Build recommendations for Thermaltake Lanbox?

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Bi3oi3

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Nov 22, 2013
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Hi folks,

Good of you to read this. I just bought an old Thermaltake Lanbox VF1000 SWA (http://www.ncinformatique.ch/Clients/plugins/QuickCart/?p=productsMore&iProduct=96&sName=LanBox-VF1000-SWA,-silver) for its mobility.

I was wondering if any of you guys might have experience with the Lanbox and could recommend me the best current or past:

Intel CPU
Intel Micro ATX Motherboard
Graphics Card
Fans
CPU cooler?

Any thoughts for a case this small would be awesome.

Cheers folks,
Brendan
 
Solution
ssddx
besides likely being against forum rules... the people here at toms do this for fun as a hobby and not for profit. so thanks for the sentiments but no payment or compensation needed. we will however accept any best answers, thanks yous, kudos and above-and-beyond posts though.

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i'm not a big fan of IPAs (bleh can they even call that beer) but i do like scottish ales and even irish ales (smithwicks isnt bad at all). i actually saw crabbies in a store the other day and was thinking of trying it however i didnt pick it up. you actually like pabst blue ribbon? (otherwise known as PBR by the locals here...) i cant stand the stuff personally.

so let me confirm... that is 5pm (1700) your time in scotland which would be equal to 12pm...
what kind of hardware do you plan on putting in it ?
what kind of performance do you want to get out of it?
what are your thoughts on case modding? (can you do it?)
why do you want a portable pc case like the lanbox?
what do you plan on hooking it up to? (one monitor, one tv, multi monitors ,etc)

if you want to make a htpc, or just a low powered computer you can carry around the house then that case would most likely work.

if you want to make a powerful mini gaming computer with good hardware personally i would pawn it off and buy something better suited for the task of cooling current gen hardware. something with larger fans. a potential idea is something like the bitfenix prodigy but i can help you out more when you reply with what you intend to use the case for.

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lanbox vf1000 specs

1x92mm front fan
3x60mm rear fans

the only redeeming quality i see is that it allows a gpu to suck in cold air direct from the outside of the case.

http://www.thermaltake.co.nz/product/Chassis/miniCase/lanbox/vf1000bws.html

---

that is not to say you couldnt use the case... but you might need to run some high rpm fans in there (and small fans like 60mm and 92mm are LOOUUUUDD)

not sure what you meant about "best past hardware" please answer the questions i had and specify.
 
Sorry took a while,

I travel and am sick of laptops - upgrading them etc...

I would hook the Lanbox up to monitor's in offices where I wander or my large Smart TV at home.

I want exactly to make a htpc (depending on cost).

The lanbox would be used for work plus gaming now-and-again so I'm looking for robust CPU and memory on the motherboard. With my beginners knowledge I'm thinking of Intel therefore.

I've built PCs before but nothing with a micro ATX board, nevermind anything as small as this. I'm kind of stoked to see what it can do to be honest. So I know my way around a little but I've never done any modding. Would not want to mod this.

I work online a lot - I'm a freelance journalist - editing images, transferring data, constant Office programs open, downloading files for work and music at same time and Skyping someone on video call. But I figure I might not get all the performance I want - that's OK.

As yet I don't have any comps in mind. I'm totally new to a case this size.

If you were thinking of building in this case from scratch for these reasons (which I know wouldn't be your first choice) - what components would you go for? Oh, older hardware is what I meant by best past...

Appreciate you sparing a few thoughts on this,
Thanks mate
 
do you have time tonight for a real time discussion?

what time zone are you in?

its 5:30 eastern standard time usa here and i can do it whenever

let me know

---

edit:

to answer your questions...

building from scratch is exactly what i WOULD recommend as a first choice.

a microatx pc can be almost as powerful as a full sized one.

it is not necessary to mod if your case has proper cooling hence why i suggested a different case. although this also depends on what you want to put inside it also!

do you fly or drive? flying is easier with a laptop but i suppose you could take a htpc as your carry on luggage (in a bag of sorts).



 
You are a dude ssddx! Thanks fella,

I didn't get a reply notice in my inbox otherwise would have got back to you sooner.

I live in the UK. Glasgow, Scotland. Be great to speak to you in person. I think it might be a little early though to be more than you discussing things I don't know much about.

Do you still feel like giving me a hand while I get closer to knowing what I am doing?

So - coolers. I know nothing about them. What should I be looking out for? I guess I am asking about fans as well as CPU coolers. I'm going to have to buy an extra cooler for this case, right?

Graphics - with the lack of space I figure I can't fit a CPU cooler and a large graphics card with it's own cooler? If I am going for an NVidia/ Intel combo what would be the best smallest card I could acquire?

As far as RAM goes and hard drive that's no different from an full sized case, right? It's just about the fit.

Is there anything otherwise about assembling a Micro Atx case you would say to a Newbie?

I drive mostly. Sometimes I take the train. I guess the PC would be in the passenger seat beside me and I'd talk to it like a travel companion. I'm probably only half joking.

Thanks for your thoughts again, mate....
 
i'm in usa eastern standard... just let me know what times you are available and we can figure something out.

its 8:57pm there right now (3:57pm here)

if you are available right now... we could do it now. just let me know.

---

edit:

the reason i wanted to have a real time chat is to explain those things you do not know much about. that way you can figure out what you want to do. now is the best time to have that talk (before you get too into the nitty gritty).

you can put a full sized gpu in a lanbox. you can also put a cpu cooler in as well though not a huge one. ram and hard drives are the same. building a micro pc is the same as building a normal one just smaller and you need to worry about heat more and space constraints.

if you intend on talking to it i suppose you should give it a name. i propose seras (as in seras victoria from hellsing the anime)... because i'm strange like that. i realize how bad traveling can be so i can understand talking to your pc haha.

---

completely off on a tangent here but do you happen to drink belhaven scottish ale? (seeing as how you are in scottland). we get it as import in the usa and its some pretty good stuff.

.....get back to me on having that little talk... just let me know what times are good.
 
Sorry to miss that. These days I need to schedule things in advance. The spontaneity is gone from my life.

That would be excellent to talk to you.

Beyond just being a loveable dude, would you want some payment for the low down on the lanbox? I hope you don't mind my rudeness...

We do make Belhaven ale so it is the genuine article and it is very nice. I used to work in a pub and if you like ale's an Indian Pale Ale is lovely and light and at the other end you have the 80 shillings - more like a Guinness. The best ever made was called Caledonian Blonde and was a lager/ ale of stunning beauty. Sadly production has stopped. If you get the chance I recommend any beers made by Scottish brewers Innis and Gunn, who mature their largers in rum soaked, or port soaked whisky barrels. Delicious stuff. More festivally, something popular over here is Crabbies - alcoholic ginger beer. They also do fruit ginger beers. Goes down very well. At the moment I'm quite enjoying Jeremiah Weed to be honest. Sadly we don't get Pabst - which is the best beer I have ever tasted :)

Seeing as it would have to be 17.00 hours for me, 10.00 for you minimum (I'm not a morning person so I'd ask a fellow human being to suffer that on my account). So this week: Friday (13th), next week Monday later on (16th) Thursday (19th). I can't be much more flexible at the moment but I'm in no rush. Rather do this right than right now...

Cheers SSDDX
 
besides likely being against forum rules... the people here at toms do this for fun as a hobby and not for profit. so thanks for the sentiments but no payment or compensation needed. we will however accept any best answers, thanks yous, kudos and above-and-beyond posts though.

----

i'm not a big fan of IPAs (bleh can they even call that beer) but i do like scottish ales and even irish ales (smithwicks isnt bad at all). i actually saw crabbies in a store the other day and was thinking of trying it however i didnt pick it up. you actually like pabst blue ribbon? (otherwise known as PBR by the locals here...) i cant stand the stuff personally.

so let me confirm... that is 5pm (1700) your time in scotland which would be equal to 12pm (1200) noon my time. i'm not sure what i have going on friday although likely i can do something then, if not a bit later on in the day (say 2000 your time? 1500 my time). do post a reminder on friday here in this thread as i'm bound to forget.

i agree.. no rush. its best to sit down and discuss it all at once so that you can have a good starting where you can then do a bit of research on your own and tell good from bad. the only things you really need to know beforehand are budget numbers, what you want to so with the system and where in your country you will be buying from (though i assume since you are next to uk buying from uk stores is cheap enough for shipping?).

 
Solution
20.00 my time 15.00 your time works OK for me.

My Skype name is brendanophone.

The only drawback is my webcam is out of date, only good for Vista. I don't know how you feel about skyping without seeing a face but I'm happy to give it a go.

Getting hardware is not a problem. Getting hardware exactly as you have in the US is not always a walk to the local store. The internet is great though isn't it?

You like a more solid alcoholic beverage maybe. Those are good. I like something I can still stay fairly light on my toes. Spanish beers are great for that. McEwan's Export and Caledonian 80 Shilling are traditional heavy pub ales, they might work for you. I'd still stick by recommending Innis and Gunn.

Cheers,
Brendan
 
All good.

I take it you have a pre-made channel then? Let me know what else I need to do for us to hook up on the IRC and I'll be ready when you are fella
 
freenode is 100% web based and allows users to host custom temporary rooms on demand.

basically all i do is use that link above... type a user name in and the channel room and since i'm the first person to join... it creates a room and i'm the host.

then when you join using the same channel name you join as a guest.

since its web based there is no software to install at all which makes it convenient.
 
If this has turned into an awkward time we can always postpone, man. I don't mind searching on Redbubble for more t-shirts for a while longer but since you are extending a kindness it should maybe be at a time more convenient to yourself? Let me know how you are getting on...
 
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