From owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Jun 15 23:17:09 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0649237B401 for ; Sun, 15 Jun 2003 23:17:09 -0700 (PDT) Received: from apollo.backplane.com (apollo.backplane.com [216.240.41.2]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3CDB043FA3 for ; Sun, 15 Jun 2003 23:17:08 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from dillon@apollo.backplane.com) Received: from apollo.backplane.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by apollo.backplane.com (8.12.9/8.12.6) with ESMTP id h5G6H7VI013448; Sun, 15 Jun 2003 23:17:07 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from dillon@apollo.backplane.com) Received: (from dillon@localhost) by apollo.backplane.com (8.12.9/8.12.6/Submit) id h5G6H7NO013447; Sun, 15 Jun 2003 23:17:07 -0700 (PDT) Date: Sun, 15 Jun 2003 23:17:07 -0700 (PDT) From: Matthew Dillon Message-Id: <200306160617.h5G6H7NO013447@apollo.backplane.com> To: Chris Shenton References: <20030610220919.41E1F5D04@ptavv.es.net> <200306121915.h5CJFGSL083703@apollo.backplane.com> <3EE8D5EB.5030308@sliderule.demon.co.uk> <200306122247.32026.wes@softweyr.com> <200306130555.h5D5td1j086033@apollo.backplane.com> <87u1aq3lu9.fsf@PECTOPAH.shenton.org> cc: Siegbert Baude cc: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Via EPIA Mini-ITX motherboard X-BeenThere: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: Production branch of FreeBSD source code List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 16 Jun 2003 06:17:09 -0000 :> With no mechanical parts left inside the computer, it should also be :> robust enough, to be tossen around in the kitchen by children. : :I haven't disconnected the two tiny fans inside yet. I think Matthew :indicated the cpu and chips might need some airflow, so I'm not in any :hurry -- they're very quiet and the noise isn't unpleasant or whiney :like disks can. Yes, there are two options there. You can pick up one of those little fan speed controllers that goes inline with the fan power connector, or you can solder a 47 Ohm 1W resistor inline with each of the two 'red' wires (using heat shrink tubing to shield any bare copper). This will make the fans spin more slowly and thus be far quieter (possible because the insides generate a lot less heat relative to a typical Intel or Amd box. But if you are going to have an internal HD it might be a good idea to leave the two tiny fans running at normal speed. I also had to seal the air vents on the left hand side of the case so the fans would pull in air across the cpu and chipsets from the right hand side of the case. :> Another possible use would be as multimedia centre in the living :> room, but I suspect you would need the 1GHz version then (or what :> about the newer chipsets? : :Dunno, but that's one of the reasons I wanted to try one out. If it's :fast enough for audio and video, put a box in the stereo and another :with the TeeVee. Matthew's way ahead of me here. It's certainly fast enough for audio, but I suspect DVD or MPEG2-Video needs an asist from the on-board hardware mpeg2 decoder to be viable on an EM-6000, and the driver doesn't support that yet (though the via-supplied Linux driver probably does). I definitely like the compact flash boot idea. I just ordered a couple of compact flash IDE adapters for just that purpose. Mozilla runs fine on an EM-6000 though of course it will be noticeably slower verse running on a P3 or P4, especially when it is being run for the first time. The trick with these Mini-ITX boards is, as always, to stuff them full of ram. I recommend 512M minimum. -Matt Matthew Dillon