[mythtv-users] OT: hardware advice

[Stephen Tait]

>
>this *will* be used for linux running a Myth box.. not decided yet on
>whether to replace the backend or frontend with it though.. as they both
>could do with something a little better than what they have at the
>moment

If it's a dedicated linbox and you want RAID, all you'll need is an extra 
IDE controller (you can just run them both off the motherboard, but if 
they're both drivers are on the same channel and/or on the same channel as 
any ATAPI devices you'll get reduced performance) and software RAID in the 
kernel, or one of the (expensive) hardware RAID cards from 3ware, which 
work like a dream, esp if you want to use RAID5, which is very difficult to 
do in software (hence why pseudo-RAID cards like the promise don't offer it 
;^). The FastTrak cards are better RAID performers, but kernels devs still 
say they need closed source drivers to work since it seems some of the RAID 
calculations are *still* done in software. Besides, they're priced in the 
same ballpark as the 3ware's.

(I wonder if anyone can guess whether I've had to use one of those stinking 
RAID chips-  that are flaky even under windows - before? Avoid them like 
you would a leper colony. In the meantime, I'll toddle off and get my 
royalty cheque from 3ware...;^)


>after reading a review I was looking forward to seeing how the sound
>card works.. but am suspecting it won't be *much* better than the SB
>Live 5.1 that I have in my exising frontend..

You'll be better off with a card that's well supported under Linux. 
Anything using the emu10k1 drivers will kick donkey, namely a live card or 
an audigy, but you will of course lose a PCI slot.


>my *original* setup when I had the Abit board was under windows
>(Photoshop and Dreamwaver for work) but I've got a new development
>machine anyways.. so will be using this board to replace my myth backend
>(hopefully)

As long as you';re using a distro that can cope with the nforce2, you'll be 
laughing. I contemplated an nforce2/gentoo myself, but I couldn't find any 
nice ones in mATX format and thus plumped for a cheap gigabyte job with a 
KM400, which seems OK - no DMA issues so far.

Hope this helps.