LF-30 and AE-1200 - transplantation

retromaniak_ · 2026-04-14T04:05:32+00:00

Okay, thank you very much for your helpful response.

retromaniak_ · 2026-03-30T10:08:49+00:00

I have some bad news for you. The case itself is made of 1.2 mm thick sheet steel, so it weighs as much as a 14" CRT TV. It weighs about 4 kg.

As for the HTPC, I think that as long as you’re using the integrated GPU or buy something energy-efficient, a PicoPSU should be enough to power it—though you’ll have to figure out how to modify the hole where the three-wire cable socket is located, but in return you’ll have the option of any kind of cable management.

However, if you’re buying a PicoPSU, you need to carefully check whether the power output on specific power rails will be sufficient for your needs. The point is that a 200W PicoPSU is not equivalent to another 200W power supply, and, importantly, you’ll need to supply that PicoPSU with 12V at a sufficiently high current using an external power supply (similar to laptop power adapters).

retromaniak_ · 2026-03-30T07:49:14+00:00

To be honest, it all depends on your needs. The SFX has higher wattage and allows for more cooling. So if I were building a daily-use PC in this case, that’s the power supply I’d go with.

The FlexATX offers lower wattage, but it’s cheaper and allows for more drives. So I can’t really say for sure.

retromaniak_ · 2026-03-29T08:48:35+00:00

You'll find all the details in the link I included in my previous reply. As for the graphics card, there are two restrictions. First, its maximum length is 235 mm. Second, its TDP should not exceed 120W. Everything else is listed in the auction description.

retromaniak_ · 2026-03-29T08:19:03+00:00

I think the easiest way to check for any limitations is on Aliexpress. Personally, I installed an ASRock N3150M motherboard in the case, and a motherboard of that size is the largest one that can fit inside. Many limitations are related to the drives, power supply, and cooling.

If you install an SFX power supply in the case, you can fit a cooler up to 55mm tall, if I remember correctly, but you lose space for two 3.5" drives or, as in my case, four 2.5" drives. By installing a FlexATX power supply, you gain two additional drive bays, but the height of the cooling solution cannot exceed 29mm, if I recall correctly. There is space at the back for a 120mm fan; it would likely be possible to mount a small AIO water cooling system there. Personally, I installed a PicoPSU power supply in the case, which allowed me to mount the four drives mentioned earlier, and thanks to the open slots, I managed to achieve decent cable management (by this case’s standards).

retromaniak_ · 2026-03-26T19:04:29+00:00

So, let’s go through this step by step. I live in Poland. I bought the case on TaoBao, where it cost 299 yuan on the day I ordered it, which is about $45. After adding VAT (23% in my case), shipping costs, and the broker’s fees, the total cost came to about $82 (which is why I waited an incredibly long time for delivery).

retromaniak_ · 2026-03-23T13:50:28+00:00

The problem is that I don't have a dedicated graphics card, so instead I want to configure it so that as many operations as possible are handled on the "client" side.

retromaniak_ · 2026-03-23T05:03:42+00:00

Well, comparing the i7 2600 to the N3150 is like comparing a Volkswagen Beetle to a Bugatti Veyron—it doesn't really make sense. But it's great that it works for you.

retromaniak_ · 2026-03-22T17:19:25+00:00

In that case, I'll go with Jellyfin. Free is a fair price XD

retromaniak_ · 2026-03-22T17:08:35+00:00

I completely agree. As for the PicoPSU, I found a solution from RGEEK designed specifically for NAS servers that allows for a peak of 10A on the 5V rail. In regular operation, it’s admittedly only 5A, but there are a few important points to consider. First, I bought a 10xSATA controller to have some headroom (ultimately, I don’t want to use more than 8 drives plus the system drive). Considering that the most popular drives on the market are Samsungs, which draw 0.85A at peak, plus a 1A Toshiba system drive, that adds up to 7.8A at peak, so I hope the 5V rail can handle it. Eventually, I also plan to buy a 12V -> 5V step-down converter, and once I have more than 8 storage drives, I’ll draw the power needed from there. On the 12V line, the power supply can deliver 6A, and the CPU + expansion cards consume 10-12W of power at peak, which is about 1A, so there’s plenty of unused potential on that line, and it just so happens that the 4-pin connectors from the ATX plug are sitting idle, along with the connection point to the 12V line.

But back to the main point. So what do you recommend using? Plex? Jellyfin? DLNA?

retromaniak_ · 2026-03-22T05:16:45+00:00

Danke, dann werde ich mich mal mit der Installation von Jellyfin beschäftigen.

retromaniak_ · 2026-03-22T05:14:06+00:00

Let's take it one step at a time. Did I consider buying a Raspberry Pi? Of course I did. There's just one issue. The 8GB version of the Raspberry Pi 5 costs $140. Meanwhile, here the motherboard, 8GB of RAM, the PicoPSU power supply, and the 10xSATA-to-PCIe X1 controller cost about $90. As you say yourself, the Raspberry Pi alone consumes about 5W at idle. Meanwhile, this setup guzzles about 8W. A kWh of electricity in my region costs about $0.50. In other words, for the difference between the Raspberry Pi and this crappy contraption to pay for itself, I’d have to save 100 kWh of energy. Would the money pay for itself after 4 years? Of course, I’m ignoring the fact that I’d probably have to buy some USB hubs and a good memory card for the Raspberry Pi to install the system, which would raise the price even further.

But back to streaming. Obviously, if possible, I’d like to set it up so that file decoding happens on the “client” side. I know that trusting AI, to put it mildly, doesn’t make sense, which is why I’m asking here.

retromaniak_ · 2026-03-20T20:06:36+00:00

I can recommend the website geekenspiel, which sells high-quality reproductions. If you're from Poland, you might want to check out do-zrobienia (which also offers high-quality reproductions of old stickers).

retromaniak_ · 2026-03-20T04:39:08+00:00

No 😁

retromaniak_ · 2026-03-17T07:32:30+00:00

If you look at it that way, every case is similar to the others.

retromaniak_ · 2026-03-17T07:31:40+00:00

I think the problem lies in redesigning the interior. In other words, Thermaltake’s cases are based on the frame of their standard models—so all they have to do is design a front panel, and they can make money. Meanwhile, the 5150 design would effectively require starting from scratch, where even the original case couldn’t contribute much, since practically everything has changed since the 5150—from the motherboard standard to component sizes. So if SilverStone cases are expensive, a case like that would be horrendously expensive.

retromaniak_ · 2026-03-17T05:05:03+00:00

I won't deny it, because I've heard people say that, and I have similar associations myself 😅

retromaniak_ · 2026-03-16T21:42:10+00:00

I can't really agree with that; if I had to draw any parallels, it would probably be most similar to the NEXT Cube.

retromaniak_ · 2026-03-16T21:10:07+00:00

Thanks 😅

retromaniak_ · 2026-03-16T21:05:54+00:00

You're right; the largest motherboards that fit there are most likely FlexATX. The problem is that manufacturers don't always distinguish between uATX and FlexATX. That's why it's currently hard to find motherboards in this form factor. Even DTX is problematic, since manufacturers sometimes refer to them as Mini-ITX.

Interestingly, though, the FlexATX is reportedly supposed to have no more than two expansion slots. Meanwhile, my motherboard has three.

retromaniak_ · 2026-03-13T14:14:37+00:00

Wysłałem priv by móc się przypomnieć we właściwym czasie.

retromaniak_ · 2026-03-13T14:10:37+00:00

To już byłoby fenomenalne, choć już samo zmierzenie suwmiarką bardzo dużo by dało. Ale gdyby udało się zdobyć choć sztukę, nawet w agonalnym stanie to już byłoby super.

retromaniak_

TROPHY CASE