[fricfrac]

My current htpc is in a Silverstone Lascala LC13-B case and I would like to replace it with a much smaller Zotac box.
It would be an XBMC Live install (Dharma, final release) and I need it to play mkv blu-ray rips cleanly.
I would like it if most skins and any add-ons available worked well too.
So what Zotac is the best? I know the ID11 is very popular and that Zotac just released the ID40, is it better than the Id11?
How do the other Zotac boxes compare, like the AD01, S21, ND01, ND02, ND21, ND22?
My other question is about SSD's, all my content is stored on a WHS, so how big an SSD is required for a live install with a reasonable amount of space left for skins and a bunch of add-ons, 16, 32, 40, 60 GB?

Thanx for the help

[skewba98z28]

I'm running this

Zotac ID-11
2gb ram
Win 7 64bit ultimate full install
Last XBMC RC (haven't had a chance to update it yet)
Slow laptop drive soon to be a 32gb solid state.

I can stream 1080p Make MKV rips of my Blu-rays from my main pc to the ID-11 with now issues at all. Only complaint on the ID-11 is the wireless sucks. Other than that it is a very capable XBMC box

[poofyhairguy]

I would like it if most skins and any add-ons available worked well too.
So what Zotac is the best? I know the ID11 is very popular and that Zotac just released the ID40, is it better than the Id11?

ZBOX HD-ID11 is the most popular currently, and seems most futureproof.

How do the other Zotac boxes compare, like the AD01, S21, ND01, ND02, ND21, ND22?

Honestly any Nvidia powered Zbox is about the same as the others. I like the next gen ION ones best because they are more futureproof.

My other question is about SSD's, all my content is stored on a WHS, so how big an SSD is required for a live install with a reasonable amount of space left for skins and a bunch of add-ons, 16, 32, 40, 60 GB?

You can probably get by with 16gb, but all 16GB SSDs suck for speed. Many good 30GB ones, I like OCZ best.

[Geeba]

ZBOX HD - ID11 here... everything works out of the box with Openelec.tv.... has a great quality feel about it.... not 100% convinced on fan noise yet, seems a little high...

but

remote
remote
remote!!!! its hell out there! unless you have a rack of free time forget harmony mines in the garden probably/hopefully been chewed by the dog... it deserved to die!

Stuck with dam keyboard in the lounge... decent MCE remotes are rocking horse turd! there isnt any.

[fricfrac]

Thanx everyone for the replies, all insight is greatly appreciated.
I guess now I'm really trying to decide between the ID11 and the ID40, hope not to have any regrets 6 months from now.
From a specs standpoint, I guess the ID40's CPU is slightly better than the ID11s but the GPU's are the same?
So is there any real reason not to go with the ID40 instead of the ID11? both are now readily available here in Canada with only a slight price difference ( $229 for the ID11 after $20 mail in rebate vs. $269 for the ID40).
As for the SSD, I thought somewhere around 30 or 32 gb would be fine, so my last question is, are the increased read/write speed of a higher end drive (like the vertex 2) going to be of any real benefit other than a slightly faster boot up time (all my content is on a WHS)?

Thanx again everyone

[mr.sparkle]

You can probably get by with 16gb, but all 16GB SSDs suck for speed.

But still miles ahead of a conventional hard drive, no? I would think that the difference for XBMC amongst SSDs is negligible.

[poofyhairguy]

But still miles ahead of a conventional hard drive, no? I would think that the difference for XBMC amongst SSDs is negligible.

You are right.