Mini ITX board choices are blooming

[IlllI]

Zotac IONITX-A review

 

[MichaelD]

Holy thread resurrection, Batman!

My Via VB7001G just isn't cutting it...actually, it never really did. I wish I would've known back then that the Atom (especially the dual core) would be coming out...I'd have probably waited. Isn't that always the case though?

I searched the forums to see if anyone bought a ZOTAC IONITX-A-U and to see where they bought from. I've been reading the reviews and it looks absolutely badass. HW 1080P playback, built in WiFi, FANLESS operation...I'm in.

I'll be rebuilding my HTPC w/this little gem...if it ever comes in stock anywhere. I know I can preorder from Amazon but with no definite ship date, my money stays in my pocket.

The next problem will be finding a SATA, laptop BluRay drive...that's not $$$.

 

[skyking]

The onboard vid on that VIA is weak for HTPC IMO. How does it run otherwise?

 

[hans007]

Originally posted by: skyking
The onboard vid on that VIA is weak for HTPC IMO. How does it run otherwise?

i've had a via ITX c7 board like that one (mine was a fanless 1ghz c7)... for like normal browsing and whatever its genearlly fine.

the drivers for the cn700 chipset are pretty terrible in linux so no compiz fusion. maybe its better now though.

 

[skyking]

Originally posted by: hans007

Originally posted by: skyking
The onboard vid on that VIA is weak for HTPC IMO. How does it run otherwise?

i've had a via ITX c7 board like that one (mine was a fanless 1ghz c7)... for like normal browsing and whatever its genearlly fine.

the drivers for the cn700 chipset are pretty terrible in linux so no compiz fusion. maybe its better now though.

Ouch. Thanks for that, I tend to use linux when possible.

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: skyking
The onboard vid on that VIA is weak for HTPC IMO. How does it run otherwise?

I agree with you. Unfortunately, I didn't realize HOW weak it was until after I bought it. /facepalm

The biggest problem is that you can only allot a max of 64MB of video to the onboard solution; barely enough for playing DVDs and HD content isn't possible b/c the board only has VGA, S-video (or composite) out. There's no PCI-E or AGP slot either, only a lowly PCI slot (works great for a wireless card though!)

Back when I bought the board, HD was barely in the home market, BluRay still had a competitor and any HD discs were $50+. I.E. nobody was building a HD-capable min-ITX system at that time.

If not trying to use it for HTPC duty it runs XP great, if a bit warm. I had Ubuntu on there for awhile and it was great too (everything worked as far as I remember). I'm using a 7200rpm HD with it and that helps tremendously with boot up and program loading.

It's a great mini-ITX board for anything BUT HTPC duty (unless you're only playing back low bitrate DIVX rips or something. It has a 1.5GHz CPU and the HS does have a fan (it's dead-silent though).

I'm planning on buying the Zotac IonITX-A and putting this board up for sale (cheap). If you want, I'll PM you first.

 

[IlllI]

two new ion boards Text

 

[Zap]

I actually just ordered the Zotac board - high end one with integrated DC-DC PSU and dual core. Got a sweet deal on it that I couldn't pass up. Heck, don't even know what I'd do with it... yet...

 

[hans007]

the pegatron ION 330 , i think anyway is the best board out of them. the bios is lacking, but it actually supports USB remotes in sleep and such.

http://www.logicsupply.com/products/ipx7a_ion330


not to mention 4 sata, and a pci-e x 16.

 

[gychang]

I am considering a small, quiet, cheap build for general, non gamer use, rarely delve into photoshop. Is there a "budget guide" on building small quiet machine?

thanks,

gychang

 

[IlllI]

VIA is coming out with a new Pico-ITX motherboard that is able to play H.264 HD 1080p videos Text "VIA EPIA P720"

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: hans007
the pegatron ION 330
...
not to mention 4 sata, and a pci-e x 16.

Those are rarities.

Actually, I wish there was a socketed ITX board with 4 SATA and PCIe x16. The Zotac only has two SATA ports IIRC.

Originally posted by: gychang
Is there a "budget guide" on building small quiet machine?

I don't think there's a "guide" on building one. You do want to choose parts carefully because while mini ITX setups can be energy efficient and small, they're often lacking in the "low noise" department due to noisy little 40mm fans on the motherboard or chassis.

 

[tvih]

Yup, the Zotac only has two (plus 1x eSATA). There's a revised version with a new designation coming in October or so with a third port. There's also the AOpen board that has three. But four? Not on the Intel front as far as I know. The J&W Minix 780G has four, but the PCIe "x16" is actually only x4 in bandwidth.

There's of course always the possibility of hooking a SATA drive to an internal USB header with the appropriate adapters, but it's unnecessarily messy, even though I did get them just to try it out. And now don't even need 'em since I ordered a mATX system (since there's no LGA1156 ITX) with 7 SATA ports... hehe.

 

[Zap]

I think one of the Zotac socket AM2 ITX boards has 4 SATA ports.

 

[Eeqmcsq]

Originally posted by: Zap
I think one of the Zotac socket AM2 ITX boards has 4 SATA ports.

That's confirmed. The Zotac GF8200-C-E is an AM2+ mini-ITX board with 4 SATA ports, no PATA, and 1 annoyingly hot northbridge.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: Eeqmcsq
That's confirmed. The Zotac GF8200-C-E is an AM2+ mini-ITX board with 4 SATA ports, no PATA, and 1 annoyingly hot northbridge.

You type as if you know from experience.

 

[Eeqmcsq]

You type as if you know from experience.

Hah, yes, for gods sake, ugh. That stupid nvidia chipset idles towards 48C and at extended CPU load, creeps up to 60C. It also leaves a pocket of heat stagnating around the "south" end of the motherboard where the expansion slot it. It was the most challenging part of my mini-ITX build.

It took a cheapo PCI slot exhaust fan and an 80mm fan standing inside the case at the edge of the motherboard, facing the nvidia heatsink and the PCI slot exhaust fan, to finally have good enough air flow to keep the nvidia chipset and heatsink cool. Now it idles around 42C, and after 30 minutes of continuous CPU load, the chipset hovers around 52C.

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: Eeqmcsq

You type as if you know from experience.

Hah, yes, for gods sake, ugh. That stupid nvidia chipset idles towards 48C and at extended CPU load, creeps up to 60C. It also leaves a pocket of heat stagnating around the "south" end of the motherboard where the expansion slot it. It was the most challenging part of my mini-ITX build.

It took a cheapo PCI slot exhaust fan and an 80mm fan standing inside the case at the edge of the motherboard, facing the nvidia heatsink and the PCI slot exhaust fan, to finally have good enough air flow to keep the nvidia chipset and heatsink cool. Now it idles around 42C, and after 30 minutes of continuous CPU load, the chipset hovers around 52C.

What about just changing the board's heatsink or making it a heatsink/fan?

 

[Eeqmcsq]

What about just changing the board's heatsink or making it a heatsink/fan?

Well, this is the first time I've ever had to deal with heat issues, so I'm inexperienced in buying replacement chipset heatsinks and fans. But even if I did that, I'd still need some place for the heat to go. A new chipset heatsink w/fan would simply blow the air towards the roof of my mini itx case, and the heat would hover there.

But now that you've suggested it, I'll research it and try it out one of these days. That's what newegg wish lists are for!

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: Eeqmcsq
That stupid nvidia chipset idles towards 48C and at extended CPU load, creeps up to 60C.

Did 60ºC actually cause any stability problems? I've seen the Intel X58 chipset run at 100ºC while staying stable, and often at 60-80ºC on a regular basis.

 

[Eeqmcsq]

Did 60ºC actually cause any stability problems? I've seen the Intel X58 chipset run at 100ºC while staying stable, and often at 60-80ºC on a regular basis.

No stability problems, but I wasn't comfortable with the bubble of heat trapped in that side of the case, possibly baking the rest of the components.around it, especially with the "integrated wifi card" hanging over the heatsink.

Btw, the case I started with was the Apex MI-008, but I am now using the ARK PI-01.

 

[Zap]

Ahh, narrower but taller than the Apex, giving room for a better CPU heatsink.

 

[IlllI]

VIA VB8003: dual-HDMI + DVI + vga and supposedly 1080p playback
Text

 

[cbn]

I'm hoping for cheaper cases. I can buy a huge tower for 25-30 dollars. Yeat any mini-itx case is easily over 50.

Very frustrating.

Yep, I think right now mini-itx is too much of a specialty market.

I personally would love to see these cases/mobos/psus cheaper than the ATX equivalents.

Then mini-itx could become the new budget gamers sweet spot.

P.S. There is really no reason for these cases to cost that much...other than the fact the popularity is lower. For example warehousing and shipping Sugo sg05s is no doubt a much cheaper proposition compared to ATX cases.

 

[cbn]

http://www.clunk.org.uk/news-stories/dfi-mi-p55-t36-mini-itx-board-imminent.html

I posted this in another thread but here it is again. DFI to launch P55 mini-itx.

Hopefully it won't cost a premium compared to ATX/micro ATX.