u-ATX mobo

[finlay666]

I am looking to build (by hand) a SFF PC with a micro-atx mobo etc

I am looking for good linux support (plan to install mythtv or a similar distro on it), and to be a decent price, overclocking is a bonus

Any ideas?

Can be ANY socket, although 775 would be preffered for upgrading in line with my current pc (so core 2 duo support is a + )

memory etc I would be buying, same with possibly a graphics card if non onboard

[jamena]

I'd have thought that for linux stability out of the box it'd be a good plan to check out popular mainstream components that have been around for a while. C2D is definitely popular enough to mean it really should be supported well by now, though you might find it'd be easier with an older motherboard chipset (i.e. i945) from the get-go, than a newer one (e.g. G33). Then again it may not be long before those components receive linux support - that's a risk you take with "cutting edge".

I'm after something similar though I'm willing to bet on some of the components becoming better supported in the next few months. Currently thinking the ASUS P5K VM (G33 uATX board) and a C2D or quad (depending just what happens to the prices next month).

For something like mythtv I believe they have a wiki with lists upon lists of known good supported hardware which might be a good start ...especially for tv cards, LCD-screens, RF remotes, etc. Oh, and wireless chipsets see pretty patchy support. I'd try to pick a distro(or distros?) you like the look/ethos of and check out their wikis/forums for compatible parts, paying particular attention to any component that are either new within the last 6 months or are outside the mobo-cpu-ram-HDD circle. Chances are that if a lot of people own one someone will be sorting out drivers.

Nice topic btw

[finlay666]

Well I know my tv card IS supported on linux CX..something , plan to get the remote and other stuff based on compatibility with the OS too

The main problem is on the 'supported hardware' ones the latest board is 939/am2, nothing intel based.....

[BUFF]

you might find this interesting as phoronix are Linux orientated http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pag...item=625&num=4
That mobo is just being replaced by the AN-M2 series using the new nVidia 7025/7050 with the 430 southbridge but as nVidia seem pretty good about Linux drivers I would say that it would be a contender.
The nF-M2 nView is pretty widely regarded as the best oc AM2 mATX mobo & the AN-M2HD is likely to have more overclocking tweaks than the basic AN-M2.

[finlay666]

I would really rather get a 775 mobo if possible, just so all broken bits can be swapped around with my pc

and there is only one u-ATX mobo there

[staffsMike]

Id get the p5k vm if it were my money...its what i'm looking at for a second pc at the moment. Should clock pretty well if you need it to.

[finlay666]

actually I think I'm going to stick with the mobo I have, apparently under Suse the drivers work fine (and I can install Myth onto it) so I can save a bit of money

Expect a modlog for the case though

[jamena]

/OT

Expect a modlog for the case though

what case you going for (&/making?!)

I got a silverstone lc11-M in silver a year or so ago when I had some spare cash. Currently housing my (now ancient) xp-m based system that is still my main rig (currently without any real 3D gpu though) but can boot to ubuntu on which I have got mythtv up and running (avermedia 771 DVB-T card for freeview seemed happy after a few hours of swearing) Might need to cut in an extra fan to provide cool air to the gpu area (and possibly do something about the psu / psu-fan to shut it up a bit more)

[kalniel]

The ASRock 945G Conroe DVI is a great UATX board for 775 incase you were still looking for one.

[finlay666]

what case you going for (&/making?!)

Well I am going to pretty much take my parents old mesh pc (hence 478/agp mobo and DDR) and then basically rip the case to shreds (leaving mobo tray, I/o and pci slots left in one part and then seperate the drives) then building it pretty much using steel from the old case and fibreglass for the fascia and stuff, kindof make it look Xbox 360 elite.....ish (with the light on the side (to hide IR receivers) and stuff (and some coloured perspex for the top as it is cheap )

Kalniel I will bear it in mind, might upgrade it later on to 775, going to stick with 478 for now, managed to get Linux drivers for the ATi 9200 chipset on the board

[jamena]

Sounds interesting - we look forward to the pics of broken bits of stuff

[finlay666]

Sounds interesting - we look forward to the pics of broken bits of stuff

well there is that lol,

Plan to use
THIS as the keyboard for it too, has a built in mouse/joystick (top right) aswell as being fairly ergonomic for casual use

Plan to use openSUSE 10.2 and Myth with it you see, less cpu intensive so should be nice and quiet for at least a little while (stock cooler, might upgrade it when the mod is done/in work)

I know there is some stuff I will need for the case (perspex/steel and a dampening material for sides, fibreglass for the frontpartial drive mod and front fascia, stuff for anti vibration mounts) and plan to get that when I have done the basic plans and started the work

It's for a competition aswell but won't put the link on here as I don't think the mods like pimping of other sites *cough*sig*cough*

[DanceswithUnix]

Nice keyboard, am in the market for one myself to use on my latest Mythtv box.

Your mention of ATI 9200 does worry me slightly, I hope you have an Nvidia graphics card available in case it causes problems. ATI do not have a good rep under Linux.

[finlay666]

Your mention of ATI 9200 does worry me slightly, I hope you have an Nvidia graphics card available in case it causes problems. ATI do not have a good rep under Linux.

Well having got a 939 opty, 1gb ddr and an IDE HDD my plans have changed lol (was all free )

Plan to get a Nforce mobo, uATX still, but no where seems to sell them anymore

mobo was hopefully going to have onboard graphics, or i was going to nab a cheapy card off someone

EDIT: STUFF IT!

Bought a uATX Asus mobo, 8400gs card (low profile, also has hdcp so is useful) and a low profile 939 cooler from scan to be delivered tuesday
Just need to pick up a cheap case to mod the f*** out of

[speardane]

I have just built a uATX - Kubuntu 64-bit system (Fiesty Fawn) using
SST SUGO SG01B SFF CASE BLACK
Corsair TwinX 2x2GB DDR2 C5DHX
AMD AM2 Dual-Core 6000 OEM
ASUS DVDRW SATA BLACK DRW181BL
ZALMAN ZM460-APS ATX SILENTPSU
500G SAMSUNG SATA2 HD501LJ
ASUS AM2 M2NPV-VM BLUECHIP uAT
DLink 108Mbps 802.11a/g PCI

All from scan - installation was the best I have ever had - just worked - wifi so simple - MS should learn from this

[DanceswithUnix]

What is with that "Bluechip" board? I have two of the plain M2NPV-VM boards, couldn't see what the slight extra money was about.