What did you buy on Black Friday?

[zombie67]

I bought this:

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/Pu...umber=28838348

Saved about $160 according to NewEgg's normal prices, I guess.

I am really intrigued by this form factor, and this $40 chassis looks sweet.

This time I bought the K version of the CPU. I'll probably swap it with my earlier build, with better cooling. The annoying part is that, with the sale, the K is actually cheaper than the non-K version I bought recently. Ah well.

The purchase also includes an after market heat sink. The stock intel fans have been too loud in the past. This box will not accommodate heat sinks bigger than the stock intel form factor, without blocking the PCIe slot. The only heat sink I could find had a loud 3-pin fan (constant speed). So I also bought a couple variable speed, quieter, and better fans. All this just in case. Maybe Intel's heat sinks are better now, especially with a lower heat CPU.

Edit:

The point: If successful, I could build three of these 8-thread machines, for less than the cost of one of my big-can-fit-everything-12 thread machines.

[Fire$torm]

Sweet build Z. Will you give it a progress thread on the forums for us voyeurs?

[coronicus]

so on black monday i went with these to finish up the media center

casing
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...17C-0007-00002 30$ after rebate free shippin

wont be doing any extreme overclocking since i need stability over speed so this should do the trick.
H60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835181015 40$ after rebate free shippin

win7 64bit pro
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116992 119$ free shippin

Want some memory but im not sure what to get i will eventually need to fill this with 32g so i can cash up all the media picture files to speed up the menu but gonna test out 16 to see if its enough, 8gigs was not (fyi i will have the capabilities to store over 1000 HD quaility recordings ranging from 30min-1hour on the main machines and 200 HD files in the bedroom mostly movies) talk about DVR overload lol... more shows then i could ever watch but its nice to keep some shows i like in HD to view whenever i want and be able to watch em on my laptop no matter where i am (like when i visit the folks hehe) just need internet connection.

[zombie67]

I bought this:

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/Pu...umber=28838348

Good pictures of the chassis here:

http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/prod...120%20Advanced

It's built and crunching.

Space: As expected, it's tight. Good thing I bought a fully modular PSU. Not sure it would have been possible without being able to connect all the cables to the mono, then install the PSU, then connect to the PSU. The PSU itself would have been in the way. Also, good thing I did not install an optical drive (never do with crunchers). That is where all the surplus length of the used cables ended up. Especially for the main power cable, which is thick and not easily bent or moved elsewhere. A 7970 fits! Plenty of length room. The room above the power connectors is tight. My cables are the ribbons form, and they barely fit. Round form cables may not be bendable enough to fit. If there was never any plan/desire to add a GPU, could go with a smaller (shorter) PSU, which would make more space for the cables.

Heat: I used the stock intel heat sink, and the CPU heat is in the low 80s C at stock speed. The limit is around 90 C. No change if there is a GPU crunching in the chassis or if the GPU is removed. I am going to try an after market heat sink. But the selection is extremely small. It needs to be no taller than ~1" over the stock version. And it can't be much wider than the stock version, without blocking the PCIe slot. Maybe changing out some of the stock case fans would help to, although the stock fans are pretty good already. I will definitely be swapping this K version with the non-k version in the box I built earlier. I don't think OC will be possible in this box.

Noise: It't about the same noise level as my other crunchers. But I am using the stock heat sink, and the CPU is running hot. Maybe with better CPU cooling, it would be better. And the 7970 is the reference design. And those are all the same noise level under near-100% load. And maybe changing out some of the fans

Thoughts: This is a sweet little package! A better CPU cooling solution is needed, and if one exists, it will probably block the GPU connector. Perhaps a lower power CPU is the solution. But that works against my nature. If the CPU heat can be solved, I could build 2-3 of these for the cost of one of my big haf-x monsters, and end up with double CPU power (3x8 threads vs 1x12 threads), and still 3x PCIe dual-slot GPUs.

Questions?

[Fire$torm]

Thoughts: This is a sweet little package! A better CPU cooling solution is needed, and if one exists, it will probably block the GPU connector. Perhaps a lower power CPU is the solution. But that works against my nature. If the CPU heat can be solved, I could build 2-3 of these for the cost of one of my big haf-x monsters, and end up with double CPU power (3x8 threads vs 1x12 threads), and still 3x PCIe dual-slot GPUs.

Questions?

Would it take a lot of effort to remove the HDD cage? Because with it gone you might have enough room to install a Corsair H50 where the front fan is. Then you could use that 80mm fan to help vent air out of the case instead of into the case (default config). Of course for all of that to work you would have to use a 2.5" HDD/SSD unit.

[zombie67]

Would it take a lot of effort to remove the HDD cage? Because with it gone you might have enough room to install a Corsair H50 where the front fan is. Then you could use that 80mm fan to help vent air out of the case instead of into the case (default config). Of course for all of that to work you would have to use a 2.5" HDD/SSD unit.

The HD cage is riveted in place. I am sure dremel work could solve that if you wanted to go down that road. One of the feedback posts had a guy talking about how he used a Antec Kuhler H2O 620. But no details about how he mounted it.

[Fire$torm]

The HD cage is riveted in place. I am sure dremel work could solve that if you wanted to go down that road. One of the feedback posts had a guy talking about how he used a Antec Kuhler H2O 620. But no details about how he mounted it.

I'd bet he removed the cage. Its the only place with enough room for the rad.

So I take it you are adverse to using a Dremel tool on the case? Not that I'd blame you for avoiding the task, as it voids the warranty and is time consuming to clean and repaint the bare metal.

Edit: If I had a Mini-ITX system I'd give it a shot.

2nd Edit: Not related to the above... I like the plastic 2.5" HDD mounts that Cooler Master supplies with some of their cases like yours. If you look carefully, it is designed to accept two 2.5" drives. One mounts upside down, underneath the bracket and the 2nd drive on top. The bottom drive is set further back then the top drive so the connectors do not interfere with each other. I figured this out when I added the SSD to my Uncle's system. Saves a lot of room.

[zombie67]

Or maybe he mounted it in the GPU side area somehow? But that has the same effect as the Gemini II, blocking the PCIe slot.

Something else I learned today. There is a mounting place for a second 120mm fan, on the inside side of the HD cage. I *might* be able to fit that, if it was thing enough. Recommendations for a high flow 120mm fan with a THIN form factor?

[Fire$torm]

Or maybe he mounted it in the GPU side area somehow? But that has the same effect as the Gemini II, blocking the PCIe slot.

Something else I learned today. There is a mounting place for a second 120mm fan, on the inside side of the HD cage. I *might* be able to fit that, if it was thing enough. Recommendations for a high flow 120mm fan with a THIN form factor?

I'd have to look around but Scythe made a few thin 120mm fans. Too bad they just went out of business....

[zombie67]

I'd have to look around but Scythe made a few thin 120mm fans. Too bad they just went out of business....

I found these two. But not sure if there are others.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...=1&PageSize=20

And to answer your earlier question, I would be willing to cut out the HD cage, no problem. But I want to know FIRST that it works...

Edit: Oh yeah, and both 120mm case fans use the HD cage for mounting. So while that solves the CPU cooling, now the rest of the mobo heat may become an issue.