I'm upgrading motherboards for my desktop/mail/backup server. The old 2002 Rambus machine is too power hungry and slow. I'm looking for decent speed ( > Atom, but by not much ), low electrical power, DVI, Intel socket 775, more memory. Linux friendly (of course), with the additional constraint that I do not want to upgrade distros quite yet, so it needs to work with the 2.6.18 kernel and the 1.1.1 xorg-x11-server that come with Scientific Linux 5.3 (RHEL5 clone).
My first attempt was an Intel DG43NB from the 4 letter F word place in Wilsonville. I should have done more research first. There are some buggy Intel G43/X4500 video drivers that can be compiled for the newest xorg. For older xorg you need to use VESA (which does not offer 1400x1050 like my LCD). You also need to compile new ethernet drivers. Other problems, like the CPU temp sensor doesn't read out (even in the BIOS). Some of the peripheral chips get too hot. I assumed Intel supported Linux well. Not so much ... My next attempt will be a Gigabyte GA-73PVM-S2H, on the way from Amazon now. It has good ratings here: http://hardware4linux.info/system/3529/ and uses onboard NVidia (which seems to have good drivers that get updated with my distro). Not the fastest video, but adequate for flash and youtube. Another interesting board is the MSI P7NGM . Pacific Solutions has one in stock for $133, and NewEgg has them on sale for $90 . That is more powerful (Nvidia 9300 graphics), but probably uses more electricity. The next step if the Gigabyte disappoints. There are some off-brand boards available. And BioHazard\\\\\\Star, which has terrible reviews for reliability. Other suggestions? It is a little frustrating trying to build a quiet, low power system in a screw-the-planet gamer's world. Keith -- Keith Lofstrom [email protected] Voice (503)-520-1993 KLIC --- Keith Lofstrom Integrated Circuits --- "Your Ideas in Silicon" Design Contracting in Bipolar and CMOS - Analog, Digital, and Scan ICs _______________________________________________ PLUG mailing list [email protected] http://lists.pdxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug
