Low power CPUs

Runey · 14th December 2006, 11:57 AM

I'm trying to select a low power CPU for a project I have in mind... Basically it's a NAS with a few extra trimmings... I know NAS doesn't exactly come under this heading, but I'm hoping you guys might be able to help me with the CPU and M/B selection... I'm assuming some of the CPUs used with portable and small form factor applications will fit the bill...

The NAS will be on 24/7 and so I want to use the lowest power CPU I can find... I'm not going to need that much processing power... RAID will be hardware, not software... Also it will be in the lounge room initially so I want it to be quiet... Another reason for low power usage, less fans...

The catch is that I will need a PCIe x4 or greater slot for use with the RAID controller...

After looking at EPIA and Transmeta options, I couldn't find anything that had PCIe... So I started looking at Pentium M because there are several M/Bs that will fit the bill nicely... ASUA N4L I think is one of them...

Looks like the Ultra Low Voltage Pentium M 723 is a good choice, around 5W TDP, but I can't find any for sale any where and I don't know if it will fit in a Socket 479 M/B...

So basically I'm after the following...

1) Low power usage CPU, the lower the better (e.g. 5 - 10W TDP)
2) If the CPU can run without a fan, then all the better

3) M/B must have at least one PCIe x4 or greater... If it only has one PCIe x16 then it will need onboard video...
4) Preferably have Gigabit LAN, but I can add that on if necessary...

Thanks in advance for your help...

Dezza Bot · 14th December 2006, 1:01 PM

Try an Asus N4L-VM-DH
PCI-E 16x
Onboard Gigabit
Onboard Video

The Ultra Low voltage Pentium-M's only fit specific laptops, you have to go with a standard Yonah or a single core if you can still get them.
Just turn on all the power saving options and you'll have the lowest tdp possible with all the features you want.

My sig yonah core runs fanless

Runey · 14th December 2006, 1:54 PM

Thanks Dezza... That's the M/B I was looking at... At least I know I'm on the right track...

Bummer about the ULVs though

I'll start my search for those CPUs now... If anyones got one for sale, drop me a line

EDIT: Had a look at the Core 2, Core, Pentium-M and Celeron-M to compare TDPs and prices...

Core 2 Duo 34W $---
Core Duo 31W $307
Core Solo 27W $302
Pentium-M 21W $360
Celeron-M 27W $120

Since the Celeron-M is less than half the cost and has a similar TDP, is there any reason I cannot use that for a cool and quiet running NAS box?

EDIT 2: Dezza... Looks like your Yonah is clocked down to 1GHz... Is that so it can run fanless?

Dezza Bot · 14th December 2006, 4:49 PM

yeah with the stock heatsink the yonah (thats a dual core pentium-m) will run fanless... so far at least. This summer will be the real test

Since its just a nas box and will be running a hardware raid, I'd just go with the Celeron-m if I was you.

Runey · 14th December 2006, 5:11 PM

Thanks again Dezza...

Gierke · 15th December 2006, 11:13 AM

I'm running the opteron in my sig without a fan on the Katana Cu and it idle's in the mid 20's on a roughly 20 degree day.

Runey · 15th December 2006, 11:40 AM

Interesting option of I can find one cheap enough

Thanks for letting me know... Off to the For Sale section and eBay

14th December 2006, 11:57 AM	#1
Runey Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Adelaide Posts: 63	Low power CPUs I'm trying to select a low power CPU for a project I have in mind... Basically it's a NAS with a few extra trimmings... I know NAS doesn't exactly come under this heading, but I'm hoping you guys might be able to help me with the CPU and M/B selection... I'm assuming some of the CPUs used with portable and small form factor applications will fit the bill... The NAS will be on 24/7 and so I want to use the lowest power CPU I can find... I'm not going to need that much processing power... RAID will be hardware, not software... Also it will be in the lounge room initially so I want it to be quiet... Another reason for low power usage, less fans... The catch is that I will need a PCIe x4 or greater slot for use with the RAID controller... After looking at EPIA and Transmeta options, I couldn't find anything that had PCIe... So I started looking at Pentium M because there are several M/Bs that will fit the bill nicely... ASUA N4L I think is one of them... Looks like the Ultra Low Voltage Pentium M 723 is a good choice, around 5W TDP, but I can't find any for sale any where and I don't know if it will fit in a Socket 479 M/B... So basically I'm after the following... 1) Low power usage CPU, the lower the better (e.g. 5 - 10W TDP) 2) If the CPU can run without a fan, then all the better 3) M/B must have at least one PCIe x4 or greater... If it only has one PCIe x16 then it will need onboard video... 4) Preferably have Gigabit LAN, but I can add that on if necessary... Thanks in advance for your help...

14th December 2006, 1:01 PM	#2
Dezza Bot Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Central Coast, NSW Posts: 3,147	Try an Asus N4L-VM-DH PCI-E 16x Onboard Gigabit Onboard Video The Ultra Low voltage Pentium-M's only fit specific laptops, you have to go with a standard Yonah or a single core if you can still get them. Just turn on all the power saving options and you'll have the lowest tdp possible with all the features you want. My sig yonah core runs fanless __________________ "The UK is the only place in the world where anyone talks about AMD or ATI" - Roy Taylor, NVIDIA’s VP of Content Relations

14th December 2006, 1:54 PM	#3
Runey Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Adelaide Posts: 63	Thanks Dezza... That's the M/B I was looking at... At least I know I'm on the right track... Bummer about the ULVs though I'll start my search for those CPUs now... If anyones got one for sale, drop me a line EDIT: Had a look at the Core 2, Core, Pentium-M and Celeron-M to compare TDPs and prices... Core 2 Duo 34W $--- Core Duo 31W $307 Core Solo 27W $302 Pentium-M 21W $360 Celeron-M 27W $120 Since the Celeron-M is less than half the cost and has a similar TDP, is there any reason I cannot use that for a cool and quiet running NAS box? EDIT 2: Dezza... Looks like your Yonah is clocked down to 1GHz... Is that so it can run fanless? Last edited by Runey; 14th December 2006 at 3:25 PM.

14th December 2006, 4:49 PM	#4
Dezza Bot Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Central Coast, NSW Posts: 3,147	yeah with the stock heatsink the yonah (thats a dual core pentium-m) will run fanless... so far at least. This summer will be the real test Since its just a nas box and will be running a hardware raid, I'd just go with the Celeron-m if I was you. __________________ "The UK is the only place in the world where anyone talks about AMD or ATI" - Roy Taylor, NVIDIA’s VP of Content Relations

15th December 2006, 11:13 AM	#6
Gierke Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Barossa Valley Posts: 1,562	I'm running the opteron in my sig without a fan on the Katana Cu and it idle's in the mid 20's on a roughly 20 degree day. __________________ \| AMD X4 955 \| 4GB DDR2 \| 8800GTS 512MB \| WD 320GB AAKS \| Lian Li A03B \|

14th December 2006, 5:11 PM	#5
Runey Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Adelaide Posts: 63	Thanks again Dezza...

15th December 2006, 11:40 AM	#7
Runey Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Adelaide Posts: 63	Interesting option of I can find one cheap enough Thanks for letting me know... Off to the For Sale section and eBay