Budget DIY HTPC hardware for XBMC?

[JUICESIX90]

Hey all, I'm gonna cut a long story short and just ask if someone could let me know what I need to put together my own media center to solely run the excellent XBMC.

It'll be tucked away so it doesn't need to look pretty it would need to be reasonably compact mind.

My main request is that it plays 1080p content without any stuttering nonsense.

The media center will plug into my Onkyo 606 then top my 1080p tv

How does this set up look? (taken from avsforum)

£60.00 AMD PHENOM 64 8450 X3 PROCESSOR, SOCKET AM2+

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AMD-PHENOM-64-8450-X3-PROCESSOR-SOCKET-AM2_W0QQitemZ120425733524QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Mot herboards_CPUs?hash=item1c09eedd94&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683|66%3A4|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A13 18|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A200

£15.00 SilverStone Nitrogen NT07-AM2 CPU Cooler

http://www.afterhours.co.uk/silverstone-nitrogen-nt07am2-cpu-cooler-p-4069.html?utm_campaign=froogle&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=froogle

£130.00 J&W MINIX 780G-SP128MB

http://www.overclock.co.uk/product/Zotac-GF9300-D-E-NVIDIA-GeForce-9300-ITX-WiFi-Socket-775-Mini-ITX-Motherboard_8628.html

£30.00 A-DATA ADQVE1A16K 2x 1GB

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CT2KIT12864AC800-2GB-kit-1GBx2-SODIMM-DDR2-64-Crucial_W0QQitemZ150340831927QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH _DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2301030ab7&_trksid=p3286.m63.l1177

£80.00 WD 1000GB SATA Hard Disk Drive 7200RPM Internal 1TB

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WD-1000GB-SATA-Hard-Disk-Drive-7200RPM-Internal-1TB_W0QQitemZ260414114641QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Com puting_HardDrives_RL?hash=item3ca1e40b51&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683|66%3A4|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A13 08|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A200

£64.00 APEX MI-008 Black Mini ITX Computer Case 250W

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/APEX-MI-008-Black-Silver-Mini-ITX-Computer-Case-250W_W0QQitemZ270392604667QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Co mputing_DesktopComponents_RL?hash=item3ef4a7b7fb&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683|66%3A4|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A13 18|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A200

[badmoviesnbeer]

Umm.. this should probably be in the hardware discussion forum..

As for what you have there... It seems mixed up a bit. You have an amd processor listed but a motherboard that takes intel cpus. Also, your motherboard has onboard video, so I'm not sure why you would need the extra ati video card.

So ditch the extra video card and either switch to an intel cpu, or an amd compatible mobo.

[Hunta]

sssss

[ShadeBlack]

I think perhaps you're looking at a very expensive option there. you're currently on £379, where some of that gear isn't compatible as a previous commenter has stated.

why not go for something like this?
Acer-Aspire-Revo-Intel-Atom-Desktop-PC (http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/9606805/Acer-Aspire-Revo-Intel-Atom-N230-1-6GHz-2GB-160GB-Vista-Home-Premium-Desktop-PC/Product.html)
it's £260, will easily manage everything you wanted it to do and is roughly the same size if not smaller.

so the only thing you're missing out on is Hard drive space. with the spare money, why not try and get a shared network drive?
1TB LAN External Hard Drive (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/External-USB-Network-1000GB-1TB-LAN-NAS-Hard-Drive_W0QQitemZ310139971102QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_C omputing_HardDrives_RL?hash=item4835c8661e&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A15|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1 |293%3A1|294%3A50) £98

£260 + £98 = £357.

I'm all for building my own computers, but only when it's cheaper :D

[JUICESIX90]

I think perhaps you're looking at a very expensive option there. you're currently on £379, where some of that gear isn't compatible as a previous commenter has stated.

why not go for something like this?
Acer-Aspire-Revo-Intel-Atom-Desktop-PC (http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/9606805/Acer-Aspire-Revo-Intel-Atom-N230-1-6GHz-2GB-160GB-Vista-Home-Premium-Desktop-PC/Product.html)
it's £260, will easily manage everything you wanted it to do and is roughly the same size if not smaller.

so the only thing you're missing out on is Hard drive space. with the spare money, why not try and get a shared network drive?
1TB LAN External Hard Drive (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/External-USB-Network-1000GB-1TB-LAN-NAS-Hard-Drive_W0QQitemZ310139971102QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_C omputing_HardDrives_RL?hash=item4835c8661e&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A15|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1 |293%3A1|294%3A50) £98

£260 + £98 = £357.

I'm all for building my own computers, but only when it's cheaper :D

I was hoping someone like you would come along ;)

I've never built a PC before infact I'm a mac user (12 years+) so I was trying to gather enough info to build one.

So what you've posted will play 1080p blueray rips (at 5000+ bit rate, that seems to be the sticking point with some media playing pc's) if that's the case then you saved me potentially electrocuting my self lol give yourself a pat on the back.

[jefffisher]

that setup is not going to play bluray rips, i would help you with the pc building but don't know of any UK sites to look for parts

[JUICESIX90]

that setup is not going to play bluray rips, i would help you with the pc building but don't know of any UK sites to look for parts

Thanks man, are you talking about the set up I've listed or the Acer-Aspire when you say it won't play blue-ray rips?

[jefffisher]

your setup isn't going to work at all due to the non compatibilityness, the aspire i'm not quite sure about that video card might actually handle it i found a uk site i'm seeing if i can put you something together reasonably right now though i can't find any decent motherboards that small

[JUICESIX90]

Thanks J - Appreciate your time man. To be honest though looking on here and a couple other sites it looks as if this Aspire may do the the trick and at £150! (+ 1TB HD & an extra 1GB stick of ram)

[harryzimm]

Thanks J - Appreciate your time man. To be honest though looking on here and a couple other sites it looks as if this Aspire may do the the trick and at £150! (+ 1TB HD & an extra 1GB stick of ram)

The aspire should work well under linux using vdpau(as long as you have atleast 2gb of ram). Windows on the other hand is a no go.

cheers

[JUICESIX90]

The aspire should work well under linux using vdpau(as long as you have atleast 2gb of ram). Windows on the other hand is a no go.

cheers

Thanks man.

Linux it is then (he says as if he knows what he's talking about :eek:) I'm sure I'll be able to gather enough info from here to get XBMC installed though.

Out of interest do you have any idea what ram is compatible with the acer?

[harryzimm]

Have a look at this (http://xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?t=49963) thread, if you haven't already, its long but should provide some decent info.

cheers

[JUICESIX90]

Have a look at this (http://xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?t=49963) thread, if you haven't already, its long but should provide some decent info.

cheers

That's the exact thread that's got me so worked up on getting one of these :nod: didn't see anything about the ram but I'm sure I'll find out without much of a problem, just thought you may have one your self hence me asking.

Thanks anyway mate :grin:

[jefffisher]

well this is what i got you a pretty good setup certainly superior to the aspire setup with everything you need, and the same price as your original offerings.

AMD Phenom X3 Triple Core 8650 2.3GHz Socket AM2+ 2MB L3 Cache Retail Boxed Processor
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/144635

Samsung EcoGreen F2 1TB Hard Drive SATAII 32MB Cache - OEM
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/164282

Antec Minuet 350 Piano Black Slimline MATX Case - With 350W PSU
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/141001

DFI LANPARTY JR 790GX-M2RS Socket AM2+ onboard DVI HDMI 8 Channel Audio mATX Motherboard
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/152224

OCZ 4GB Kit (2x2GB) DDR2 667MHz/PC2-5400 CL 5-5-5-15 Value Series
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/142343

Tenda Wireless-N PCI Adapter
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/155641

[JUICESIX90]

Blimey you certainly know what your doing! thanks J

I feel I've wasted your time though because I'm going to go with the Aspire, it seems perfect for what I need (play 1080p content via XBMC) I'm sure what you put together will walk all over it but I'm guessing it may be a little overkill for my requirements.

Cheers anyway though mate.

[JUICESIX90]

Double post

[ShadeBlack]

I think the blu-ray rips should be alright actually... the acer aspire revo has an NVIDIA ION Graphics chip, which according to nvidia support full 1080p content and directx 10. Just make sure you get the right codecs for the operating system of your choice to ensure smooth playback and it'll be fine. To be honest, I have an old graphics card (geforce 7300gs), which isn't even directx 10 compatible, but still plays blu-ray rips perfectly fine!

also, are you going for a 32 bit system or a 64 bit system? because 32 bit systems hardly have any support for triple and quad cores anyway, and can only have 3gbs of RAM, so the triple core cpu and 4gb of ram is a little uneccesary. However I'm guessing he chose 4gb because of the dual channel advantages it can receive. saying that, the 667MHz should be at least 800MHz to prepare for future installments of a 64 bit installment. no sense getting a lower speed when the higher speed models are almost the same price.

Can I mention, I think you should try and get some ethernet plug adaptors instead of a wireless network as wired connection are much safer, and 100% stable. Ethernet plug adaptors have gotten A LOT cheaper over the last few years, so getting them are becoming much more plausible. I have several pairs of ethernet adaptors in my house because I prefer the stability in the network. ~This is not entirely neccasary though! If you have a good wireless connection going, then utilise it all ya want; I'm just trying to give you all the options :D

Oh and as for the whole linux vs windows thing... I own several PCs all with Windows XP, and Vista. But I strip them both down of all the crap to just give me the operating system. If you're good with PCs, Vista will work perfectly fine, but since you say you're a MAC user for 12+ years, you may actually find linux more suitable. However, I really think you should give Vista a try first, especiially since you'll be getting it pre-installed. Just make sure you've got a decent anti-virus (such as NOD32) and a good registry cleaner (such as Regcure). I've never had any problems with windows... but then again, I am an IT tech. :S

If you do decide to go for the Acer Aspire, give us a good review of it once you've got it? I'd love to hear how it all turns out for you! ~I plan to get the same PC for my parents someday.

[gui]

i been waiting to get the aspire revo but i am starting having doubt about it.
i want be able to play blu-ray dvds and i think that teamed with xbmc would be not a good performer,so i made a list for a new build:
EV Black MATX Media Center Case http://www.ebuyer.com/product/135497
Asus P5N7A-VM GeForce 9300 Socket 775 onboard http://www.ebuyer.com/product/151427
Intel Pentium Dual Core E5200 2.5GHz Socket 775 800FSBhttp://www.ebuyer.com/product/158689
LG Electronics Blu-Ray & HD-DVD-Rom Combo 16x DVDRW Black SATAhttp://www.ebuyer.com/product/139985
Corsair 2GB (2x1GB) DDR2 800MHz/PC2-6400 XMS2 Memoryhttp://www.ebuyer.com/product/130415

what you think guys?

[JUICESIX90]

Some interesting info here (they've taken it apart :laugh:) on the Aspire, says it also plays Blue ray discs over usb fine.

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardware/2009/04/27/inside-the-acer-revo/1

[JUICESIX90]

Not ignoring you SB, i'm at work right now so I don't have the time to read and reply to your post :;):

[JUICESIX90]

I think the blu-ray rips should be alright actually... the acer aspire revo has an NVIDIA ION Graphics chip, which according to nvidia support full 1080p content and directx 10. Just make sure you get the right codecs for the operating system of your choice to ensure smooth playback and it'll be fine. To be honest, I have an old graphics card (geforce 7300gs), which isn't even directx 10 compatible, but still plays blu-ray rips perfectly fine!

also, are you going for a 32 bit system or a 64 bit system? because 32 bit systems hardly have any support for triple and quad cores anyway, and can only have 3gbs of RAM, so the triple core cpu and 4gb of ram is a little uneccesary. However I'm guessing he chose 4gb because of the dual channel advantages it can receive. saying that, the 667MHz should be at least 800MHz to prepare for future installments of a 64 bit installment. no sense getting a lower speed when the higher speed models are almost the same price.

Can I mention, I think you should try and get some ethernet plug adaptors instead of a wireless network as wired connection are much safer, and 100% stable. Ethernet plug adaptors have gotten A LOT cheaper over the last few years, so getting them are becoming much more plausible. I have several pairs of ethernet adaptors in my house because I prefer the stability in the network. ~This is not entirely neccasary though! If you have a good wireless connection going, then utilise it all ya want; I'm just trying to give you all the options :D

Oh and as for the whole linux vs windows thing... I own several PCs all with Windows XP, and Vista. But I strip them both down of all the crap to just give me the operating system. If you're good with PCs, Vista will work perfectly fine, but since you say you're a MAC user for 12+ years, you may actually find linux more suitable. However, I really think you should give Vista a try first, especiially since you'll be getting it pre-installed. Just make sure you've got a decent anti-virus (such as NOD32) and a good registry cleaner (such as Regcure). I've never had any problems with windows... but then again, I am an IT tech. :S

If you do decide to go for the Acer Aspire, give us a good review of it once you've got it? I'd love to hear how it all turns out for you! ~I plan to get the same PC for my parents someday.

The Aspire is looking my best option right now. The only thing putting me off is running Linux , not so much the operating system it's that I have a Harmony 1000 remote that controls all my AV equipment so it needs to work with the Acer as well, if it isn't compatible in any way running Linux then I'll be looking elsewhere.

I imagine it would be easier to set up the Harmony with windows but apparently running XP in the background will have a knock on effect on playing the 1080p rips, slowing it down I guess.

So right now the first thing on my list is to see if my remote will work... the search continues, thank *bleep* for google! :sniffle:

[kbrookes]

Shouldn't you just be able to get an MCE remote and USB IR receiver, then use the Harmony program to tell it to emulate the MCE remote?

[snoxbox]

Shouldn't you just be able to get an MCE remote and USB IR receiver, then use the Harmony program to tell it to emulate the MCE remote?

Exactly. You will need a USB IR Receiver anyway if you want to use your Harmony. The MCE remote works out of the box with XBMC Live.

You could also consider the Zotac ION boards. They have just come out, are ION (like the AspireRevo) so they will play 1080p fine. However, there is a dual core model, which will definitely help on high res skins, flash video etc. (still won't do HD flash). The AspireRevo will choke on Aeon.

The board comes with the graphics card and CPU assembled. All you have to do is plug in 1 or 2 sticks of RAM, plug in a USB stick to boot XBMC Live off, and mount it in a case. Little risk of electrocuting yourself here :)

[JUICESIX90]

Is the MCE remote compatible with Linux, meaning are there any driver issues when it come to plugging in a USB IR Receiver?

Didn't realise the Revo wouldn't be able to handle the Aeon skin that alone was one of my reasons for going down HTPC route (and not something like popcorn hour etc) if that is the case then I think I'll look into your suggestion regarding the Zotac ION route. A little more expensive but it'll be worth it.

Could you suggest a case for it? sorry having never built anything like this before I'm not sure what model names I should be googling to start gathering prices, review etc.

Thanks for your help. :nod:

[ShadeBlack]

@JUICESIX90
Im confused though, I thought you said you wanted it to play blu-ray RIPS, not actual blu-rays.
...just to clarify, the acer revo won't play a Blu-ray disc as it doesn't have a disc drive i don't think. but it will play Rips in the form of an avi or mkv etc.

As for the linux situation witht he remote, I'm really not sure there as i just use a wireless keyboard and mouse. I can't help you at all there, sorry!

@GUI
I think that setup is expensive frm that provider. don't forget about the matx power supply you'll need as well.
your setup = £300, now here's what i think:
Asus TS-8B1 Silver/Black Slim mATX Tower Case (with 250W PSU) (http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/6279276/Asus-TS-8B1-Silver-Black-Slim-mATX-Tower-Case/Product.html)
MSI MS-7528 G31M3-F Socket 775 mATX motherboard (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MSI-MS-7528-G31M3-F-Socket-775-mATX-motherboard-1333mhz_W0QQitemZ120411782550QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK _Motherboards_CPUs?hash=item1c0919fd96&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A15|66%3A2|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1 |293%3A1|294%3A50)
The same CPU, but get a Heatsink!!! (http://www.play.com/Search.aspx?searchtype=PCSH&searchstring=775+CPU&page=search&pa=search&go.x=0&go.y=0)
and why get a HD DVD + Blu-ray? HD DVD is basically dead - get a blu-ray drive alone for a cheaper price here. (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-Sony-BDU-X10S-Blu-ray-Internal-BD-ROM-Drive-RETAIL_W0QQitemZ270394532407QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_ Computing_Drives_Storage_CD_DVD_Drives_ET?hash=ite m3ef4c52237&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A15%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7 C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50)
+ Same RAM.
so my list would cost £223 - a saving of £77. :D

[snoxbox]

Is the MCE remote compatible with Linux, meaning are there any driver issues when it come to plugging in a USB IR Receiver?

If you are going to run XBMC Live (which it sounds like you will do) then apparently the MCE remote 'works out of the box'. So I'd assume the drivers are packed up in xbmc live.


Didn't realise the Revo wouldn't be able to handle the Aeon skin that alone was one of my reasons for going down HTPC route (and not something like popcorn hour etc) if that is the case then I think I'll look into your suggestion regarding the Zotac ION route. A little more expensive but it'll be worth it.


Weill, I'm not 100% sure on this; about 95%. I've read some posts of people in the know speculating that it wouldn't run aeon. I have not heard any confirmation that aeon will work on the dual core atom either. I asked in this thread but got no response:
http://xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?t=43405&page=6
It'll definitely help having the dual core though.

Could you suggest a case for it? sorry having never built anything like this before I'm not sure what model names I should be googling to start gathering prices, review etc.

Thanks for your help. :nod:
Mini-box.com have some good cases. You're after a mini-itx enclosure. I'm probably going to get an M350 and mount it to the back of my plasma, but the current version of the Zotac board does not support Wake from USB. A new model out in june will fix the issue.
http://www.mini-box.com/s.nl/sc.8/category.87/.f

[rudeboymcc]

Any news on whether that aspire revo will play bluray from a USB bluray drive?? (i.e not rips)

If it can do that it will be perfect.

[JUICESIX90]

@JUICESIX90
I'm confused though, I thought you said you wanted it to play blu-ray RIPS, not actual blu-rays.
...just to clarify, the acer revo won't play a Blu-ray disc as it doesn't have a disc drive i don't think. but it will play Rips in the form of an avi or mkv etc.


Now I'm confused lol, where did I put I wanted it to play Blu-Rays? The only reason I'm looking elsewhere than the Revo is snowbox letting me know that it wouldn't handle the AEON

Nope, this is solely for XBMC - AEON Skin & 1080P content running smoothly.

If I can get a set-up that tick all those boxes and if possible for around £300 (or less:oo:) then I'd be a very happy boy... and the wife will be happy she doesn't have to hear me banging on about it all the time... "Just Buy ONE!" :angry: :laugh:

[JUICESIX90]

If you are going to run XBMC Live (which it sounds like you will do) then apparently the MCE remote 'works out of the box'. So I'd assume the drivers are packed up in xbmc live.

Thanks for the info man, that's good to know. :;):

[snoxbox]

Any news on whether that aspire revo will play bluray from a USB bluray drive?? (i.e not rips)

If it can do that it will be perfect.

All of the reviews I have seen of it playing blu-ray are playing from a USB Blu-Ray, so yes it will work fine.

[Starstream]

All of the reviews I have seen of it playing blu-ray are playing from a USB Blu-Ray, so yes it will work fine.

Yes but under Windows through DXVA and Blu-ray software player.

XBMC has no GPU acceleration under Windows only in Live/Linux.

Maybe I'm mistaken but I don't think XBMC can actually play Blu-ray discs ?

For one the discs are encrypted and I tired playing a Blu-ray through XBMC on my Windows box with AnyDVD-HD running in the background and it still wouldn't play it.

I would have assumed from all that XBMC Live running on a Revo cannot play Blu-ray discs unless there is a piece of the puzzle I'm missing.

However you can use MakeMKV (http://www.makemkv.com/) to turn the raw Blu-ray into an MKV (no encoding) so its a rather quick process.

[snoxbox]

Yes but under Windows through DXVA and Blu-ray software player.

XBMC has no GPU acceleration under Windows only in Live/Linux.

Maybe I'm mistaken but I don't think XBMC can actually play Blu-ray discs ?

For one the discs are encrypted and I tired playing a Blu-ray through XBMC on my Windows box with AnyDVD-HD running in the background and it still wouldn't play it.

I would have assumed from all that XBMC Live running on a Revo cannot play Blu-ray discs unless there is a piece of the puzzle I'm missing.

However you can use MakeMKV (http://www.makemkv.com/) to turn the raw Blu-ray into an MKV (no encoding) so its a rather quick process.

Correct. XBMC cannot play Blu-Ray discs. But you can set an external player to launch. And on XBMC Live, there is a 'Launcher' plugin. So, running XBMC Live, you would use the Launcher plugin to load PowewDVD 9, and play the blu-ray.

[JUICESIX90]

How about this?

http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/9404658/ZOTAC-GF9300-D-E-LGA775-Socket-GeForce-9300-ITX-Motherboard/Product.html?source=5066&engine=froogle_pc&keyword=ZOTAC+GF9300-D-E+%2F+LGA775+Socket+%2F+GeForce+9300+%2F+ITX+Mothe rboard#
+
http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/6864546/Intel-Pentium-Dual-Core-E5200-2-5GHz-LGA775-Socket-Processor/Product.html

+ 2GB Ram and this Mini ITX Box http://www.mini-box.com/M350-universal-mini-itx-enclosure?sc=8&category=87

Do you think that would be a upgrade from the Zotac 330, would it handle HD Flash? (I want the set-up to be reasonably future proof)

Thanks :;):

[mucuskipper]

I've had loads of fun with this motherboard. Following the old walk-through and very little linux knowledge I was up and running in no time. I'm using 2*4GB RAM(a bit of an overkill) and an E1400 (2.0GHz Dual Core Celeron) booting off a 4GB compact flash card. All of which were sourced in the UK.
With VDPAU enabled the killasample(off my NAS)drops 7 frames(expected) and CPU usage is around 10%. After seeing these results and hearing about the Zotac ION motherboard release days after purchasing this set-up I'd wished I'd waited longer.
Things to consider is the power supply, I purchased this
case (http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=12085)
and the supply that came with it wasn't juicy enough. In the end I ended up having to go for the 150W AC/DC converter (http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=12342)(a brick)
and a DC/DC converter (http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=12383)

You will need at least 90W for this board I believe.
I like the case that you're going for that would be ideal for me. My next stage is to try and underclock the CPU, I just can't seem to find locate a simple guide for doing this.

Mucus

[koscica]

I've had loads of fun with this motherboard. Following the old walk-through and very little linux knowledge I was up and running in no time. I'm using 2*4GB RAM(a bit of an overkill) and an E1400 (2.0GHz Dual Core Celeron) booting off a 4GB compact flash card. All of which were sourced in the UK.

Mucus

How is your combination working with AEON skin?

[mucuskipper]

my loyalty to the original xbox setup has kept me with the Project Mayhem skin. I'll have a play later with the AEON skin and get back to you.

Mucus

[koscica]

my loyalty to the original xbox setup has kept me with the Project Mayhem skin. I'll have a play later with the AEON skin and get back to you.

Mucus

Thanks mate.....although I will probably also be using PMIIIHD skin I would still like to have system that can use all the skins without problems

[JUICESIX90]

I've had loads of fun with this motherboard. Following the old walk-through and very little linux knowledge I was up and running in no time. I'm using 2*4GB RAM(a bit of an overkill) and an E1400 (2.0GHz Dual Core Celeron) booting off a 4GB compact flash card. All of which were sourced in the UK.
With VDPAU enabled the killasample(off my NAS)drops 7 frames(expected) and CPU usage is around 10%. After seeing these results and hearing about the Zotac ION motherboard release days after purchasing this set-up I'd wished I'd waited longer.
Things to consider is the power supply, I purchased this
case (http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=12085)
and the supply that came with it wasn't juicy enough. In the end I ended up having to go for the 150W AC/DC converter (http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=12342)(a brick)
and a DC/DC converter (http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=12383)

You will need at least 90W for this board I believe.
I like the case that you're going for that would be ideal for me. My next stage is to try and underclock the CPU, I just can't seem to find locate a simple guide for doing this.

Mucus

Does it handle Flash HD o.k? (I take it your talking about the ZOTAC GF9300), I'm also interested how it handles AEON, any information on that would be much appreciated:nod: