My New Low Power HS Computer 5watts

[HomeTech]

This is fantastic! I have a ZOTAC ZBOX pico. I moved my HS2 from a 180watt 3.2G rack server to this ZOTAC.

Specs
Win 8.1 pre installed
32GB eMMC
CPU quad-core 1.83GHz
Mem 2GB
Lan 10/100
WiFi 802.1 & Bluetooth4
HDMI
Audio Headphone Out
micro SC slot.

I have it running everything that was on the old server and it is fast.
**I did not try HS3 because it still not ready for me yet some of the plugins I need are not available for HS3**

I had to used a USB Sound card for my installation. I also have a 7 port USB with external Power for all of my other Home Automation Hardware. see pictures below.

[Pete]

Very nice.

Here purchased a similiar mini-pc sold as tv-box with Windows 8.1 called Pipo X7. I am amazed with its tiny size and what it can do. Purchased this box for $97 USD. Waited about a month for delivery. There are newer ones now with a 64Gb base MMC built in.

The HS2 boxes here still are at Windows 2003. It is a thin build and the partitions used are 20Gb. You don't really need much more than this.

Easy to back up and image.

These new tiny Intel quad core based boards are amazing.

Yesterday on a different forum somebody mentioned a new HP Windows 8.1 tablet called HP Stream 7 on sale at Microsoft for $79.

I like the Metro interface for the tablet. Switched over to Microsoft Mobile 8.1 just recently.

[langenet]

My question about to new micro computers is driver support for older operating systems such as Win2k3. Pete, are you running your w2k3 on one of these?

Rob

[Rotech]

How do you call that bracket that you have the pc attached to? And where can you get one of these?

[Pete]

@Rob&@Rotech

Just playing with it right now. The UEFI BIOS is all that is there. Well that is all I see when I go to the BIOS screens. That said you would have to install whatever OS via UEFI. If you have not done so before or used UEFI then it's better to read up on UEFI booting. I got Linux running on it but needed to play with the UEFI (GPT) partition.

Windows has sort of done their own thing relating to UEFI making it more Wintel centric and not really multiOS centric at this time; although it is documented well as its been around for many years.

I did make a recover boot stick and noticed that there is a recover partition on the 32Gb MMC. That said you can create a UFEI (GPT) boot stick installation stick for replacing OS. I have been able to get Ubuntu to run this way. Its not the same though as old stuff; very different to use the GPT stuff.

Long term thinking of using it with my 17" wide screen for wall mounting / Kinect touchscreen stuff and Homeseer touch. Not sure yet. My current large screen in wall touch screen is 4:3 / capacitance and using a core duo Aopen mini PC. New one replacing 4:3 screen is 16:9 and dual capacitance; thinner for flush wall mounting and will do well I think with the baytrail CPU.

Some of the new little Baytrail mini pcs do come with little holes for mounting on a wall or whatever. It's so tiny and light you can utilize that 3M teeth lock stuff and it should suffice. There is no expansion to the motherboard and the 32Gb MMC hard drive is soldered in place along with the 2Gb of memory. You do have HD audio with is part of the HDMI port and analog audio out in the front plus 2 USB ports in the front and in the back such that you can expand it via USB ports. The motherboard is a tad larger than the RPi but its not of any standard that I can tell such that you can mount it in another box. The Pipo 7 is all aluminum which I like better than plastic. The case is supposed to be sort of a heat shield for the CPU but the CPU gets hot because its using a rubber like heatsink over a shell which is metal. Folks have already replaced this rubberized heat sink with a metal passive heat sink.

Long term use development appears to be mostly for the new Windows 8.1 tablets. Relating to server use; it could be a motherboard for a NAS drive or other single purpose devices. Running HS3 works on it. It is really an Intel CPU counter to the ARM CPU today. Concurrently they are developing Windows 8.1 to run on the ARM CPU. This does offer more options today for running HS3 on an appliance like device.

I have left my Homeseer 2 boxes running on two PCs today with Windows 2003 32 bit. They do fine with that.

The new Homeseer 3 box is replacing a mini PC (Aopen) running Ubuntu 64bit server. The Aopen mini pc is running with a core duo. The new hardware will be running with a Haswell i3 CPU / 8 Gb of memory. Lots of hardware, devices, scripts, plugins and events. I prefer not to push HS3 and the Haswell i3 is lower energy but its not 8 watts (like 30-50 watts). That and its going to be a lamp server. Right now running multiple services on my HS3 box such that I have the Homeseer 3 gui, webmin gui, php pages, apache et al. Concurrently second box; same CPU/Memory will be running Windows 8.1 (fat) versus skinny like on the Baytrail mini pc. You cannot buy it right now as it comes included with said boxes and tablets.

[HomeTech]

Rotech the PC came with the bracket that it snaps into Its actually for mounting on the back of a flat screen monitor I just attached it to a blank rack mount panel.

Here is a link for the 5watt computer with win8.1 installed.

http://www.rakuten.com/prod/zbox-pi3...FYQCaQodyHEAAw

[w.vuyk]

Hometech,

I am thinking to do the same setup here with HS3.
But when I look for it in Europe, I am finding the Zotac system in Europe with CPU quad-core 1.33GHz only, but this could be set to turbo 1.83. On this site (Dutch, I am sorry) http://tweakers.net/pricewatch/42357...specificaties/ it is specified.

I am assuming this is still the same device as you are mentioning. Before getting it, I would like to know if the casing gets hot while using HS on it?

Also, are you using some extra load, like xxtra plugins on it and is the response still good? Like when you use a motion sensor, one step in a room would give response from HS?

Thanks,

Wim

[HomeTech]

Hi w.vuyk, Yes that is what I have 1.83 turbo Quad-core. The unit gets warm not Hot so you don't need a fire extinguisher. Here is what I have running:
SmartHome PowerLinc USB, , mcsXap, weatherXML, HS Phone
SIP Connector, RFXCOM, IM Connector

I do have Motion sensors setup through RFXCOM and it reacts quickly.

Here are some of the spec's of of the HS2 About page on the Zotac

Modules/Threads:221 Modules, 91 ThreadsSystem Processes/Load:44 Processes, 1% Load Free / Total Physical Memory:1.05 GBytes / 1.85 GBytes (57% free) Free / Total Virtual Memory:1.52 GBytes / 2.60 GBytes (58% free) HomeSeer Memory Used:70 MbytesNumber of Devices:174 Unique, Used X-10 Devices:31 Number of Events:183

[w.vuyk]

Thanks for the info, I will try this model with my HS3 installation in a few weeks. It would be a real energy saver if it works

Thanks,

Wim

[Pete]

Here is a comparison between the Intel Atom Z3736F vs Z3735F relating to what is out there today.

I am not working the Z3736F CPU on my Pipo X7 at this time. It did come with a passive metal heatsink over the CPU/GPU which folks have removed and installed multiple passive metal heatsinks on. The Pipo X7 is priced today for around $100 USD with a Windows 8.1 license but took about a month to get to the midwest.

Newer ones recently released now have a core mmc of 64Gb versus 32Gb and an Intel Z3735F CPU.

Geekbuying has the VOYO Mini PC Windows 8.1 4K Media Player Intel Z3735F 2G RAM 64G ROM XBMC KODI WIFI Bluetooth with 1000mAh Battery for $128.99 USD or $113.99 USD with coupon number: DYYLAVEJ. This device though doesn't have an ethernet jack and only comes with Wireless.

Attached are pictures of the heatsink modifications done to the Pipo X7.

Push is for that less than $100 Windows 8.1 tablet/HDMI Windows 8.1 stick. Some of the tablets are sold with dual booting Windows 8.1 and Android.

[Spot]

[QUOTE=Pete;1165781]The Pipo X7 is priced today for around $100 USD with a Windows 8.1 license but took about a month to get to the midwest.

Newer ones recently released now have a core mmc of 64Gb versus 32Gb and an Intel Z3735F CPU.

QUOTE]

Pete,

Thanks for sharing all the info. I 've been looking into a low-power computer for a while ...while pricing, I found the X7 for $39.99...delivered.

We'll see if it arrives in the allotted 30 days. Here's the link for anyone else willing to bet on a deal that seems almost too good to be true.

Deleted Link

[mrhappy]

[QUOTE=Spot;1166261]

The Pipo X7 is priced today for around $100 USD with a Windows 8.1 license but took about a month to get to the midwest.

Newer ones recently released now have a core mmc of 64Gb versus 32Gb and an Intel Z3735F CPU.

QUOTE]

Pete,

Thanks for sharing all the info. I 've been looking into a low-power computer for a while ...while pricing, I found the X7 for $39.99...delivered.

We'll see if it arrives in the allotted 30 days. Here's the link for anyone else willing to bet on a deal that seems almost too good to be true.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281617562308...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I am not normally a gambling man but I put myself down for two from there, who knows what will arrive and when but thanks for the link!

[Pete]

Wow that is a good price. Looks legit on Ebay. (Pipo X7). Lots of watchers. 72 sold so far.

I did a quickie "sold" search using the same description and the sold ones were all over $100 USD.

That Windows License thing did come up in some forums relating to the PipoX7.

Its is a sort of "mini" version of the W81 OS. It doesn't have all of the bells and whistles that the desktop W81 version has.

Here is the Pipo X7 MFG web site.

Here is where I purchased it from. It is called GeekBuying

I have purchased other stuff from Geek Buying but never waited that long.

I did order a black case versus a white case and I read some where there was a delay on the black cases / delivery.

The black one I have has a black antenna and not a white one like the one pictured in the Ebay link.

Just noticed too that it has an FM radio. I have not checked that out on mine yet. (well mostly tried the Linux stuff with it).

[kkkk]

[QUOTE=mrhappy;1166264]

I am not normally a gambling man but I put myself down for two from there, who knows what will arrive and when but thanks for the link!

Me too, but for that price I couldn't resist . I went in for one.

[Pete]

Here I purchased 3 refurbished Kinects in January and did purchase the Pipo X7 for connectivity to the Kinect such that I will go for the deal to finish my little project.

Tacked the Pipo X7 box to a new 16:9 dual touch capacitance monitor mostly to test the new Metro style UI posted here by another Homeseer user.

Currently testing Homeseer 3 touch doing an overlay of buttons over backround stuff.

The power draw from the monitor though is still too high for a POE connection (even though the computer will do fine this way.)