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I've gone ITX crazy!

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    #1

    I've gone ITX crazy!

    Okay, so I got my first ITX computer not so long ago and I completely loved it. It's small, nifty, quiet and does EVERYTHING I need.
    The one I have now is a VIA C3 at 1.2GHz, and I will honestly say I love it to bits!
    Anyway, that was just a hobby build of mine. I'm planning to get serious now. I want to build a system for myself that is small enough to fit in that small crevice on my desk and be powerful enough for 1080p video. What do I do usually? I surf the internet, write a word document and listen to music. I sometimes do photography stuff but it's not intense stuff... I have an AMD Phenom quad core family computer which can do all that (providing no-one is on there when I need it).
    So I wanted to know... Is the Intel Atom D525 or the AMD E-350 better CPU wise? Both are dual core and very low power consumption CPUs.
    So far I have a case w/ a high quality Morex brand PSU ready to go. Also graphics wise, are the Intel, AMD or Nvidia ION the best? (as in what's better).

    Thanks.
    Don't find love, let love find you. That's why its called falling in love, because you don't force yourself to fall, you just fall. - Anonymous
    Tags: None
    #2
    Re: I've gone ITX crazy!

    I should also add...

    This ITX system is to replace my Pentium 4 3GHz system (1GB RAM, 160GB HDD, 128MB X600 graphics) that I use in the bedroom.
    Don't find love, let love find you. That's why its called falling in love, because you don't force yourself to fall, you just fall. - Anonymous

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      #3
      Re: I've gone ITX crazy!

      Graphics wise AMD is the better choice.
      Originally posted by PeteS in CA
      Remember that by the time consequences of a short-sighted decision are experienced, the idiot who made the bad decision may have already been promoted or moved on to a better job at another company.
      A working TV? How boring!

      Comment

        #4
        Re: I've gone ITX crazy!

        Even better....
        Try out a Mac Mini.

        It's a fantastic little computer that's smaller than most ITX cases.

        The More You Learn The Less You Know!

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          #5
          Re: I've gone ITX crazy!

          If you want small, you go for a Sheevaplug or something similar:

          http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/marvell...power-plug-pc/
          http://technabob.com/blog/2011/02/03...plug-computer/

          If you want versatility, itx and an amd based one nowadays is your best choice.

          Comment

            #6
            Re: I've gone ITX crazy!

            I would go with the Intel Atom if you want a little extra CPU perormance but the AMD if you want better graphics.

            Comment

              #7
              Re: I've gone ITX crazy!

              Get the x86 ver of the mini so you're not stuck with OSX. Also note that they need the display dongle for video output and I don't know if the used price is worth it. New is def not.

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                #8
                Re: I've gone ITX crazy!

                AMD's embedded units are much better than the Atoms.... most are based on athlon architecture so it's faster and, surprisingly, uses less power. but the chips themselves are much larger (tho not by much) than the atoms.

                also with ITX these days, lots take desktop chips nowadays. i remember some am3 and 775 ITX boards. nvidia ion tends to be kinda built-in.

                have you looked at nettops like EEETops and the Acer Aspire top?

                Comment

                  #9
                  Re: I've gone ITX crazy!

                  the D525 is one step ahead of the P4 3.73 HT chip, it should be able to handle HD. Hell if you get a board with a pci-e card you can add better graphics (of course most itx cases require low profile)

                  I'm having trouble finding a 525 with a Nvidia chip (and a x16 pci-e)

                  maybe you could get a mini itx without a built in cpu. Maybe a socket F1 fusion itx board. though keep in mind its a bit more expensive, and won't fit in all cases

                  the Asus f1a75-i deluxe looks good. all solid caps. you could get an Athlon II x2 chip without fusion graphics and get an external video card. the motherboard even comes with a mini-wireless keyboard and remote, also built in wifi
                  Cap Datasheet Depot: http://www.paullinebarger.net/DS/
                  ^If you have datasheets not listed PM me

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Re: I've gone ITX crazy!

                    Overall AMD 350 is much better than those Atom processors. The Atoms are just barely able to decode 1080 hd videos.

                    This article describes in detail the AMD 350's performance and shows it benchmarked against Atoms and nVidia's Atom:

                    http://www.anandtech.com/show/4134/t...on-for-miniitx

                    You can get now mb+cpu for as low as 80$:

                    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...CE&PageSize=20

                    That particular Foxconn model at 80$ if I remember correctly has undersized heatsink so when under load, the cpu throttles itself down a bit. But the Asrock boards at 99$ are great.

                    They all have a x16 slot that's 4x electrically, and you can even run it in crossfire with the integrated card if it's the right card. So that's definitely a plus compared to Atoms.

                    Here's some graphs from the anandtech article in case you're too lazy to browse it:





                    Comment

                      #11
                      Re: I've gone ITX crazy!

                      The Zotac boards with the D525s and ION2 chipsets should do HD - not tried it though.

                      Comment

                        #12
                        Re: I've gone ITX crazy!

                        Originally posted by shovenose View Post
                        I would go with the Intel Atom if you want a little extra CPU perormance but the AMD if you want better graphics.
                        Hate to say it but AMD's APUs will flat out smoke an Atom based system in both cpu performance and graphics performance.

                        The 3850 APU is a quad core propus with the equivalent of a Radeon 5570 GPU on board in a 110w package.

                        Its not very cost efficient as compared to discrete components, nor can it be passively cooled, but you can run streaming internet video with all the dxva eye candy bells and whistles turned on and even do light gaming.

                        In fact, I wish AMD would have put a dual core cpu on the die and a few extra shaders since you really need at least a 5600 class gpu to fully implement the eye candy.

                        Comment

                          #13
                          Re: I've gone ITX crazy!

                          Ok, so it's set... I'll go for an AMD based board. Now to the board issue... AsRock any good for boards? At $140 with an E-350 and onboard ATi graphics, solid Jap caps, DVI port etc. I can't see why not!
                          Don't find love, let love find you. That's why its called falling in love, because you don't force yourself to fall, you just fall. - Anonymous

                          Comment

                            #14
                            Re: I've gone ITX crazy!

                            as I said before, why not go with something with a separate cpu? The new Socket FM1 CPUs are good

                            heres a good asrock board for $89

                            http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157273

                            and

                            http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...=1&srchInDesc=

                            your choice of dual/quad core processors, at the bottom is a quad core Athlon II without built in graphics, and get a seperate video card
                            Cap Datasheet Depot: http://www.paullinebarger.net/DS/
                            ^If you have datasheets not listed PM me

                            Comment

                              #15
                              Re: I've gone ITX crazy!

                              I was going to go with the separate CPU combo, but it costs too much. Not to mention the special $60 low profile CPU cooler I need to accommodate my case.
                              Don't find love, let love find you. That's why its called falling in love, because you don't force yourself to fall, you just fall. - Anonymous

                              Comment

                                #16
                                Re: I've gone ITX crazy!

                                Originally posted by Evil Lurker View Post
                                Hate to say it but AMD's APUs will flat out smoke an Atom based system in both cpu performance and graphics performance.

                                The 3850 APU is a quad core propus with the equivalent of a Radeon 5570 GPU on board in a 110w package.

                                Its not very cost efficient as compared to discrete components, nor can it be passively cooled, but you can run streaming internet video with all the dxva eye candy bells and whistles turned on and even do light gaming.

                                In fact, I wish AMD would have put a dual core cpu on the die and a few extra shaders since you really need at least a 5600 class gpu to fully implement the eye candy.
                                Oops. I was under the impress the Atom ones were better than the lower-end AMD offerings. Now I understand

                                Comment

                                  #17
                                  Re: I've gone ITX crazy!

                                  Brazos looks like it could beat my GX270 for power consumption and speed but no RAID, no deal.
                                  sig files are for morons

                                  Comment

                                    #18
                                    Re: I've gone ITX crazy!

                                    I'm going to put this ITX stuff on hold for a bit. I need to get my Powerbook first for uni. That's a tad more important for now.
                                    Don't find love, let love find you. That's why its called falling in love, because you don't force yourself to fall, you just fall. - Anonymous

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