Hi all! So I have a Corsair 550d case (probably the best case I've owned for what I use it for, and I've built a lot of computers over the years). The little door hinges for it break easily (probably one of the reasons they discontinued it, though I wish they'd just re-released it with better hinges...

CA_Steve wrote:Glad it worked out for you. If you have the time, I'd love to see some heat soak tests results (temp vs time for idle, light load, heavy load).

Sure - how would I do those? I can run RealTemp with Prime95, but that's all I know how to do.

- Tim

Hey folks... I want to thank everyone here who participated in the several threads I started on the topic of creating a silent, fanless PC to use in my home theater. I ended up with a rather expensive option, but a good one: http://www.atechfabrication.com/products/HeatSync_2800HP_Mini-Client.htm Th...

CA_Steve wrote:I look forward to a nice user review of the case and build.

I'll definitely do that!

- Tim

Thanks for the info, folks! I decided to get a vanilla i7-8700 - that will be way more than I really need for this HTPC, but at least I'll know that if I need more CPU "umph" I can get it (occasional transcoding, etc).

- Tim

Since the case will support it, go with the vanilla i7 rather than the T part - no upside to the T. The CPU will only draw what power it needs to complete a task. If the CPU horsepower needed is the same or below what the T provides, the power profile between the two parts will be the same. For tho...

... with an M.2 main SSD and a couple of high-capacity regular SSDs in there; also, a compact Blu-Ray reader/writer, 16gb or maybe 32gb ram; no other cards (it can take one low-profile card, I think, which I MIGHT put something in at some point in the future). What CPU? its very likely that you wil...

picoPSU 150XT usually gets paired with 150W brick , but there is also a 192W brick more commonly used on 160XT . on RC Car hobby, usually they use 12V-24V PSU to power their chargers, and there are lot higher PSU there, for example Mean Well LRS-350-12 Power Supply , but i kinda think this will def...

Hi folks... So I want to build a new mini HTPC based on this case: http://www.atechfabrication.com/products/HeatSync_2800HP_Mini-Client.htm I've been having some emails with the owner, and we were talking about power supplies. I used a wattage calculator to see what would be recommended for the syst...

Hi folks... I'm planning on building a fanless Mini-ITX system eventually (was thinking of a NUC, but I have more options with a Mini-ITX board). Looking around, it seems I can cool the CPU with: 1. A huge fanless CPU cooler (eg. http://www.nofancomputer.com/eng/products/CR-95C.php ) 2. A case built...

If you wanted to move up to mITX, and higher power CPUs, HDPlex makes some awesome cases. Downside will be ~15-20W idle instead of 5-7W. Also an option, and good in that it's not proprietary. I may look into those later as well, since I have some experience building quiet PCs (thanks to this site, ...

Anything is possible...can't really say without one in front of me or seeing a review. Here's the thing - it's still in a small plastic case. No place for the heatsink to transfer the heat to other than by radiation... Akasa had some nice metal cases for NUC motherboards. I haven't looked at the ne...

Here's my 2015 mini-review of the earlier CI320 with a 7.5W TDP Atom CPU. If all you want to do is push stored audio and video, the C series Nano should work great...and you won't need the horsepower of the CPU in the CI549 model. If you plan to use it for any transcoding or other high CPU process ...

Hi folks... I'm looking into fanless systems to use for audio and video streaming around my house. Currently, I have a full-on HTPC under my TV, running Windows 7 x64, chock full of storage and great audio and video cards. The issue is, 1) it uses lots of power, 2) I have to remember to turn it on i...

tbessie --Wow, that's a lot of expense for a relatively undemanding role for a PC these days. Aside from fast bootup, an SSD really doesn't provide any improvement in HTPC performance (at least for me). I'm surprised you find the HDD noise so bothersome. What are your environmental conditions? ie -...

For most consumer uses, the 850 Pro is overkill. You won't see a significant benefit over the CX100 or Samsung's more economical model, the 840 EVO. The Pro could provide benefit in a workstation that gets hammered with heavy use (like a video editor, etc). I like the Samsung Magician tool set. Eas...

I'm building my next HTPC, and want it to be very silent; my current one has a small, older-generation SSD as its system drive, and a big ol' 3TB (or 4TB, can't remember) drive for data. But the hard drive is too loud for my tastes, so the new HTPC will be all SSDs. System drive in the new system is...

I got a Corsair Obsidian 550D case - a bit bigger than some might want, but I found it quiet; I put in all Noctua fans and Noctua cooler, not using a separate GPU (just onboard), and it runs quiet as a whisper; I can hardly hear anything. http://www.corsair.com/en-us/obsidian-series-550d-mid-tower-q...

Well after I mostly built the PC (just needs some tidying up), I'm thinking "boy, it's massive, and what AM I going to use that front-panel screen for?". I feel kind of silly, since I wanted this super-expensive case, and now I'm wondering if it's the right one. Can't really return it, since there's...

45 mins north of SF. none of my old family/friends can afford to live in SF anymore. google/apple/HP/sysco ect have jacked up all the rents to more than what it cost to live in manhattan. rant over. if you are living in a small apartment, and driving an old pickup, i really think you should find a ...

Dont get me wrong, its a cool looking case, that looks to be well made. but you asked if i would buy it. and ive got to say, hell no! even if i was a fan of stereo looking HTPC's, id still feel too guilty buying that and then walking past the guy trying to bum some scraps of food for his kids to ea...

Maybe it's just the good feeling that things you have spend big money on do look like they cost a fortune? 'cause if you have a living room with designer furniture and stuff that cost more than my and your car together, you do not want to have the cheapo PC look? YMMV Just for the record, most I do...

ive never really understood why so many want media pc's that look and fit in cabinets like bulky old style stereo equipment, let alone want a screen or buttons on it... to each his own i guess. but spending as much on a case as you would on a decent mobo/PSU/GPU/CPU? Thats straight up cray-cray! :o...

I know it's not the only one but why would you want a screen on the front of the case? What advantage is that? I dunno - 'cuz it's cool n' stuff? ;-) I don't think I'll even end up using the screen, though there are a few uses for which I turn the TV on to modify something in the computer, which I'...

Looks like a modified OrigenAE with custom software and some accessories. Yeah, that's what a bunch of people have said. The front panel display is made by another Korean company as well. I ended up buying the case from them, and have been having some correspondence with the guys who run the compan...

I'm thinking about getting this - it's ridiculously high priced, but looks like one of the best out there in a quickly shrinking (or at least not growing) market. Anyone see/try one of these before?

http://www.steigerdynamics.com/products ... ngineering

- Tim

Just a followup - after a week or two in the case, the cables no longer smelled bad - still plasticky, but not as terrible as they had.

In any case, I had already ordered those premium cables, and put them in. Now let's hope the PSU lasts!

Or, it's just plastics out-gassing. Put the cables in a well ventilated area for a couple days and see if the smell goes away. Costs you nothing other than some time. That's what I was thinking too, so I opened the window and sat them in the sun for part of today. I'll keep them out for awhile. In ...

Abula wrote:I don't own an RM series to help you, but in case you do find it so bad and cant return it and willing to invest more, Corsair usually sell premium cables, just throwing an alternative out, not sure if those smell also.

Thanks for the suggestion - I may look into that.

Hey folks... After asking here about PSUs that didn't have any "coil whine", someone recommended the Corsair RM550. I went to my local computer store and picked one up. Today I opened up the box, and found that the cables smell very strongly - it's a very chemical/plastic/solvent kind of smell. I've...