Better hurry, Refurb Shuttle MN31N NF2 IGP MCP-T $35

SJetski71

SJetski71

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Sep 6, 2002
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**Edit** Pricedrop, Now $30

Deal Dead

Shuttle's SPDIF/optical bracket deemed compatible by Newegg reviewers:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=56-101-901&depa=0

Here's a very feature filled SPDIF/optical bracket here

Check ebay member "pc-upgrade" for an MSI accessory kit including SPDIF for only $11 shipped.

Double edit: Here are a few random SPDIF/optical brackets to encode your dvd's in some Dolby goodness:
http://www.censuspc.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=C&Category_Code=MBA001

Triple Edit: Vga > S-video & RCA adapter for $4.99
http://www.cable123.com/product_info.php?products_id=460

Edit again: 12-Ft Combo Composite+Toslink Cable $9.97 @ RatShack
http://www.radioshack.com/product.a..._003_010_003_002&product_id=15-1593&hp=search

Once more: Official shuttle distributor page:
http://us.shuttle.com/retailers.asp
 
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holy crap that looks like a good price to me! I'm tempted to buy one to make a HTPC...
 
MATTRESS said:
holy crap that looks like a good price to me! I'm tempted to buy one to make a HTPC...
Click to expand...
Currently one of the best for an htpc imho. Its pretty rare to get an MATX with an mcp-t southbridge and the goodness it brings; firewire, Soundstorm etc etc. You can even oc via fsb increments, but it lacks voltage/mulitplier options for an insane oc. With other deals on this forum a person can scrape together a powerful htpc for pennies on the dollar.

Also remember that mobo hot deals are among the rarest (buy now, hint hint)
 
Dag nabbit - now I'm gonna have to build an HTPC... :D

Ordered! Only $1 shipping = Egg Ownage!

edit: Looking at reviews, one thing I found was that there is no voltage adjustment and no locked AGP divider in the BIOS, though there is complete FSB from 100MHz up to 200MHz and you can set your own memory timings. So, it's a mixed bag when it comes to overclocking features. However, it does perform as well as all the full-sized NForce2 boards at whatever speed you can get it to.

second edit: I read in a review a few things worth mentioning: "Do yourself a flavor if you're running the onboard video: Before installation remove the northbridge heatsink and add a tiny bit more thermal paste....shuttle hardly puts any on. Adding a heatsink to the southbridge might help but "usually" isn't necessary if its under 50c. Disable the firewire via bios if you're not going to use it... you're system will boot faster. Disable "DRAM Auto-Precharge" via BIOS if you're system is unstable for whatever reason."

third edit (woah, lots of editing): Your Research in a Can (reviews): OC WorkBench, Hexus, T-Break, Hardware Zone, and NewEgg Customer Reviews.

Also, if you're game, you can Alter Your Processor's Default Voltage and Multiplier Manually to get the most out of your processor. This is an easy mod - just take a thin thread of copper wire (a single strand from an old IDE cable, for instance), create a tiny "U", and drop it into the correct socket holes. Who needs unlocked multi's and vcore in BIOS? ;)

-SEAL
 
This looks pretty plan, only goodies are nic. No sound storm, no optical out, no firewire, no sata.
 
nightanole said:
This looks pretty plan, only goodies are nic. No sound storm, no optical out, no firewire, no sata.
Click to expand...

Courtesy of [H]ard|OCP, "The MCP-T carries the SoundStorm features, while the MCP does not." This mobo has the MCP-T, and thus has SoundStorm. Also, this board does have firewire connections, just not on the back panel, so you'd need to purchase the cabling to hook it up if you were going to use it. True, no SATA or optical out, but you can't beat the price with a stick.

BTW, the price just dropped to $30!

-SEAL
 
dandragonrage said:
Where can you find cheap IO shields for these refurb mobos?
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Luckily, this one looks standard. I've reattached the pop-out ATX plates from cases when I bought refurb boards with standard layouts.

I wouldn't buy one, but I know Fry's sells those. Maybe you could dumpster dive behind a computer shop to find some of those throwaway pop out ones?
 
dandragonrage said:
USB/RJ45 are in wrong place on this
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oops, looking at it upside down confused me... you're right.

<-dyslexic

I ruled out buying it anyways... my last newegg refurb board died after a month and it came completely plain.
 
I don't think I'm going to either. My last one was DOA and IIRC they charged a restocking fee for not having any more.
 
SEALTeamSix said:
True, no SATA or optical out, but you can't beat the price with a stick.

BTW, the price just dropped to $30!

-SEAL
Click to expand...
It would have optical out with the correct adapter. You may even have one lying around from another mobo.

I hate when the price drops a few hours after purchasing :(
 
DAMNIT!

I ordered a new board Wednesday night.
I got a refurb Biostar M7NCG 400 for $35.
Oh well, at least I have 400mhz FSB on my new mobo and a 3 port 1394 card.
The integrated geforce 4 MX on these boards, is this comparable to an MX 440, 420, or not comparable?
 
got one, says clearly it's the MPC-T , so we'll see. I saved the web page just in case. THX!
 
Now wade a min. I thought sound storm was a certification, that very few mobos had it (nf7-s was the only kid on the block for a while), and one of the certs was dolby dig encoding/in/out.

http://www.nvidia.com/object/feature_soundstorm.html

If you look on the cert site, shuttles only cert is for an nforce3 mobo.

http://www.nvidia.com/object/motherboards.html#nf3_shuttle

Maybe this mobo has the apu since its mpc -t, and some of the goodies are dissabled and the audio97 takes over? Not arguiing or anything, i just want to clear this up before someone buys this, and finds its just a audio97 board even if it has the mpc-t and it cant do dobly encoding or other neat features of the sound storm.
 
you got me all excited.. i thought this was a shuttle box..

man. jeez..

*feels his heart racing*
 
this seems quite interesting. What's a HTPC btw? I am thinking of building a micro atx computer and I already have a barton 2500+. What kind of case is good for this mobo btw
 
nightanole said:
Now wade a min. I thought sound storm was a certification, that very few mobos had it (nf7-s was the only kid on the block for a while), and one of the certs was dolby dig encoding/in/out.

http://www.nvidia.com/object/feature_soundstorm.html

If you look on the cert site, shuttles only cert is for an nforce3 mobo.

http://www.nvidia.com/object/motherboards.html#nf3_shuttle

Maybe this mobo has the apu since its mpc -t, and some of the goodies are dissabled and the audio97 takes over? Not arguiing or anything, i just want to clear this up before someone buys this, and finds its just a audio97 board even if it has the mpc-t and it cant do dobly encoding or other neat features of the sound storm.
Click to expand...
The only thing the shuttle mn31n is missing for true official "Soundstorm" is the spdif bracket (hah!) and an official blessing from Nvidia. Fear not young jedi, the mn31n will encode your dvd/music in Dolby digital just as well as the nf7-s (with that bracket). I have my current mn31n hooked up to home home stereo via some optical bracket i had lying around. Let me try to figure out what make it is to save some potential headaches for everyone here (msi?)

edit: here's a link to various optical brackets:
http://www.censuspc.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=C&Category_Code=MBA001
 
Veeb0rg said:
you got me all excited.. i thought this was a shuttle box..

man. jeez..

*feels his heart racing*
Click to expand...
Just admit that you love that feeling, heart racing, hands trembling, all those typos...............ahhhhh

Just bought another one for a total of two. I couldn't resist the cheap price + i need a home for all these dam XP cpu's lying around. I may just sell them off to friends (as used boxes) just to get rid of spare parts and to recoup some cash.

infin|ty said:
this seems quite interesting. What's a HTPC btw? I am thinking of building a micro atx computer and I already have a barton 2500+. What kind of case is good for this mobo btw
Click to expand...
Check out Toyoda's link above. That case is getting great reviews & having a nice psu is the icing on the cake.
 
What's the best route to go when using this mobo to make an HTPC? It has no onboard S-video out so what would you guys suggest for getting video on a TV screen?
 
eabandit said:
What's the best route to go when using this mobo to make an HTPC? It has no onboard S-video out so what would you guys suggest for getting video on a TV screen?
Click to expand...
I would guess a tv-card or some video card w/tv-out. It all depends on your particular needs and circumstances; this mobo may or may not be the right choice for a every setup since it does not have a built in tv-out header. It's strengths lie elsewhere as SealTeamSix clearly explained above.

Does anybody know offhand of a decent place that sells Vga>Tv-out/Svideo adapters ?

Edit: Bam! Here's a Vga>>Tv-out & RCA adapter for $4.99!
http://www.cable123.com/product_info.php?products_id=460
Out comes the plastic again :( (2) this is cheap! :)
 
Well i bit the bullet and ordered. I figure for $200 i can have a pvr that the videos can be exported to dvd. Just get one of those wmce mpg2 encoder cards for $70 and your ready. Figure $40 for 256mb ram, get a hd with some rebates ( i got one already) get a case for $24-100, get a cpu (mpg3 cards only require 800mhz, so ANY cpu will work). I have a stock amd heatsink that ill lap a little and put a 80mm fan on( its that or get another $17 free shipping copper, but hell thats more then the chip). I really want a iddy biddy case now that i have a matx, now i just gota find one cheap with good reviews. So far all the good review cases are only a inch shorter then a med tower or cost $100 or more :(
 
nightanole said:
Just get one of those wmce mpg2 encoder cards for $70 and your ready.
Click to expand...

I would need a second opinion, but that sounds awfully expensive for a (hesitate to say here) capture card. You could get one that does the same thing for $40.

Also, I just checked out the warranty information, and based on the dates of the reviews SealTeamSix showed us, I think you're very unlikely to get any sort of support from Shuttle. :(
 
I have a feeling that cable just connects R, G, and B together, possibly (hopefully) with some inline resistors..... But I don't think that is a good way to do it, or we'd see more of those cables.... Let me know how it works when you get it.
 
Sold out.

Who here thinks newegg actually oversold this one? It has been rumored that newegg will send a new-in-box item to fill a refurb order (HD's)

Crosses fingers for two good mobo's. Gonna stability test mine the day they come,
 
SJetski71 said:
Sold out.

Who here thinks newegg actually oversold this one? It has been rumored that newegg will send a new-in-box item to fill a refurb order (HD's)

Crosses fingers for two good mobo's. Gonna stability test mine the day they come,
Click to expand...

I'd like a new in-box item, otherwise I need to buy an I/O plate. If you look at some of the reviews for refurbished shuttle SFFs, they all say "I got my item new in box with all the accessories, with some fingerprints on the front." Maybe we'll get some NIB mobos. :)
 
lorcani said:
I'd like a new in-box item, otherwise I need to buy an I/O plate. If you look at some of the reviews for refurbished shuttle SFFs, they all say "I got my item new in box with all the accessories, with some fingerprints on the front." Maybe we'll get some NIB mobos. :)
Click to expand...

crap, i forgot the I/O plate

I hope mine comes with one.

I already have a TV tuner i bought not too long ago, will this work? I have it in my main rig just to watch TV.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-122-132&depa=0

I actually have a Athlon XP 1800+, would it be worth it to upgrade to a 2500?

Now I just need to wait for a hard drive deal...
 
Crap I just bought this motherboard + the extra components I need for the computer. The IO plate is the plate on the back of the computer where the mobo slips into right? Where the onboard stuff plugs in? I forgot to get one of these I/O plates, am I screwed? And can I get a link from newegg for where I can find them?
 
I was looking for those too, infinity. You don't NEED one, but they are definitely a good thing to have. Hey, you can always be SUPER lazy and use duct tape :D -- but if anyone knows a good place to get them, please let us all know.
 
Mono/stereo only matters if you use the TV tuner. If you use composite/S-Video, you just connect the audio straight to your soundcard anyway.
 
dandragonrage said:
I was looking for those too, infinity. You don't NEED one, but they are definitely a good thing to have. Hey, you can always be SUPER lazy and use duct tape :D -- but if anyone knows a good place to get them, please let us all know.
Click to expand...

What I'd try first to asking Shuttle to send one. Since they have dual VGA-out and the USB RJ-45 are in the wrong place, it's a non-standard plug. If they charge you, it won't be much. :)
 
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