[Mini-ITX] Pentium 2x3.0Ghz + m9300 ($232)
#16
yes stash182, the price Smile pretty hard to beat!
and the fact that it accepts normal 5.25" Optical Disc Drives is a real + for me!
Helps to keep the cost on the low..
pecially Slim BD-Drives are $$$

but yes, there's tons of cases out there,
those are my taste, feel free to choose any other Smile

Other nice miniITX cases i like:
- Apex MI-100
- Thermaltake Element Q

and yes, they are the same as the Apex MI-008 in sizes and shape Tongue
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#17
thanks man. You've been really helpful for me these last few days! its great to have folks like you to help us noobs out. makes life 100x easier.
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#18
no problem, i was noob before also so, no worrie...
i had the same questions that you guys have, and maybe even more Tongue
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#19
eskro Wrote:i dont recall people complaining about that,,,
and also, you could try finding the tallness spec of your CPU Cooler,
but even then,
the Scythe BIG Shuriken SCBSK-1000 http://ow.ly/1tRMFR will fit for sure
if anything,,,

but again, google'ing around i stumbled on this thread here
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1416216
they do say stock intel cooling fits

and this will be your stock cooling size --> http://ow.ly/1tRP9u

Thank you Eskro!

This is my list of parts I will be buying from NCIX later today. The motherboard for the mini-itx pentium build isnt on the list because they dont carry it. So I chose the H55 motherboard instead (I hope this is ok). All the parts on there is discounted too so its great! Please let me know what you think and if you suggest anything for me. I plan on running XBMC. HTPC and XBMC is new to me, thank you!


Apex MI-008 MINI-ITX Case Glossy Black 1X5.25 1X3.5 1X3.5INT Sfx 250W Front Audio USB
Usually ships in 1-2 business days.
In Stock 32938 $56.99 $56.99

Silenx iXtrema Pro Thermistor 120MM Quiet Fan 1400RPM 72CFM 14DBA Fluid Dynamic Bearings 3/4PIN
Usually ships in 1-2 business days.
In Stock 45902 $16.01 $16.01

nGear 3M Super High Speed HDMI 1.4 Cable Supports 3D & Ethernet – Audio Return Channel
Usually ships in 1-2 business days.
In Stock 54825 $6.99 $6.99

Mediagate Windows 7 / Vista MCE One Channel IR Remote Control for Home Premium & Ulti *IR-$6*
Usually ships in 1-2 business days.
In Stock 48040 $23.99 $23.99

Kingston SSDNow V Series 30GB 2.5IN SATA Solid State Disk Flash Drive
In Stock 51321 $57.99 $57.99

Zotac H55ITX-A-E MINI-ITX Core I3/I5 LGA1156 H55 DDR3 PCI-E16 SATA WiFi Audio Video M *IR-$12*
Usually ships in 1-2 business days.
In Stock 51928 $119.99 $119.99

Intel Core i3 540 Dual Core Processor Clarkdale LGA1156 3.06GHZ Hyperthreading 4MB Cache Retail Box
Usually ships in 1-2 business days.
In Stock 48957 $109.99 $109.99

Mushkin Enhanced Silverline Stiletto 4GB 2X2GB PC3-10666 DDR3-1333 9-9-9-24 Dual Channel Memory Kit
Usually ships in 1-2 business days.
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#20
well, its good, but the new core i3-2100 is only --> $117 http://ow.ly/1tS7Wq
maybe you should have went with it...

and this mini-ITX motherboard to hold it --> $84 http://ow.ly/1tS81z

then depending on which OS u want,
you buy either a Radeon HD5450 or GT210 video card...
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#21
eskro Wrote:well, its good, but the new core i3-2100 is only --> $117 http://ow.ly/1tS7Wq
maybe you should have went with it...

and this mini-ITX motherboard to hold it --> $84 http://ow.ly/1tS81z

then depending on which OS u want,
you buy either a Radeon HD5450 or GT210 video card...

Thank you for your input!

Originally I want to build the exact same mini-itx pentium set up you have but NCIX don't carry that motherboard so I went with the H55. I search for the Asus motherboard and its in back-order. I just want to pick everything up in one place and i'm pretty much in a hurry/excited to start the build.

If I stick with the H55 motherboard is it ok or say futureproof for a few years? and is it good idea to get a video card GT210 with it since i read somewhere you said the intel graphic aint all good ( i could be wrong). I will be running windows 7 os.

Thanks eskro!
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#22
well newegg has all those parts though....

[case] http://ow.ly/1tS8dS
[fan] http://ow.ly/1tS8KE
[mobo] http://ow.ly/1tS8dY
[cpu] http://ow.ly/1tS8dN
[ram] http://ow.ly/1tS8ei x 2
[ssd] http://ow.ly/1rZlTi

Grand Total: $386 shipped to my Canadian Door - $10 Mail-in Rebate = $376 Smile

now the onboard i3 CPU issues are discussed
here --> http://forum.xbmc.org/showpost.php?p=819...stcount=11

anyhow, how much you paid with shipping!?
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#23
eskro Wrote:well newegg has all those parts though....

[case] http://ow.ly/1tS8dS
[fan] http://ow.ly/1tS8KE
[mobo] http://ow.ly/1tS8dY
[cpu] http://ow.ly/1tS8dN
[ram] http://ow.ly/1tS8ei x 2
[ssd] http://ow.ly/1rZlTi

Grand Total: $386 shipped to my Canadian Door - $10 Mail-in Rebate = $376 Smile

now the onboard i3 CPU issues are discussed
here --> http://forum.xbmc.org/showpost.php?p=819...stcount=11

anyhow, how much you paid with shipping!?

I'm picking it up from the store Smile
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#24
NCIX? sweet then, but still, how much then?
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#25
eskro Wrote:NCIX? sweet then, but still, how much then?

Sorry for the late reply (supper). The whole set up cost me $389.60 includes tax and rebates.
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#26
local pick up does make you save on shipping, thats great for that!

well u can try with the onboard i3 video but if anything, likely will, you'll need a video card
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#27
Thanks again for all the guidance. Wanted to chime in on some deals I got on these components. Tigerdirect has the Zotac board for $90 after $20 rebate and there's like 3% cashback through ebates. I heard there are some issues with Zotac rebates, but I figured I'd take a chance. Also Compuvest has the Intel E5700 for $55.

I'm going to hold off on the fan to see if maybe I can by by without it or cannibalize an old PC. Hoping to get a nice Lian Li Qxx case to boot!
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#28
Finally finished my build! Picked up a Lian Li Q09--it's beautiful. Only gripe is that it only fits a 2.5" laptop HDD. Shoved my 3.5" in anyway. Hope it doesn't have heat problems...

It seems like, even with Win7 running, this setup is a bit overkill. Why do you folks recommend this mobo / CPU combo instead of a CULV or Atom / Ion system that would use like 20 watts less? I am having a bit of buyer's remorse cause energy usage was a big factor for me and this guy uses 65w over like 20w in a CULV.
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#29
stash182 Wrote:Why do you folks recommend this mobo / CPU combo instead of a CULV or Atom / Ion system that would use like 20 watts less?

cuz its a great mobo that can be used to pack some nice punch in an HTPC!
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#30
14 months in and all of a sudden the whole system dies in the middle of movies. I'm thinking its a bad video card... and unfortunately the warranty is only 1 year unless I registered the mobo (didn't). Need the extra PCI slot for a hauppauge TV tuner card so can't put a video card in. This is a sad waste of money...

I think i'll buy an AMD E-350 setup now. I see them for <$100 including mobo and CPU.
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