Hello everyone. This is my first post.
For those who have experience with different SFF setups, I really need some advice. Right now, I'm looking to get a new pre-built system based on Shuttle's SB51G case (probably from GamePC), outfitted with a P4 2.66MHz, Radeon 9700 pro, Audigy 2, 1 Gig Corsair 2700XMS DDR, Seagate Barracuda V 120 w/8MB cache, 16X DVD drive, and a dual boot config with XP Home and 98SE. However, it seems like many people with similar configurations are having problems with heat and/or noise levels inside the case, probably caused by having the hot-running 9700 sandwiched between the sound card and the side of the case. So that either the system will periodically overheat and crash, or the case fan is running at near-deafening levels frequently while under heavy loads. Low noise is an especially important factor for me as I live in a dorm-like environment and cannot turn my speakers up very loud.
Can anyone with a setup similar to this confirm that they have been having these types of problems? And what would be the best solution? Some things I have been considering are: downgrading to a Radeon 9600 pro which is made from .13 micron and should run much cooler, getting rid of the Audigy 2 card, or waiting for a better, cooler SFF system to be released. The problem with that second option is that I have a very large library of Win 95/98 based games that do not run on XP (at least not on my notebook), and I am worried that the onboard sound for the 845GE will cause compatibility problems in Win98 with some games that would not happen with the Audigy 2. Is there anyone who runs Win98 on this mobo who has not had problems using the onboard sound?
Any and all advice is very greatly appreciated.
#3son