Potential Build Advice
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This setup seems to work well and was easy!
I got:
D2500CCE
M350-enclosure-with-picoPSU-80-and-60W-adapter
2X4GB - picked it up at Fry's B&MRe-purposed a 1TB Sata fullsize I had sitting around.
I installed W7 in order to prove the hardware (I ran HCI memtest and LinX - (linpack) each for ~12 hours) while W7 was installed, I updated the BIOS and disabled unnecessary BIOS devices. I'm sure there are Linux version of stress testing packages but I am more familiar with W7 stress testing, so for me it was quicker/easier to set up. I also pulled the CPU heatsink and replaced the thermal paste with Arctic Silver 5, during the tests (case top off) the passively cooled CPU cores never got above 52C! (79F ambient room). (Currently with case top off, it just sits at ~50C! ambient 77F - With case on it runs ~58C).
After it passed all the hardware stress tests I initially tried 64bit pfSense but I didn't get past the video issues - it looked like video wouldn't scroll during install - one line overlayed the next while not completely erasing the previous line, not sure if the install could have gotten past that or not. I wasn't that patient so I aborted and installed 32bit pfSense-memstick-2.0.1 (i386 from a USB flashdrive). There were a few video issues at install, ie: white squares where characters should have been, and blank lines on some of the graphics, hit the F10 to refresh and got thru it easily enough.
This is for my home network so my configuration is not very complex at all - I came from a DD-WRT, so there was a bit of a learning curve to get pfSense configured. I played with it a short time on a private network and got familiar with the basics. I replaced the DD-WRT router with pfSense and it's been up working for all of 1 day!
I plan to upgrade the the HDD to an SSD soon and swap to 64bit when FreeBSD supports the video better.
EDIT - Changed the temp info, originally the case top was off, when I put it on the CPU temps rose to ~58C (ambient was 79F), which is still I believe, well within Intel spec's.
EDIT #2 - Kill A Watt says 23 watts. -
Thanks for all the info RocKKer! BTW, did you ever hook up your new rig to a Killawatt? I'm wondering what the draw would be.
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Sure, I will Kill A Watt it later tonight!
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23W, nice. :)
Is that with the 1TB sata disk?Steve
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23W, nice. :)
Is that with the 1TB sata disk?Steve
Thanks for the update. I was wondering this too. I am thinking that an SSD would be a great addition to my original rig. That would cut the wattage draw too.
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Yes SATA (SATA 300), it's a WD "green". (wd10eads).
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Update: I've got SSD installed. OCZ Agiltiy 3 60GB - power usage is down to 18!
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A useful reduction and good solid information. Thanks for the update. :)
Steve
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I noticed a couple minor quirks about this Mboard:
- After a power failure it will not power back on unless you push the power button. I changed the bios to "on" after power resumes but no change. The enclosure has a jumper that enables autostart, so the button is always "on", but still no change.
- The little speaker on the Mboard is a bit loud so I put some tape over it, quieted it down rather nicely.
EDIT - Checked Intel, there is a bios update (5/11) which fixes the power issue I was having.
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What do you mean down to 18 ? 18% 18w…for example my pfsense based on pc is consuming 16% from 600va wich is 96va or 96w
Those information are from nut package with mustek ups.
I also have a power contor on it, on a month is consuming aprox 60-70 kv like 15-20 euro/month.
I forgott also an switch and an wifi ap are taken into account with pc pfsense. -
He means 18W down from 23W by swapping in a SSD.
96W seems like a lot! What are you running for that?
Also so I assume you mean 60-70kWh. ;)Steve
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Yeah down to 18W, sorry for not being clear. :)
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Sorry for a late reply,
Yes is a little bit to much…it's only one pc with pfsense installed, an intel cpu celeron with 256 mb of ram, it was described in another posts by me...and this power consumed is with an ap on lan and a switch :D all together...
Yours with 18w power cosumation is very good.
How you are measureing power comsumation ? -
bmironb: I used a Kill-A-Watt.
…..On another note I suspect this little mini-box needs a fan.
I came home from work and found I had no internet access, after rebooting pfSense and checking a few other things I eventually substituted my old router and internet access was restored. I was able to access the pfSense webgui before I replaced it with the old router and the CPU was a little higher than normal at 62C (normally hovers between 60-61C, ambient doesn't get over 79F/26C).
I suspected the pfSense box got a little hot, I reconnected the pfSense box and took off the cover and put an 80mm blowing directly on the little mboard and it working again, the CPU now hovers ~38C. I checked the NM10 chip (used the finger test) and it's hot even with cover off and a fan blowing on it. The finger test is touch the metal case to ground yourself then touch a chip, if it's uncomfortable to rest my finger on a chip for more a few seconds the chip is to hot. It's not completely safe (static wise) or scientific but it's quick and free!
I'll have to dream up a way to cool this. I'm thinking of small stick on heatsinks (like for video memory or chipset) for NM10 chip and maybe for the Winbond (it runs warm too), those are the only chips of any size on this mboard. I am also thinking of cutting a hole above the CPU for a thin 80mm fan and run it at 7 volts for quietness.
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Good point about the heat. I was already thinking to do the same just for good measure. The noise won't bother anything in my basement! Thanks for the update. Let us know if you do get around to the heat sink installation. I'd be curious to see some pics of how you pull that off!
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Mine will sit around 6-7 feet away from me so it has to be quiet!
Pics and mods will have to wait, I am having a problem with a seemingly simple task of forwarding ports to my videophone, I know how to forward, all my other forwards are working. This videophone is notorious for being finicky though…...actually I don't know what the problem is, I just can't get video to come in from the WAN, maybe some packets are getting mangled or dropped, I don't know....I'm a hardware guy, I struggle with network packets ACK's and SYN's!
....so back to the old stand-by DD-WRT for now at least.
I may try shorewall running on a linux distro that I'm more familiar with like Ubuntu, just as a test to see if it will work. pfSense does about 10 or 100 times more things than I need for a home installation....it's about as dirt simple to install as you can get with a nicely featured and easy gui and a single config file for backup, If I can't get it to work for me, I would miss it!
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OK my forwarding problem is solved, had to change pfSense to use Static_Port. ;D
Now back to the fun stuff!…...figuring out how to mod this to keep it cool!
Probably be a few days before I can start on that, life is happening!
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I found heatsinks and a thin 80mm fan.
I used these stick-on heatsinks and this 80mm X 15mm fanThe heatsinks come with little squares of 3M 8815 Thermal Tape but it is not installed, so I placed the little heatsinks first and found I could fit 4 on each chip. To install I used a Q-tip soaked with rubbing alcohol to clean both the heatsink and the chip, then applied the little square of thermal tape to each heatsink and placed heatsink on the chip. After I had the heatsinks installed and powered on for about 30 minutes (case off, no fan) the heatsinks were to hot to touch! Obviously the thermal tape works and those chips get really hot.
I have some photos!
The first is a stock picture of the Intel MB, I circled and labeled the two chips and the little speaker, remember I placed some cellophane tape over it because it was a little to loud.
The next is a pic with the SSD and fan moved so you can see where I put the heatsinks.
The last pic is my running configuration (for now) the Silenx fan is sitting on the cpu heatsink and disk mount bracket. My plan is to cut a hole in the case using a 3" (80mm size) hole saw and get this grill (grill is on order - when I get it installed I'll post a final pic.
The CPU now runs 36C - ambient 79F(26C) with the Silenx fan and the little box is still silent - that fan seems to blow just the right amount of air.
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can you please post some photos with the case…and in the end how much will cost with all....
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I will post a final pic of my case once I get the fan grill installed, but you can see the case I'm using here.
I'll get the total cost together too.
