In win H-Frame SFF Build Mini-ITX i3 750Ti Media/Gaming PC
So I wanted to share my four year old media PC since its still getting regular use despite its age and limited hardware. Its premise was to be a one-size-fits-all device which could be used as a cord cutting media centre and a gaming pc that would interface like a console.
From the ground up, I wanted it to be as small as possible so it could be displayed in the living room or fit into a TV cabinet.
The In-win H-Frame Mini case is a SFF case that puts form far above function. With its striking design, it does not have any fans to circulate and cool the components inside and thus relies on having an open air chassis. As a result, reviewers and forum posts alike suggested it would be a dust magnet, as well as being very limited on hardware. Nonetheless, the design was so different to everything else and it proved hard to move away from.
What clinched it was the GTX 750TI GPU. This particular card was revered for its low heat, low noise and performance jump over older hardware. It was known for being able to slot in almost any computer and run off its Power Unit and make gaming accessible on almost any machine.
The H-Frame Mini's has a built in PSU rated at 180W (though it is efficient with a bronze 80% rating). It's non-standard size obviously and it certainly wasn't designed for gaming. It was unusual in that the power loads are spread and its not drawn from one rail like cheap PSU's. It was a risk but I went for it.
The processor was an Intel i3 4130T (low-power), on a Z87 motherboard (Odd mix but I think I was concerned about inhibiting the GPU or RAM bandwidth). I had to import a low-profile 750TI card from America. It cost about £40 more than a single fan SFF card at the time.
Cable management is not this case's forte but it was good that it came with decent braided cables. It took a few attempts to get the wiring correct. The difficult bit was fitting the GPU.
While the length of the card was short enough to allow adequate room for main power cables to connect to the motherboard, the width required a difficult cut into the housing by 6mm. This was done using a hack saw with a modified blade. The aluminium sheets which make up the case are 4mm thick and there were 5 of them to cut, so it took a lot of patience. Once the cut was complete, the card was able to squeeze in and remains butted up against the open air frame, where it humms along fairly happily. And the frame feels just as rigid.
The OS is windows 7 which has a modified startup and boots into a 10' Kodi interface. Its WAG friendly and can be controlled by remote or controller. The Pulse Eight CDC adaptor is great addition since it automatically switches the channel to the correct AV input once the PC is booted up. The performance is good and combined with the SSD, it takes about 10 seconds from cold start to the screen shown.
Gaming performance isn't too bad either. The processor compliments the GPU well and can run most (older) 3D titles without a hitch.
Unfortunately, with machines like the Alienware Alpha and the Nvidia Shield boxes, this machine is now more or less redundant. It also cost a little more at circa £500 for the lot.
Nevertheless, I feel that since my machine is packed with desktop class components throughout, there may be a slim chance that in the future, the core power could be upgraded. If anyone has any ideas or feedback, I'd love to hear them.
JW
So I wanted to share my four year old media PC since its still getting regular use despite its age and limited hardware. Its premise was to be a one-size-fits-all device which could be used as a cord cutting media centre and a gaming pc that would interface like a console.
From the ground up, I wanted it to be as small as possible so it could be displayed in the living room or fit into a TV cabinet.
The In-win H-Frame Mini case is a SFF case that puts form far above function. With its striking design, it does not have any fans to circulate and cool the components inside and thus relies on having an open air chassis. As a result, reviewers and forum posts alike suggested it would be a dust magnet, as well as being very limited on hardware. Nonetheless, the design was so different to everything else and it proved hard to move away from.
What clinched it was the GTX 750TI GPU. This particular card was revered for its low heat, low noise and performance jump over older hardware. It was known for being able to slot in almost any computer and run off its Power Unit and make gaming accessible on almost any machine.
The H-Frame Mini's has a built in PSU rated at 180W (though it is efficient with a bronze 80% rating). It's non-standard size obviously and it certainly wasn't designed for gaming. It was unusual in that the power loads are spread and its not drawn from one rail like cheap PSU's. It was a risk but I went for it.
The processor was an Intel i3 4130T (low-power), on a Z87 motherboard (Odd mix but I think I was concerned about inhibiting the GPU or RAM bandwidth). I had to import a low-profile 750TI card from America. It cost about £40 more than a single fan SFF card at the time.
Cable management is not this case's forte but it was good that it came with decent braided cables. It took a few attempts to get the wiring correct. The difficult bit was fitting the GPU.
While the length of the card was short enough to allow adequate room for main power cables to connect to the motherboard, the width required a difficult cut into the housing by 6mm. This was done using a hack saw with a modified blade. The aluminium sheets which make up the case are 4mm thick and there were 5 of them to cut, so it took a lot of patience. Once the cut was complete, the card was able to squeeze in and remains butted up against the open air frame, where it humms along fairly happily. And the frame feels just as rigid.
The OS is windows 7 which has a modified startup and boots into a 10' Kodi interface. Its WAG friendly and can be controlled by remote or controller. The Pulse Eight CDC adaptor is great addition since it automatically switches the channel to the correct AV input once the PC is booted up. The performance is good and combined with the SSD, it takes about 10 seconds from cold start to the screen shown.
Gaming performance isn't too bad either. The processor compliments the GPU well and can run most (older) 3D titles without a hitch.
Unfortunately, with machines like the Alienware Alpha and the Nvidia Shield boxes, this machine is now more or less redundant. It also cost a little more at circa £500 for the lot.
Nevertheless, I feel that since my machine is packed with desktop class components throughout, there may be a slim chance that in the future, the core power could be upgraded. If anyone has any ideas or feedback, I'd love to hear them.
JW
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