Are any Celeron 1037U Motherboards actually available?

[nForce2]

I have the Celeron 847 version of the NM70-I in my compact mac conversion.

Not that the old compact macs were known for airflow, but it's a little bit too happy running hot - it's idling at 64C right now, and the CPU and chassis fan are both off.

Did you disconnect those fans, or does the ECS motherboard allow you to tell the fans to completely turn off if the temperature is low enough?

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Did you disconnect those fans, or does the ECS motherboard allow you to tell the fans to completely turn off if the temperature is low enough?

It turns them both on and off automatically. There's enough buzz and rattle in the homemade enclosure / mounts that I can hear them turn on and off. The case fan has a little bit if a squeak when it powers up too.

I'm sure you can adjust the thresholds, but I left them at default.

 

[86waterpumper]

It is interesting that the ecs board has a full length pci-e slot. That is a surprising addition. Is it worth anything though? I don't see the point in adding a video card to these. The cpu is a good deal better than previous systems like this (e-350, atom etc) but it still isn't up to hardcore gaming. usb 3.0 and tv tuner cards are available for the smaller slots. Maybe there are certain models of these, or sata controller cards that require full length. If you had some specific card like this you wanted to run I guess it would be useful but just in general not many are going to care. If you are gonna game, at the very least you want a i3 I think.

What is up with the one board having a much bigger wider heatsink? It looks like overkill, I thought at first maybe it had some type of intgetrated video onboard. Oh well I guess for those that get that model maybe they can turn the fan down even further to very low levels.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

It is interesting that the ecs board has a full length pci-e slot. That is a surprising addition. Is it worth anything though? I don't see the point in adding a video card to these. The cpu is a good deal better than previous systems like this (e-350, atom etc) but it still isn't up to hardcore gaming. usb 3.0 and tv tuner cards are available for the smaller slots. Maybe there are certain models of these, or sata controller cards that require full length. If you had some specific card like this you wanted to run I guess it would be useful but just in general not many are going to care. If you are gonna game, at the very least you want a i3 I think.

What is up with the one board having a much bigger wider heatsink? It looks like overkill, I thought at first maybe it had some type of intgetrated video onboard. Oh well I guess for those that get that model maybe they can turn the fan down even further to very low levels.

The Celeron has pretty weak graphics. If I were building a light-duty gaming machine, I'd want to drop in a 7750 or similar.

A dual core 1.8Ghz SB/IB/HAS with a 7750 wouldn't be a l33t haxxorz CoD FPS-rig, but it'd play a mean game of WoW at 720p.

Alternatively, it seems like hedging bets - as you speculated, some people might have a specialized card they wanted to run. That card might be 4x, 1x, 8x, 16x, whatever - the slot is physically capable of supporting it, whatever it may be. I could see a RAID controller for a server, TV tuner for an HTPC, or something specialized like a "pro" sound card breakout machine for a semi-portable recording rig.

Better to have the choice, imo.

 

[sofo]

thanks

 

[nForce2]

It is interesting that the ecs board has a full length pci-e slot. That is a surprising addition. Is it worth anything though? I don't see the point in adding a video card to these. The cpu is a good deal better than previous systems like this (e-350, atom etc) but it still isn't up to hardcore gaming.

Video card upgrades are still a huge factor for HTPCs. :thumbsup:

For example, people using NVIDIA cards with PureVideo / VDPAU are able to decode and display HD video streams on Atoms with single-digit CPU usage. The fifth-generation PureVideo even does 4K video decoding in hardware. :thumbsup:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nvidia_PureVideo
http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/VDPAU



I think people would also use a dedicated video card if they needed to work around the 23.976 Hz bug on the Intel integrated GPUs.

 

[nForce2]

What is up with the one board having a much bigger wider heatsink? It looks like overkill, I thought at first maybe it had some type of intgetrated video onboard. Oh well I guess for those that get that model maybe they can turn the fan down even further to very low levels.

I looked at it too. I can't quite decide which is better...


The NM70-I v1.0's single heatsink covers both the CPU and the chipset, but only has a very short fin area underneath the fan, and has the fins oriented the wrong way for airflow from the fan to flow through the outer parts of the heatsink. So it's almost a half-active half-passive heatsink, and I don't think it would be especially efficient when the fan is running. The shape and mounting of the heatsink would also make it more difficult to replace with something else.

The NM70-I2(1.0), on the other hand, has two separate heatsinks. The fan-cooled CPU looks like it has about twice the fin area in the fan's airflow, so I would think that it could cool the CPU better at lower fan speeds when the fan was running. That being said, it likely wouldn't work as well in a passive mode. It also has the benefit of a square 4-corner mounting for the CPU heatsink, so replacing the heatsink with something bigger/better would be MUCH easier.

 

[nForce2]

Here's an extremely thorough review of the Biostar NM70I-1037, posted about a week ago. Lots of benchmarks, lots of photos, and they even tell you the brand of the CMOS battery. :biggrin:

http://www.pcaxe.com/hardver/maticne-ploce/biostar-nm70i-1037u

http://translate.google.com/transla...com/hardver/maticne-ploce/biostar-nm70i-1037u

Interestingly, one of their complaints for the system was a high power usage at sleep and at idle, 20.3 and 23 watts respectively.

 

[SinceCCF]

20.3 watt at sleep is too much, but I don't care cuz my build will be 24/7 downloading

 

[markhpc]

for what it's worth, amazon finally has the ECS NM70-I2 in stock but apparently only has 9 left (I bought #10). With prime it's $66.99 shipped which seems to be a bit better than Newegg's price.

http://www.amazon.com/ECS-Elitegroup...ords=ecs+1037u

Eventually this is destined for the HTPC, but not before I test it as an ultra cheap Ceph storage node. These things are really making me want to design a 1U chassis with 2 independent slide-out trays that each hold 4 drives, the mini-itx motherboard, and share some kind of central power backplane. You could make some *really* cheap distributed storage nodes with these.

 

[z28dreams]

I'm looking at building a small combination htpc/nas that just needs to do the following:

1. Be very cheap
2. Low power (<20w, or as low as possible)
3. Be able to play 1080p video, and eventually 4k if needed
4. Be powerful enough to make my software interfaces snappy
5. Be able to play netflix
6. Would like to find the smallest case possible that can fit a 3.5" 4TB drive

What's the best cpu option for something like this? I see things like the 1037u celeron, Bay Trail atom chips coming out (Z3770), other bay trails I know nothing about (N2920, J, E series), and some newer Haswell celerons coming as well (2955U,2980U).

So, my 2 main questions are:

1. Which of these low power cpu's gives the best performance / power and is affordable?

2. Case suggestions (or even retail products that might provide all this in one unit?)

I basically just want one box that I can attach to my TV and an ethernet cable that I can double as a NAS and play my media.

 

[cbn]

I'm looking at building a small combination htpc/nas that just needs to do the following:

1. Be very cheap
2. Low power (<20w, or as low as possible)
3. Be able to play 1080p video, and eventually 4k if needed
4. Be powerful enough to make my software interfaces snappy
5. Be able to play netflix
6. Would like to find the smallest case possible that can fit a 3.5" 4TB drive

What's the best cpu option for something like this? I see things like the 1037u celeron, Bay Trail atom chips coming out (Z3770), other bay trails I know nothing about (N2920, J, E series), and some newer Haswell celerons coming as well (2955U,2980U).

So, my 2 main questions are:

1. Which of these low power cpu's gives the best performance / power and is affordable?

2. Case suggestions (or even retail products that might provide all this in one unit?)

I basically just want one box that I can attach to my TV and an ethernet cable that I can double as a NAS and play my media.

Since you said very cheap for the case, I would look at Apex MI-008 (usually on sale for $40 shipped on Newegg/Amazon and includes AL-8250SFX PSU) or the Rosewill RS-MI-01 BK (the exact same case as Apex MI-008, but with a different front fascia. It usually on sale for $40 shipped also, but sometimes as low as $34-$36 shipped new on Amazon. It also includes AL-8250SFX PSU)

For some information on this case check out the SPCR article--->http://www.silentpcreview.com/apex-mi008 (Note: the current versions of the case have vents on both sides, not just the one side as in the SPCR article)

 

[z28dreams]

Since you said very cheap for the case, I would look at Apex MI-008 (usually on sale for $40 shipped on Newegg/Amazon and includes AL-8250SFX PSU) or the Rosewill RS-MI-01 BK (the exact same case as Apex MI-008, but with a different front fascia. It usually on sale for $40 shipped also, but sometimes as low as $34-$36 shipped new on Amazon. It also includes AL-8250SFX PSU)

For some information on this case check out the SPCR article--->http://www.silentpcreview.com/apex-mi008 (Note: the current versions of the case have vents on both sides, not just the one side as in the SPCR article)

I've seen that case, but the big downside was no USB 3.0 ports. I think the nicest budget mini-ITX cases I've seen are the Fractal Node 304 ($55), the Cooler Master Elite 130 (though I hate its logo on the front), and the SG06 LITE, though that may need a custom power supply. All are a bit bigger than I'd like, though.

 

[nForce2]

1. Be very cheap
2. Low power (<20w, or as low as possible)
3. Be able to play 1080p video, and eventually 4k if needed

I've seen that case, but the big downside was no USB 3.0 ports.

I hate to break it to you, but you're not going to find that combination in a 1037U system. If you could, there would be a LOT more activity in this thread.

4K video on a low-power 1037U is going to need a more powerful dedicated graphics card, which would shoot your budget AND rip right past your power target.

USB 3.0 is also problematic, as only one 1037U motherboard in the US is currently available with it. At $180, that motherboard (the Giada) wouldn't meet requirement #1, and even if it did, you would find far more powerful and cost effective options with a motherboard with a socketed CPU.


That being said, if you do find something that meets those requirements, please let us know. :thumbsup:

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Any of the boards with a PCI-E slot will accept a USB 3 card, and some of the Sugo SG05s have USB 3 ports on the front. (A header isn't super-hard to find anyway.)

I'd prefer not to be reliant on external storage anyway. But if USB 3 is the killer feature you're after, well, you can do it.

 

[cbn]

for what it's worth, amazon finally has the ECS NM70-I2 in stock but apparently only has 9 left (I bought #10). With prime it's $66.99 shipped which seems to be a bit better than Newegg's price.

http://www.amazon.com/ECS-Elitegroup...ords=ecs+1037u

That is really good for a launch price.

I have to wonder now how much ECS will charge for this thin mini-itx 1037U board:

ECS NM70-TI/1037U
http://www.ecs.com.tw/ECSWebSite/Pr...goryID=1&DetailName=Feature&MenuID=17&LanID=0

 

[nForce2]

Any of the boards with a PCI-E slot will accept a USB 3 card, and some of the Sugo SG05s have USB 3 ports on the front. (A header isn't super-hard to find anyway.)

I'd prefer not to be reliant on external storage anyway. But if USB 3 is the killer feature you're after, well, you can do it.

You would need a board with two PCI-E slots though... because you need one PCI-E slot for a graphics card to support the 4k video.

So the two ECS boards are out, as they only have a single slot (no Mini-PCIe). The Foxconn or Jetway could do it if you used a Mini-PCIe USB 3 card, but the price of the Jetway plus the USB 3 card would pretty much match the price of the Giada that already has it. So the Foxconn would be the best option if price was driving the purchase.

 

[nForce2]

I have to wonder now how much ECS will charge for this thin mini-itx 1037U board:

Hopefully not too much, because that's one of the ones I really like. :biggrin:

External DC power, thin form factor, dual-channel memory, and PCI-Express, Mini-PCIe, and mSATA. :thumbsup:

Throw it in a slim case, like the SilverStone PT13, and you'd have a slick little machine!
http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=419

 

[cbn]

Looking at the release schedules for ULV Celeron from Intel Ark--->http://ark.intel.com/products/family/43521/Intel-Celeron-Processor/mobile

Dual core Sandy Bridge ULV Celeron:

1. Celeron 847 Q2 2011
2. Celeron 857 Q3 2011
3. Celeron 867 Q1 2012
4. Celeron 877 Q2 2012
5. Celeron 887 Q3 2012

Ivy Bridge ULV Celeron:

1. 1007U Q1 2013
2. 1037U Q1 2013
3. 1017U Q3 2013

Haswell ULV Celeron:

1. 2955U Q3 2013
2. 2980U Q3 2013

Dual Core Sandy Bridge showed a progressive increase in clock speed from Q2 2011 all the way to Q3 2012.

Ivy Bridge ULV Celeron, on the other hand, launched with both a fast (1037U) and slow (1007U) SKU.....a faster slow SKU (1017U) followed 2 quarters later.

Based on that history, I wouldn't be surprised if we see some mild speed bumps for both Ivy Bridge ULV and Haswell ULV Celerons sometime in the future.

 

[cbn]

Hopefully not too much, because that's one of the ones I really like. :biggrin:

External DC power, thin form factor, dual-channel memory, and PCI-Express, Mini-PCIe, and mSATA. :thumbsup:

Throw it in a slim case, like the SilverStone PT13, and you'd have a slick little machine!
http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=419

Yes, I do think that Silverstone is a nice case. (Although I do think it is a little expensive for my purposes considering it still needs a fan on the cpu)

Right now, I am using regular Mini-ITX plus Apex MI-008/Rosewill RS-MI-01 BK as my benchmark for low cost and fanned CPU. (Usually the barebones combo can be had for around $100 or less depending on the cpu and what sales happening to be going on.)

.....but maybe the ECS NM70-TI/1037U will be a breakthrough board for DC-in? Then cheaper thin mini itx cases to follow?

 

[cbn]

Did some more research on ECS thin Mini-ITX, and found out they made a Celeron 807/847 version:

http://www.ecs.com.tw/ECSWebSite/Product/Product_Detail.aspx?DetailID=1446&MenuID=17&LanID=0

Provantage sells it for $80.71 (plus shipping)

http://www.provantage.com/elitegroup-computer-systems-nm70-ti-v1-0a~7ELT903F.htm

NOTE: I am unclear on what CPU comes with the Provantage mobo: Celeron 847 or Celeron 807?

 

[cbn]

Update:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813138368

The Biostar Celeron 847 now carries a 15% discount code. (ends 11/4) This brings price to ~$55 with free shipping.

Is there anyway we can tell how many are left in stock? (EDIT: I Just checked by adding 100 to my cart. ...Newegg shows 25 left)

They were at 112 a month ago, so they either returned some stock or they're selling pretty quickly now! 11/4 is next Monday - if they sell enough, could the Biostar come as soon as next week? Any bets?

20 left now. (BIOSTAR NM70I-847)

Just checked, last day for the promo code and 11 left.

I wonder if we are going to see a blow out sale coming up for those last units (if they don't sell out with the current promo code) in an attempt to make way for the Biostar 1037U?

Just nine left now. Not sure which time zone Newegg runs in, but however you look at it, the deal doesn't have much time left.

Even so, they have the inventory down to single digits now. They could probably launch the 1037U board now at any time, and still continue to sell the 847s slowly if there was enough of a price difference between them.

Inventory is back up to 46 for BIOSTAR NM70I-847. (Price is now $64.99 with free shipping)

 

[AkumaX]

Price drop on this Gigabyte Brix 1037U unit (from $170 to $150)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16856164005

 

[cbn]

I have a question about NUC, Brix and thin mini-itx:

Does anyone know if they share the same size DC-in port/connector?

P.S. Looking at this Intel PDF on page 26-27, there is a recommended power jack type (at least for the thin mini-itx)

Recommended power jack type: Singatron 2DC1003-000211F or equivalent

 

[AkumaX]

I have a question about NUC, Brix and thin mini-itx:

Does anyone know if they share the same size DC-in port/connector?

P.S. Looking at this Intel PDF on page 26-27, there is a recommended power jack type (at least for the thin mini-itx)

Not sure, but it seems to be a basic 7.5mm barrel connector:

http://www.intel.com/cd/channel/reseller/asmo-na/eng/products/480805.htm?prn

19V, up to 8.5A typically? Although, this system would use much much less.. like the Brix 1037U comes w/ a power brick that's 19V @ 3.4A!

--

also, last day to buy that Toshiba 15.6" 1037U laptop + Skullcandy headphones combo for $230