[ahmed.]

How is the performance on the ASUS/HP Chromebox running XBMC on Windows 8.1 compared to dual-booting Chrome OS and OpenELEC?

Also, I am wondering if all of the chromebox features still work (besides audio) normally if you run windows 8.1 on it? I don't mind dual-booting Chrome OS + OpenELEC but I just like the thought of having to choose to open/close XBMC and return to a Windows environment.

[shabuboy]

why not have all 3? I just found out it is possible a couple of days ago. sadly, haven't tried it yet... I have a ZBOX which works great but dreaming of a Chromebox daily...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cc03TOtFlrY

[Matt Devo]

you really need to be more specific as to what you mean by 'performance.' As a rule, a stripped/tailored Linux distro like OpenELEC is going to "outperform" a more heavyweight OS like Windows.

In terms of video playback, both seem to handle most h.264 1080p24 content reasonably well, though CPU usage is a *lot* higher under windows, and Hi10p content will not play smoothly. Deinterlacing is better under Linux as well. Also, HDMI audio output under Windows is currently not working (at all), so if HD audio matters, Linux is your only option.

Also, I'm not sure why you'd want to dual boot ChromeOS, given that Netflix is limited to 480p currently. The real value of the ChromeBox is as dedicated low cost/low power Linux box.

[ahmed.]

By performance I made a mistake. I meant to say if it windows lags and you have stated cpu usage is a lot higher on chromebox, so it seems like a waste of money. Chromebox costs $200 in canada and I can build a intel nuc for $250 that is able to run windows 7 easily. Chromebox is kind of a rip-off. I think the only thing people are focusing on is that it is a pre-built version of the intel nuc, but ignore the fact that it has really low RAM and low SSD.

If you upgrade its RAM and SSD, the processor is still weak compared to the cheapest intel NUC DN2820 (Intel Celeron N2820 / 2.39 GHz) and the ASUS Chromebox (Intel Celeron 2955U 1.40GHz) and you end up spending more.

I don't even think you can put in a full size hard drive in the chromebox, it has a mSATA installed :/

I have a wish-list made in my tigerdirect account and it has 64GB SSD + 4GB RAM + intel DN2820, all for $250, before taxes

[jjd-uk]

You've got your wires crossed, the Intel Celeron 2955U in Chromeboxes is a lot more power than the Intel Celeron N2820 as the Intel Celeron 2955U is based on the Haswell architecture, plus the N2820 GPU only has 4 execution units which means no deinterlacing of 1080i which the 2955U with it's 10 execution units will handle with ease, see http://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare.php?...cmp[]=2145

I also expect that most people on here who go for a Chromebox have all their media stored on a NAS, hence the more powerful processor is of greater worth than the size of SSD included, which is more than enough for a client only. device.

[dchabby]

I bought a chromebox in Canada for $175 and got a $10 rebate so you can find it cheaper if you can wait and hunt down a deal. And it works great running openlec.

[ahmed.]

@jjd-uk, it is true that chromebox's cpu performs better, but it does not maintain same temperature as n2820 when idle, and running windows.

@dchabby, I don't know why electronics are more expensive in canada, I can wait for a sale, but I'd still stick with buying the intel nuc kit when its in stock.

The only reason I am looking at these boxes is to run windows, I don't use linux and don't really want to experiment with linux right now. OpenELEC is fine, but besides XBMC, I want to do other things on the box as well.

The videos I have aren't full 1080p anyways, they are just downscaled rips of blu-ray discs meant to fit on my hard drive but maintain some a/v quality.

[Matt Devo]

if Windows is your primary/preferred platform, then a ChromeBox (or any ChromeOS device) is likely not the ideal choice for you.

[Sunflux]

Just wait. A few weeks back I bought the HP Chromebox direct from HP in Canada for $129.99 including shipping.

Personally, I think the Chromebox is a much wiser investment than the Celeron NUC for an XBMC client device. With that said, the i3 and i5 NUCs are very nice when you need more power, but also a whole ton more money.

[ahmed.]

I might wait it out, but I already have a TV installed in the upstairs bedroom that is lonely. The only thing I have used on it is a MK908 device I bought from aliexpress a while back and the wifi on it sucks. I have seen tutorials to fix the wifi and have thought about getting an antenna, but it is just too much of a hassle, I'm not really into hardware.