrs of Prime95 to get an idea of my temps @idle & then @load. Temps taken with MBM5.2.1

I cut out the stamped exhaust vent in the back of my ss51 with some side(diagonal)cutters & replaced it with a standard 80mm wire grill, removed the stock fan & installed a CoolerMaster SAF-B82 case fan. This fan runs @2000rpm in the Shuttle normally & maxes out @ 2700rpm, as opposed to the stock fan which runs @ 2200rpm & maxes @3500rpm or so.

On to the PSU. I read Ultim8pc's PSU mod guide & set out to find a quieter 40mm fan for the PSU. I ended up using a Circuit-Test CFA124010MS fan as it was readily available @ my local (Vancouver) electronics supply store. I cut out the PSU fan grill & installed the new fan, pretty uneventful.

I threw in some Vantec one device rounded ide cables, a 10in. & an 18in. to complete the mod.

Put it all back together & ran some more benchmarks.

Before mods:
@idle Sys:36 CPU:46 PSU:34
@load Sys:42 CPU:63 PSU:42

After mods:
@idle Sys:33 CPU:45 PSU:32
@load Sys:39 CPU:59 PSU:39

Average temps under normal use: (browser with many windows(tabs) open (AvantBrowser), winamp, trillian, word, MBM, @Guard, Chameleon Clock, Remote desktop connection to server...) Sys:35 CPU:46 PSU:34

As you can see, the temps dropped nicely, especially @load. The sweetest part though is that the fan noise has been cut in half, if not more. The only sound from the shuttle now is a mellow rush of air. All-in-all, excellent results, considering that both the fans are running slower than the stock ones.

p.s. I 7-volt modded the fan on the Albatron the other day & its even quieter now. In my quest for almost complete silence though, I'm going to find a nice DC toggle switch & mount it on the case so I can turn the video fan off completely when I'm not gaming.

My XPC has been rock solid so far, it runs 24/7...No issues at all with heat or instability in 2 months of continuous operation & I think this would be the opinion of the majority of the folks at Sudhian

Cheers,
Rob

 

[Fionavar]

I have also posted there - and to be honest no one seems to have flushed out this topic anywhere as thoroughly as I would have suspected. Many people have asked the same questions, but no one seems to know the answers :?

 

[drG]

you snuck in while I was in the middle of an edit. Quite a few folks seem to be running 9700's, dual hdds... in their xpcs with no probs though.

btw, have you ever tried burning a bin/cue with your samsung combo drive, I'm on my second one now, first went back for vibration probs, & both would finish the burn successfully but the disk would be unreadable. It burns isos & cloneCD images without a problem though.

Cheers

 

[Fionavar]

To be honest drG, I do not yet have the combo drive - it its the one I am considering if I go to the SFF. The reviews have all been great except for the Mt Rainier complaint. I am also looking at the new Xaser III 2000A that just got announced and if that is the case I will go with the Yamaha CRW-F1 and the DVD/CD-ROM from Samsung.

I know that all of those reviews say they have run the SN41G2 with a 9700 and HDD and that is what confuses me and that is why I am looking for an explanation. I want to understand what makes the differences in the FlexPSU of an SFF vs a normal ATX PSU. I know that people have mentioned - the AnandTech reviews does too - cleaner signal, but I am not sure how that makes it different. All I want is an explanation as to the difference - something I seem unable to find . . .