PC components must become idiot proof and high warranty.

Alternately, there are still USB 2.0 PCI based add-on cards also in the channel... for years now.

This is the motherboard. A microATX. There's a video card in the PCI Express x16 slot, leaving the x1 slot to the right in the picture.

The USB2 headers, are the blue ones just above the Southbridge heatsink, here.

Paul

Both are in use on my system, with a tuner & a video card.

snip

For $39 you can get the RAIDMAX box and it comes WITH a 300 Watt supply... oh wait... that's ITX...

You'll just have to buy a worthy supply.

By obscure I really mean I like to land somewhere between server equipment and home equipment on the hardware side of things. At the minute I am planning a migration to a Chenbro 2U rack chassis to allow me to upgrade to a 6 drive RAID system (5 live and 1 hot-spare). I have all of the hardware for the move, I am now looking into which rack cabinet I want...leaning towards something like this to keep my wife's objections to a minimum

I will likely go for the 10/12U variant on Pg. 46-47. I might replace the wooden top with something pine to match in with the rest of the decor.

Software wise I mainly transcode video files around my house to different devices around the house, FTPS server to transfer files to work for lunchtime viewing mainly & various automated download applications to keep me up to date with my TV, Movies & Music.

My latest desire is to move to a server OS and utilise virtualisation to reduce the power consumption of my system (in terms of CPU & RAM requirements). Initially I will run a virtual machine with W7 Ult on it and simply transfer across my current system, then I can look into a Linux based OS and gradually move the applications over to Linux which will again reduce my power consumption.

here.

so you have no PCI-e slot available? Thats unlucky, looks like you're beat unless you can change you're MB to an ATX one or remove some existing device

here.

snipped long line

The mobo photo I saw shows one right above the chipset heatsink.

It has venting at the bottom and a hole pattern to suit a 120mm fan, also the wooden top can be packed up by 19mm to allow for convectional cooling.

If you want a low noise system then have a look into Atom based boards, I use an Intel D2700DC in a media player I built for the bedroom. Managed to get the MB, PSU and HDD inside a white Sky plus box :)

I wouldnt spend money on an old machine, I always upgrade after 2-3 years then the hardware all filters down to other locations. Much like TV's used to filter down through the family as new ones were bought.

Pete

I will likely have my server in it switched on 24/7 and a lower spec client machine below it for config of the server assuming the server is headless.

Ill also be putting in a Gig-E rackmount switch which will be used to pass my network through all the rooms upstairs (I have another Gig-E switch below my router to manage downstairs). I want to fill the rack as much as possible, if only to justify it existance to myself LOL

I use my Atom PC to stream video, it has W7 Ult on it with XBMC over the top and it can play HD video without issue. I also have a Raspberry-Pi which can process 720p video but I keep it in work for lunchtime tinkering if I feel the need.

That rack is a standard 600x600 19" rack (the 600x600 is the OD, the 19" is the dist between the rails. I use full height racks in work as I'm the person you software guys try to blame everything on...Hardware Engineer. I a Mech Design Eng so most of my day is spec using CAD

Full HD to me means 1080p @ 25/30ips, I haven't got the Atom PC to play it. 720p is as high as it will go with W7 onboard. Perhaps a lighter OS could do it, Intel state it is capable of 1080p playback.

I'm fortunate to have fibre in my area at a reasonable cost so my line is currently 70down and 20up. I would gladly swap those figures around as my download speed are generally used between 4-6am, its the upload I would use most during the day.

I setup a VPN at the start of the week to allow me to share my iTunes library with my work PC so I can stream music from home and save using my phone battery

Pete

here.

No other motherboard will fit these small Form Factor Dell cases.

You buy new TVs? I've had three new TVs in the last 60 years, and hundreds of used TVs. I still have my parent's first color TV. One of the first Motorola Quasar sets from the mid '60s.

The same goes for computers. I've had six new computers, from the early '80s, and over 300 used computers. I bought my last new computer

I have my eye one one of these, with the built in air conditioner. It's sitting at a local business, and I have to move some of the network wiring for them to remove it from their vinyl cutting & sewing room. They make the fancy alluminum framed canopies for art shows.

It will be perfect for the three used Dell rackmount servers & four Cisco switches I have.

Sure.

Someone has to keep you in junk. ;-)

Sure. Just ordered a new one to replace my dead Thinkpad T61. It's overheating and I think the display controller (or perhaps display memory) went west. No interest in repairing it (I replaced the fan assembly with one out of my wife's old T60, without good results).

here.

How about a mini-ITX MB? At 170x170 its tiny!! I'm using one in a design ATM, will take a full power i3-2100 on a laptop variety i5/7. I think the code is DH61AG...it is!

Also has mini-PCIe connectivity so you can have an SSD onboard the MB and also WiFi/tuner module :) They also offer alternatives which have a DC powerjack so no need to squeeze a PSU inside :)

here.

Look at a Dell Optiplex GX 620 SFF and you'll see why nothing else fits. I have several of these computers.

I've given away close to a dozen, working color TVs in the last few years.

I have fun repairing what wasn't made to be repaired. :)

I have a couple laptops to fix, right now. One Dell & one Gateway. The Dell has a broken power connector, the Gateway has bad CMOS battery & a couple dying CCFLs.

here.

One of our disties was showing me an Intel board that couldn't have been bigger than 250x500. Seems it's the new thing for X86 embedded appliances, though it is really a complete PC.

I just hope I can run the T61p long enough to get stuff off of when the new one comes. If it's cold enough in the room maybe it'll work. Otherwise I'll have to get an external USB drive bay, or some such.