MSI Barebones

[jimbo1960]

Does anyone have any comments on this http://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?func=proddesc&prod_no=1113&maincat_no=134 as a starting point for my first foray into building an XBMC?

[jimbo1960]

Or maybe one of these http://minipc.aopen.com/Global/spec.htm

[Gamester17]

What is the graphic chip/chipset in then? does the graphic (video) chip support OpenGL 2.0 (that is a requirement)?

[bmfrosty]

Does anyone have any comments on this http://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?func=proddesc&prod_no=1113&maincat_no=134 as a starting point for my first foray into building an XBMC?

From the product Page:

NVIDIA GeForce C51PVG + MCP51 System Drivers

Another forum says:

"News shared from main board manufacturers, nVidia just released another member from Geforce 6100 family, Geforce 6150LE, codename C51PVG. It targets between Geforce 6150 and Geforce 6100, sharing the similar functions from Geforce 6150 but with the same performance to GeForce 6100.
High Definition PureVideo and TV Encoder are also supported. Having build-in DVI, 1 PCI-E x16 and 2 PCI-E x1 interface, but its core speed is just the same with GeForce 6100, say 425MHz. Now, Geforce 6150LE is already in production stage, so it will be available very soon."

So. It's a maybe.

[bmfrosty]

Or maybe one of these http://minipc.aopen.com/Global/spec.htm

Maybe. That seems to be a santa rosa chipset, I wouldn't buy one until someone had a success story with it and the software.

[Gamester17]

NVIDIA GeForce 6100 and GeForce 6150 are OpenGL 2.0 capable so yes that MSI barebone should work. This MSI Media Live barebone sure do look like a very nice box if it will work. Question is though if the NVIDIA device drivers for Linux supports GeForce C51PVG yet?

That AOpen MiniPC sais it has a Intel GM965 and that does not support OpenGL 2.0 (only OpenGL 1.5)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_GMA

[bmfrosty]

@gamester

Can OPENGL 2.0 capability and driver availability be used as the dividing line for whether or not a particular graphics solution should be able to support XBMC?

[FlappySocks]

The key to this is support for video acceleration. Neither Nvida or ATI support anything other than mpeg2 on linux. I wouldn't buy any bare bones system until this issue is resolved. Up until a few weeks ago, Nvidia looked like the only prospect. Now we have open drivers for ATI, and already progress is being made, with help from Novell. http://arstechnica.com/journals/linux.ars/2007/09/21/amdati-release-register-specifications-novell-follows-with-alpha-driver

[Gamester17]

Can OPENGL 2.0 capability and driver availability be used as the dividing line for whether or not a particular graphics solution should be able to support XBMC?What do you mean? OpenGL 2.0 is already a requirement.

If you are refering to the fact that Team-XBMC said that we are going to narrow to the official supported hardware platforms to just a couple then know that the OpenGL 2.0 requirement does not change that. Again, anyone that have an OpenGL 2.0 graphic adapter with Linux driver will still be able to use XBMC on any unsupported hadrware, however that does not mean that we will support/help them, they will have to turn elsewhere for support/help once XBMC is mature enough for us to lock down the hardware.

[jimbo1960]

Question is though if the NVIDIA device drivers for Linux supports GeForce C51PVG yet?

It looks like Dell have been shipping desktops with onboard 6150LE graphics and Ubuntu pre loaded. So hopefully they will have the drivers sorted.

http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS8661763902.html

[rrambo]

From an earlier post, I'm using a Pundit P1-AH2 barebones, which has a geforce 6150... not a bad price and I've seen them for as little as 129.00... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856110057&Tpk=ah2

So far it's working quite well... cpu usage is ok, but a little high playing 720p H.264 encoded movies (average about 50% cpu).. non hi-def playback is anywhere between 20-35%...