A Tiny Side Project, and I mean TINY

Saw that PicoITX review, pretty mediocre. If they just used the Sandra defaults, this system is around 25% faster overall in the benches. Wish they went a bit more in depth.

Well, the 40mm fan I was using died tonight. Apparently it didn't like 5 volts.

So now I'm searching for 10mm fans that are under 28dBa while considering changing heatsinks and rebending the top. Also wondering if the mesh is a bit too small for good airflow.

Shmuckety, there is actually a sorta-standard for Pentium-M coolers that most embedded boards use. I've bought replacements from Newegg, even. My issue is that those are made for socketed systems, and this board has the CPU soldered onboard. It has the hole pattern for the heatsink, but chances are the heatsink won't touch the core when installed. I've got one to try, just haven't gotten that far. The northbridge is easy, has a standard hole pattern for chipsets.

Hoping I won't have to go this route, but I think my best option is going to be a pair of 40mm x 10mm fans with holes cut through the mesh and grills on top. Not the most elegant thing, but it would allow me to use quiet, lower cfm fans that won't be fighting to pull air through the mesh.

I do kind of wonder why I'm obsessing about temperatures that are actually just fine according to the data sheets for board and CPU.
 
That's how it is with modding. When you think you are done you find something else to change.
 
for the sound quality issue, you could always get one with a pcmcia slot and just use a pcmcia SB audigy card. or just use the one minipci card with the alc650 and enable digital out! use your own d/a board or run it dirrect to your radio if you have one of those avic/dvd-nav systems

for the heat related.. just use a smaller fan, run it at 7v and put it anywhere near the side of the heatsink blowing across it, im sure it may not look perfect but it should help (use some clear plastic from the vacume form/clam shell retail packaging to make simple ducting too ;)

edit : not to mention wireless cards dont like to operate over certain temps. they may work, but will have greatly decreased signal and if your unlucky decreased life!
 
omegatotal said:
for the heat related.. just use a smaller fan, run it at 7v and put it anywhere near the side of the heatsink blowing across it, im sure it may not look perfect but it should help (use some clear plastic from the vacume form/clam shell retail packaging to make simple ducting too ;)

edit : not to mention wireless cards dont like to operate over certain temps. they may work, but will have greatly decreased signal and if your unlucky decreased life!
Click to expand...

Considering I was already using a 40mm x 10mm fan, there's not much smaller that I can go. I've got a pair of what are supposed to be quiet 40mm x 10mm fans coming now. Going to mount them to the mesh cover with cut-outs and fan grills. One will be over the CPU on the heatsink, the other will end up over the wireless card and should help to cool the northbridge edge of the heatsink as well. Both will be intake, leaving the rest of the cover for exhaust.

Played with some other temp reading software, but comparing the readings to what I can physcially feel, I don't think they're too accurate. Part of the problem I'm having with accurately measuring CPU temp comes from the heatsink also contacting the mosfets near the CPU. Good design, but they really seem to be skewing the perceived CPU temps.
 
coolies! might want to cut some clear plastic to mount around the fans so that they dont recirculate the heated air, and that way it exhausts out the side
 
Again, larger fans are quieter.
If you are not happy with your (2)40x10mm find a 60x10 or even an 80x10.

Oh, and post new pics!
 
80mm won't fit, there just isn't enough room. 60mm would barely fit, but while I've found 10mm fans none of them could be considered quiet. Anything over 28dBa isn't acceptable to me. Besides, with the two 40mm fans I can get some symmetry in the design. A single offset fan grill would look award.

I've added power and HD activity LEDs as well as a power and reset button. Those two are larger than I wanted, but they were 1.) matching and 2.) free from my parts box. They also go well with the 1970's-radio-shack-electronics-project look this project unintentionally developed. I'll snap some pictures when I get a chance.
 
Most laptop CPU coolers use spring-loaded screws. I'd still try it, as the springs are meant to push it down correctly, even on the CPUs that are mounted without the socket.
 
The problem with any of the MODT heatsinks is that while they have springs, they also have a backplate that it screws onto. Not all the backplates have threads all the way through, so the screws only go in a certain length. Remove the socket and the screws are suddenly 1/8" or so longer. Depending on the spring, that may not give enough compression to hold the cooler on correctly.
 
Some final pics after a few fixes.

-Added power and reset buttons from the parts bin
-Added power and HD activity LEDs, also from the parts box
-Added two quiet 40mm cooling fans. Originally planned on just cutting round holes, but decided to make it easier on myself and just do a square cutout. Doesn't make much difference in looks, at least not to me.
-Added rubber feet, only to find out that when the mesh cover is in place the body of the case is a bit warped. Not sure how that happened.

Anyway, it's complete. Enjoy the last pics.

teeny14.jpg

teeny15.jpg

teeny16.jpg
 
Would it have been possible to use a single 80mm fan instead? I imagine those little fans might be quite whiny.
 
Not easily. The space between mesh and case is only 10mm, so it would have to be a very thin fan to fit. With the cut out it would theoretically work, but there would be no place to fasten it except onto the mesh and I know I wouldn't like the way that looks. I'm annoyed enough by the fan grills, I'd probably go psychotic with an inch of fan sticking out the top.

The two 40mm fans are actually very quiet, the hard drive makes more noise than they do. I don't need much airflow to keep things cool so I was able to use lower RPM and much quieter than average fans. I could have gotten by with only one, but I had two and this way I also get more airflow over the mini-PCI area.
 
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