CLARITAS PC case buy from Stands Unique

[rod]

Stands Unique power buy special forum offer on the C L A R I T A S
(http://www.standsunique.com) super high quality Digital Media Server enclosures.
Ideal for media servers, PVR’s, high quality DVD playback, gaming etc. in a case that will look at home in any hi-fi or audio–visual system with no-compromise build quality.

Stands Unique are pleased to offer forum members the Claritas range of cases at reduced prices of 10% off recommended retail:

CLARITAS 260M (microATX motherboard) £247.50 (rrp £275.00) available in all black or all silver or mixed. Limited stock of Titanium finish -ask for details

CLARITAS 260A (ATX motherboard) £247.50 (rrp £275.00) available in all black or all silver or mixed. Limited stock of Titanium finish - ask for details

CLARITAS 390M (microATX motherboard) £269.10 (rrp £299.00) available in silver or black casework

CLARITAS 390A (ATX motherboard) £269.10 (rrp £299.00) available in silver or black casework - front fascia is identical to 390M ie. symmetrical

a pdf showing details is downloadable from our home page.

We also have a limited stock of Claritas 340M enclosures in silver only - similar to the 390M but 50mm less in depth - ask for details

Custom engraved acrylic drive cover is also offered contact me for more info.

Carriage within the UK is charged at £10.00
All prices shown include VAT
Prices do not include PSU's.

Our enclosures are being used by well known companies such as Intel GB, and UVEM (http://www.uvem.com) to present Digital Media software, accomplishing five star reviews in What Hi-Fi Sound & Vision magazine.

If you have any questions please pop them in this thread.
We are also offering our furniture and AV One speaker packages at preferential rates to forum members.

Rod

I have had many phone calls concerning this offer, thanks, but could anyone interested in the CLARITAS range please reply to this thread to ensure your exclusive 10% discount for forum users - the offer is being kept throughout 2005.

For an up to date picture showing a new silver badge option please see later on in this thread.

http://www.standsunique.com
--- official power buy ---

[rod]

Pictures to whet your appetite.

[rod]

Another

[rod]

THis took a great deal of development, it can be fixed into from the ends, sides top and bottom.

[rod]

The assembly is made easier by leaving the front and sides off until the system is fully tested.

[rod]

One last one showing the stainless steel rear and detail for ventilation.

[nealgs]

What mobo types do these excellent looking cases support?

cheers
Gary

[Jenz]

I use these cases for my Clarus Video Processor. They are extremely high quality and very heavy.

The models can take uATX, ATX respectively.

Regards Neil.

[rod]

CLARITAS (formely know as Strata ) range consists of three models.

CLARITAS 260M (the number relates to the overall depth)
This model accommodates a microATX motherboard and has the full size optical drive in the centre of the 10mm thick fascia.
A micro ATX power supply must be used.

CLARITAS 260A can handle a full size ATX motherboard (seven slots)
and again uses a MicroATX powersupply to keep overall size to a minimum. Due to the configuration of the motherboard slots the full size optical drive is offset - set to the right and moved up.
A Micro ATX power supply is also used in this enclosure.
Large quiet coolers such as the Zalman 7000 range can be used with this enclosure.

CLARITAS 390 will take a MicroATX motherboard but uses a full size power supply unit. The CLARITAS 260M fascia is used so the full size optical drive is centred for a balanced appearance.
Due to the extra depth of this enclosure large coolers can be used
and there is space for up to seven standard sized hard discs.
Because of the full size power supply and space for large coolers this enclosure can take any processor size and any graphics card that demands extra power internally.

Hope this helps explain things.
Check out http://www.standsunique.com/productrange/digitalmedia/index.htm
Rod

[rod]

Just noticed haven't a pic of the CLARITAS 390 and 260M from the front so here it is.

[rod]

Just took these pics to show off the larger CLARITAS 390 enclosure,
as you can see it has plenty of ventilation.

[rod]

More pics

[rod]

One of our customers was kind enough to send in this picture of his fully configured HCPC inside one of our CLARITAS 390 enclosures.

[Big Adam]

Rod,

I'm extremely interested in a Strata 390 enclosure in silver but have a few questions:

1) Are the two rear vents for 80mm or 92mm fans?
2) Can you confirm that the case comes WITHOUT a power supply in it’s standard form?
3) The case takes a maximum of seven IDE drives but how many can be mounted as standard (i.e. without the addition of extra brackets)
4) How much are additional IDE brackets?
5) I live in Peterborough. Any chance I could collect to avoid the £10 delivery charge?

Thanks a lot.
Adam

[rod]

Hi Adam

Rear vents are for a pair 80mm fans (don't think you'll need these if you use a Zalman 7000 cooler, if you do, we have devised a way of mechanically decoupling the fans should they have to be used at higher rpms, this keeps things quiet and generally means a less expensive fan can be specified.) Use of a zalman fanmate or stepping resistors is recommended as only expensive fans such as low 21db Papst will work full chat quietly.

The STRATA 390 comes without PSU as standard, many people have personal favourites for power supplies, as do we.
We can supply a very, very quiet power supply for your system depending on spec this can be from 300w to 465w these have to be heard to be believed.

STRATA 390 can accomodate four hard discs horizontally with no extra mounting plates (two on the base plate, one above the optical drive an d one more hard disc mounted to the side of the DVD drive bracket) Three further hard discs can be mounted within the side extrusion which was specially developed for this purpose, a mounting plate kit is required for each at £8.00. This is, of course, taking into consideration if you system can allow so many drives to be connected.
We haven't had to sell any hard disc mounting plates with STRATA 390, so far, because up to four discs if fine for most power users.

Finally Adam, if your in Peterborough you're more than welcome to come over to our showrooms and see the STRATA in action into the very latest hi-def plasma, CRT and digital projectors.
You'll hear how quiet they actually are, and how good they look in a typical Hi-Fi / AV Support. We get plenty of visitors all are impressed with the way it works, we generally demo good quality DVD players and can show just how much better a PC is for getting the best from high quailty displays and, suprisingly, for better sound. We are experimenting with front end interfaces
to make the PC more easy to use, high quality video capture all the stuff HCPC users generally go for.

Best regards
Rod

[Big Adam]

Rod,

All perfect answers for me! :clap:

I intend to use 4 IDE drives and already have my ideal 400W psu which I've modified to shorten the cables and silence. What ATX supplies do you 'supply'? :rolleyes:

This PC will be a home theatre / gaming hybrid. In theatre mode, I'll spin down the rear fans, but in gaming mode I'll speed them up as my Zalman 7000 will be sitting next to a passively cooled 9800 AIW Pro!!!

Not sure when I can pop down to see you. How long are you keeping this discount offer open for?

Adam

[scooter]

Hi Rod,
I am also very interested in the 390 (silver). Thinking of popping over tomorrow (Fri) in the afternoon. What opening times do you work to ?
Ta, Neil.

[rod]

Adam

We favour the Seasonic power supplies, very well behaved.
The offer at the moment is planned at being held until the end of January.

You're more than welcome to arrange a Saturday appointment, I live locally to the buisiness so I just need to know ahead.

Cheers
Rod

[rod]

Hi Neil

Look forward to seeing you this afternoon, our normal opening hours are 9-5.30pm Mon-Sat as we are primarily a manufacturer, but as I have mentioned earlier a Saturday appointment isn't normally a problem I just need to know in advance so I can open the showroom up. If 5.30 is too early let me know.

Our plasma is out on dem today but I have a Panasonic LCD which I can use to dem from.

Cheers
Rod

[Big Adam]

Rod,

Any chance you can open up the showroom for me tomorrow AM?

I'll be bringing the wife so if you could quote all prices at 50% of actual value whilst she is in ear-shot, it would be appreciated! :grin: :eek:

[rod]

Hi

Not a problem tommorrow, but if you could give me a rough time, I have been given decoration duty in the house which I should have finished over Christmas so this is a great excuse!

Cheers
Rod

[scooter]

Rod,
LCD is fine, for info I intend to hook-up to my Z2 (DVI). I hope to be with you between 2:30 & 3pm.
See you this afternoon !

[Big Adam]

Originally posted by rod
Hi

Not a problem tommorrow, but if you could give me a rough time, I have been given decoration duty in the house which I should have finished over Christmas so this is a great excuse!

Cheers
Rod

Wife now informs me she wants to go to a local wedding fair tomorrow :mad:
Might end up just swallowing the £10 charge and get you to mail the case. Shame, I'd have liked to have seen the showroom.

Will confirm later. You may end up wallpapering after all. :suicide:

[rod]

Adam

Shame about tommorrow, I think you would find the visit interesting, we have a good deal of the Stands Unique range on display as well as our speakers together with the STRATA cases used with Phils excellent UVEM systems inside. We also have 'Reference Music Systems' high-end audio to listen to.

Anything to get out of the endless filling painting + grouting!

Cheers
Rod

[Big Adam]

Rod,
Can you open up the showroom about 12:30 tomorrow?
Adam

[scooter]

Just like to say a very big thanks to Rod for his time & expertise shared with me this afternoon. :smashin:

I hadn't realised at the time (no pun intended) that it wasn't until my wife phoned to ask at 5:45 pm if I was stuck in traffic when in fact I was just loading the car with a nice new shiney Strata 390 case & Pwr supply :grin: (I had in fact arrived at 3pm)

For anyone thinking of getting themselves one of Stands Unique cases (or any of their products for that matter) I strongly recommend getting along to their showrooms as there is a large array of kit on display & set-up for demo. I'd also say that the website piccies don't do the cases justice. (Reminder Rod get those new piccies uploaded to the web :lesson: )

Right, off to do some component purchases for my nice new shiney case :rotfl:
Neil

PS. Couple of tips if you're you're visiting, a) there is a customer carpark at the side of the shop/site, b) don't try to enter through the 'shop' front as I did as there is no door there :blush: knock on the workshop door or the one to the 'house' with the security push button lock.

[Big Adam]

Originally posted by scooter

PS. Couple of tips if you're you're visiting, a) there is a customer carpark at the side of the shop/site, b) don't try to enter through the 'shop' front as I did as there is no door there :blush: knock on the workshop door or the one to the 'house' with the security push button lock.

Passed by at lunchtime and all locked up (even side gate) :(
Should have stuck to my guns with the missus and not told Rod I wasn't coming. :blush:

Ah well, about to PM you Rod to confirm I'll take a Strata 390 in silver. Assume giving you a call first thing Monday to pay by card will be fine.

Big A

[Big Adam]

Just ordered my case from Rod.
Bloody nice bloke. Lots of helpful advice. :smashin:

Looking forward to receiving the case tomorrow.
Seriously contemplating water-cooling the baby.

Big A

[rod]

Hi Adam

thanks for the order, it's being sorted now for you, I did'nt mention earlier about the best method found, so far, to keep things nice and cool in the 390. By far the best cost/quiet option seems to be the Zalman 7000-cu (all copper version) should be under the £40.00 mark inc delivery. Does for Athlon and Intel.
It comes with zalman fanmate to control rpm.
I get mine from www.thecoolingshop.com.
I have also played with Thermalright 900u heatsink (recommended for STRATA 260M where height is restricted) but it is a good deal more expensive by the time you employ a decent fan and fanmate.

The Zalman is a lovely piece of engineering and complements the STRATA range beautifully. (Thermalright's nice too)

Some interesting facts about 'quiet' performance:

SYSTEMS SPECS
I run my 3Ghz P4 800FSB on an Intel 865 mobo (would have gone for the Asus equivilant with onboard spdif but Intel sent me this one with CPU + lots of other nice things in return for supplying STRATA's)
Radeon 9600 Sapphire 128mb with supplied passive cooled heatsink.
Lite-on 411s dual-format DVD Burner.
512Mb memory.
Maxtor Diamond Plus 9 160GB HDD drive
planning on a couple more to be installed for server use.

I use our Seasonic 350watt supply and a Zalman 7000-cu
I run the Zalman at minimum 1300-1400 rpm - have to have your ear up against it to tell it's working V. QUIET. Seasonic supply is as quiet if not quieter.
With the system lid on it's difficult to know it's switched on until you see the subtle blue illuminated acrylic drawer cover on the fascia. System idle temperatures using the Intel hardware monitor, are at 35 degrees for the CPU idle and 27 degrees board temperature.

PUSHING THINGS
Intensive ripping and general stressing the system playing 3D DX9 games at least 1280X1024 res. results in CPU rising to 52 degrees and board temp higher at 55 (due to passive cooled GPU and chipset I guess). Please remember, this is with the Zalman set to minimum rpm.

On a POWER system even if water cooling the CPU is attempted the system board with the 865 chipset and Radeon with it's hungry GPU is likely to cause more of a problem. I have installed a seperate 80mm fan on a special bracket devised to decouple the fan mechanically. On this bracket, the fan can be positioned where it is most required to do the most good in moving air away from hotspots.

I must stress, this is only necessary on systems which are going to be really pushed, in everyday use doing HCPC stuff the system runs really cool at around 30-37 degrees.

Similar results are shown on my business machine here on my desk which is in a STRATA 260M.

Intel 2.8Ghz P4 800 fsb. ATX mobo Intel 875 (again sent by those nice Digital Home guys at Intel)
200watt Seasonic PSU. (runs quiet and only ever kicks up when the system is really hammered - don't get time to play games much here anyway!)
All important Zalman 7000-cu (yes it does fit!)
Radeon 9200 Sapphire
512Mb memory
Seagate Barracuda 120GB drive
Older Ricoh DVD+RW burner for backup (bit noiser running compared to the Lite-on.)

Stats: Idle temp CPU 42 degrees System 33 this creeps up to 57 degrees hammering things and 40 degrees system.

MORE IN THE SHOWROOM

We also have Celeron and AMD based systems in the other enclosures running in the showroom - all are very quiet.
The build of the enclosure helps greatly to dissipate heat and cloak higher-frequency noises, vibrations from hard disc do not tend to make things rattle about on such a design. The top cover is designed to mate with the hard disc above the optical drive on the STRATA 260M and STRATA 390 which dissipates the heat away from the drive, indeed, the 3mm top cover is always just barely warm in practise, the mass of the cover and sides conducting the heat away continuously. The mass involved I dare say aids with damping the drives also.

Hope all this stuff helps, I realise how it feels to spec up a system and how, more importantly, you want it to be right at the end of the day.

If I can be of any more assistance please ask.

best regards
Rod

[Big Adam]

Rod, thanks for feedback. That’s some nice kit from the Intel boys!

Watercooling is a definite maybe for the future, for the time being, I’ll be installing the following as I have them to hand:

Asus P4P800-VM (with spdif out)
P4C 2.6Ghz
512Mb OCZ PC3500 Dual Channel
Radeon 9800SE AIW soft-modded to 9800Pro and fitted with Zalman ZM-80A-HP
Zalman 7000-cu
3x 80Gb Barracuda V
Nebula DigiTV Decoder
D-link 802.11g Wireless LAN Card

I’m going to pop in a Lite-on DVD-RW drive as you suggested but I’ll probably go for the newer LDW451-S

And before I get all the wiring too tidy, I’ll swap out the Zalman 7000-Cu for an AeroCool Deep Impact 102

Will post piccies eventually!
Big A

[rod]

Hi

Looks like your're going for it in the graphics arena, the Zalman GPU cooler is an impressive bit of kit, have'nt ever tried water cooling I'd be very interested to see how you get on in the future with that.

Nebula digitv is fab, Phil at Uvem introduced me and the results are very good - shows up Sky broadcast quality most of the time and being able to archive recordings is great.

Did'nt know about a newer Lite On DVD burner please let me know how it works out.


Cheers
Rod

[KraGorn]

Originally posted by rod
the Zalman GPU cooler is an impressive bit of kit
Fitting one is not for the faint-hearted, having to remove the existing cooler/fan and then trying to fit the Zalman without crushing the GPU .. not helped that on mine the mounting holes were not precisely located and the Zalman's legs weren't flexible enough, so a bit of brute force was needed. :)

[rod]

KraGorn

Interesting to know, never actually tried wrentching off the heatsink from a GPU bet the cement can be pretty tough.
Any tips? I may be tempted to try one.
I have purposely kept to passive cooled Radeons in the past but they do get a bit toasty when driven hard, Unreal T2 etc.

Cheers
Rod

[rod]

Scooter

Your 10m DVI-DVI lead is ready, do you want it posted?

Cheers
Rod

[scooter]

thanks rod. Must admit when I called earlier I hadn't realised that you'd posted to let me know it had arrived. Looks like I won't be off to the computer fair saturday though - forgot the wife is working & I'm on baby-sitting duty :zonked:
Neil.

[rod]

Adam

Many thanks for posting a thread here http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?threadid=13261
praising the STRATA 390 you received - good pics. This is what STRATA needs to get noticed.

Great helpful observations which clarify things for potential customers,
The case took nearly two years to develop, I have had help on the production side from some of the top British suppliers to the high-end hi-fi industry (special thanks to IntelGB for their testing faclities in Swindon.) The reason the finish matches other Hi-Fi so well is the very same top quality finishers are used for STRATA.

BTW, just for the record, STRATA 260M (micro mobo and micro psu) can take two hard discs. One can go above the optical drive, as on the STRATA 390, and one inside the side extrusion using a hard drive mounting plate kit. (£8.00) STRATA 260A (atx mobo and micro psu) can take just the one - but this is a very compact enclosure and that was the design brief for the 260 range.

Thanks again for the exposure.
I look forward to seeing how you get on.
I really think if you're using a zalman 7000 -cu cooler in the STRATA 390 then watercooling won't be even considered, the zalman really is that quiet in the 390.

Rod

[Big Adam]

Rod,
You're welcome.
I'm sure you're right about the air cooling. I'll be running with the Zalman 7000 at first.
Watercooling can wait for a while.
Adam

[rod]

Hi

Just to let you guys know we are at Bristol Hi-Fi Show http://www.bristolshow.co.uk/, as usual, at the end of February this year 20th-22nd that's - Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Held at the Marriot hotel, should be a nice busy show, we will have our STRATA enclosure running a Radeon based PC into hi-def plasma to show people what the fuss is all about.
We will also have our Support ranges and Speakers on show.
http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=107303 and http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=107288

Be great to see you all there on the first floor terrace right by the coffee shop and bar (yep - best spot at the show)

Phil from UVEM will be there http://www.uvem.com to answer any queries, this guy knows things.

Cheers
David and myself look forward to seeing you there.

[Loafer316]

Hi Rod... i bought the 390 in silver for my brother a week or two ago...and have to say WOW what a fantastic case!!! thanks for all your advice and help over the phone..all part of the excellent service. I've just got round to start fitting everything in this weekend.

If rod or anyone else can help...(i'm a newb!:zonked: ) i bought a pioneer 106 DVD writer (black:grin: ) and want to know how to fit it. As in how to activate the open and close function by pressing the acrylic panel......any tips and suggestions are welcome...i really don't want to attempt it until i get a good idea.:god:

thxs:hiya:

[rod]

Hi Loafer316

I am actually sorting nice colour photo instructions as I write this
I will post them up for you later, as soon as we clear the showroom window display up, ' some mindless hooligan (polite description) stoved in one of the showroom windows at the weekend - kept me busy Saturday hence the delay for the instructions.

get back to you

Rod

[AndyH]

Hi Rod,

The cases look great, and you're about to get an order for a silver STRATA 390...

.. but could you just confirm the height is 15cm as I believe I saw the .pdf refer to. I just need to make sure it absolutely isn't any more than that, otherwise it won't wedge in the rack :)

Look forward to speaking to you, seems like nothing but great feedback from here and the thread at KustomPCs!

Cheers,
Andy

[rod]

Hi Andy

I have just produced a bang up-to-date pdf file of the STRATA range at the weekend. The actual full height measurement of the STRATA 390 enclosure is 157mm, the STRATA 260 range is 150mm due to the fact the feet on these models are shorter. The feet on the STRATA 390 have to be higher due to the overall depth of the ATX power supply (150mm by itself + 3mm aluminium top + buffer foot (3mm) + overlap of front fascia (1mm) =157mm.

Sorry about that, if only ATX power supplies were shorter, I could'nt physically make it any less high. We do a nice range of completely shelf height adjustable Supports - don't you know, all wife friendly. (cheap plug!)

The pdf of the STRATA is'nt available from the web site till later this week due to unforseen circumstances, but if anyone wants it now send me a PM and I will pop it across.

Cheers
Rod

[rod]

Loafer316

Here are some instructions + pics to help explain things:

1: Interface pad should be adhered to rear of Acrylic drawer cover panel centred and stuck towards the top of the panel by 3-4mm (this is normally done for you from the factory)

2. Ensure optical drive is in place and moved fully forward so the face is butted flush to the rear of the 10mm front fascia

3. Carefully feed the acrylic drawer cover up to the dvd drive tray, gently move it into place keeping it as centred as possible.
Tip: using a 'shim' or spacer under the cover around 0.5mm thick (such as thin cardboard) helps raise the acrylic drawer cover up slightly so you only have to concentrate on keeping the cover centred. Only PRESS LIGHTLY to adhere the cover in place until you have checked for the cover being concentric within the fascia recess. Once checked give the drawer cover a firm push. The adhesie takes 12 hours to fully cure. If all is well go to step 6.

4.If the cover is not quite concentric, fear not, open and close the drive a few times (use explorer software eject command) to let the tray settle in position. Study where the tray cover needs to be adjusted: left, right or up or down, or levelled to one side.

5.By gently peeling back the cover form the adhesive pad small adjustments are possible.
If the drawer fails to close at all correctly then the front of the optical drive tray mechanism can usually be removed by carefully lifting upwards and off (once ejected using software) Once off, the tray can be carefully peeled off the interface pad with drawer cover and retried.

6.The drive eject control is done via the silicon buffer supplied, this must be mated up with the eject button on the optical drive.
The buffer is adhered to the rear of the drawer cover - see pic.
Visually line the buffer up before sticking with the drawer open,
allow 2-3mm from the bottom of the drawer cover for the aluminium fascia recess.

Any probs come back.

Cheers
Rod

[rod]

Pictures help!

[rod]

More to explain

[rod]

One more

[KraGorn]

Originally posted by rod
Interesting to know, never actually tried wrentching off the heatsink from a GPU bet the cement can be pretty tough.
Any tips? I may be tempted to try one.
Sorry Rod, this thread dropped off my watch list. :confused:

The cement actually proved not too difficult, the tip here is to run the card for something like 5 mins to get it warm so the cement becomes less viscous than normal, then use a gentle twisting motion and I found it came away quite easily on the couple of occasions I fitted one of these things. It also may vary from brand to brand, the two cards I've done this with were Saphires, other makes may use different thermal pastes.

As I said, the bigger problem is when the mounting holes aren't 'just right', while the Zalman does hove moveable arms they don't have 360 freedom of motion .. on one card the legs of the Zalman weren't entirely at 90 degrees to the board, meant there was a bit of stress on the PCB itself I wasn't too happy with, however I've not had any problems. This was a 9800 Pro.

[Big Adam]

Aye, it shouldn’t be too hard.

Any residue should be removed by spraying with a little Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) and then carefully rubbing the core clean using a flat headed screwdriver wrapped in an old t-shirt.

Once all the gunk is removed, another squirt of IPA will remove any lint, then a thin layer of thermal grease will do the trick nicely.

[KraGorn]

Originally posted by Big Adam
then carefully rubbing the core clean using a flat headed screwdriver wrapped in an old t-shirt.
I found the edge of a razor-blade proved less stressful for me .. chance of damaging the core by over-zealous use was greatly reduced. :grin:

IIRC the Zalman came with Arctic Silver .. shortly after AMD had come out against using that on their CPUs. :confused:

[rod]

Thanks for the tips guys.
it's being a virgin at these things that scares you, but once you've done it well..... any tips well received.

[walibe]

FuXor me - I am following your thread on KustomPCs. Whos the original manufacture of the cases?

[Loafer316]

Thxs rod!! it worked a treat!!!!! however at first the the rubber peice that touch the drive eject button was slightly too big and the drive kept opening everytime i shut it!!:laugh: however i sliced off 1mm with a stanly knife and it was perfect!!!

I will get some pics of it soon and post some in the HCPC forum..:smashin:

[rod]

Walibe

Just to clarify, Stands Unique design (two years development), manufacture and assemble the STRATA range in Rushden, Northants. Better known for our Audio furniture and AV speakers, we pride ourselves in our service and flexibility.
We have all Strata products working on display here, see us at the Bristol show in Feb.

Personally, I just got fed up with what else was available and decided to do it myself (with a good deal of help from the top engineering firms supplying the high-end British hi-fi industry)

Rod
Audiophile/videophile.
'There's no substitute for true quality'.

[rod]

Loafer316

Glad the drive cover got sorted, it's unusual to have to slice some thickness off the buffer, but it just goes to show you all drives are slightly different in terms of the shape and size of the moulded tray cover on the front of the optical drive. Some are curvey, some are flat, some thick and some thin.

I could try to source various thickness buffers, the closest I have at present are 1.5mm and 3mm (3mm is supplied at present)
2mm must be out there somewhere. All feedback appreciated.

Cheers
Rod

[Big Adam]

Originally posted by rod
Walibe

Just to clarify, Stands Unique design (two years development), manufacture and assemble the STRATA range in Rushden, Northants.

'tis true. I've seen the workshops myself (albeit through locked gates :D )

[wyerd]

Good looking case. I've been mulling over the HV5 for a while until I found that the depth of it is way too long - 452mm!!!

Couple of questions - Where would you fit the IR receiver unit, say an Irman and would you consider manufacturing one with a window so a VFD unit could be fitted?

Cheers,
David.

[rod]

Wyerd

The Infra red unit can reside behind the acrylic drawer cover to the left hand side of the optical drive. A 16mm diameter hole in the 10mm Aluminium fascia allows line of sight. It is best to remove the receiver eye for the housing as this tends to decrease the angle at which the infra red can work because it moves the eye further away form the hole. The optical drive bracket allows the module to be affixed.
In practise though it seems most people who are using IR just simply place the receiver eye module to the side or ontop of the enclosure to get best results, but it's there if you want it.

As far as a display goes I'm not convinced they really are worth using, lets face it you have the PC display for control, if you really want a dedicated display using a second LCD display off the graphics card is better value for money, I may be wrong but the ones I have seen are pretty expensive. What would you use the display for? I'm intrigued.

Rod

[Big Adam]

Rod,
See here (http://www.lcdc.cc/about.htm)
Big A

[wyerd]

Rod,

The VFD display I'm thinking of is something like this. It then can be used by the HCPC application you're running to display information that you don't want on the screen for example, DVD chapter, time left, etc. MP3, CD name, track info. More importantly the TIME, as the VCR has been binned!!

There's a plugin for ShowShifter that does this
http://www.showshifter.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=000148

[rod]

David

Seen these about, but not actually working in a installed HCPC, so can't comment on the benifits. I do know it's pretty difficult sometimes seeing what's on the display of AV decoders/amps due to the text size.

Anyway to try and answer your original question:

The only STRATA model, at present, I can see being able to take this type of display is the STRATA 260A, due to the optical drive being offset to one side. The display could go to the left hand side where there is about 140mm of horizontal space.
BTW due to the modular design of the enclosures it should be possible to use this fascia on the 390 model so full size atx psu + micro atx mobo + five hard discs is feasable.
Can't say when we can try this out yet until we get more interest.

The STRATA 390 and 260M fascia with the optical drive in the centre I believe, do not have enough room to fit such a display and I would be reluctant to even try to place one either side of the optical drive-it would destroy the symmetry of the design.
This STRAT range was always designed to be less like a PC more like Hi-Fi.

Rod

[wyerd]

Rod,

With the power button in its current position, then it would be a problem. However, if it could be moved to say the bottom left corner then I dont think that it would really spoil the overall appeal of the case.

This STRAT range was always designed to be less like a PC more like Hi-Fi.

There are a number of functions that you'd like to so without having the TV/LCD/Plasmay display always on and most hifi units of one description or another do have a LCD/VFD display of some sort.

David.

[rod]

David

I'll try and do some 3d visuals asap, I'd appreciate the feedback. Unfortunately, I'm away for all of next week from the office and my email.

Cheers
Rod

[wyerd]

Rod,

Thanks for not dismissing it out of hand! I've posted a poll over on the HCPC forum to see what the others think - http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=114756

Cheers,
David

[rod]

David

Great idea doing a vote.
Just to let people know Phil at UVEM has been busy developing control of the HCPC by using an off- the-shelf PDA using bluetooth or wi-fi. I've seen it working here and must say it really is slick. Colour display of the actual screen control software, you can view the DVD/CD cover artwork on the PDA then start the app. from the PDA etc.

We will be showing this off at Bristol along with hi-def display etc.
with Phil on our stand.
If anyone wants to know more (I am out of the country as of this pm for a week) get in touch with Phil on his forum http://www.avforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=84

Cheers
Rod

[jsmurray]

Are you around today Rod? I just called and got no answer.
I'm after a 390M in black with PSU.

Time to stop slobbering and start spending.

[Big Adam]

Originally posted by jsmurray
Are you around today Rod? I just called and got no answer.
I'm after a 390M in black with PSU.

Time to stop slobbering and start spending.

Stands Unique showroom is only normally open Mon - Fri (unless by prior appointment)

Besides, I believe Rod is on holiday until next week.

Big A

[tk2001]

Hi Rod,

I don't know whether this has been asked before but seeing as I'm new to HTPC I might as well ask anyway.

Can a HTPC be used as a pre-amp i.e I have active speakers for my HT set-up and a surround processor to carry out my 5.1 duties but could a HTPC replace my surround processor?

[wullsy]

Rod,

I'd like to buy a silver STRATA 390M. Is the 10% discount still available ? I'd buy one today if so.

cheers,


Willie

[Big Adam]

Originally posted by tk2001

Can a HTPC be used as a pre-amp i.e I have active speakers for my HT set-up and a surround processor to carry out my 5.1 duties but could a HTPC replace my surround processor?

Yes it can. Just get yourself a decent quality soundcard (see this forum for various suggestions)

Big A

[rod]

jsmurray

Hi I am back now from overseas, but someone should have should be answering the phone! (five lines)

If you are after a 390 in black (fascia) then we will have more stock made up hopefully by the end of this week for delivery next week. Even our display models have gone from the showroom this week!

Offer for forum members still stands during Feb.
If you need any other info just ask.

Cheers
Rod

[rod]

wullsy

Yep - as indicated in the post above 10% still available during Feb.

Rod

[cj]

Hi Rod,

any chance of doing custom writing on the fascia (for an extra charge of course)?

[rod]

cj

By custom writing you mean screening graphics/text on the actual aluminium fascia?

We know companies that do this for the Hi-Fi industry, ball park cost for a screen starts at £70-100 more for more than one colour.
Not a problem if every enclosure has the same graphic - cost to actually screenprint the item is minimal.

This is why we customise the acrylic drawer cover which is illuminated, digital engraving just requires a 'plot' file like sending to a CAD plotter.

What sort of custom thing did you have in mind?

Rod

[cj]

No sorry rod I mean on the DVD drawer cover - where it says "AUDIO-VISUAL PC". Just some personalised writing.

[rod]

cj

whew, that's good. To make a custom graphic
all we need is a vector based file such as 'wmf' or 'eps'
or even a 'dxf' or 'dwg'. We use CorelDraw here so a 'cdr' file is fine too. With this coordinate based file the digital engraver will remove, with it's 15,000rpm high speed router, material from the rear of the 6mm acrylic drawer cover.

It's worth mentioning that a font is a vector file, any typical windows fonts will be engraved with an outline. I can create a single line font from a windows font by using a program this end as small text 'outlined' can look messy.

The 'one-off' cost for setting up a custom badge is £15.00 to cover time on making the graphic work properly and to cover test pieces. Once the file is created there is no extra charge for using the graphic on any future Strata enclosures ordered.

Hope this helps

Rod

[fufna]

Any chance of a gold finish case?

[rod]

fufna

We can achieve a champagne gold finish, however, there are many degrees of gold finish and this can be a problem, each manufacturer has their own interpretation of what it is.

When two gold pieces are placed together not quite matching the effect can be unpleasant, better to go with a contrast sometimes.
The extra cost involved with a 'special' colour can also be unpleasant, if you are really interested please let me know.
The UK Hi-Fi manufacturers tend to steer clear of this finish for some reason.

Cheers
Rod

[Keir]

My DVD player has been giving me more and more trouble of late, so I have been contemplating replacing it with a HTPC. Then along came this post with these rather lovely cases...

Did you ever get any all black 390Ms made up? My TAG amps are black, and I think it would all look v.nice together in a matching finish!

Could you possibly PM me the price for a 390 with your recommended PSU as well?

And a more open question, I'm new to HTPC, but have been building PCs for years. What motherboards would people recommend for these cases, either the 260A or (more likely) the 390M?

Thanks for the help!

Keir

[owain_thomas]

I'm pretty set on getting one of the 390's but I've just got one concern about the mATX MB:

I see that most have 1 AGP and 3 PCI slots, can you actually use all 3 PCI if you also use the AGP slot? The reason I ask is that I am planning to include the following: Radeon 9600NP, Nebula DigiTV card, MAudio Revo sound card and a Flyvideo2000 analogue capture card (for svid from sky). Is this possible?

Owain

[rod]

Hi Owain

Just returned form Bristol Hi-Fi Show see pic.
Fantastic response from the STRATA enclosure. Phil form UVEM
was with us showing all how HCPC's can change your life.
We had Xlobby working via bluetooth from a HP ipaq PDA - very slick general responce was - wo00000ow!

To answer your question about the PCI slots, ALL of them can be used so your config is no problem. The one thing to bare in mind, if you are going for a high-end graphics card, is noise from a fan.
There is a new tweaked Radeon 9600 which uses a passive heatsink 'wrap around' kind like the Zalman model but it only does not take up an extra PCI slot. Phil had one fitted inside our main demo machine, it looked very good with heatpipes etc. (price £150.00 ish) If you would like more detail let me know.

Cheers
Rod

[rod]

Still tired form show!
here's the pic.

[owain_thomas]

Cheers Rod, encouraging news. If I got a Non-pro version of the 9600 would that be ok, I know it has no fan but I'm not sure about the size of the heatsink. The particular model I am looking at is the Sapphire 9600 256MB DVI/VGA/Svid output.

Thanks
Owain

[rod]

Owain

Sounds like the same Radeon I have in my office machine infront of me. This type of card is ideal for HCPC and should'nt present any problems like taking away a potentially valuable PCI slot.

I find this type of 'non-pro' card great for the odd Unreal game for carnage and mayhem. 2d performance is excellent of course.

The pro versions all seem to have fans which make them unsuitable, fitting passive heatsinks to a fan model is tricky to say the least and can rob a slot.
Incidently that tweaked Radeon 9600XT is named the 'Ultimate' version, has the lovely wrap around heatsink which does not use an extra PCI slot, thanks Phil.

Cheers
Rod

[keyser]

Rod,

Is the 10% power-buy discount out February? There would be no problems shipping to Iceland would there?

Is the STRATA 260A £229.50, only for the box, or is there a motherboard included or would I have to pay another £70 on a motherboard, is is there a deal if I buy both?

You can email me at bvb@simnet.is(or post here ofcourse).

p.s. does the silver finish match finishes like the pioneer amplifier one, or is it a bit smoother(not as much brushed aluminum looking)?

[Keir]

Rod,

That Bristol show setup looks very nice! Wouldn't mind that at home...

I've been following the thread here, and over at Kustom PCs.
I've pretty much decided the 390 is the case for me, just trying to sort out a few of the internals first. In the Kustom PC thread you said you would maybe get some 390s made up in all black. Did this ever happen, or is it still a possibility? I ask because all of my AV gear (except my Tivo) is in black, and I'm reluctant to start adding silver components now if I can avoid it!

Thanks for your help,

Keir.

[keyser]

I tried e-mailing kustompcs.co.uk about the strate questions I had in my previous post. No answer in the email and not here to my post, not very reassuring. Can anyone help me out?

[Mr THX]

Rod

Having looked at the pictures you have posted at the begining of this thread, does the graphic detail on the perspex draw front change with the model ?? There seams to be three different wordings which go under the illuminated STRATA name.

Is the power buy price still on. ??

Also for the 390M do you recommend (or even supply) a very quiet full size power supply ??

Last question, have you started making a black case with a black front yet ??

[Big Adam]

Originally posted by keyser
I tried e-mailing kustompcs.co.uk about the strate questions I had in my previous post. No answer in the email and not here to my post, not very reassuring. Can anyone help me out?

1. Kustom will not mail to you in Iceland

2. The price includes the case only. No PSU, no motherboard.

3. The finish is a good match for Pioneer receivers.

4. Email Rod at info@standsunique.com for detailed requests.

[keyser]

Does one have to use a microatx motherboard for the strata, or does one just have the option to use a micro?

There are no usb or firewire connects on the front possible are there?

[Big Adam]

Originally posted by keyser
Does one have to use a microatx motherboard for the strata, or does one just have the option to use a micro?

This makes no sense. Do you mean flex-atx? If so, then yes, correct stand-offs are provided for this format board.

If you mean standard ATX, then only the 260A will accept an ATX board.

Originally posted by keyser
There are no usb or firewire connects on the front possible are there?

No, there are no front ports at all.

[rod]

keyser

Just literally returned from overseas export trip (again) now back in the UK.
Apologies for not getting back sooner to you and a big thankyou to Big Adam for replying to questions for me whilst I was away.

The 10% offer has been going well for us so we are extending it through March.

The price does not include the motherboard or power supply.

The silver and black finishes are a bead blasted 'smooth' finish.
Tends to look more subtle than the brushed finishes.

We can quote for shipping to Iceland.

Hope this helps

regards
Rod

[rod]

Mr THX

The wording on the front panel is totally customisable with the default

'S T R A T A
audio visual PC'

being the norm.
There is a small one off charge of £15.00 to do a custom job, all I need is a vector based file to program the engraver.

We do sell a very quiet high quality PSU for the 200w Strata 260M microATX PSU (£32.00)
Strata 260A 200w micro ATX PSU (£35.00)
Strata 390 uses a full size ATX PSU 300w (£59.00)
350w (£69.00)
These are incredibly well behaved supplies up there with the very best. We have these in stock.

Keir asked the same question concering all Black Strata 390's, and we can make some up as and when we are anodising the next batch of panels and extruded sides. Should be within a couple of months as we have a high level of silver panels in stock now. If some of the export orders take off then it may be sooner.

Cheers
Rod

[keyser]

Thanks Rod.

Is it possible to turn the blue light around the cd slot, on and off. It´s not possible to have it somehow turn off once the cd/dvd player is playing something?

[rod]

keyster

The blue led is in fact connected to the motherboard power-on connector, so I can't see how it's possible, any one out there know of a way?

I have to ask this... why?

Rod

[keyser]

From the pics I actually think the blue lighting looks really nice, but I find all the lights from my amp, dvd, vcr, etc. bothering when I´m watching movies in a totally dark room. I usually dim the displays if there´s an option for that, some leds are so bright they can affect the projectors contrast(or so I have heard).

[rod]

keyster

Have to agree some led's on some kit are so bright that turning them off or down is a must, we drop the voltage on the blue led on our Fathom Subwoofer in our speaker range it's so bright.
Less is more sometimes.

The photos of the blue light on the Strata were taken to really show off the effect. I shot at high exposure with just very minimal background studio flash in the dark to get the blue light to really show up. In a real room situation in the dark the lighting effect is very subtle indeed. This was intentional, if someone who has a Strata installed can back me up on this?
Hopefully this will put your mind at rest.

Cheers
Rod

[AndyH]

Well, mine is still being installed due to my main PC blowing up and the HCPC having to alarmingly change roles!

But yes, I can vouch for the fact the blueness is very lovely and not at all overpowering - I'm sure you could probably dim it further DIY stylee by wedging something in amongst the LED enclosure (sorry Rod, that probably really offends you!).

I might be in a position to take a photo on Sunday, but as I'm best man to my chum who's getting married tomorrow I fear my priorities lie elsewhere!!

Cheers,
A.

[Wij]

Beautiful looking cases indeed,I'd snap one up if only you did them in gold :)
I'm finding it incredibly difficult to find any decent htpc cases in the uk let alone in gold.Prolly end up getting a black one if I dont soon source something.


Wij

[rod]

Wij

Why not pop in to see our showrooms and some STRATA products as you are in our county Northants. We have a gold Denon product which is used with the silver and black models?

Cheers
Rod

[owain_thomas]

Another satisfied cutomer here, just taken delivery of my strata 390, amazing looking case, as Rod says the pictures barely do it justice. Very efficient service, order went through friday, got it delivered this morning (monday). Just got to twiddle my thumbs now while I wait for Ebuyer to ship my motherboard.

Owain

[Keir]

Well I ordered my Strata 390 today, but as I am going for the custom all black variant, it should be a little while before I receive it. But I can say that I had a very nice chat with Rod and would recommend that anyone with any questions gives him a ring or (better yet) drops by the showroom. Top bloke!

Keir

[Curry-Boy]

Hi Rod,

Thanks for sending me this picture recently.....Hope you don't mind me posting it here....

I think the Strata looks fantastic with the display.

There has been some discussion as to exactly what use a VFD is. But the fact is that 99% of manufactured CD/DVD players have a display...

What does everyone think ?

Cheers
Chris

[Wij]

nah I think it looks alot better without the vfd personally.

Rod,I emailed yesterday to find out opening times so I can come take a look in the flesh,nightmare to find out its only 9-5 on weekdays,no weekends :o

Gonna just bite the bullet and order a 390 I think,as I'm kinda desperate for a case now and they do look gorgeous :)


Wij

[siwatkins]

Curry Boy, I think the VFD version is fabulous, and is an addition I would definitely want.

Stands-Unique: Do you have plans to make a low-profile half-height case at all? I'm completely put off by the height of HTPC cases which unfortunately, imo of course, will stop them from ever looking like objects of desire :)

All I want is a case of similar quality to your designs, but of more moderate height. Granted, that means that full height PC cards can't be used, but I would turn to riser cards to save me the height, and use a shuttle type PSU.

HUSH make some gorgeous cases of this ilk, but unfortunately only sell them as configured systems, which I'm afraid turns me cold.

Simple specs then:

Half-height. Similar design to the ones you've got already. VFD display provision. Takes same size mobos, and uses a riser card. Should take full size optical drive, and full-size 3.5" hard drive.

Anything coming along those lines?

Simon

[Madders]

This will probably sound like a dumb question, but can you supply the case (Strata 390) with a green LED instead of blue?

Thanks,

Steve

[rod]

Wij

Hi, if you really want to see some cases on a Saturday give me a PM to arrange to meet at the showrrom, I don't mind I'm only down the road from work.

Cheers
Rod

[rod]

siwatkins

I'm afraid we won't be doing a half height case just yet, there are just too many requirements for use of the four available slots on a micro ATX mobo, just now, for a fully configured HCPC. In the future when mobos have more sorted on-board sound and video then maybe then. Having the half height cards is just too restricting and works out more expensive due to demand and supply.

The HCPC can save having a high quality DVD player a CD player a PVR and freeview TV box, surely all the space saved from not having these boxes makes it OK to have one enclosure that is as high as a typical AV processor + amplifier?

Sorry I can't be more positive on this one, maybe next year, it's always worth asking.

Cheers Rod.

[rod]

Madders

I can be positive on this one, of course you can have other colours:
green or orange or red or yellow, in-fact any colour that's available for 5mm L.E.D.'s.

Cheers
Rod

[Wij]

Cheers rod for that offer its great that you would do that :)

I'm actually biting the bullet and ordering one anyway as I've fallen in love with them now just from the pictures.I'm this very minute emailing the details of the model I want and where I live so they can send me a quote.

Regards

Sean

[Loafer316]

Here's some pics from my bro's Strata 390...sorry for the mess as he is moving rooms.:suicide:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ramandeep.nagra/strata1.jpg

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ramandeep.nagra/strata2.jpg

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ramandeep.nagra/strata3.jpg

[Madders]

Thanks for the reply Rod. It looks like I will be needing the 240A though. Can you please confirm that the 240A fits the ATX board with Zalman 7000 cooler and the Enermax EG465P-VE PSU? Also, one final question. If I bought the silver case, is it possible to get a cd tray cover the same colour/material as the rest of the case?

Thanks

Steve

[swin70]

I have to agree that the VFD in the case show would be a very attractive deal. It makes so much sense when using the PC of CD or MP3 playback. I have been looking for a decent HTPC case and had al but discounted the Strata because it didn't have this facility. I also wanted some simple manual control button as part of the VDF (Play, Stop, FF etc) but am now not sure if they will look right in such a case.

It would also be cool to get a PocketPC remote. I have an old Palm V, but as with all things technological, time has past it by. However a decent RF controller is normally enough.

One other point, I have been looking long and hard for quiet, powerful and cost effective PSU. I had looked at the SeaSonic and the Zalaman but both were to expensive for what they provide. However, I have now found a PSU that seems to fit all these requirements. Check out the Tagan TG480-U01 (www.tagan.com). These are an exceptionally high build quality rated at 480W, 21db normal load and 28db full load. Best of all they are around £50 retail (from www.scan.co.uk). I have the name of the UK distributor somewhere as well, if anyone is interested.

Chris

[swin70]

Just one other idea. This has already been mentioned in the thread but you maybe able to work it into the case design.

The idea of a usb/firewaire/audio out at the front of the case maybe useful. Not necassarily in the actual case front itself, but possibly conceled in some way like in a little drop down section. Or, if that would be too expensive to manufacture, with the VFD designed case (which is what I'm still hoping for!) either directly underneath the VFD or on the right hand side, opostite the re-located power button.

Just a thought, and it would make the case even more functional from the computing angle and the small slots I hope would not ruin the lines of the unit.

[plasmoid]

Wow, I am literally blown away by the aesthetic of that case! I am going to check out the web site as we speak!

[plasmoid]

Is there a US reseller? How much would it cost to get something like the case delivered to me?

[Keir]

Just wanted to say a public thank you to Rod. I got my custom all black Strata 390 today and built it up this afternoon. It looks great! Not had much of a chance to play around much yet (this is my first HTPC) but I'm certainly delighted with it so far...

Keir

[Madders]

I've been waiting for a reply to a couple of questions for over a week now. Is Rod away does anyone know?

Cheers,

Steve

[rod]

First of all, apologies for not getting back to anyone on this thread, my router fell over Monday last week and it's taken this long to get it sorted. It's been horrible having to try using an analogue modem again.

Madders

STRATA 260A will take a full size motherboard and accomodate the Zalman 7000-cu cooler.
However do bear in mind that the compromise for shoe horning all this in is that the power supply must be a microATX design which limits you to using a model such as the Seasonic we recommend. (currently only available in 200w)
We are working on a fullATX (seven slot) rear panel which takes a 2u height server based (but still quiet) PSU. The model we are using now is based on 300w and just fits in.
Noise level is above the very quiet 'almost silent' supplies we have been using but is still fairly quiet.
Are you intending on using a powerful cpu such as 3Ghz or above? I have been running a 2.8 P4 as my office machine on my desk here for many months now.
The 200w PSU runs things fine but will ramp up slightly when really intensive tasks are asked of it, such as running high def clips.

Finally, manufacturing a solid tray cover takes away the subtle illumination and IR capability through the drawer cover. Making one would be pricey, and would have to be done when we next machine more fascias. (I have hundreds in stock at the moment)

Cheers
Rod

[rod]

Hi Plasmoid

We have been sending Strata cases over to the States on a regular basis, we basically need to know where you are to get the best price which is passed to you at cost.
We use a few different forwarders to get the most competitive deal. PM me with some details and we will get a price for you.

Cheers
Rod

[Madders]

Thanks for the reply Rod. I'm still working out my new system "list" but it seems that I can get a M-ATX motherboard for a P4 so I'll probably go down this route with a full size ATX PSU - and scrap the solid tray cover idea!

How much longer are you going to be running this offer - as I don't want to miss the boat!

Thanks,

Steve

[Loafer316]

Hey guys..just a quick note. If you check out the last pic of my post you'll note that the wires for the PSU come out at the top (Seasonic). As on the 390 case the other end of the PSU is used as one of the feet. Now some PSU's have wires at the bottom in which case it won't fit. This happended to me with a Nexus Real Silent PSU which is now going to go in my new media server.

[paul1672]

hi there.
can you tell me if these cases are still available at the advertised price?
i am interested in the strata 390m at £260.10
many thanks
paul

[rod]

paul1672 and anyone else interested,

Well we were only going to go through to end of March.
But after much diliberation and because it's been so successful we will extend through to the end of April.

Cheers
Rod

[paul1672]

i actually had a long chat with you yesterday afternoon and ordered a case at the same time.
you even helped me sort out a different motherboard and fan due to me already ordering one that wouldn't be compatible.
i must say i was well pleased with the service and can't wait to receive the case.
the one thing i did forget to ask was when i'd be likely to expect delivery???
anyway,many thanks for all your help yesterday.
paul

[rod]

Hi Paul

Should have guessed it was you, your Strata 260M in silver will go today for tommorrow delivery.

Happy viewings, as I said yesterday, you really will be impressed with your Sony HS10 through the Radeon dvi output.

Cheers
Rod

[paul1672]

doubt it will be delivered tomorrow due to bank holidays so i suspect it will be next tuesday now.
not a problem though.
i really am looking forward to it.
hope you have a lovely easter period.
all the best.
paul

[rod]

You're quite right about the Easter break Paul
Where has the week gone!

We will get the Strata to you for Wednesday, in our experience if we despatch prior to a bank holiday the package sits in a warehouse where it can be moved from pillar to post then turn up to the customer with fork lift truck tyre marks over the carboard (I kid you not!).

Better to be safe than sorry eh

Have a good one
Rod

[paul1672]

no worries mate.
i actually had a couple of calls yesterday from a very nice young lady colleague of yours confirming this.
i totally understand and am pleased that you take such considerations into mind.
hope you have a good one too.
paul

[Madders]

Hi Rod,

Just one last question before I "pull the trigger" :) How many 5.25" bays are there in the 390 case? As I intend to use the quiet pc HDD covers.

Many thanks,

Steve

[rod]

Hi Madders

This will have to be quick, I'm getting the 'why ar'nt you back?'
calls from you know where now.

There is one 5 1/4" bay for the optical drive.
You could probably fit a couple of HDD drive covers.
From my experience though, f these are the 'Silentdrive' type, I used these a couple of years ago for 7200 rpm drives and they started quiet but became very noisey after a few months use.
They maybe different now because 7200rpm is the norm.
The ones I used did'nt keep the drives cool enough so the bearings became noisey.

You should not need to resort to any of these IMO if you pick the right drive. But at the same time drives do vary very slightly in noise levels from the same make and model.

Maxtor Diamond Plus 9 and Seagate Barracuda seem to be the favourite one use for noise though.

We do offer a sound deadening platform a pair can fits into the Strata 390 to aid in quietning the armature noise from some drives. The SDP is decoupled from the base but offers heatsinking from the 4mm laminated aluminium with silicon inbetween for damping. These are £15.00 for one inc vat.
Bear in mind though a very whiney drive won't be much effected.

Hope this helps
Rod

[zAndy1]

Rod,
Would there be any chance of a visit to your showroom 2 weeks today (24th) to have a look, I'm very interested in the Strata 390 but would like to see things in the flesh and see what my options are.

Cheers,
Andy

[Madders]

Hi Rod,

I'd like to order a Strata 390M in silver finish with green backlit LED please.

Let me know how we proceed.

Many thanks,

Steve

[Big Adam]

Rod,

My 390M is currently looking sweet! Will post pics soon.

How much for a replacement top panel? (He asked looking at his Dremel and diamond edged cutting discs! :smashin: )

Big A

[rod]

Andy

The 24th will be OK for me. Just PM me with a specific time you are interested in and I will get over to see you at the showrooms.
Any particular finish in mind?
You could always bring over your Z2 and we could hook it up via DVI to see the results, we have an 8' screen set up?

Cheers
Rod

[rod]

Madders

A Silver STRATA 390 with green led is no problem and should be able to go today or tomorrow once payment is sorted. Call the office on 01933 412227 and talk to Trina who can take your credit card details etc.

If you want to talk over any other queries then ask for me and I'll do 'me' best to help.

It's worth mentioning about PSU cable exit points on the inside of the case. The Seasonic supplies we use have the internal cable exit point to the top of the rear panel on the supply. Some supplies have the cable exit point to the very bottom of the supply on the inside of the case. This causes a problem due to the base of the PSU being below the bottom panel of the case to make it fit and keep the overal height of the Strata as discrete as possible, the PSU acts as a foot.
Do bare cable exit points in mind before buying any ATX PSU.
Many PSU's have the exit point of the internal cables set somewhere near the middle which isn't a problem.

Thanks
Rod

[Madders]

Thanks Rod,

I just called with my credit card details.

Thanks for your help :smashin:

Incidentally, I'll be using a Silenx PSU (which is still to be delivered) Is this okay to use with this case?

Thanks,

Steve

[rod]

Hi Madders

There really is no hard and fast rule with PSU's some manufacturers have ranges of models with exit points that vary.
We havn't tried SilentX PSU's yet, sorry I can't be more positive on this one.

Thanks for the order
Rod

[frederik]

Hi Rod,

Just a question. Are you planning a 390 variant that will accept full size ATX boards? I like the symmetric front but the selection of micro-ATX boards is desperately limited.

Thanks

[rod]

Hi frederik

I've been here before, to do a full size ATX mobo version with a full size ATX PSU alongside, the case would have to be 480mm wide which is just too wide to fit into anything sensible including a 19" rack mount.

I am, however, looking at a full size mobo version with a special PSU for a business customer, in the very near future. But the PSU has to be a server based 2u supply which, is extremely quiet for a server unit, but is slightly noisier than our 'is it on' ATX supplies we use now. Combined rating on this supply is equivilant to a 400w ATX supply.

The other issues include the addition cost for such a supply (not a problem for my customer) and the fact that the optical drive must be a maximum 170mm deep unit such as Lite-on or MSI due to the graphics card depth. This means a Nvidia card is out-of-the-question (200mm+) only Radeons 175mm in depth or less are OK in the 390 enclosure.

I have to ask the question, why do you need such a selection of mobos for a media PC? Surely a proven Asus mobo with spdif sound out is fine, or one of the Radeon onboard 9200 chipsets
they have everthing you really need and are good value and work.

PC's have to be used for many things so if you are interested in really having all those slots then give me a phone to discuss things. 01933 412227

Cheers
Rod

[frederik]

Hi Rod,

Actually I don't need all the slots but more the on-board connections and latest feature sets. I am trying to build the following one-box contraption:

- Athlon 64 CPU on motherboard supporting Cool 'n Quiet to reduce heat/noise
- Gigabit LAN for fast video streaming from server to this box
- Firewire for digital camera video capture
- M-audio revolution (with analog outputs directly hooked up to LM3875 amp modules built onto the alu side extrusion of the case...tell me if I'm crazy!!)
- TV/Radio card (Hauppage PVR350)
- Sat card
- ATI 9600 for graphics and moderate gaming

There are tons of ATX boards supporting this config or simular P4 one but no m-ATX that I know off (and I have looked and looked..)

Cheers
Frederik

[ridd]

Just so you know 100mbt lan is more than fast enough for streaming dvd's over. Unless you have something else in mind.

Am i allowed to say that rod ? :)

Mark

[paul1672]

hi there rod.
i would just like to say on record how pleased i am with my new strata 260m case.
the quality of it is absolutely outstanding!!
as for your customer service,well,it's second to none.
both times i have called you have been very very helpful and at no time made me feel like i was being rushed.
for that i sincerely thank you.
anyway,i was also wondering if i could possibly purchase an extra pad for sticking the cover on that goes over the dvd drive as my friend used both the ones you supplied to mount the fan.
once again,many thanks
a very very happy paul

[rod]

Mark

Your exactly right there, 100 base is more than enough to stream multiple video streams and do internet etc.
Thanks for the input.

Rod

[rod]

Paul

Will post a couple of pads out to you today, just in case.
(I hate than pun)

Thanks for the feedback

Rod

[Big Adam]

Originally posted by Big Adam
Rod,

How much for a replacement top panel? )


Rod, helloooo? :p

Madders, got a SilenX in my 390M no problemo. It works a treat.

Big A

[owain_thomas]

I've got a silenX in my 390, but I wouldn't say it went in straight out of the box, you need to cut away a chunk of the bottom panel to allow the cable loom to fit in, once thats done it's fine.

Amazing PSU, just as quiet as I'd hoped, just wish the Samsung spinpoints lived up to their name, got to say I'm VERY disappointed with them, going to have to swap them out I think...

Owain

[Madders]

Hi Guys,

Just got my case delivered this morning - many thanks for your great service Rod :thumbsup:

I also got my Silenx PSU delivered today! So I now have everything I need to start to build my kick ass HTPC :grin: Guess that's my plans for the weekend sorted!

Will let you know how I get on fitting the PSU. Oh and by the way, the case really does look better "in the flesh" than on those product shots!!! :)

Thanks,

Steve

[Keir]

My Strata 390 is also purring along nicely. It looks the business!
It didn't stay as a humble DVD player for long, I took one look at it's picture on my projector and ordered the Sweetspot card so I could get Sky looking as good. So it's now a full on DVD player/scaler/video processor :)

Thanks to Adam for his building tips and, obviously, Rod for the stunning case!

Incidentally Owain, I'm using a Spinpoint in mine and have been very happy with it. It whirs a little at startup, but once the machine is running I'm rarely aware of it. It's the 160Gb SATA.

Finally, Rod is it possible to get a replacement bolt for the front panel? One of mine had a wonky thread on it, and I actually had to remove it with pliars! I didn't want to put it back in, as I thought I'd probably never get it out again, so I've only got 3 screws holding my front panel on. It's not about to fall off, but it would look nicer with the 4!

Thanks everyone,

Keir

[owain_thomas]

Hi Keir,

I think I've been really unlucky tbh, I have two spinpoints from different sources and their both noisy as hell. Having read a lot on www.silentpcreview.com and speaking to Rod it seems that it all comes down to luck, some spinpoints are superb, others sound like helicopters :(

Still, have to try and get a better drive somewhere else I suppose. Also the pioneer DVDRW I bought has no way of slowing it down to 1 or 2x so also sounds like a hairdryer (especially with audio CDs), another thing I'll have to replace I think. Still never expected this to be easy ;)

Owain

[Keir]

I've previously used Seagate Barracuda's which have always seemed quiet, but they've just been in standard PCs where there was always a noisy fan drowning out everything else!
I was about to put one of them in when I heard about the Samsung and thought I'd give it a go...

My DVD-Rom is about 6 years old, so fortunately doesn't have any of these high speed (noisy!) options that some of the newer drives do. The Samsung in my main PC is the noisiest drive I've ever encountered - you can hear it spinning an audio CD from the next room!

Keir

[Madders]

Hi, just built my new computer. First question I have is probably going to sound stupid, but how do you open the cd-rom/dvd-rom disc tray when the faceplate covers the eject button?

The silenx psu doesn't fit in the case properly. I will have to cut a piece off the bottom for it to fit. At the moment I have just wedged it in but it means the top doesn't fit properly :(

Looks cool though! :smashin:

Cheers,

Steve

[fufna]

Right click the device, and select eject?

[Keir]

Hi Madders, Rod posted instructions for fitting the faceplate somewhere earlier in this thread but as someone with recent experience, I'll tell you what I did.

I took one of the black adhesive pads and stuck it to the front of my CD tray. I then found I could easily place the faceplate where it should be in the cutout on the front of the case. Using Windows Media Player I ejected the CD, while holding the faceplate in place. My offering minimal pressure I was able to get the sticky pad to stick to the faceplate while the drive ejected. I then gave it a good firm push, after first checking it was alligned properly by opening and closing the tray a couple of times. Once I had done this, I opened the tray (using WMP again) and looked closely to where the eject button would be when the tray was closed. Then it was just a case of sticking the clear rubber button (what is the correct name for that thing?) on the reverse of the faceplate - I used the larger one, which should have come in the bag with the adhesive pads. Voila! I can now push on the right hand side of the faceplate and the drive opens as if by magic (and I leave a nice grubby finger print on the front ;)
Hope this helps, if it makes no sense whatsoever, I do apologise, but please don't hesitate to ask for anymore clarification.

Keir

[Madders]

Thanks for your help guys! :clap:

[owain_thomas]

Here is a picture of the cutout I made to allow the SilenX PSU to fit in the case (sorry for butchering your baby Rod!:blush: )

[swin70]

Can i clear up which way the PSU actually goes when it fits into the case?

When looking at the rear of the case, where is the power lead? Is it at the top or bottom of the case and how is the PSU mounted in the case? I don't suppose it would be easier to turn the PSU upside down (assuming it dosn't have bottom 92 or 120 mm intake fan)?

Just a queery as I have a v quiet Tagan PSU with the exit leads on the oposite end to the input power lead.

Chris
Chris

[owain_thomas]

I think it all depends on which PSU you have, they can all be slightly different. When you have the case and the PSU together its easy to see as the PSU's mounting holes will only line up one way with those on the case, not much help really I'm afraid.

If you can post an image of the back panel of your PSU I could tell you which way is "up" on it if that would be helpful.

Owain

EDIT: Just to clarify, the PSU fits in so that the long side of it (the 6" side) runs parallel to the side panel of the case. The 5.5" dimension of the PSU is parallel to the front (or rear) panel of the case (i.e is the "height" of the strata). The final shortest dimension of the PSU (3.5") runs parallel to the floor of the case. Now, knowing that there are only two ways the PSU can fit in (say "A" and "A rotated 180 degrees), to work out which you need to look at the mounting holes on the PSU and case.

[owain_thomas]

Rod, have you had any luck in finding a DVDROM which can be made to play CDs at a nice quiet speed, if so any chance of posting details?

Cheers
Owain

[Madders]

Thanks Owain, I was going to do that but couldn't find a hacksaw so I just wedged it in and managed to line up all the screws. The top of the case doesn't screw down at the back right as the PSU is not fully level so the top edge is just above the side of the case, but I think I'll leave it like it is for the moment.

Have you tried this to help slow your cd-rom?

http://cdromtool.sourceforge.net/

Cheers,

Steve

[swin70]

The camera is out of action for a week or so but I have found this technical drawing of the Taga PSU.

It can be seen the the exit leads are effectively on the opposite end to the power entry point.

How does the PSU mount in the case. All ATX PSU's have standard mounting paterens, but is it possible to mount the PSU upside down (reversed 180 deg) by redefining the mounting patern in the case?

I have a cheap old PC case knocking around that mounts the PSU in a caddy and the caddy mounts to the case. This allows the PSU to be mounted either way. Just wondered if this would be a better approach than reliving the case?

[swin70]

Forgot the image!

[frederik]

Hi Owain,

This might interest you. Here's a review of the latest Plextor DVD:

R/W: http://www.htpcnews.com/main.php?id=plextor_708a_1

According to the review the most silent drive sofar.
It is however quiet long so you would have to check if you can fit it in.

Frederik

[owain_thomas]

Swin, looking at that schematic it should be fine, the loom should come out of the upper part of the PSU when mounted in the strata, on the side nearest the side wall. This is the opposite of the SilenX so shouldn't need any dremmel butchery :)

Frederik, thanks for the link, I'll have a look at it now.

Owain

[frederik]

Originally posted by rod
Hi frederik

I've been here before, to do a full size ATX mobo version with a full size ATX PSU alongside, the case would have to be 480mm wide which is just too wide to fit into anything sensible including a 19" rack mount.

I am, however, looking at a full size mobo version with a special PSU for a business customer, in the very near future. But the PSU has to be a server based 2u supply which, is extremely quiet for a server unit, but is slightly noisier than our 'is it on' ATX supplies we use now. Combined rating on this supply is equivilant to a 400w ATX supply.

The other issues include the addition cost for such a supply (not a problem for my customer) and the fact that the optical drive must be a maximum 170mm deep unit such as Lite-on or MSI due to the graphics card depth. This means a Nvidia card is out-of-the-question (200mm+) only Radeons 175mm in depth or less are OK in the 390 enclosure.

I have to ask the question, why do you need such a selection of mobos for a media PC? Surely a proven Asus mobo with spdif sound out is fine, or one of the Radeon onboard 9200 chipsets
they have everthing you really need and are good value and work.

PC's have to be used for many things so if you are interested in really having all those slots then give me a phone to discuss things. 01933 412227

Cheers
Rod

Hi Rod,

This 2U PSU, full ATX, 390 idea sounds great. Exactly what I need.

I noted A-tech does a 2U silenced Enermax 400W for $120 for their heat sink case. So they don't seem to be much more expensive than what I paid for my SilenX 400W. How about silencing one of those further with a 14dBA SilenX fan.

Since I am an ATI fan the graphics card length limitations are not that much of an issue too me.

Can you please let me know when I can have one and at what cost?

Thanks,
Frederik

[AndyH]

Quick reply on the opening of the CD/DVD drive - it isn't a stupid question, I scratched my head for a mintue and then realised what the rubber nipples (as I tend to call them Keir!) are for.

Not sure I went through quite as complicated an attachment procedure as described above, I just looked at where the eject button is and bunged the nipple vaguely in the same place on the faceplate :)

But yes.. now I'm in the habit of opening it with a knuckle instead of a thumb.

[Madders]

Thanks for that. I did wonder what those rubber nipples (ooh er!) were for!

I am using the Plextor 708A in the 390 case which (although it can get noisy when spinning up to full speed) is usually pretty quiet. It does take up a fair amount of space too. The best thing about it is that it plays all "copy protected" cd's without a problem.

Cheers,

Steve

[owain_thomas]

I found that a good way of getting the rubber nipple lined up is to peel the backing off it, so its sticky, then open the draw and kind of lean it up against the eject button (it seems to stay well enough), then all you have to do is close the draw by pushing the strata nameplate and it'll squash into the adhesive and be perfectly lined up. As was noted earlier in this thread you may have to slice a mm or two off the thickness of the rubber depending on your drive and the size of the button.

HTH
Owain

EDIT - just re-read that, in case it's not obvious I meant to lean the non-adhesive side against the eject button, kind of offering the sticky side to the open draw.

[rod]

Kier

I will get another stainless bolt out to you today.

Can't have your front fascia with only three fixings.

Cheers
Rod

[frederik]

Hi Rod,

Thanks for taking all that time for our very informative phone conversation.

Here's the link to the modified $120 Enermax supply (Atech):
http://www.atechfabrication.com/products/400w_2u_ps.htm

You will note that this one is 100x80x200mm. My idea is that this one equipped with an 80mm SilenX thermo fan should be very quiet

Here's the enermax link to the same supply. Note there are 400 and 500 W versions:
http://www.enermax.com.tw/eg451p-vd.htm

Atech also do another and cheaper $75 psu. See here for all their PSU options:
http://www.atechfabrication.com/HTPC_accessories.htm#Power_Supply

Here are silencing instructions, unfortunatly they took the cheaper version as an example:
http://www.atechfabrication.com/information/modifying_2u_power_supply.htm

[frederik]

Hi Rod,

Sorry but I was apparantly wrong on the NEC ND2500 DVD drive depth. According to the NEC spec:
http://www.nec.co.uk/productfile.asp?id=413
it is actually 190 mm deep, so just as bad as the others

Cheers,
Frederik

[rod]

Hi All

I've been reading the posts concerning SilentX PSU's and overcoming the problems concerning the position of the internal cable exit points from inside the Strata. - The cables clash with the bottom panel due to their position.

I've drawn up a couple of solutions for the long term.
Please see attached 3D model which shows the bottom panel modified to have a 'break-out' which would be easily done by the end-user if required.

This, however, although getting over the initial problem isn't ideal due to cables being exposed on the underside.


The picture also shows the rear panel modified to have three fixing points (could do four, but three are sufficient and looks tidier?)
This enables the SilentX PSU to be turned 180 degrees so the cable exit point on the inside of the Strata is to the top of the case, eliminating the cable exit problem.
Only possible issues here are fan positions on the PSU, but as the Strata has the facility to have the fan to the right or left due to the design of the side extrusion things will be fine.

Any comments guys?

Rod

P.S I am talking to SilentX at the moment about possibly incorporating their technology within the Strata range.

[rod]

Here the pic

[paul1672]

hi rod.
did you remember to post out a couple of pads to me for securing the front fascia on to the dvd drive as i've yet to receive them???
paul

[rod]

Paul

Just checking, are you Paul in Norwich?
We have quite a few on our records.
I'll get some pads out to you today.

Cheers
Rod

[paul1672]

yep,thats me
junction road

[paul1672]

pads received this morning.
many thanks
paul

[frederik]

Originally posted by rod
Here the pic

Hi Rod,

Here are my comments on your design:

- Looking at my SilenX PSU the main airflow is meant to go straight through anyway. The side vents are much smaller than the rear vents so directing them the other way is not going to be a problem. Just don't expect any significant contribution to CPU cooling from it.

- The reverse mounting seems to me superior to the breakout option. It does not sound like a good idea to have the cables exposed and covering it will be a problem. Suggestion: If you make the break-out a "fold-out" then the extended lip would provide some covering/protection of the cable.

Just my thoughts,

Cheers,
Frederik

[pdweir]

I am, however, looking at a full size mobo version with a special PSU for a business customer, in the very near future. But the PSU has to be a server based 2u supply which, is extremely quiet for a server unit, but is slightly noisier than our 'is it on' ATX supplies we use now. Combined rating on this supply is equivilant to a 400w ATX supply.

Hi rod and all!

Rod, I'm currently looking into building myself a nice HTPC (depending on whether I can get a decent picture on my CRT TV from my Radeon AIW 8500DV, through component, using the ATI HDTV dongle), and your cases are by far the nicest I've come across. :)

Assuming this works out, I think I'd be very interested in buying a 390 case...

... but a couple of questions: first, any chance of an update on the custom case above? As with Frederik, I'd welcome the extra expansion possibilities with a full ATX case (although a Micro ATX case would be possible - if only there was a way around having a sound card...).

Second, could you possibly confirm that the optical drive has to be no more than 170mm for the 390? I'd love to be able to use a DVD writer that writes to DVD-RAM (such as the really rather good LG4040 that I currently have), but there don't seem to be any in that size.

Oh, and I guess that the forum offer of 10% runs out at the end of the month?

Cheers,

Peter

[rod]

Hi Peter

Still working on the ATX 2u PSU.

There are some great microATX mobos available now which even have Radeon 9200 graphics, spdif out 6-channel audio all on-board and capability for TV out also.

I am trying out an Asus P4R800-VM at the moment it even has 'Q-fan' control for controlling fan speed automatically.

A firewire on-board version is around the corner - how many slots do you need with all this built on?

As far depth of drives go for this ATX version it really depends on the depth of the graphics card. A Radeon 9600XT Ultimate measures 173mm. The available depth is 380mm (380-173=207mm) Allow at least 10mm for the ribbon connector so the drive should be no longer than 195mm (2mm tolerance)

Lite-on drives are available 8x dual format Dvd-rw and Dvd+rw, haven't really used DVD-ram drives. Lite-on and I believe MSI drives are all based on 170mm deep chassis.
I have been informed Teac drives use 150mm deep chassis -even better.

If an ATX mobo is really what you want then you'll have to wait to see how things develope. The Strata 390M model is available now and works!

Cheers
Rod

Let you know about extension of offer or not later this week.

[denniswaugh]

Hi Rod.

Many thanks for all the information you provided me with on Friday when I collected my 390.

Unfortunately, the TEAC DV-W58G is 170mm and not 150 as I first thought.

The MSI DVR 8 is 190mm.


Regards


Dennis

[pdweir]

Hi Rod,

In terms of PCI slots (assuming I do go ahead with this), I'd be needing one for a Nebula DigiTV (freeview card), one for a wireless network card (as I don't particularly fancy buying another router just yet) and another for a sound card (I see that lots of motherboards have SPDIF out, but I haven't seen one yet that has a digital input to the motherboard as well; presumably, I'll need a digital input on the motherboard to connect with the digital output of the optical drive to get a proper digital output from the motherboard).

After that lot, there are a few other possibles: I may need extra slots for an expansion card with the motherboard (eg extra USB2 ports / firewire (noting what you say above) / S-ATA (to make use of the space for 7 HDDs... :) )...

Thanks for the other info; I'll be doing some more thinking about this when I get out of work this evening! :)

Peter

[Big Adam]

Transfer of data from optical drive and hard drives IS digital!!! This is true of both IDE and SATA connections. That little scrawny lead inside your PC has been superfluous for many many years!! :D

There is no need for an SPDIF input unless you wish to process digital data from an external source.

I am using an Asus P4P800-VM with onboard spdif out. This spits the raw audio data stream directly to my receiver for processing. A much much much MUCH better arrangement than a PCI soundcard.

[pdweir]

D'oh! :blush:
So, you're saying that , when they call the inputs digital and analog, that that's actually a load of tripe? I.e., the 'analog' lead will still let me output dts / Dolby Digital streams direct from my DVD drive (via the motherboard) to my receiver / amplifier?
This would certainly make things a lot easier - now I just have to see if there's a mATX board for an Athlon 64 that would do the business...

Peter

[rod]

pdweir

Strata 390M and 260M have a redundant slot on the rear panel to allow for a PC bracket with USB or any peripheral connection that usually arrive with todays motherboards.

As far as digital connections go, if your using an AV amp/processor for surround sound all you need to do is connect the motherboard spdif (electrical digital) lead to the input of the AV processor and away you go. All the analogue conversion is then done via the AV processor using it's own DAC's (digital audio convertors) This is always usually the best way to do things unless you have a very good sound card which has good quality DAC's on board. M-Audio Revo all the way up to REM cards (very nice)

USB wireless modules are available also to save a slot but really I don't think you'll have a problem.

Cheers
Rod

[Big Adam]

Originally posted by pdweir
D'oh! :blush:
So, you're saying that , when they call the inputs digital and analog, that that's actually a load of tripe? I.e., the 'analog' lead will still let me output dts / Dolby Digital streams direct from my DVD drive (via the motherboard) to my receiver / amplifier?
This would certainly make things a lot easier - now I just have to see if there's a mATX board for an Athlon 64 that would do the business...

Peter

There is no 'analogue' lead. Your IDE or SATA cable carries digital data from the optical or hard drive to the motherboard. If this raw data is audio, it can be outputted directly via the spdif header. This header will connect to a special bracket on the back of the PC

Note: these brackets can be tricky to find. Some offer an optical spdif connection, some a coax connection, some both.

Using a standard optical or coax cable, you can then connect directly to your receiver or amp which will do all the dolby, DTS etc etc processing as rod says.

You'll have no problem finding a mATX Athlon 64 mobo.

[pdweir]

Excellent! (Funny how there are some things that you just assume to be true but which are, in fact, just complete rubbish... :) )

BTW, has anyone got suggestions as to the quietest DVD writer around? Ideally, I'd get another LG burner (I have one of the 4040 drives which does seem to be particularly quiet - at least, I can't normally hear it over my general PC noise (which isn't a great deal)), but, at about 19cm long, it's probably pushing it a bit for the 390...

Peter

[Loafer316]

the new 8X plextor as suggested before, but i don't know if this will fit

[rod]

pweir

Just to clarify that if you're contemplating a Strata 390M (the most popular model btw) which takes a microATX motherboard it will easily take a full size optical drive ie: 200mm deep, infact there is generally 215mm of clearance to the blades of a Zalman 7000A-cu cooler which is a hefty 110mm in diameter.
It is only in the 'unofficial' ATX version which I am working on at the moment where optical drive depth is a concern.

The simple formula is that the Strata390 uses a 380mm deep side extrusion if you take away the depth of a optical drive then you are left with roughly 180mm. As a motherboard is only 240mm deep then 60mm of it will be beneath the optical drive, plenty of clearance for any cpu cooler on the market.

I've attached a to scale 3D sketch to illustrate things based on a 200mm deep drive.
Hope this clear things up.

Rod

[pdweir]

Rod,

Thanks for that! It looks as though everything should work out for what I'm trying to do - although I think I'll now be getting a RealMagic Xcard to use the PCI slot vacated by the sound card...! :)

Could you possibly put me down for a 390M in that rather excellent silver finish, please?

Many thanks,

Peter

[paul1672]

rod,hope you got my pm.
just another small question mate.
is there room for a second hard drive in my strata 260m case and if so,do you sell some kind of additional bracket that i can purchase to install into the case to allow me to do this?
many thanks
paul

[rod]

Paul

HDD Mounting plate looks like this and comes with fixings.
It simply bolts inside the side extrusion once you mount your second HD to it - see pic.

All fixings supplied, cost is £7.99 inc vat.

Give us a call on Tuesday on the office number and we can get one out to you.

Cheers
Rod

[pringtef]

Rod,

Like to see about ordering one of your silver 390Ms with a decent enough quiet power supply to feed an Athlon XP (probably 2600), and with a custom etching.

Can you PM me for details, how i go about ordering etc?

Cheers,

Timbo

[mreeves791]

My Strata 260m just arrived :)

All I can say is