Help me shrink my old system

DingleBerry

DingleBerry

DingleBerry

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My computer is just too big at the moment so I want to put it in a shuttle case. I can't find a good list of them though to work out which one I want as it won't be current.

Its got a Athlon xp 2100+ and 266 drr ram IIRC and I've got a IDE and SATA hd, I'm not adverse to having one external in a caddie so IDE support. I need a PCI slot for my sound card (its a special one) and an agp port for my ageing gf3 (unless the one board is a actually better). Apart from that and the compulsory dvd drive thats it.

Which is the best shuttle to look at? Or if you are lazy where's a list of them with their specs :D

Recap
  • Socket a
  • Suitable for ddr 266
  • ide or sata
  • 1*pci
  • 1*agp
  • usb2

I've got no interest in making it any faster unless it actually works out cheaper!
 
Looks like you're going to have to go second hand if you want a Socket A Shuttle.

I'm pretty sure most shuttles come with a PCI slot, and as your GF3 is a single slot cooler, you're not going to have any trouble fitting it.
 
It will definitely be second hand. It just a case of working out which one it is I want then I can have a scout around. Would a nforce chip be faster than my gf3? I know nothing about hw since I bought that last one. Its been a while :p
 
http://eu.shuttle.com/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-546/

All the Socket A Shuttles are listed under the discontinued section.

I doubt any integrated graphics solution of Socket A age would be faster than your GF3 tbh.

It's just a case of looking through there and making your choice. I'd go for an nForce model over a VIA chipset one though, the nForce2 range was quality.
 
SN45G 3rd Generation (if possible) easy choice really :)

You get the 250Watt PSU (more than enough heck even the 200W is more than enough for that system) and if your "special" sound card is a X-Mystique then worry no more as while you COULD use it, you might as well use the onboard Nforce 2 DDL audio :) (its what got me started on DDL and its still better than the X-Mystique with its annoying buggy drivers...)
 
manic_man said:
SN45G 3rd Generation (if possible) easy choice really :)

You get the 250Watt PSU (more than enough heck even the 200W is more than enough for that system) and if your "special" sound card is a X-Mystique then worry no more as while you COULD use it, you might as well use the onboard Nforce 2 DDL audio :) (its what got me started on DDL and its still better than the X-Mystique with its annoying buggy drivers...)
Click to expand...

With any luck might he get Soundstorm (with the right chipset)?
 
Yup! The SN45G uses the Nforce 2 Ultra 400 chipse t(i.e. the very last nforce 2) they all have soundstorm using a Realtek based codec. The soundsotrm solution in my Sn45G was FAR superior to my X-Mystque purely because Nvidias drivers were far superior....

I was so gutted when Nvidia dropped the Soundstorm idea from their subsequent chipsets :)
 
The sound card is an (ageing) 4 channel in 4 channel out semi pro one. It does nothing but have 4 mono DACs and 4 mono ADCs. It makes a remarkable amount of difference even on 128bit mp3s. Its not the sort of thing you would get built in to a motherboard because its not the sort of thing most people would want.

That does sound like the one I want. The trouble now comes from trying to find one!

Do any other manufacturers make something similar?
 
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You could always pick up a Sugo SG01E or a Lian-Li V300 and put a mATX motherboard in it yourself.

That way you could pick your own PSU/Cooler etc.

It's another option :)
 
Would the SN41G2 V3 do the job quite admirably? I've found one for £111 new which isn't too shocking although it is old kit (and b grade stock). I've got a fair few things to sell to pay for it. SN45s seam quite hard to find.

My current pc is pretty loud and huge so this would make a pleasant change.
 
the SN41G2 is actually almost the same as the SN45G but with integrated graphics. I cant remember off hand what the intergrated graphics were equivelant to, i'd have thought geForce 2-3 kind of area (with a chance of them being total and utter cack)

but i think the SN45G is the more desirable of the 2. i loved mine till it died :( infact wouldnt mind another if i could find one
 
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I've never seen/used one, but Biostar had three Socket A systems if they're easier to find.

The nForce chipset 200N model only lists DDR333 for memory though, on the website spec page (not looked at manual).

With Shuttle's SN41G2 and SN45G1, I think the v3 revision lost Soundstorm ability to make way for S-ATA support. Need to check that. But as you have an add-in sound card you're probably not too bothered by that.
 
DDR333 wont be a problem as he only has DDR266 mem :)

if you can find a biostar 200N their practically the same as the SN45G (im sure there was a revision that had DDR400 chipset?) but were cheaper at the time when they were out

the SN45GV3 i think still has soundstorm but is a bit picky with mem runing in dual channel (at least the early ones were, there have been quite a number of bios updates since i think and no more posts on here for ages about it so i'd assume its been sorted or people have just lost interest)
 
I'd check the memory, as I thought DingleBerry meant PC2100 DDR266. And the Biostar might need a mininum of PC2700 DDR333.
 
no it supports upto DDR333 (assuming it doesnt support upto DDR400) not just DDR333. with DDR266 all its doing is running slightly slower than DDR333, theres nothing physically different about the two besides the speeds and timings
 
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