Temperature issues with Shuttle type cases. 2

[petermeachem]

My daughter's pc needs replacing, so I thought I'd go for one of these. It'll be used for some games, so needs to have a reasonable cpu/video card. It also needs to be quiet.

Are there any problems with these small cases cooking up, or is the airflow designed properly?

http://www.accuflight.com

http://www.lettersdirect.co.uk

http://www.ourhouseinportugal.co.uk/

 

[kjv1611]

petermeachem,
I've not tried one yet, but from all I've read at

http://www.tomshardware.com

,

http://www.maximumpc.com

, and

http://www.computerpoweruser.com

(the last two from the magazines at my house), they are good machines. If you wanta small form factor, it seems that Shuttle is the way to go. The only drawback seems to be upgradeability, and lack of space for extra stuff. Based on at least a few articles at Tom's Hardware, especially, the SFF's by Shuttle, specifically, are very nice. I personally had not been a big shuttle fan based on one motherboard I own, but that is just one case. There, at Tom's Hardware, they've reviewd quite a few pc's.

Stephen
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6 KJV

 

[paparazi]

petermeachem
We have sold many differant types over the past 18months or so.
I'm not a big fan but can see the attraction for the small attractive case but they do have their drawbacks ie:

Very limited upgrade potential, infact some motherboards don't even a AGP slot with only one or two PCI slots.

Small low powered PSU usually around 185watts (good quality but not much power) and some as a result were prown to to blow.

Despite some very interesting cooling solutions when adapted to the limit (fastest CPU and graphics card) they do run very hot.
They seem to be OK when slightly cooler components are used.

Performance is said to be reasonable but not a match for a normal desktop with full featured mainboard and components.

More expensive for any given spec

My advice would be to buy a laptop if you want compactness and versatility, they have basically the same drawbacks but with more attractive features generally.

Martin
Martin

Start by questioning and soon you will be answering.
So please take but remember to return and give when you can.

 

[ceh4702]

I would expect a smaller case to just get hotter. Plus you can only put so much inside it. If you want to record DVD's or CDRW's then it will get even hotter. A lot depends on the Video card. I wouldnt try an ATI 9800 XT in one of those.

If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.

 

[petermeachem]

I can't help thinking the heat issue might be a bit exaggerated. Laptops have pretty good specs ad are much smaller, I've not seen one melt when writing a cd.

A laptop sounds a good idea. It might be a bit too portable, I can think of several ways that could be a snag.

http://www.accuflight.com

http://www.lettersdirect.co.uk

http://www.ourhouseinportugal.co.uk/

 

[kjv1611]

The cooling (based on the articles mentioned) does not seem to be an issue, but if you plan on putting the highest end video cards (such as the Radeon 9800XT, Nvidia 5950XT, or above), then you might run into heat problems. But all the reviews used such as Athlon 64's, Athlon 3200XP's, Pentium 4's (high end), and usually a high-end graphics card and did very well. Part of the reason is that the cases are all made of Aluminum, which makes them dissipate heat much faster. Also, the I.C.E. cooling system in the Shuttle machines appears to work very well (from everything read). I would suggest that the only thing to worry about is whether you want more than one (maybe 2) optical drives, and if you want more than one PCI slot.. Most of the good ones seem to come with one AGP slot, and 1 or 2 PCI slots. So, if don't plan on adding stuff to it later, then it should be a decent pick. Of course, you very well may end up paying slightly higher for the same system in a SFF machine as apposed to a standard Desktop. If you want to try to configure any system - Desktop or SFF (small form factor), try looking at

http://www.mwave.com

(multiwavedirect) - if their web page does not load {happened to me once before}, just search google for multiwave direct, and it will be the first site listed. Anyway, they have excellent customer service, and the way you can "build your own" machine on their site is very much like that of

http://www.dell.com

.

If I were to get one, I would just make sure to pick one with high reviews accross the web. You could try a google search something like this:
Search for [the model number or name of computer]
Then click "Search Within results" at the bottom of page, and enter "Review" in the insuing search box. You can also search google for Small Form Factor or SFF, as that is the term used for this super-mini machines.

The best part about these is that they are extremely light, small so out of the way, and easily transportable, yet it's a desktop, and not a laptop.

I doubt seriously that any average person would put the machine through any more stress than the people who write the reviews at places like Tom's Hardware, as they intend to tell people how good/bad a product is. Also, if you look around at Tom's Hardware, you'll find they don't just review everybody as being good. If a product is horrible, they'll tell you, and if they say it's good, I'm sure it's good..

Stephen
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6 KJV

 

[petermeachem]

That's an excellent summary. Thanks very much for your help. I just need to persuade the accounts department! (missus) I'm currently at the 'Gosh look how smart this computer is' stage. Actual purchase is some way ahead.

http://www.accuflight.com

http://www.lettersdirect.co.uk

http://www.ourhouseinportugal.co.uk/

 

[Lemon13]

just take a look at the psu, normally they have 200w and thats a bit weak if you opt for a high-end graphiccard.

 

[ceh4702]

One thing to look at with a SFF System is the power supply. If the power supply quits or stops working, you have to replace it. I do beleive that Shuttle has replacements that are readily avalilable. This may not be quite as true for other products.

Also shuttle seems to design the layout pretty well for the internal design and the wire management inside their cases. They have had a longer track record in this area and are looked as a kind of industry leader.

I think the biggest factor is the Cost of these smaller aluminum cases which probably can not be reused.

If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.