Intel DG45FC Media Series G45 Mini-ITX DDR2 800 Intel Graphics HDMI+DVI 1333MHz FSB LGA775 Desktop Board - Retail Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Pros: Nice set up, very small, no old tech PS2 or VGA (of course you can buy an adapter). tons of USB and you can still add more from the MOBO, DDR2 800 up to 4GB, 4 SATAs, RAID support.

Cons: this MOBO is hot, hot, hot!!! Make sure you have a good air circulation in the case. I looked at the temperature in the BIOS and it was worrisome: ICH at 80 C!!!
Space is really tight but that is to be expected for a mini-itx.

Other Thoughts:
1- Drivers (for audio, LAN, and Video) are not out yet for Linux install.
2- I have intel cpu E8500 on it, it works well but the heat sink would bend the MOBO. My advice is to get plastic or metal screwsand make your own heat sink screws. Also, don't buy the retention bracket (the X form) to attach FHS underneath the MOBO, there is a chip in the way next to one of the hole.
3- Here is what I have put together and works perfectly with VISTA 64bit: HD Scorpio WD1600BEKT 2.5", Memory G.Skill F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ - (2 X 2 Gb), 8x DVD DL/RW Sony NEC Optiarc Slim SATA Model, and PicoPSU-120 with 4pins (very important because the MB will not work without it) from mini box.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Intel DG45FC Media Series G45 Mini-ITX DDR2 800 Intel Graphics HDMI+DVI 1333MHz FSB LGA775 Desktop Board - Retail

Product Description:
With the growing popularity of user-generated media, peer-to-peer sharing and the uploading and viewing of streaming video, photos and more, it's no secret that the creation and sharing of digital entertainment is on the rise. From tech-savvy hobbyists to professional designers, today's users need hardware that can run the advanced multimedia tools needed to create and enjoy audio, video and more.
Amazon.com Product Description
With the growing popularity of user-generated media, peer-to-peer sharing and the uploading and viewing of streaming video, photos and more, it's no secret that the creation and sharing of digital entertainment is on the rise. From tech-savvy hobbyists to professional designers, today's users need hardware that can run the advanced multimedia tools needed to create and enjoy audio, video and more.Intel® Media Series Desktop Boards Product Highlight
Incredibly versatile, Intel® Media Series Desktop Boards are designed to support high-bandwidth interfaces and are ideal for running demanding entertainment, education, and gaming applications. Big, unwieldy media files can quickly overcome mainstream desktop PCs. Intel Media Series Desktop Boards allow users to experience HD videos in surround sound, design school projects or presentations, or upload vacation videos right out of the box, and with superior speed and efficiency.

Graphics
Intel® Desktop Media Series Boards offer users an excellent visual experience thanks to the Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator X4500HD with Intel® Clear Video Technology. This built-in support for full 1080p high-definition visuals eliminates the need for an additional graphics card while offering support for today's most popular video outputs including HDMI and DVI. This feature enables incredible visual media capabilities including video and image editing, streaming video viewing, and HD home theater entertainment.

Onboard Audio
Utilizing the Intel® High Definition audio chipset, the Intel® Media series delivers rich, realistic 360

Zotac IONITX-A-U Atom N330 Dual Core 90-Watt PSU WiFi ITX Intel Motherboard Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've been waiting for this motherboard for a long time; finally a MythTV frontend which can quietly play high definition video and sip electricity while doing so. And one with so many ports on the back: HDMI, DVI and VGA for video; TOSLink Coax, SPDIF optical, HDMI and analog for audio. Gigabit Ethernet. Plenty of USB ports and one eSATA port. A feast of port flexibility.

While people have been talking about the Wake on USB function of recent revisions of this board; I find the Wake on LAN BIOS option more interesting. You can get an iPhone or other smartphone app which can wake the device via WiFi, making it easy to keep the computer in a low power state and only pulling Watts when needed.

My setup:
I've installed the 64-bit version of Mythbuntu 9.10 on a 60 GB Seagate Momentus laptop drive I had lying around.
2GB of PNY brand RAM allow me to allocate half a GB to the video card (BIOS setting); recommended for maximum video performance.
And a small Mini-ITX case complete the very simple hardware assembly.
I also installed XBMC, and that seems responsive and beautiful.
I first usedthe VGA connector for video, and the coax port for digital audio, but in the end, I ended up using an HDMI switch and getting both audio and video over that port which worked well.

I removed the included WiFi card, as I will be using hard wired Ethernet and would prefer to not include whatever minor Wattage the little card draws in standby.

I would not run this board fanless. I played a 1080i MPEG2 over the air video on it without a case and my infrared thermometer read the GPU temperature at 60

Zotac Atom N330 Dual Core WiFi ITX Intel Motherboard IONITX-F-E Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this after reselling my similar Zotac IONITX D-E (a.k.a. IONITX A-U, only no PSU included), as it simply didn't do it for me as an HTPC. The main issue with the D-E/A-U was that there were no PCI-E slots for a TV card of my choice.

That all changed with the F-E, which was released just a few months later. It's got the PCI-E slot that makes all the difference.

TV CARD:
If you have digital cable, you could technically just use the HDHomeRun (analog cable/NTSC not supported): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0010Y414Q?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8

We, on the other hand, only have analog cable. Therefore, it needed to work with my current TV card, which is an analog/digital hybrid: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E2T6Y4?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8CASE
I use my board with this APEX case, which works quite well: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WCQYU6?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8MEMORY
The best memory to grab for any of these Zotac boards is Crucial's XMS sticks.

Go for the 2GB (2 x 1GB) if you don't intend to ever watch Blu-Ray movies:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CDLCGG?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8

Go for the 4GB (2 x 2GB) if you DO intent to watch Blu-Ray movies:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TPXULC?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8

Hope this helps! :)

Click Here to see more reviews about: Zotac Atom N330 Dual Core WiFi ITX Intel Motherboard IONITX-F-E

Product Description:
Experience fluid and vivid high-definition video playback with the ultra-compact ZOTAC ION platform. The mini-ITX form factor ZOTAC ION combines a high-performance NVIDIA ION graphics processor with a power-efficient Intel Atom processor for the ultimate eco-friendly platform that has no troubles handling regular web browsing, e-mail, & productivity and HD video playback tasks.

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Zotac Atom N330 Dual Core WiFi ITX Intel Motherboard IONITX-F-E Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this after reselling my similar Zotac IONITX D-E (a.k.a. IONITX A-U, only no PSU included), as it simply didn't do it for me as an HTPC. The main issue with the D-E/A-U was that there were no PCI-E slots for a TV card of my choice.

That all changed with the F-E, which was released just a few months later. It's got the PCI-E slot that makes all the difference.

TV CARD:
If you have digital cable, you could technically just use the HDHomeRun (analog cable/NTSC not supported): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0010Y414Q?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8

We, on the other hand, only have analog cable. Therefore, it needed to work with my current TV card, which is an analog/digital hybrid: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E2T6Y4?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8CASE
I use my board with this APEX case, which works quite well: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WCQYU6?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8MEMORY
The best memory to grab for any of these Zotac boards is Crucial's XMS sticks.

Go for the 2GB (2 x 1GB) if you don't intend to ever watch Blu-Ray movies:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CDLCGG?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8

Go for the 4GB (2 x 2GB) if you DO intent to watch Blu-Ray movies:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TPXULC?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8

Hope this helps! :)

Click Here to see more reviews about: Zotac Atom N330 Dual Core WiFi ITX Intel Motherboard IONITX-F-E

Product Description:
Experience fluid and vivid high-definition video playback with the ultra-compact ZOTAC ION platform. The mini-ITX form factor ZOTAC ION combines a high-performance NVIDIA ION graphics processor with a power-efficient Intel Atom processor for the ultimate eco-friendly platform that has no troubles handling regular web browsing, e-mail, & productivity and HD video playback tasks.

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Intel D945GCLF Essential Series Mini-ITX DDR2 667 Intel Graphics Integrated Atom Processor Desktop Board - Retail Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The Intel D945GCLF motherboard is a great product. This is a super way to start building a computer without the time-consuming complexity of buying many compatible components and assembling them into a working system. So far, I've bought two of these boards and expect to buy more in the future as Intel continues to improve this chip / board product line.

You'll need to add a hard drive, ram memory, a case/power supply, external speakers, keyboard, mouse, monitor, and operating system. But that's all stuff you can pretty easily plug together. You may already have some of these key parts lying around as spares from existing or antiquated computers.

I installed several different versions of operating systems, settling on a copy of Ubuntu for daily use. It's fast, fun, and free.

I have shown this board to a number of very knowledgeable, computer savvy friends who were impressed enough to quickly buy one for their own use. It's cost effective and ruggedly reliable. (I wouldn't recommend a drop-test, but I did drop it off the back of a van and it kept working.)

I've found the processor performance to be quite acceptable for web browsing and basic administrative tasks. The system boots surprisingly quickly. The outstanding energy efficiency is appealing, ideal for any systems that are left on for extended periods of time (e.g. in home servers, security systems, or environmental control devices.)

This product is an exceptional value for a low-cost desktop system. You could also use it as a component in an embedded PC-compatible systems. If nothing else, it's a fun, inexpensive, and powerful way to explore and experiment with new computing technologies.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Intel D945GCLF Essential Series Mini-ITX DDR2 667 Intel Graphics Integrated Atom Processor Desktop Board - Retail

Product Description:
Essential Series. Single pack mini ITX / uATX compatible form factor desktop board with soldered down IntelAtom Processor 230. The IntelDesktop Board D945GCLF with 945GC + ICH7 chipset supports 533 MHz System Bus DDR2 667 MHz SDRAM Memory Integrated10/100 Network Connection PCI connector up to 6 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 ports (4 back ports) 2+2 channel HD Audio PATA and two SATA ports.

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Intel Media Series Mini-ITX Motherboard Supporting Intel Rapid Storage Technology (RAID) BOXDH57JG Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I replaced all the office Pentium/CRT units with Atoms/LCD displays and saw our power consumption cut by 50%. But a recent client required us to work with several Excel sheets with a total or 300,000 rows and the Atom started to bog down and VLOOKUPs started freezing on me.

I stumbled upon this great board in Amazon and promptly setup a test unit with a Core i3-520 and 4Gb RAM - the speed at which those Excel files loaded/worked blew me away.

I'm using the on-board DVI output coupled with a low-profile Radeon 4350 video card for a dual-monitor setup. For applications that requires raw processing power, productivity is definitely way better than the Atoms without sacrificing power efficiency.

The Core i3, on-chip HD graphics capability, HDMI port, and power-efficient design makes this a much better choice as a HTPC than the Atoms as it doesn't choke on 1080p or Blu-ray movies.

A great compromise between power consumption, processing power, and price!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Intel Media Series Mini-ITX Motherboard Supporting Intel Rapid Storage Technology (RAID) BOXDH57JG

Product Description:
With the Intel Desktop Board DH57JG, you can take advantage of a compact, space-efficient system without sacrificing performance. The Intel DH57JG features the tiny Mini-ITX form factor, supports the latest Intel Core i5 processors, and offers a variety of features. The Intel DH57JG is ideal for home theater PCs with its small size and home entertainment features such as an integrated HDMI port.
Desktop Board DH57JG

Form Factor: mini-ITX
Processor Socket: LGA1156


Chipset: H57 Express Chipset


Memory: Two DDR3 (1333/1066 MHz) SDRAM DIMM sockets; 8 GB max



The DH57JG has plenty of expansion capability. View detailed schematic.

Harness the power of Intel Core i5 Processors. View larger. Supports Intel Core i5 Processors and up to 8 GB DDR3 RAM
The Intel Desktop Board DH57JG features the Intel H57 Express Chipset and is designed to work with Intel's newest Core i5 and i3 series processors in LGA1156 sockets, as well as with Intel Pentium processors in the LGA1156 package. When paired with Intel Core i5 or Core i3 processors, it will give you outstanding performance while being energy efficient.


For fast computer performance, the motherboard supports dual-channel DDR3 memory with two connectors for 1333/1066 MHz memory. This allows for a maximum of 8 GB RAM.


Compact Size Fits Virtually Anywhere
Ideal for those looking to build a small PC that fits in a small space, the DH57JG features a mini-ITX form factor that measures just 6.75 x 6.75 inches. Building a system with it will give you the flexibility to store your system almost anywhere in your home.


HDMI Output; Ideal for Home Entertainment
The DH57JG is ideal for enthusiasts wishing to build a home entertainment PC. It produces minimal noise and heat, and has an integrated HDMI port for 1080p output support for remarkable video when connected to an HDTV. In addition, it is dual independent display-capable with HDMI and DVI-I graphics ports.


The DH57JG offers not only exceptional visual performance, but superb audio performance as well. Ten-channel Intel High-Definition Audio with Dolby Home Theater is supported, enabling high-quality audio that rivals the performance of discrete solutions.


Intel Rapid Storage Technology Keeps Your Media and Data Safe
Plenty of safe, reliable storage space is needed to hold the unprecedented quantity of digital media available today. The DH57JG has four onboard SATA ports supporting Intel Rapid Storage Technology for RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10; so you'll be ready for an increasing media library as you acquire more movies and music.


PCI Express Slot and USB Ports for Expansion
Despite its small size, the DH57JG gives you plenty of ports for expansion. A PCI Express 2.0 x16 graphics port lets you connect a high-speed graphics card. There are 12 USB 2.0 ports available for all your peripherals and accessories. In addition to the four SATA ports, there is also one eSATA port for fast, external storage. An integrated Intel PRO 10/100/1000 network connection port is also included.


The Intel Desktop Board DH57JG meets ENERGY STAR and ErP specifications and is RoHS-compliant. It is backed by a three-year limited warranty.


What's in the Box
DH57JG Desktop Board, SATA cables, board and back panel I/O layout stickers, quick reference and product guides, driver and software DVD.

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