low power system for IPCOP router

[Darkk]

I would like to retire my old Dell OptiPlex GX150 that is running IPCop with something uses less power and smaller footprint.

I've looked at routerboards and they're ungodly expensive. I like to keep the parts as standard so I can upgrade and swap at anytime. I went ahead and purchased a quad NIC card by D-Link off of e-bay (bought two, one as spare). So trying to find a case with one slot which fits perfectly with the 90 degree PCI adapter card.

Wish Toms Hardware would put together an updated article about linux based routers along with lower consumption motherboards and processors.

Maybe I should wait for the atom based motherboard and run IPCop on it?

Darkk

 

[IH8U]

Only issue I could see is a 90 Deg PCI slot case (you'll probably need to mod it yourself tho).

Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811153068
$60 (this should be fairly easy to mod with a pair of snips)(has 300W PSU)
MB: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813135074
$45 (built in GF 6100 vid)
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103257
$59 (45W Dual core retail)
RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134635
$37 (2GB kingston)
HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136195
$38 (80GB SATA HDD)
DVD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135172
$14

4 Port PCI NIC: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833316009
$157 (when in stock)
There are PCIX cards too: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833106020
$373 (looks like PCIX-4)

Total w/o Extra NIC: $253 + S&H

 

[nubie]

Morex Cubid 2677R and 2688R have PCI risers already

http://www.mini-itx.com/reviews/2677R/page5.asp#morex0006


Use a Celeron 220 ( Conroe-L 1.2Ghz ) D201GLY2 (or the fanless D201GLY2A ) Mini-ITX motherboard, they are under $70.

There are many choices in the ITX Range, from the Jetway 615DF (Pentium !!!) to the new nForce LGA775 and AM2 boards from Albatron.

Not to mention the Via and Geode LX and NX (the NX are really ultra-low-power Athlon K7's)

 

[Outlander_04]

Toms did an article on a e7200 and a G31 mb . I think total power usage was well under 100 watts .

alternatively use one of the VIA integrated mini ITX boards . Usually they only have one pci slot and one ram stick but they fit in the smallest case and use less power than paper plane

http://www.via.com.tw/en/initiatives/spearhead/mini-itx/

 

[nubie]

Toms did an article on a e7200 and a G31 mb . I think total power usage was well under 100 watts .

alternatively use one of the VIA integrated mini ITX boards . Usually they only have one pci slot and one ram stick but they fit in the smallest case and use less power than paper plane

http://www.via.com.tw/en/initiatives/spearhead/mini-itx/

100 watts is abysmal, and the Via chips have 2 strikes against them: High price and low performance (although there are some 500mhz c3 boards going for $50 on ebay.)


I don't know why you are trolling, but did you read my reply?

I am almost sure he can go near or under 20watts with underclocking/undervolting. I think under 40watts would be possible too.

At such low power draws the efficiency of the power supply will be using a lot of energy: "The system power measurement includes losses in AC/DC conversion within the PSU. At such low loads, the loss could be as high as 50%. " http://www.silentpcreview.com/article300-page5.html

At which point it is worth making sure you are running a properly sized PSU (90-200watt). The Morex case I linked to above has a small PSU already, it may be a good choice, but best to test it. (in the spcr review they are using an FSP 400w, but still get under 60watt total system power with a Turion MT processor: http://www.silentpcreview.com/article300-page6.html)

I found a couple ML chips on ebay for $5, I am trying to get them to run at reduced voltage (an athlon64 1MB level 2 cache at 800mhz should be FAST for an iPcop box )

The Atom ITX boards are now proliferating, still not as low power as they could be due to their horrid NB (945?) using more power than the CPU.