Small Form Factor input request

Acert93

Artist formerly known as Acert93
Legend
-I am going on a trip shortly and have been debating what to do. My old laptop cannot run PhotoShop CS, Macromedia Suite, and some of my other software. And my current desktop system is far too big to travel with. And neither do I want to lug the beast around OR risk damage to it.

-I am not too interested in a laptop. I always feel ripped off with them, especially with limited expandability.

-What I want is something small. I need not bother with a monitor because everywhere I go (businesses and where I will be staying have access).

So I have been looking at SFF.

Of course the most popular--and most reliable and feature rich--are the SFF's from Shuttle. I have not followed the market closely, but I would like some feedback on the below "idea" for a rig:

SFF: Shuttle SN25P. AMD64/FX 939, 2x DDR400 slots, 1x PCIe 16x, 4x SATA, 1x ATA100, Sound, Gbit LAN, 350W PSU ... $375

CPU: AMD Athlon64 3000+ Venice ... $146

MEMORY: 2GB (2 x 512MB) DDR400 3-4-4-8 ... $159

Alt (2GB is prob too much $) option:

MEMORY: 1GB (2x512) Corsair Value Select DDR400 CAS 2.5 ... $80

VIDEO: 6600GT PCIe This one is a Gibabyte ... $162

HDD, Floppy, DVD-RW => All stuff laying around.


1. The CAS on the 2GB is 3-4-4-8. Any feedback on that? pqi brand, never heard of it, but I am not planning to OC.

2. Opinions on Rosewill stuff? Like RAM, GPU, etc...

3. Is the 3200+ (200MHz) worth the extra $40? Reviews have been sketchy on OCing in SFFs, so I am assuming I WONT OC at all, so I am wondering about opinions on this. 11% on the CPU for $40 basically.

4. Is there a better SFF??? Heat, noise, features, performance, cost. Trying to get a good balance on this.

5. I can save $90 by getting the SN95G5V3. Biggest difference: AGP. PCIe is the future, if not present (who knows if the 7x00 or R5x0 series cards will ever come out in AGP... my guess is yes for midrange products), but this system is not intended to be a killer gaming rig--only casual gaming. Mainly a work/travel system. Any strong thoughts for/against this SFF model? Or against getting AGP under these circumstances? I can see this system being used by friends at LANs for BF2 or CS:S, or when I travel and have some down time. But gaming is not its #1 function (web development is).

Thanks for your time and feedback.
 
The SN95 is tempting because you can use a relatively low-power 6800. Plus, it looks better. :)

Future GPU upgrades will be harder to come by, though, and the PSU may limit you there, too. I imagine future midrange cards may also draw less power, though the 6800'd power draw may be hard to beat for a while.

But noise would be my primary factor. I don't know about either case. I'd read the reviews at TechReport and SFFTech.

Lower timings would be better, but I believe $40 is better spent on a faster CPU than lower-latency RAM.

Personally, I'd prefer the greater options of an Antec Aria, though it has thermal issues, too. I believe (hope!) Antec will release a new Aria soon, as I've seen the current one listed as discontinued on one site.

Edit: If low noise and power draw are what you're after, though, Pentium M is the way to go. Here's another case on the same system. If you're feeling spendy, add the MSI 6800 for low noise and decent performance.
 
well, i know you want a sff, and well, sff boards are often more fully featured, it seems (let alone the cases). but when i made this decision (twice now actually), to build a pc to move to china in my luggage, i went mATX. i just prefer the shape. regardless, i HIGHLY RECOMMEND you take a case that will fit in your carryon. i packed my antec overture 2 into regualr luggage, as it was too large (tsk tsk, should have gone mATX all the way!), and US customs did their damndest to destroy it (because apparently two thumbscrews are too difficult to figure out!). you'll have an easier time of it traveling domestic, and an SFF will easily fit in a duffle. either way, make sure you carry it on! my previous attempt was with an antec minuet, and it worked great. i really like the style and shape, and the features of my matx nf2 board, and the PRICE, and it fit perfectly into my small carryon rolling luggage thingy. good luck!
 
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