Lanbox 3yr Viable Gaming/HTPC Rig

[soulfoot]

non critical Problems listed on the last post

UPDATE 3: Final rig specs http://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=5465891
also purchased a super flower fan controller (which didnt fit well) and an extra red 60mm fan. I am currently not using the 80mm tornado fan. Defaulted Crysis at 1280x1040 with all settings on high
Vista scored every bit of my machine at 5.9 except for the processor which scored 5.5. A 5 was the highest score available when vista was released. Although i am cutting it close for long term viability, I have not seen a game recommend above a 5.

UPDATE 2: Need help deciding on MOBO, info at bottom

UPDATE: Parts are comming in. Work log and expereince/thoughts are at the bottom as they come


First, i'm happy i found this board, all the info has been great and i hope to be able to devour all the info in here over the next week.

My current system is now 3.5 years old, i was lucky enough to get in and remain somewhat viable (with a graphics card update) up until now. My current system was designed to play HL2 and last 3 years, it can handle anything i throw at it including Call of Juarez and Bioshock so i would say I succeeded but its time to move on.

The system I am looking at building should hopefully accomplish the following goals:
1. Be somewhat inexepsive (around 1K not counting the gfx card)
2. Be able to play Crysis(and anything else out today) at near max settings with gfx card and be respectable without it(probably not gonna happen).
3. Be Future proof for up to 3 years: Like my current system i'm hoping only a gfx card upgrade is needed to play games 3 years from now.
4. Be a cheap (or free with no upgrades) home theatre option when my other pc dies or is no longer in my life.

Link to current New Egg Wish List: http://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=5465891

Thermaltake VF1000BWS aka Lanbox with handle (already purchased and locked in)
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16811133035
would love some cooling advice by way of after market fans

GIGABYTE GA-MA69GM-S2H AM2 AMD 690G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813128056
aware of the sata connection issue, i dont plan on using the HD cage

SILVERSTONE SST-ST60F ATX 600W Power Supply
Silverstone Short Power Cable Set Model SST-PP03
Changed per Leman's wonderful suggestion, but will buying the short cables be to my advantage considering thermaltake's is a slightly larger box.

AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ Windsor 3.2GHz 2 x 1MB L2 Cache Socket AM2 Processor
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819103191

ZALMAN CNPS8700 2 Ball CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16835118030
I'm concerned that this will fit with all components, i know it fits in the case but am unsure of its compatability with the MB and the oversized Gfx card and the ram, i seek any suggestions.

OCZ Titanium XTC 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16820227270
Currently out of stock, will take any sugestion, i'm not picky but lifetime warranties are good.
or
G.SKILL 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory currently 50 bucks cheaper due to 40$ price drop

Western Digital Raptor X WD1500AHFD 150GB 10,000 RPM 16MB Cache Serial ATA150 Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16822136011
I have over a terrabite of WD Mybooks so this HD is only for the Windows install and games.

ASUS 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA
or
LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA
I'm only getting one and I really dont care which because i have a suitable backup that will be doing the majority of my burning on a different rig, but options are good.

Due to constant price drops the video card may be purchased at a later date depending on my current ability to run games at a respectable rate.

SAPPHIRE 100211 Radeon HD 2900XT 1GB 512-bit GDDR4
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16814102099

I plan on running Vista 64 Ultimate with this set up and i'm pretty sure i wont be able to live without the video card but i can hope.



Thanks for helping and looking, i've learned alot reading these boards and some of the lessons i have yet to apply.

One last note: I hope you can tell by my choice of parts that i hope to have a somewhat respectable looking rig on the inside, i plan on UV coating the case interior when it gets in so i will also appreciate any modding tips including UV paint suggestions and UV fans and lights

 

[Leman]

Thermaltake VF1000BWS aka Lanbox with handle (already purchased and locked in)
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16811133035

Try to find a 92mm red fan for the front (just don't pay out the nose for it). And red cathodes. You'll want to do that.

Cooling options would be much more plentiful in a NZXT Rogue.

GIGABYTE GA-MA69GM-S2H AM2 AMD 690G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16813128056

Why?

KINGWIN ABT-800MA1S ATX / BTX 800W SLI Certified Modular Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16817121026

I'd rather take Silverstone's modular ST60F (600W) or 75F (750W) than that... thing. In before 620HX. That thing is overpriced.

AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ Windsor 3.2GHz 2 x 1MB L2 Cache Socket AM2 Processor
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16819103191

Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

ZALMAN CNPS8700 2 Ball CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16835118030

An XP120 would be ideal in any computer built in a Lanbox.

OCZ Titanium XTC 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16820227270

G.Skill has some for ... some price. Lower I think. Rather handsome sticks (not the older style ones, the new ones with textured corner pieces and the G.Skill logo. Blue spreaders, I believe).

Western Digital Raptor X WD1500AHFD 150GB 10,000 RPM 16MB Cache Serial ATA150 Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16822136011

SATA150 only? Mehhhhhhhhhhh.

SAPPHIRE 100211 Radeon HD 2900XT 1GB 512-bit GDDR4
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16814102099

Buying now? 8800GT. Buying later? 9 series.

Case; too late, but still nice. And heavy. kekeke.
PSU; take my suggestion.
RAM; you can wait if you want the warranty.
Video card; I'm sure other people would suggest the same.
HDD; up to you, really.
CPU/Motherboard; An Intel board would last longer, I imagine. Sure, the AMD combo is cheaper, but...
E6750 + P5E-VM HDMI can't cost more than $350.
E6750 + P5K-VM costs about $320.
I just don't see any reason to stay with AMD if you want it for 3 years.

 

[soulfoot]

thanks i'll consider those sugestions here are some immediate answers though

I checked the silverstone psu and i will give it more consideration but if i went with it i would buy the shorter cable set

video card and mobo/cpu: i think at some point it comes down to preference and luck, amd and ati have not let me down, it probably matters little but the board i chose has ati onboard so i thought i might have an easier go if my extra card planned is ati, silly i know but hey.

one final note, I fully expect my equipment to last 3 years or more, my concern is whether it will run games that come out 3 years from now, If my hardware failed before then i would be very upset and suprised

2nd Look Edit
Swapped out the powersupply and added the short cables to the wish list, hopefully i can use some of them if not all of them

tried the find the heatsink you recomended on newegg but they only have the 90 and 60mm variants, also would a fan with the fan bracket fit, no big deal if it doesnt since i have a use for a 120 elsewhere. If i do find it i would definitely switch out,

the g skills i like are these G.SKILL 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory, will it work, seems to be the same and newegg dumped the price 40$ which actually makes this choice obvious. They appear to be about the same as my initial choice so i'm assuming they will work well with my set up, i'll probably do more research and then buy them soon due to the current price drop

I'm having personal relationship issues with the intel stuff you recomended so i'll leave that alone for now, i just dont see the advantages/disadvantages one has over the other, but i am willing to listen to any more advice

 

[jonjon0nline]

Shameless plug:

I'm selling the same PSU he's suggesting for $80+ship.

/Shameless plug

 

[Toresko]

Buying now? 8800GT. Buying later? 9 series.

Case; too late, but still nice. And heavy. kekeke.
PSU; take my suggestion.
RAM; you can wait if you want the warranty.
Video card; I'm sure other people would suggest the same.
HDD; up to you, really.
CPU/Motherboard; An Intel board would last longer, I imagine. Sure, the AMD combo is cheaper, but...
E6750 + P5E-VM HDMI can't cost more than $350.
E6750 + P5K-VM costs about $320.
I just don't see any reason to stay with AMD if you want it for 3 years.

i take your advice for my config too, because i want a sff for the same things.
Thank you

 

[Leman]

If my hardware failed before then i would be very upset and suprised

No guarantee there, since its really luck of the draw. As long as you're not using an ECS motherboard, I doubt anything will really fail.

tried the find the heatsink you recomended on newegg but they only have the 90 and 60mm variants, also would a fan with the fan bracket fit, no big deal if it doesnt since i have a use for a 120 elsewhere. If i do find it i would definitely switch out,

http://www.xoxide.com/thermalright-xp-90c-cpu-cooler.html
You probably won't be able to find the XP120 any more in the States. Even Canada... (Think I might have nabbed the last one.). The XP90, however, can still be found, especially the copper version.

Somebody used a XP90 in their case. Might have been Skott, or i8088.

I'm having personal relationship issues with the intel stuff you recomended so i'll leave that alone for now, i just dont see the advantages/disadvantages one has over the other, but i am willing to listen to any more advice

Let me try my best fanboy.
Intel, clock for clock, simply has the better performance, for nearly the same price. However, the most important part is the overclocking headroom of an Intel Core 2 chip. While those chips taken at the same price segment are fairly similar (6400+, E6750), when overclocked (3GHz+?), they easily outstrip AMD's offering short of LN2 24/7 overclocking. AMD has already released the Phenom processors, and they're not terribly impressive. At all. And lets not forget Intels are dead simple to overclock.

Furthermore, most new boards now will have support for the Penryn and Yorkfield core (45nm revision) processors. LGA775 isn't dieing any time soon.

 

[TWO515TY]

As long as you're not using an ECS motherboard, I doubt anything will really fail.

Not that I would recommend ECS mobos over an Asus or Gigabyte (unless it was really cheap and the person just wanted a mobo to run their system), but even my and my friend's ECS mobos have been rock solid. I don't think my ECS mobo is any more or less likely to fail than any other Asus or Gigabyte mobo.

Soulfoot, don't even waste time with AMD right now. You already said you want your system to last 3 years and right now, the way to do that is to get an Intel system. Right now, an overclocked Intel chip is going to last you longer than an AMD chip, plain and simple.

 

[soulfoot]

ok if i went the intel route i'm looking at this
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017
and
GIGABYTE GA-G33M-DS2R LGA 775 Intel G33 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128053

seems like they would work together but im inexperienced enough to admit i dont know for sure


total price as of posting : 410
AMD setup : 260

the pricing isnt too much of a turn off since i'm choosing to go quad instead of duo but as far as i can tell the only real difference will be seen in multitasking so any advice would help. If i go this route i'll probably back off on the vid card a bit and buy something that will get me by for the next year or so and upgrade later

also i'm inexperienced at overclocking other than i know its easy and watch 2 guys in this little lan group do it all the time, so i'll have all the help i need if/when i decide to go there.

i'm also unsure of how the ram works so i picked the mobo based on the ram i purchased yesterday
G.SKILL 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16820231148
it is/was 40$ off plus free shipping so i snagged some. (also came with a lifetime)

ps if i didnt say so already i'm hoping for a system that will run vista 64bit out of the box or at least a few drivers away from being stable.

I think i can get my hands on an xp-120 so now i just need to make sure it will fit over the board/ram/ and around the vid card.and pick up the after market kit for the sink. For instance On the intel board i have picked out, will the Xp-120 clear the gold northbridge heatsink, that sucker is huge

but the recomended Asus mobo northbridge seems just as big
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131187
I would consider this board if i knew the ram i purchased would work with it (seems like it does but i dont know enough to be certain)

or

if i was stubborn and went the AMD route would i be able to install the xp-120, just by looking at the board it looks like i would have to remove the stock plastic support around the processor but as i said i've never done this so i dont know, on the intel one i can clearly see where the xp-120 is installed

 

[Leman]

the pricing isnt too much of a turn off since i'm choosing to go quad instead of duo but as far as i can tell the only real difference will be seen in multitasking so any advice would help. If i go this route i'll probably back off on the vid card a bit and buy something that will get me by for the next year or so and upgrade later

Well, you could get an E6750 instead. It'll be cooler too. And a good $100 cheaper.

also i'm inexperienced at overclocking other than i know its easy and watch 2 guys in this little lan group do it all the time, so i'll have all the help i need if/when i decide to go there.

Light overclocks are dead easy.

G.SKILL 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16820231148
it is/was 40$ off plus free shipping so i snagged some. (also came with a lifetime)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231145

Same price, DDR2-1000. If you like guarantees. Or pushing your RAM hard. But it seems you already bought them. No matter.

ps if i didnt say so already i'm hoping for a system that will run vista 64bit out of the box or at least a few drivers away from being stable.

It'll run Vista 64 easy. Its the programs themselves that might have fun with 64-bit... like Speedfan. But if you're buying Ultimate, you get 32-bit and 64-bit anyways.

I think i can get my hands on an xp-120 so now i just need to make sure it will fit over the board/ram/ and around the vid card.and pick up the after market kit for the sink. For instance On the intel board i have picked out, will the Xp-120 clear the gold northbridge heatsink, that sucker is huge

XP120: 2.8GHz 1.3375v L2 stepping E4300 - 54'C load. Pushing harder tonight. An E6750 will run cooler than that, at the same speed.

The XP120 will fit the DS2R. But remember to grab the LGA775 retention module. And remember, you can only put it on one way. And remember, remember. And remember, http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/DeathseekerWR/E4300/XP120/DSC00574.jpg
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/DeathseekerWR/E4300/XP120/DSC00576.jpg
You'll be wanting to put it on like that. The long base of the XP120 hits the capacitors. For me, anyways.

but the recomended Asus mobo northbridge seems just as big
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131187
I would consider this board if i knew the ram i purchased would work with it (seems like it does but i dont know enough to be certain)

Probably the same size. Don't take my word for it. RAM compatibility? I never worry about it.

if i was stubborn and went the AMD route would i be able to install the xp-120, just by looking at the board it looks like i would have to remove the stock plastic support around the processor but as i said i've never done this so i dont know, on the intel one i can clearly see where the xp-120 is installed

AM2 retention module.

 

[soulfoot]

sure do appreciate it, i think i have enough info to make my own mistakes, thanks very much for your help and others as well

it may be more than a month before i'm done but i'll post some pics when i do

nothin spectacular, i'll most likely mod it a good while later

 

[soulfoot]

sorry for the double

i'm slowly purchasing parts, and seriously hunting the xp-120, but i have a question, with the cooler pentium processor sugested, what specifications should i look for on the 120 fan, and (sorry if this is a stupid question) do i need to worry about making sure the fan is compatable with the motherboard connection or can i just connect the fan to anything comming off the power supply.

if you want to make fan sugestions, that is fine, i'm looking for a nice looking metalic fan, preferably no leds or red leds or UV, i saw a really nice uv 120 that claimed to light up the whole case with UV but the airflow was half that of the other 120's so i passed.

 

[Leman]

I'm using something as lowly as a Yate Loon D12SL. Some people put Scythe S-Flex SFF21Fs, or maybe the Scythe Slip Streams.

38mm fans don't fit.

 

[soulfoot]

Parts are starting to come in (namely the case and the Hard drive, with the psu and the dvdr not too far behind) by this time next week i should have everything but the mobo and the cpu (wife wants to wrap it under the tree lol) and maby the gfx card.

I'm starting to get a good feel for this case and while i'm sure airflow/temps will be adequate, i'm kinda thinking i want more fans (i did purchase an extra one for the back and am replacing the stock ones with what should hopefully be better air)

Looking at my options it would appear that with some modification i can throw one in a window, buy some larger case feet and throw one underneeth, or throw one under the handle in the top.

I'm partially deaf so i do place temp issues on a higher priority than noise issues and my biggest concern is the vid card i would like to put in is the xfx gtx8800 320 xxx the cheaper little brother with a big attitude for non max resolution guys like me, but reviews are mentioning how hot this thing gets (pci back plate hot to the touch), if worst comes to worst i can always invest in a water cooling system but i would rather not throw any more money into this case than i have to at least not now

I really dont plan on overclocking anything till i need it, but i dont want a hot case either. I know this is a basic inherent issue for most sff builds so i'm just trying to see what options i have, whats been tried and what works well

edit

after some studying it looks like maby a fan type mod on the window opposite the pci slots may be best, it looks like i can attach it to the lower dvd slot and the base of the case via a few brackets, leaving the corner closest to the power supply unsecured but once i get that far i'll know how i want to secure that final point, with a little luck i can get a 120 blowing straight across the heatsink and board right into the back of the gfx card, i just hope i can do it all internally

 

[soulfoot]

After even more research i've decided on placing 120's in the windows themselves.

I've started installing the parts and i have a few comments.

Case: Man this thing is great, i can break it down every way but the side windows. I about broke it when i first took it apart trying to slide the sides off only to discover they wont move lol. The side rack mount for the Hard drive is actually scraping the sides of my Raptor X. It's funny that they advertise the design for showing off the raptor but take no precautions about its safety. My guess is the HDD screw holes were drilled inward and the teeniest bit of warped alluminum/steel on the holes is causing the scratches. I also purchased a HDD cooler to attach to the raptor. On the HDD side rack mount there is a 1/2 inch guide that the back of the HDD sits on, it must be bent in order to fit a hard drive with a cooler on it. One of the screws for the disk cooler sits right where the guide wants to be when the HDD is attached so there is no getting around it.

The 5.25 stealth doors appear to be easily removed so if you are looking at getting an LCD temp monitor like i am then they should prove to be no problem, however, doo your measuring carefully as i'm quite sure that the hole left by the stealth cover would not be the same size as the disk drive, not quite sure what i'm to think about that since i know i need a full sized slot.

Raptor X: Initial view and install is impressive, i know these things are loud and get hot though so i'll withold my final thoughts till i get it going real good. I noticed after installing it that there is the tiniest imperfection on the disk almost like a diamond speck is sitting on it, i've got a quiestion in the raptor x post about this and whethere i should be concerned or not. I have babied this bad boy the best that i know how, i hope nothing is wrong. To give you an idea the little diamond speck is similar in size to a slght imperfection on my XP-120 heatsink

XP-120: Man this thing is impressive in the box lol. I did manuever the protectors around to look at the bottom and i have 2 tiny divits on the sides. I've read that this one has a plating on it and should not be lapped. I've also read some directions on applying the thermal paste i have. They reccomend applying directly above the dual core in a straight line, so hopefully these divits, which are out of the way, wont affect heat transfer. Also, I guess its impossible to get one to you in perfect condition, one of the corner fins is bent in slightly and you can see on the package where the box etc rubbed it in.

Asus Sata Optical Disk drive: Eh its a drive, if it works and dont die its a great drive. On the install you want it in slot 2 (out of 4) with the screws. The slot that pushes it back as far as it can go is 1, so this thing is barely poking out but the stealth button hits the eject button on the drive and thats all that matters.

One side note (and i knew better than to do this) I purchased some "red" clear neon, its pink. Luckily i alread have blue and just wanted to try a different color but red is definitly not the way to go.

 

[Leman]

You need to wrap cathodes in cellophane to darken the colour.

The XP120 should have a flawless bottom... until you mount it. Fins are easily unbent, just use a screwdriver.

120s in the window: Tight fit on the right side (if not impossible), not so bad on the left side. 80s are easier.

 

[soulfoot]

never thought to try celophane, i'll check it out and see the difference on the HD cage that i wont be using (its my uv test spot - even though the stuff washes off)

I'll try to take the picture of the xp-120 soon (no power/time due to ice storm) It looks like the divits are on the edge and i've read it has some sort of a plating on it that comes off if i lap it

i800i (forget his name) posted a nice fan mod for the case i may take a look at doing something like that

 

[soulfoot]

the Asus p5e-vm HDMI is at new egg now, not sure i saw it a month ago when i was looking

so

do i go for the asus or the gigabyte and will the asus mobo be compatable with the xp-120, it looks like it is

I've got everything but the mobo and the processor

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813128053

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813131237

current rig, including an WD raptor X and vista 64
http://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=5465891

I'm probably buying them within the next 24 hours

Edit:

Power Supply is Huge.
I tinkered around and managed to install the 750w modular silverstone power supply, man is this thing big. I thought i would test the short cable kit out and plug the sata cables into the Raptor and the Optical. The cage would not go back in with them plugged in and the power supply installed lol. This will work ok for me (just have to plug them in afterwards) and i'm not entirely sure why i wanted a 750 watter but now i'm kinda wishing i purchased a smaller modular Power supply. I just hope it doesnt turn out to be DOA when i turn the system on otherwise i think i'll be looking for a smaller power supply.

Edit:

Ok I went with the asus board, everything is purchased and on its way, I know this thread is messy and disorganized but i'll try to keep my pics and comments here

On cooling:
I decided to throw a zalman tornado 90mm in the front ( i may use some panty hose as a filter) and to use i808's blowhole near the psu mod with an aditional 80mm tornado, I may not be able to hear anything with them on but at least i should not have to worry about cooling. My total cost clocked in under 1400 including shipping (probably under 1300 but i'm being generous). Right now i think i totally regret spending any money on UV lighting as it looks like black and red will be my main theme.

 

[soulfoot]

ok the Tornado Fans are loud, let me just get that out of the way

i'm writing this from vista 64 and everything installed wonderfully.

thoughts:

wish i had a smaller power supply, wish i replaced all the thermal take stock fans, they suck

the 92mm tornado alone creates positive pressure in my case, i need a fan controller

I bought the super flower thinking it would work but it does not fit the case well and it cannot control the tornado (if you have tips i'm all ears, but the tornado is a 4 pin molex and the super flower wants it to be a 3 pin fan controller), let me stress this, most 5.25 bay controllers will have a rough time with this case, the flip down stealth plate is easily removed but the open slot is no where near the size of a drive, i had to remove the acrylic guard on the super flower just to get it even close to the front, i also physically cut some pieces on the 7in bay cover to get it close

this case is a definite challenge to keep all of the wires hidden, i'm considering a 2 inch light show or sign of some sort along the top of the windows to help hide things.

The tornado is the ticket to keeping this case cool, apparently (further testing needed)

windows scored me at 5.8 with zero overclocking

will run crysis at a later date

merry christmas

if you are building a lanbox and have any questions at all (i know i did) then please email me or send me a pm

Edit:

Took the tornado out and replaced it with the stock fan so that my pc is livable until the fan controller stuff comes in. Everything is now at least 10-15c warmer. Its amazing how much that hair dryer affected temperature. My 8800 gts topped out at 74c where as before i never saw it get above 60-65c.

My pc could probably run this way till the end of time but i would rather keep it cooler.

Also after taking apart and putting it together several times i'm now confident that i can get to the front intake fan (probably the hardest part to change out) in around 30 min. to get to the front fan you have to take the top of the case off, slide the mobo out a bit, disconnect the power supply, remove the powersupply cage then lift the HD Optical cage or just move it back a bit, then unscrew the front of the case just to access the screws for the intake fan

btw i'm only keeping this thing updated in hopes that others thinking of using a lanbox will benefit from my experiences, i still love the box but i think if your not in love with it you might want to look elsewhere

 

[soulfoot]

ran into a few non critical problems with this build and am wondering if these are somewhat normal wear and tear issues or if i should be concerned about bad hardware that is only showing itself after a few weeks use.

1. if one or two monitors are on standby when i turn the machine on, they do not come out of standbye. This happens 100% of the time. I found a setting in the bios regarding vga and standby but it has no effect. One monitor is old and one is brand new. I also had similar problems when the monitors would go into standby while the pc was on, but have since turned off the various power saver settings. (this problem has been present in one form or another since the day i built the machine.)

2. When an older 500gig mybook is plugged into the front usb port and the machine is turned on it posts and goes to a single curser blinking for at least five minuietes, i have not left the machine on to see if it ever loads vista. I have a different newer 500gig mybook that i'm using as well and it is plugged directly into the back motherboard slot, there are no problems with this one. the solution is to turn on the pc with the older 500gig unplugged.

3. Motherobard has halted once due to overclocking errors yesterday for the first time but i have never overclocked, however the gfx card is factorly clocked. and the system has hung up only once and i was able to shut it down normally even though one monitor was in a permanent game screen.

my cpu temps are from 36 to 47c max, and the gfx card has never gone above 70c according to Hardware monitor which uses internal sensors. My externals of course record quite a bit lower as expected.

i have not upgraded the bios and unless it becomes critical or it is a probable solution to any problems i may have, i dont plan to, i'm the type that doesnt upgrade drivers untill it is necessary, years of crappy ati drivers conditioned me to think this way.