Nick said:
Is there a small format pc (maybe some barebones low profile unit)
that would add into a home entertainment system. It would be great to
be able to access the home network through the hdmi projector.
The pc would only need
hdmi out
bluetooth for keyboard/mouse
wireless for network
probably its own os
Any bare bones type of thing (small format) other than a large atx
box, that might be better than an atx box?
You can get mini-itx motherboards. Some use desktop processors,
so it is possible to give them enough hardware horsepower, to
handle a wide range of media types.
Zotac GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi Socket LGA775 Mini-ITX Motherboard
http://www.mini-itx.com/store/?c=52
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813500022
I think there is an HDMI on there. It has wireless. You
still need to add a processor. And a storage device for
your OS. If you added a USB to Bluetooth dongle, then you'd
have Bluetooth.
The boards apparently share some mounting holes with ATX, so if
you have some kind of ATX case, you can place it in there.
Mini-ITX also comes with its own casings, some relatively
low profile. But you cannot mix a really tiny case, with
one of the higher power processors. You need room for
air cooling, even if your processor choice is only
drawing 40W or so.
Example of a Mini-ITX case.
http://www.compucase-hec.co.uk/img/mini_itx/large/8k01.jpg
Note that the Zotac board, sports a PCI Express x16 expansion
slot. But if you wanted to stick a high end video card in
there, the heatsink on the video card cooler would hang outside
the profile of the motherboard. Which means the computer case
to hold it, would have to be bigger than that 8K01 case above.
Paul
