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Close Encounters of the Small Kind

 by Jarred Walton on December 8, 2004 12:05 AM EST
45 Comments | Add A Comment
45 Comments

Some Assembly Required

Other than pre-built systems, every home-built computer requires some assembly. It's not terribly difficult, but the first time that you build a computer, you'll likely run into some difficulties and you may require help. Our basic assembly process is as follows:
  1. Install the CPU, heatsink, and RAM on the motherboard.
  2. Put the motherboard standoff screws in the appropriate locations on the motherboard tray. (This is not always necessary, depending on the case.)
  3. If the case doesn't include a power supply, install one now. Certain cases allow you to do this later, but on many, the CPU HSF can get in the way, so it's better to take care of it first.
  4. Install the motherboard into the case - carefully, of course.
  5. Connect all the small wires from the front panel of the case to the motherboard. For many, this can be the most difficult part as the wires and connections are small, and they are not always labeled clearly. If you can understand technical manuals, you should be able to figure it out, but it can still present problems for even the best of us.
  6. Install the hard drive(s), floppy drive, and optical drive(s) and connect their interface cables.
  7. Connect all the power cables to the drives and motherboard and clean up the cables with zip ties, twisty ties, Velcro wraps, etc. You don't have to clean up the cables, but it's always nice to do so.
  8. Install any expansion cards - usually, at the very least, a graphics card. If necessary, connect a power cable to the graphics card.
  9. Add in any extra case fans that you'll be using as appropriate. (It might be easier to do this early in the build process, depending on the case.)
  10. Connect all the external devices - keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc.
  11. Power up the system and verify that all of the fans are spinning, and then proceed to install and configure the OS and applications.
That's not meant as a comprehensive guide to building a computer, but just a rough overview of the process. The reason for this is that when you shift to the world of SFF cases, things change quite a bit. For starters, several of the steps are unnecessary as the motherboard comes pre-installed. All of the front panel connections are already in place, as are all of the rear connections. Depending on the case, the remaining changes vary, but here's the revised process for most SFF cases:
  1. Remove the CPU HSF from the case if it was pre-installed - this is done in about 2/3 of the cases. You may also have to remove the power supply in some designs.
  2. Install the CPU and RAM, then reinstall the CPU HSF.
  3. Install the DVD, hard drive, etc. into the case. Many of the designs have a metal unit that holds the optical drive, floppy/flash drive, and hard drive. You remove this, install the devices, and then put it back into the case. Other designs are more like a miniaturized ATX case.
  4. Connect all the power and interface cables to the devices and clean up the cables as necessary.
  5. Install the graphics card - with a power cable if necessary.
  6. Connect all the external devices - keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc.
  7. Power up the system and verify that all of the fans are spinning, and then proceed to install and configure the OS and applications.
While that may be a shorter list, the total time to assemble a small form factor system is actually not much different from that required for an ATX case. The reason for this is that the cramped quarters of most SFF cases make the routing and installation of cables take longer to complete. The other devices can also be much more difficult to install, depending on the design. My experience with the two SFFs used here was quite different.



Click to enlarge.


The ASUS at first seems to present no problem, as it is basically a miniature ATX. As the setup progresses, however, several issues become apparent. First, the PSU needs to be removed before the RAM and CPU can be installed. Once that's done, the installation of the other drives can begin. The optical drive, in particular, takes far more effort than normal as the front panel needs to be removed before the DVD can be slid into place; and after mounting the drive, you put the front panel back on. The floppy comes pre-installed, however, and as the case is supposed to come with an optical drive, this step should be unnecessary. The hard drive cage has some issues of its own. First, it needs to be unscrewed and then slid out, and once the hard drive is mounted in it, you have to slide it back into place. This can be rather difficult, due to the numerous wires in the area - it took a couple minutes for me to get it installed properly. The cables for the DVD and HDD are not pre-installed, which means that you have to do it as well, and getting the cables to look clean for the DVD takes some effort. The AGP card wasn't particularly difficult in itself, but again, the pre-installed PCI card that powers many of the extras can get in the way. So, it may need to be removed and then replaced after the AGP card is installed. Once everything is done, the ASUS works fine, but the process could certainly be more efficient.


Click to enlarge.
Click to enlarge.

The Shuttle design is much smaller, and after the difficulties with the ASUS, I expected more in the way of difficulties [with the Shuttle]. However, it ends up being a lot easier. The HSF and case use thumb screws, for starters. Once the case is open, you remove the HSF and the metal cage that holds the optical drive, floppy drive, and hard drive. This opens things up quite a bit, and the actual installation of the CPU is done easily. With the drive cage removed, it is easy enough to install the optical drive, hard drive, and floppy. (You could also use a 3.5" Flash drive in place of the floppy if you so desire - Shuttle sells these as an optional accessory.) Once this is done, you drop the cage back in place and replace the screws. Shuttle also has several of the interface cables pre-routed and plastic clamps are placed strategically throughout the case to help keep everything tidy. One difficulty with the G5 design is getting the eject button of the DVD/CD drive to line up properly with the button on the flip-down cover of the case. If the drive is misplaced by more than about 1/16 of an inch - either too far forward so that the button is always depressed or too far back so the button doesn't reach in far enough - you need to reposition the drive and try again. This same problem could also arise with other cases, and there doesn't seem to be a perfect solution, so it's something to be aware of, but not to be considered a serious problem. Like the ASUS case, however, once everything is put together, you won't notice these issues.

When you get right down to it, assembling a SFF system is about as difficult as assembling an ATX system, with the exception of installing the motherboard and connectors. That exception can actually be a pretty major deal to those new to the world of system building. If you're a first-time system builder, SFFs can be a very good stepping stone. We should also mention that many companies will pre-build systems - SFF or ATX - to your specifications for a nominal fee.

Close Encounters Life with a SFF
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  • henan - Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - link

    I liked your article, even if it is something I would not buy unless I had lots of money to spare and wanted an extra toy. I like having the possibilities and as many of us I often install or just play around with a device, wich would not be as easy with an SFF.

    About that LPT port, as some suggest shuttle offers the addons. Another option would simply be to use a USB to LPT converter. About 20 dollars here in sweden. Why not a printserver? Many do have a home network setup. Of course you could spend that on a new printer, but why not use a printer that works? The converter will make it last until it finally brakes down (the enviroment issue...). Call me old fashioned, but I still use one!

    /Henrik of Stockholm

  • willndowed - Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - link

    I've got a shuttle SN45G system w/ a Athlon2800+, 1G of Ram... it was one with the 8X AGP port and I've got a 128M ATI 9600 video card in it.

    It's getting a little on the aged side, about a year old or so, but I've had nothing but good luck with it. It's been a great little machine. It's pretty good on overclocking, it' lets me OC the CPU to 3200+. It's got the ICE heat pipes that does a pretty darned good job of keep it cool.

    I've done a few things to it, put a couple small 12v headlight tinting lights into it for case l ights and put a clear acrylic case on it. I've also put Battlefield on the front behind the acrylic front which gives it a little of a 3d look to it.

    The real plus to this system is LAN parties. It's got a bag that fits it, so instead of making 3 or 4 trips hauling a 20 pound case huge monitor and a ton of other stuff... I load it into a bag, strap the keyboard and mouse to it, grab my monitor and go.

    For the last year it's been a great machine...

    ... though I am going to build me a huge monster, this little system I'm going to keep it around.

  • RedWolf - Tuesday, December 14, 2004 - link

    Nice article, Jarred. I completely understand about the little ones and the need to put the pc on the desk. I acquired an Antec Aria a month ago (traded a lanboy/mobo on the forums for it) and have been trying to make it better for high-end gaming.

    After lots of modding I got a BFG 6800 OC. Well, the 6800 was pretty loud, even at 50% speed. I bought an Artic Cooling VGA Silencer and it doesn't quite fit.

    So, I gave up on the Aria as a high-end gaming case and will be moving my wifes component's into it.

    I am looking into smaller atx cases now that have 120mm fans AND have a locking door on the front. That should keep little fingers away from the reset and power buttons. I guess I should have just taken my Lanboy and put it on my desk.

    Anyway, I look forward to the SFF roundup you guys are doing. Don't forget to include the Aria and maybe even the Hornet.

  • flachschippe - Monday, December 13, 2004 - link

    Talking about trends going to and fro:
    The Apple II of about 1978 *had* expansion slots. There was an enormous number of different cards available. It was said that the IBM PC's design
    copied this aspect. Surprisingly, the first Apple Macintosh, of about 1984, was not user-upgradeable at all.

  • Phantronius - Monday, December 13, 2004 - link

    As nice as SFF are, they simply just won't work for me. As frequently as I upgrade my equipment, my overhead costs and assache to upgrade using SFF would be a nightmare.

    I use Shuttle as workstations at work and build them for clients but for my gaming stations, I'll stick with ATX for a good long time.

  • flachschippe - Monday, December 13, 2004 - link

    Talking about trends going to and fro:
    The Apple II of about 1978 *had* expansion slots. There was an enormous number of different cards available. It was said that the IBM PC's design
    copied this aspect. Surprisingly, the first Apple Macintosh, of about 1984, was not user-upgradeable at all.

  • JarredWalton - Sunday, December 12, 2004 - link

    Gioron - I just didn't want to be too hard on Shuttle when I haven't tried all of the other cases. The ASUS didn't give me any trouble, but maybe that was just luck, as I was using a different drive in that unit. I figure that many of the models with the drive covers are going to have some issues, and while Lian Li may have gotten it right, I haven't ever used one of their cases so I can't speak from personal experience.

    Anyway, it was about 10 minutes of work to get the drive positioned where it needed to be, so while annoying at the time it isn't a problem after assembly. Frequent upgraders would really have issues with most of the SFFs I've tried.

  • Gioron - Sunday, December 12, 2004 - link

    err, correction: "adjusting the screws with the case open _and the computer turned on_"

  • Gioron - Sunday, December 12, 2004 - link

    Since I have an sn95g5 the one thing I was looking for (and found) in your article was mention of that dang CD drive button. I had the same problems getting the drive properly aligned, and personally feel that the tolerance is actually much less than 1/16" (though that might vary with the model of drive that you're installing). I eventually resorted to adjusting the screws with the case open, which is not exactly a good thing.

    In regards to your "there is no perfect solution" line about this, go find a lian-li case and one of its universal drive covers. The button is _under_ the drive plate, giving direct pressure to the CD's button and a much longer travel length and tolerance for misajustment. I see no reason (well, aside from possible patents or something) that Shuttle couldn't have coppied the same basic layout and put the drive button below and eliminated the funky lever system thats eating up most of the button travel distance and making the drive placement so difficult.

    Of course, aside from that one minor pet peeve I'm happy with my SFF case, and feel the advantages are more than worth the limitations.

  • IceWindius - Saturday, December 11, 2004 - link

    #35

    You gain some, and you loose some. Either use the onboard sound or stick with ATX.
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