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deksawyer · (This post was last modified: 2013-09-23, 13:13 by deksawyer.)

I was planning on putting together a passive Thin Mini ITX Ivy Bridge system, but with the release of i3 Haswell I decided to go for that. I was going to wait for some Thin ITX boards (only ECS H87H3-TI for now) but impatience has gotten the better of me waiting on them, so I've just ordered this lot instead:

Intel i3 4330
Asus H87I-Plus
Corsair Vengeance Black C9 2x4GB
Skythe Big Shuriken
Streacom FC7 Evo
Pico PSU & power brick

I already have a 64GB Crucial M4 SSD and original MCE remote/keyboard/receiver so I'll use that. I don't intend to fit an optical drive, so I'll fasten the SSD to the front of the case somehow. That'll give me room to fit the Big Shuriken (If I've done my maths correctly, that'll fit in the case - fingers crossed).

Parts should be here this week sometime, so photo's and build report then. I'm going to try openelec first, and if I don't get on with it, i'll try XBMCBuntu. Windows 7 is a last resort, hence the RAM & SSD.

cheers

D.

**mrhyde1969** · 2013-09-17, 11:12

Any xbmc build based on the intel haswel is a bad idea atm, due to driver issues. As I have unfortunately found out myself

Christer K · 2013-09-17, 12:22

(2013-09-17, 11:12)mrhyde1969 Wrote: Any xbmc build based on the intel haswel is a bad idea atm, due to driver issues. As I have unfortunately found out myself

(2013-09-11, 15:35)Dougie Fresh Wrote: FYI for Haswell on Windows 7/8:

Graphics driver for Core i3 with HD4400 and Pentium (Haswell) is available only from motherboard manufacturers' site.

- 9.18.10.3165 (Intel Download Center) does not support Core i3 with HD4400 / Pentium (Haswell).
- 9.18.10.3186 (ASRock, ASUS, GIGABYTE websites) and 9.18.10.3215 (MSI website, this is the latest) support Core i3 with HD4400 / Pentium (Haswell).

Christer K · (This post was last modified: 2013-09-17, 13:05 by Christer K.)

Release notes from Intel about the latest drivers HERE

**mrhyde1969** · 2013-09-17, 13:32

The latest drivers still do not resolve video and sound issues within xbmc.

**fritsch** · 2013-09-17, 13:33

In the meantime, you can just use Linux - here, despite some deinterlacing hitch, everything works already.

joelbaby · (This post was last modified: 2013-09-17, 16:16 by joelbaby.)

(2013-09-17, 13:32)mrhyde1969 Wrote: The latest drivers still do not resolve video and sound issues within xbmc.

If you go to the the intel driver release notes then you will see two links: one for feedback, one for suggestions.
You could use those links to tell Intel directly about the problem.

deksawyer · 2013-09-17, 16:37

As fritsch says, I'll be doing my best to use a Linux distro of some kind.

Also, I've received all the parts, apart from the case - hopefully tomorrow!!

D.

tential · 2013-09-17, 17:18

I'd still use haswell I'd have just held off on the purchase or use linux like you're doing. Haswell is great with power consumption when idle or downclocked.

My next PC though won't be for a couple years. By then, XBMC builds will be lucky to draw 10 Watts during use.

If you watched Intel Developer Forum, intel is making a huge push in power consumption on low end products. We can finally see an AppleTV like competitor from XBMC probably that really hits cheap, easy to setup, and runs 95% of XBMC features.

deksawyer · (This post was last modified: 2013-09-18, 14:32 by deksawyer.)

Core components added to the motherboard. This is my first ITX system - it's tiny!! As you can see from the pics, I had a little helper (who kept trying to eat the fan cable).

ISSUES.

I had to remove some of the foam on the Big Shuriken backplate as it was going to interfere with some components. Sharp knife - job done. It's going to be a tight fit for the cooler inside the case and I actually think it's not going to fit now. Find out when the case arrives.

Here's some pics:

I'll be firing this up when the case arrives...........

D.

**Dougie Fresh** · (This post was last modified: 2013-09-17, 21:48 by Dougie Fresh.)

My cats help me build PCs all the time. They do a good job.

deksawyer · (This post was last modified: 2013-09-18, 00:25 by deksawyer.)

Just measured my Omaura TF8 and that's 100mm high and running a normal Shuriken, which is (68mm high). The Big Shuriken measures 58mm, so I think I'll be fine...

D.

deksawyer · 2013-09-18, 12:34

I couldn't resist last night when the wife went to bed - placed the board on a box and plugged it all in.

Installed openelec, which was a bit of a disaster - no audio at first. Managed to sort that somehow then it would freeze when I selected to play any video (from server).

Installed XBMCBuntu, audio worked straight away, well everything apart from HD Audio from full fat BD rips. I've been reading that I might need to upgrade the kernel, but I'm not too sure (any advice welcomed). MCE remote/keyboard isn't working either, but I've been reading about that as well. Time to tinker tonight......

cheers

D.

**mrhyde1969** · 2013-09-18, 13:21

Do you not find that cpu fan a bit noisy? I have one in my system and find it a little too loud for my taste

deksawyer · 2013-09-18, 13:38

It wasn't noisy with silent mode in bios. Case will be in this cupboard anyway, so I'll have an extra buffer there I guess.

D.