APEX MI-008 (New Build)

E

Ethan

Weaksauce
Joined
Nov 25, 2009
Messages
66
Hello,

I don't post here much, just kind of consume what everyone rights. However, I plan to build the absolute smallest computer I can for travel purposes, and just space really. The case I plan to use is an APEX MI-008 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811154091) One of my friends was playing CS:S on a Core i7 2600K, with the Intel HD 3000, and was getting 200+ frames. Since CS:S is the ONLY game I play, I play competitively and travel to LANs, this is the only thing this computer needs to run. I will be decoding BD movies hopefully, but I know the i7 2600K will do that fine.

My question is, which CPU coolers could fit in this case? It doesn't look like there is much clearance from the PSU to the CPU. I am thinking an AXP140 won't fit, but maybe passively? Would it be a good thing to passively cool an i7 2600K?

Which CPU cooler would you guys recommend?

I plan to purchase the SeaSonic 350w SFX PSU as well. Down the line if I am not getting the frames I expected, I will add a single slot GTS 450, and that will definitely give me my FPS. :p

Like I said before, I just play CS:S, nothing else.

HELP ME!?

Thanks,
Ethan Nixon
 
not a chance the AXP-140 will fit. stock cooler barely fits with the PSU there. although, you can get another PSU and move it to the front area to fit a larger cooler. running passive is hard in a case this small
 
By the time you have spent on the case and then on the PSU you would have bought an SG05 and have a decent PSU along with it.

That being said. I have this case on an HTPC and on a Home Server. It kinda sucks.... It's decent but it's not gonna be running your CPU cool (my AMD zacate board idles at 60c! with a 120mm intake fan)

Some things you could do is to move the PSU up front under the drive tray (some cutting involved trimming the tray and adding a mesh underneath the PSU there is a post about that here somewhere). That way you could fit a decent cooler. You could also go for a Samuel17 with a Scythe slipstream, I think that might fit.

You have a valid reason for the 2600k with an H67 board since you plan to use the IGP and onlly the K version has the HD3000. That said, you won't be overclocking with an H67 board and even on a z68 board you won't be overclocking in this case (overcooking maybe :D). Maybe a better choice is an Antec ISK100? it's smaller and should power your components and keep the CPU cool, no expansion slot though.

In the end the Silverstone SG05 is the better choice IMHO, you can fit the same components, a decent cooler and a dual slot GPU for 15% more height with better temps and roughly the same price than your MI-008 + Seasonic PSU combo
 
Ethan said:
Hello,

I don't post here much, just kind of consume what everyone rights. However, I plan to build the absolute smallest computer I can for travel purposes, and just space really. The case I plan to use is an APEX MI-008 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811154091)
Click to expand...
Very nice looking case, I have one with a Zotac GF9300 WiFI, Intel dual core E3200, and a fanless ECS 8400GS (it has the S-Video that my wife needs to watch the PC on our old CRT TV); the case is cooled by a Scythe SlipStream 12cm on the side and the CPU with a Xigmatek Apache with fan @minimum speed. I just dropped the ALLIED PSU and switched with a 80W Pico.
It's a tight fit but, if you want run anything more than Atom, you need to move the PSU from the top of the CPU to have a decent cooling . A PSU on the front of the case is a good idea, I agree with fr500;).
It would be very interesting if you could place a AXP-140...:eek:
Without the PSU, you should be able to put it, but I'm concerned about the 3.5" cage, that could hit the cooler...

Ethan said:
One of my friends was playing CS:S on a Core i7 2600K, with the Intel HD 3000, and was getting 200+ frames. Since CS:S is the ONLY game I play, I play competitively and travel to LANs, this is the only thing this computer needs to run. I will be decoding BD movies hopefully, but I know the i7 2600K will do that fine.
Click to expand...

Then, DON'T PUT A VIDEOCARD!!!
Your temperatures will be WAY lower!!!
The integrated HD3000 is good, and you can put another 12cm fan on this side, as an exhaust. Reading the reviews on the Egg, it seems that the MI-008 has a 12cm fan grille now on this side... If not, cut it and put a fan.

Ethan said:
My question is, which CPU coolers could fit in this case? It doesn't look like there is much clearance from the PSU to the CPU. I am thinking an AXP140 won't fit, but maybe passively? Would it be a good thing to passively cool an i7 2600K?
Click to expand...
The AXP-140 would be fantastic... Check the clearance, though.
Even without fan it is 70.2mm tall, so the PSU must go elsewhere anyway.
Anyways, passive cooling and 2600K is too much in this case, even if at stock frequencies.
Have you seen this SCYTHE Kozuti? It's 40mm tall and you can keep the PSU in place. Dunno about performance.
Ethan said:
Which CPU cooler would you guys recommend?
Click to expand...
AXP-140, but triple check clearances:rolleyes:
 
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Oh hey mascot :p

fr500 summed it up nicely. Putting a 2600k in that case wouldn't be very good unless you moved the PSU up front to allow a bigger cooler.

But as mentioned before, SG-05 will give you a better PSU and two expansion slots. I've had an SG-05 setup for half a year and took it to a lan. MUCH less of a hassle than hauling even an mATX pc in and out. If you're stuck on the Apex case though and were to upgrade the GPU, then you'd want the xfx 5770 single slot instead of the gts450. It's a much more solid card(and I believe it costs less).Since Source is the only game you play(and you play it at low res with an fps config, I think), then the 2600k should handle that pretty well by itself.

I think your real dilemma is to determine for sure whether or not you'll be upgrading the GPU, and from there you decide what case you want. If yes, then get an SG-05 or similar case. If not, then go for a super compact case.
 
I agree with h500, the SG05 is much better package thinking of the future if you decide to go the route of the dedicated gpu, another option is also lian li Q07, but will end up more expensive as it doesn't come with PSU, but will be able to fit a Thermalright AXP140 + ATX PSU.

But if you want to build it on MI 008 still, i would check the following coolers,

Scythe Big SHURIKEN Low Profile
Scythe Kozuti Low Profile (40mm Height).
 
I don't think a nice aluminum case like the Q07 will be good for traveling, it's delicate... nicer looking of course but delicate.

By the time you buy the q07 + PSU or mod the MI-008 you'd have spent more than the SG06BB I guess
 
Haha, what's up Rampage?

Good suggestions all around, but SG05/06 is out of the question. It has nothing to do with financials or space or anything, I want to be able to put this computer in a book bag.

Also, my friend was wrong, the computer he played CS:S on in Best Buy was using the
HD2000!!!!! So, I won't be upgrading the GPU, because I literally haven't installed a single game on my PC, besides CS:S, since like 2008.

About how much wattage would I need to FULLY power a 2600K, 1x SSD, 4GBish RAM, 1x BD Drive?

I will look again at cases, but I want something TINY!

What about a setup like this?
http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1037106090&postcount=540

That looks like a nice Scythe in there, and the case looks small enough to put inside of a back pack. :p
 
you're not really going to find any decent mainstream cases that are smaller than the MI-008. SG05/06 is a good case and has decent cooling, but it's even bigger. Antec ISK is a good choice, it's more slim than the other two, but it's also longer.

i had a hard time choosing a case for my build also, and i wasn't satisfied with any of them because they were all too big. after about a week of doing research on non-mainstream cases, i finally found the Evercase E0528 that i could use to travel every weekend. it's about half the size of the SG-05, and much smaller than the antec ISK 300 series. since you mentioned you play competitive CS, they game at really low res, correct? you said sandy bridge HD2000 IGP is good enough, so i think if you built with a i5-2500K, you get the HD3000 IGP, which is even better. with that Evercase case, you won't need any dedicated GPU, but it has an option to add a single-slot low profile card in later if you decide later you want something faster than HD3000 IGP. something like a HD5570 would be a lot faster that could fit in that slot. it also comes stock with a 170w PSU. check out my build on that case to see if it's small enough for you. it's build #3:

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1605059
 
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I have the mi008 for my htpc and love it.
HD 3000 IGPU should do you fine for CSS.
but I would plan the build So you could upgrade to both a new power supply and dedicated card at a later date, that said

I would use a pico psu, allows coolers and is smaller, more efficient, and you can upgrade to a nice sff PSU if you upgrade to a dedicated card later

If you want to use a hdd or 120x25mm fan next to the motherboard you should plan on getting a mobo with the 24pin on the "right" (in a normal atx layout) side of the board next to the ram slots, as opposed to the top of the board because the pico psu will interfere with the hdd/120mm fan. both the asus boards and the soon to be released ecs h67 board would work for this.

Cooling Id recommend the scythe shuriken rev.b It fits the case without any mods needing to be done, would work with the stock PSU, and allows for a dedicated gpu. and it cools very well, and its cheap!
 
The ISK300-150 / 310-150 could do it for you with the stock intel HSF or a shuriken rev.B or a prolimatech samuel.

You also get one low profile slot for a decent GPU upgrade along the road (ati 6670 I think could fit)
 
Nothing much haha. Been lurking around SFF forums every now and then. I saw your name and I'm like WAIT I KNOW WHO THAT IS lol.

Anyways I think the Antec 310 is a good choice but i just dislike that awkward plate/brace sitting right over the cooler. Another option is the APEVIA X-FIT-100, but you're limited to either a Samuel 17 or perhaps the new Scythe Kozuti since the case is only 3 inches tall.
 
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fr500 said:
I don't think a nice aluminum case like the Q07 will be good for traveling, it's delicate... nicer looking of course but delicate.
Click to expand...

The only aluminum is the trim on the plastic face plate. Otherwise, the SG07 chassis is made of SECC (steel).

Ethan said:
I want to be able to put this computer in a book bag.
...
I want something TINY!
...
What about a setup like this?
http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1037106090&postcount=540
Click to expand...

That Antec ISK 300/310 should work fine. It is kind of heavy for the size, however, because it uses quite thick steel.

Do you really need the optical drive? Mini-Box makes a tiny case out of aluminum, but it doesn't have a place for an optical drive.

How about the In Win BQ669? The included PSU is a bit weak but you can always do a Pico PSU replacement. It can hold one 2.5" drive and one slim optical drive, plus is REALLY small at 7.6" x 3.0" x 8.9". It also uses much thinner steel than Antec, thus making it quite light in weight.

Ethan said:
About how much wattage would I need to FULLY power a 2600K, 1x SSD, 4GBish RAM, 1x BD Drive?
Click to expand...

Probably 100W if you do synthetic loads, but lower during gaming.
 
I have absolutely no experience with Pico PSUs, so I am completely ignorant to these little guys.

With that said, what about this one? http://www.mini-box.com/s.nl/it.A/id.417/.f

Also, I was looking at that site and saw this. http://www.mini-box.com/M350-universal-mini-itx-enclosure

How would something like that work?

I don't need an ODD, I will be using a single SSD, or laptop HDD if my budget becomes to high. This computer is literally JUST for playing CS:S and browsing the Internet. I don't play HD movies, I would like to encode some possibly in the future, but I know an i5/i7 is capable of that. I want to stick with the i7 2600K, just for future purposes, might as well get the best I can at the time. The i5 is an alternative though, as well.

TheBlueChanell? Who's that? :eek:
 
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The problem with M350 is the hdds, with todays mitx placement of the cpu more centered i doubt you will be able to mount any 2.5 hdd on top, i dont know for sure, but i doubt it, was considering this case when i was going for a pico psu.

If you budget is tight go with Mi008 and just use the stock intel cooler, use the psu that comes and in time you can go for the Seasonic PSU. If you are sure you wont move from CSS, the MI008 should do fine ($39 on amazon free shipping), here some videos that might give you an idea into what to expect,

HTPC Build July 21, 2009 (Parts Overview)
HTPC Build Pt.2 (July 25, 2009)
HTPC Build Pt.3 (Final Product)

I would wait for Z68 mitx board though, considering you want to use the intel gpu and in the future if you were to move into a dedicated gpu you will still have the flexibility of OCing the cpu.
 
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I have:

Thermaltake Element Q
GIGABYTE GA-H55N-USB
i5-655k
Samuel 17
Silverstone ST45SF
single slot XFX 5770
2x4GB Ripjaws

also stuffed a blu-ray drive, 3.5" card reader and ssd taped underneath that.

Samuel 17 barely fits. PSU pretty much sits on top of it. I squeezed in two 40mm fans on top of the heatsink, next to the PSU. 120mm x 25mm fan in the extra hdd slot on the side as well a thin 120mm x 12mm fan where the hdd rails go (25mm thick wouldn't fit due to rails tho those can be cut). Fans are throttled down slightly for noise with Zalman fan controller. Cooling leaves a bit to be desired though it's not unusuable. Slightly downclocked, the CPU idles at about 45 degrees. Prime stress test runs from low 70s to mid 70s.

I tried the Silverstone NT07 HSF and it sucked for me. It was loud and didn't cool too well in my setup.

I had the crazy idea of trying to custom mount an all-in-one radiator in the side hdd area. I even managed to snag an Asetek 545LC direct but i got lazy and didn't pursue it.

I've dumped the build since but if I were to go back, I would probably swap
1.35v DDR - slightly temp decrease
i3 CPU - temp decrease
cut hdd rails to fit two 120mm x 25mm fans

1155 CPUs run cooler but I don't think you'll be ecstatic with temps in anything but a custom setup. Unless you're entirely set on the case, I would consider getting something slightly bigger like a Shuttle case an SG05/06.
 
Abula said:
The problem with M350 is the hdds, with todays mitx placement of the cpu more centered i doubt you will be able to mount any 2.5 hdd on top, i dont know for sure, but i doubt it, was considering this case when i was going for a pico psu.

If you budget is tight go with Mi008 and just use the stock intel cooler, use the psu that comes and in time you can go for the Seasonic PSU. If you are sure you wont move from CSS, the MI008 should do fine ($39 on amazon free shipping), here some videos that might give you an idea into what to expect,

HTPC Build July 21, 2009 (Parts Overview)
HTPC Build Pt.2 (July 25, 2009)
HTPC Build Pt.3 (Final Product)

I would wait for Z68 mitx board though, considering you want to use the intel gpu and in the future if you were to move into a dedicated gpu you will still have the flexibility of OCing the cpu.
Click to expand...
Very nice videos, Abula, well done!
You made me recall how cramped was my similar build, with the same case and MoBo.
The H67 with 2600K will keep lower temps, though.
To Ethan:

  • What I think it will be important with this case is to use the right side tray for a 12cm intake fan instead of holding a HD, and a 12cm exhaust fan on the opposite side. It will mean no room for dedicated videocard, but the wind tunnel achieved with this setup would keep the system nice and cool.
  • I wouldn't use a pico PSU here... I don't like to drain power close to the max specs of the supplier.
  • If you swap the PSU on the front, beneath drive cage, or even upgrade the stock Allied PSU with another one, you can fit a nice aftermarket CPU heatsink. Anyways, the stock Intel heatsink will work just fine.
  • I still suppose that a AXP-10 could fit, but it will be necessary to trim the back of the DVD cage. Anyways, I suppose you won't need a DVD here. Moreover, with the AXP-140, the fin orientation will impede the passage of air from side to side through the heatsink fins; but you'll get air passing beneath the heatsink from side to side, cooling MoBo components. Consider that the Thermaright AXP-140 is the best cooler you can use for this kind of ITX.
  • The HD can be a SSD or a 2.5" laptop drive.
It will be quite a challenge building a Sandy ITX in the Apex case, but it will be a hell of a system!!!:cool:
 
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fr500 said:
I said Q07 that's a Lian Li. Never mentioned SG07
Click to expand...

DOH! Reading comprehension fail.

Ethan said:
I have absolutely no experience with Pico PSUs, so I am completely ignorant to these little guys.

With that said, what about this one? http://www.mini-box.com/s.nl/it.A/id.417/.f

Also, I was looking at that site and saw this. http://www.mini-box.com/M350-universal-mini-itx-enclosure

How would something like that work?
Click to expand...

If using a Pico PSU, maybe get the 150XT because it has a 24-pin connector. Alternately get one of the wide voltage versions, so that you can borrow almost any notebook power brick (of sufficient wattage) in a pinch, since most notebook power bricks are 19v.

If not using an optical drive, you can also consider the Antec ISK 100.
 
I really want to go with one of the cases from mini-box.com.

How hot does an i7 2600K get while playing games? I won't be doing any benchmarks or anything like that, and I only play for like an hour at a time. I just don't see how I couldn't build one from that one case. I don't need an ODD, and I am only using one HDD. It will probably be an SSD, but a laptop HDD will do as well.

I just can't seem to find a cooler small enough to fit inside of these things.

I'm thinking a Scythe Big Shuriken would fit. I'm not sure if the dimensions include the fan or not, if it does it should work according to this guy who built one on this forum. http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1427937

The CPU cooler he is using is 39mm high, and the fan is 15 mm. Bringing the total to 54mm. The Shuriken is 58, I see that fitting.
 
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With the M350 you might have an issue with the hdd, look at the following picture,

m350.png


Now see how the the plastic holer of the fan is higher or at least even with the hdd bracket? Well on H67/H67 mitx all have a pcie slot before the cpu, so the cpu will be more centered thus (imo) not allowing to place any hdd (maybe 7mm hdds but like intel X25m / Intel 320 series but i doubt it also).

There might be a way for you to get away with M350 and SSD, but im not completly certain, so take my word with a grain of salt and research more. There is new board from ECS that has a pcie port that according to their description also works as mini sata, check Guru3d ECS H67H2-I motherboard review, quoting from there,
The weird looking connector all the way to the left is a Mini PCIE x1, also known as mSATA card connector.
Click to expand...
From ECS website,
Followings are other amazing features included in ECS H67H2-I motherboard:
- Mini PCIE slot fully supports mini PCIE or mSATA devices
Click to expand...

Now its important that you check if in fact it can take mini sata because in laptop mPCIe ports cant take mini sata drives, but if it is, then you can go with Intel 310 series, which is an intel X25m in a mini sata factor. There are 2 available atm,
Intel 310 Series (Soda Creek) SSDMAEMC040G2C1 mSATA 40GB mSATA (mini PCIe form factor) MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - OEM
Intel 310 Series (Soda Creek) SSDMAEMC080G2C1 mSATA 80GB mSATA (mini PCIe form factor) MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - OEM

Btw there is a new revision of the shurikan coming with an extra heat pipe, link

384401d1299201479-cebit-alle-neuen-kuehler-auf-einen-blick-scythe-alpenfoehn-u-scythe-bs2.jpg


Remeber there are other options, like Prolimatech Samuel 17 (45mm) and Scythe Kozuti Low Profile (40mm)

Another issue that you should account is the m350 only has barrel type of connection, so if you are going with the 150XT/160XT you will have to go with the 102W brick as the 150W comes with 4pin that you would need to modify the case to plug it.

Good luck,
 
Ethan said:
I just can't seem to find a cooler small enough to fit inside of these things.

I'm thinking a Scythe Big Shuriken would fit. I'm not sure if the dimensions include the fan or not, if it does it should work according to this guy who built one on this forum. http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1427937

The CPU cooler he is using is 39mm high, and the fan is 15 mm. Bringing the total to 54mm. The Shuriken is 58, I see that fitting.
Click to expand...

Nope. The NT-07-AM2 w/fan is 36.5mm in height.

The M350 case is 62mm high total - there's no way the Big Shuriken @ 58mm will fit, except without a fan. The Big Shuriken and the Samuel 17 are both ~45mm tall without a fan - about the same as the stock Intel cooler (w/fan), which is about the tallest you could fit in there.

IMO your best best is either the Scythe Kozuti (40mm tall) or the Evercool HPL-815 (45mm).

If there's an issue with the HSF interfering with the drives, the Thermaltake Slim X3 might work. If all else fails, you could use a 1U blower HSF. Won't be quiet though.
 
Abula said:
With the M350 you might have an issue with the hdd, look at the following picture,

m350.png


Now see how the the plastic holer of the fan is higher or at least even with the hdd bracket? Well on H67/H67 mitx all have a pcie slot before the cpu, so the cpu will be more centered thus (imo) not allowing to place any hdd (maybe 7mm hdds but like intel X25m / Intel 320 series but i doubt it also).

There might be a way for you to get away with M350 and SSD, but im not completly certain, so take my word with a grain of salt and research more. There is new board from ECS that has a pcie port that according to their description also works as mini sata, check Guru3d ECS H67H2-I motherboard review, quoting from there,

From ECS website,


Now its important that you check if in fact it can take mini sata because in laptop mPCIe ports cant take mini sata drives, but if it is, then you can go with Intel 310 series, which is an intel X25m in a mini sata factor. There are 2 available atm,
Intel 310 Series (Soda Creek) SSDMAEMC040G2C1 mSATA 40GB mSATA (mini PCIe form factor) MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - OEM
Intel 310 Series (Soda Creek) SSDMAEMC080G2C1 mSATA 80GB mSATA (mini PCIe form factor) MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - OEM

Btw there is a new revision of the shurikan coming with an extra heat pipe, link

384401d1299201479-cebit-alle-neuen-kuehler-auf-einen-blick-scythe-alpenfoehn-u-scythe-bs2.jpg


Remeber there are other options, like Prolimatech Samuel 17 (45mm) and Scythe Kozuti Low Profile (40mm)

Another issue that you should account is the m350 only has barrel type of connection, so if you are going with the 150XT/160XT you will have to go with the 102W brick as the 150W comes with 4pin that you would need to modify the case to plug it.

Good luck,
Click to expand...

http://www.mini-box.com/picoPSU-160-XT

That looks like the same connection that's on the back of the case. What am I missing?

http://www.mini-box.com/12v-12-5A-AC-DC-Power-Adapter

That comes with the adapter to fit it, that's what it says anyway.

I'm not too worried about the HSF, I will find something. Will 150w be enough for the Core i7 2600K at stock?
 
Ethan said:
http://www.mini-box.com/picoPSU-160-XT

That looks like the same connection that's on the back of the case. What am I missing?
Click to expand...

What i meant was the on the M350, its comes with barrel type on the back, so even if the adaptors come with 160xt (crosscheck that it comes), you will need to cut/drill/mod the back of the case to fit the 4pin style of the 150W brick (to mount the adapter to the case), im not sure if you can go or even if 150W would be enough on load for i7 2600K, cross check that also.
 
Ethan said:
I'm not too worried about the HSF, I will find something. Will 150w be enough for the Core i7 2600K at stock?
Click to expand...

150w is plenty, i get ~100w during gaming with a stock 2600k and HD5670 video card. you should be way under that without the video card. you could get that M350 case and fit the storage drive if you get the thermaltake slim x3 cooler. i think it conforms to 1U sized cooler, but won't sound like a jet engine either.
 
WhiteFireDragon said:
you could get that M350 case and fit the storage drive if you get the thermaltake slim x3 cooler. i think it conforms to 1U sized cooler, but won't sound like a jet engine either.
Click to expand...

Based on typical 1U coolers, I think the max 1U height is ~30mm. The TT Slim X3 is 36mm, so it's probably a bit taller than 1U. One possibility would be to replace the 80x15mm fan with an 80x10mm fan to get the total height down to 31mm. Not sure how effectively that combination will cool though.
 
Anyone here use a Habey case? It looks similar in size to the M350 but looks more "finished" though it will probably have less airflow. However, they make a thicker one that might be easier to fit a drive in over the CPU cooler.
 
Abula said:
What i meant was the on the M350, its comes with barrel type on the back, so even if the adaptors come with 160xt (crosscheck that it comes), you will need to cut/drill/mod the back of the case to fit the 4pin style of the 150W brick (to mount the adapter to the case), im not sure if you can go or even if 150W would be enough on load for i7 2600K, cross check that also.
Click to expand...

The 160XT comes with a mini JR adapter thing to the four barrel thing. Whatever that is, but it comes with it. The barrel-type adapter on the back of the 160XT looks to be the exact same thing that's in the picture of the case.

Am I seeing something wrong?
 
Ethan said:
The 160XT comes with a mini JR adapter thing to the four barrel thing. Whatever that is, but it comes with it. The barrel-type adapter on the back of the 160XT looks to be the exact same thing that's in the picture of the case.

Am I seeing something wrong?
Click to expand...

Really depends on which brick and case you will use. Quoting from Minibox 150w AC-DC Power Adapter, 12v 12.5A

***150w adapter does not fit our circular chassis panel mount holes on the back of all our enclosures. Designed for OEM use.
Click to expand...

Let me try to illustrate you what they mean,

m350150xt.png


If you go with 150W Brick you will need to drill/cut the back of the case to mount the 4pin PSU connector. The 102W Brick i think uses the standard barrel, but 102W might be too low.
 
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4 pin mini-DIN to mini-FIT JR adapter provided; when used with adapter it will mate with picoPSU-150, picoPSU-120, pico-PSU-120-25, picoPSU-80-32

wouldnt it fit then?

That is either what I am looking for, or the opposite. -_-

drilling that out isnt a huge deal either, i'm not new to a dremel :p
 
Ethan said:
http://www.mini-box.com/picoPSU-160-XT

Is that not the same thing as in the case? Am I seeing something completely different or are they posting the wrong picture on this site?
Click to expand...

There are 2 components in the PSU in case of the pico, the AC to DC (the brick) and the DC to DC (the picoPSU), now the 160XT comes with the barrel connector by default, because thats how Minibox has all their cases, but the Bricks that have that type of connector (barrel) are the lower W bricks, for example 102w (12v/8.5A) AC-DC Power Adapter with Power Cord, 80w (12v/6.6A) AC-DC Power Adapter with Power Cord and 60w (12v/5A) AC-DC Power Adapter with Power Cord, all of those have the barrel so you can plug them directly to the M350, now the 150XT/160XT can be ordered with 102W brick which is the highest you can order with the barrel connector, but they also offer the 150w AC-DC Power Adapter, 12v 12.5A brick, but this one doesn't come with the barrel connector but with the 4pin, so you will have to adapt it on the case, this is if you want that brick, you can always go with whatever you think its enough for your setup.

BTW all pics on the above post were taken from Minibox, you just need to see them on each respective product.


4 pin mini-DIN to mini-FIT JR adapter provided; when used with adapter it will mate with picoPSU-150, picoPSU-120, pico-PSU-120-25, picoPSU-80-32

wouldnt it fit then?

That is either what I am looking for, or the opposite. -_-

drilling that out isnt a huge deal either, i'm not new to a dremel :p
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It shoudl fit i think if you are good with the dremell and mounting two screws. The only point i was trying to make its just not going to be plug n play, but you will have to do some work just by trying to go with M350 case. Also remember the HDD wont fit the brackets, so you still have to figure what you going to do about that, if you are going with the ECS board with mini sata (this research it more as im not sure the board isnt out) or a lower profile cpu heatsink.
 
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Abula said:
There are 2 components in the PSU in case of the pico, the AC to DC (the brick) and the DC to DC (the picoPSU), now the 160XT comes with the barrel connector by default, because thats how Minibox has all their cases, but the Bricks that have that type of connector (barrel) are the lower W bricks, for example 102w (12v/8.5A) AC-DC Power Adapter with Power Cord, 80w (12v/6.6A) AC-DC Power Adapter with Power Cord and 60w (12v/5A) AC-DC Power Adapter with Power Cord, all of those have the barrel so you can plug them directly to the M350, now the 150XT/160XT can be ordered with 102W brick which is the highest you can order with the barrel connector, but they also offer the 150w AC-DC Power Adapter, 12v 12.5A brick, but this one doesn't come with the barrel connector but with the 4pin, so you will have to adapt it on the case, this is if you want that brick, you can always go with whatever you think its enough for your setup.

BTW all pics on the above post were taken from Minibox, you just need to see them on each respective product.




It shoudl fit i think if you are good with the dremell and mounting two screws. The only point i was trying to make its just not going to be plug n play, but you will have to do some work just by trying to go with M350 case. Also remember the HDD wont fit the brackets, so you still have to figure what you going to do about that, if you are going with the ECS board with mini sata (this research it more as im not sure the board isnt out) or a lower profile cpu heatsink.
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Why won't the HDDs fit? SSD? Laptop?

That's what I planned on using, and their site says 2.5" HDD.
 
Ethan said:
Why won't the HDDs fit? SSD? Laptop?

That's what I planned on using, and their site says 2.5" HDD.
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I already posted it, check post 24. Mostly is because the CPU cooler might not allow to install either of the 2 brackets, check the pictures i posted and also check the mobo you are considering. But pls dont ask everything that is being answered already read what people post, as most of us just trying to help, but if you dont read you just make us repeat the same thing over and over, like with the PSU.

I just found a picture of the Scythe Kozuti Low Profile (40mm Height) mounted on mITX mobo,

scythe%20kozuti%20%203.jpg


I think you might get away with that cooler without a hdd and pair it with the ECS mobo + Intel 310 mSata 40/80gb (if the mPCIe is also mSATA) for a very small and portable setup (i have my doubts if Kozuti woudl clear the chipset heatsink, but there are lower profile options also like Enzotech CNB-S1L or Enzotech SLF-1).
 
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Abula said:
I already posted it, check post 24. Mostly is because the CPU cooler might not allow to install either of the 2 brackets, check the pictures i posted and also check the mobo you are considering. But pls dont ask everything that is being answered already read what people post, as most of us just trying to help, but if you dont read you just make us repeat the same thing over and over, like with the PSU.

I just found a picture of the http://www.frozencpu.com/products/1...56_1366_AM2_AM2_AM3.html?tl=g48c373s961Scythe Kozuti Low Profile (40mm Height) mounted on mITX mobo,

http://xtreview.com/images/scythe kozuti 3.jpg

I think you might get away with that cooler without a hdd and pair it with the ECS mobo + Intel 310 mSata 40/80gb (if the mPCIe is also mSATA) for a very small and portable setup (i have my doubts if Kozuti woudl clear the chipset heatsink, but there are lower profile options also like Enzotech CNB-S1L or Enzotech SLF-1).
Click to expand...

Right sorry, every time I have posted it was right after work. -_-

Should I go with a different CPU, like the Core i5 2500K? Would that allow me to use a smaller HSF?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157239
That was the motherboard I was going to go with.

Also, on Anandtech they got their 2600K to 4.4Ghz using a stock low-profile cooler. How much worse would this HSF be than the stock Intel low-profile one? http://www.mini-box.com/Low-Profile-LGA1156-Intel-Core-i3-i5-i7-CPU-Cooler

Just stumbled across this motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168131760
That was has a Mini PCIe, but not sure if it would boot, I've never heard of that company.
 
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