Hiper Media Center case [Text View]

galileo2000

03-22-06, 08:49 PM

jpadua,

Thanks a lot for all your help.

No British friends had offered a helping hand.

I got in touch with arenapc folks and they succesfully charged my credit card..:D

They quoted me everything in USD, very convenient :D

Little bit on the expensive side, but as my wife says: "desire is worse than pain".

They should be able to take advantage of us, since we don't have any vendor in the USA.

So I should be getting it soon.

MB is ready:
Asus P4P800-VM

CPU is ready :
Intel 2.4 Northwood 533FSB (I am an Intel guy. Intel offered me a job at some point. I politely declined, but still have warm feelings about the people who offer me a job:D. Never happened with AMD).

HDD is ready
Seagate 300GB 16MB cache

HSF is ready:
Spire 9R272B1H3 RackSper lll All copper heatsink low profile 1U Rackmount
For Socket 478 Cooling. This guy is flat.
( let me know if there is a way to put 120 mm fan with the corresponding heatsink, I was not able to find any to fit. My favorite is Zalman, but it won't make it into this case).

Video card is ready:
ATI Radeon 9600 AGP non-SE 128 MB passive heatsink.

DVD is ready.
Pioneer DVR-K05 ("might" change it to simple Dell DVD, I don't need to use it as a burner)

RAM is ready.
Corsair value PC3200 2x512MB

19" LCD is ready.
Acer whatshisnumber

USB 802.11g adapter is ready.

Only the case, please!

My total for everything, 19" LCD included, should be around $700.

As of PSU reqs, I posted link to the online PSU calculator somewhere on this forum. You might want to check it out. Wait, it's right here: http://www.extreme.outervision.com/index.jsp
I am getting 182W for 100% utilization, I "might" be able to run ffdshow on this system.

I'll let you know how it ends and maybe post some pictures if people from the Fifth Continent will keep their promise.

jpadua

03-26-06, 10:53 AM

Hi Galileo, ArenaPC has already setup my order as well, it should be arriving this week! I also have all my components ready:

DFI RS482 Infinity
Panasonic Slimline Slotload DVD-RW
Coolermaster 1U A64 Cooler
A64 3500+
Seagate 250GB SATA
RAM 1GB 2x512 Dual Channel Geil Value

Let me know how your build goes, I was a bit weary of goin intel because of the heat so I stuck with an Athlon64.

I want to try to hook up a 120mm fan to the Heatsink. I found a 25mm high 120mm fan on Directron.com if you'd like to try that out. I dont have access to it though since I am in ASIA :( bummer.

I'll also post pics of my build and report on issues and stuff.

Another hiper case owner (Alex thanks for the info) emailed me, he is using an A64 3500+ using the coolermaster heatsink but with the standard A64 fan and still hits 60 degrees on load.... Heat will be an issue, but I'm willing to experiment to get the heat managed.

Some things to try is to invert the fan, and make it an exhaust fan since the CPU is right underneath the exhaust grill of the case cover... the heat issue is within the case, so blowing the air out might get better cooling.

I'm excited to receive the case though!

IVB

03-26-06, 11:57 AM

g2k: your total is $700? Does that include that sexy case?

galileo2000

03-26-06, 01:10 PM

g2k: your total is $700? Does that include that sexy case?

Right now it is close to $800 (bought the speakers, remember? and DVD-ROM instead of Pioneer K05), but yes, it does include the case :D

IVB

03-26-06, 01:26 PM

Holy cow. Can you either post or PM me the price for that case? That might be just the thing for my MBR htpc client; last PC i had in there was the dVine3, which i thought was sexy looking. But it was a huge monster, and loud/hot to match.

I'm sure you understand - the next one must be barely noticeable. [to go with the barely noticeable or exotic looking speakers :D ]

galileo2000

03-26-06, 01:31 PM

no problem man. They charged me $110 for the case, $57 for delivery and $3 for currency exchange whatever.

their email is sales@arenapc.com.au. I've dealt with the guy named Darren.

Keep in mind it is not the same case jpadua put a picture in this thread, it is their previous model - no fancy LCD etc.

I'll post some pictures when it arrives. I believe assembly will be a challenge, but I like challenges.

Also, if you are going to go with Intel, I think the HSF I got is the best because of its size. Fan is loud, but I connected Zalman Fanmate to the fan and now it is absolutely quiet. Everything has been assembled w/o case and CPU temp is around 28C idle.

Keep in mind that you most probably will be able to fit just one card in. So either your mobo has to have audio integrated or your video card has to have audio (such as ATI AIW etc.)

Good luck!!

madpoet

03-26-06, 07:33 PM

Sweet case, IVB linked it on CQC. I'm very interested but I need to know the noise level. Looking forward to your reviews.

galileo2000

03-26-06, 08:24 PM

Sweet case, IVB linked it on CQC. I'm very interested but I need to know the noise level. Looking forward to your reviews.

madpoet,

Noise WILL NOT be tolerated in bedroom HTPC (you guys who have a permanent partner to share the bedroom must know what I mean:D. I keep my fingers crossed).

I'll let you know.

IVB

03-26-06, 10:06 PM

madpoet,

Noise WILL NOT be tolerated in bedroom HTPC (you guys who have a permanent partner to share the bedroom must know what I mean:D. I keep my fingers crossed).

I'll let you know.

Please don't - i have a hard enough time holding back on all the stuff I'm drooling over already, if you tell me this works as a MBR HTPC, i'd have to buy one immediately...

galileo2000

03-26-06, 10:43 PM

Please don't - i have a hard enough time holding back on all the stuff I'm drooling over already, if you tell me this works as a MBR HTPC, i'd have to buy one immediately...

IVB,

You are DESTINED to have Hiper computer as your MBR HTPC client...Live with this and be ready to part with some of your hard-earned money :D.

It was impossible to resist for me.

Or, you can always buy Mac mini...You might be able to run XP on it too..

jpadua

03-26-06, 11:20 PM

oooh yeah, hard to resist drooling over this case for months! no retailer so I got one in ArenaPC in Australia!!! heheh... had to go through hoops to find Darren.... Hiper recommended a retailer to me who recommended arenapc hehhe. Nice folks overthere. If this case is a hit in th US they will definately make a lot of US customers happy. As well as people outside the UK (like myself)

Ive got a problem though I noticed with my mobo, the RS482, the P4 connector is way over at the end... I dont think the cable would reach... now I need to find an extender.... bummer....

blue_z

03-27-06, 01:23 AM

Hi galileo2000
Were you able to confirm that the Hiper's PSU will accept 120v and is UL approved?

(I looked at a few of the Hiper PSUs on their web site and all were 220v only.)

galileo2000

03-27-06, 01:50 PM

Hi galileo2000
Were you able to confirm that the Hiper's PSU will accept 120v and is UL approved?

(I looked at a few of the Hiper PSUs on their web site and all were 220v only.)

PSU specs show 100-240 V, 6 A.

madpoet

03-27-06, 02:44 PM

Hopefully it holds up well. Any list of the differences between the old and new version? I could care less about the LCD.

galileo2000

03-27-06, 11:02 PM

I believe new version also includes remote.

But I've already managed to work MCE remote on this thing, without MCE installed. Not all the functions are available, but up/down/left/right/OK-doubleclick work fine. Good enough for now.

And yes, I can turn it on and off to S3 by pushing the "Power" button on the remote.

They have delayed my order, and it did not ship yet. They do not include AGP riser card, instead they included PCI riser card because of the delay in shipping. Every review I've red mentioned that AGP riser was included. Oh well, eBay is my friend for this.

Stay tuned...

Now, should I put in "regular" Radeon 9600 128MB or AIW 2006 Radeon 9600 256 MB, both with the passive cooling ? Suggestions are appreciated.

jpadua

03-28-06, 12:25 AM

My case was delayed also, but its my fault heheh I told them to hold it first till they get that P4 extension cable, it should ship by thursday though.

jpadua

03-28-06, 01:33 AM

This might be a crazy Idea, but can a GPU cooler say the Zalman vf900 be sufficient to cool an Athlon64 Processor?

http://www.zalman.co.kr/upload/product/vf900_cu_c_p.jpg

It measures only 30mm tall and 96mm wide... an a64 retention bracket is a roughly 96mm also.

http://www.pro-clockers.com/FCKeditor/uploaded/Image/zalman%20vf900/Picture2%20015.jpg

Looking at the Zalman VF900 its a heatpipe cooler with a 92mm fan but it looks short enough to fit in the hiper case. I'm wondering if there could be a mod to attach that to a a64 motherboard? Just a thought.

galileo2000

03-28-06, 10:33 AM

madpoet

03-28-06, 11:57 AM

I emailed them but haven't heard back... they might be regretting this ;)

jpadua

03-28-06, 02:36 PM

I emailed them but haven't heard back... they might be regretting this ;)

emailed Zalman?

maybe the cooler can be attached to the stock retenion bracket with the stock retention clip... I have the clip and the bracket but no VF900 to test it with though... hehehe

If this works then this actually might be better than the standard 1U coolermaster HSF. Uses heatpipes and flower fin too!

jpadua

03-28-06, 02:37 PM

emailed Zalman?

maybe the cooler can be attached to the stock retenion bracket with the stock retention clip... I have the clip and the bracket but no VF900 to test it with though... hehehe

If this works then this actually might be better than the standard 1U coolermaster HSF. Uses heatpipes and flower fin too!

I'm actually thinking of getting one just to satisfy my curiosity... if it doesnt work, then I have a new GPU cooler... :D

jpadua

03-28-06, 02:42 PM

I have another idea for the hiper case!

Using a mini-itx board (the ones made by via) the width of this type of motherboard is as long as the back i/o. That leaves a lot of space in the midde. A makeshift rail can be made to fit 2 sata drives. Then another 2 on the original Hardisk space and one where the DVD rom goes. That makes a total of 4 drives. Imagine 4x250GB drives and a miniITX board in the hiper case... install freeNAS (linux based NAS server), and youve got a storage server that can sit right underneath the Hiper HTPC and connect via router or firewire!

http://www.m2systech.com/slimhtpc/mininas.jpg
This must be a really bad representation heheheh.

madpoet

03-28-06, 02:47 PM

No, sorry... the Aussie guys about the case.

galileo2000

03-28-06, 07:36 PM

jpadua,

Why do you need this case to make a server? Why not just get the standard 1U chassis?

PGPFan

03-28-06, 07:45 PM

Hi Jay,

Do you happen to have a model number of the 'new' case that you posted a picture of? I really like the looks of it (not to mention the size ;) ) and I need to email Hiper and see about locating a dealer/distributor.

Thanks!

-PGPfan

madpoet

03-29-06, 08:23 AM

Ordered 2 from the Aussies ;). Hopefully I like them. Now to go scouting for components....

jpadua

03-29-06, 12:26 PM

jpadua,

Why do you need this case to make a server? Why not just get the standard 1U chassis?

I just figured it might be nice as a second component that sits under the Hiper Case. Stacked I mean. It was just a thought...

I was thinking of ways to sort of make something similar to the Niveus Media server. Its in a 1u case but it can sit on top of the niveus case like a component. Of course the case is made by niveus I think.

http://www.niveusmedia.com/images/gallery/av_server_angle.jpg
This unit is $2,999!

galileo2000

03-29-06, 01:57 PM

Of course no one can prohibit someone from selling or buying $3K server chassis. Or $350K car. Or personal jet.

Now where did I put that lottery ticket? :D

galileo2000

03-29-06, 11:11 PM

jpadua,

I am going to eat my words, and you must be right.

Just look at this:
http://www.ehomeupgrade.com/entry/2318/a-tech_nas4x_silent

$450+$450+$75 for the really nice server case..

and ppl are dying to get one.

jpadua

03-30-06, 12:34 AM

Heya Galileo,

exactly my point :) we can actually make the same type of media server with a mini-itx board (the hiper case fits mini-ITX by the way and is also sold by mini-ITX.com) and a hiper case which is way more affordable and not such a bad looking enclosure. whith a little modification on the hiper case we can probably fit 4 sata drives in there.

im definately looking into it.. im already looking for capable mini-itx boards.... looks like an exciting project for me :)

Jay

galileo2000

03-30-06, 07:43 PM

Ordered 2 from the Aussies ;). Hopefully I like them. Now to go scouting for components....

madpoet,

Let us know about your components.

One word of advice:

Almost all mATX will require P4 extender, and you will NOT get AGP riser card from Aussies, so you need to buy it from somewhere. I got one from ebay for $18 shipped, and it works fine (did I mention my Hiper HTPC is already assembled on fresh air? :D )

The one mATX that does NOT require P4 extender is P4P800-VM, the one I use. Of course it is for Intel, non-popular brand.

Lastblade

03-30-06, 07:45 PM

Silverstone is coming out with a slim HTPC case, I think it is called LC19 but there is no info (other than 1 fuzzy picture) on their website right now.

galileo2000

03-30-06, 07:49 PM

Silverstone is coming out with a slim HTPC case, I think it is called LC19 but there is no info (other than 1 fuzzy picture) on their website right now.

link please? estimated cost please?

madpoet

03-30-06, 07:56 PM

madpoet,

Let us know about your components.

One word of advice:

Almost all mATX will require P4 extender, and you will NOT get AGP riser card from Aussies, so you need to buy it from somewhere. I got one from ebay for $18 shipped, and it works fine (did I mention my Hiper HTPC is already assembled on fresh air? :D )

The one mATX that does NOT require P4 extender is P4P800-VM, the one I use. Of course it is for Intel, non-popular brand.

I should be getting the AGP riser AND the PCI riser. Paid them $10 extra each for it. FWIW, order more than 1 and you'll get a discount ;). Darren joked that we AVS guys were really getting ramped up so he certainly must be reading this! Hey Darren :) Good point on the P4 extender. I'm still trying to figure out what I really need. I want to run 720p out of them, so I need some horsepower but not a boatload. A serial port is also helpful for my needs with CQC.

galileo2000

03-30-06, 08:10 PM

Darren "might" be reading this, I emailed him a link to this forum.

Makes me philosophical..

We are getting UK-made cases out of Australia and putting Taiwan/China-made components into them.

Doesn't help our trade deficit.

raminolta

03-30-06, 09:08 PM

Hello Guys,

I am selling the AGP and PCI risers and the low profile Cooler Master HSF that come with the Hiper Slim case (after the box will arrive within a few days!) If any one here needs them, please contact me.

I haven`t checked this forum for a while and just happened to see this thread started by Galileo2000 (I just saw your private message too!).
Mine hasn`t arrived yet but should be here very very soon. It was shipped from UK about a week ago. It is one of the older designs with black color. I didn`t know of the new models though they are not really more attractive for me!
Like you, i contacted Hiper and UK reselllers if they would ship to North America with no luck. Lucky me, my sister and her family had just moved to UK so i simpply asked them to buy and send me one. The total cost was about C$220 including an PCI-Express riser of which nearly half was for shipping cost. Also tax (they say VAT in UK!) had to paid since it was bought from inside UK! But i could not resist such a slim beautiful case!

My HTPC set up:
Asus A8N-VM CSM MATX motherboard
Athlon 64 3700+ CPU
Asus SPIDIF (both coxial & optical ports) connector
250GB Sata II hard drive
Three SilenX fans: two 80mm and one 40mm.

Ramin

Lastblade

03-30-06, 09:08 PM

link please? estimated cost please?

Here is the picture from their website, but it has no information whatsoever :(

http://www.silverstonetek.com/product-case.htm

It is the LC19 model. Maybe one of us can email them.

galileo2000

03-30-06, 09:15 PM

Yeah, and it should be available in any color, as long as it is black :D

Well, maybe.

Real problem is, you need to put at least half-decent PSU into those cases. Hiper has a lot of experience in PSU. They made their name known by making PSUs.

mnn1265

03-31-06, 11:54 AM

galileo2000, that little case looks sweet! I'm going to have to come-up with a good reason to build one for myself. Bedroom HTPC maybe? ;)

I'm looking for a full review on that Hiper build! Please include tech-stuff for us guys new at slim line case minutia. Does that thing take a full size ATX board or just the mini?

MP, I'd love to see your review also once you get up and running.

I have to admit I'm a bit jealous. :eek:

jpadua

03-31-06, 01:32 PM

Actually Tom's hardware has a mini review but, I think they built it wrong thats why they got the results they did... the case is made for A64s they used a pentium m with a proprietary heatsink that came with the motherboard they used which in my opinion looked kinda flimsy. Also the cpu placement was not underneath the exhaust vent so the temps went really high... tsk tsk...

madpoet

03-31-06, 02:16 PM

I have two mATX boards but they are both pentium based so I'm not sure they are going to fit. Have to see how it all looks. I'm going to use them as head-end machines for my CQC system.

galileo2000

03-31-06, 02:41 PM

I have two mATX boards but they are both pentium based so I'm not sure they are going to fit. Have to see how it all looks. I'm going to use them as head-end machines for my CQC system.

Any mATX should fit as long as it is 9.6"x9.6". Problems are the connectors, according to the reports they are short.

mnn,

Only mATX will fit. ITX will fit too, but I amnot sure you want to go ITX route.

If you go with AMD-based mATX, make sure it is designed for the CPU being on "standard" spot. Guys from denguru reported that on their AMD mb CPU spot was not on "regular" spot and they had quite a few heat issues. Ventilation holes need to be right above HSF to ensure air circulation.

jpadua,

I've red reviews from denguru/tom hardware and was wondering, those guys don't really know how to build computers and yet they dared to post 19-page review. I did learn couple of things from their review however. I would never do things they did, but it's just me. Let's see how my build works out.

Hiper case, where are you? :D

jpadua

03-31-06, 08:57 PM

Any mATX should fit as long as it is 6.69"x6.69" (or 170mmx170mm). Problems are the connectors, according to the reports they are short.

mnn,

Only mATX will fit. ITX will fit too, but I amnot sure you want to go ITX route.

If you go with AMD-based mATX, make sure it is designed for the CPU being on "standard" spot. Guys from denguru reported that on their AMD mb CPU spot was not on "regular" spot and they had quite a few heat issues. Ventilation holes need to be right above HSF to ensure air circulation.

jpadua,

I've red reviews from denguru/tom hardware and was wondering, those guys don't really know how to build computers and yet they dared to post 19-page review. I did learn couple of things from their review however. I would never do things they did, but it's just me. Let's see how my build works out.

Hiper case, where are you? :D

Exactly my point heheh :) they screwed up building a simple htpc... and yet they made long review about it... funny... the pictures were nice though...

galileo2000

03-31-06, 09:26 PM

I have another idea for the hiper case!

Using a mini-itx board (the ones made by via) the width of this type of motherboard is as long as the back i/o. That leaves a lot of space in the midde. A makeshift rail can be made to fit 2 sata drives. Then another 2 on the original Hardisk space and one where the DVD rom goes. That makes a total of 4 drives. Imagine 4x250GB drives and a miniITX board in the hiper case... install freeNAS (linux based NAS server), and youve got a storage server that can sit right underneath the Hiper HTPC and connect via router or firewire!

This must be a really bad representation heheheh.

remember, freeNAS doesn't support NTFS writing, only reading, so you better fill up those drives beforeyou put them in.

jpadua

04-01-06, 03:41 AM

remember, freeNAS doesn't support NTFS writing, only reading, so you better fill up those drives beforeyou put them in.

hmmm really? darn....oh well im still far away from building one...I have to build my hiper HTPC first. Mine is already on route! yey!

I'm really anxious when they will release their new case.. the one with the VFD... maybe they increased the wattage of their psu? (crossing my fingers).

I also like their aluminum MCE wireless keyboard... I'll sure keep an eye on that.
http://www.m2systech.com/slimhtpc/h061.jpg

raminolta

04-03-06, 01:44 PM

Hey guys,
Good news: today i received my new Hiper Slim HTPC case (just an hour ago!)
Bad news: black was ordered but they sent the silver color! Unfortunately it is impratical to send it back for a replacement! Shipping cost and waiting period is prohibitive. :(
Good news: the front face is black so that I only need to die black the top cover to have it in my favorite color!!

I will keep you updated of news and will post some pictures soon (i am not sure if i can post pictures here!)

The only thing i need that is before proceeding with assembling of the HTPC is the Arctic Silver thermal paste! Or i can just use my current (not so good) thermal pasted and change it later when the good one arrives!

Ramin

madpoet

04-03-06, 02:51 PM

Thanks Ramin. Still waiting for mine ;)

galileo2000

04-03-06, 03:06 PM

Thanks Ramin. Still waiting for mine ;)

Hey, I am waiting for mine too, and I ordered like 3 weeks ago!!

gplasky

04-03-06, 03:35 PM

remember, freeNAS doesn't support NTFS writing, only reading, so you better fill up those drives beforeyou put them in.
Don't format your drives in NTFS-format them with UFS. You can read and write to them all day long and UFS is a high performance filesystem. I have 3 Win XP systems reading from all the time.

Gerry

raminolta

04-03-06, 05:21 PM

OK, the box does not include the low profile AMD 64 low-profile heatsink & fan as i thought or, does it? Did you guys ordered it separately? In any case, i was thinking to do things through my own way of using a passive 1U heatsink and a low-profile (1.5cm ~ 5/8 inch) 80mm silenx fan! However, this combination is just 2mm taller than fitting into the case. :( This means either i have to give up putting a fan right above the CPU heatsink (putting both 80 fans around the middle of the case or, cut the cylindrical screw-wholes through which the motherboard is screwed to the bottom plate so that the board sits lower. The latter solution requires extra modding and trying to find the right cutting tool!

The design has some flaws! The 4-pin motherboard connector is too short and barely reaches its socket on the board (while the 20-pin connector is longer than adequate!). If the board you are planning to use requires a 24-pin PSU socket, you need to buy a 20pin to 24pin adaptor (i have already bought mine!). Both DVD-ROMs i have which are standard laptops ones, are slightly wider than the opening slot on the front side of the case which means i have to cut from ends of the DVD-ROM's door to have it fit! Another problem: the end of the screw that holds the foot beneath the hard drive location scratches the hard drive and i have to cut its tip a little bit!

I don't understand why they did not use a solid metal housing for the power supply? I am not convinced the current protiective plastic cover is a better way do it in particular, because it does not completely cover the internal parts of the power supply!

I would say if the case was slightly taller (say 3mm ~ 1/8 inch) and slightly deeper (say 5mm to 1cm ~ 5/16 inch) it would been much better. With its current height, things such as the memory module (if one wanted to add a fan above that area), board's sockets and the connecting wires are on the way or hard to manage though, not impossible!

Overall, i seem needing more patience to make things work!

Ramin

galileo2000

04-03-06, 09:00 PM

Hey, I am waiting for mine too, and I ordered like 3 weeks ago!!

guess what, it has arrived today!!

It is assembled, up and running already!!

Very happy!!

Review and pictures to follow.

jpadua

04-03-06, 09:39 PM

I'm still waiting for mine too... but I did make sure to include in my order a PCI riser card, the 1U coolermaster cooler and the 12v 4pin Extender cable.

The wait is agonizing :) Especially when I have all my other parts waiting... so I just stare at them the whole day heheh.

jpadua

04-03-06, 09:40 PM

guess what, it has arrived today!!

It is assembled, up and running already!!

Very happy!!

Review and pictures to follow.

Wow!!!! post pics! i am jealous of you guys.. you all have your hiper cases already!!!

galileo2000

04-03-06, 09:48 PM

Pictures will be posted later tonight.

Preliminary results:

With CPU fan at 3629 (very quet, PSU fan is louder than CPU fan):

CPU Idle: 37C, MB 30C.
After one hour of Prime95 torture test max CPU temp is 66C, MB 48C

PGPFan

04-03-06, 11:55 PM

I wonder if not having a case around the power supply will really be that big of a deal. Most CE devices don't encase the supply. I think we've all just become aclimated to normal ATX style supplies that are always enclosed.

Hiper has a long history with pwr supplies so I have to believe that if it were a problem (other than personal preference) they'd include one.

-PGPfan

galileo2000

04-04-06, 12:19 AM

OK, assembly picture 1:

http://img92.imageshack.us/img92/3350/assembly14we.th.jpg (http://img92.imageshack.us/my.php?image=assembly14we.jpg)

assembly picture 2:

http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/6739/assembly22wr.th.jpg (http://img118.imageshack.us/my.php?image=assembly22wr.jpg)

Up and running:

http://img92.imageshack.us/img92/5406/upandrunning4ha.th.jpg (http://img92.imageshack.us/my.php?image=upandrunning4ha.jpg)

Couple of observations:

There is a very good reason for not having metal case around PSU. You need it to be flexible in order to insert the cables into HDD and DVD drive.

LED light is way too bright for the bedroom. I might either disconnect it or put a resistor or something in.

I thought it would be much more difficult than it really was. My dear wife helped me a lot with the assembly.

Noise levels are more than tolerable.

Temperatures are very well within range.

Case is sturdy enough to have 19" LCD on top of it.

Connected to my Wi-Fi 802.11g WDS network with Sling client installed and can be used as a TV at any time :D

BTW, I ended up with the cheap (around $80) 5.1 HT system, Astar HT3300 for the speakers, it is underneath my glorious new Hiper Bedroom HTPC. It also serves as a riser for the monitor.

Let me know if there are questions.

I proclaim this project a total success :D

jpadua

04-04-06, 03:19 AM

Galileo BEAUTIFUL!!!

Darren just emailed me.... my case is on the way... just a few more days! will also post my results with an Athlon 3500+

madpoet

04-04-06, 07:59 AM

Great work! I'm still going back and forth over what parts I want/need. Figure I've got a couple weeks still.

BTW, I also picked up the Astar (2 of them in fact). Pretty decent unit especially for the price. Wish it had an off button on the remote!

galileo2000

04-04-06, 10:29 AM

Thank you guys.

I am sure you'll get your cases soon, and will build your new shiny Hipers succesfully.

Keep us posted.

Initial thought was to put Pentium M and Asus CT-479 into this case, but I could not find HSF for CT-479 that would fit into the case.

Madpoet: can something be done about Astar remote power or should we let it rest in peace? You seem to pick 2 of everything (2 Hiper cases, 2 Astars..) I am sure you have your reasons.

On the side note: My major HTPC and AV redevelopment is almost finished. Will post pictures of my 7 dwarfs (aka desktops) soon.

madpoet

04-04-06, 12:01 PM

galileo2000

04-04-06, 12:29 PM

I only picked 2 in this case because they go into my 2 smaller zones... i.e. a bedroom and a family room. My main theater has a much nicer setup. With CQC I'm centralizing everything in a closet and running 4 RGB6 and 1 Cat6 to the other 2 zones. I've got a matrix'd switch to output the component video and digital audio. The 2 zones then have a small HTIB system (the Astar) and will have a PC (the Hipers) to act as my local control devices and playback from my fileserver.

As for the darn power button, I haven't found anything yet. I'd like to complain, but man for the price it's hard to do ;). So what did you end up with for components?

maybe x10 or something like this will help with the power button?

Anyway, below is my final component list. I am sure I can easily overclock this thing to above 3Ghz but because of thermal issues I probably won't do it.

My final component list:

MB:
Asus P4P800-VM

CPU:
Intel 2.4 Northwood 533FSB.

RAM:
Geil PC3500 Golden Dragon 2x512MB

HDD:
Seagate 300GB 16MB cache

HSF:
Spire 9R272B1H3 RackSper lll All copper heatsink low profile 1U Rackmount
For Socket 478 Cooling + ZALMAN FanMate 2.

Video card:
ATI Radeon 9600 AGP non-SE 128 MB passive heatsink.

DVD:
Toshiba Samsung CD-RW/DVD

19" LCD:
Acer whatshisnumber

USB 802.11g adapter

MCE USB Remote to for basic navigation, sleep and wake up functions. I "might" have to install and use Girder with this for the "full" functionality.

My Grand Total including Hiper case, Acer LCD and Astar HT3300 is $901.

madpoet

04-04-06, 01:15 PM

You need an IR controlled power switch essentially.

raminolta

04-04-06, 01:49 PM

Your temperature achievements are impressively low since i have read in some reviews the system gets warmer than ideal due to the lack of enough air flow inside the case! That's why i decided to mod the case and add fans.

As you have noticed there is no reset button. How do you work around this? Any possibility to use the power switch for resetting as well? Other solution like a mouse gesture or a key on the keyboard to act as the reset button?

Thanks, Ramin

Pictures will be posted later tonight.

Preliminary results:

With CPU fan at 3629 (very quet, PSU fan is louder than CPU fan):

CPU Idle: 37C, MB 30C.
After one hour of Prime95 torture test max CPU temp is 66C, MB 48C

galileo2000

04-04-06, 02:29 PM

Your temperature achievements are impressively low since i have read in some reviews the system gets warmer than ideal due to the lack of enough air flow inside the case! That's why i decided to mod the case and add fans.

As you have noticed there is no reset button. How do you work around this? Any possibility to use the power switch for resetting as well? Other solution like a mouse gesture or a key on the keyboard to act as the reset button?

Thanks, Ramin

Ramin,

What do you need reset button for? If the system appears dead, you can just unplug the power cord. Other than that, you can always make your own reset button from the old case.

madpoet

04-04-06, 07:30 PM

Any suggestions for a low profile heatsink for a P4 2.8c?

raminolta

04-04-06, 08:26 PM

I am sure if you do a a search on Ebay or in Google for '1U heatsink pentium 4', you will find some option. 1U heatsink are normally made of copper only.

I have made all extra holes on the top cover for installing the three fans. I will post pictures here once i finish dieing the top cover!

Ramin

Any suggestions for a low profile heatsink for a P4 2.8c?

galileo2000

04-04-06, 08:38 PM

Currently I have only two fans inside: CPU fan and PSU fan. Aussies did not include case fan, but that's OK.

My goal was to make it cool and quiet, and I am pleased so far.

Arctic Silver 5 is your friend. It should be even better in a week or two.

My Hiper runs ffdshow, and max temps are around 55C. Settings are default so far, I'll work on this later.

madpoet,

I highly recommend my Spire with FanMate 2.

Now, your mATX supports 800FSB (aka Pentium C)? If yes, congratulations. If no, it will be a waste of good CPU.

Also, you don't want Prescott inside this case, trust me on this.

Darren-apc

04-05-06, 01:05 AM

raminolta

04-05-06, 02:31 AM

I wished i hadn't removed the protective cover even though it reduces the reflectivity of the mirror finish! Being so easy to scrach, there are already some scraches though not very visible. I may end up dieing that as well with a shiny black.

Hey guys,

Just a tip: A lot of users don't remove the plastic strip on the bottom there is actually a mirror finish underneath it (the plastic is just a protective cover).

-Darren

raminolta

04-05-06, 02:35 AM

A couple of days ago, i saw one of these cases on Ebay for sale with a psu! The seller had killed the PSU. According to him, when the HTPC was being on without the top cover, he dropped a screw driver down over the PSU. It hit the exposed area of the psu. There was a spark and the psu died!

I wonder if not having a case around the power supply will really be that big of a deal. Most CE devices don't encase the supply. I think we've all just become aclimated to normal ATX style supplies that are always enclosed.

Hiper has a long history with pwr supplies so I have to believe that if it were a problem (other than personal preference) they'd include one.

-PGPfan

madpoet

04-05-06, 07:48 AM

madpoet,

I highly recommend my Spire with FanMate 2.

Now, your mATX supports 800FSB (aka Pentium C)? If yes, congratulations. If no, it will be a waste of good CPU.

Also, you don't want Prescott inside this case, trust me on this.

Right, I've got a nice MATX board that does indeed support 800FSB and dual channel RAM. It's in my cube PC now but I want to migrate it. It's got a 2.8C on it that I had left over. The darn thing doesn't overclock very well without significant heat, so I generally leave it at stock. Not like my 3.0c that I drove EASILY up to 3.7 ;) I've got one of the Zalman circular heatsinks that looks kind of like a copper deathray, but I have a feeling it will be too big.

jpadua

04-05-06, 01:33 PM

Hey guys,

Just a tip: A lot of users don't remove the plastic strip on the bottom there is actually a mirror finish underneath it (the plastic is just a protective cover).

With regards to cooling, i have personally tried the Spire and a fanmate and although it is quiet heating can become an issue so you need to watch out not to turn it down too low. I actually used two fanmates -one for the side fan and one for the spire. But, there is nothing quite like the slimline cooler from hiper which is quiet and cools sufficiently.

Jay - hope you receive your case soon :)

-Darren

Hi Darren! welcome to the Hiper Thread on AVS!

Yeah thanks for helping me get all the stuff I need. I'm sure the hiper cooler for the A64 will be sufficient especially with cool and quiet enabled.

Can't wait for the case to arrive... Darren I hope you didn't mind I was the one who reffered the AVS guys to ArenaPC for the hiper case :)

I'm already excited for the new cases of Hiper when they are available, I will surely get some! also the the Hiper Media Center Keyboards ( I hope they will come in black too) . I am curious to know about the included proprietary VFD.

galileo2000

04-05-06, 02:26 PM

Welcome Darren!!!

Jay, thanks for referring those good people from Australia to us!

..And I am the only one in the entire USA having Hiper HTPC up and running!! (madpoet will be there soon too).

IVB, are you listening? :D

PGPFan

04-05-06, 11:43 PM

A couple of days ago, i saw one of these cases on Ebay for sale with a psu! The seller had killed the PSU. According to him, when the HTPC was being on without the top cover, he dropped a screw driver down over the PSU. It hit the exposed area of the psu. There was a spark and the psu died!

That guy has some bad luck, or no common sense. Still, it should be no big deal without a cover. If you are messing around internally to a PC, you should never have it plugged in in the first place. That was his first mistake.

Regular consumer electronics always have the "No user serviceable parts inside" disclaimer because they all use "naked" power supplies.

-PGPfan

diogen

04-06-06, 12:39 PM

galileo2000,-
how did you like the Master i Margarita movie?
Sorry for the OT question.

Diogen.

galileo2000

04-06-06, 02:11 PM

galileo2000,-
how did you like the Master i Margarita movie?
Sorry for the OT question.

Diogen.

Hey, at least someone recognized it!

I am a big fan of the book. Overall I really like the movie and director's careful approach. Some actors are little bit too old. But overall I've enjoyed it.

diogen

04-06-06, 02:46 PM

Hey, at least someone recognized it!
I am a big fan of the book. Overall I really like the movie and director's careful approach.
Some actors are little bit too old. But overall I've enjoed it.
Same here. Most of the famous quotes were included.
Lavrov as Pontius Pilate wasn't the highlight of this movie, IMHO.

Diogen.

IVB

04-06-06, 10:22 PM

IVB, are you listening? :D

la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la (closing ears and not listening to you - I just bought $1200 in heat/fire/smoke/window/door/motion/glassbreak sensors, an Elk automation panel, and a dedicated HTPC for the cameras so I could rip out ADT and put in whole-house security coverage. I'm cut off for the next 3 months)

galileo2000

04-06-06, 11:15 PM

la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la (closing ears and not listening to you - I just bought $1200 in heat/fire/smoke/window/door/motion/glassbreak sensors, an Elk automation panel, and a dedicated HTPC for the cameras so I could rip out ADT and put in whole-house security coverage. I'm cut off for the next 3 months)

hmm..I was wondering where have you been and why you did not respond to my other thread regarding power switch.

Open your eyes, IVB, and order Hiper! Your wife will like it. Mine did.

Someone called my Hiper a "cheesy box like $30 Chinese DVD player". I think people like him should be banned from the forum ( just kidding).

..and he doesn't even know that all DVD players are chinese those days..

jpadua

04-08-06, 02:58 AM

Ey Raminolta, I thought you were posting some pics of your moded Hiper case! :)

argo-2

04-08-06, 05:46 AM

Hey Hiper Guys, I'm also liking these cases a lot.

jpadua how did you get on with the Zalman vf900 idea (Post#27 of this thread)?

Looks like a great idea if it can be done. I've always been impressed by the Zalman flower HSF design :o

jpadua

04-08-06, 05:52 AM

Actually I dont know how to do this... when I have everything I'll see how the included hiper coolermaster 1u cooler performs.. I'll get a vf900 eventually for my other rig, but I will try to test it on the hiper case as an HSF... I can use the clamp on the stock a64HSF to fit in the VF900 and clamp it down to the CPU then it might work as long as there is good contact.

I'm hoping my case arrives this monday... crossing my fingers!

jpadua

04-08-06, 05:53 AM

oh Argo welcome to AVS!

jpadua

04-08-06, 06:09 AM

argo-2

04-08-06, 06:17 AM

Thanks!

Just found this picture:

w3.pctuning.cz/ilustrace2/stefek/VF900/Zalman_VF900_iso2_big.jpg

(sorry for the "url" - I can't post urls or pictures on AVS yet - w3=the usual three w's)

The HSF base is off-centre, which could be a problem :rolleyes:

galileo2000

04-09-06, 07:23 PM

Update:

I finally opened it up and put in Asus S/PDIF module with optical and coax digital out.
I bought this module long time ago,. I don't know why I bought it but now it is a savior. There is no space for the sound card. I took off the metal part of the module and put PCB inside the case near the HDD and took Toslink cable out.
In other news:
Bottom unit (Astar) has to go. Damn thing does not have digital inputs ( look here: TWO digital inputs ha it has NONE, CC doesn't know the diff between inputs and outputs:
http://www.circuitcity.com/rpsm/oid/140191/originURLEncoded/http%253A%252F%252Fwww.circuitcity.com%252Frpsm%252FcatOid%2 52F-13325%252FN%252F20012866%252B20012884%252B20013325%252Frpem% 252Fccd%252Fcategorylist.do/rpem/ccd/productDetailSpecification.do#tabs.
Samsung HT-P38 is going to replace it (not sure why I need all its features - - Samsung P38 has 5 DVD changer and can play video/audio from the USB stick -- :D but the important part is Samsung HAS Toslink digital input).

Couple of observations:

I have found that in order to run stable system I need to have fan at least at 3700.

Idle now 34-35C.

Still love it.

Stay tuned, new pictures will be posted soon..

madpoet

04-09-06, 07:56 PM

Still waiting for confirmation mine shipped. I'm not quite sure on my components still, but like Galileo I am ditching the Astars.

g808

04-10-06, 10:26 PM

galileo2000

04-10-06, 10:30 PM

I just emailed Areana PC, asking about getting this case shipped to me too. I loved this case when I first saw it awhile ago, but didn't know how to get my hands on one in the US. Thanks for the info guys. Great to see you can successfully build an HTPC with this. I'm looking to use this case to build a couple clients.

hey g808,

welcome to the AVS HTPC forum.

Arena PC are good friends from Australia, can supply us powerless USA citizens with something we want and desire.

I love my Hiper HTPC, hope you'll love yours too.

Arena PC seems to have quite a business from this thread.

Darren, are you listening? :D

galileo2000

04-10-06, 10:44 PM

Right, I've got a nice MATX board that does indeed support 800FSB and dual channel RAM. It's in my cube PC now but I want to migrate it. It's got a 2.8C on it that I had left over. The darn thing doesn't overclock very well without significant heat, so I generally leave it at stock. Not like my 3.0c that I drove EASILY up to 3.7 ;) I've got one of the Zalman circular heatsinks that looks kind of like a copper deathray, but I have a feeling it will be too big.

and what kind of board is this?

My RAM is an overkill for 533FSB. On the other hand slower speeds and room to run might fight heating issues.

It is pretty much a media server now.

Can't wait for my Samsung HTIB to arrive so I can have it in full glory.

raminolta

04-10-06, 11:51 PM

Thanks for the link. I can't remember if i had seen this before however the fan's noise is toomuch more than what i wish to see: 35dbA; even assuming thermaltake is perfectly honest in their claim on the noise level as with their Armor case which i am using to build my workstation, it doess seem noisier than what they claim. The two 80mm & 40mm Silenx fans i am using generate 30CFM airflow together (the same as this Thermaltake HSF) and have less than 15dbA noise level!

Ramin

Hi Ramin, I was just surfung around 1u coolers for opterons and found this

http://www.thermaltake.com/images/coolers/rackmount/1827/a1827.jpg
this is made by thermaltake and uses some reverse fan technique for sucking the heat out of the heatsink rather than blowing air in... seing that the CPU vent on the hiper case is right above the CPU this might be a good Idea. I have not seen reviews of this cooler though but its worth a look I think.

It says on the specs that its for opterons with a 940 socket but looking at the heatsink itself it should be able to fit a socket 939 board as well.

http://www.thermaltake.com/coolers/rackmount/a1827.htm

raminolta

04-11-06, 12:19 AM

Give me 2-3 days and i will post the pictures. Things didn't work smoothly and took a lot of work. I managed to break somethings and had to glue them back to their place. This is not an easy case to work with. I even had to use a grinding machine (for the first time in my life!) to make stuff fit the case! Externally, things are ready now; am waiting for the heatsink only.

Ramin ;p

Ey Raminolta, I thought you were posting some pics of your moded Hiper case! :)

Darren-apc

04-11-06, 12:55 AM

Hi guys,
I am listening :)

Some bad news though - we're all out of stock!

So 2-3 weeks until the next order can be processed..

Paul, if you're in here, your order was the last one :)

There are also talks of an American supplier coming from what i have heard, so that should be great news for you guys.

Believe it or not, overseas orders for us are very time consuming and they may be stopped soon unless you have prior arrangements with us. :( News from the men in black hehe

g808

04-11-06, 01:17 AM

Boooo! I just sent an email to you guys yesterday too. I'd really like to be able to get one when you get more cases in stock unless someone from the U.S. decides to help us poor souls out. Thanks for the info Darren.

jpadua

04-11-06, 01:23 AM

awww, im sure a distributor in the US will be arranged seeing that there is a demand for this case over there.... im even more screwed! im in the philippines!

argo-2

04-11-06, 01:41 AM

Jpadua - I'm feeling your pain from New Zealand too :(

madpoet

04-11-06, 08:19 AM

Darren, glad to hear mine went out! Sorry for those that missed out so far!

IVB

04-11-06, 11:31 AM

I believe there's an arbitrage opportunity here...

(pssst buddy - want a Hiper case?)

madpoet

04-11-06, 12:25 PM

Well I DID order 2 of them... ;)

jpadua

04-12-06, 11:08 AM

how about PCalchemy maybe someone can talk to them to take in hiper cases.

g808

04-12-06, 02:38 PM

how about PCalchemy maybe someone can talk to them to take in hiper cases.
Already emailed them about this, but haven't received a response yet.

gplasky

04-14-06, 10:28 AM

Yes, i noticed but, i don't know why is so and, how to correct it!

Ramin
Because no one will be able to get to your images when you put them on your local C: drive. You need to put those images out on a web server that everyone can get to.

Gerry

argo-2

04-14-06, 06:40 PM

looking forward to seeing those pictures raminolta :D

raminolta

04-15-06, 05:35 PM

Finally, here are the promised pictures! I thought AVSForum uploads pictures from my local drive and stores them on their own server (wrong)! As of now, i could only insert the links even though i opted to insert images. I don't know how to insert thumbnails either.

The system is running now temporarily with an IDE hard drive untill i learn how to install Windows Xp on a SATA drive! I wished i had placed the second fan in another location since in its current position, it is not that effective!

http://www.tagworld.com/raminolta/PictureDetail.aspx?id=a65dac55-2e5d-420c-beaa-d28db625c96e

http://www.tagworld.com/raminolta/PictureDetail.aspx?id=c94ab1d4-b353-41ec-abb8-dc1f6eb198c3

http://www.tagworld.com/raminolta/PictureDetail.aspx?id=a5026199-3c34-4516-b915-b99bd029687e

http://www.tagworld.com/raminolta/PictureDetail.aspx?id=190b34c3-53a7-4253-918d-7c1e6a069ffb

http://www.tagworld.com/raminolta/PictureDetail.aspx?id=7ef5b834-1d01-4159-aa8f-c88143caac05

Ramin

galileo2000

04-15-06, 06:53 PM

Nice job Ramin.

Does having 4 fans in the case make it little too noisy?

Why do you want XP on SATA? Your performance gains will be quite limited for the reasons too many to mention. You are better off properly configuring your swap file and maybe making a special partition for it.

In other news:

I ran Stress test on my Hiper using Divx file and ffdshow settings from the Jeremy Duncan post. After 4 hours max temp was 55C. Well, it is cold in SF those days.

My Samsung HTIB is not here yet. Will post new pictures once it is here and hooked up.

Even my mother was impressed when I showed her my Hiper HTPC.

Best of luck my Hiper friends!!

jpadua

04-15-06, 11:09 PM

nice pics! Is that a 120mm fan on the cpu vent? are you using a passive CPU hsf then using the 120mm fan as exhaust?

raminolta

04-16-06, 01:05 AM

A 1u passive heatsink and the fans are low profile 80mm; Only 15mm thick! Now i wish i had put both fans around the CPU area. Its current location doesn't seem help much.

Ramin

nice pics! Is that a 120mm fan on the cpu vent? are you using a passive CPU hsf then using the 120mm fan as exhaust?

argo-2

04-16-06, 06:41 PM

Interesting fans Ramin, where did you source them from? Being 15mm how is is their airflow/noise?

galileo2000

04-17-06, 08:49 PM

OK, my Samsung HTIB has finally arrived.

Hiper is hooked up.

I am thrilled :D

I put mesh organizer on the top of Hiper for the monitor.

Here is the picture (thumbnail):

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/1727/newhipersamsung3fv.th.jpg (http://img46.imageshack.us/my.php?image=newhipersamsung3fv.jpg)

On the monitor you can see one of my AC3 DVDs. Some time ago I have converted my entire CD library to 5 AC-3 DVDs.

Anyway, I am very happy.
My bedroom rocks! No Viagra needed :D!!

jpadua

04-17-06, 11:26 PM

Galilieo, whats that thing right above the hiper case, under the monitor?

galileo2000

04-17-06, 11:40 PM

Galilieo, whats that thing right above the hiper case, under the monitor?

Mesh organizer. Upside down.
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=13131643&BTSmode=true

Stop laughing already!!

It is something to keep monitor yet allow air flow to the Hiper case.

jpadua

04-18-06, 12:47 AM

hey thats very innovative!

raminolta

04-19-06, 06:53 AM

I checked the SilenX website and found out make these low profile 80mm fans. They also list a numbers of resellers where you can buy these fans. They are not as silent as i thought or, they claimed though!

Ramin

Interesting fans Ramin, where did you source them from? Being 15mm how is is their airflow/noise?

raminolta

04-19-06, 07:05 AM

It is actually much noisier than what i thought! Well the SilenX fans are not up to their specifications, i think! My video projector says it fan noise is 21dbA in quiet mode and i can assure it is even quieter than the Silenx fans.
I am currently using only two of these fans since the fans do not work if direcetly connected to the power supply (they are supposed to work though!).

SATA: well i already have the SATA drive. I admit installing Windows XP on a SATA drive is a pain. hitting F6 during the setup and installing the SATA driver from the motherboard's CD does not work! I could easily install XP on SATA if i had Windows XP with SP2 integrated which i don't.
Right now i am using an IDE hard drive temporarily from my other PC and have managed things on it. My solution is to clone the whole XP from the IDE drive to the SATA drive! I just purchased a Norton GHost for this purpose!

Another trouble: the SATA hard drive when connected to the system, is not has not been recognized in the bios! It is recognized in XP +SP2, though!!! Lots of troubles. Perhaps i should sell these SATA drive and just buy an IDE drive though i don't like admitting the defeat!

Ramin

Nice job Ramin.

Does having 4 fans in the case make it little too noisy?

Why do you want XP on SATA? Your performance gains will be quite limited for the reasons too many to mention. You are better off properly configuring your swap file and maybe making a special partition for it.

Best of luck my Hiper friends!!

madpoet

04-19-06, 07:26 AM

Still waiting on my cases :( Hopefully they come soon.

jpadua

04-19-06, 01:43 PM

waiting on mine too.... its taking a while...

AndreyZH

04-20-06, 01:00 AM

As a fan I really recommend 80mm Arctic Fan 3
http://www.arctic-cooling.com/fans2.php?idx=42

They are really quiet even at full speed. All other fans I had to run at 5V instead of 12V to have a bearable level of noise....

jpadua

04-20-06, 04:18 AM

I finally received my hiper case!!!

argo-2

04-20-06, 06:43 AM

Good news jpadua! Have fun on the install :D

madpoet

04-20-06, 08:42 AM

Great, gives me hope mine will arrive soon :)

galileo2000

04-20-06, 10:33 AM

I finally received my hiper case!!!

glad to hear it, look forward to the review.

jpadua

04-20-06, 03:12 PM

Too bad some items were missing though, already spoke to darren and he's sending the rest today... I have to wait for my Slimline slotload and the P4 Extender cable before I start my build... the case is beautiful!!!!

My case came with the hiper cooler which to my surprise came with an 80mm hiper slim fan and I was expecting a 70mm fan. If only I could find a 120mm slim fan.

I might try building it anyway even without the DVD slimline drive. I'll just mod the P4 extender for the time being.

raminolta

04-20-06, 05:44 PM

If i knew it now comes with an 80mm fan, i would have bought it! I also looked around to find a slim 120mm fan but could not find any! May i know the height of the heatsink and fan each?

Ramin

Too bad some items were missing though, already spoke to darren and he's sending the rest today... I have to wait for my Slimline slotload and the P4 Extender cable before I start my build... the case is beautiful!!!!

My case came with the hiper cooler which to my surprise came with an 80mm hiper slim fan and I was expecting a 70mm fan. If only I could find a 120mm slim fan.

I might try building it anyway even without the DVD slimline drive. I'll just mod the P4 extender for the time being.

galileo2000

04-20-06, 07:51 PM

jpadua

04-20-06, 09:45 PM

My package came with the cooler, because I bought the cooler from them separately :) The hiper case only comes with 1 riser card, laptop to ide converter, 2 rounded ide cables.

The Hiper fan is 80mm x 80mm x 15mm and has 11 blades and a thermal diode. A stock 70mm amd fan has only 9 blades and a regular 80mm fan has only 7 blades. This fan should be interesting. To what I know the more blades the more cfm but quieter performance.. I'll soon find out.

http://www.m2systech.com/slimhtpc/hipercooler.jpg

jpadua

04-20-06, 10:11 PM

I just checked hipers website. The fan happens to be a hiperflow fan (one of hipers products) except this has no LEDs but has a Thermal Diode.

Here are the fan specs:

Dimensions: 80*80*15mm
Rated Voltage: 12VDC
Operating Voltage: 10.2-13.8VDC
Air Flow: 20.37CFM
Input Current: 0.12A(MAX.)
Speed: 2000RPM+-10%
Noise: 17dBA
Operating Temperature: -10℃~+70℃

argo-2

04-21-06, 03:36 AM

Nice info jpadua.

Just wondering about the HSF fan - if it has a thermal diode does this mean it is mounted to suck air up from the HSF (so it can monitor the heatsink temp)? Or is the thermal diode on a "fly-wire" (ie: mount it in CPU heatsink)?

I imagine if the thermal sensor was mounted in the fan, and it was blowing down (sucking cool outside air) it would never "ramp up".

jpadua

04-21-06, 06:51 AM

yup the diode is on the fan... similarly the stock HSF on boxed AMDs have the diode on the same position... i'll try to take a picture of it later...

argo-2

04-21-06, 08:25 AM

If things are still hot in the CPU department, this is an idea I have been looking at (hopefully attached :rolleyes: ).

The heatsinks are two Hiper HSFs, the heatpipes (which can be bent) and heatplates are a mCubed Borg CPU cooler accessory:

http://www.t-balancer.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_38_46&products_id=101

Idea is to use two heatpipes to transfer a portion of the heat to a second HSF.

Obviously there would be some mechanical mods to make this work!

galileo2000

04-21-06, 09:55 AM

raminolta

04-21-06, 10:15 AM

Interesting. Is this supposed to replace the standard heatsink and fan? I find it expensive though.

Right now, i am having temperatures of 35-42C. depending on the CPU load. I am using Acrtic Silver thermal paste which is supposed to improve heat dissipation after about 200 hours of use! The temperature should drop 2-4 more degrees.

Ramin

If things are still hot in the CPU department, this is an idea I have been looking at (hopefully attached :rolleyes: ).

The heatsinks are two Hiper HSFs, the heatpipes (which can be bent) and heatplates are a mCubed Borg CPU cooler accessory:

http://www.t-balancer.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_38_46&products_id=101

Idea is to use two heatpipes to transfer a portion of the heat to a second HSF.

Obviously there would be some mechanical mods to make this work!

argo-2

04-21-06, 07:17 PM

Guys, good questions - to answer:

Ramin:

Interesting. Is this supposed to replace the standard heatsink and fan? I find it expensive though.

Sort of: It is actually two of the standard Hiper/Coolermaster HSFs (for clarity :rolleyes: I did not include the fans in the jpeg) complete with their fans. These HSF are very well priced, so pricing (materials only) would be 2 x US$25 (HSFs) + US$60 (Borg HES) = $110

Right now, i am having temperatures of 35-42C. depending on the CPU load. I am using Acrtic Silver thermal paste which is supposed to improve heat dissipation after about 200 hours of use! The temperature should drop 2-4 more degrees.

Great temps (I certainly would'nt complain about that)! Are you using an underclocked Venice or is the HSF simply efficient? The other big question is how noisy is the HSF fan in normal use? If all is well then mine is an idea without an application :D I eagerly await jpadua's review on the new Hiper supplied HSF with 80mm fan :)

g2000:

Looks good, but if you do this, you won't be able to use any AGP or PCI cards.

I thought there would be just enough clearance for a Tuner card. I have'nt seen a birds-eye photo of the Hiper case with a tuner card installed, but I didn' think the tuner card would go further than the Southbridge IC (nForce 430) as referenced on the Asus CSM mobo?

Still tis a conceptual idea for a very compact case (the reason for our attraction for this case?) :D

galileo2000

04-21-06, 08:19 PM

g2000:

Looks good, but if you do this, you won't be able to use any AGP or PCI cards.
[COLOR=DarkOrange]
I thought there would be just enough clearance for a Tuner card. I have'nt seen a birds-eye photo of the Hiper case with a tuner card installed, but I didn' think the tuner card would go further than the Southbridge IC (nForce 430) as referenced on the Asus CSM mobo?

Still tis a conceptual idea for a very compact case (the reason for our attraction for this case?) :D

On my motherboard, Asus p4p800-vm there is no space at all. Right now my Radeon 9600 AGP sits straight on MB PCI slots, and the is no single mm in between.

Maybe on the different motherboard it will be different.

argo-2

04-21-06, 09:49 PM

argo-2

04-21-06, 09:56 PM

BTW, how do you imbed the attached images into the body of the post (like Jpadua did above)?

jpadua

04-21-06, 10:57 PM

Oh, I uploaded my image to my webserver...
then enclosed the url to the image in [ img ]url[ / url ] (without the spaces)

by the way here's another closeup of the hiper fan... see the heat sensor?

http://www.m2systech.com/slimhtpc/hipersensor.jpg

jpadua

04-21-06, 11:00 PM

the borg is just the heatpipe attachment correct? how will this be incorporated with a heatsink? also looking at the borg attachments plus adding a heatsink will leave no more space for a fan atop the heatsink...

galileo2000

04-21-06, 11:08 PM

Hi G2000, for your setup I imagine it would something like the attached (I remembered you had posted some images over at ImageShack).

The perspective is a bit askew and it would be a real tight fit, but you see the idea.

BTW: If I have misunderstood your post - sorry!

Oops!

It was me, not you! "I" misunderstood your post, never mind. It might work, although I am quite happy with just two fans in my case - CPU and Hiper PSU. As long as I run CPU fan at 3700, it is fine and stable, idle 37C, load never over 65C.

argo-2

04-21-06, 11:23 PM

Hi Jpadua - Ah got it!

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/8413/g2000avssmall7sf.jpg

Um, good question - to answer: The Borg HES (HES: is the extension heatpipe set, not the CPU coupler set) includes heatpipe coupling plates. What I envisage would be to mill out a section of the fins on both the Hiper HSFs (ie: under the fans). The coupling plates are only 10mm high so they would sit under the fan bracket (I think!) without fouling the fan. Cutting the fins on the HSF would not be fun but I have had a lot of success with a Router (the cutter, not the IT comms box :p ) on copper and aluminium (I have half a scratch-built HTPC case in the cupboard). Also in the modding community a guy posted his experiences in milling a finned HSF by filling the HSF fins with water and freezing (the ice supports the fins during machining).

Of course cutting away the fins will reduce the efficiency of the Hiper HSFs, however the energy that the heatpipes would carry away to the 2nd HSF would more than make up for this. So pretty much the heat from the CPU would now be distributed between two Hiper HSFs allowing the two fans to be run slower etc.

BTW: How goes your install?

jpadua

04-22-06, 02:09 AM

I already started building despite not having my DVD drive yet (im just using an externaal drive for the moment. will post pics later!

jpadua

04-22-06, 05:53 AM

Finally took some pics of my build....

All my hardware ready to be assembled (except for the DVDrw)
http://www.m2systech.com/slimhtpc/parts.jpg

Since the P4 connector couldnt reach the socket on my DFI rs482 I had to manually extend the cable. Goodthing I have some soldering skills!
http://www.m2systech.com/slimhtpc/extender.jpg

All the hardware in place ready to start testing
http://www.m2systech.com/slimhtpc/hardware.jpg

By the way if you are using a sata drive you have to use an L-Type connector or else it wont fit. Good thing I had one of these lying around.
http://www.m2systech.com/slimhtpc/sata.jpg

Stress Testing.
http://www.m2systech.com/slimhtpc/testing.jpg

Building it was quite fun although there were some things that were a bit tricky. Getting the motherboard in place was one. The I/O sheild I had to bend so that the board can get into place. Also I had to bend the tail end of my TV card bracket to make it fit. Had to use an L-Type sata cable. The rest fairly easy.

Been running Prime95 for about 3 hours now. While downloading updates and playing a DVD.

So far im maxing 55 deg. on load. Idle temps were jumping between 43-45. This is acceptable for me knowing our limitations on HSF size and Silence. I did notice that even on full load the fan doesnt still kick into full speed.

Idle - Fan RPM 750
Load - Fan RPM 1500
When I cover the exhaust with my palm - Fan RPM 2300

I must say, the HSF is extremely quiet, my external DVD drive and Hard Disk was way louder. At full load you can hear a faint whooshing sound. PSU fan I never even noticed. I'll be fine at 1500rpm on idle if I can get it to work that way. I'm still trying to figure out how to set the fan to full speed on load (2300 rpm). If I can get the fan speed to these vaues, 1500RPM Idle and 2200RPM on Load, I think I may be able to get better results.

One more thing, the Theater550 is the hottest bit in the whole system. Really hot... is that normal? I'm not even recording anything or watching TV? Its so hot I couldnt hold the bracket for more than 5 seconds.

I have C&Q enabled in the bios, but I set the fan speed to full instead of Smart. Any Ideas?

madpoet

04-22-06, 06:46 AM

jpadua

04-22-06, 06:59 AM

The Theater550 may be constantly decoding whether you have it on or not... not sure. Often tuner cards are the hotest component you will have. Still waiting on my pieces. BTW, is there a definitive list of what should be included so that if I'm missing anything I'll know?

Thanks,
MP

Phew! ok at least I have some sort of peace of mind... heheh... its the hottest thing in my system.

My temps are not bad considering the size and silence of the HSF! (really quiet I can barely hear the fan at 750 rpm)

CPU 43 degrees Idle and 55 on load.
My northbridge reports 55 degrees and System Temp is 61-63 (this is really hot)

The standard package for the hiper case is as follows:

Hiper Media Center Case (no power cable included)
2 IDE rounded cables (using black mesh material)
1 Laptop DVD to IDE converter
1 PCI Riser Card (you have to ask for an AGP or PCIE riser if you need them)
1 PCI back plate cover (if you are not using any PCI card)
Bag of Screws for installation
Some cable Ties (I think mine came with 4)

raminolta

04-22-06, 02:00 PM

Now, the CPU temperature of my system is about 32C idle! The system temperature is 30C. I have activated the AMD C&Q mode. I am only using two of the installed fans now.

Part of this low temperature achievement is probably related to using Arctic Silver Thermal Compound 5. From the reviews i have read about it, it is about the best thermal pasted in the market. It is also very easy to apply!

The only problem for me is about installing WIndows XP on a SATA drive! My solution is to clone the installed Windows on the ATA drive to the SATA drive. I have to wait until my Norton Ghost will arrive. Then i iwill move the system to the living room and will connect it to the video projector.

Ramin

jpadua

04-22-06, 02:08 PM

wow it sure helps to have several fans in that case... I'm pretty happy with what I got... I just have to figure out a way to tweak the fan so that it kicks full speed on load.

jpadua

04-23-06, 12:12 AM

I figured it out now... the DFI mobo comes with a utility that checks temps and monitors fans... set my fan speed to full on load... and 50% on idle... now I'm getting 43 idle and its a very hot day! im pretty happy.

By the way this may be off topic, I just need a little help...

This is my first time really setting up MCE.

I already installed the nvidia decoders, but MCE still wont play a DVD. I get no errors, but I just get a black screen. TV is working fine though. I tried re installing nvidia decoders but still have the same result. I have the latest drivers from ATI for my motherboard IGP and TV card...

hmmm any ideas?

madpoet

04-23-06, 12:18 PM

Welll... my cases arrived today. Oh my are these things slim! Need to get a 1U HSF for my 2.8c or there's no way I can get it to run.

jpadua

04-23-06, 05:52 PM

Great Madpoet!!! post pics of your build!

Oh, another off topic question, when I set MCE to autostart (eHome) it's underneath the taskbar.. (not focused) how do I get it to be the first focus?

raminolta

04-25-06, 04:29 PM

Well, this is in AMD C&Q mode where the CPU is automatically downclocked when the high clock speed is not needed. Right now, i am having 33C temperature and clcok speed of 1004MHz! Just as a test, i will soon disable the C&Q mode to check the temperature in the native clock speed. I will let you know of the output. I noticed the temperature also depends on the starting point! If i stay too long in BIOS before booting up the OS, the temperature goes up and becomes stable around 35C in idle, otherwise it becomes stable around 32-33C!

I guess you mean they have modified the Hiper/Coolermaster HSF so that one can use the heatpipes with it? Another way to do things that comes to my mind: the plate that come with the heatpipes sit right on the CPU and the standard HSF then sits on top of that! This way, you won't need to cut the fins of the heatsink!!

Ramin

Guys, good questions - to answer:

Ramin:

Interesting. Is this supposed to replace the standard heatsink and fan? I find it expensive though.

Sort of: It is actually two of the standard Hiper/Coolermaster HSFs (for clarity :rolleyes: I did not include the fans in the jpeg) complete with their fans. These HSF are very well priced, so pricing (materials only) would be 2 x US$25 (HSFs) + US$60 (Borg HES) = $110

Right now, i am having temperatures of 35-42C. depending on the CPU load. I am using Acrtic Silver thermal paste which is supposed to improve heat dissipation after about 200 hours of use! The temperature should drop 2-4 more degrees.

Great temps (I certainly would'nt complain about that)! Are you using an underclocked Venice or is the HSF simply efficient? The other big question is how noisy is the HSF fan in normal use? If all is well then mine is an idea without an application :D I eagerly await jpadua's review on the new Hiper supplied HSF with 80mm fan :)

g2000:

Looks good, but if you do this, you won't be able to use any AGP or PCI cards.

I thought there would be just enough clearance for a Tuner card. I have'nt seen a birds-eye photo of the Hiper case with a tuner card installed, but I didn' think the tuner card would go further than the Southbridge IC (nForce 430) as referenced on the Asus CSM mobo?

Still tis a conceptual idea for a very compact case (the reason for our attraction for this case?) :D

argo-2

04-26-06, 03:44 AM

Nice info, will be interesting to see temps without C&Q. I am not to suprised about the higher temps in BIOS - I remember reading that counter-intuitively the CPU load is very high (close to 100% ?) while running from BIOS (certainly C&Q will not be active).

I also thought of having the plate under the Hiper HSF. Main prob with this is I expect the heat conductivity through both sides of the plate will be relatively poor (small surface area, extra material interfaces, etc). I can now test this scenario as I finished my CPU Heat Simulator yesterday. I've posted a photo below, with a Thermaltake HSF in "test mode"

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/8595/cpusimtthsf9ia.jpg

Also I am not sure if there is enough case height to allow the Hiper HSF to be raised ~10mm?

Well, this is in AMD C&Q mode where the CPU is automatically downclocked when the high clock speed is not needed. Right now, i am having 33C temperature and clcok speed of 1004MHz! Just as a test, i will soon disable the C&Q mode to check the temperature in the native clock speed. I will let you know of the output. I noticed the temperature also depends on the starting point! If i stay too long in BIOS before booting up the OS, the temperature goes up and becomes stable around 35C in idle, otherwise it becomes stable around 32-33C!

I guess you mean they have modified the Hiper/Coolermaster HSF so that one can use the heatpipes with it? Another way to do things that comes to my mind: the plate that come with the heatpipes sit right on the CPU and the standard HSF then sits on top of that! This way, you won't need to cut the fins of the heatsink!!

Ramin

raminolta

05-04-06, 06:28 PM

Hi,
Have you received the newly designed Hiper Slim Cases?

May i have an estimation on the shipping cost to Canada, Montreal, H3W 2W3?

Thanks, Ramin

Hi guys,
I am listening :)

Some bad news though - we're all out of stock!

So 2-3 weeks until the next order can be processed..

Paul, if you're in here, your order was the last one :)

There are also talks of an American supplier coming from what i have heard, so that should be great news for you guys.

Believe it or not, overseas orders for us are very time consuming and they may be stopped soon unless you have prior arrangements with us. :( News from the men in black hehe

tipsen

05-05-06, 12:52 PM

Hi

Have you received the newly designed Hiper Slim Cases?

May i have an estimation on the shipping cost to Canada, Montreal, H3W 2W3?

I'm new to this forum but have eagerly read all the stuff about the Hiper Case and am now sure that this is what I want :-) Thanks for all the informative posts and pictures about the subject!

Unfortunately I also really like the newly designed Hiper Slim Cases introduced at Cebit and a couple of days ago I wrote Hiper Group about availability of the Case but haven't received an answer yet!

I also have given quite some thought to the peripherals I need to put in the Case and have come up with the following:

Motherboard: DFI RS482 INFINITY
At first I chose the Asus A8N-VM CSM but unfortunately this Mobo doesn't have integrated S/PDIF and S-VHS - these options are available but I need to buy extra brackets which I don't have room for in the Hiper Case! My intention is to use a TV-tuner card (Hauppauge 150MCE) and this leaves no room for other cards as far as I can tell. This means my mobo needs to come with everything integrated: S-VHS - because I need to connect my present old-fashioned Philips TV. DVI - because I would like this option when upgrading my TV within the next couple of years. S/PDIF (Coaxial or TosLink) since I need to connect the box digitally with my surround receiver. Furthermore I would like Firewire, USB2 and Gigabit LAN. Any Mobos meeting these requirements except for the DFI RS482 mentioned above?

TV-Tuner: Hauppauge 150 MCE
This hopefully works flawlessly with MS Media Center 2005 but I have no idea of the amount of heat generated by the card?

Hard Drive: Samsung SpinPoint P120 SP2504C 250 GB
This seems to be a good and cheap compromise between quiet and fast and it's S-ATA.

DVD: NEC MultiSpin ND-6750 SlimWriter
This seems like a good choice for the original/old Hiper Case but I can't tell whether the new case need some kind of slot-in drive? I haven't however been able to find such a drive (DVD-burner) anywhere!?

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3500+ (ADA3500DAA4BW)
This is kind of difficult for me to choose since there are several versions of this CPU but I think I found one of the new ones? Furthermore I would like to know if it's advisable to clock the processor down in order to prevent it from running to hot or is this not going to be an issue?

Memory:
2x512Mb or 2x1Gb DDR Kingston ValueRAM - My guess is the memory isn't that important and I think 2x512Mb would be ok for now but maybe 2x1Gb would be recommended when upgrading to "MCE Vista" sometime in the future?

CPU Cooler:
I haven't yet decided but some of the low-profile coolers available to me here in Denmark are Cooler Master, CoolJag and Thermaltake - any recommendations here? (Noise is a serious issue to me and something I will pay quite a lot to avoid!)

Remote control / Keyboard / Mouse:
I'm really confused in this area - perhaps because I haven't devoted so much time in this field yet... I would like the option to control most of the necessary stuff with a good looking remote control - perhaps one which can also substitute the rest of my remotes - considered the (Logitech) Harmony 885 (880 in the US) but have no idea how well it does with MCE? I guess it would be naive to think that I can avoid buying a new keyboard - I would really like something really simple, good looking and with a small footprint/size - perhaps brushed aluminum without the numerical keyboard but maybe with a few essential media buttons like Play/Stop/Pause etc.

General questions:
- Should I wait until the new VIIV platform from Intel - new MBs and CPUs perfectly suited for the HTPC "platform" or is it just marketing hype?
- Will the Hiper Case come with built-in IR and what are the requirements for me to be able to power on/off the system using the remote?
- Any ideas how to build in wireless lan into the case - is the only feasible way to buy an 802.11g usb2 network card and connect it externally or any smart solutions out there?

I'm looking forward to your comments and answers and will be following this thread in the months to come - hopefully within the next 1-2 months I will be able to post something about my experience with the new eagerly expected Hiper Media Center Case :-)

Regards, Tommy Ipsen, Denmark

raminolta

05-05-06, 05:10 PM

1-I personally prefer 3700+ over 3500+ since it's got better specifications (cash).

2- The effective hight inside the case is 48mm. You may need to pay attention to this before deciding on a HSF! Also, i found out Akasa makes a low profile HSF for AMD which pretty fit into the case without leaving much space above the fan! If i know before, i would have bought it and then maybe changing the fan if it was aloud.

3- I have tried ASUS A8N-VM CSM with three different SATA II hard drives (from Maxtor and Seagate) and none are detected in Bios or bootable! I am now going to try a Western Digigtal Raptor 10000RPM SATA I hard drive in the hope it works with this board! Problem may be partially due to the low power specifiaction of the integrated power supply that can not supply SATA II drives sufficient power
for the start-up time (when the hard drive's power consumption has a pick).

This is apparently a problem of SATA II drives of which i hadn't been aware before!

4- You probably need a SATA cable with a right angle connector on one side since there is not enough space between the power supply and back of the drive! I managed to break the connector on one of my SATA hard drives because of the difficulty in relaxing the pressure on the SATA connection.

5- You can either mod the back of the case to accomodate the needed PCI brakcets or, just leave them inside the case as some have done.

6- You can use a wireless ethernet adapter /bridge.

Adavantages over a USB device:
- Does not need any software/driver installed on your HTPC hence, does not consume your PC resources: CPU, memory, power not needed. In particular since the PSU in the Hiper Slim case is only 200watts, this sounds a better option. Moreover, these devices are OS independent since they are hardware-based (no driver required). You can use them in any operating system such Linux or future Vista. They are always bug-free since no driver/software are needed.

I have several of them from OTC, Asus, D-link, and recently added one from SMC. The OTC and Asus ones are bridge, access points while the SMC and D-Link can also be used as routers too. They are quite small and portable if you wanted to take them around! The best of these is OTC which has a stronger 2dBi antenna. One from Senao has a very strong antenna of 4dBi.

Good luck with this case. It looks greats. I only wished i had done things differently if i knew of some upcoming problems. Otherwise, a beautifully compact case, it is!

Ramin

Hi

I'm new to this forum but have eagerly read all the stuff about the Hiper Case and am now sure that this is what I want :-) Thanks for all the informative posts and pictures about the subject!

Unfortunately I also really like the newly designed Hiper Slim Cases introduced at Cebit and a couple of days ago I wrote Hiper Group about availability of the Case but haven't received an answer yet!

I also have given quite some thought to the peripherals I need to put in the Case and have come up with the following:

Motherboard: DFI RS482 INFINITY
At first I chose the Asus A8N-VM CSM but unfortunately this Mobo doesn't have integrated S/PDIF and S-VHS - these options are available but I need to buy extra brackets which I don't have room for in the Hiper Case! My intention is to use a TV-tuner card (Hauppauge 150MCE) and this leaves no room for other cards as far as I can tell. This means my mobo needs to come with everything integrated: S-VHS - because I need to connect my present old-fashioned Philips TV. DVI - because I would like this option when upgrading my TV within the next couple of years. S/PDIF (Coaxial or TosLink) since I need to connect the box digitally with my surround receiver. Furthermore I would like Firewire, USB2 and Gigabit LAN. Any Mobos meeting these requirements except for the DFI RS482 mentioned above?

TV-Tuner: Hauppauge 150 MCE
This hopefully works flawlessly with MS Media Center 2005 but I have no idea of the amount of heat generated by the card?

Hard Drive: Samsung SpinPoint P120 SP2504C 250 GB
This seems to be a good and cheap compromise between quiet and fast and it's S-ATA.

DVD: NEC MultiSpin ND-6750 SlimWriter
This seems like a good choice for the original/old Hiper Case but I can't tell whether the new case need some kind of slot-in drive? I haven't however been able to find such a drive (DVD-burner) anywhere!?

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3500+ (ADA3500DAA4BW)
This is kind of difficult for me to choose since there are several versions of this CPU but I think I found one of the new ones? Furthermore I would like to know if it's advisable to clock the processor down in order to prevent it from running to hot or is this not going to be an issue?

Memory:
2x512Mb or 2x1Gb DDR Kingston ValueRAM - My guess is the memory isn't that important and I think 2x512Mb would be ok for now but maybe 2x1Gb would be recommended when upgrading to "MCE Vista" sometime in the future?

CPU Cooler:
I haven't yet decided but some of the low-profile coolers available to me here in Denmark are Cooler Master, CoolJag and Thermaltake - any recommendations here? (Noise is a serious issue to me and something I will pay quite a lot to avoid!)

Remote control / Keyboard / Mouse:
I'm really confused in this area - perhaps because I haven't devoted so much time in this field yet... I would like the option to control most of the necessary stuff with a good looking remote control - perhaps one which can also substitute the rest of my remotes - considered the (Logitech) Harmony 885 (880 in the US) but have no idea how well it does with MCE? I guess it would be naive to think that I can avoid buying a new keyboard - I would really like something really simple, good looking and with a small footprint/size - perhaps brushed aluminum without the numerical keyboard but maybe with a few essential media buttons like Play/Stop/Pause etc.

General questions:
- Should I wait until the new VIIV platform from Intel - new MBs and CPUs perfectly suited for the HTPC "platform" or is it just marketing hype?
- Will the Hiper Case come with built-in IR and what are the requirements for me to be able to power on/off the system using the remote?
- Any ideas how to build in wireless lan into the case - is the only feasible way to buy an 802.11g usb2 network card and connect it externally or any smart solutions out there?

I'm looking forward to your comments and answers and will be following this thread in the months to come - hopefully within the next 1-2 months I will be able to post something about my experience with the new eagerly expected Hiper Media Center Case :-)

Regards, Tommy Ipsen, Denmark

jpadua

05-05-06, 10:55 PM

Motherboard: DFI RS482 INFINITY
At first I chose the Asus A8N-VM CSM but unfortunately this Mobo doesn't have integrated S/PDIF and S-VHS - these options are available but I need to buy extra brackets which I don't have room for in the Hiper Case! My intention is to use a TV-tuner card (Hauppauge 150MCE) and this leaves no room for other cards as far as I can tell. This means my mobo needs to come with everything integrated: S-VHS - because I need to connect my present old-fashioned Philips TV. DVI - because I would like this option when upgrading my TV within the next couple of years. S/PDIF (Coaxial or TosLink) since I need to connect the box digitally with my surround receiver. Furthermore I would like Firewire, USB2 and Gigabit LAN. Any Mobos meeting these requirements except for the DFI RS482 mentioned above?

DVD: NEC MultiSpin ND-6750 SlimWriter
This seems like a good choice for the original/old Hiper Case but I can't tell whether the new case need some kind of slot-in drive? I haven't however been able to find such a drive (DVD-burner) anywhere!?

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3500+ (ADA3500DAA4BW)
This is kind of difficult for me to choose since there are several versions of this CPU but I think I found one of the new ones? Furthermore I would like to know if it's advisable to clock the processor down in order to prevent it from running to hot or is this not going to be an issue?

Memory:
2x512Mb or 2x1Gb DDR Kingston ValueRAM - My guess is the memory isn't that important and I think 2x512Mb would be ok for now but maybe 2x1Gb would be recommended when upgrading to "MCE Vista" sometime in the future?

CPU Cooler:
I haven't yet decided but some of the low-profile coolers available to me here in Denmark are Cooler Master, CoolJag and Thermaltake - any recommendations here? (Noise is a serious issue to me and something I will pay quite a lot to avoid!)

General questions:
- Should I wait until the new VIIV platform from Intel - new MBs and CPUs perfectly suited for the HTPC "platform" or is it just marketing hype?
- Will the Hiper Case come with built-in IR and what are the requirements for me to be able to power on/off the system using the remote?
- Any ideas how to build in wireless lan into the case - is the only feasible way to buy an 802.11g usb2 network card and connect it externally or any smart solutions out there?

I'm looking forward to your comments and answers and will be following this thread in the months to come - hopefully within the next 1-2 months I will be able to post something about my experience with the new eagerly expected Hiper Media Center Case :-)

Regards, Tommy Ipsen, Denmark

Hi we've got another Hiper Case Convert here!

Motherboard:
I also decided on the RS482 Infinity. Its a really good motherboard. All the connections available is really the main attraction. Also if you are interested in using S-video and HDTV component video, Ati has a better encoder in my opinion over these types of connections. Ive been running 1080 TS files and WMVHD and DivXHD and havent reached 100% cpu yet. So far the only problem I have is with H.264 (100% CPU) but I think its decoder problem, I believe with the AVC decoder you'll get good H.264 decoding. The northbridge gets a little hot, but that can be remedied by replacing the heatsink with an active NB heatsink. There are 3 fan connectors on the board so you shouldnt have a problem. Also going to standby is really fast about 2 seconds. I can get it out of standby with the MCE remote. I just set the usb power jumper to 5v to allow S3 wakeup from USB devices.

One problem I have so far is that I get intermittent audio dropouts using spdif, but rarely. I can be watching for hours without a dropout then it happens. I'm guessing it could be my optical cable but I'm still trying to figure it out. It hasnt been much of a bother just an inconvenience at the moment.

DVD:
There are only a few that I know of. The one im using now is a Pioneer DVDRW slot loading drive. Another drive I found with good reviews is the Panasonic Slimline Slotload (you can check it out in mini-itx.com)

CPU:
No need to underclock manually. Just install the A64 driver and enable Cool and Quiet and you're all set. I'm using an A64 3500+ and most of the time it runs underclocked. Only when power is needed thats the only time it goes full bore. I did not notice any performance decrease at all. Cool and Quiet really works well in the background and you dont notice it at all.

Memory:
2x512 is sufficient for vista, but 2x1GB would be better. With MCE05 2x256 is sufficient.

Cooler:
Ask about the hiper slim cooler (specially designed for the hiper case) I'm really surprised about it actually. Its really quiet and cools adequately for me. Best of all its extremely quiet.

General questions:
- Should I wait until the new VIIV platform from Intel - new MBs and CPUs perfectly suited for the HTPC "platform" or is it just marketing hype?

Hmm this is still far from being a standard... if you want to wait a few more years. I think its just marketing hype just like centrino. A centrino is basically an intel pc with certain hardware component requirements, same with VIIV.

- Will the Hiper Case come with built-in IR and what are the requirements for me to be able to power on/off the system using the remote?

Looking at the new cases, it looks like it comes with an internal VFD. I was also informed that the new cases will come with a mce compatible remote so it might be safe to assume that it might have an internal IR sensor. I think its possible.

- Any ideas how to build in wireless lan into the case - is the only feasible way to buy an 802.11g usb2 network card and connect it externally or any smart solutions out there?

One thing you can do is get a USB header to Female USB connector. Use a USB wifi adaptor (the small ones that look like flash drives) and affix it into the front side of the case internals using double stick tape or something like that.

argo-2

05-06-06, 05:44 AM

Hi tipsen - welcome!

Here's my 5 Krone worth :) Afraid its a bit academic as I am waiting for the new Hiper case b4 starting out on my project. A hacked TiVo is my PVR at the moment (which is simple but pretty good!).

Motherboard: the DFI you list seems like a good choice, there are a lot of people using this board for their HTPC! I anticipate however that I will use the Asus CSM and the new nVidia DualTV tuner - seems like good match with drivers, codec, etc being mostly all from nVidia. I will modd the S-Video & SPDIF connections into the Hiper case itself.

Tuner: I want a dual tuner and unfortunatly the Hauppauge PVR-500 has quite a number of forum reports detailing manufacturing (?) problems. Also as above I like the idea of "matching" tuner to mobo chipset/video.

Keyboard/Remote/IR Blaster: All MCE I guess. Maybe one day the Hiper Group will do like other OEMs & bundle the case and these items together? I need the IR Blaster to change channel on my Cable TV decoder-box (I beleive MCE offers this as a pair of IR transmitters - allowing the use of 2 STBs). Also, you may have seen on their website that Hiper will soon offer a media k'brd & mouse.

HDD: Samsung & Seagate both report out as good quiet drives.

VIIV: Sounds like hype to me, but something may come of it. I wouldn't let it hold up your project though!

Wireless Lan: A simple solution is a Wireless Ethernet (Gaming) Adapter. This is used for Xboxs etc to make a tranparent RJ45 wireless connection. I use the D-Link DWL G-810 with my TiVo and it works flawlessly (once I had updated its firmware!).

Cheers

raminolta

05-06-06, 01:04 PM

Last night i updated the Bios to the latest revision (released just three days ago) and now my problem with SATA II hard drives has been resolved. :D

Ramin

raminolta

05-06-06, 01:07 PM

Does anyone knows how i can uninstall some Windows components such as Messenger and Oulook Express?

Thanks, Ramin

argo-2

05-08-06, 02:36 AM

This maybe overkill, but it would sure make it simple:

http://www.litepc.com/xplite.html

tipsen

05-08-06, 06:28 AM

Hi Ramin

1-I personally prefer 3700+ over 3500+ since it's got better specifications (cash).

Here in Denmark the 3700+ is substantially more expensive than the 3500+ but that might of course change in the next couple of months!

2- The effective hight inside the case is 48mm. You may need to pay attention to this before deciding on a HSF! Also, i found out Akasa makes a low profile HSF for AMD which pretty fit into the case without leaving much space above the fan! If i know before, i would have bought it and then maybe changing the fan if it was aloud.

I'm aware of this issue - I was wondering if a real tight fit could cause extra noise due to the fans rotating to close to the ventilation holes in the case - causing turbulence or something like that?

...[CUT]... This is apparently a problem of SATA II drives of which i hadn't been aware before!

Nice to know - if I run into the problem I will have an idea how to solve it!

4- You probably need a SATA cable with a right angle connector on one side since there is not enough space between the power supply and back of the drive! I managed to break the connector on one of my SATA hard drives because of the difficulty in relaxing the pressure on the SATA connection.

I read that in one of your earlier posts - really nice to know since I didn't even know they made different SATA connectors!

5- You can either mod the back of the case to accomodate the needed PCI brakcets or, just leave them inside the case as some have done.

A friend of mine also suggested this - I think I'll keep an eye out for the mobo's and then determine if it's worth the effort changing from the DFI mobo I've initially picked.

Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions!

Regards, Tommy

tipsen

05-08-06, 06:46 AM

Hi we've got another Hiper Case Convert here!We sure do - however I'm not really a "Convert" since I haven't been into other cases before this ;-)
Motherboard:
I also decided on the RS482 Infinity. Its a really good motherboard. All the connections available is really the main attraction. Also if you are interested in using S-video and HDTV component video, Ati has a better encoder in my opinion over these types of connections. Ive been running 1080 TS files and WMVHD and DivXHD and havent reached 100% cpu yet. So far the only problem I have is with H.264 (100% CPU) but I think its decoder problem, I believe with the AVC decoder you'll get good H.264 decoding. The northbridge gets a little hot, but that can be remedied by replacing the heatsink with an active NB heatsink. There are 3 fan connectors on the board so you shouldnt have a problem. Also going to standby is really fast about 2 seconds. I can get it out of standby with the MCE remote. I just set the usb power jumper to 5v to allow S3 wakeup from USB devices.This sounds really good and promissing - I think I'll stick with this choice for the time being!

DVD:
There are only a few that I know of. The one im using now is a Pioneer DVDRW slot loading drive. Another drive I found with good reviews is the Panasonic Slimline Slotload (you can check it out in **BEEP**)I haven't been able to locate neither the Pioneer nor the Panasonic drive here in Denmark but I've found a Sony Slimline Slot-in drive (DWQ78A13) which should also do the trick!

CPU:
No need to underclock manually. Just install the A64 driver and enable Cool and Quiet and you're all set. I'm using an A64 3500+ and most of the time it runs underclocked. Only when power is needed thats the only time it goes full bore. I did not notice any performance decrease at all. Cool and Quiet really works well in the background and you dont notice it at all.What are the HW requirements to use C'n'Q? I've tried using it on a PC built for my father but it didn't seem to work and I gave up before solving the problem :-/

Cooler:
Ask about the hiper slim cooler (specially designed for the hiper case) I'm really surprised about it actually. Its really quiet and cools adequately for me. Best of all its extremely quiet.This sounds good - "extremely quiet" is exactly what I want :-)

- Will the Hiper Case come with built-in IR and what are the requirements for me to be able to power on/off the system using the remote?Looking at the new cases, it looks like it comes with an internal VFD. I was also informed that the new cases will come with a mce compatible remote so it might be safe to assume that it might have an internal IR sensor. I think its possible.I read the Hiper catalogue from Cebit and according to this the case should come with optional Wi-Fi, RF, Bluetooth, IR, VFD and Card-reader - this sounds really promissing!

Thanks for your comments and suggestions!

Cheers, Tommy

tipsen

05-08-06, 07:00 AM

Hi

As written in an earlier post I recently emailed Hiper Group enquiring about the Media Center Case presented at Cebit earlier this year.

Today I received the following reply:

The new media case is for OEM customer and won't be in our retail package. Due to NDA we do not reveal who our OEM customer is.

As far as I can tell there were two new cases at Cebit - the question is whether both of these will be for OEM - and also what this means regarding availability for end consumers? Does anyone have any experience with the OEM market and could tell what this most likely means to us Hiper Fanatics?

Regards, Tommy

jpadua

05-08-06, 01:53 PM

Hi Tipsen,

check out this link
http://www.hipergroup.com/newsletter/20060305/newsletter20060305_eng.htm

supposedly on their newsletter it says that they will be releasing these cases soon... but is it for OEM? I hope we find out who... I love this design.

For C&Q to work it has to be supported by your motherboard first. Check the bios if you can find anything that says Cool and Quiet. There should be an option to set to Auto or Disable. Set it to Auto. Then you have to install the AMD64 driver which can be downloaded in the download section of www.amd.com. After installing the driver go to the control panel of windows then power options. Set the scheme to "minimal power management" this will turn on Cool and Quiet.

I'm not entirely sure why they did not document it, but I did find out by reading the DFI RS482 manual.

About the DFI board. Ive tested it using s-video and component already and it works really well. DVD looks great even on s-video moreso on component using 720p. Ive also tried 1080i and it works well too. The only connection I havent tried yet is DVI. So far I managed to play anything I throw at it. WMV-HD and H.264 and I dont hit 100% im topping at 60% CPUeven better with TS files since mpeg2 is hardware accelerated (I'm using the K-lite codec pack which has the coreAVC decoder beta) so far so good. I believe the X300 GPU is well capable for video. Have not tried any gaming since I know its probably gonna suck but I will try some games. Report back in a bit. I'll install Colin mcrae 4 and tombraider legend let you guys know how it fares :)

jpadua

05-08-06, 02:28 PM

ok I just tested colin mc rae 4 and it plays decently at 800x600, 1024x768 is playable but not a smooth. It looks great on an sdtv though and looks better than a PS2 :)

tipsen

05-09-06, 12:57 PM

check out this link
**BEEP** (Not allowed to post nor quote links yet!)

supposedly on their newsletter it says that they will be releasing these cases soon... but is it for OEM? I hope we find out who... I love this design.
I'm aware of the newsletter and I sincerely hope you're right but the reply I quoted was directly from Hiper Group and I think they could reconsider the DIY market in favour of the OEM market if the offer was right - ie. someone like Fujitsu-Siemens buying 10.000 cases or something like that! [Pure speculation!]

Also thanks for your comments about the DFI board - I've settled for that solution now!

Cheers, Tommy

raminolta

05-10-06, 12:11 AM

It's quite interesting and, not expensive at all. I will give it a try for sure as it can remove so many things off Windows. I only wish I could know what other components of Windows XP are unnecessary and remove them. I don't want to remove important or useful components though. I heard one can even remove Internet Explorer. I thought the Windows file browser is integrated with IE. So if IE is removed, how can one do local file browsing? (for internet browsing i either use Firefox or Opera.)

Ramin

This maybe overkill, but it would sure make it simple:

http://www.litepc.com/xplite.html

argo-2

05-10-06, 05:15 AM

Experimentation would give the answers - Symantec Ghost would be your friend! I don't think removing IE would be to much of a problem as it would be suprising if IE roots went that deep. Also a search of the XPLite database doesn't return any file viewing problems (other 'issues' but not that).

It's quite interesting and, not expensive at all. I will give it a try for sure as it can remove so many things off Windows. I only wish I could know what other components of Windows XP are unnecessary and remove them. I don't want to remove important or useful components though. I heard one can even remove Internet Explorer. I thought the Windows file browser is integrated with IE. So if IE is removed, how can one do local file browsing? (for internet browsing i either use Firefox or Opera.)

Ramin

madpoet

05-10-06, 07:38 AM

Still working on assembling the components for mine... slow going. I'm struggling with finding a 1U heatsink for a P4 that won't sound like a train whistle. I may have to give up and get a new mb/proc combo. I'm thinking of selling my second case since I'm having so much trouble populating the first ;).

JuMz

05-10-06, 10:30 AM

I'm thinking of selling my second case since I'm having so much trouble populating the first ;).

Hey Guys,

I have been following this thread for a weeks now and am very impressed with the success many of you have had with the Hiper Case. I first heard about the case months ago on a review at Toms Hardware but immediately dismissed it due to lack of availability (in Canada too). If you are serious about selling this case and are willing to ship to Canada, I would be glad to take it!

jpadua

05-10-06, 12:20 PM

The hiper case was originally designed for athlon64 systems, If you are lucky enought to find P4 parts that works well with the case then great! Galileo's system is a P4 and it seems to be doing well.

raminolta

05-10-06, 02:16 PM

I just did a google search and found there are many 1U passive heatsinks forn Pentium 4 in the market. They are usually of 25mm height. Then you can buy two low-profile 70mm or 60mm fans of 10mm height and attach them to the top cover right above the heatsink. The area above the CPU has already holes for air passing. You only need to make 4 holes for each fan so that you can screw the fan to the top cover.

The good thing about this method is that you can choose your favorite fan brand: Silenx, Panaflo, Vantec, coolermaster or any other comopany that make low-profile fans.

I have done this for a AMD 64 system and can't be happier with the solution. I had my mistakes on the way that i wouldn't repeat if i was to redo things such as trying to grind the top of the heatsink fins make to shorten its height!

Ramin

Still working on assembling the components for mine... slow going. I'm struggling with finding a 1U heatsink for a P4 that won't sound like a train whistle. I may have to give up and get a new mb/proc combo. I'm thinking of selling my second case since I'm having so much trouble populating the first ;).

madpoet

05-10-06, 02:19 PM

Interesting idea... so the fan is external? Wouldn't have thought of that.

JuMz

05-10-06, 03:45 PM

raminolta

05-10-06, 04:05 PM

madpoet

05-10-06, 05:27 PM

Well I wondered ;)

argo-2

05-10-06, 09:08 PM

No, it is internal! (You wouldn't want an external fan, would you?). It is just not attached to the heatsink but, to the top cover of the case! Look at the photos i linked in one of my earlier posts. Then you will see how it works.
Ramin
If you want to avoid drilling holes in your case-top, I have had good success (ie they did not fall off with two years use) using silicone adhesive to glue fans to panels, etc.

BTW - has anyone heard anything more about the new Hiper cases, since Tipsen's post?

argo-2

05-10-06, 09:13 PM

Hey Guys,

I am thinking of using this motherboard in my Hiper Case. By observation, does anyone see any potential problems?

Aopen i945GTm-VHL (http://global.aopen.com.tw/products/mb/i945GTm-VHL.htm)

Hi JuMZ

If that browny/yellow thing is the CPU socket, I don't think it will be under the Heatsink case-top holes! Which would be exactly the problem the Den Guru guy had when he tried to build a Hiper HTPC with an Aopen board (it overheated!).

jpadua

05-10-06, 10:15 PM

using an A64 System, had no problems from the get go! especially with Cool and Quiet enabled. I am very happy with my hiper system!

raminolta

05-11-06, 09:17 PM

I did a google search for Silicone adhesive fan and so far no luck. Where have you purchased these fan mounts?

I assume i can just buy Silicone fan mounts and use glue to attach them to the ceiling. But i have not found any silicone mounts so far!

Thanks, Ramin

If you want to avoid drilling holes in your case-top, I have had good success (ie they did not fall off with two years use) using silicone adhesive to glue fans to panels, etc.

BTW - has anyone heard anything more about the new Hiper cases, since Tipsen's post?

argo-2

05-12-06, 12:26 AM

:) To Hi-Tech my friend. I just went to my local hardware store and bought a tube of silicone adhesive.

I then ran a small bead (thick silicone beads nicely - like toothpaste) around the circumference of the fan-face and pressed it onto the panel. If you use the right pressure (ie not to much) the fan is actually then mechanically de-coupled from the case (the thickness of the bead). Support the fan (or invert) until the silicone sets.

JuMz

05-15-06, 10:57 AM

Hi JuMZ

If that browny/yellow thing is the CPU socket, I don't think it will be under the Heatsink case-top holes! Which would be exactly the problem the Den Guru guy had when he tried to build a Hiper HTPC with an Aopen board (it overheated!).

Thanks for the input. I am going to look further into that to see if it will cause a problem.

PGPFan

05-21-06, 12:02 AM

Has anybody heard any updates on the 'new' Hiper cases? Are they OEM only :mad: ? What has anybody heard?

-PGPfan

tipsen

05-23-06, 10:57 AM

Has anybody heard any updates on the 'new' Hiper cases? Are they OEM only :mad: ? What has anybody heard?
I haven't heard anything since my last post regarding the new cases - I even wrote Hiper Group regarding some more questions but so far they haven't answered my email!

I've been looking for the new case but haven't found it anywhere yet... - hopefully something will happen soon since this is only component I'm missing in my theoretical HTPC setup!

Cheers, Tommy

argo-2

05-25-06, 02:59 PM

Hi Guys - I have heard the new case is still a few weeks away. Don't how 'available' it will be though!

PGPFan

05-25-06, 06:13 PM

Hi argo-2,

I'm curious where you got your info from. Would you mind telling us? A couple/few weeks isn't too bad. Now if only they will forgoe the stupid 'OEM' rumor and just release the darn thing to those who 'REALLY' want it...

I heard from Arena-PC that it is believed that Newegg will carry the new case once available, but that is speculation at the moment.

-PGPfan

ZenerDiode

05-25-06, 06:32 PM

If anybody from hiper is reading...release it now! That new case is the most beautiful case I've seen...easily surpassing anything from Ahanix or Silverstone. Please!

argo-2

05-26-06, 05:58 PM

...and now Silverstone have released their LC19:

http://www.silverstonetek.com/products/lc19/LC19.jpg

68mm instead of 55mm, but still very slim! Shame about the front-face though (IMO :) )

tipsen

06-02-06, 02:56 PM

Received an e-mail from Hiper Group today stating:

"The black one will be in retail edition soon."

- this sounds really promising - I'll be on the lookout!

Cheers, Tommy

JuMz

06-02-06, 03:11 PM

For all you Hiper Case owners...Is it possible to squeeze 2 notebook (2.5") HD's in place of the 3.5" HD?

g808

06-02-06, 04:23 PM

Received an e-mail from Hiper Group today stating:

"The black one will be in retail edition soon."

- this sounds really promising - I'll be on the lookout!

Cheers, Tommy

Does that mean as a stand alone case and not a full manufactured retail PC?

joshbish

06-02-06, 10:16 PM

I also received an email from Hiper today regarding the new black case:

"The retail version of this is under development, should be out in 1 or 2 months"

joshbish

06-02-06, 10:21 PM

Does that mean as a stand alone case and not a full manufactured retail PC?

I believe it would be stand alone. Hiper would supply OEM cases to PC companies to build into PCs. Retail from Hiper's point of view would be a stand alone product. At least that is my understanding.

madpoet

06-05-06, 03:35 PM

Guys, I need to find a mATX motherboard that will support a 2.8c AND has firewire. It's the last part that is getting me. Anyone have any htoughts?

madpoet

06-06-06, 09:45 AM

Well I gave up on using my 2.8c. I couldn't find an mATX board with the features I needed. I guess I'll just save it for some other project. I ended up ordering the components for an AMD system. Nothing terribly high end, I just wanted a pretty simple box. I'll post pics as the parts arrive and I build.

infoscape

06-06-06, 09:16 PM

argo-2

06-07-06, 04:33 AM

Hi Infoscape

The Hiper HSF will fit to any 939 motherboard and many users have reported it works fine with CnQ enabled. Just check your CPU socket is under a case vent in the LC19 top cover. You may have trouble buying it separately though. Given you have approx 53mm of headroom (?) there is a good chance you can find a low profile heatpipe HSF. Its a pity Zalman don't make a low-profile "flower" version! If in a hurry you could email Silverstone support for an exact headroom measurement.

A question about the LC19, this case requires an external AC/DC PSU, does this come with the case? Also in reading the SPCR write-up on these micro-supplies the larger AC/DC PSUs require a fan - which was noisy - may want to check that out as well!

Cheers

JuMz

06-07-06, 11:07 AM

I am wondering what cooling solution to combine with the Silverstone LC19 (coming very soon).

I have heard that 'some' stock AMD coolers have lower profile heatpipes: is that true? would these be low enough for the LC19?

Alternatively, the Hiper Media 1U cooler seems to be a good candidate: is the Hiper heat sink only meant to be physically mounted in the Hiper case?

I am planning to combine:
- LC19 (coming very soon)
- DFI RS482 SKT939 AMD64 mATX board
- AMD Athlon64 3700+
- Hiper Media 1U Heat Sink
- slimline DVD-R
- 1GB RAM
+ dual DVBT tuners on PCI (low profile)
+ USB WiFi Dongle

Any comments are welcome!

I am going to suggest my configuration but depending on budget, this may / may not be most suitable for you. I have all the parts just haven't had time to but them in the case. Primary concern is the CPU placement relative to the ventalation fan. Here is my setup (the motherboard is what makes this GOLD!):

Motherboard: Aopen i945GTm-VHL (http://usa.aopen.com/products/mb/i945GTm-VHL.htm)
- mATX, Core Duo Support, Onboard DVI out and SPDIF out, VIIV certified, PCIE slot, SO-DIMM DDR2, GIGABIT ethernet

1 GB PC5300 (667 MHZ) DDR2 SO-DIMM (generic)
Intel Core Duo T2300 (Heatsink is not included in core duo cpus BUT Aopen bundles a really nice tiny one with their MB, link here (http://www.gamepc.com/labs/view_content.asp?id=aocdmatx&page=4)

Slim and Slot Load Lite-on DVDRW
Hyper Media Black case

Comments welcome!

madpoet

06-07-06, 01:01 PM

My parts for my Hiper:

Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813135224)

Processor (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103606)

Memory (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145505)

DVD (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827152069)

HSF (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835114029)

infoscape

06-07-06, 11:34 PM

argo-2, according to a Silverstone email, "The LC19 also comes with a 120W AC adapter so you don't need to purchase one separately." They also recommended to look for a 1U cooling solution.
The case seems to have plenty of ventilation on the top, so I expect the CPU to be underneath of at least one.

JuMz, I think the DFI RS482 board I propose seems to have most of the features, but is a AMD solution rather than Intel. I thought AMD CPUs run cooler than their Intel variants?

Hopefully the whole configuration runs below 120W as well.

JuMz

06-08-06, 01:39 AM

madpoet

06-10-06, 01:00 PM

Question... if my MB has a 24pin input for the power then I do NOT need to also hook up the P4, correct? This thing is looking REALLY nice ;).

-MP

argo-2

06-10-06, 06:12 PM

madpoet

06-11-06, 03:41 PM

Well, for those looking at my parts list... do NOT get this heatsink and fan. It is only effective when rev'd up to jet engine levels, otherwise things get SERIOUSLY hot in there. Very disapointed in it :(.

Second, I'm having all sorts of problems with WinXP and the graphics drivers install. As in, I install the NVidia drivers for intergated motherboards and suddenly I am blue screen city unless I drop to VGA mode. Very not cool.

Third... how the hell do you route all these cables? I can't get them all out of the way enough for the top to fit on right.

madpoet

06-12-06, 11:58 AM

Well, some progress. I uninstalled the graphics driver for the 6100 and downloaded the lastest forceware drivers. No reboots since I got those on the machine. I also applied the latest firmware on my motherboard as well as the AMD drivers and THINK I have Cool n Quiet working. The only way to know for sure is to use the dashboard, correct? Temps are still really high, so I'm hoping my AS5 cures and brings those down a bit. The case as a whole gets phenomenolly hot! By that I mean it is actually very warm to the touch. I think I made a serious mistake getting a blower (blows air down across the heatsink) versus exhausting through the top with a traditional heatsink.

On the plus side it runs stable now, and performs well. The motherboard was a perfect fit and did not need the P4 extension so I have an extra.

argo-2

06-23-06, 12:56 AM

jpadua

06-23-06, 01:11 AM

Hi Guys been a while since Ive posted about my hiper case, So far my hiper HTPC has been working flawlessly since I installed it. No heat issues especially with cool and quiet! very stable. I did install the P4 connector (had to mod my own connector)

I have to say im very impressed with the small 1u heatsink by hiper, I thought it would not be enough to cool an athlon64 3500. Its very quiet, even at full load.

Here's just a review of my parts list (worked great right after installation - no issues what so ever)

DFI-Infinity RS482
Athlon64 3500+ Venice
Geil 2x 512MB Value Ram
Sapphire Theatrix Theater550
200GB Seagate Sata
VGA\DVI\Component works great!
Spdif optical output works fine also. Except for some audio dropouts, but this happens not very often - still dont know the cause might be my optical cable.
Using MCE 2005 and an MCE Remote with the MS IR receiver.
Since I'm in the philippines I use TVXB to get my schedules along with Bladerunner V3 to integrate the XML into MCE, again works flawlessly.

Very very happy with this machine.. works almost like an appliance. I let my girlfriend work it without any prior knowledge, just handed her the remote and left her in the room. heheh later she's watching and recording her shows hehe pretty cool.

regarding the new case.. I think Arena PC is one of the OEM companies who will be getting the new cases, cause they were the ones who informed me about the new design. I'm assuming though. :)

FoolishGhoul

06-23-06, 06:51 AM

hi everyone!

just read the entire thread and has answered quite a few of my questions - i've been looking at this case for a while but have never quite got around to building my htpc yet. figured that now was the time to take the plunge...

my only concern is with the psu not being powerful enough, this is what i want to do:

Athlon64 3500+
Asus A8M
300GB IDE
2GB RAM
slot-load/slimline dvd burner
Leadtek Nvidia 7600GS

it all seems ok apart from the graphics card (on the box it says to have a minium of 300w psu!) trouble is, i have a couple of these hanging around so thought i'd use them also they are silent (passive heatsink!) and can run Oblivion with apparent ease on my big widescreen monitor!

it'd be sooooooo cool if i could turn my htpc into a mint gaming machine too...

madpoet

06-23-06, 10:06 AM

I wish I had the Hiper heatsink :(. As I've mentioned, mine is far too loud and not cool enough. I've also had some blue screen issues with the board, but the latest firmware and NForce drivers I think have fixed that.

FoolishGhoul

06-23-06, 11:09 AM

-madpoet

have you thought of the Nexus SAP8024? it looks like its plenty flat enough, and you could then stick a quiet fan over the top, maybe glue it to the case like mentioned before...

tried to put a link in to a UK seller but the forum wont let me yet...

if you look on google for KustomPCs you will probably find them and then search for "2603" and you should get what i'm on about.

argo-2

06-23-06, 05:41 PM

Welcome FG - interesting idea.

Looking on the web the 8024 has a height of 24mm, add a 15mm fan on top and there is 1mm to spare (working from the Hiper 40mm HSF spec), more than enough for a bead of glue.

Should work even better than the Hiper HSF as that is 25mm in height INCLUDING the fan.

BTW, can't comment on your PSU question - 7600, but just a warning, how high is the passive HSF?
Maybe some of the other guys can comment on how much clearance there is in the Riser/Card area?

FoolishGhoul

06-24-06, 06:10 PM

the graphics card is about 15mm thick, thats including the PCB is that going to fit...?

tipsen

06-25-06, 04:41 AM

Hi Guys. To those waiting for the new Hiper Case, I believe we are in for a long wait. Following from an email conversation with a very helpful Hiper guy, he recently advised that Hiper have: "...decided to release the new case to OEM integrators only... But will be releasing a retail case later in the year".

I guess this is understandable, but for me at least, disappointing. As I am not very impressed by the other slim cases on the market, I've decided to stop waiting and have a go at building one myself. By the time I get it finished there will probably be something available but at least I'll be getting closer to my goal of a sleek unobtrusive HTPC.

My latest mail (approx. 1 month ago) from Hiper stated that the case would be released for retail in the near future and if you have a look at the Hiper Group (http://www.hipergroup.com/) homepage there is a small flash add with a picture of the new case and the text "Coming Soon..." - I personally think it's worth the wait - especially for me since it's summer for the next couple of months here in Denmark and I think a HTPC would be bored sitting alone beneath the TV doing absolutely nothing...

Cheers, Tommy

argo-2

06-25-06, 05:43 AM

Tipsen I hope you're right.

Unfortunately I read that advert as:

...coming soon...integrated Hipermedia (ie a prebuilt HTPC)...in...A/V sized new look chassis (the one we are waiting for)...

So at best a Barebones unit, at worst (for us anyway) a full-blown HTPC at a full-blown price (and I'm really speculating here :confused: )

Time will tell I guess, although a line in this forum from Hiper would be nice!! :)

jpadua

06-25-06, 06:41 AM

Pretty exciting aint it? Imagine having a hiper box in your living room, and all your friends drooling over it... heheh ok I take it back, I dont want drool on my hiper case heheh.

I'm soooooo happy with my hiper case....Its doing everything I want it to do.. except gaming.

I wish hiper would design a new case though... got some wishlists here... see if you guys agree..

If the hiper case was just 1 inch taller

1. you can have space for 3 expansion slots instead of 1.
2. They can beef up the PSU to 350w
3. More choices over the Heatsink
4. Space for another hard disk.

Even with the 1 inch height increase this case will still be sexy.

FoolishGhoul

06-25-06, 09:03 AM

still digging for my ideal case (it needs to be compact enough to go into a hi-fi style stack with an old Technics tuner & amp). the amp is 430mm x 290mm and was going to be the base for the system, though i might put the htpc as the base if its a little bit larger.

so far the only cases that i have found are:

Silverstone LC19 (currently ruled out due to its meagre 120W PSU)
Silverstone SST LC04 (more expensive, but would mean I could use a standard DVD)
HiperMedia case (smallest and still top of the list, but is that PSU enough?)

any thoughts? - still ideally want to use my nvidia 7600 with it...

you reckon i should wait for the new Hiper case?

galileo2000

07-21-06, 08:27 PM

Hello guys,

I was out for a few months, happpy to see the thread alive and well.

My Hiper sends warm (and I mean it :) ) regards to all.

Well, it's hot in SF now.

madpoet, my heatsink is quite good for Pentium. But you decided to go AMD route, correct? So I am the only one with Intel stuff in the Hiper case? It's lonely here, guys.

PGPFan

07-22-06, 01:15 AM

Any of you guys know where I could find this particular Hiper case?

Checking out the ArenaPC catalog I couldn't see it available.

Thanks in advance!

-PGPfan

ZenerDiode

07-22-06, 03:52 AM

hmmm...that doesn't look too well put together.

PGPFan

07-22-06, 09:56 AM

No, it doesn't. But since Hiper decided to suck up to "OEM only" till who knows when on the new case, this is the only other one I like enough to use in the interim.

-PGPfan

madpoet

07-24-06, 08:38 AM

So I tried to add a PCI tuner to my Hiper... and failed miserably. The PSU wires are just too thick right by the PCI slot to get the card in. If you have a 1/2 height card I bet it works, but there's no way to cram a MyHD130 in there :(.

JuMz

07-26-06, 03:49 PM

I had to somewhat modify my Hiper case to prevent my system from overheating...I saw this comming but went with the mobo anyway...the problem is that the Heatsink is not placed under the vent on the top of the case...so I attached a fan instead to blow air in...a 6cm by 1cm fan..3pin too..Here is what I have in my Hiper...

Hiper HMC-1S53A Case
Aopen i945GTm-VHL board
-VIIV Certified
-Onboard DVI Out
-Dolby Digital Live! Out
-Gigabit
Core Duo T2400
1 GB PC2-5300
320GB WD SATA HD
Slim/Slot Load 8x DVDRW

Connected to...

Hitachi 51F510 (HDMI)
Pioneer VSX-1014

tipsen

08-04-06, 08:59 AM

Hi all

Hiper Group has added (a slightly modified) media chassis to their product page!

http://www.hipergroup.com/English/products/media.html

Still "Coming soon" but it looks promising - cute little media-buttons on the front and I had a look at the downloadable VFD-drivers - included WiFi, Bluetooth and VFD!

Cheers, Tommy Ipsen

JuMz

08-04-06, 09:24 AM

Wow, it looks awesome...I want to see the specs and motherboard compatibility...

PGPFan

08-04-06, 06:26 PM

Hi Tipsen,

Any idea if this one is going to be more of the 'OEM only' crap? :mad: Or do you think we might actually be able to get this as a case for existing equipment?

I have all the parts already that I'm going to use for a Hiper case and am dying to get one of the newer ones. The promise of the 'new' case that became OEM was the one that got me to drop the hardware list I originally had spec'd out for a full size case, and I don't really want to re-buy anything at this point.

-PGPfan

jpadua

08-04-06, 09:29 PM

Remember the old photo of the new case (the 3D rendered one). I think this is what became of it. I wish they hadnt put the transport buttons in front though... looks just a tad tacky... but still it looks good.

I'm guessing, since the picture is on the hiper site, this unit me actually be available for Hiper Distributors.

tipsen

08-05-06, 07:19 AM

Any idea if this one is going to be more of the 'OEM only' crap? :mad: Or do you think we might actually be able to get this as a case for existing equipment?I have no idea but my guess would be the same as jpadua's - since it's on the Hiper website I think (and very much hope) it will be available for retail!

I have all the parts already that I'm going to use for a Hiper case and am dying to get one of the newer ones. The promise of the 'new' case that became OEM was the one that got me to drop the hardware list I originally had spec'd out for a full size case, and I don't really want to re-buy anything at this point.I also have all the hardware figured out and I'm only waiting for the Hiper case... hopefully it will be available within the next couple of months - I'm tired of waiting :-/

Cheers, Tommy

burton666

08-06-06, 07:58 PM

JuMz

08-08-06, 10:37 AM

The motherboard I used is essentially a motherboard for a Laptop. I am sure you are aware that the Core Duo does not come with a heatsink. However, most mobile motherboards include one with the package. I am using the one included with my Aopen motherboard...

http://www.gamepc.com/images/labs/rev-aocdmatx-coolerLG.jpg

burton666

08-08-06, 01:44 PM

Well they do ship with cpu-cooler, atleast in Sweden. But I was wondering if the stock cpu cooler would fit in the hiper case. I did read on the hipergroup site that the maximum height for cpu coolers was was 4cm.

argo-2

08-09-06, 05:50 AM

DMGambone

08-09-06, 10:47 AM

I'd like to get started building my media center distribution system and after reviewing some of the configurations I've seen people post here this is what I'm looking at putting in mine (looks just like someone elses :) ):

Chassis: Hiper Media Case
Motherboard: DFI RS482 INFINITY
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Venice 2000MHz HT Socket 939
Memory: Crucial Technology 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered
DVD (burner): LITE-ON 8X DVD±R Slim Slot-in DVD Burner Black IDE
Tuner: pcHDTV HD-5500
Other Components:
SYBA SD-CF-IDE-A IDE to Compact Flash Adapter

The only thing left to add is a CPU cooler. Which one should I go with?

The media center will be running MythTV or some other Linux based media center framework. Because of this, the tuner card must be Linux compatible so I went with the one card build specifically for Linux: pcHDTV.

The DFI board is a must for me since it offers al the components that I want on a board: DVI output, 8 channel audio via SPDIF, firewire, Gb network, etc.

Because I can't stand a notebook CD/DVD drive's opening mechanism (a spring eject instead of a mechanical eject) I had to have a slot-in DVD burner.

Now what is the purpose of that IDE to Compact Flash adapter and where is the HD? Well, it's simple: I plan on putting the OS on a CompactFlash and not have any HD what so ever. I'm planning on a client/server configuration where this unit is the front-end of a media center system that has a server in the basement and is connected via the Gb network.

This means that the tuner card will be moved in the future to the server and have the server simply broadcast the program to this unit via IPTV protocol. It will also allow me to put in multiple cards for concurrent show recording/watching, add large arrays of disk space, etc all without a single modification to this unit.

Thoughts?

JuMz

08-09-06, 11:27 AM

Hi JuMz

How is the performance of your viiv 945 motherboard?

As much as I want to stay with AMD, the specs of these new boards (the Asus one even includes Dolby sound drivers) and the cool running CoreDuo sure make it appealing for a slim case :)

Edit: I see your AOpen also has Dolby!

The performance is amazing. There is great Anandtech article that just came out comparing the performance of my Core Duo to the new Core 2 Duo Mobile (Merom)...the difference isn't that significant! ON TOP OF THAT, Most if not all Core Duo motherboards are upgradeable to the Core 2 Duo Mobile...for my motherboard, Aopen released the new Bios last week! So in terms of an upgrade path, I am set! Another feature that won me over the Asus was (if you are using the GMA 950) is onboard DVI out, the Asus only has VGA...

You can find the Anandtech article here...

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2808

Feel free to ask any more questions!

burton666

08-09-06, 12:22 PM

DMGambone

08-09-06, 07:11 PM

Using a CF-card as a harddrive for your operatingsystem is a bad idea. As a CF card only has a limited number of read/writes before they fail. And installing a operatingsystem on one would probably not last wery long.

That is partially true. It has limited writes (something like a million writes before it starts to degrade, not necessarily break). However, it is unlimited reads and if the OS is installed properly, then there would be no need for writes. I could easily cheap memory to act as a RAM drive that would make the system scream, but with 1GB of memory, I question if that is even needed at this point.

pantherman007

08-09-06, 07:20 PM

Using a CF-card as a harddrive for your operatingsystem is a bad idea. As a CF card only has a limited number of read/writes before they fail. And installing a operatingsystem on one would probably not last wery long.

I'm experimenting with a CF-based OS setup as well. I'd agree completely that running a regular OS build on CF would be risky and short-lived. However, if you're comfortable with some OS manipulation, you can download a trial version of XP Embedded from Microsoft - same code base, but targetted at small footprint and flash installations. It includes an enhanced write filter (EWF) that is supposed to block those little disk writes that would greatly speed up a CF failure. To lengthen the flash's life, I'm planning to do all the OS and program setup install on a regular drive, then clone onto the CF. Then if the flash fails, I can easily reclone and replace onto a new card. At least, that's my theory.

I'm not saying (yet) that the CF plan is a good one, just that there may be some mitigating options that make it a possibility.

tipsen

08-10-06, 08:46 AM

The only thing left to add is a CPU cooler. Which one should I go with?One option is to go with the Hiper Cooler - I don't know if it's part of the Hiper Media Center bundle or if you should buy it separately. Alternatively there is the CNPS8000 from Zalman (http://www.zalman.co.kr/) - I haven't tried it but think it's footprint is small enough to fit in the Hiper Case.

DMGambone

08-10-06, 09:00 AM

One option is to go with the Hiper Cooler - I don't know if it's part of the Hiper Media Center bundle or if you should buy it separately. Alternatively there is the CNPS8000 from Zalman (http://www.zalman.co.kr/) - I haven't tried it but think it's footprint is small enough to fit in the Hiper Case.
Reading some of the reviews on that Zalman CNPS 8000 shows that a few people had concerns over it coming close to the NorthBridge heatsink and also it could touch one of the memory sticks so that bank is useless.

The memory I'm not concerned about since I'm only getting 2 memory sticks, but the NB heatsink is another story. I'll have to research it more.

burton666

08-10-06, 12:58 PM

JuMz

08-10-06, 01:05 PM

I know this is a bit off topic, but I have an old S.754 motherboard lying around complete with a 3400+ processor and 1gb of memory. I am thinking of making some use of it and turn it into a HTPC for the bedroom.

But I will need a AGP graphic card to complete it. I would like to use Nvidia PureVideo and the only cheep and silent G.card I culd find is the Nvidia 6200 256mb. I looked at the nvidia purevideo info. and the 6200 lacks some abilities that the other cards have, but is this going to be a issue for me?

Can anyone point out any practical disadvantages that the lack of these abilities would cause?: Spatial-Temporal De-Interlacing, Inverse Telecine, Bad Edit Correction,

For a similar price, I would go with an AGP version of the 7000 series. Main reason is Hardware based H.264 decoding...plus updated version of all the rest of the features...

7300GS

http://computing.kelkoo.co.uk/b/a/sbs/111601/16261062.html

or if you are daring, 7600GS

http://www.memoryexpress.com/index.php?PageTag=&page=file&memx_menu=EmbedProductDetail.php&DisplayProductID=8592&SID=

CDN..dollars on the 7600

This is an interview with an NVIDIA Rep regarding this card

BT: What would you say is the single best feature of this card?
AF: Personally, I would say it is the video capabilities. This board is capable of running H.264 video at 1080p. Very sweet for a Media Center PC. This card will be able to decode H.264, MPEG2 HD and VC1 at 1080p resolutions [that's 1920x1080 - Ed]. This is thanks to the dedicated video engine built within the chip and our PureVideo technology. That is a pretty amazing feature for a card that costs well under £100.

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2006/01/19/nvidia_7300_gs/3.html