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Get an Atom + NVidia ION board and you'll be good to go no matter what OS you end up using. Better yet, skip building it out yourself and get a barebones kit from Zotac, ASRock, etc. I can't believe I bothered with the cheap slim case on my first build after putting together a Zotac build recently.
HTPC 1 - Zotac ZBOX ID80U | 4GB RAM | 64GB SSD | Openelec | Confluence
HTPC 2 - Zotac ZBOX ID41U | 4GB RAM | 60GB SSD | Openelec | Confluence
Server -
unRAID Server | 3 x 2TB WD Green HDD, 1TB WD Black HDD (Cache) | Sabnzbd | CouchPotato | Sickbeard
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Thanks folks. Starting to get this pieced together nicely.
I would love to go with a pre-built or barebones system but doing so almost doubles the cost. I enjoy building computers and would like to do this as cheap as possible so I can duplicate it for family members down the road as gifts.
Looks like my best bet for this would be the Atom board I posted from Newegg with the PowerVR chip. An XP build sounds like the simplest way to go about this so I don't mind if its not linux friendly.
I'm gonna pull the trigger on this once the long weekend is over.
If anyone thinks this is a bad set up by all means sound off and let me know.
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You may want to watch out, I had the Asus eeePC 1005HA which had an Intel Atom and integrated graphics, the stupid thing couldn't even play 720P!
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2012-05-20, 00:11
(This post was last modified: 2012-05-20, 00:12 by igot6strings.)
Brando, what gfx chip is in that?
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Well I did it. I just bought a Zotac ZBOXHD-ID80-U Intel Atom D2700 2.13GHZ GT520 512MB, with 4GB ram and a 2.5" 320gb HDD. Can't wait for it to get here. Already ordered a Rii N7 wireless KB remote to go with it.
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artrafael
Team-XBMC Forum Moderator
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Cool... please let us know how this mobo works out for you!
I have a similar type of mini-keyboard, but mine has the touchpad on the right, which makes it awkward to use my right thumb to access the keys on the right side. Yours, with the touchpad in the middle, makes more sense for two-handed entry. When I need to modify files or otherwise enter a bunch of text, I still plug in a full-size keyboard for those tasks. However, the mini-keyboard is really nice for day-to-day use where you may need to enter some search text to locate media or to access a seldom used XBMC function that is not mapped to a remote control button.
Enjoy your new system!
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Yeah its a neat remote. I use the split keyboard style on my android pad and its great. I actually bought it for my boxee box on Ebay from Hong Kong so it'll be a few weeks by the time I get it. I'm in the process of selling my boxee box as its become a paperweight with the lack of support Boxee is giving it these days. This new XBMC box will be most amazing, and the N7 will make it complete.
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I managed to score a sweet deal on this. I found an open box Zotac ID80 at NCIX and added the ram and HDD. All in it was $330 with shipping/tax. Even ebay can't compete with that.