[geeks] New Intel Atom-based barebones system

[Lionel Peterson]

>From: Mark <md.benson at gmail.com>
>Date: 2008/08/15 Fri AM 04:37:55 EDT
>To: The Geeks List <geeks at sunhelp.org>
>Subject: Re: [geeks] New Intel Atom-based barebones system


<snip>

>Personally I am holding off for a Dual Core Atom. I think once it goes  
>Duo it'll pack enough punch for decoding HD media on the fly, which  
>will make it a much more viable possibility for a second machine on my  
>desk. If Intel launch a new mini-board with the Dual Core on it then  
>I'l be there faster than a speeding Duracell bunny. I even have a  
>desktop case to put it in when I get it now :)

Mark,

Intel has built a "miniITX" MB-only with some impressive spec's, but the price is in the $200+ range, too rich for my "tinkering" systems.[0]

The current Atom chip is "HyperThreaded" and while not the same as a dual core chip, it is pretty good for general desktop use, esp. with Intel's GMA 950 integrated graphics.[1]

For $70 + S/H (incl. CPU) they are cheap enough to play with, and if they don't work out, the DDR2 RAM, SATA HD, and IDE optical drives can be reused on another box down the road.

The MSI system I pointed to was nice becuase it was the Atom CPU in a small case w/PS for $140, and the  case has room for a full-size (half-height) optical drive and a 3 1/2" HD...

Lionel

[0] http://www.intel.com/products/desktop/motherboards/DG45FC/DG45FC-overview.htm

[1] http://www.intel.com/products/desktop/motherboards/D945GCLF/D945GCLF-overview.htm