New buildup of Asus M2NPV-VM system

[soccerdad]

Here are some pix of my new system going together.
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The key features are:
Asus M2NPV-VM MB
AMD AM2 X2 3600+ CPU
1 gig of Ram
Sony/NEC DVD burner
XP Home
Antec NSK2400 case (manufacture's second, 1/2 price!)

Here is a shot of the case "defect" just some very fine scratches
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Here is the MB buildup before it went into the case. The case is tight so this is the only way to go. I added 1, PVR150 and 1 PVR150MCE after I put in the board.
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I will add some more shots and a writeup of it all, including all my startup issues as soon as I can. The system is up and running and has replaced the MVP in my living room. I still have a few bugs (mainly around the DVD) to work out. The picture is great on my CRT through the Svid. I am still learning all the tuning. Thanks to all who helped with ideas.
I think it is a great system for less than $450. (I did recycle my HD and capture cards.)

[-Oz-]

Here is the MB buildup before it went into the case. The case is tight so this is the only way to go. I added 1, PVR150 and 1 PVR150MCE after I put in the board.

You just need small hands I built both mine inside the case. Was kinda a pain.

I'm glad yours is working out though. Takes a lot of tweaking doesn't it.

[soccerdad]

Actually I probably could have put in the big components in with the board in the case. It was things like the front panel wires that you needed very small fingers on. I will post back on the tweaks soon.

[rowle1jt]

Looking good. I always install CPU/RAM in the board before it goes in the case.

I didn't have any issues with the FP connectors, depends on the board and the placement of the FP connectors on it.

Does that CPU cooler have heatpips? If not... that thing is pretty massive for being an aluminum HSF!!!

[gEd]

Actually I probably could have put in the big components in with the board in the case. It was things like the front panel wires that you needed very small fingers on. I will post back on the tweaks soon.

They really are a PITA aren;t they.

I just build a pc for my brother in law using a ASUS P5B-VM (core2duo) and the mobo came with a simple but effective little adapter for the front panel wires. You plug the wires (hd, reset, power etc) into the (labeled) adapter and then slide the adapter onto the mobo - very neat.

Hoping to persuade him to turn it into a mega-gbpvr pc very soon.

Good to see a pc build thread btw!

[soccerdad]

Here are a couple of additional pix with the board in the case. This first one is kind of an overview. Lots of wires, but Antec does do a good job by giving you some wire ties. They also have some plastic air guides to get the air closer to the CPU, but I did not see the point since the fan is already close to the air inlet. The CPU fan is big, and no it is not a heatpipe, just a big aluminum extrusion. The other one I returned was even bigger, but it did not fit in the case. This one seems to work OK and is nearly silent. I run it full speed (1300RPM) and the CPU runs at about 50C.
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This shot shows the two PVR 150 cards. They are packed in tight but seem to work fine. I had a minor issue installing them. The case is designed to have the tab on the bottom of the card mount go through a little gap at the floor of the case. The gap is where a couple of pieces of sheet metal come together when they build the case. They were off a little and I had to open the gap by prying it a little with a screwdriver. Then the cards just dropped in and I was able to fully seat them in their PCI slots. The other header is for the TV out, Svid and RGB.
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[rowle1jt]

Man... that all look s familiar! LoL

Looking good!

[DeepBlueC]

I dont see a vid card. Are you going to be using the integrated 6150 video? Does that board have digital audio out?

[soccerdad]

The board has a bunch of video out options. Composite, svid, RGB and DVI-D. I am happy with the quality at this point and don't expect to use a video card. The specs say it will do 1080i when I finally get enough money to get a new TV, and HD service.......

The board (http://www.asus.com/products4.aspx?l1=3&...odelmenu=1) also has spdif out on a header. You can either get an adapter from ASUS or make your own. From what I can tell, the ASUS is about $20 and you can roll your own for about $8. At the moment, I am using the stereo out to my audio system using a mini-jack to RCA adapter. Sound is OK, but I am just watching TV at the moment. I will eventually go to the spdif, but my receiver won't handle it at the moment.

[elbryyan]

Good posting soccerdad. I'm trying to get the wife's approval to pull the trigger on my own build using the same case and mb myself. Thanks for the picture of the case. Saves a ton of money if you don't mind getting a slightly scratched case. Don't forget a picture of the finished project.