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DQ77KB Thin Mini-ITX

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Discussion Starter • #1 •
I'm very interested in the DH61AG but I was looking for a board with SATA3 6Gb/s ports (it's useful for my purposes) and came across this:

Intel DQ77KB


I realize this is a business oriented motherboard but what do you guys think?
 
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#2 •
I have a HTPC based on the DH61AG, and also just ordered a DQ77KB a few days ago to build a multi-purpose NAS for Plex transcoding using a Lian Li PC-Q16 case. My goal is to fit 4 x 3.5" hard drive in the case. I think I have that sorted out, just waiting for the motherboard to arrive to see how it looks before ordering a CPU and memory. Thinking about an i7-3770T CPU, w/ 16 GB of 1.35V ram



The DQ77KB does everything the DH61AG does and more, including 4 sata ports.
 
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#3 •
I also have the DH61AG. One drawback is that it only has 4 USB ports in the back. DQ77KB seems to be the same. My case does have two more ports out the front but 6 ports is not enough for modern desktops. Here is what I have connected to my DH61AG:

KB

Mouse

Scanner

Backup HDD

Camera cradle

WiFi dongle

Bluetooth

iPhone cable


So I have to go for an external hub. While the board is neat but cables are unsightly.
 
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Discussion Starter • #4 •
Thanks! I don't think I'll have a problem with just 6 USB ports (including front ports on the case). I've only got the following USB devices:
  1. Logitech Unifying Receiver (K400 & M570)
  2. IR Receiver
  3. Sony PRS-350 Reader and Android devices (all using microUSB, usually only have one connected at a time)
  4. external HDD (not always connected)


More often than not, I really only have two USB ports in use. This is not meant to be a workstation. It's supposed to be an HTPC which just happens to handle some unusual duties on the side. Now the question is what processor should I use. I was originally going to cheap out with an ASUS P8H61-I + Celeron G530 + $50 case with PSU. However, the G530 now looks horribly out of place in my parts list (already at $180 for just case, 160W PSU and heatsink/fan). Now it feels like the minimum I should go with is the i3-2100 and I'm actually leaning towards the i5-3450. The extra cores would certainly be helpful when compressing 5GB virtual hard disks.
 
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#5 •
Since you are going with a slim setup, 65W is probably the limit. But that really gives you a wide selection including a few S version quadcores such as i5-2500S.
 
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Discussion Starter • #6 •

Quote:
Originally Posted by dksc318  /t/1415387/dq77kb-thin-mini-itx#post_22128078


Since you are going with a slim setup, 65W is probably the limit. But that really gives you a wide selection including a few S version quadcores such as i5-2500S.
Click to expand...

Actually, I was planning on the i5-3450S 65W. Same price as the normal i5-3450 77W ($200) with just a slightly lower frequency (from 3.1 to 2.8GHz). Turbo is still at 3.5GHz, though. I don't think the difference in power consumption between the two models would be tangible but given they cost the same and the decrease in clock speed is fairly negligible, might as well go the safe route and opt for the S model.
 
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#7 •
With the DQ77KB you need to be using HDMI for both video and audio. There is no DVI - only HDMI, eDP, and LVDS - and there is only 4 channel analog audio - no 7.1.


If you're sure you're going to be using a single HDMI, that's not an issue, but otherwise . . .


As an aside, what display can you actually use LVDS with?
 
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Discussion Starter • #8 •

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zon2020  /t/1415387/dq77kb-thin-mini-itx#post_22128214


With the DQ77KB you need to be using HDMI for both video and audio. There is no DVI - only HDMI, eDP, and LVDS - and there is only 4 channel analog audio - no 7.1.


If you're sure you're going to be using a single HDMI, that's not an issue, but otherwise . . .
Click to expand...

That's fine. I plan on doing audio via HDMI anyway. Lack of 7.1 channel or HD audio bitstreaming wouldn't have been a big deal either since this will be connected directly to the TV and will just use the TV's speakers.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Zon2020  /t/1415387/dq77kb-thin-mini-itx#post_22128214


As an aside, what display can you actually use LVDS with?
Click to expand...

I have no idea. I would've been perfectly happy with a Thin Mini-ITX H67 or H77. Alas no such board exists (that I'm aware of) and I'm not sure if Intel's planning on releasing one. All I'm really after are the native SATA3 6Gb/s ports. This is just going to replace a Zacate build which I'm absolutely frustrated with (it's just too slow for the stuff I do even with an SSD). I used to have a Clarkdale with GT 430 but that got moved to the living room when the Zotac GF9300 motherboard in the living room HTPC died (again).
 
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#9 •
What case are you going to be using that you want to use the thin ITX rather than standard ITX by, the way?


Keep us posted; this sounds like a build I might want to copy. I've been contemplating a 3450 ITX build too, but had been looking at the DH77DF (or else a 2100 or 2125 with a DH67CF) and had been thinking about a Antec ISK 300-150 (case, mobo, cpu, SDRAM and SSD as the only elements of the build). But if you've got a smaller build in mind, I'm interested.


BTW, the i5-3450 is one of those "if you have a Micro Center handy" items - it's only $149.99 (they seem to have stopped carrying the i5-2400 that they had for $139.99).
 
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Discussion Starter • #10 •
Don't have a Micro Center nearby (it's a 3-hour drive) so I'm not considering their prices.


So far, here's what I have planned:

Still somewhat undecided on CPU but I've been able to limit my choices now.


CPU:
Intel Core i5-3450S , $200
Intel Core i7-3770S , $310


Storage:

2x Corsair Performance Pro, Plextor M3 Pro, Plextor M3, Samsung 830 256GB (whichever one of them I see on sale preferably without rebates)


Hoping to nab an mSATA SSD (when prices go down) for use as OS drive eventually. Either that or replace the 2.5" SSDs with larger capacities. Whichever ends up being less expensive.
 
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#11 •

Quote:
Originally Posted by dksc318  /t/1415387/dq77kb-thin-mini-itx#post_22127331


I also have the DH61AG. One drawback is that it only has 4 USB ports in the back. DQ77KB seems to be the same. My case does have two more ports out the front but 6 ports is not enough for modern desktops. Here is what I have connected to my DH61AG:

...

So I have to go for an external hub. While the board is neat but cables are unsightly.
Click to expand...
There's 5 internal headers. Just get a slot cover with USB ports and you can use those on the back of your case. Or modify the back of your case. No need for external hubs.
 
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#12 •

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zon2020  /t/1415387/dq77kb-thin-mini-itx#post_22128214


With the DQ77KB you need to be using HDMI for both video and audio. There is no DVI - only HDMI, eDP, and LVDS - and there is only 4 channel analog audio - no 7.1.

If you're sure you're going to be using a single HDMI, that's not an issue, but otherwise . . .

As an aside, what display can you actually use LVDS with?
Click to expand...

It also has DisplayPort. I like the board because it has the 2 extra SATA ports as opposed to the DH61AG, but it drops the CIR port. I'll probably end up just flashing the DH61AG BIOS to support the IVB processors. The DH61AG is almost perfect for an embedded system DVR/HTPC.
 
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#13 •

Quote:
Originally Posted by cdru  /t/1415387/dq77kb-thin-mini-itx#post_22129014


There's 5 internal headers. Just get a slot cover with USB ports and you can use those on the back of your case. Or modify the back of your case. No need for external hubs.
Click to expand...
My DH61AG is in that no name M350 case. There is a special I/O plate someone made for the DN2800MT that can take a expansion slot back plate. It would be perfect to add USB ports:
http://www.mitxpc.com/proddetail.asp?prod=EKIMTM350


I wish they would make similar I/O plates for DH61AG and DQ77KB.
 
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Discussion Starter • #14 •
Finally bit the bullet and ordered the following:

The thing I had the hardest time choosing was the CPU. I kept vacillating between the i5-3450S and the i7-3770S. Price isn't a concern but heat certainly is. HyperThreading helps quite a bit with 7-zip (LZMA2) but on my Core i7-860, use of HT increases core temps by 20C (comparing temps when compressing with 4 threads vs 8 threads). While that's not a big concern when you've got a massive heatpipe cooler inside a largish case, I'm not sure if the case and HSF above would be able to provide adequate cooling for a CPU with HT. Since the PSU is also limited, load power consumption is also a concern.


Has anyone tested the i5-3450S and i7-3770S processors at load (e.g. x264, Prime, IBT)? What are temps and power consumption like? My only experience with HT is with Lynnfield and Clarkdale and there's definitely a significant increase in both heat and load power consumption with those two when HT is used. If there's not much difference on these newer chips, I might just go with the i7-3770S as it would cut down compression times by 15~30%.
 
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Discussion Starter • #16 •
The motherboard has an onboard power supply and only needs a 19V power adapter. Chances are the i5-3570K will work but I'm playing it safe by going with the 65W TDP i5-3450S. Since this is targeted more towards business users, I doubt Intel would make this substandard.
 
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#17 •
Here's my little project. Basically the same hardware as ilovejedd, but I have a i7-3770T on order (i3-2120T is in in right now), and I opted for the low voltage 1.35v 16GB crucial kit. And of course am using a different case - Lian Li PC-Q16 https://picasaweb.google.com/104979206991404158659/HTPCNASLianLiPCQ16?authuser=0&feat=directlink


I also have a DH61AG system based on the Lian Li PC-Q05 as well (which is where my i3-2120T was borrowed from) https://picasaweb.google.com/104979206991404158659/Htpc


But my goal will probably be to just put my tuner into my new project making it a NAS/HTPC all in one so I only have one system for those functions that is on 24/7.
 
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