Reference Hardware
#16
CapnBry Wrote:It is important to note none of these will have working audio over HDMI with Ubuntu 8.10, as it requires hda-intel patch NVHDMI which is not in the Intrepid kernel. It should be in 9.04 though.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that no hardware will work with HDMI-audio on Ubuntu 8.10 without kernel patch?


CapnBry Wrote:Downside of the MSI P7NGM-Digital is that no NVHDMI means no digital sound out as this board does not have S/PDIF. Realtek discrete chip.
true, the reference should have S/PDIF-out. Didn't look that close on that board.

Quote: wow. way to not understand reference spec at all. cpu and ram will effect what kind of video can be played. can i play a 720p video with a celeron and 512 mb ram on that board? ir receiver should also be part of the spec.
wow, way to go with the constructive/condescending comment. Ofcourse the cpu/ram will affect what video it will be able to playback, thats why I wrote that it's up to the user. Adds some flexibility. Maybe suggest something like this(examples):
________720p____1080p___killasample
e7200____*
e8200____*________*
e8500____*________*________*

As for Ram goes, it's so cheap and anything more than 2gb ddr 2 800mhz will probably(? Smile not affect playback.
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#17
i suggest a single spec to start with. lets say able to play 720p h264 video for starters. how much cpu/ram will that require?
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Do not e-mail XBMC-Team members directly asking for support. Read/follow the forum rules.
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#18
If were talking about building a new system and considering price/performance I'd suggest a E7200 if you want to be able to play all 720p videos. And most 1080p rips will work as well. If you want a cheaper alternative you'll sacrifice a lot of performance for little money.(only core2duo that's cheaper is the E4400, but it's just 30€Wink
-I'm no expert on this, my experience is with a P8400. I've compared results on This site and with the lowest price I could find.
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#19
What about the E7300? Thats running at 2.66Ghz, but with a 3Mb L2 Cache rather then 6. Difference of about $50.
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#20
I don't know if the chart that I linked to is representive of the capabilities in xbmc, but E7300 gives a 5% increase in performance on that chart. Id rather go up to a E8400, it has a 24% bump from E7200
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#21
The E7300 will clock 3GHZ and will work fine IMO and SHOULD allow for playback of the Killa' sample - if that sample isn't representative then by all means please post a link to one freely available that IS. The 65nm CPU I am using is working fine at 3ghz and a 45nm

2gig RAM is enough, I've not used this specific one but this should work fine.

The ASUS board appears to have optical out but what would it take to patch the kernel for HDMI audio? Could this be done for the LiveCD? IF it were patched would we be able to then output 7.1 uncompressed audio with XBMC? I assume yes as it would just go straight out with no processing but not having ever done it...

I need to build another XBMC box it looks like and that ASUS board looks pretty good compared to the barebones Shuttle XPC I was considering.
Openelec Gotham, MCE remote(s), Intel i3 NUC, DVDs fed from unRAID cataloged by DVD Profiler. HD-DVD encoded with Handbrake to x.264. Yamaha receiver(s)
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#22
Just thought I'd chime in with my experience with the E7300:

With integrated graphics/sound (on Gigabyte GA-73PVM-S2H), 3Gb of PC6400 ram, winXP sp3, I would say that it plays ALL 1080p content that matters.

What I mean by that in numbers is: KillaSample 40mbit/s drops 15 frames at stock speed, 7-8 frames when overclocked to 3.00GHz. Have not seen any "normal" 1080p content skip.
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#23
could we try to stay on the topic of a reference spec, please.
Always read the XBMC online-manual, FAQ and search the forum before posting.
Do not e-mail XBMC-Team members directly asking for support. Read/follow the forum rules.
For troubleshooting and bug reporting please make sure you read this first.
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#24
malloc Wrote:could we try to stay on the topic of a reference spec, please.
Sorry bout that. I'll add my system for consideration as a reference system then (skip Case/PSU and HD right?):

****************************************************
Processor: Intel E7300 @ 2.66GHz
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-73PVM-S2H
RAM: 3Gb Corsair PC6400 (2Gb is probably enough)
Graphics: Onboard Nvidia 7100
Sound: Onboard RealTek optical/HDMI (coax-header also available)

Cost: 2600SEK or US$320 (in october)
****************************************************

My experience: Windows XP sp3: plays 1080p without problem, video 1280x720 or 1920x1080 over HDMI, sound over s/pdif, everything smooth in all aspects.

Other findings in the forums: someone reported it (the mobo) working out of the box in XBMC Live (optical sound). Another member reporting (HD?-)sound over HDMI working perfectly in WinXP
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#25
this isn't working either. someone needs to take the initiative to start a wiki and be decisive about the specs or we need to start looking into a hardware database (described in another thread).
Always read the XBMC online-manual, FAQ and search the forum before posting.
Do not e-mail XBMC-Team members directly asking for support. Read/follow the forum rules.
For troubleshooting and bug reporting please make sure you read this first.
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#26
malloc Wrote:this isn't working either. someone needs to take the initiative to start a wiki and be decisive about the specs or we need to start looking into a hardware database (described in another thread).

That would be great! I also think it would stop a lot of these type of threads. Smile
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#27
I will be building later this week or early next (depending on delivery) 2 systems based on just these specs:
E7300 - plan on o/c'ing to 3.0 only if necessary and might also test with e8400
Asus P5N7A-VM (9300GT)
2GB RAM
If you would like any tests done other than Killa Sampla, I'd be happy to spend some time testing.
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#28
Geekzilla Wrote:I will be building later this week or early next (depending on delivery) 2 systems based on just these specs:
E7300 - plan on o/c'ing to 3.0 only if necessary and might also test with e8400
Asus P5N7A-VM (9300GT)
2GB RAM
If you would like any tests done other than Killa Sampla, I'd be happy to spend some time testing.

That to me sounds like a good plan. That board has plenty of outputs for video and an optical digital output for sound. If it's possible to get HDMI sound out of it I'd be VERY interested in what steps need to be taken please. If you really want to play try to get hold of a dual core Celeron and see how fast it will go and how well it will workCool

One thing I'd point out that we've found on the unRAID forums with regards to reference hardware - just about the time you think you've got the PERFECT setup the retailers stop carrying it! A specific motherboard will be on the market for maybe 6-8 months tops and then it's bottom bin stuff that only discount sites seem to carry. The refrence spec will be a moving target I'm afraid <sigh>
Openelec Gotham, MCE remote(s), Intel i3 NUC, DVDs fed from unRAID cataloged by DVD Profiler. HD-DVD encoded with Handbrake to x.264. Yamaha receiver(s)
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#29
I would already expect it to be a moving target just from the fact that hardware is constantly being updated along with XBMC and support from the OS. But if we choose a chipset we should be able to find motherboards with that chipset for at least a year. That and I mentioned earlier updating the reference specs every 6 months with new releases of XBMC (like a month before the release to get out the bugs and give users a chance to build a new media center if their's is getting old or they want to add another room).
Always read the XBMC online-manual, FAQ and search the forum before posting.
Do not e-mail XBMC-Team members directly asking for support. Read/follow the forum rules.
For troubleshooting and bug reporting please make sure you read this first.
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#30
I put together a NewEgg list using the motherboard above. It's not yet showing as a Public List but I have shared it as "XBMC cheap build". If you have a NewEgg account you can pull it up using this -> https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySav...ap%20build but it may overwrite an existing wish list, at least it seemed to for a friend who tested it. Build doesn't include a remote and includes a CHOICE of HDD - both SATA laptop and desktop SATA drives in sizes easily able to accommodate XBMC or maybe just boot it from a USB stick. Case is cheap, they offer several, the P/S is a brand I've used before but is low capacity - 270Watts and not 80+ rated. I have a slight concern as to the physical size of the DVD burner as in reviews of this case DVD size can apparently be an issue. I actually need to build a system so I may build this one - and test an overclocked Celeron while I'm at it - so perhaps I can provide feedback after. I might use an aftermarket CPU cooler to aid in swapping CPUs as the Intel ones are NOT easy to reuse in my experience but will otherwise try not to deviate.

I desire HDMI audio and 1080 video as do many others so this could be interesting.
Openelec Gotham, MCE remote(s), Intel i3 NUC, DVDs fed from unRAID cataloged by DVD Profiler. HD-DVD encoded with Handbrake to x.264. Yamaha receiver(s)
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