Thread: Very nice Carputer Barebones

Originally Posted by mrbean_phillip

Hello Guys,
Just thought I'd give all a heads-up -

I have ordered one of these little monster kits from an Ebay seller, and wow, it is good value for money.

The system comprises of:
M350 mini-itx case, very well vented, and small footprint - exactly what I was after
Zotac 9300 WiFi motherboard (nice)
T7500 2.93gig Intel 45nm CPU, with decent low-profile cooler
2gigs DDRII ram
Pico 150W PSU, with 102W powerbrick for indoor use

Options to add more ram, mounting brackets et al

Without options, only $449 USD excl shipping....nice....

Will most likely have it here in a week, and I will do a thorough review on this kit. My feeling is this may be the ultimate in terms of cost vs performance, and, damn, so easy - it's all done for you, just add you HD and load the OS, and you're away.....jeesh, to easy.

Will keep you guys posted.

Seems kinda much for a barebone to me..but probably because of the mobo. Either way should be a decent system..I don't know much about the pico power supplies though. That's the same case i'm getting also. Should be delivered mid-next week. I can't wait so I can start my build.

Well, all you'd basically still need is a drive and LCD

But, the mobo is pretty exxie, but, then again, it supports standard LGA775 cpu's, with much better cooling options than the embedded boards I have with mobile cpu's, and the "inferior" cooling solutions.

Just imagine a small little ApogeeDrive, from Swiftech, which is a Swiftech waterpump and Apogee waterblockblock all in one, should you want to watercool.

Add a single 120mm rad, and you would have the ability to overclock the E7500 to somewhere north of 3.7gig, and all, while have a very quiet, and cool system

I may consider doing this, as I have both the ApogeeDrive, and a spare 120mm rad - I will need a slightly bigger case though.

You're going to learn to hate the PicoPSU in short order.
And the CPU you specify in your post is a different CPU than in the listing. Thelisting specs out an E7500 C2D processor, not the T7500. Considering the T7500 weighs in at $100 more, I'm certain the Ebay listing is for the less expensive CPU.

And you forgot one thing you need to add: Operating System


And I don't think the deal is all that great. With shipping, this bundle works out to $463.00 exactly.

Here's my comparison:
- ZOTAC GF9300-A-E from NewEgg: $99 (with $20 rebate)
- Intel Core2 Duo E7500 Wolfdale from NewEgg: $119 (free shipping)
- ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 LP 80mm CPU Cooler from NewEgg: $18.99
- mushkin 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 from NewEgg: $39.99
- M2ATX DC-DC PSU with integrated startup/shutdown controller from MP3Car.com: $69.99
- VoomPC Automotive Mini-ITX Case from LogicSupply: $69.00

Total (including rebates, but before shipping): $395.97

Remove the rebates and you're at $415.97, which is still cheaper than the Ebay setup. You'll have to calculate shipping, but I'm certain the shipping from all three sources doesn't come close to $47.00 when all is said and done.

And you get a case that not only is made to be mounted in the vehicle, but is also bolt-in for the M2ATX.
Never mind that the M2 is a superior power solution for a vehicle compared to the PicoPSU.

And the CPU you specify in your post is a different CPU than in the listing. Thelisting specs out an E7500 C2D processor, not the T7500. Considering the T7500 weighs in at $100 more, I'm certain the Ebay listing is for the less expensive CPU.

Fixed typo. The T7500 is actually what I have used on my Commell LS-372 - aka mobile cpu. Was in a rush when I posted

Anyway, it's not such a great deal if you live in the USA - which not all of us do. For the same money in Australia, I won't be getting the powerbrick, low-profile cooler, nor the E7500 CPU.

Basically, I could get the case, Motherboard, and PicoPSU - not that I need this, as I have a M2-ATX to power this should there be a need. I would still like to try the PicoPSU though, as I have the older 120W version powering my Commell LV-677, and without any hickups for the past year or so.

Good observation wrt the OS, but, I prefer it this way, as I can do my own with WinXP Embedded - again, not everyone is so lucky, but, then again, not everyone wants to pay for a license (retail) they might have left in a drawer - and here I refer to a legal retail MS license, guys, as I do not condone piracy.

So, yes, point taken - and worthwile considering if you live in the US - for the rest of us, the mere cost of sourcing (and shipping) individual components to the rest of the old world would come in significantly more expensive - apologies, I should have made that apparent in my original post.

With that said though, there's also a big number of noobs, which don't have a clue where to start, and this package will ease the process - and avoid costly mistakes.

For me though, the clincher is the very small footprint case, I would pretty easily fit both the M2-ATX, as well as my TPMS system in there - it is cleverly designed, especially wrt the mountings for the HD and "ancillaries", i.e my TPMS in this case.

Will anyway do a review on this, and post it up. I'm a very experienced modder, and putting something like this, or even better together, is a doddle - I just liked the simplicity, power, and small footprint - a potent solution for a relatively affordable bit of cash

Have a good one, and thanx for sharing your valuable input, DP - appreciated as always.

That's a pretty good price for the package. I just built a system using that case, psu and mobo - except I used the 8200 AMD version with a 5000+ dual core cpu. With 4 Gb ram and a 160 Gb 2.5 in drive, my cost was about the same , so it is a little cheaper to build yourself if you can.

That case is well-built but maybe a bit too well ventilated, as you can hear the cpu fan more than I'd like. I've had no problems with the pico psu. The ac brick is about half the size of the case but has long wires so you can tuck it out of the way.

Originally Posted by soloxp

Hey DarquePervert the Zotac GF9300-D-E and the ZOTAC GF9300-A-E are to different boards. The ZOTAC GF9300-A-E will not fit a Voompc.

I know they are different boards, but it's good to know that one variant does not fit.

What about the board doesn't fit? Is it a matter of a low-profile cooler not fitting or is there some component on the board that interferes with the Voom case?

Do you have any pics to illustrate where/how the A-E board doesn't fit in the Voom case?
And is the Voom or the Voom II? OR both?

Originally Posted by soloxp

The A-E is Micro ATX and the D-E is Mini ITX. The voom's is ONLY for Mini ITX. Look at both M/B and see if the A-E will fit.

read this http://store.mp3car.com/VoomPC_2_Car..._p/enc-008.htm

I linked to the wrong motherboard.
I was meaning the ZOTAC GF9300-D-E.
Granted it's $30 more. That puts this setup at the same price point as the complete setup, but with the better case.