HDPLEX H1.S Fanless PC with Jetway NF9G-QM77 PGA988 (ADE4INLANG) + Intel i7-3687U (17W) Mobile CPU

Original Review from HDPLEX Fanless PC Forum

HDPLEX H1.S with mobile socket PGA988 build
Here’s my build of my H1.S system using components for a mobile processor.
The purpose I had in mind was for a passive network appliance, without sacrificing processor power.

Components
HDPLEX H1.S Fanless PC case for Thin mini-ITX and mini-ITX motherboard.
120W Internal AC-DC+ 150W DC-ATX Fanless Power Supply
Jetway NF9G-QM77 with 4x Intel Gigabit Daughterboard (ADE4INLANG)
Intel i7-3687U (17W)

Chassis
The quality of the H1S chassis is exceptional. The amount of care and detail put into every component is evident. Every part fit in snugly, and the thick aluminium case panels give it a strong sturdy feel. (Unlike those with thin panels which feel like they would warp and bend easily.)

However during the build, I faced 2 issues: [both issues solved 13/Feb]
Defective PSU combo does not support additional SATA devices [solved]
Need to affix H1S heatpipe solution to a 51mm form factor. [solved]
I had expected to face some difficulty here as I had chosen a “non-mainstream” motherboard with a unconventional CPU choice. However, the solution described later isn’t too difficult given that the H1S has been very well designed to take advantage of the solution.

I will describe the issues in more detail in the subsequent sections, and how they are eventually solved.

The “Franken-build” Processor
I wanted to use a low TDP mobile processor (<35W) hence I chose a motherboard that has a PGA988 socket. This allows me to use the range of mobile Intel processors. In addition, I had gone one step further and obtained a 17W TDP chip. Some folks will know that the 17W chips are only available in the BGA form factor, which is unavailable to retail buyers and is only sold direct to laptop manufacturers. After some trouble, I had managed to procure a BGA-to-PGA converted chip. I got the i7-3687U which is probably the most powerful 17W chip I could get my hands on that works well with our build. HDPLEX H1.S with mobile Intel processor PGA988 socket

(You can see the BGA chip mounted on a PCB which is then mounted in the PGA socket.)

The PGA 51mm mounting issue

The PGA socket uses a 51mm cooling form factor – in which the corner holes of the H1S copper plate are perfectly aligned! However, the problem crops up that there is no easy way to mount the copper plate to the motherboard

HDPLEX H1.S with mobile Intel processor PGA988 socket

The bundled mounting brackets provided cannot be used (since these are not catered for the 51mm solution). This being the case, I had reverted to using the stock provided heatsink+sink combo to test out the motherboard first.

PSU SATA Power
I hit the issue that the SATA device cannot be used when connected to the power. The system would not POST if I tried to bootup with a SATA device. The after-sales service is excellent – Larry has been very prompt in checking with me on the issue and responsive in addressing this. [solved]

HDPLEX H1.S with mobile Intel processor PGA988 socket

I had captured 2 videos to show the problem.
Unsuccessful powerup with SATA device

Successful powerup without SATA device

EDIT:
I received the PSU combo package and tried the new items. It resolved the issue for the SATA power issue. I traced further, and found that it was the old SATA power cable that was faulty.

Solution to the PGA 51mm mounting

After trying out different ways and means to fit the copper block to the CPU, it seems that a solution to the CPU cooling could potentially be reached if I could mount the copper heatsink using M3 screws while keeping them flushed below the surface. I wanted to maintain the use of the M3 mounting posts to hold my SSD on top of the aluminium block.

HDPLEX H1.S with mobile Intel processor PGA988 socket

In short, the aim is to keep the “head” of the screw below the surface.

This is the machining work needed to be done to the copper block.

HDPLEX H1.S with mobile Intel processor PGA988 socket

It was only after some time of checking around that I managed to find a machine shop to make the change for me. This is the result.

HDPLEX H1.S with mobile Intel processor PGA988 socket

HDPLEX H1.S with mobile Intel processor PGA988 socket

I was then able to mount the copper block to the CPU using M3 screws. I used the H1S insulation with additional nuts and washers to pad the back of the motherboard.

HDPLEX H1.S with mobile Intel processor PGA988 socket

Next, I started positioning the 6 heatpipes. Some required a small amount of bending to fit snugly into the grooves. The top aluminium block was then screwed on.

HDPLEX H1.S with mobile Intel processor PGA988 socket

HDPLEX H1.S with mobile Intel processor PGA988 socket

It was good that the M3 mount posts were not blocked, which would then allow me to mount the SSD mounting cage.

HDPLEX H1.S with mobile Intel processor PGA988 socket

The clearance was however insufficient if you had added a Jetway daughterboard. I was instead able to replace those with countersunk M3 screws padded with a sufficient amount of washers and nuts.

HDPLEX H1.S with mobile Intel processor PGA988 socket

The build is finally complete.

Temperature and Power Readings
I had taken some temperature measurements throughout the build process. As I was unable to run a full OS (since I can’t attach any SATA device while waiting for the PSU replacement), I booted up my Linux Mint (Petra) LiveCD to give the system a quick spin.

BEFORE: using the stock heatsink+fan combo (and was noisy as anything)

HDPLEX H1.S with mobile Intel processor PGA988 socket

Temperatures had easily reached 71 C, and I was not comfortable with loading the CPU to 100% to find the limits of the max temperature reached.

AFTER: using all 6 of the H1S heatpipes (in absolute silence)

HDPLEX H1.S with mobile Intel processor PGA988 socket

At idle, the system stays at a constant 45-48 C (fluctuates a little)
Temperatures maxed out at 60 C when the CPU was maxed to 100%.
This was achieved while viewing 3x 1080p video playback simultaneously (for over 3+ hours)
(i) Youtube video on firefox
(ii) VLC (software decoding)
(iii) Totem

Throughout the usage, I measured the power draw using my trusty Killawatt plug. It registered a max of 36.5W with the CPU maxed out at 100%.

Wrap-up
I plan to take more readings of the usage and temperatures under Windows since it would likely have better support for CPU power savings.

Does anyone have any recommendation for benchmarking software to run?

PS: Larry, Keep up the great work! I decided to start a separate thread since you mentioned that this would be the first HDPLEX H1.S system with a mobile socket.

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