Arch Linux

T-u-N-i-X

Member

From: İstanbul

Registered: 2006-03-14

Posts: 435

Website

Arch Linux on Mini-ITX

Hey There,

Because that I've got serious problems with my HP laptop (not related with Arch Linux) and I have to get my laptop laid at the tech. service the 4th time, I'm planning to have my mini-itx system based on Arch Linux.. I've always tought about VIA Epia mainboards but my friends keep saying that:

- the graphics card is not that powerful so that i can't watch some quality movies like HD..?
- that the architecture is i586 based so that i'd have to compile every package that i need
- because that via's drivers are not open source, i could have many problems

and etc..... they suggest buying an intel mini-itx mainboard as well.. So I want to ask you guys if these rumors are true or not... What would you recommend ? By the way:

- i'm not a gamer... i just play maybe openarena as a 3d game..
- instead of a harddisk, i think of using something like a sd/cf card with a few gb's of storage
- i'd like to connect the machine to a projector and a monitor.. so having 2 output connectors would be better..
- i think of building a multimedia box with it so having some modules (ports) for irda etc would be good..

thanks..

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Quis custodiet ipsos custodiet?

Zepp

Member

From: Ontario, Canada

Registered: 2006-03-25

Posts: 334

Website

Re: Arch Linux on Mini-ITX

If I were you I'd just go for a small mATX, probably one of those cube cases. The epia boards will be useless for basically any 3d games and the CPU isn't powerful enough to decode HD movies like 1080p. If your must I definitely say get a board that supports a core2 intel cpu, but really a mATX is just an all around better buy. You get better hardware for the money, it is still really small, power consumption shouldn't too high albeit a bit higher then an mini-itx, it will be as powerful as a full tower desktop PC and give you a better upgrade path. Oh you can also make it really quiet depending on the case.

I am not sure if the VIA CPUs are 586 or 686 though.

Last edited by Zepp (2008-04-20 05:23:20)