Help Please : SFF or a laptop ?

[conuk]

Im thinking of getting a `decent` laptop....

The thing is - im forever going backwards and forwards to my GF`s house now... and her laptop is pretty old now... yawn slow.

So I was thinking of getting a laptop - ive been looking at a Dell XPS M1710 - but then came across the shuttles..... maybe i can get a better spec for the same price ... and at least be able to update it again at a later date ?

Im not interested in using on a train etc ... so a quick carry out to the car then another house - and another monitor would be all that i need....

Could somebody spec me a super small deal -

At present in my desktop I got :

Athlon 64 3400
1 gb 3200 memory
2 x 36gb raptors
1 x IBM 160gb SATA HD
DVD writer
BFG 6800 GT OC Gfx
M-Audio Firewire 410
2 x 19" NEC 1810x

So maybe I could use the raptors in a shuttle ?

either way - will sell on the other bits.... but want Dual Core - SLI setup to supercede this one.

Dont really play games that much but - like the flight simulators (lock on - FS 9 - few FPS)

but getting into a lot of 3d work - 3dmax - video etc... so need a decent spec.

Anybody help out - id appreciate it

 

[Grimgoth]

conuk,
reading your post, you got quite a few options actually.

if your gf doesn't mind you leaving a mouse, monitor, keyboard at her place, then you've got a couple of sff options.

if you want the smallest sff, then you'd have to go with the shuttle,
however, if you don't mind it being slightly bigger, then you're pretty much free to play with whatever mATX board and full sized normal hardware that you'd get in your desktop. see the following cases which seem to be popular round here:

Silverstone Sugo
Aspire XQ-pack

both of which i have, and both of which i just noticed that OcUK no longer stocks...eh?

Now, the problem is that you stated you want an SLI setup. You do realise this will cause you no end of problems in a shuttle/sff?
from what i read:

Aopen G325 Micro ATX Gamers Case - Silver (CA-014-AO), available at OcUK
has space for an SLI setup, but finding a mATX board out there that currently has SLI....erm....

a quick search in google with mATX and SLI, gives a taste:
a lot of the news in august is that EVGA has brought out the first SLI capable mATX board, based on the nForce4 chipset, which means socket 939 dual core, but then, i think you'll only find that in the states so far....
http://www.evga.com/products/moreinfo.asp?pn=131-K8-NF44-AX&family=20

 

[conuk]

cool - thanks for the info - I think I will check out the other cases as well - SLI isnt essential but as I would probably use this as my main system I thought it would at least future proof it a little longer.

As for size - yep the shuttle is cool - but I think I will probably look at something a little bigger and get in what I need.

Thanks for your info