• Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
    Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.

c2d lanbox build

L

licuo

n00b
Joined
Aug 22, 2007
Messages
26
EDIT:
After going through your very inspiring ideas the Silverstone SG03 has killed my tt lanbox plans for the following reasons:
1. SG03 has better cooling (slow moving 2x120mm as opposed to 1x92 + some small fans)
2. SG03 offers a very nice and quiet cooling solution for the cpu in conjunction with the NT06 heatsink (uses the PSU fan to drag air through the heat sink)
3. For the lanbox i would need some kind of bag or something to protect the aluminum and the window when transporting, this however renders the handle almost useless. A bag like the sugo pack is just much more worry free than other solutions, with all the cushioning and such.

So, the updated build is now as follows:

case: Silverstone SG03
cpu: core 2 duo E6750
heatsink: Silverstone NT06
video card: Winfast Nvidia 7950gt (on ebay)
memory: MDT 2x1024 mb ddr2-800
mobo: ASUS P5K-VM (instead of the Gigabyte G33-DS2Rt)
power supply: Silverstone ST50EF-Plus (short cable version is a must, but lacks a long second SATA power cable to connect the harddrives)
storage: samsung sh203B SATA burner and T166 500GB hard drive


It will total at approx. 830€ (1170 USD) (this includes the sugo pack, the lanbox setup would be 60€ less), depending on the deal i get for the GPU.

I know, the memory won't win any awards but it has been reported to overclock to DDR2-940, which would yield 8x470MHz=3,76GHz. Probably the cooling solution wont be sufficient for this... Anyways, with that video card I should not be bottlenecked by the CPU... If its not enough for the fancy games due this year, I will dump the 7950GT (i.e. sell on ebay) later and invest in something DX10...

Now, please, let me hear your comments!


Original Post:

I am trying to figure out what components to use for my new portable lan party system that wont stress so much on the noise side when playing at home. I play mostly FPS titles and am looking forward to play call of duty 4 (due November) and crysis. The preferred resolution will be 1280x1024 on my new Eizo S1710 17" display. The budget i am facing for the build (without display and input devices) is roughly 800€ (about 1150 USD).

My biggest question is: will the MSI mobo overclock the e6750 to fsb 400MHz? I have read of some problems with the g33 chipset and overclocking - does it overclock with the current 1333mhz FSB core 2 duo cpus?

As i will be sticking to win xp i dont see a point in investing in 4096 mb memory. As far as i can tell, the 8600gt should be fine for most FSP - or not?

Is i worth opting for ddr2-1066 memory instead of the ddr2-800? the price about doubles - what kind of performance boost could be expected from this option, is it really worth it?

What do you guys think of this build?

Old list:
video card: Gigabyte Nvidia 8600 gt 256mb silent pipe (it's passively cooled, thus silent and according to hardocp the gts version is no worth the extra money and for me the 8800gts is too expensive)
cpu: core 2 duo E6750 with boxed heatsink/fan
memory: MDT 2x1024 mb ddr2-800 (mainly cheap and solid)
mobo: MSI G33M-FI (has the nice space between pcie and pci so that no pci slot gets blocked by a large video card)
case: Thermaltake Lanbox silver with window (comes in at only 3.5kg and with a nice handle bar for easy transport)
storage: samsung sh203B SATA burner and T166 500GB hard drive
power supply: seasonic S12II 500W (it's supposed to be quiet and efficient, according to anandtech)
 
Not all G33 mATX mobos OC adequately because often the manufacturer doesnt provide the proper BIOS options. If you want to OC I'd suggest either the Gigabyte DS2R or the ASUS P5K-VM. They are the two best mATX mobos That OC. Everything else pales in comparison to them when it comes to OCing and performance.

Personally I'd nix the 8600 and go for a 8800GTS varient. I think alot of people are going to be disappointed in the 8600 and newer games. I just dont see the 8600 as a good gaming card. But thats just me. Today's games and tomorrow's is going to require better graphic power than the lowly 8600 series.

You'll also need a good aftermarket HSF for that CPU. The problem with SFF cases is that they are smaller and have harder time cooling than ATX cases. SFF cases are also more restrictive in how big of a hsf you can put in them. This makes cooling even harder to achieve for OCing.

The e6750 is a good solid choice so you made a good decision there IMO. Its good in stock form and it will OC nicely. It has a good price vs performance ratio.
 
I'd tell you to keep the MSI, if you weren't overclocking. If you have plans to overclock, forget it. You want the Gigabyte or the ASUS (one looks slightly better in a case, the other has optical out).

You can (or should) save some money by skipping out on the Seasonic. A Corsair 450VX, FSP Blue Storm II, or similar <$100 (or preferably, <$90) high quality power supply will be better. Maybe get one from Canada... the American prices tend to be higher for power supplies. Sometimes.

That stock heatsink will fail. Hard. When overclocking. You could try the CNPS8700. Or the good old XP120 with an upwards blowing fan (into the PSU). Scythe Mini Ninja does not fit.

See if you can still find a X1950Pro or 7950GT for a reasonable price still.

Suggestion: Move your hard drive to the side window, and the optical drive to the second bay. You now have room to stuff extra cables, and anchors (from where the hard drive cage used to be in front of the 92mm) for zip ties for fan wires and front panel connections.
 
Leman & Skott - Thanks very much - Since both of you believe, that the msi is no good, there must be some truth to it ;-) probably i will opt for the gigabyte (it's a bit cheaper). I guess i will have to look for a pci-e dvb-s2 card to pair a x-fi then, in the near future...

I was concerned a bit about the hsf, but aftermarket hsf cost 40€ and up, which i find a bit excessive. I guess i will have to try and look for a used one on ebay.

Leman, how does the onboard sound of the ASUS P5K-VM compare to the x-fi in terms of listening to high quality mp3 files? Maybe somebody else has experience with the gigabyte board onboard sound in this matter and can post here?!-Would be really nice! :cool:

Skott, the 7950gt suggestion is really good! It seems to sell for about 130€ on ebay and according to anandtech and tomshardware it beats/equals the 8600gts in most cases. Even more interesting is the 7900gtx which seems to be roughly 15% faster than the 7950gt - maybe i get lucky and find a cheap one on ebay... It has the same length as a 8800gts, so it should fit the tight enclosure. Stalker seems to run smoothly with both cards. Maybe some people will post their experiences with these cards and the crysis demo due the coming week - That should give a good guideline for future titles. The Corsair PSU seems also to be quite the performer for less cash... I like it. However, I wonder where they cut the costs...



Has anybody spotted a case like the thermaltake lanbox, i.e. similarly portable and light weight with a handle bar ?

(German prices... ebay.de & geizhals.at/de)
 
Does anybody know whether the Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro cooler (dimensions: 127H * 107W * 97D (mm)) will fit in the TT lanbox?

EDIT: Found a review stating 100mm clearance between CPU and PSU... so i guess the freezer won't fit. What do u guys think about the TT Blue Orb II? ( it should fit, I read somewhere...)
 
licuo said:
I was concerned a bit about the hsf, but aftermarket hsf cost 40&#8364; and up, which i find a bit excessive. I guess i will have to try and look for a used one on ebay.
Click to expand...
Make sure the base is in perfect condition. And if you're serious, forget the Blue Orb. It'll work, but that's about it.
Leman, how does the onboard sound of the ASUS P5K-VM compare to the x-fi in terms of listening to high quality mp3 files? Maybe somebody else has experience with the gigabyte board onboard sound in this matter and can post here?!-Would be really nice!
Click to expand...
No idea. But I think both boards have the ALC889A codec. Nothing compared to a X-Fi or Oxygen chip, of course.

Skott, the 7950gt suggestion is really good! It seems to sell for about 130&#8364; on ebay and according to anandtech and tomshardware it beats/equals the 8600gts in most cases. Even more interesting is the 7900gtx which seems to be roughly 15% faster than the 7950gt - maybe i get lucky and find a cheap one on ebay... It has the same length as a 8800gts, so it should fit the tight enclosure.
Click to expand...
The 7950GT will be a better bet. The 7900GTX might be harder to find as well as being a dual slot video card. If you're having a sound card, the fan will be pressed right up against the PCI card, thus giving you no (or very little) room for the fan to draw air.

Has anybody spotted a case like the thermaltake lanbox, i.e. similarly portable and light weight with a handle bar ?
Click to expand...
I wish... The only close thing to that would be a Sugo 01 or 3 with a Sugo Pack, but that comes out at over $240. Its either that, or a Shuttle.
 
Leman said:
No idea. But I think both boards have the ALC889A codec. Nothing compared to a X-Fi or Oxygen chip, of course.
Click to expand...

umph, i guess i wanted to ask Skott instead! The guy who actually has the X-Fi in his signature... so...?

Leman said:
The 7950GT will be a better bet. The 7900GTX might be harder to find as well as being a dual slot video card. If you're having a sound card, the fan will be pressed right up against the PCI card, thus giving you no (or very little) room for the fan to draw air.
Click to expand...

Actually, right now a whole bunch of 7900 gtx are available on ebay germany. The narrow slit for fresh air available to the 7900 gtx when a sound card is next to it shouldn't yield more than about 10°C more on the temperatures of the video card. It might even be better for the case temperature because the 7900 gtx exhausts part of the hot air directly out of the case. Pitty that I waste one PCI slot in this way...

Leman said:
I wish... The only close thing to that would be a Sugo 01 or 3 with a Sugo Pack, but that comes out at over $240. Its either that, or a Shuttle.
Click to expand...

I guess I'll stick wih the Lanbox then, seems to be a nice case anyways.
 
Crotan said:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163071&Tpk=fragbox

expensive though
Click to expand...


Yeah, if you are going to pay that much might as well splurge the extra $50 and get a Qmicra and then not worry about psu, video card, or hsf size. Its the best mATX case on the market.

A much cheaper solution to the Fragbox is the SG03. It'll fit any size video card (few ATX cases can do that) and it has two 120mm fans. Also fits many atx power supply units. No handle though. It will fit a NT06-Lite which is a decent heatsink from what I hear.
 
Skott said:
A much cheaper solution to the Fragbox is the SG03. It'll fit any size video card (few ATX cases can do that) and it has two 120mm fans. Also fits many atx power supply units. No handle though. It will fit a NT06-Lite which is a decent heatsink from what I hear.
Click to expand...

The SG03 is a nice alternative, together with a carrier like the sugo bag. And the un-necessity of a dedicated fan for the CPU heatsink is really nice. Hmm..., it is a bit more expensive, however, i am tempted... I will sleep over it ;)
 
licuo said:
umph, i guess i wanted to ask Skott instead! The guy who actually has the X-Fi in his signature... so...?
Click to expand...

I never tried the onboard sound of the P5K-VM. I'm a big believer in using a seperate sound card in a pc. Same goes for graphics. My guess is that the onboard sound is averagely okay but onboard sound cannot compete with a dedicated sound card in quality. Also a seperate sound card doesnt take up any extra cpu cycles. Usually you have fewer compatibility problems too if you have a good sound card.

You could go with onboard sound if you wanted to to save some extra money in the beginning and then get a seperate sound card later on. The only downside to this is if you want to overclock your PC. Using onboard sound or onboard video reduces OCing ability and performance usually. So if you want to OC I'd suggest getting a seperate sound card.
 
Yeah, I have the same thoughts. I was just wondering whether things have changed or not. I have an old Audigy 1 from my old rig that i can use. I might consider to give myself the AuzenTech Auzen X-Fi Prelude 7.1 for xmas...
 
I think the lanbox is the better choice for me compared to the sg03. I'm not willing to spent that much money (case+bag) on basically a better cooling solution and the possibility to install a video card that i am not going to buy in the first place.

The lanbox seems to be able to house a thermalright xp120 or a xp90. With a 25mm high fan, blowing into the PSU and maybe a self made funnel to direct the airflow generated by the PSU fan through the heat sink, this might be a nice solution. At the same time the case ventilation will be improved. Am i going to get noise or performance problems from turbulences between PSU and CPU cooler fans?

Did anybody ever try a similar heatsink+PSU fan CPU cooling setup (NT06 in the sg03) with a tt lanbox? maybe with a funnel that could be made to work? Any experiences here?
 
I know for a fact there has been quite a few posts about Tt Lanboxes and what people put in them. I dont think the HT06 will fit though if I remember correctly. You'd need to double check on that though to be sure. Dworley has had most of the popular SFF cases he can probably tell you what the best hsf you can get into that Lanbox. He posts here quite a bit. Maybe send him a PM and see what he says. Keep this thread bumped and I'm sure others will chime in too but do search the other threads. I know the info has been discussed before. Sorry I cant remember the specifics. :(
 
eu_phorix did a XP120 on his F-I90HD.

I'll be doing one soon too. Turbulence? Yeah, probably. But in the name of all that is airflow, does it matter? That, and the Lanbox probably isn't quiet. I can't tell. I'm used to computer noise. I know it is really does have fan spin noise at bootup when the X1950's fan spins up, but I've never heard it spin up during gaming (3DMark barely makes it hit 75).

(well, I can't say I have any worries. FSP Blue Storm II has a D12SH @ 70CFM, so I can pretty much put any fan in there without having extra air floating around. Just worried about my northbridge).
 
So, its done. I am quite happy with the build. I found a cheap 7950gt and I went with the p5k-vm, because I wanted to have an ASUS. Now, however I see that maybe it wasn't the wisest choice, because Vdrop is causing the overclock to end at 3,2GHz (BIOS set to 1.5V, which yields 1.38V under load). Any higher setting results in instability. If I get a faste gpu some day I might consider going for the vdrop-mod, but right now I am too lazy to get in the case again - afterall its quite tight in the SG03. CPU temps are okay (<50°C while gaming). The NT06 doesn't quite fit (it is a bit too big) with the silverstone psu, but its cooling nicely. I have one intake 120mm fan at the front running at around 850rpm.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top