Gateway better than Shuttle!

[Crashman]

This is seriously funny, take a look at <A HREF="http://www.compgeeks.com/details.asp?invtid=2900090&cat=SYS" target="_new">This System</A> Now, which do you think would look better sitting beneath your 17" wide home receiver, a cube or one of these!

But it gets better! Look at the back. It's clearly superior to a SFF! 4 slots, not 2. 2 of the PCI slots are occupied, SFF only has 1 PCI slot. This is actually a Micro ATX case, offering far more flexibility in configuration than a cube. For HTPC, it looks better and it's more flexible.

This thing could easily replace your TiVO, DVD player, game console, and give you the added abilities of a PC (internet, archiving music, recording video to removable media, etc).

Do I want you to buy it? No. Instead, if you're interested in HTPC, I want you to use this as an example, and build something even better!

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[Scout]

Heh... my case is so tall, I practically need a hand truck to move it! These large boxes really are starting to feel old fashioned.

The XPC certainly is limited in many ways but it's very attractive to a lot of people. I've put together three of these little Shuttle boxes for friends and they love em. I just hope those teenie tiny power supplies hold up!

Scout
700 Mflops in SETI!

 

[Crashman]

Remember people saying all those little OEM systems were junk because they didn't have expansion room? Those same people are promoting SFF now.

I have a narrow Micro ATX tower here that's around 30% narrower and 70% taller than a cube. It takes up less space on your desk than a cube.

People who promote SFF are always comparing them to server size midtowers and full towers. This is extreme bias meant to prop up a weak position. Micro ATX is acceptable for most enthusiast needs, SFF isn't.

I used to argue against Micro ATX back in the days when onboard sound was terrible and onboard LAN nearly non-existant. But with today's hardware that's two less slots a person needs, making Micro ATX an acceptable solution.

This HUGE gateway desktop style HTPC is still shorter than most SFF cases, shorter and wider. Wider means it matches the width of your home receiver better and blends in with the other components, shorter means it takes up less space in the rack.

So Micro ATX cases often save space compared to cubes, both in desktop and tower configurations, while offering adequate room for expansion. Since Micro ATX is barely adequate, SFF is inadequate.

And remember that Omid was pushing for white-box builders to build systems with the least possible upgradability, so they could sell whole systems rather than upgrades every time their customer wanted more. So of course a site slanted towards favoring the industry over the consumer would also be promoting SFF.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[Black_Cat]

I built the following system for my home theater:

<A HREF="http://www.coolermaster.com/index.php?LT=english&Language_s=2&url_place=product&p_serial=ATC-620C-BX1&other_title=+ATC-620C-BX1+ATC-620" target="_new">Cooler Master ATC-620</A>
<A HREF="http://usa.asus.com/products/mb/socket478/p4r800-vm/overview.htm" target="_new">Asus P4R800-VM</A>
512MB RAM
P4 2.6
Lite-on 4X DVD +/- RW
Fortron Source 530W full size PSU
Wireless Keyboard/Mouse

It looks cool, fits in my stereo cabinet and is fairly quiet. The mobo has the integrated graphics and the Soundmax 5.1 isn't half bad. I don't think I paid a nickel over $400.

You've tried and failed. The lesson here is, never try again. -- Homer Simpson.

 

[Black_Cat]

BTW Crash, I built this a few months ago on <i>your</i> recommendation. I too was going to get one of those SFF cubes. I'm glad I listened to you.

You've tried and failed. The lesson here is, never try again. -- Homer Simpson.