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Computer-1 mini-ITX Chassis

teenage.engineering

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Re: Computer-1 mini-ITX Chassis

#111

Post by PragmaticPulp »

formerly_proven wrote: post #101
PragmaticPulp wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Big annoyance with SFF builds is noise. Not really any more. Most popular mini-ITX cases for enthusiasts support 240mm AIOs for CPU cooling. Noctua even has low-profile air coolers that fit in some mini-ITX cases and rival their biggest heatsinks in performance. The SFX PSUs are slightly more expensive, but the good ones are so efficient that the fans won't even turn on during normal (non-gaming) use. Modern SFF bu…

They do OK in noise-normalized tests, which are good for comparing and still relatively easy to perform. They're inadequate for quiet operation though. In fact the huge coolers I am using currently are barely adequate for their respective components - they require clearly audible fan speeds to avoid unhealthily high temperatures under sustained load. Certainly not extremely quiet; I'm not really happy with it, and I…

If your goal is as close to noiseless as possible, a big case with a lot of sound dampening material is the way to go.

However, the modern SFF experience is much better than you give it credit for. An AMD 5950X with a 240mm AIO in a mini-ITX case is easy these days and it keeps the CPU temperature in a reasonable range.

But if your goal is a no-compromise quietest build possible, obviously you don't want to get a small case.

> plus it's rather expensive (more than 10x the cost of air cooling).

I'm not sure where you're getting these numbers, but modern AIO water cooling isn't that expensive.

You can get a good 240mm AIO cooler for about 1.5X the price of a good air cooler: https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Radiator-Software-Control-Liq...

Re: Computer-1 mini-ITX Chassis

#112

Post by ChuckMcM »

cletus wrote: post #26

I'm a big fan of this form factor, specifically just big enough to fit a motherboard/CPU/RAM plus a real-size GPU. These all use SFX PSUs and typically just an M2 SSD on the motherboard. They also have only 2 RAM slots. The days of needing a tower are over for most people. I'm all about space-saving while still having a full-power PC. It's a niche, boutique market but there are some really interesting cases. My perso…

> The days of needing a tower are over for most people. I'm all about space-saving while still having a full-power PC.

Have you seen the air-cooler on a threadripper ?! :-)

I don't really disagree with you but I like my old tower box because it has lots of room and easy to work on, and I realize that was why I liked my old car because engine compartment had lots of room to work.

Re: Computer-1 mini-ITX Chassis

#113

Post by SergeAx »

cletus wrote: post #26

I'm a big fan of this form factor, specifically just big enough to fit a motherboard/CPU/RAM plus a real-size GPU. These all use SFX PSUs and typically just an M2 SSD on the motherboard. They also have only 2 RAM slots. The days of needing a tower are over for most people. I'm all about space-saving while still having a full-power PC. It's a niche, boutique market but there are some really interesting cases. My perso…

I don't know about this "boutique" vibe. For me the entire idea of a desktop PC is saying "no" to any trade-offs. There's so little actual difference in footprint between those and classic middle-tower that it actually does not make any sense to me. Instead I prefer to have an ability to infinite expansion and upgrade. What if I want a super wide bandwidth storage for some data processing? I will buy an expansion PCI card for like 40 bucks and put 4 M.2 NVMes there as RAID0 stripe. Having an ability to expand RAM instead of trading in is quite good too. And last, but not least, a question of price. $200 for a case without PSU?!

Re: Computer-1 mini-ITX Chassis

#114

Post by formerly_proven »

PragmaticPulp wrote: post #111
formerly_proven wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They do OK in noise-normalized tests, which are good for comparing and still relatively easy to perform. They're inadequate for quiet operation though. In fact the huge coolers I am using currently are barely adequate for their respective components - they require clearly audible fan speeds to avoid unhealthily high temperatures under sustained load. Certainly not extremely quiet; I'm not really happy with it, and I…

If your goal is as close to noiseless as possible, a big case with a lot of sound dampening material is the way to go. However, the modern SFF experience is much better than you give it credit for. An AMD 5950X with a 240mm AIO in a mini-ITX case is easy these days and it keeps the CPU temperature in a reasonable range. But if your goal is a no-compromise quietest build possible, obviously you don't want to get a sma…

> I'm not sure where you're getting these numbers, but modern AIO water cooling isn't that expensive.

I could have been more clear here, I meant a custom-loop, not an AIO since they're a sidegrade to a top-end air-cooler at best.

> However, the modern SFF experience is much better than you give it credit for. An AMD 5950X with a 240mm AIO in a mini-ITX case is easy these days and it keeps the CPU temperature in a reasonable range.

I don't see the contradiction - you can have a quiet SSF build, and you can have pretty powerful SFF builds (enthusiast GPUs might be a problem), but you can't really have both at the same time... at least not under load.

Re: Computer-1 mini-ITX Chassis

#117

Post by bendbro »

rvz wrote: post #84
flatiron wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

you are comparing an all in one non-upgradeable computer with a computer chassis to build your own computer. i dont think they are really comparable

Good. Makes it even easier to ignore it. And regardless, why bother building with a fancy box with this when the CPUs and GPUs available for the mini-ITX are going to be 10,000 times slower than the M1 and 100,000 time slower than the M1 Max? Not going to throw money on something and build a computer that is already going to be behind the state of the art. Given that Linux is coming to Apple Silicon machines, it is a…

Totally agree, 100% team Apple. In the immortal words of Apple PR: "what's a computer?" Like its 2021, do you really want to associate with people that call themselves the "PC m*ster r*ce"? Ummm gross, no, f*scist vibes, im out, haha. Also, I've heard these so called gaming "rigs" (do they burn diesel... like what) use a TON of electricity... so much so that California outlawed them (nice!). If you're looking for a superior fanless youtube cat video machine (so cute), I'd highly recommend the newest iPad over the Mac. Apple has put a lot of blood (ew), sweat, and tears into ensuring this is the thinnest (NON-computing hehe) experience that you can possibly have, so send your support in hard earned $$$. I mean even if you don't have those (America is an oppressive state after all), Apple offers an inclusive payment plan. A mortgage for your computer! They really thought of it all!

Re: Computer-1 mini-ITX Chassis

#118

Post by favorited »

shantanujoshi wrote: post #59
gambiting wrote: post #5

I mean...neat? But the price is insane. £195 for a very basic case that you have to assemble yourself?

In the SFF (small form factor) case game this is a quite reasonable price. Check out the ncase, ghost s1, etc.

The Ncase is no more, sadly. The company is still around, so everyone is expecting they'll have a new case eventually, but the M1 is EOL.

Re: Computer-1 mini-ITX Chassis

#119

Post by [deleted] »

015a wrote: post #47
cletus wrote: post #26

I'm a big fan of this form factor, specifically just big enough to fit a motherboard/CPU/RAM plus a real-size GPU. These all use SFX PSUs and typically just an M2 SSD on the motherboard. They also have only 2 RAM slots. The days of needing a tower are over for most people. I'm all about space-saving while still having a full-power PC. It's a niche, boutique market but there are some really interesting cases. My perso…

My last two builds (going about ~7 years) have been mini ITX. The builds tend to be more frustrating (I wouldn't say harder; just more frustrating and longer), but the end result is always more pleasing. The biggest thing that I wish were more accessible within the mini-ITX form factor is 10Gbps ethernet. Maybe with thunderbolt it could now exist as an external dongle, with the right motherboard, but internally there…

[deleted]

Re: Computer-1 mini-ITX Chassis

#120

Post by incompleteCode »

LegitShady wrote: post #97
augustuspolius wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don’t think there is a market fit and yet it’s already sold out? I am not defending the form factor or esthetics, but TE has a huge following and their products are usually very successful.

The market fit is existing TE fans that buy anything they make. Their page doesn't even say why you want this over something else or its functional features. Its not really a market product so much as low run TE fanservice. That's why it sold out - because they didn't make more than they expected to sell.

And if they profited from it, isn't that enough? There's a market, however small, and they produced enough. I would argue that TE knows its customers really well.
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