In order to avoid a cheap Dell at my job, I've been supplying my own work PC. Currently that's a power-sucking, heat-generating Pentium XE965 system in a classic Antec/Chenming Dragon case. It's more than adequate for my needs, but due to the layout of my office it sits on the floor and pretty much right up against my legs.
In the winter, it's nice, free heat! In the summer it is going to suck, so I've been planning on upgrading to a smaller form factor that can go on top of the desk.
I have some pretty basic requirements:
- Smaller size
- lower power
- quieter, although the current system is actually no louder than the Dell previously in my office
- a bit more stylish, not another cookie cutter system
I looked at Shuttles, the AOpen mini, and even the Mac Mini, but I just didn't care for them.
So that was part of my motivation, the other part was finding this. Originally I had planned on building another Radiation Meter PC, but with all the boards features I just couldn't squeeze everything in. Needed a better case idea, and it merged nicely with the other idea above.
I started out planning to bend my own case out of aluminum. Was shooting for something the size of a Mac Cube. I was having trouble finding good sheet aluminum, so that put me back on the drawing board. Then I remembered that I had an old aluminum breadbox stashed somewhere that I had once planned on turning into a PC case. Ooops, guess I never got around to that.
Finally fished it out and started measuring. It was "u"-shaped with the opening of the "U" facing the front. The bottom of the "u" would become the front, and I'd make a backplate out of the internal shelf it also had. Taller than I wanted at 8.75", but I'd be able to trim the width and depth to whatever I needed.
Long story short, here are the system specs and then some pics.
Commell LS-371
Intel Core 2 Duo T7200, 2.16GHz, 4MB cache
1GB Geil DDR2-667
Onboard Intel GMA950 video, good enough for Vista Aero
DVI, VGA, and Component video out
Onboard Realtek 5.1 sound
Onboard Intel Gigabit Ethernet
Atheros 802.11b/g wireless with external R-SMA jack
Seagate 7200.10 500GB SATA drive
Panasonic 8x DVD+/-RW Slot load slimline drive
generic zillion-n-1 flash card reader
100 watt power brick, board has onboard power circuit with 8-24 volt input
All to be cooled by a single Yate Loon 120mm fan
Front:
DVD Side:
Backplate:
back of board:
Bottom:
Things left to do:
- make a new fan mount, screwed up while bending the old one
- figure out where the flash reader will fit and install
- Power switch and HD activity indicators installed
- sides for the case and figure out how to attach them
- slot for the DVD drive
- finish, uh, finishing the case surface. Needs to be cleaned up
- add cutout for parallel port, still needed for a printer
Right now I'm very happy with how it's going, even if a bit larger than I wanted. Around 9" tall, 6.75" wide, and 7" deep. Could have cut the width and depth a good inch, but I think I'd rather have the extra space for airflow. Plus it would have ended up a bit wobbly, which is still a problem until I get the fan bracket in place.
In the winter, it's nice, free heat! In the summer it is going to suck, so I've been planning on upgrading to a smaller form factor that can go on top of the desk.
I have some pretty basic requirements:
- Smaller size
- lower power
- quieter, although the current system is actually no louder than the Dell previously in my office
- a bit more stylish, not another cookie cutter system
I looked at Shuttles, the AOpen mini, and even the Mac Mini, but I just didn't care for them.
So that was part of my motivation, the other part was finding this. Originally I had planned on building another Radiation Meter PC, but with all the boards features I just couldn't squeeze everything in. Needed a better case idea, and it merged nicely with the other idea above.
I started out planning to bend my own case out of aluminum. Was shooting for something the size of a Mac Cube. I was having trouble finding good sheet aluminum, so that put me back on the drawing board. Then I remembered that I had an old aluminum breadbox stashed somewhere that I had once planned on turning into a PC case. Ooops, guess I never got around to that.
Finally fished it out and started measuring. It was "u"-shaped with the opening of the "U" facing the front. The bottom of the "u" would become the front, and I'd make a backplate out of the internal shelf it also had. Taller than I wanted at 8.75", but I'd be able to trim the width and depth to whatever I needed.
Long story short, here are the system specs and then some pics.
Commell LS-371
Intel Core 2 Duo T7200, 2.16GHz, 4MB cache
1GB Geil DDR2-667
Onboard Intel GMA950 video, good enough for Vista Aero
DVI, VGA, and Component video out
Onboard Realtek 5.1 sound
Onboard Intel Gigabit Ethernet
Atheros 802.11b/g wireless with external R-SMA jack
Seagate 7200.10 500GB SATA drive
Panasonic 8x DVD+/-RW Slot load slimline drive
generic zillion-n-1 flash card reader
100 watt power brick, board has onboard power circuit with 8-24 volt input
All to be cooled by a single Yate Loon 120mm fan
Front:
DVD Side:
Backplate:
back of board:
Bottom:
Things left to do:
- make a new fan mount, screwed up while bending the old one
- figure out where the flash reader will fit and install
- Power switch and HD activity indicators installed
- sides for the case and figure out how to attach them
- slot for the DVD drive
- finish, uh, finishing the case surface. Needs to be cleaned up
- add cutout for parallel port, still needed for a printer
Right now I'm very happy with how it's going, even if a bit larger than I wanted. Around 9" tall, 6.75" wide, and 7" deep. Could have cut the width and depth a good inch, but I think I'd rather have the extra space for airflow. Plus it would have ended up a bit wobbly, which is still a problem until I get the fan bracket in place.