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Aria -- mATX Options Please

R

RBall151

Weaksauce
Joined
Jan 20, 2004
Messages
120
I'm thinking about getting a smaller case for my dorm room in the Fall.

I've looked at a bunch of Small Cases, and I've liked the Aria the best.

Here is my system now:
Asus A7N8X Deluxe MB
AMD XP2500 Barton Core Processor
512 MB PC3200 GeIL

Should I just buy a mATX board and use the same stuff I have in the bigger case? I haven't liked the Shuttle Cases due to the lack of PCI Slots. I'd really like to stick to AMD as well. What would you suggest? I'd consider selling my whole system then buying a low end AMD64.

What would be some of my mATX options?

Thanks
 
RBall151 said:
I'm thinking about getting a smaller case for my dorm room in the Fall.

I've looked at a bunch of Small Cases, and I've liked the Aria the best.

Here is my system now:
Asus A7N8X Deluxe MB
AMD XP2500 Barton Core Processor
512 MB PC3200 GeIL

Should I just buy a mATX board and use the same stuff I have in the bigger case? I haven't liked the Shuttle Cases due to the lack of PCI Slots. I'd really like to stick to AMD as well. What would you suggest? I'd consider selling my whole system then buying a low end AMD64.

What would be some of my mATX options?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I know this isn't what you want to hear, but personally I'd go Shuttle. The SN85G4V2 may be pricier than the Aria + Mobo + Heatsink, but it is a true integrated platform. From what I've heard, the Aria has problems with noise and cooling. The Shuttle ICE simply rocks in that regard. Not to mention that the Shuttle is smaller. Oh, and you can get this kickass backpack which makes the system a snap to take to a LAN party - along with an LCD screen and a GearGrip LCD, of course.

The lack of PCI slots isn't as big of a deal as you might think. Remember, the Shuttle systems already have any of the ports you might need. The only thing you might want to stick in the PCI slot would be a better sound card. If you want TV capture, you're probably better with an All in Wonder.

Currently, my Shuttle doesn't have anything in the PCI slot. My old micro ATX system had 3 PCI slots, and I never used a single one.

Unless you have a specific reason for needing the PCI slots, I wouldn't worry about it.




Now, if you do need the PCI slots, or if you don't like the Shuttles for some other reason, then don't worry about which mobo you get. Look at features (do you want Gigabit? FireWire? SATA?), look at price, and look at overclocking features (does it have an AGP lock?).

You're kind of limited in the Micro ATX space for Athlon 64. Athlon XP is much more open, but remember, Athlon XP is kind of out of gas - 64 is where you want to be.

Here's what I'm getting in about a month when my paycheck comes in (summer job at the school district):

Shuttle SN85G4V2 NForce3 SFF System
AMD Athlon 64 3000+
512M Crucial PC3200 DDR (CL3; cheap and stable)
WD Raptor 74GB
NEC 8X DVD+/-RW DL
GeForce 6800 GT

This system really hauls, and you can put it together for about $130. And, trust me, this thing would absolutely crush the Alienware systems shipping two months ago (if only because of the video card).
 
I just dont personally like the shuttle cases. They have a small 240watt PSU, and the Aria comes with a 300watt. The aria is just more upgradeable and slightly bigger. On a 64bit system with a new high end graphics card, cold cathodes, and 2 more 80mm fans..240watts just will not cut it. The 64bit system + Graphics would tear 240watts up alone..

I'm looking at running one SATA 160GB HD.

Guess the real dilema is whether to keep my XP 2500 processor and get a new Motherboard and use all my old stuff..

What would be an option for a good motherboard so I could kepe my XP 2500 ?

or

Upgrade to a AMD64 Processor + __________ Motherboard.

What would be some good combinations for running a AMD64 system in an Aria?


People keep critizing that the cooling on a 64bit system inside a shuttle or Aria is difficult because there isn't enough room for water cooling (?) , and it you have to add any more fans it sounds like a jet.

IS it possible to water cool this rig?
 
I've seen a watercooled Aria before, look around in the mods section.

As for your mobo decision, I'm in the same boat as you. I've already bought my Aria (it was on sale) but have yet to get a new mATX board and CPU. I would never consider intel. I would like an Athlon XP system but the mATX boards aren't so good for that choice. I think the boards for the Athlon 64 are better quality but then you also have to pay the premium price. Just search around these forums and you'll get lots of advice. I've heard advice for mobos from Biostar, Shuttle, MSI, Chaintech, etc... It's hard though because there is no clear cut mATX mobo winner.

Let me know what you go for.
 
I disagree with the noise comment on the Aria. My daughters machine is hardly audiable. I personally own two Shuttle boxes (SN45G and SN85G4) and while the comments about the ICE system are indeed true, I disagree with it being a better solution. If you are looking for integration, yes, but if you are looking for wiggle room when it comes time for upgrades, then you are a bit limited.

I'd say Aria all the way. Hell, I'm considering selling my SN85 and picking up an Aria with an MSI K8TM-ILSR (uses the VIA KT800 Chipset), or BioStar K8NHA-M (uses Nforce3 150 chipset). I've looked around for an M-ATX Nforce3 250 board but cannot find one. Don't get me wrong, the SN85 is a great box, but I'd like to add a few more things then I have room for in the current setup.

-E
 
Got the same thing (almost) for my brother for his dorm...

Here are my thoughts

No issues with noise, (2500 with retail sink, can't notice it's on) And I had to stick my hand behind the PSU and blower fan to make sure they were working.

I would just transfer the parts out to the case, look at the shuttle mn31n as a good integrated AMD MATX mobo. I did have a problem with a tall hsf (artic cooling copper thing) but the reail cooler clears the PSU.

Overall a very nice case, tight, but nice

antecside.jpg


Thats the HSF clearance...I've herd somebody cramed a zalman7000cu under there...I want pix as proof.

One other thing was I had to take the PSU out to get the ATX power connector in (see Right in pic)


EDIT: More thoughts.

Aria VS. Shuttle

Aria
Upgradable
good psu
lil bit wider
more expansion/drive options

Shuttle
"loud"
non upgradeable
propriotary
Lil drive options

I priced it out and it was cheaper for the antec and a mobo.
 
bsoft said:
Here's what I'm getting in about a month when my paycheck comes in (summer job at the school district):

Shuttle SN85G4V2 NForce3 SFF System
AMD Athlon 64 3000+
512M Crucial PC3200 DDR (CL3; cheap and stable)
WD Raptor 74GB
NEC 8X DVD+/-RW DL
GeForce 6800 GT

This system really hauls, and you can put it together for about $130.
Click to expand...

I wish! :)
 
RBall151 said:
I just dont personally like the shuttle cases. They have a small 240watt PSU, and the Aria comes with a 300watt. The aria is just more upgradeable and slightly bigger. On a 64bit system with a new high end graphics card, cold cathodes, and 2 more 80mm fans..240watts just will not cut it. The 64bit system + Graphics would tear 240watts up alone..
Click to expand...

Well first the SN85G4V2 is 250watts. But that's not the important part. You have to understand that these are high quality PSUs and will eat up a generic 400W PSU for breakfast.

Next, with everything so integrated into the mothrboard these systems will have no problems runnning what you want to put in it.

People already have 6800GTs (power wise, one of the worst videocards ever designed) on 200 watt PSUs.
 
But in a Shuttle...Can you put up to 3 PCI items??
in a Shuttle....Can you use more than 2 Dimms of Memory
In a Shuttle ..How many HArd drives can you fit??

I love My Aria

I have a MN31N Motherboard..very nice Intergrated Motherboard..

It may not be a True SFF..Like the Shuttle or a Ideq...But it works great for me!

Heres Mine

Of course Ive added Blow Holes(both sides) and a Fan Controller...Next mod..or rather change..Switching out the Antec 120mm fan for something more Robust..
 
I'm running an ARIA with the MSI K8MM-ISLR MB, A64 3200+, 1 GIG of RAM, WD 120 Gig SATA drive and an ATI AIW 9600Pro

K8MM
 
I have an Aria case. My 3.2 P4 stays around 30c, but that is with water cooling. :)
 
44 load on the 2500
the other sensor says 66 (this is speedfan) but I have the shutdown temp at 65 so :confused:

The 44 sounds more logical
 
I have an Aria and it's a great little case. The PSU is a weird shape and there is about 2.70-2.75 inches of clearance for your HSF. My old swiftech HSF can fit as long as the fan is no more than 25mm. Zalman makes a thin (15mm I think) 80mm fan that will fit very nicely. The only thing I didn't like about the aria was its looks. I mean, it was cool for about 2 days, then it just started to look ugly--in a juvenile way if that makes sense. I promptly picked up a classy cooler master desktop case to match my AV components and I'm very, very happy with it. My cooler master is also an mATX case, but it'll take regular-sized PSUs. Sure, it's bigger, but I feel it's much more versatile. Check it out here: http://www.coolermaster.com/index.p...TC-620C-BX1&other_title=+ATC-620C-BX1+ATC-620

-TFR
 
Thanks for all the Info.

I'm thinking about running this combo..

Aria with a
ASUS "A7N8X-VM/400" nForce2 IGP Motherboard <--Have to Buy

Everything else I own already:
AMD XP 2500 Barton Core Processor
512MB GeIL PC3200 RAM
Then either my 120GB IDE or a 160GB SATA

My whole point of this project is to get a new case for my dorm room. But not that I am thinking about it..is it worth around 190 bucks (Case + motherboard) to upgrade to the same system?
 
Well if space is a real consideration then it may be worth it. But then again if your going to spend that, how much more would it cost to put a low end A64 in it instead ? Might be worth considering.
 
I'd make the same selection. You should consider going to an Athlon 64. And that way you could have two working systems which can be really handy, especially if you're doing your undergrad in a computer related field (comp eng. etc...).
Also consider the ablove because the mATX motherboard that you selected, the A7N8X-VM/400, is a downgrade from your A7N8X Deluxe. I think the price/performance ratio is better with any mATX A64 board than it is with a regular mATX AthlonXP board.
 
Well I would go with the Aria + mobo, as on New Egg they have the Aria for $99 and some decent mATX mobos start at about $40 and they have so nicer VIA KM400 boards for $50. Thats just $150 for UPGRADABLE case + mobo, while Shuttles start at $230 and arent upgradable. Also if you go with the Aria + A64 it would be $100, plus bout + 100 or so for mATX athlon 64 mobo + at least $170 for the cpu....
 
Ok thanks all for the advice. I'm thinking about just holding off on the AMD64 system till I get sick of the XP2500, or if I need a faster machine. I'll probably save the money and build the AMD64 system sometime in the future. The money spent on an "upgraded" case isn't worth it, and I realized that it would be a downgrade from my current system. All in all, I'll hold off a bit for my dream system..:(

Thanks for all the help..I love this forum!
 
Well, while chatting in this thread, I came to the decision to pluck down some green and replace my SN85 with an Aria + MSI K8TM-ILSR motherboard. I like the versitility of having more expansion options along with more PSU wattage and the ability to watercool this box. Yes you can watercool a Shuttle, but its a royal b1tch not pinching the hoses against the Optical drive. I'll post my results once the conversion is complete.

Regards,

-E
 
Im gonna try the Gigabyte matx mobo with the SIS chipset. What do you guys think of that board?
 
I looked at this board as well. The only turn off I could come up with was the embedded video on the board. But I find it hard not to find an m-ATX motherboard that doesn't have that as a solution. That, and I just haven't felt too confident in SIS' chipset drivers. I had a K7S5A that I couldn't run anything over 2x for AGP which pissed me off. Oh well... Not like VIA would win any awards for some of their older KX and KT chipset drivers.

I ordered my parts last night from NewEgg, and they were out of the Gigabyte GA-K8S760M (SIS760 chipset). I believe that will be a really nice board for the money. As long as they've improved their drivers, then go for it.

-E
 
I went with the MSI K8T800 chipset based K8TM-ILSR (MS-6741).

-E
 
ASUS "A7N8X-VM/400" nForce2 IGP Motherboard
Click to expand...


Garbage!

Go with the Shuttle MN31/N or MN31/L. I say this for a few reasons:

1. Asus solution ONLY offers two DIMM slots... ...Shuttle offers three, meaning easy memory upgrade later on.
2. Asus has limited BIOS over-clocking options for the mATX board, but the Shuttle allows you to tweak almost everything (with the exception of the multiplier).
3. Stability --- While running the Asus, I found a few issues. While running the Shuttle, I also found a few issues... ...but, after they released a BIOS upgrade in December of last year, everything has been perfect since. They have released several more BIOS updates since, but all provide perfect stability. The original issue had to do with generic brands of memory causing instability in dual-channel mode.

I like Asus, but the clear winner of the mATX award for nForce2 chipsets is the Shuttle.
 
UHM...Soulstice..Hes going with a A64 Motherboard...

I say Good Choice...Thats my next upgrade...

Hopefully I will have A64 By the end of the year... :D
 
No preference yet..When I said I want A64 by the end of the year...Im willing to wait for Nforce4 w/Soundstorm2.

I have yet to find a A64 MB that I really like...It would need to have Nforce3 250gb

But im gonna wait till Nforce4...unless I find some Awesome Deal Down at Fry's in Dallas when Im at Quakecon..Or even Maybe a Vendor...Selling off one..who knows.
 
I like the case but I am thinking that if I buy one that I will mod it a bit to put the PSU fan outside the case and see if I can shorten that PSU a bit. Maybe make more clearence for the HSF.
 
Defective said:
I like the case but I am thinking that if I buy one that I will mod it a bit to put the PSU fan outside the case and see if I can shorten that PSU a bit. Maybe make more clearence for the HSF.
Click to expand...

Um, which PSU fan are you referring to? The 120mm fan? Its the only one in this case used to vent out the back. Moving it to the outside might improve things a bit, but the way the PSU attaches to the case you might be better off gutting the PSU shell and coming up with your own mounting bracket. It would free up some space for a larger heatsink.

-E
 
MrE said:
Um, which PSU fan are you referring to? The 120mm fan? Its the only one in this case used to vent out the back. Moving it to the outside might improve things a bit, but the way the PSU attaches to the case you might be better off gutting the PSU shell and coming up with your own mounting bracket. It would free up some space for a larger heatsink.

-E
Click to expand...

I imagine I will have to do something like that. I dont have the case yet so its just concept at this point. It looks like the transformer and whatnot is in that section that hangs over the HSF. If that is the case I think I might be able to use that section as is, cut down/off section that houses the fan and make a new mounting bracket for the modified PSU housing.
 
actually, I'm running a 2.8c @ 3.5, 2 hdds, one dvd burner, a sound card and an overclocked 6800 GT in my shuttle and i havent once had any power problems.
 
rayg said:
actually, I'm running a 2.8c @ 3.5, 2 hdds, one dvd burner, a sound card and an overclocked 6800 GT in my shuttle and i havent once had any power problems.
Click to expand...


Well for me, the v1 of my Shuttle does have heat issues which were resolved with the v2. While it does run stable, the VRU's under load will hit 161F (measured using SpeedFan). The CPU under load is around 131F which to me is still too hot.

-E
 
I have an aria system and I have NO problems with how loud the computer is, and I have NO problems with cooling. Most people that have complaints about the case dont own one. Sure it runs a bit warmer, but look at it, it isnt set up for ideal cooling anyway. You need to take that into account when building the case. I have four fans total inside, one of the proc and northbridge, the power supply and then I also installed the blower fan to help out the video card a bit.
I am running a 2500+ running at 3200+ and the proc temps stay around 50 degrees celcius. The motherboard is the Chaintech 7NIL1. Not my first choice thats for sure, but I had my heart set on the nforce2 ultra 400 chipset. I have a zalman 7000a-cu as a cooler, it fits in the case under the power supply just fine, the problem I had was getting the case side on, I actually had to dremel the side down a bit to get it in, but heck, spending 20 minutes was worth it for sure. Take a look. I love my aria setup, its an extremely stable and exellent system that I can carry around without any problem at all.

computer001.jpg
 
How do you like the Chaintech board? I just ordered this board from Newegg to go into an Aria for my neighbor. Should be here tomorrow along with my new MSI board for my Aria. I'm still considering watercooling the new box since the Aria gives off a nice amount of room for a compact water cooling setup.

-E
 
Aria gives off a nice amount of room for a compact water cooling setup.
Click to expand...

I 'll have to agree with you on this. My Aria has a Globalwin Silent Stream kit installed in it. Plenty of room for that kit. Keeps my 3.2P4 at a nice 30c idle/ 41c load.
 
MrE said:
How do you like the Chaintech board? I just ordered this board from Newegg to go into an Aria for my neighbor. Should be here tomorrow along with my new MSI board for my Aria. I'm still considering watercooling the new box since the Aria gives off a nice amount of room for a compact water cooling setup.

-E
Click to expand...


The Chaintech is a nice board, mine came with a passive HS on the nb though, which was nice. My only problem is no mcp-t southbridge, and lack of firewire. But other than that A nice board (see the pic i posted for my rendition of it)
 
Bigshot said:
I 'll have to agree with you on this. My Aria has a Globalwin Silent Stream kit installed in it. Plenty of room for that kit. Keeps my 3.2P4 at a nice 30c idle/ 41c load.
Click to expand...


Any pics of the completed water cooled Aria? :)

-E
 
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