Intel P965 in SFF Barebones PC?

[corfe83]

I'm planning to build a Small Form Factor Barebones PC (PVR box, mythtv, it's going to rock, but that's beside the point). I'm leaning toward using a Core 2 Duo CPU, and I was all hyped up about Intel's P965 chipset (which anand's latest article says has better performance and uses less power). However, small form factor barebones PC's with this chipset just don't seem to exist!

Is the chipset too new? Is there a vendor that sells them I don't know about (I know newegg doesn't have them)? Is there some reason this chipset just isn't in a Small Form Factor PC?

Thanks in advance for replies.

 

[LasombraB]

I'm building a SFF computer right now, and I'm using the Intel DG965OTMKR motherboard in it. It has the Intel G965 chipset. This is the same motherboard that Falcon-NW use in their FragBox. It has alot of multimedia capabilties. I got mind fom ZZF.

 

[corfe83]

Thanks - the G965 does look pretty decent. I wanted the P965 because I heard it has better memory performance, and Intel's website's chipset comparison says that the G965 and the P965 use a different memory controller (but one still with 965 in the product code). However, I've read up on this elsewhere and think that the only real difference between the P965 and G965 is that the G has an integrated graphics controller, and the G965 shares the P965's memory performance benefits over the 975.

 

[VooDooAddict]

I've researched the same matter.

The results were: Stock performance of the P965 and the G965 should be near identical. Overclocking with the G965 is currently not recomended for achiving high overclocks.

 

[piasabird]

Anything with DDR2 Ram can be touchy because different motherboards and RAM modules have from around 1.8v to 2.0v So you really need to make sure you buy RAM of the right voltage. The RAM may make a difference also. Another factor may be whether you want to us HD TV and whether an integrated chipset is better or whether a TV card with hardware encoding is better. I have seen some motherboards that claim to have HD Capabilities, but can they really do full HD Quality at the highest resolution, and what kind of power will that take?

The other problem with a PVR is the amount of sound from Fans for CPU Cooling and Chipset cooling you will be stuck with along with the Video cards. You really want to look at the total picture. If you use Myth TV you have to know what is compatible, and what hardware has good Linux Drivers.