Hi everyone, I have reasonable experience building performance gaming builds, but not so much when it comes to a basic office build. I am looking to build a very basic office build to hook up to a 19 inch screen for use in my workplace. It will ONLY need to run a very basic note taking program in windows Seven. I have considered buying a netbook, but I am afraid that they will be too noisy; and I will be using an external screen for comfort anyway so might as well build a small case. Here are my priorities: silence, reliability, cost. Decent second hand parts would be perfectly acceptable. What would you guys suggest ? EDIT: XP replaced with windows 7
How about a fanless Atom net top such as : http://www.shuttle.eu/produits/slim/xs35v3/apercu/ Those have been around a while so you may find some second hand. Or if you need more power there are some places doing fanless cases for the new Intel Nuc systems. http://www.tranquilpcshop.co.uk/nuc/ You would need to verify driver availability for either though as you wish to use XP.
Thanks elneckio, fanless does indeed seem like a good option to keep noise down. The previous model xs35v2 which is still sold is definitely compatible with windows XP, would need to check for the v3. Any other suggestions otherwise ?
What's ya budget? I built my folks a silent PC in a Silverstone FT-03 using a passively cooled Radeon HD5450 and a Pentium Dual Core E5500 cooled passively by a Scythe Ninja Mini with the fan removed. I can't remember what PSU I used but the fan only spins up at high load which is very rare, so the only slight sound is from the case fans, which have been kept spinning slowly with resistors. I was round there the other day and I could swear it was switched off, but then I saw the power LED was on. Now this hardware is all overkill, but for your application you would get away with a Celeron (G440?) + cheap case + cheap passive cooler + integrated graphics. EDIT: http://www.scan.co.uk/savedbasket/dbbfa255d2ba405aa63f169397852358
I have an XP license so might as well use it, plus it will run smoothly with little ram. Budget is not an issue but I don't want to spend more than I need to. Use is indeed very very basic as explained.
The build I have posted above comes in at a shade under £140 for all new components under warranty. It's complete overkill for your needs, but you can't buy cheaper components without going second hand. If it were me I'd probably stick it in a slightly sexier case because let's be honest it's the only bit you can see, but I reckon that'd pretty quiet with the fans dialled down without spending a substantial premium on proper passive cooling. You might want to add a DVD drive depending on your requirements, but if you have a spare/external drive that should get you up and running. Alternatively, something like this tucked out of the way with a keyboard, monitor and mouse plugged in would do you proud for similar money.
I am thinking of going with a Shuttle xs35v2 http://www.shuttle.eu/produits/slim/xs35v2/ It sells for 161€ - I live in France - at http://www.grosbill.com/4-x-144453-x-xx Just need to add: - 2 GB RAM, prob corsair value - 30 GB SSD to keep things even more silent Any recommendations for the SSD ? EDIT: corrected second link
well, it seems 30gb ssds are more expensive than 64gb ones... Looking at a Crucial M4 64 Go SATA Revision 3.0 for 70 euros, but they are out of stock. Any better suggestion ? EDIT: after reading the shuttle case details, it has a SATA 2.0 interface, where most current SSDs seem to be SATA 3.0. Will a sata 3 SSD work on a SATA 2 interface ? or do I need to buy a sata 2 model ?
SATA is backwards compatable, so they'll work fine, just probably at a slightly slower speed. Also, doesn't XP have issues with SSD's (I'm sure I read that somewhere) ?
After doing some research, it seems you are right about XP. It seems only 7 and 8 manage SSDs properly without having to fiddle too much. Will put seven on the system then. Cannot stand 8. Still open to suggestions for a 30-64 gb SSD, bearing in mind the system only handles SATA 2 (300 MB/sec max).
There's the Intel 330, which is a pretty good SSD: http://www.grosbill.com/4-intel_ssd...ce_sf_2281-162441-informatique-disque_dur_ssd I've used a Kingston V300 and an OCZ Agility 3 in various family PCs without problems, though others have had some reliability issues with the latter disk with earlier firmware versions, so make sure you have the latest version. Don't forget to backup anything you don't want to lose.
The intel would be an option indeed. Also, I am seeing these mSATA SSD drives (as crucial M4 models), which seem to have the same connector without the casing. Is it really just a casing difference and therefore could I use it in my shuttle case ? If so, only worry is it might move inside the case... EDIT: link to msata drive http://www.pc21.fr/pro/crucial_m4_-...terne_-_sata-600_ref_ct032m4ssd3__329584.html
As long as your mobo has an mSATA port you'll be fine. They are much smaller than standard SSDs: As far as I know standard SATA power/data connectors will not fit.
How about looking at the Dell Vostro range of PCs? They're designed as very basic business type PCs and are reasonably cheap complete with a decent warranty. I've found that most Dell machines are quite quiet when used normally and since you say that it's only going to be used with what you want. Plus most PCs nowadays will easily last 5yrs+ so you'll get a lot of use out of it if you decide to use it for something else.
