DIY Low Power Haswell-refresh PC

This is my first PC build. I was happy with it's performance in my usage profile and power consumption figures, so, I am providing my build and some information for your benefit. 

I use my PC mostly for Internet browsing, using online apps like Microsoft Excelonline and Google spreadsheet, and watching videos online on sites like Netflix, Hulu, and Youtube. I never play any big games, online or offline. I wanted to build a new PC with low power consumption and good performance for my use.  After reading articles on the  the Internet at sites like anandtech.com, techreport.com, the forum at silentpc.com and many others, I decided to select either the Intel i3-4150 or AMD A8-7600.

One of the issues I had was deciding between a dual core or a quad core. From reviews it felt like the i3-4150 would be fast enough for my workload which as I mentioned above is mostly using Firefox, Netflix, Hulu, etc. If I didn't like it then I would upgrade to a quad core Broadwell processor (Haswell Refresh and Broadwell CPU sockets are same). On the side, I would like to mention that from online test reports it seems AMD Kaveri 'quad' core are somewhat like a Intel Haswell dual core in CPU computing performance (AMD Kaveri architecture is different from Intel Haswell-refresh. So, an AMD dual/quad core processor is not equivalent to a Intel dual/quad core). But that shouldn't mean that they would be slow or have lag for my type of workload. I have used a HP laptop that has an older AMD A8-5550m and it was quite fast for my work.      

It was difficult to decide between Intel i3-4150 paired with ASUS H97M-E/CSM and AMD A8-7600 with MSI's beautiful and lower cost A88XM-Gaming motherboard. The reasons which made me lean towards the A8-7600 were: (1) The AMD A8-7600 has Radeon graphics iGPU (which I think is better than Intel's), (2) I read some reviews that the A8-7600's performance is very near to that of i3-4130 and (3) Next year, I could upgrade to a Carrizo chip hopefully at similar price as the A8-7600. But, I went for the i3-4150 after I read reviews on blogs and on the tomshardware website which made me feel that the Intel Graphics would be good (so I may not need to buy a separate graphics card), and that the AMD A8-7600 was not available at the time of my purchase.
After these few months of use I can say that I am happy with the picture quality of the integrated Graphics, viewed on my Dell P2314T IPS monitor. The video playback is nice and smooth. My understanding from what I read is that a separate graphics card may be needed only if I install a TV tuner card which needs 'Vector Adaptive De-interlacing' (which the AMD APU could have) for a better quality TV picture.                       

I was wondering if I should wait for the i3-4150T, but I don't think this processor is less better at saving power. Along with the i3-4150 (with stock fan), my PC has an ASUS H97M-E/CSM motherboard, Crucial 8GB RAM, a WD Blue WD5000LPVX 500GB Laptop HDD and an Antec EarthWatts EA-430D Green (Bronze efficiency) power supply. The Kill-A-Watt power meter reading moves around 11-12w at idle, with no user apps running; 12-13w at idle with Firefox running (with few loaded tabs) and in foreground; 15-18w when watching Netflix or Hulu in IE11 with video in a 7" X 12.1/4" sized area (Power use varies with video area. Watching Netflix or Hulu in Firefox in similar sized video area consumes 19-20w; Not sure about Google Chrome). The temperature reading is around 33 degC. I have enabled all 'C' states, enabled Intel SpeedStep, enabled ASUS EPU in BIOS (an ASUS board feature) and set it in 'Savings' mode (in ASUS AI Suite 3), and have disabled many items including ports that would be unused. [If I do not disable the unused ports, I get 12w (meter never shows 11w).] On disabling the ASUS EPU or setting it to 'Performance' mode, the idle power usage is around 16-17w. I use my PC mostly for Internet browsing, using online apps like Microsoft Excelonline and Google spreadsheet, and watching videos online on sites like Netflix, Hulu, and Youtube. I never play any big games, online or offline. The EPU in 'Savings' mode is perfectly alright for this type of work. [but, sometimes it feels it makes web browsing on Firefox slightly less responsive.] In my usage the  power is mostly below 25w and sometimes goes above 30w and rarely above 40w. In BIOS mode the power drawn is a constant 30w. The standby power reading is 0w. I was thinking of buying a low noise aftermarket cooler, but the included Intel fan cooler has been quiet till now. Compared to i3-4150, the energy usage of the AMD A8-7600 is higher depending on the TDP selected. See page 12 of article "AMD's A8-7600 'Kaveri' processor reviewed" at techreport site for the figures.


It is easy to build your own basic PC like mine. Here is my experience and parts I used in order of assembly. You may choose them or other compatible ones. Determine if you need a Hard Drive Bay Converter for 2.5-Inch HDD, aftermarket cooler, optical drive, the OS you need (should be supported by motherboard), etc. Note that all the items: CPU, memory, power connectors, SATA data cable, etc, except Intel stock fan, have been designed to go in only one way.

1. Processor (comes with fan): Intel i3-4150. For a new CPU you do not have to buy thermal paste as the fan heatsink should already have that on it.
2. Motherboard: ASUS H97M-E/CSM. Check if the OS you wish to install is supported by the motherboard by checking the vendor's site to see if they offer drivers for it. Many newer motherboards may not have support for Win XP. 
3. Memory: Crucial Ballistix Tactical BLT2K4G3D1608ET3LX0 2 x 4GB, DDR3, DDR31600, PC3-12800, 1.35V, Low Profile, Memory. Make sure whatever brand you buy is compatible with the motherboard. Crucial has an online tool to check this for their memory.

For help to install the CPU, fan and memory, search for a youtube video on "Install CPU, CPU Fan, & Memory" or other similar term. Intel has also provided a manual in the box which gives steps on installing the CPU and fan.

Caution: If assembling the PC in winter and if the humidity in your room is low there is danger of motherboard components getting damaged by static electricity transferred by touch, so 'ground' yourself before proceeding. You can touch a screw (must be paint free) on an electrical wall plate or use an anti-static wrist strap for this. By walking on a carpet, rubbing feet on it, or friction with other static causing materials (like 100% polyester blankets) you may develop a static charge. So, to reduce the risk of static damage choose an appropriate area and work surface that is free/away from these materials. Try removing the motherboard from the anti-static bag using the edges to avoid touching components and place it on the same bag for some protection.

Now, you can mount these three parts on the motherboard.

4. Case: I used an old Dell Dimension L733r desktop case, which is made of nice thick aluminum and is relatively small sized (14½ x 11½ x 6¼). I have not put any case fans as CPU and board temp readings remain in the 30's (degC). I did not find any small micro-atx case that has the features I needed.

You don't necessarily need a case for a simple machine like mine. You can connect all the parts and keep them in a wooden cabinet, thick cardboard box, etc (I would prefer to use materials that do not generate static, so wood and cardboard may be OK). If you do this then be careful not to touch the system parts, especially in low humidity (winter time), before grounding youself (See Caution above). 

You will also have to buy a 'Single Pole Single Throw - Normally Open' or 'SPST-NO' switch. This type of switch has normally-open contacts. Wires on the switch side may need soldering (unless you can attach the wire using a connector or use some other method to hold them in place) or in the other type available you use screws. Switches (solderable or with screws) are available on ebay.com for about $1.00 to $2.00. 

Use wire jumpers to connect the switch with the PWR and GND pins in the motherboards' 'System panel Connector'. Just check your motherboards' manual to find the location of this connector and the pins. If you short these two pins momentarily the PC turns ON. If you don't have a switch on hand, just use some metal like a small screwdriver and carefully short only those two pins.

I had to extend my case's power switch connector to make it reach the new motherboard's power connector. If you have to make a wire jumper from the case panel to the motherboard here is how I made it.
Item list:
a. 24AWG Wire: Determine the approximate length from the case panel to the motherboard's 'System Panel Connector'.
b. Dupont 2.54 Male Connectors: I needed these to connect to the female connector coming out of my case's panel. Determine what type of connector your case has on the panel side.
c. Dupont 2.54 Female Connectors: To connect the other end of the wire to the motherboard male pins.
d. Crimper: I did not want to buy specialized crimpers as they would be useless to me afterwards. So, I bought STEREN D-SUB TERMINALS AWG 22-28 CRIMPING TOOL 500-210 HT-202B, on ebay, which can also crimp other types of terminals including household electrical wire terminals. You may try to use pliers, but I am not sure how good the result would be. 
e. Single pin Plastic end: To protect the pins. Multi-pin plastic ends (these are joined together) are also available.

For 'how to crimp' see these sites. The first two are based on the crimper I bought:
Search for "How to Crimp Connectors" on the blog (under community menu) at robotshop.com.
Search for "Обжимаем гнезда на кабель (провод) серии BLS. Фото-инструкция" in search bar at robozone.su . Load the page and then use Google/Bing translate.
Search for "Crimpin' - my style" on renoirsrants.blogspot.com. You can use google for this.
For a tight crimp with my kind of tool you can fold the exposed wire in half.

You can now mount the motherboard in the case.

5. Power Supply: Antec EarthWatts EA-430D Green (Bronze level of efficiency). See article "45 PSUs tested at very low loads: which one is the most efficient" at hardware(dot info) for a list of efficient supplies tested at 22.5w loads. If buying an older or used PSU, try to get one that is at least "ErP lot 2013 compliant". A ErP lot 2013 compliant supply has a standby power consumption of less than 0.5 W. An another supply I own, the SS-300TFX, has a "ErP lot 2013" label on it, but based on reviews I read for this PSU, the same model, but older SS-300TFX's may not be "ErP lot 2013" compliant.

Mount the supply in the case. Insert the 24 pin motherboard power connector and the 8 or 4 pin (according to what your supply has) CPU power connector to the board. [If your power supply has a 20 pin connector it will still work, you don't need to have a 24-pin one. Connect the 8-pin CPU power connector too (Again, you don't need this unless you plan to do heavy computing, but use it if your supply has one).]

6. Hard Drive: WD Blue WD5000LPVX 500GB Laptop HDD. Since this is a Laptop HDD you may need a 3.5-Inch to 2.5-Inch Hard Drive Bay Converter. I used "Silverstone Tek, Black (SDP08B)". This is a 5400rpm drive, but I do not feel any lag or 'slowness' while working. My Windows 8.1 64 bit PC boots up in about 40 secs to password screen. Connect the SATA data cable between drive and motherboard, and SATA power cable (from power supply) to the drive.

7. Optical drive: Optional. Use an external laptop USB drive if you wish to keep the power drawn low; You can disconnect it when not needed. I have not installed this drive in my PC. I installed the OS by creating a bootable USB drive from Windows 8.1 DVD using Rufus utility software (available at rufus(dot)akeo(dot)ie) on an older Win XP laptop. Cheap(around $5 with shipping), used, older(dated 2011 or earlier), brandname (like Samsung, LG, HP, Sony, etc) SATA DVD-RW laptop drives are available on ebay if you need to occasionally use one. If you choose to use a internal laptop optical drive, the SATA data cable will be same as for hard drive but the power cable will be different. Check if your power supply has a slim SATA power connector(Most likely it won't). If not, you will need buy one like at http://www.amazon.com/Pin-Slimline-Sata-Power-Cable/dp/B0056N6TMO.

8. USB Drive: Will need a USB drive if you do not install an optical drive and wish to install OS like I mentioned above. 

That's it. Now, you can install your chosen operating system.

Started using on on 6/27/2014 and have had no problems so far.

Some tips based on my experience to help you apply for 'Reissue of Indian Passport after 10 yrs' in the USA.

Some time back I applied in person to renew my passport at the BLS International, NYC, office. In this post I would like to provide some tips to help you submit a 'complete' application to avoid a rejection.

The application procedure might have changed since my application. Check your region's Indian Consulate General's website to find out the current service provider and the service provider's site for the most current instructions. At the time of my application renewal of Indian Passport in the USA was via BLS International, US. Their website is at www.passport.blsindia-usa.com .

Tip 1. The 'Online application form': This one was labelled 'On-Line Passport Registration at Indian Mission/Post For NRIS'. To prevent rejection fill all fields like 'no. 7 Particulars of person to be intimated in......', '9. Local car driving Licence...' (If you don't have a license fill your US State ID, like me), '11. When did applicant first leave India?....', '12. How long has applicant continuously...', '19. Name and address of two relatives/friends...', etc. I had some of the above fields empty and the person at the counter asked me to fill them up.
If you live in a rental and are planning for an address change in the future, you can enter your current US address and later apply for 'Change of Address' service. I never used my previous passport for travel or other uses and it still had my older US address when applying for reissue and I did not have any problems.

Tip 2. The 'Nationality Verification Form/ Personal Particulars form': This was in .doc format. I have been residing in the USA for a long time and had kept the '8. Complete Permanent Address In India' and '14. Name & Address Of Two Relatives / Friends....Not of the same family' field empty. But, when I was at the BLS office in person the representative insisted that these fields be filled or my application will be returned. So, at the counter I filled in my parents' address for both field '8' and '14'.

Tip 3. The BLS Passport Order Form: I had kept the 'Airway Bill No.' field empty and submitted this online form as I wished to have return shipping by USPS Priority mail and had not bought the prepaid passport delivery yet.

Tip 4. Photographs: Please try to get a good photograph per the requirements. When you go to the photo studio it would be a good idea to take with you a small drawing which shows the photo dimensions, expected dimensions of the face, etc. If possible, ask to show digital copy before printout to make sure the head dimensions and photo quality are OK. I wear glasses but the first time I got photo taken and they has small white spots on them due to glare. When I got the photographs done again in NYC the digital copy of the photo again had glare spots on them. So, the photographer advised that passport photo without glasses would be acceptable. In my previous passports I wear glasses and I did want them on my photo this time too, but after five attempts to get a glare free photo (four with a previous photographer and once in NYC) I gave up. I submitted my application having my photo without my glasses and did not have a rejection. If you wear glasses in your previous passport photo and now wish to have one without them check with BLS by email if you need to give a 'Change of Appearance' form. I had this form in my application, but that was because I now keep my head bald.

I got my photograph taken in New York city at
Bleeker Digital Solutions 64 Bleecker Street New York, NY 10012, 212-254-4345, http://www.bleekerdigital.com
I found above studio after searching on yelp.com.
The cost of two passport size photo was $10.00 and the quality was good.
I found some other places in NYC on yelp.com.
1)  A Y studios 401 Broadway, Ste 512 New York, NY 10013, (212) 625-3834.
this one had good reviews on yelp.com.
2)  88 Images Photo Lab 100 Lafayette St New York, NY 10013, (212) 966-9250, http://www.88imagesphoto.com/
I visited this one and saw someone else's printed passport photos and they looked good. The prices here were much lower. If you already have a photo then you can get additional copies done here.

There are others in NYC, search on yelp.com. 

Consider these before selecting a photographer:
a) Charge per passport photo
b) Charge per additional photo
c) Price to provide digital copy, if you wish to have one. You can also digitize a copy of a passport photo using a scanner or at a store like Staples too.  
d) Have studio with area for photograph with good lighting
e) Appointment needed

I had pasted one photograph on the 'Application Form For Indian Passport...', and one each on 'Nationality Verification Form...'. I had put extra three photographs in a marked cover along with my application, but the representative returned them back to me saying they were not needed.

Tip 5. Keep copy of previous Passport: You may have to attach the previous passport to your application as well, so it would be a good idea to make a scanned copy or color photocopies of it for your future record as well to have something on hand in case the old passport gets lost in the mail.

Tip 6:  I did not make a color Photocopy of a residential proof of the applicant as it was not mentoned in instructions.

Tip 7. Change of Appearance: If appearance has changed do not forget to fill out a 'Change of Appearance' form and get it notarized. If you has glasses in your previous passport and now wish to have one without them check with BLS by email if you need to give a 'Change of Appearance' form.

Tip 8. Notary: Notaries are available at your bank, UPS offices, etc. Call for charges; your bank may do it for free, UPS charges around $5/document. If you need to get something notarized while at the BLS application office in NYC there is a UPS office nearby .

Tip 9.  For Passport Return by USPS: I selected to have return by USPS priority mail. Be careful if purchasing postage on USPS.com. The last time I checked (Oct, 2013), a USPS priority mail postage label purchased on USPS.com (the postage cost is about 60c lower than that in the post office) will have a 'posted on' date on it. If you post the mail on any other day it will be rejected.
If you wish to use USPS priority mail for your passport return:
(1.) Just take a normal sized priority mail envelope and fill your address under 'To' and BLS International's address under 'From'.
(2.) Purchase and affix priority mail postage stamp to the envelope. and
(3.) Do not forget to get a tracking number barcode and affix it to the envelope.

Tip 10. Application Fee: I could have payed in cash but had purchased a USPS money order for application fee as I was planning to mail my forms. There was a charge of $1.20 for a USPS money order for amounts between $0.01 to $500.00.

Tip 11. Visit to BLS office, NYC: There were not many people at my appointment time around 12:00 pm on a Thursday. I felt I could have come earlier or even slightly later (before they close for passport applications) to submit my application. You have to mark your name in printed sheet at the entrance and the guard will give you a token number. I think it was better for me to apply in person as I had some fields empty in my form (mentioned above in item 1, 2) and the representative had advised me fill them so that my form would not be rejected.

Tip 12. Email BLS for any questions and Check Application status: I did email BLS a few questions and got replies after few days. I received my passport in the mail after about 14 days. In my case I got tracking information on USPS.com only after the mail had reached my local USPS distribution center. If you do not receive your passport after about nine/ten days from the date you submitted the application, I would suggest that you should email BLS to check for the status. I had emailed the NYC Consulate General after about two weeks on my passport status and had got a reply within a short time of my emailing them on the same day.

That's all I have. Best of luck for your Passport Application.

Repair of the oscillator assembly in an Air-O-Swiss room humidifier model 7142

Our Air O Swiss room humidifier model 7142 was turning on, the front panel worked, air flowed, but did not give mist. I read Dennis Aanderud's post on fixya and that gave me a hint for further repair. I decided to open the unit and check the oscillator assembly to find out if it could be repaired. On inspecting the circuit in the oscillator, I found that one of the components in it, a transistor, was damaged by water leakage. I was able to successfully replace that component and the unit now works normally.

For all who wish to repair their units here are the steps I followed: 

Step 1. Remove the bottom : Remove the five screws (I think the type of screw the unit has are 'Double-square' with a post in the center of the head. You can use a small flat head screwdriver that will fit in and rotate the screw. This may break the center post, but you can still screw and unscrew without any problem).
After unscrewing, apply a slight force to remove the bottom plastic and remove it only slightly from the main body. There is a fan seated in the bottom part but wires are connected to the above portion. Now, try to remove the bottom slowly and grab the fan and place it on the side.

Step 2. Remove the oscillator assembly : The oscillator assembly is the part to which the transducer is attached. Gently  remove the wire connector and then the four screws and the oscillator assembly should be loose. In my case the plastic surrounding the transducer was cracked.

Step 3. Open the oscillator assembly : Remove the screw at the side and you should see the PCB. When I first saw the PCB in my unit there was water all over it (due to the filled water tank) and it had white powdery like coating on it in some places. Remove the transducer wire connector, then the two screws on the PCB, and the two screws which fix the aluminum heatsink to the case.  
To remove all the white dust on the PCB I put some rubbing alcohol on it and cleaned using an old toothbrush. Water entered the assembly due to the cracks in the plastic surrounding the transducer and created this dust. I covered the crack in plastic using silicon glue.

 Two major elements in this circuit which can get damaged are: [1] the ultrasonic transducer (attached to PCB by a connector) and [2] the transistor (The big black part having three leads and connected to the aluminum heat sink).

Step 3a. Check if the transistor is OK : The transistor part number is given on it's face. Mine had the letters and numbers SK C3835. I found out that the transistor is of NPN type by finding the datasheet on the Internet.

(A rectifier diode is an electronic component which has a P type semiconductor connected to a N type semiconductor. and it gives low resistance to current only when (1) P type is at higher voltage than N type by +0.7 volts and (2) current flows from P to N. The other way around it gives a very-very high resistance. An NPN transistor is an electronic component which has P type semiconductor sandwiched between two N type semiconductors. The center P type is called Base and other two terminals are called Emitter and Collector. These three terminals are marked on the PCB as 'B', 'E' and 'C' respectively. You may think of the connection between the 'B' and 'E' terminal as one diode and that between 'B' and 'C' as an another diode.)

I tried to find out if the transistor is damaged by checking the resistance between each pin both ways; The +ve connected to one of the pins and -ve connected to another one and then reversing this.
Keep the multimeter in the lowest ohms range and check the resistance between each of the three terminals of the transistor. You do not have to measure the resistance but just check if none of the readings give a small resistance value (like 0, 5, 20, 100 ohms, etc).
 
(With +ve lead connected to 'B' and -ve to 'E' you will not get a low resistance reading as about 0.7v must be applied before the P-N connection conducts. If the transistor is good, then I think the only way you might get a resistance value reading, with the +ve lead on the 'B' pin and -ve lead on either 'E' or 'C' pin, is if you put the ohmmeter on the Mohm scale; For all scales below Mohm it will be a 'beyond scale' reading. You may be able to use the diode checker if your meter has that functionality but I am not sure how it works when checking a transistor.)

I found that my transistor had gone bad as I got the resistance between the 'B'(Base) and 'E'(Emitter) pins around zero ohms.
I found that ebay and some other websites were selling a Sanken 2SC3835 transistor for humidifiers. So, I searched for this part on electronic component supplier Digikey.com and luckily it was available for $2.73 plus USPS first class shipping. This component had similar lettering and numbering as the original part. The datasheet of this transistor also mentions that it can be used for humidifiers. The link to Digikey page for this part is http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/2SC3835/2SC3835-ND/3929392
   
Step 3b. Check if the transducer is OK : I had two of these units. One was working. So, I tried to find out if transducer had gone bad by swapping it in the oscillator unit of the working one; and it was working. I also tried the transducer of the working unit in the damaged oscillator unit and this did not work. If your transducer is damaged you can buy one from some Korean websites. From the information (pictures) given on these websites it looks like the unit they sell would compatible. Please verify before you purchase. Here is the info:

1. http://www.lattron.com/eng/index.php
I think this company makes compatible transducers, but I am not sure.

2. http://itempage3.auction.co.kr/detailview.aspx?itemno=a591832155
This one sells similar looking transducer. The oscillator in one of the picture looks the same as in Air-O-Swiss model 7142. The site is in Korean. You may have to use a 'Buy from Korea service' like http://sasaeyokorea.com/ to purchase from here.

3. http://item2.gmarket.co.kr/English/detailview/item.aspx?goodscode=249277352
This one also seems to sell compatible transducer and looks like they ship to USA. Please verify before you purchase.
 
Step 3c. Check if other components are good : You can check if other elements have gone bad by using a multimeter to check for the resistance(and capacitance) values, if fuse is OK and if there is no break in connection between elements. See the connection diagram I made for the oscillator unit for the resistance values. You can find the resistance values using a resistance color code chart.

Step 4. Replace transistor : I used a de-soldering iron to remove the damaged transistor from the PCB and removed the transistor from the aluminum heatsink. In low humidity there is danger of semiconductor components getting damaged due to static buildup, so to 'ground' myself I touched the screw on the electrical wall plate before removing the transistor from its anti-static package. I did this a few more times till the new transistor was soldered to the PCB. I applied little thermal paste to its metal back and spread it in a thin layer such that it covers the entire surface (Every metal surface has tiny hills and valleys on it's surface and thermal paste is used to cover these for better heat transfer by lowering the thermal resistance between the two surfaces by filling the tiny air gaps. I used a thermal paste that is used for attaching microprocessors to their heat sink's in computers. You can buy similar or look on ebay.) Screw the transistor to the heat sink and take care that the edges are parallel to the edges of the heat sink just like the original part was attached. Using a small plier bend carefully each of the three pins from a point on the lead and to an angle just like that on the old one. Insert them in the PCB and keep leads that come out on the solder side just the same length as in the old part. Solder the leads.

Step 5. Cover PCB in plastic : I covered the PCB in plastic 'Cling' food wrap to prevent water damage and covered the transistor leads in a small length insulation tape. Make sure water does not have a path to enter and remain there. If this is unavoidable then make a hole in the plastic wrapper at a suitable spot for drainage.

Step 6. Put everything else back together : The fan has a seat in the base and also in the upper part such that both hold the fan when the unit is put back together. You may bring the unit close to the base and put the fan in it's seat in the base and join OR you can put the fan it it's seat in upper unit and then attach the base being careful that the fan does not fall out of the seat.

After all above machine was working as before.