AM2+ ZIF socket		ZIF socket lever

AMD motherboards feature a ZIF socket which has a lever you pull up to install the CPU. The ZIF socket allows the CPU to be inserted without the user having to press down, the CPU’s weight does the work. (Zero Insertion Force socket)

AMD Sempron 140		CPU pins

Before installing a CPU I always check the pins and alignment markers to make sure I get the CPU orientation correct as the ZIF socket is keyed. Notice that the AM3 CPU has three triangular corners and one square edge.

Sempron installation		Secured in ZIF socket

With the alignment markers in mind my Sempron CPU goes into the ZIF socket nicely without a struggle and with the lever pushed down it is ready for the heatsink.

Heatsink bracket right side		Heatsink bracket left side

I will be using the standard AMD heatsink for testing purposes and depending on how noisey the fan is, I may keep it as part of the final build. This one features a single clip which locates on the motherboard bracket at each end. (The AMD heatsink comes supplied with thermal paste)

Heatsink bracket clip		Heatsink fan header

Once the heatsink is in place with the clips aligned to the bracket the next step is to press the black lever on the heatsink clip to secure it to the bracket. The heatisnk fan has a connector specifically designed to be plugged into the CPU fan header on the motherboard, this powers the fan and allows the BIOS to monitor / control the fan speed, (RPM).

DDR2 and DD3 DIMM slots		Patriot Gamer series DDR3

After the CPU installation my last step is to install the memory modules. It is always important to check which DIMM slot(s) needs to be used as this can prevent a successful boot or type of mode. (E.g, Dual channel mode). The ASrock N68C-S UCC motherboard can accept DDR2 in the yellow slots or DDR3 in the blue slots. With the motherboard build complete it is now ready for the testing phase which involves connecting a power supply, monitor, DVD drive, hard dirve, keyboard and mouse to the motherboard. All of this will be performed with the motherboard still outside the case to provide better access.

• Low power consumption
• Low noise
• Low cost

All the computers in my home network are connected to an 8 port gigabit switch but the limiting factor will be the read/write speeds of the hard drive in both the client and server PC. The client PCs are currently equipped with Samsung spinpoint F3 hard drives which are capable of exceeding 100MBps read/write speeds for single file transfers. It is important for the the server to match or exceed this level of performance so I have decided to use another Samsung Spinpoint F3 drive for the server build.

Tenda 8 port gigabit switch		Samsung Spinpoint 500GB SATA hard drive

Low power consumption is a key interest which is why I have gone for an AMD Sempron 140 AM3 CPU. The advantage of this CPU is the low TDP of only 45W, this means it will run cool and use very little power when idling.

Next on the list of maximising energy efficiency is using a power supply that is efficient. There are a lot of brands and a wide choice of good quality power supply units available so finding a good one is quite easy. As this server is going to have a very small power requirement I have decided to pick an Antec 380W Earthwatts Green PSU. (The 80PLUS Bronze logo is a good indication of an efficient power supply)

AMD Sempron 140 2.7Ghz AM3 CPU		Antec 380W Earthwatts Green PSU

After considering all the current AMD motherboards I opted for an ASrock AM2+ N68C-S UCC DDR2/DDR3 motherboard which features an Nvidia 7025 chipset. The reason behind this decision is the very low power consumption of the Nvidia chipset and for the price it is one of the cheapest DDR3 motherboards. My only complaint is the integrated network card which is only capable of 100Mbps but I have also purchased an Intel 1000CT pro PCI-e network card to provide the required 1000Mbps throughput.

ASrock N68C-S UCC mATX AM2+ motherboard		Intel 1000CT PCI-E network card

A quick note on network speeds and performance.

• Mbps = megabits per second
• MBps = Megabytes per second
• Cat5 = 10 Mbps = 1.25 MBps
• Cat5e = 100 Mbps = 12.5 MBps
• Cat6 = 1000 Mbps = 125 MBps

These are the maximum theoretical throughput figures acheivable over the network during files transfers. Limitations exist which will cause a slightly lower throughput in real world testing / operations.

• 1) Performance hit due to the method in which data is transfered over the network. (TCP protocol)

• 2) Hard disk drive read / write speed, providing the drive is capable this is not an issue

• 3) Network cable length. grade and hub / switch performance.

• 4) Type of file transfer, multiple file transfers simutaneously or small files. Type: FTP, windows share, Samba/CIFS, the software used on the client / server will impact performance.

E.g, Assume 1000 files to transfer and each file is 1MB in size.
This will not acheive a disk drive read/write speed of 100MBps

E.g. Assume 1 file to transfer and it is 200MB in size.
This will achieve a disk drive transfer closer to the hardware limits.

The server will be using DDR3 memory modules from Patriot, these have a nice heatsink to aid cooling and fairly decent memory timings of 8-8-8-24 @1600Mhz. I will also be using a 4GB compact flash card and a compact flash to SATA adaptor to act as a drive for the
system. (My choice of OS will be covered later).

Patriot Viper Gamer series DDR3		Compact fllash to SATA adaptor

So with all the parts my next step will be to assemble the PC and start stress testing before installing the bits into a case.

More to come at a later date, stay tuned.

Long battery life phones are starting to become popular amongst manufacturers of smart phones but if all you want is a light weight, easy to use phone then perhaps consider the Nokia X1-01 dual sim phone.

Front of the X1-01

Rear with the 106dB speaker

Left side Mp3 controls

Right side has a microSD slot (upto 16GB)

The battery is rated to 42 days standby and 13 hours talk time. (3.7v 1450 ma/h). As a simple phone it’s ok and the dual sim feature works well. Both sims are always active and prior to making a call / sending a text you must choose which sim to use and upon a phone call whichever sim is in use the other one will switch off and reactivate once the call is over.

Glossy finish

Close up of the 4 way D pad and buttons

Mp3 player interface

3.5mm jack, LED torch and charging socket

The Nokia X1-01 is also a basic MP3 player providing 36 hours playback and the speaker on the back is rated at 106dB! (It is loud). However, if you are deafened by that, dont worry as Nokia have included a blinding LED torch for those dark moments.

Standby screen

Main screen

Menu screen

Calendar

Contacts

Text messaging screen

My only complaint are the buttons, they feel a little bit fragile considering it costs close to £40 but overall Nokia have made a good phone.

Thanks for looking.

When a tool manufacturer takes the time and trouble to provide a storage case and foam insert to keep the tool safe it usually is an indication of a quality tool. Sealey have provided a two ended die for 4.75mm and 3/16″ size brake pipes, three die punches, one handle/clamp and a precision engineered vice. The PFT08 on car brake pipe flaring tool is a very small and compact tool at a very reasonable price especially for one that can form flares on steel pipes.

I have an AM3 Sempron 145 installed with the standard AMD heat sink, this has a TDP of 45W and runs at 2.8Ghz. (A single core 64 bit processor with a twist)

The AMD 760G northbridge chipset is covered by a decent sized heat sink and the SB710 has a small block to assist with cooling. This chipset doesn’t require a lot of power and makes an ideal choice for home NAS servers and media PCs.

The 6 SATA ports, 4 are at right angle to the board whilsts the other 2 are mounted directly on top.

The onboard LAN is capable of Gigabit speeds and you also get a 7.1 audio jack powered by a VIA codec. Overall the build quality is good and although it is no longer the latest generation, it is good value for money at ~£35.

I attached the strut to the wheel hub and installed both parts as one unit which made the installation to the car a lot easier.

Everything went to plan and with the hub back on the driveshaft I installed the new trackrod ends. The hub nut was torqued when the car was back on the ground with the full weight acting on the suspension. Once torqued a chisel/punch is required to press the hub nut into the driveshaft groove. Next I needed to replace the damaged ball joint which can be purchased as a separate part or with a new lower arm / wishbone. Considering the state of the lower arm bushes I have decided to go for two new wishbones.

With the car back on axle stands and my small trolley jacks in place (not supporting the car) as a safety measure the wishbones are easily accessible. There are only three securing points which keep the lower arm in place, front wishbone bolt, ball joint pinch bolt and the rear wishbone bolt.

Once these bolts have been removed the lower arm can be wiggled out of the front sub frame. The ball joint needs to removed out of the hub first followed by the front wishbone clamp then the arm can be pulled out of the rear wishbone clamp. (Installation can be done in the reversal of this order)

The subframe acts like a clamp to hold the bushes in place so when tightening the bolts it is important for the wishbones to be at the correct angle. This is when the car is back on the ground or you have the full weight acting on the arms/suspension. If you torque the bolts with the car on axle stands the front bush will be under tension when the car is back on the ground. This is the opposite effect, you need the bush to be under no tension when resting in its natural position and compress/twist as the suspension moves up/down.

The new wishbones in place, I need to obtain new pinch bolts and locking nuts for the other bolts and lower the car with the wheels installed before tightening/torquing. With the car back on the ground there is not enough space for a person to get underneath and access the bolts so you need to raise the car but have the weight acting on the suspension. I plan to raise the car further, install the road wheels and lower on to a set of car ramps. This will support the car whilst providing me with enough room to crawl under and tighten the bolts. (I will also have the trolley jacks and axle stands in place as a safety precaution)

These worked very well and I have since fitted the new springs to the suspension strut which is now ready for installation to the car / front wheel hub.

I have also given the parts a slight clean, removed rust from the coil spring retaining holders and given them a quick respray.

There isn’t much to look at other than the drum and flexible / solid brake lines. Look behind the drum for signs of brake fluid leaking and check the flexible brake pipe for excessive corrosion.

Take a closer look at your solid brake pipe and union, it is not uncommon for the union to have surface rust but the solid brake pipe must be inspected closely. This one features quite large patches and needs to be cleaned with a wire brush to help ascertain the true extent of corrosion damage. Something like this may come up as an MOT test advisory and if not, it should be taken seriously as this will only get worse. (This Ford Fiesta MK5 is a 2001 model which has covered 97,000 miles).

To gain access to the brake shoes you need to remove the silver domed shaped object which is there to prevent grease escaping as the wheel bearings are part of the drum setup. The grease cap once featured an insert for a screwdriver to aid removal but Ford decided to remove these so if the cap has been pressed fully you may struggle to remove it without causing damage. Before you start, make sure you have some new replacements ready.

Once out you will be looking at the hub nut and some bearing grease. Bearing grease comes in a few colours but should you see black it is an indication that there is a problem with the wheel bearings. Either the bearings are damaged and have overheated or simply the grease needs to be replaced and bearings cleaned / repacked. To remove the hub nut you will require a 30mm socket and a very long wrench or breaker bar as it is torqued to 235nm. Please note, when you remove the hub nut the outer drum bearing will fall out when the drum is removed so make sure you catch it and keep it clean.

When you have managed to wiggle the drum housing off the stub axle this is what you will be looking at, shoes, handbrake cable, wheel cylinder and various springs. Inspect the wheel cylinder for leaks near the piston areas.

Check the handbrake cable is still attached. This one is not quite aligned in the grommet where the handbrake cable enters the drum housing.

Look closely at the fiction material, the top edge will usually be more worn than the rest. The minimum frictional material thickness is 1mm so these shoes are still in good condition.

The shoes are also held in place with some clips, these can eventually lose their holding strength and fall out so make sure they are still in place and fairly rigid.