where can i find those super small pc caseS?

[Lt. Max]

my friend wants a super small pc that ill build for him that will look tight so he can bring to school and hook a moni/mouse/key onto it and it will still b faster then school ones
and also like small mobos, i remember seeing like this relly small case wit a mobo wit agp connector and like 1 pci slot.. where was it at ?

 

[h20link]

ask captain slug about his IBM netvista case, or do a search for one on Ebay....or do a thread search here for the mods he did to his, it might work. i think he has one for sale in the classifieds too.

 

[Captain Slug]

i remember seeing like this relly small case wit a mobo wit agp connector and like 1 pci slot.. where was it at ?

I'm sure you're referring to Shuttle's waaaaaaay over-priced barebones systems that are also rather noisy and include so-so cooling. I wouldn't recommend one to anybody I know.

ask captain slug about his IBM netvista case, or do a search for one on Ebay....or do a thread search here for the mods he did to his, it might work. i think he has one for sale in the classifieds too.

Hehehehehe. Yeah, I'm more obsessed about the size and weight of my machines than anyone else.

I specifically need to know what he will be USING this machine for. What kind of games he likes or software titles he uses frequently. If he doesn't do ANY 3d gaming and wants a light and quiet machine you have a few options. Also, does he want to burn CDs?

I also need to know his budget. That will largely determine what his options are. But here are the options order by size, and then by price.

Options___(1 = smallest\cheapest)
1. Mini ITX book PC ($250-$400)
1. DIY Micro ATX box ($350-$500)
3. Micro ATX ALL-IN-ONE Low-Profile box ($350-$550)
4. 2U Rackmount case ($600+)

If you have any specific questions or want help shopping for parts just IM me. I've pretty much evaluated every possible contingency when it comes to building itty bitty machines. The Netvista cases are great for such systems (if you're willing to do a little bit of modding work and scavenger hunting).

 

[Stedeman]

Search for flex atx or micro atx just a little bit bigger) mobo. I am building one and found this board to be a sweat deal at $46 (micro atx) Chaintech 7AIV2 Supports AMD Duron / Athlon with 32Mb “on-board” TNT2 VGA it has 2 dimms and 4 pcis and sound slap a 1.3 gig duron for $40 and a book type case for $30 and your done (prices are off pricewatch.com)

 

[Captain Slug]

Search for flex atx or micro atx just a little bit bigger) mobo. I am building one and found this board to be a sweat deal at $46 (micro atx) Chaintech 7AIV2 Supports AMD Duron / Athlon with 32Mb “on-board” TNT2 VGA it has 2 dimms and 4 pcis and sound slap a 1.3 gig duron for $40 and a book type case for $30 and your done (prices are off pricewatch.com)

I found it for $39, but it lacks an AGP slot (which sucks). The same site has it in a combo with a Duron 900 for only $64!

 

[Stedeman]

yah I paid the same but I added the shipping in for the total and no agp is ok as long as your not going crazy with the games 32mb tnt is still good (I hapen to still use the same one in my old computer and it works well enough) + one less thing to fit in the case as for the rest
Maxtor 40GB (2F040J0) 5400rpm 2MB Buffer ATA-133 OEM) $68
Duron 1.3Ghz Socket A (OEM 45 Days Dealer Warranty Only) $37
KBYTE 512MB DIMM PC133 7.5ns CL3 Unbuffered Memory $40
Shipping was $10 for all same place
So $201 with out a case and it should do well enough

 

[RedDeathDrinker]

Hey Slug, what's wrong with the Shuttle bare-bones? I think it's kind of cute!

OK, so it is a tad pricy (especially here in the UK), but it's got the look....... Nice for a big stack of SETI crunchers too!

This lil' puppy is £150, all you need to add is CPU, memory, HDD, and the CD/DVD drive of your choice. They're also available in the "new" style for £200:

With an AGP slot, and Athlon XP support, what more could you want???

 

[Captain Slug]

With an AGP slot, and Athlon XP support, what more could you want???

Something at half the price with better parts?
For the price of JUST the barebones unit I could pay for 80% of a box with parts that I want. You can also get smaller cases than theirs with quieter cooling options.

They're okay. But the premium price doesn't give you enough to justify the expense. I've been to several Small Form Factor forums and they practically worship this thing. Inspite of the fact that it's loud, very hard to upgrade, has a weak PSU, and costs alot more than similar products. It really doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Captain Slug]

(I hapen to still use the same one in my old computer and it works well enough)

Ditto. But I still want to know whether or not he plans on upgrading this machine in the near future. If he doesn't than this thing is so cheap he could just ditch it for a newer board when he wants to upgrade.

Thanks for the heads-up too. If he has a small budget this will save him atleast $50.