This is actually old news, but it's new to me. Would be very exciting to see how R6 runs on one of these - particularly if the price point is 2-3 hundred.

Summary: Intel Atom 230 processor + Geforce 8400 in one. Looks more powerful than the current offerings from Intel and as well has more options for video out (current Intel is just S-Video and VGA).

NVIDIA ION platform review | preview at anandtech
NVIDIA ION platform review | preview at guru3d

EDIT: 12-Feb-09
Ion queued for a Spring/2009 launch

EDIT: 13-Feb-09
Ion PCs to ship by summer

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This is essentially a smaller (pico vs nano ITX), single core version of Atomic Ant.

Agreed, but what got me interested is the fact that it has a more modern set of output connectors, particularly HDMI and DVI. As well, I wonder about heat production in the Atomic Ant system. Mine is basically just under $300 as-built. I've read that the passively cooled 8400GS gets HOT and in a small case like the BM639, it could be a detriment..

Just something I wanted to put out there for folks considering a FE system.

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Just added a url to the first post from guru3d wherein Nvidia's mainboard chipset manager is quoted as saying the first Ion-based PC's will be available in the Spring of '09.

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I'm guessing we've read the same info. I can testify to this. Having a heat sink is why I purchased it. Didn't want the noise of another fan. I put it in my kids computer and it didn't take too long before they were hollerin' for help. The video went blank. The heat sink was VERY hot. I set up a small fan to blow on it. Put a resistor inline to limit the speed and for all intents and purposes, you can't hear it. Fixed. So much for no fan.

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R5F27 combined backend/frontend
Nvidia 6200 graphics card
Intel P4 1.8, 768Meg PC133, Seagate 300GB & 500GB (PATA) in LVM
Hauppauge PVR150
Iguana Works serial IR transceiver

This is what I am afraid of since I'll be using an ultra small case. Just so we're on the same page, are you comments indeed about an 8400 series card or about the 6200 that you've posted in your sig? I know you said your kid's machine so I'm thinking it is an 8400. If it is, can you do a small favor for me?

1) Post a link or describe the exact brand/model you're video board that you're using?
2) Report the idle/load (like after 30 min of video) temps without your modified fan running? To read the temps, just exit the frontend, open an xterm, and load up nvidia-settings (). There should be a selection called 'thermal monitor' which reports the temp. You can leave this running, and launch mythfrontend from another xterm, then alt-tab between them.

Thank you in advance

Screenshot of nvidia-settings on my machine:

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Retired KM user (R4 - R6.04); friend to LH users.

Yes, the 8400GS.

eVGA e-GeForce 8400GS 256MB PCI-E Video Card, Part# 256P2N732DX.

I was mistaken - it's in my server, not the girls machine. Not that it's important. But I remember now - this thing came with a fan attached. And I removed it because it didn't work. The damn thing overheated with a perfectly good fan. That's when I googled it and discovered the problem. I ended up removing the fan and installed this heatsink - http://www.frozencpu.com/products/5519/ ... g40c16s229

This does of course mean that I can't test it with the factory heat sink. Mine came with a combo fan/heatsink which I removed. Googling it brings up a plethora of heatsink configurations most of which look good. I will admit though, that I'm pretty paranoid with heat. I've seen it effects and I always set up air flow over heatsinks. Whether using existing fans and adding baffles, or adding fans and reducing their speed to the bare minimum. My experience is that heatsinks dissipate the bare minimum (or less) required by the component.

I guess my point being that regardless of heatsink design, you need air flow to remove the heat.

Anyway, I'm running XP Pro on the server and the driver info is different...

I can see the temp monitor just like your screenshot on my Myth machine - which is running the 6200 in my sig. However, on my Server in Windows which is where the 8400GS is installed, there appears to be no such info. So to test it for you, I used this - http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp ... up_ID=1362 and disabled the fan. Watching a movie for 45 minutes this thing reached 116.5 deg F, tested at the hottest point - the base of the heatsink. I then reconnected the fan (which spins at only 800 rpm and is completely inaudible) it dropped the temp to 88 deg F. I didn't test idle as 116.5 is really not that bad at all. I'm going to assume idle is lower. If you are still interested in idle temps, say so and I'll check it. But 116.5 is pretty cool for most folks from what I've read, but still too hot for me.

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R5F27 combined backend/frontend
Nvidia 6200 graphics card
Intel P4 1.8, 768Meg PC133, Seagate 300GB & 500GB (PATA) in LVM
Hauppauge PVR150
Iguana Works serial IR transceiver

Thanks very much for the info, ghede. 47 C isn't to hot at all. The card I am considering is a passively-cooled 8400GS; I think it's the same one that cesman used in his Atomic Ant configuration actually, link to it at newegg here.
I'll ask him to report his idle/load temps in that thread. Thanks again for taking the time to do this tests for me!

Photo:

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Retired KM user (R4 - R6.04); friend to LH users.