Spoken with Crucial about the RAM as it's not listed on thier product finder and they said the following:

Your system supports a max of 8gb over 4 slots of DDR2 memory, We currently have the following PC2-5300 (667MHz) Unbuffered, NonECC DDR-II DIMM modules available:

Density - Part Number – Timing

256MB - CT3264AA667 – CL= 5

512MB - CT6464AA667 - CL= 5

1GB - CT12864AA667- CL= 5

1GB (512MBx2) - CT2KIT6464AA667 - CL=5

2GB (1GBx2) - CT2KIT12864AA667 - CL=5

The recommended this RAM:

2GB kit (1GBx2) DDR2 PC2-5300 upgrades from Crucial.com

Does this RAM look OK?

I presume the floopy is to create the start up disk if required later?

Nope the floppy is for when XP insists on drivers for your SATA controller etc and will only take a floppy disk with it on.

As for the RAM, if thats what crucial says then take it. Look sok to me and if they say it matches your system theywill replace it if it doesn't work.

Go into a maplin and buy yourself an antistatic ankle strap or arm strap too, saves any chance of you zapping anything by accident.

Nope the floppy is for when XP insists on drivers for your SATA controller etc and will only take a floppy disk with it on.

As for the RAM, if thats what crucial says then take it. Look sok to me and if they say it matches your system theywill replace it if it doesn't work.

Go into a maplin and buy yourself an antistatic ankle strap or arm strap too, saves any chance of you zapping anything by accident.

Thanks for all the advise, order now placed with DABS although they don't have the RAM or the wireless adapter i stock at present but hopefully in a wek I'll have all the bits.

Must find a Maplins on my travels, sounds a good bit of advice!

Get the RAM direct from crucial , the posting is in the prices shown and you only get the it will work warrenty if you order direct too.

Wireless adapter? Assume you use WLAN to connect, i'd say get the intel chip that is used in a centrino system unless you have reasons for any other as there are usually drivers in the OS for them

Anyway you will have a lot of fun with that system. I'd guess you will be a bit :( by the graphics, but once vista is out you will be able to get a card that it will work on so best waiting until then anyway.

THe RAM is about £30 more expensive from crucal direct (unless anyone has a discount code!) but maybe I'll do that then!

I don't have a phone line where my home PC is so the wireless riouter is by the TV etc and I use wireless for the home PC and my company laptop. Seems to work fine! I have a Netgear Next Wireless router and am buying https://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?QuickLinx=48QW to go in this box rather than the USB one that I have at the moment. Is this gonna be OK?

I'm sure the graphics will be better than what I have at the moment, will post the spec of my current machine!

Thanks again

Steve

Never used that mate so can't comment, except it looks a bit excessive for something that will go in a shuttle.

Current PC Spec

Current PC Spec

Hopefully the new machine should be a massive improvement!

Current PC Spec

Current PC Spec

Hopefully the new machine should be a massive improvement!

You are going to be very very happy with your new machine

Don't forget you can use the USB hard disk with the new system and in my opinion i would drop norton/symantec antivirus and replace it with something like AVG or sophos.

Out of interest, I'd trim or pull that PDF as it has product license keys for your software on it.

You are going to be very very happy with your new machine

Don't forget you can use the USB hard disk with the new system and in my opinion i would drop norton/symantec antivirus and replace it with something like AVG or sophos.

Out of interest, I'd trim or pull that PDF as it has product license keys for your software on it.

Whoops - PDF no removed!

Never used anything other than Norton but then that's cos we have a corporate liscence at work and my machince was included in it. I know nothing of AVG or sophos, wheres a good place to get them from?

AVG - AVG Anti Virus: HOME

AVG internet security - AVG Anti Virus: AVG Internet Security

Sophos - Sophos products - Reliable protection trusted by millions

Both are less heavy on the system than norton, but then they only really do the AV side of it not any of the silly extra things like parental control that you probably don't want. The AVG internet security does more than just AV.

Zone alarm is a free or cheap firewall, although if your routers hardware one is an SPI firewall and set up right you will be fine with just that and windows firewall.

Zone Labs by Check Point Software Technologies - Zone Labs, Internet security products, online safety, software, protection

With regard to the AV it is entirely down to what you like, but I have grown to very much dislike norton.

Just on the cooling issue, aren't you using Shuttle built-in system? Haven't checked this thread in a while, good to see progress is being made

Steve

Wasn't planning on doing anything with the colling other than what it comes with, unless things become an issue!

Exactly my thoughts

Some of the shuttles do come with heatpipe coolers mind so you might want to see what yours comes with

I tend to buy it, and then if the cooling is too noisy swap the fans out for quieter with the same CFM when it starts to bug me.

It's gotta be quiet cos it is generally on 24/7 in my dining room which is a well used room in our house.

Mind you doubt anything is much noisier than the current box at times!

On a side note, noticed the fan in our Sky+ box kicking in a lot more recenerly and having to turn up the TV!

Try blowing some air throught the sky box as that usually helps, failing that when it's out of warrenty visit quietPC and get a quiet one to replace it :P

It was out of warranty the day I got it cos I put a bigger HDD in it!

Will have a look at quiet PC and see what they have! Thanks

Make sure the CFM is the same or more than the standard one thats in the box.

That's one of the reasons I use and recommend Shuttles. They have custom designed cooling. And I've not found one yet that hasn't coped admirably and quietly with whatever I've thrown at it, overclocking included.

Steve

Depends on your definition of quiet, i want mine zero fan noise or so quiet you don't hear it above backgound noise.

The older shuttles 40mm PSU fan made this an impossibility, so i'm guessing they have improved on that front now. Certainly the mob specs ahve improved a lot.

I think with shuttles you have to be careful which you buy as some are not all that quiet. That was my reason for saying don't go X2, because there really is just too much heat to shift from sucha small sppace without some serious air movement.

Granted my current S939 SN25P is a little noisier than my previous ones, but then again it does have a x64 processor to keep cool.

I did bring a soundmeter from work when I got my first couple, but can't honestly remember what figures they were producing. They were good enough to sit in a living room and not disturb anyone though.

Look forward to seeing how GolfTurbo gets on with the one he's specced.

Steve

Well it's here so all I need to do is build it (that's the scary thing). Haven't had a chance to get to a maplins to get the anti static strap so will have to see if my local PC shop has something, otherwise any ideas?

Otherwise if the plug for the case has a metal earth pin then plug it into the PSU and the wall but *DO NOT* turn it on at the wall.

That will ground the case, so if you just touch the case before you pick anything up and at regular intervals you should ground yourself fairly well.

Where did you get teh RAM from in the end?

Good luck, and let us know how many smiles it brings.

Good tip, thanks!

Got the RAM from crucial direct, hope they spec'd it right!

Golfturbo

Well if they didn't they will send you out the new stuff on an exchange and take the old stuff back FOC assuming you used the memory selector to buy the RAM

Mark

The model I have got wasn't on their ememory selector, but their on-line helpdesk told me what I needed