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Domain: a-top.com

Stories and comments across the archive that link to a-top.com.

Comments · 5

  1. Re:PC Stereo Component by MamasGun · · Score: 1 · on Building a Multi-Channel PVR System?
    On the cheap, too bad it's beige:
    http://www.a-top.com/at777.htm.

    I built a PC that may very well end up being a PVR-type device in this case. It requires a SFX-S power supply, though, which limits you to a few anemic power supplies, the best with a wattage of 185W. You can get good ones at PC Power And Cooling. I didn't trust the no-name PS that came with the case.

    If you limit yourself to PIII mATX or EPIA-M motherboards, you will be able to build a nice TiVo-like device in it. However, you'll have to live with the beige color scheme, unless you want to go Yoshi on its @$$ and paint it up purdy :) ...

  2. Re:small cases? by MsGeek · · Score: 2 · on Choosing a Good Case
    I'm in progress on a new project...I want to build a small, compact computer to bring places. Not just to LAN parties, but also to LUG meetings and at teaching engagements. So here's what I've done so far case-wise:

    Case itself: A-Top 777. It's not exactly what I was looking for, but turned out to be decent for what I intend to do. This case would be great as a set-top box case..it's that ugly beige but that's nothing a spray can can't fix.

    Power Supply: PC Power And Cooling SFX-S form-factor power supply. Get rid of the PS in this box...it looks like something that eMachines would throw into their POS boxen. There is an econo 145W version which is what I got...this is a PIII-based system, not an Athlon or P4. They also make a very decent AMD and P4 approved 180W PS that can handle the ABit NV7M nForce-based mATX motherboard without breaking a sweat.

    Anyway, the combo of the A-Top 777 case and the PCPC power supply should be a fine one for my purposes. Will document the entire build at Low End PC.

  3. Invisible Case - Invisible Story by Twiki · · Score: 1 · on The Incredible Invisible Case

    Anyone seen these?

  4. My quiet case project : it's an answer ... sort of by Prozzaks · · Score: 1 · on Building Quieter Computers

    Well, it seem these days, most of the power user just care to get something like 200fps in Quake III. Why ? Beat's me ! I'm not on a quest to get the ultimate frame rate, I just want my box to be quiet as possibly can be.

    To help you understand my take on the subject, here is the background :
    My PC has the following components :

    • A OEM case
    • A 235W OEM power supply
    • ASUS P3B-F
    • Intel Pentium II rated 400Mhz @ 400Mhz
    • A cheap OEM SECC2 Heat-Sink made of aluminum
    • A 128MB CAS2 no-name DIMM
    • Two 32MB CAS3 Samsung DIMM slowing down my memory timing, but preventing the appearance of the all mighty evil SwaP
    • A ATI All-In-Wonder Rage128 16MB
    • A Creative SoundBlaster Live! Value
    • A Realtek 8139 Ethernet NIC
    • My beloved USR 56Kbps ISA Real Modem. Sorry but to me a component that uses CPU power to do it's processing instead of taking the load off is not worthy of being in my computer. Not to mention the M$ Win part...
    • A Creative 48x CD-ROM drive. It's the loudest damned thing in my computer when it's spinning
    • A Quantum Fireball AS PLUS 40GB (7200RPM) in a removable tray
    • A Quantum Fireball CX1 10GB (5400RPM) mounted inside the case
    • Of course the stupid old 1.44 MB floppy drive only used for booting Tomsbrt in case of emergency

    Soon to be :

    • A Adaptec 2940UW
    • A Diamond Monster 3D II for Glide games

    It turn out that the Quantum Fireball AS makes less noise than the Quantum Fireball CX1. I still have to figure it out ...

    I use my PC for :

    • Running Linux and learning as much as time allows me (Jez I had so much time when I was a student... Think of all the time I wasted in High-School running the evil W monster)
    • Doing some gaming i.e. : Diablo II, Unreal, UT, Undying (Although that thing is going to cost me a new box)
    • Spending numerous nights filling my brain @ Slashdot, Tomshardware, Anandtech, Arstechnica, StorageReview, Developper.Intel.com, and most importantly, hounding the web for all the case manufacturers and their take at a quiet box.

    As I'm writing this post, that is probably going to be the base documentation for my Silent Case Project, you're guessing that my sleepless night of browsing have not yielded the desired result.

    I've check out many options such as water cooling, moving the PC to the closet, returning to the forest where a PC is pretty far from your everyday quest for survival. None of them suits me.

    The objective of my project is to build a case that meets the following criteria :

    • A silent as possible
    • Accessible
    • Provides sufficient ventilation to maintain all the components running within thermal specs
    • Be light enough to be easily transportable (Let's not forget the Lan parties ;-)

    To attain those goals I have to :

    • Read all I can about noise, sound, aerodynamics, PC specs
    • Find suitable materials : A case is not just a protection against unwanted fingers and dust ; it must provide EMI shielding, proper grounding, resist to impacts, and fit into my conception of the king of object you want in your bedroom (If you were thinking about plywood and a box of rusted leftover nails, forget it)
    • Find the tools or the companies or individuals with the means to work the materials I choose to build the casing

    For the sound isolation I was thinking about some kind of foam. Mineral lint would be affective but that takes too much space and it's not the kind of thing I want beside my bed. Form the casing itself, metal is almost inevitable if you want EMI shielding and grounding. And as for you who wonder why I have not mentioned water cooling yet, the greatest source of noise is not my CPU cooler and your just moving the problem out of the case (Nice ; you have water heating up but unless your reservoir is like a bathtub or something you will have to transfer the heat for the water to the air).

    That about as far as I am. If you have any idea that might help me, please fell free to send me some bits forming ASCII characters at Prozzaks@operamail.com

    To finish up, here is a list of thing that might help people wanting to achieve similar goals :

  5. Of two minds. by bons · · Score: 2 · on Supreme Court Weakens Design Protection Patents
    Let us consider the following items Apple, Amazon, and Slashdot.

    Now let's face it. Regardless of patent issues, it seems more and more retailers have simply copied Amazon.com's site in it's entirety. That somehow strikes me as unfair.

    Now let's consider Apple. I'm not going to go through the sortid history of who stole what from whom but let's simply say that by the time Windows 95 came out, many of us had seen that desktop a few times before. As for the Mac cases, it's not like many of us haven't been hunting for a cool case for awhile. The only difference is that we want a floppy drive and don't want a new monitor every time we upgrade.

    And let's face it. The first place that tries to copy Slashdot in a non parody form will die a horrible death.

    So why this claim? Apparently the United States Supreme Court might agree with Slashdotters in an appropriate case. " Please, don't presume to speak for me.

    Look is look. MTV is MTV. Mountain Dew and Jolt are a way of life, other caffine is just imitation.

    And in a hype marketing world, I'm tired of cheap knock offs.

    - Ken Boucher http://www.virtualsurreality.com

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