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Realan E-I5/E-I7 mini ITX case builds - Page 4

post #91 of 118
2/2/13 at 8:45am
one final note, my powerboard is the LR1204. I just looked at the Realan website. The 180w power supply they show is the LR1107. One interesting note, the voltage and frequency vs. temperature graphs they show for the two boards are identical. I am not sure how that would be possible; clearly, they did not really test these boards, or if they did, they did not publish the results.
Edited by derwin424 - 2/2/13 at 8:57am
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post #92 of 118
2/2/13 at 11:11am
Thread Starter 
I switched all mine to the LR1107-180W12VDC power board as the standard configuration since it will also work with a 150W AC adapter. It does seem like temps are better with that board.
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post #93 of 118
2/2/13 at 2:20pm
i just switched out my heatsink to the Scythe Kozuti. It made a small difference in the idle temperature (about 1 degree), the big change was in the temps at load which for me means surfing while streaming hd video over HDHomeRun Prime. With the Noctua heatsink, my temps were running 60-63, with the Kozuti they are in the low 50s. I attribute the difference to 1) the Noctua fins run parallel to the side fans on the e-i7 and 2) the Noctua is also very closed form and seems to retain a lot of the heat.

I do see significant random voltage variations still, even at idle. At times package voltage (according to HWMonitor) jumps from 14v to 40-50v for no apparent reason, which also results in temp spike. Do you have the same experience with the 180w powerboard?
Update -- just watched hdtv for 1.5 hours, temps running 60-65, HWmonitor indicated a spike to 72. I don't have any answers at this point, just questions. Have you checked temps after extended use?
Edited by derwin424 - 2/2/13 at 6:39pm
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post #94 of 118
2/4/13 at 2:05pm
Thread Starter 
Here are some pictures of the E-i7 with the IR window


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post #95 of 118
2/13/13 at 8:46am
so i think i have this figured out finally, thanx to this thread. i am going to start buying my parts soon if i receive the blessings from you guys that this all looks ok:

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=21645592

all media will be stored on an external drive, so one SSD is enough. i have never done anything like this before so we will see how it goes. i do have a guy in the neighborhood that does great computer work dirt cheap so i can always call him if need be. my only remaining question is this: how does the internal IR work? do i need to get something like this?:

http://shop.inteset.com/Products/11-int106-backlit-usb-windows-media-center-ir-remote-with-internal-receiver.aspx

i would copy the remote commands over to my harmony remote. i need it to control the basic functions of WMC and jriver. i think they use similar commands. turning the computer on/off would be nice but not a deal killer.
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post #96 of 118
2/13/13 at 8:51am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ratso1 View Post

so i think i have this figured out finally, thanx to this thread. i am going to start buying my parts soon if i receive the blessings from you guys that this all looks ok:

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=21645592

all media will be stored on an external drive, so one SSD is enough. i have never done anything like this before so we will see how it goes. i do have a guy in the neighborhood that does great computer work dirt cheap so i can always call him if need be. my only remaining question is this: how does the internal IR work? do i need to get something like this?:


http://shop.inteset.com/Products/11-int106-backlit-usb-windows-media-center-ir-remote-with-internal-receiver.aspx

i need it to control the basic functions of WMC and jriver. i think they use similar commands. turning the computer on/off would be nice but not a deal killer.

It sounds like this is for the E-i5, correct? Everything looks really good and is compatible. You'll want the 84W or 120W AC adapter for the E-i5 for an Intel i3-3225 system. Some comments:

This IR receiver is specific to the ASRock board and is supposed to be able turn on the PC from off:
http://shop.inteset.com/Products/29-inteset-remote-and-asrock-cir.aspx

That CPU cooler is very good but for around the same price I prefer the Dynatron T459.

Since that little 40mm fan is so expensive, I'd try the build first w/o it and see how it goes. With our i3-3225 barebones in the E-i5 we don't install a 40mm fan out-of-the-box. If we do add one we use the Scythe Mini-Kaze 40mm and set it up as an intake to blow across the motherboard, preferably the VRMs.
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post #97 of 118
2/13/13 at 9:10am
hah, i was replying to an email from you as you answered this, thanx a million again stardog! unfortunately my notes do not show on that public list - i am indeed going to go with the dynatron but it is not available on newegg so i couldn't add it. the fan info is very helpful also (it is indeed for an i5 build). one final question that you reminded my of that it seems has come up several times here so i think there is some confusion: if you use one of those power calculators http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp it gives me a number of around 139W needed and a MINIMUM of something like 120W? and my system won't even have a lot of usual equipment like a second HD or an optical drive, it's pretty bare bones. is the calculator just wrong/overestimating? is 120W enough? thanx again, i am very excited to get started on this. biggrin.gif
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post #98 of 118
2/13/13 at 11:28am
Thread Starter 
In my experience building and testing these, the power calculator is definitely overestimating. 120W is plenty. For nomal usage you'll see 30-40W and maximum around 80W if that.
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post #99 of 118
2/16/13 at 7:05am
found my answer on the (excellent, worth the $$) assassinhtpcblog.com:

"Is there an online power calculator that you like so that I can calculate my needs?
This calculator seems to be pretty accurate. Set your CPU usage at 50% for this calculation as your HTPC will likely not use much more than that – especially if you are building an i3 HTPC. http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp"

these numbers put me at minimum of 68W with a recommended 118W power supply wink.gif
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post #100 of 118
2/16/13 at 11:08am
I just received the e-i7 yesterday. I ordered the 19v/180W power supply. I'm seeing the same behavior that Chluz was experiencing. As soon as the AC adapter is plugged in, all of the fans spin up. Does anyone have any additional insight as to what is going on with my PSU? If it's helpful, the DC board is the LR1010.
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post #101 of 118
2/17/13 at 7:36am
Do you have both a 2 pin and 4 pin plug on your psu board, in addition to the 20 pin? If so, the dc input lead which has one side screwed to the back of the case and connects to the power brick needs to be connected on the other side to the 2 pin plug on your psu board. If they sent you an 4 pin cable, they sent you the wrong cable (some boards only have the 4 pin input, and not the 2 pin one, and therefore require the 4 pin cable.)

The board which have both 2 and 4 pin plugs have the extra 4 pin to supply power to gpus (although I fail to see how the psu would be able to give out enough juice but that's another issue)

edit Just checked a picture of your board, you don't have a 2 pin plug. Make sure your input lead on the right hand side of the board (on the 4 pin plug that is by itself, not the 4 pin plug next to the 20 pin plug)
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post #102 of 118
2/17/13 at 7:58pm
Thread Starter 
The 19V 180W DC board he has only has the 4-pin input. I tried one I have here and it doesn't have that issue so it sounds like a bad board. frown.gif

jdawg contacted us and we'll happy exchange it for the working one, no problem.
Edited by StardogChampion - 2/17/13 at 8:19pm
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post #103 of 118
2/18/13 at 9:13pm
just got the pico 160xt with 192 watt power supply. I am still getting idle temps in the mid 40s and low to mid 50s when streaming hd video. Not sure how you got such low temperatures with a10-5700 build
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post #104 of 118
4/4/13 at 1:01pm
I have a question on GPU for the I7 case.....what cards, should I decide to add one would be ideal that would fit this case with no issues? I don't know if the HD4000 graphics with the i3-3225 CPU would be sufficient or not.
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post #105 of 118
4/4/13 at 1:22pm
Thread Starter 
I've used a PowerColor HD5450 low-profile card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131339

and a Sapphire HD6670 low-profile card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102958

in the E-i7 and they both worked great. Of course, they are both very different cards. The HD5450 isn't as powerful as the Intel 4000 HD but it was plenty for 1080p. The HD6670 did a really nice job of playing the Steam games I tried out. With either, a 80mm case fan would be a good idea. They can get pretty toasty like most any video card.

I will say with the HD6670 I would sometimes see draw around 110W which would make the 150W AC adapter a better choice than the 120W. The 150W would definitely be necessary with the low-profile HD7750 cards available.

I would try the Intel 4000 HD GPU first though -- or are you trying to decide say G2020 + GPU vs. i3-3225?
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post #106 of 118
4/4/13 at 1:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by StardogChampion View Post

I've used a PowerColor HD5450 low-profile card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131339

and a Sapphire HD6670 low-profile card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102958

in the E-i7 and they both worked great. Of course, they are both very different cards. The HD5450 isn't as powerful as the Intel 4000 HD but it was plenty for 1080p. The HD6670 did a really nice job of playing the Steam games I tried out. With either, a 80mm case fan would be a good idea. They can get pretty toasty like most any video card.

I will say with the HD6670 I would sometimes see draw around 110W which would make the 150W AC adapter a better choice than the 120W. The 150W would definitely be necessary with the low-profile HD7750 cards available.

I would try the Intel 4000 HD GPU first though -- or are you trying to decide say G2020 + GPU vs. i3-3225?

How well does the G2020 perform vs the i3-3225? I could try the Intel 4000 first since basically all I would need for the bedroom PC is play 1080p movies, but mostly some SD content and DVD based TV shows. If the G2020 can fit the bill (and costs less) then may go that route. I also may want to go emulation too for the legacy consoles like the NES, Sega, etc. If it does what I need it to do then I may forgo the discrete GPU, since I have the main HTPC in the living room for that job.
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post #107 of 118
4/4/13 at 1:52pm
Thread Starter 
IMHO, the reason to get an i3-3225 is the Intel 4000 HD GPU. If you're not going to use the integrated GPU, then it's not worth the premium you pay since you won't be using it. Using a discrete GPU you can look for a CPU with an Intel HD GPU (e.g. G2120). That's my way of thinking about it anyway smile.gif.

I've never used the emulators but I have read here and there the i3-3225 does really well with Dolphin, etc. You probably could just get the i3-3225 and be very happy and then later if really needed add a discrete GPU.
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post #108 of 118
4/4/13 at 2:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by StardogChampion View Post

IMHO, the reason to get an i3-3225 is the Intel 4000 HD GPU. If you're not going to use the integrated GPU, then it's not worth the premium you pay since you won't be using it. Using a discrete GPU you can look for a CPU with an Intel HD GPU (e.g. G2120). That's my way of thinking about it anyway smile.gif.

I've never used the emulators but I have read here and there the i3-3225 does really well with Dolphin, etc. You probably could just get the i3-3225 and be very happy and then later if really needed add a discrete GPU.

I think I will just go with the 3225 and call it a day. When you constantly having to look over parts and making a choice, it can make it more complicated than it has to be. Besides, its just a bedroom HTPC so I won't need the high end raw processing power since my i5 system in the main room takes care of that. Appreciate the help! smile.gif
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post #109 of 118
4/4/13 at 7:26pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by AVTechMan View Post

I think I will just go with the 3225 and call it a day. When you constantly having to look over parts and making a choice, it can make it more complicated than it has to be. Besides, its just a bedroom HTPC so I won't need the high end raw processing power since my i5 system in the main room takes care of that. Appreciate the help! smile.gif

I think that's a good call. You just can't go wrong with the i3-3225.
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post #110 of 118
4/5/13 at 7:55am
Received my E-I5 yesterday and couldn't be happier. Solid beautiful case. Super fast shipping and service from StardogChampion. I just wish I would've come across it sooner.
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post #111 of 118
4/7/13 at 9:05am
I got my silver E-I7 case yesterday, and man this case is beautiful. Nice compact size and better looking than some of the generic plastic ITX cases I have seen. I'm waiting now on the remaining parts to come in this week to get it built, and it will consist of:

Intel Core i3-3225 Dual-Core Processor 3.3 GHz 3 MB Cache LGA 1155
ASRock DDR3 1333 Intel - LGA 1155 Motherboards (B75M-ITX)
Crucial 4GB Kit (2GBx2) DDR3 1333
WD Scorpio Black 500 GB SATA 7200 RPM 16 MB Cache 2.5" Mobile Hard Drive (I decided not to do an SSD this time around)

CIR Receiver

Look forward to this build! smile.gif
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post #112 of 118
4/7/13 at 7:17pm
Thread Starter 
Sweet, glad you like it. Please post some pictures!
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post #113 of 118
4/13/13 at 10:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by StardogChampion View Post

For the E-I7 build I had to wait on some new parts including a new motherboard (ASRock H67M-ITX), new CPU (G530) and a slot-load DVD burner. I hijacked some RAM from my office PC just for testing and to see how regular profile RAM would fare in the E-I7. I had the Titan low-profile CPU cooler (30mm) from a previous build so I cleaned that up to see how this inexpensive cooler would fare in the E-I7.


My first impressions of the E-I7 are that it's a beautiful case. I love the brushed aluminum in either the silver or the black. I am usually not a fan of silver but it's sharp. Black though is my favorite. There is plenty of room inside to work with, spots for four 80mm fans and a low-profile expansion card. The slot cover is unfortunately the break-away kind but low-profile slot covers are easy to find and cheap if someone were to change their mind. There are vents everywhere to keep any mini build cool. The E-I7 comes with an interesting feature: an external SATA cable and molex power connector. I chose to remove these since I was not using this function.


Overall, I found this case very easy to work with. There isn't a lot to mini builds like these -- they go very fast. There's a ton of room, relatively speaking, in this case and lots of venting and places to mount drives and fans. The look is minimalist and sleek. The materials are very high quality. This is a great little HTPC or desktop case.



About the part I bolded, what would be the purpose of the external SATA cable and molex connector as far as uses are concerned? I removed them from my case as well since I wont use them right now. Working on the build, and taking pics along the way. Hope to have some posted soon.
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post #114 of 118
4/14/13 at 12:02pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by AVTechMan View Post

About the part I bolded, what would be the purpose of the external SATA cable and molex connector as far as uses are concerned? I removed them from my case as well since I wont use them right now. Working on the build, and taking pics along the way. Hope to have some posted soon.

In the pictures on the manufacturer's site they show an internal optical drive hooked up to them. You could also get a molex-to-SATA power converter and attach a hard-drive. If the motherboard supports hot-swapping you could use it like that. You could use the molex connector to hook up and external fan for cooling that would only come on when the PC comes on. Etc...
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post #115 of 118
5/1/13 at 9:43am
Thread Starter 
Pretty excited about this new version of the E-i7. It has a USB3 port, IR window but the big thing is: NO optical drive slot. This means you can put a pretty big cooler in here and support a pretty powerful mini-ITX system. It comes in silver too.

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post #116 of 118
5/4/13 at 7:46pm
Thread Starter 
Some more pictures of the new E-i7.ns (no slot). In this configuration there's now room for 2 x 3.5" HDD. Or a 3.5" HDD and a low-profile GPU. It would make a nice HTPC + Steambox case.





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post #117 of 118
5/4/13 at 10:12pm
Nice. just wondering , if the height has gone down after the removal of ODD. What is the CPU cooler clearance ? Motherboard standoff height ?
Edited by xgeo - 5/5/13 at 12:32am
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post #118 of 118
5/5/13 at 11:28am
Thread Starter 
The height of the case stays the same. It's the same case just without the ODD bay. I don't have an exact measurement but I do know people have put a Scythe Shuriken in the E-i7 and it fits. I will measure tonight.
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