Mini itx form...

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T

tom

Would anyone care to comment on the mini itx form in general and the VIA
EPIA board in particular? I'm trying to build something kind of
transportable, CHEAP, and maintenance-free for my sister, who inherited my
old FIC VA503+/K6-400/Win98SE rig.
Thanks all.
 
tom said:
Would anyone care to comment on the mini itx form in general and the VIA
EPIA board in particular? I'm trying to build something kind of
transportable, CHEAP, and maintenance-free for my sister, who inherited my
old FIC VA503+/K6-400/Win98SE rig.
Click to expand...

Stay away from EPIA mobos. I bought an EPIA M10000 Nehemiah and I
regret it so much that I advise all my friends to purchase _anything_
but VIA-based products.

The VIA forum for EPIA mobos is full of _unanswered_ problems.
Apparently, VIA established users forums instead of providing real
tech support. Read on:

http://forums.viaarena.com/messageview.cfm?catid=32&threadid=46622
http://forums.viaarena.com/messageview.cfm?catid=32&threadid=44623
http://forums.viaarena.com/messageview.cfm?catid=32&threadid=47575

Just one quoting one of many:

All this looks like a brasilian soap opera...it goes on, and on and
on..and it seems something is going to happen it just goes streching
even longer...

This to say via just put out new drivers that a friend imediatly tried
to see if problems would go away on his Nemiah1K... Screwed again!
luckly we new we were working with via drivers so we took a drive
image to cd before even considering changing drivers (Via drivers and
material should carry a health warning label:"DANGER! Using this
Software/hardware can be dangerous for your health"(both mental and
financial)...

With this "new episode" i just place an order for 5 mini-atx boards to
build the 5 mini-sistems I was ordered to build for christmas. I
wanted stable performing systems for my clients...VIA doesnt fit in
this group!
How does via plan to get to sell its products when it gets reputation
like this? You know the first thing I looked before buying the 5
mini-atx boards? I CHECKED TO SEE THAT NO VIA CHIPSET WAS INCLUDED!

And the Fiona thing...some people did lost their reason going after
her. But she came with no answers at all and during the time the
thread was active she never gave any "real" answer. And the toping of
the cake was when a user came on saying that he had 1000 kiosks to
build using their boards and he got full attention! Even got untested
bios updates to see it would solve his problem! He comented this on
the thread, trying to share experience with all of us but the next
message from fiona told him to contact her directly and not by the
forum...What?! Like we didnt know Via cares more about big orders than
the poor, litle and not at all important common users....

If you look up "computer junk" you will find VIA!

ME a negative person? no! I've been trying to help a friend to fix is
nehmia system for the past months and got nowhere! Computers should
help us in our lives not making a mess out of them!
 
Stay away from EPIA mobos. I bought an EPIA M10000 Nehemiah and I
regret it so much that I advise all my friends to purchase _anything_
but VIA-based products.
Click to expand...

Hi...

I'm planning to build a small, portable PC and was looking at the
M10000 Nehemiah that you so clearly love :)

The machine will be used in two roles:

1. Fileserver/plugged into TV
- music/video player
- extra storage on the LAN.

2. Portable PC
- music/video player
- portable storage
- on-the-road net access


It wont be used for games or any intensive 3D stuff (I've got my big
heavy desktop for that). I'll either run Win2k or Linux on it, havent
decided yet (maybe both).

Now I know _you_ will tell me not to buy one, but can anyone else see
any problems with using one of these, given that I wont be trying to
do anything like adding PCI graphics cards?

thanks,
Geoff T
 
I'm planning to build a small, portable PC and was looking at the
M10000 Nehemiah that you so clearly love :)

The machine will be used in two roles:

1. Fileserver/plugged into TV
- music/video player
- extra storage on the LAN.

2. Portable PC
- music/video player
- portable storage
- on-the-road net access


It wont be used for games or any intensive 3D stuff (I've got my big
heavy desktop for that). I'll either run Win2k or Linux on it, havent
decided yet (maybe both).

Now I know _you_ will tell me not to buy one, but can anyone else see
any problems with using one of these, given that I wont be trying to
do anything like adding PCI graphics cards?
Click to expand...

Geoff, I am not using _anything_ in addition to the EPIA M10K
mainboard. The only thing I added to that poor thing is a 60GB hard
drive and DVD/CDRW combo-drive. No PCI card (although the slot is
there, but why is it there?).

Can your configuration work?

Maybe.

And that's exacly the problem. Why should this be a gamble?
Every EPIA M10K mainboard has a different problem (if it works at
all).
Mine: does not provide temperature monitoring (don't underestimate
this advertised feature), has its front panel microphone input
completely not working, LOTS of noise from any audio input (here goes
your music application...) and on and on...

But it boots Windows XP (gee, I guess I should really be grateful for
that).

Why do you think Newegg stopped selling them? (I bought mine from
Newegg a few months ago).

Sam
 
Geoff, I am not using _anything_ in addition to the EPIA M10K
mainboard. The only thing I added to that poor thing is a 60GB hard
drive and DVD/CDRW combo-drive. No PCI card (although the slot is
there, but why is it there?).

Can your configuration work?

Maybe.

And that's exacly the problem. Why should this be a gamble?
Every EPIA M10K mainboard has a different problem (if it works at
all).
Mine: does not provide temperature monitoring (don't underestimate
this advertised feature), has its front panel microphone input
completely not working, LOTS of noise from any audio input (here goes
your music application...) and on and on...

But it boots Windows XP (gee, I guess I should really be grateful for
that).

Why do you think Newegg stopped selling them? (I bought mine from
Newegg a few months ago).

Sam
Click to expand...

Thanks for the heads-up Sam... If I do go ahead and get one, I'll get
it through a supplier that is good for returns/replacements... if it
comes down to luck I might as well have a few goes at the lottery :)

I've also heard they get quite hot, despite the whole "low-power"
thing...

regards
Geoff T
 
Geoff, I am not using _anything_ in addition to the EPIA M10K
mainboard. The only thing I added to that poor thing is a 60GB hard
drive and DVD/CDRW combo-drive. No PCI card (although the slot is
there, but why is it there?).
Click to expand...

What size power supply did you have on it?

- Geoff T
 
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