Replacement computer options/ideas?

[Joseph Sinclair]

I've been replacing desktop computers for a lot of people with Atom-based nettops running Linux lately.
The dual-core Atom chips (original 330, or the new D510) are absolutely wonderful for general day-to-day tasks.
They're VERY low power as well, so the system generates less heat overall and runs more quietly (fewer fans running slower, or no fans at all).

I recently installed a (slightly older/cheaper) Zotac MAG Atom 330 ION unit with a 160GB magnetic drive ($299 on newegg) for my uncle who lives in a crowded and minimally cooled 1-bd apartment; It's working great fanless hooked to his 23" 1080P HDTV via HDMI (he wanted to be able to use the monitor as a TV most of the time, since he doesn't use the computer much).

The newer Zotac ZBox with the D510 chip[1] includes ION2 video for 1080p video support, and a barebones kit is under $250 on newegg[3].  There's also an AMD Neo[2] with Radeon 3200 if you prefer AMD, but I'm not sure where to buy it.
Add a 32GB SSD from OCZ[4] ($85) and a single 4GB[5] ($175) or 2GB[6] ($55) DDR2-800 SODIMM, and you're up and running cool-and-quiet for as little as $390 ($515 with 4G RAM, more if you choose a bigger SSD) (Note, the machine only has 1 RAM slot, so only buy a SINGLE stick, not a paired set).
The whole system is designed fanless, and works great as long as the room temp stays below 85(F) when it's running (higher is OK when it's off).  If you're using it in an environment hotter than that, you'll need to get a more industrial-class system.
Startup is about 90 seconds for Kubuntu 10.04, and around 45 seconds for Xubuntu 10.04; lighter O/S options may be much faster.

You'll want a separate external drive or NAS for data storage, the box has lots of USB ports and an e-SATA port for that purpose.
A 2TB external USB drive is under $150 most places.


[1] http://www.zotacusa.com/zotac-zboxhd-id11-u-intel-atom-d510-1-66-ghz-dual-core-all-in-one-mini-pc.html
[2] http://www.zotacusa.com/zotac-zbox-zboxhd-ad01-u-amd-athlon-neo-x2-l325-1-5-ghz-dual-core-all-in-one-mini-pc.html
[3] http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856173005
[4] http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227510
[5] http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148288
[6] http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148162

joe at actionline.com wrote:
> Last Friday, my main computer crashed -- a victim of overheating.
> 
> Apparently, I had a few warning signs over the past few days that I did
> not recognize as such.  The keyboard would quit working with the last two
> of the three lights labeled "1" - "A" - "(down-arrow)" on the upper right
> corner of the keyboard blinking.  The first light "1" was lit when the
> numlock key was on, but I never did know what the other two lights were
> for.
> 
> In any case, the only way I found to restore the keyboard was to reboot.
> I should have posted a note to PLUG about this, and perhaps could have
> avoided the crash/disaster.  But ... oh well ... c'est la vie.
> 
> Fortunately, the hard drives are okay and my data is safe.
> 
> But now the question arises, what to get as a replacement computer.
> 
> The box that failed had a 750-watt power supply (seems rather excessive).
> 
> As a temporary measure, I bought a little HP mini-tower off of Craig's
> list for $175 (1 gig ram, 175-gig hd) on which I've installed the newest
> version (10.1) of my distro of choice: PCLinuxOS.  It is very fast and
> runs very cool, I think because it has a very low-wattage power supply. 
> I'm actually setting this up as a small desk unit for my wife to replace
> her old windows box that she rarely uses any more since I got her an IBM
> Thinkpad running PCLinux. She now likes Linux better ... yes!
> 
> So, after all that too-long-winded explanation ... back to the original
> question.  I'm looking for ideas/suggestions for a replacement desk unit.
> I don't see any need for the latest and greatest high-powered unit.  I
> just want strong, reliable, low-heat, low-power consumption (I think).
> 
> So what does the collective PLUG wisdom suggest?
> 
> 
> 
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