Suggestions for fanless mini-ITX cases

[indialogue]

Need it for my first HTPC build. I'd love to get something like Streacom/HD-Plex cases locally (not looking forward to shipping wait + customs). Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

[reignofchaos]

HDPlex ships to india via fedex. You can order from their site. The prices you see on their site are inclusive of international fedex shipping. I recently ordered a fanless linear psu from them and got it within a week.

 

[Naturelover]

I have zeroed on the following with help from knowledgeable forum members:

Case: Antec 110
Board: One with a Baytrial chip like the Asus J1800I-C or GigabyteGA-J1800N-D2H
HDD: Samsung/Corsair/Sandisk SDD
RAM: 4 GB SODIMM

All available in India.

I haven't actually built it as yet but will do so soon.

Came across an SVB thin client in an office environment. Wonder if it can be used as a music PC?

 

[jsmithe]

No mini-ITX cases at the links below, but pre-built Atom based boxen:

RDP Thin clients | Thin Clients India | RDP Mini PC's
Home - Thinvent Technologies

IIRC, there were a few mini itx cases on ebay.in

 

[indialogue]

HDPlex ships to india via fedex. I recently ordered a fanless linear psu from them and got it within a week.

That'd be my backup option - I hate dealing with customs Hows the linear PSU working out for you - does it do 12VDC 2A as well? I remember reading somewhere that HD-PLex can do some level of output customization on their linear PSUs

Case: Antec 110

Thanks, but not fan-less

No mini-ITX cases at the links below, but pre-built Atom based boxen:

Thanks, some of the XL line looks interesting (but fugly). I'll write to them and see what the prices are!

 

[reignofchaos]

That'd be my backup option - I hate dealing with customs Hows the linear PSU working out for you - does it do 12VDC 2A as well? I remember reading somewhere that HD-PLex can do some level of output customization on their linear PSUs


Thanks, but not fan-less


Thanks, some of the XL line looks interesting (but fugly). I'll write to them and see what the prices are!

You don't have to deal with customs - Fedex will do customs clearance for you.

Yes I believe the output on 12V is around 4.5A. The PSU is doing great - significant improvement in audio quality over a laptop brick i was using before.

 

[IndianEars]

Guys, any thoughts on using a Mac Mini instead ?

I suspect you can load Win7 or Win8 on it. Also will have a Thunderbolt port ( which is incidentally an Intel Patent).

The Mac Mini is compact and Fanless. Can get with i5 or i7.

Also uses a single 12 Volt external Power Supply, so can easily upgrade to an External Linear PSU.

Seems to be a painless way to a Fanless PC. Only downside .... Price (as for all Mac products).

Thoughts / Contra thought ?

 

[hydra]

I could be wrong, but I think the MacMini does have a fan.

Using a MacMini to build a windows-based Music PC would be overkill, considering the money outlay, IMHO.

But using Amarra or Pure Music with a Mac Mini might just float your boat, depending on the format your music library is in. In any case, for a Mac Mini budget, I think a HDPlex Case and PSU with a fanless mobo & SSD would give better bang for the buck in terms of being a quality source.

 

[Naturelover]

Thanks, but not fan-less

Well, it is. The ISK-100 is not.

 

[indialogue]

I think a HDPlex Case and PSU with a fanless mobo & SSD would give better bang for the buck in terms of being a quality source.

I don't think that there will be a HUGE price difference (maybe 5-6K) but the HD-Plex (and other fan-less options like Streacom) have slot loading Blu-Ray drives that I would like to have as well

Well, it is. The ISK-100 is not.

My bad. Whats the exact model number for Antec?

Thoughts / Contra thought ?

Not fabless as Hydra said and no optical drive option :sad:

 

[IndianEars]

I don't think that there will be a HUGE price difference (maybe 5-6K) but the HD-Plex (and other fan-less options like Streacom) have slot loading Blu-Ray drives that I would like to have as well

I agree with you indialogue.

I am unsure if Heat pipes are available here in India, for building a fanless PC.

Since Its for Audio Use only, I guess an external DVD drive (from Mac for matched styling) should be OK. Built in would be Great but its a compro I am willing to consider...

 

[Naturelover]

The HDplex optical drive models are $258, $265 and $275. The driveless model is $189. The Antec ISK-110 is Rs 5,100 on primeabgb.

I don't think that there will be a HUGE price difference (maybe 5-6K) but the HD-Plex (and other fan-less options like Streacom) have slot loading Blu-Ray drives that I would like to have as well

My bad. Whats the exact model number for Antec?

 

[indialogue]

The Antec ISK-110 is Rs 5,100 on primeabgb.

The Anandtech review says that the Antec is not good fan-less. I'm just looking for a pure fan-less solution - both Streacom and HD-Plex are extremely over-engineered with copper tubing and thick heatsinks - they are actually worth their price to some extent (though maybe not with customs)

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

I very much fancy a nofan case/cooler combination, but this is probably too big a box for your needs and ...it would have to be imported.

extremely over-engineered with copper tubing and thick heatsinks

Not at all sure about the "extremely." Unless you are using a really, really low-power CPU, you'll need to get rid of the heat it produces. Fanless is a technical challenge.

 

[reignofchaos]

The Anandtech review says that the Antec is not good fan-less. I'm just looking for a pure fan-less solution - both Streacom and HD-Plex are extremely over-engineered with copper tubing and thick heatsinks - they are actually worth their price to some extent (though maybe not with customs)

The antec is OK only with atoms and the likes. Not meant for running an i3 fanless.

 

[indialogue]

I very much fancy a nofan case/cooler combination, but this is probably too big a box for your needs and ...it would have to be imported.

Too big :sad:

Not at all sure about the "extremely." Unless you are using a really, really low-power CPU, you'll need to get rid of the heat it produces. Fanless is a technical challenge.

Well, the cases themselves weigh 7-8 kilos, and theres like a mile of copper tubing inside them. Very good reviews on heat performance too - HDPLEX H5.TODD Fanless HTPC Case | silentpcreview.com
HDPLEX H10.ODD Fanless microATX Case | silentpcreview.com

The antec is OK only with atoms and the likes. Not meant for running an i3 fanless.

Out of the running for sure then.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

It's a shame there isn't a miniature Nofan! The Nofan cooler is just so beautiful!

the cases themselves weigh 7-8 kilos, and theres like a mile of copper tubing inside them.

You probably need the mile of copper tube heatpipe, and you probably also need the weight of heat sink that they are clamped to.

The HDPLEX stuff is beautiful too in its way, and looks fit for any hifi rack. But that includes the price tag

Here's some more nice looking stuff

 

[gobble]

You may use a fanless CPU motherboard combo but heat is the biggest killer of HDD drives, shortening their life span significantly. And with three HDDs stacked together it gets worse. Especially since we don't run them in data centers with air-conditioning.

My CM 120 chassis has a 120mm fan running at very low rpm at the front panel. Even at the low speeds the whoosh of air is audible late nights at 4ft away below the desk. But I wouldnt do without it to protect my HDDs.

For audio a pwm controlled fan will, I discovered - increase the electrical noise floor of the signal audibly. Hence it better to go completely fanless for audio with a WiFi remote NAS drive with fan cooling the HDDs.
G

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

I don't have a problem with PWM but, the fan speed control is probably a BIOS setting. Either use the alternative control method (I've forgotten what it is ) or turn off the control and use a low speed/noise for the CPU.

I too fan my hdds. hdds are better kept as slow models, which produce a lot of heat, but still they get hot. I had one hdd I could probably have cooked on!

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

slow models, which produce a lot of heat, but still they get hot

I meant, of course, produce a lot less heat...





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