Looking for cheapest mobo...my requirement..
-mini-itx
-play 1080p & BD
-cheaper solution compared to dual ATOM + ION...
I just dont know what mobo to use. Cracking my head already searching LYN for it..
Any mobo price approx at 200-300 (exc. processor) with chipset able to meet my requirement?
Thanks.

Bro,
thanks for the reply.
I dont mind intel of AMD....most importantly is the cost...
Zotac is quite on the high side (in term of price), right?
I was thinking MSI or anything equivalent, but not sure whether it is available or not....
so far if found nothing when searching here...

Mirco-ITX is a good idea. But considering the size....hahaha..so malas one lah...
Found this Intel DG41MJ at ~RM300....
i'm still researching on it..

Found this review...http://www.silentpcreview.com/article960-page7.html

Conclusion...
The Intel DG41MJ is very power efficient, and with the exception of an actual high bitrate H.264 encoded Blu-ray movie, plays most content with little difficulty. The chipsets run fairly cool, but the board's automated fan control system is a disappointment. It is too passive, letting the processor get too hot before kicking in, and once activated, it is not aggressive enough in the face of high CPU temperatures. It may be optimized for use with Intel's stock heatsink/fan, or another HSF that has higher native speed than the fans we tested with. It is probably best to disable it if you plan to stress the system on a regular basis.

The DG45FC is equally power efficient, but its video decoding ability is superior. In addition, it offers a bevy of features including HDMI, S/PDIF, RAID, eSATA, an extra SATA port, and a PCI-E 1x slot instead of PCI. Not everyone needs these extra features, but in particular, digital audio and video outputs are essential for the most common application of mini-ITX systems: Home theater PC. Between the two, we would choose the DG41MJ only if cost was a major issue because the DG45FC can be had for only $25~$30 more. (It should be noted that both Intel boards only support processors rated 65W or lower.)
This one tested with Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 processor - 2.53GHz, 45nm, 65W

total price still almost the same with board with dual atom ION...

This post has been edited by xsi: Mar 19 2010, 03:14 PM

i3 & H55? if i have those kind of budget, i will not be asking in the first place....hahahahaha..!!

mobo ~200, processor ~200. The lesser the better..
after browsing so far, realized impossible to get mini-itx with that kind of budget.
So have to settle for AMD micro-atx.....and based on my reading...i can even go for x2 (instead of x4) cpu if i get a 'sufficient' GPU to do the decoding....
Question now, what is the minimum GPU shud i go for..?

i have yet to do any searching...but what is hd bit streaming..?
if 300 is the cost for minimum graphic card for 1080p playback, might as well dump the money on the processor then...300-400 can get a quad proc already...
next i guess i have to do research on sub 200 mobo then...assuming that quad processor can do the decoding with onboard graphic..
thanks for the help guys...

785g mobo does come with a built in graphic?
Actually, getting an AVR is part of the whole so-called masterplan....coz will need it for my other input..i.e. ps3, byond, 360...
So, will that actually affect the htpc mobo that i need to select? i thought audio output, coaxial/optical/equiv is standard?

i was going for785g route already. I thought once you have the built in optical/coaxial output, you are OK already.
if that is the case, can i just get an external sound card and have that whatever TrueHD/DTS-HD capability.
5.1 is ok by me....TrueHD/DTS-HD is not 5.1?

If as said the ati 5XXX can do TrueHD/DTS-HD bitstream.....it will be done thru HDMI right? any card that can offer thru optical/coaxial? This upgrade can always be done later right?
And it means, you will need TrueHD/DTS-HD capable AVR?

Now is a quite old denon, no DI. Planning to get ones with DI. Guess i have to re-think of the plan lah. Might as well get those with that capability...but later lah...

Question.......

due to my super low budget, plan to get a very cheap mobo. Board got no back optical output. But, if the onboard/internal i/o has spdif output, how do i convert it to coaxial/optical?

been searching in the forum but could find the fact that i'm looking for.

I know there is a bracket, but where can i get it.

This post has been edited by xsi: May 18 2010, 12:43 AM

yup...a lot of DIY guide for the spdif-optical thingy....but not planning to DIY....sucks at it...
been browsing lot yat for the bracket but cant find any..
help appreciated...

thanks..

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Added on May 19, 2010, 12:29 amlooking at biostar am3 785g board (e.g. ta785ge)...this board can work with ddr2 pc2-6400 RAM?
Memory Technical Data
Internal memory - 1024MB
Internal memory type - DDR2-SDRAM
Form factor - 240 Pin DIMM
Bus clock rate - 800MHz
CAS latency - CL 5-6-6-15

Damn...i am that clueless...
thanks..

This post has been edited by xsi: May 19 2010, 12:29 AM

thank mrbob..
btw...based on the spec, there are 4 RAM slots but 2 diff color convention..can i assume the slots are meant for the same type of RAM?

i have 4 identical 1GB RAM sticks (ddr2 800)...that i got at a very good price...so plan to use it all..

power color ati 5450 can get below 200......anybody actually tried that card? hehehehe..

where can i get biostar am3 ddr2 785g board?
very hard to find lah..
need am3 ddr2 x 4 slots...785g...if anybody can recommend anything below 300..
tq...

question...
with pentium D, not sure which model, can i just get a pcie graphic card that can enable me to play 1080p mkv?

Not really answering whether it is possible or not....
But will definitely read it...
Thanks for the link bro...

thanks for the reply...
what about ATI cards, will the 5000 series works?

so many HDD....
what is the PSU requirement to put all this HDD?
300W sufficient for how many?

My HTPC project is like s*** now. Keep getting BSOD on Win7, fresh install summore on a virgin HDD. Sometime HDD not detected. Feeling like just want to throw my htpc in longkang right now. Dunno what's wrong. Is it the mobo, HDD..no idea at all.

This post has been edited by xsi: Jul 26 2010, 12:03 PM

thank for the tips...
my PSU is a cheapo one...maybe will upgrade later coz i have 2 HDDs 1 DVD drive. And possibly buying another HDD.

btw, also getting BSOD when trying to re-install the win7 again. Bugger!