Fast Shipping Intel DG45ID Media Series G45 micro ATX Intel Graphics HDMI DVI 1333MHz LGA775 Desktop Motherboard is the best
Band : Intel
Model : BOXDG45ID
Product Features :
- Form Factor uATX
- Memory Slot 4
- Slots 1 x PCI E x16 2 x PCI E x1 1 x PCI
- Max Bus Speed 1333 MHz
- Supported RAM Technology DDR2
>> Good for HTPC But With Limitations
I bought this motherboard a Pentium E6500 processor 4GB of Corsair DDR2 800Mhz memory and a Lite On Blu Ray drive with the intention of saving some bucks and using the built sound and video for a Windows 7 HTPC Once I had all the current drivers loaded it worked as advertised DVDs and Blu ray disks played back without a hitch DTS and Dolby Digital content went out over the HDMI 1 3 connection with no problems and the built in graphics were adequate for standard computing tasks
And that s the problem with this motherboard it s integrated graphics are up to the task of displaying 1080p video but only adequate for most computer applications and almost useless for even light gaming In addition the onboard sound does not support bitstreaming which is required to support the Dolby TrueHD and DTS MA audio tracks used on Blu ray discs Both of these problems were easily resolved by adding an ATI Raedon HD5570 card to my system which increased my Windows 7 graphics score from 4 3 to 6 8 and added support for the missing audio formats Unfortunately it increased the cost of my budget HTPC build by 85 as well
With this in mind if you re looking to build a HTPC on a budget and can live with two less memory expansion slots I d recommend using the E6500 processor and the HD5570 with an Intel G41 based motherboard such as the Foxconn G41MXE or the Biostar G41M7 Either combination will save you about 50 and give you similar results to what I have which has proven more than adequate Invest the money you saved in a really cool HTPC case like the the Silverstone GD04 or just pocket the spare change either way you come out ahead
>> By bye PS/2 and IDE
This is an excellent mobo for building a modern system The quick reference is clear though it might not be adequate for a total novice
When I first bought it in early 2009 the built in audio did not work with Ubuntu However the 9 10 release fixed that problem and now the audio is flawless along with everything else I m using the optical port which just works
You will need a USB mouse USB keyboard and SATA or USB drives No PS/2 no IDE Old PCI is still supported but only one card
>> Home Theater PC
The motherboard is exactly what it claims to be I only have one complaint and that is the HDMI output does not work with all applications After reading up on this it seems to be a copyright issue which has not been resolved
I use a DVI to HDMI adapter on the DVI output of the motherboard this solved my problems I use a HDMI cable to my Telvision and all applications work fine Since I use a Home Theater Sourround Sound the audion I loose to the telvision is not a problem I would reccomend this board to anyone who wants to build a good Home Theater PC
