Possible ideas for a new box?

[Joseph Sinclair]

I read a few conflicting requirements below, bear with me as I try to clarify:
1) 8G RAM minimum
2) Quad-core high-speed CPU
3) 1TB HDD
4) overclocked?  you talk about heat problems, which implies overclocking, since stock fans are usually ample for stock clocks.
5) Desktop case

Then you start conflicts:
1) <150W PSU (high-speed quad core CPU's require over 150W just for the CPU, a 500W PSU is a minimum requirement due to split-rail power distribution, and for Core i7 750W is pretty much minimum).
2) ITX board; these don't support high-speed quad core CPU's, and most can't handle more than 2-4G RAM.
3) mini case; you can't usually stuff a high-speed MB in these and still get decent cooling, if you can fit a high-speed MB in at all.

I'm going to assume you either want 2 different machines, or the first 5 requirements are the primary requirements and the conflicting 3 are wish-list.

Machine 1 (high-speed for compilation/burnin)
  Avoid the small boxes, they don't support the kind of load you're asking for.
  Look into System76(http://system76.com/) or EightVirtues (http://www.eightvirtues.com/ev900.html) for a fully-built pre-configured system.
  For a home-build, the Antec cases are nice, easy to work in and lots of room, an MSI motherboard with socket AM3 is a good choice for AMD chips.

Machine 2 (slower day-to-day box; low-power).
  For this, nothing beats a nettop.  You can get <30W total system load and plenty of power for daily tasks.
  System76 has a pair of nettops which run the dual-core hyper-threaded Atom 330 and the Ion-based one allows up to 4G RAM for <$500.  The 945-based nettop only allows 2G RAM, but it's available for <$400.


GK wrote:
> Hey all Happy New Years. 
> 
> Besides family I think the thing I miss the most is PLUG. MN was good,
> TN is okay but I'm sorry they aren't your calibre.
> 
> Hopefully before tax time and I have to move soon (Feb.) I want to get a
> box for compiling mainly and that can handle burnin typ testing. A
> laptop/netbook can't handle that load IMHO. A desktop is going to have
> to be the route because I can fix the heat problem with fans easily.
> 
> I want to jump into 64 bit userland, if I couldn't get an AMD quad core
> at least get a minimum. 8-16 gb RAM, ya I'm a RAM hog, but i LOVE it!
> Min. 1TB hdd maybe an ssd kicker just for the os. I run Arch/Slack and
> want to delve further into them or add LFS. Monitor really doesn't
> matter because I can ssh in or get a cheap lcd from Goodwill. BUT the
> thing I want the most is being "green" ie, I don't want 500>W of PSU on
> this box making my electric go really fast round and round. Below 150W
> for the PSU with operating at 60W is optimum. I don't care about a GPU,
> onboard is more than sufficient.
> 
> I've run shuttles and like them, I've looked at the itx/atx boards and
> besides RAM, CPU, PSU, and storage... it will have to boot from an
> external DVD-ROM or even USB flashie itself. The smallest cases I see in
> retail is like the HP/DELL minis, or the Windows Media Ctr.... I saw a
> kick ass "Wyte" box... it was basically a thin client connected to their
> mainframes/servers. The thing with ITX was the boards are $300 and so
> are the cases!
> 
> Is there any thing I'm missing? I really can't think of any things.
> Experiences, good and bad are more than welcome so I can feel my way
> through. I love teh asus barebones from newegg, but it may look like
> Shuttle is going to win out again.....
> 
> VampirePenguin

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