Silverstone LC19 Case

[valkyrie]

Original Article Link

What?  That case DOES look awesome!  Why is the slim optical drive no good?  I built an ITX based system and I like it.  But for me, the optical drive was not a weakness.  I bought the Sony BC-5600S Slot load BluRay Drive off of ebay.  I actually bought an external USB one that shipped from China so that the faceplate would be included.  Blu-Ray reader and DVD-DL writer for $70!  When I got it, I cracked it open and it worked great.  Although it is very sensitive to how you mount it.  It is easily torqued…  And, you need a special cable to connect to SATA, but it is available on newegg. 

For me, the ITX meant one card slot.  Which would have been OK, but Intel does not make a quad core i5 with Video onboard and I needed to use the card slot for a port-multiplier card for my disk enclosure.  So I chose to go with the dual core CPU, which honestly, I hate.  I have many circumstances (with two MCE extenders) that I max out the CPU and everything goes to crap.  If Intel would just write the darn driver for the PortMultiplier that is already in the H57 chipset, I could buy a fancy 4-core CPU.  Are you listening Intel?  I want to spend more money!  But since you won’t write a driver, I can’t…  Ugh another rant…  What have I done?  Anyway, [url=http://valkyriemt.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!BFB1691C42ECE9AF!166.entry]here is my current system[/url].

Valkyrie-MT   

[xjboonie]

So none of the Intel core i5 or i7 quad core’s have video onboard?

[mikinho]

[quote=”xjboonie”]
So none of the Intel core i5 or i7 quad core’s have video onboard?
[/quote]

Correct.  The fastest Intel Core with HD Video is the Core i5-680

[xjboonie]

That’s what I thought.

I’m trying to decide between a dual core Intel core i processor with HD Video, or a quad core Intel (or AMD) and using an ATI 5770 or something like it (I have a 4670 now, but might upgrade for bitstreaming).  It’s for the rebuild of my HTPC running SageTV with one extender, one client (the PC in the home office) and placeshifting (maybe).  I don’t know if a dual core would be enough…

My case accepts an ATX motherboard so that’s not an issue, and I’ve ordered a Ceton Cablecard tuner.  I might also use a 2250 I have.

[Andrew Van Til]

[quote=”valkyrie”]

What?  That case DOES look awesome!  Why is the slim optical drive no good? 
[/quote]

When I was looking the cheapest slim-line BD drive I could find was ~$200 (even now the cheapest/only one on Newegg is $153).

[quote=”valkyrie”]
For me, the ITX meant one card slot.  Which would have been OK, but Intel does not make a quad core i5 with Video onboard and I needed to use the card slot for a port-multiplier card for my disk enclosure. 
[/quote]

What ITX board did you get?  Some of the H57 boards don’t support the quads (i.e. I think the DH57JG is only rated to 87W).

[quote=”xjboonie”]
That’s what I thought.

I’m trying to decide between a dual core Intel core i processor with HD Video, or a quad core Intel (or AMD) and using an ATI 5770 or something like it (I have a 4670 now, but might upgrade for bitstreaming).  It’s for the rebuild of my HTPC running SageTV with one extender, one client (the PC in the home office) and placeshifting (maybe).  I don’t know if a dual core would be enough…

[/quote]

I use a i5-661 in my Sage server w/ one HD300 and two PC clients and there’s plenty of headroom.

[wordgasm]

[quote=”babgvant”]
[quote=”valkyrie”]

What?  That case DOES look awesome!  Why is the slim optical drive no good? 
[/quote]

When I was looking the cheapest slim-line BD drive I could find was ~$200 (even now the cheapest/only one on Newegg is $153).

[/quote]

Get a cheap USB $100 external Bluray and $7 sata adaptor and just take off the case. Did it for my WHS over a year ago and working great

http://www.buy.com/prod/blu-ray-player-laptop-external-usb-dvd-rw-burner-drive-black/q/sellerid/26076229/loc/101/211585970.html

Jeff

[valkyrie]

[quote=”babgvant”]
When I was looking the cheapest slim-line BD drive I could find was ~$200 (even now the cheapest/only one on Newegg is $153).[/quote]
Just search e-bay for “bc-5600s” and you’ll find some great options for $100 or less.  And don’t be afraid to take an external drive and crack it open.  You’ll also need a SATA adapter like [url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812270183]this one on newegg[/url]

[quote=”babgvant”]What ITX board did you get?  Some of the H57 boards don’t support the quads (i.e. I think the DH57JG is only rated to 87W).[/quote]
I have the Intel DH57JG and there is a Quad Core i5 that uses less than 87W.  The Core i5-750S uses 82W, but again it does not have video.  The irony is that with the old architecture of the video being integrated into the chipset, it was much easier to get a Quad-Core with integrated Video.  Now, it’s actually impossible and incredibly confusing.  I can only imagine how many people get a quad core i5 with a mobo that has video ports and think this should work.  Again… thanks Intel!  What a Boneheaded design…

[LowTech]

[quote]The irony is that with the old architecture of the video being integrated into the chipset, it was much easier to get a Quad-Core with integrated Video.[/quote]

Of course that option is still available with AMD parts.  The downside is that most AMD CPUs are 95W bits save for a couple of Athlon II X4s which are relatively slow 45W CPUs at 2.2/2.3Ghz.  However for HTPCing that shouldn’t be an issue but you still have to factor in the heat generated by the IGP.  These are certainly considerations that one needs to address in such a small case.

[Author]

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