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Old 04-11-2006, 06:42 AM   #1
Vampirite
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Should I buy an Acer Aspire T630?


Hi,

I have been cruising the web to find a suitable computer for myself, I seriously need a new one.

I have found this:
http://www.shopacer.co.uk/sess/utn;j...3D252EUFS%3D29
An Acer Aspire T630 (91.3JB71.UFS).

Which I think is a good computer to buy, and I might buy it, but I have a few questions.

Should I use Intel x86 or AMD64? I am intending to use Slackware Linux, and I want to compile an x86 compatible LFS aswell.

SATA - Does this pose as a problem?

Oh yeah and it has ATI Xpress 200 integrated graphics, with PCI Express 16x Graphics expansion slot that can host both Nvidia and ATI PCI Express cards.

And it has an ATI RS400 Chipset.

It comes with an NVIDIA GeForce 6200SE, but also integrated graphics, will this pose as a problem (as in drivers) for Linux, or will the NVIDIA one override the ATI one? Will the chipset be a problem?

Please take a look at it and see if it is a fairly good PC, and that hopefully these won't be a problem.

Thanks,

Kourosh

Last edited by Vampirite; 04-11-2006 at 06:47 AM.
 
Old 04-11-2006, 09:57 AM   #2
kilgoretrout
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Based on what I see here:

http://blog.larcun.com/?p=18

I'd stay away from that motherboard chipset. I general, if you are going with an intel processor, I also usually go with an intel based motherboard chipset for maximum stability/compatibility.

On the other hand, ati claims linux compatibility here:

http://www.ati.com/products/radeonxp...tel/specs.html

but given how new this mb/chipset is, you may need the most recent kernels to get it working or be prepared for issues.
 
Old 04-11-2006, 02:06 PM   #3
Vampirite
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If you can find a computer with VERY similar specifications, but uses and Intel chipset, is media centre type, has an NVIDIA GeForce 6200+,(and is £700 and under) please tell me. I cannot find another one which is 32 bit.

However, I always use the latest kernel from Slackware Current testing.

If anyone else has had good support for this chipset, or any other views, please enlighten me.

Oh yeah, I've had another idea, following the blog it seems that some have got it to work, maybe Slackware 11.0 will...? I also hope that I will be able to use such features provided by the motherboard, WITHOUT installing ATI Drivers, will they conflict with the NVIDIA drivers?

I need a computer like this, and everything except those mentioned problems are perfect.

Thanks,

Kourosh

Last edited by Vampirite; 04-11-2006 at 02:16 PM.
 
Old 04-11-2006, 02:32 PM   #4
seelenbild28
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if you have the money why not buy it?*g
 
Old 04-11-2006, 04:07 PM   #5
kilgoretrout
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I don't know enough about UK pricing to help you but it doesn't seem like such a great deal by US standards. Personally, I've done all my own builds for the last five years and would only consider buying prebuilt for budget boxes since you can't build your own for cheaper when dealing with the really cheap stuff. Among local fabricators, I don't know anyone using this chipset with intel processors and when going amd, people generally prefer the nforce nvidia boards. AMD clearly gives you more bang for the buck than intel and I wouldn't hesitate to go AMD with an nforce mb over intel with this mb given your budget.

There's another complicating factor here; ati uses the same name for the chipset on both amd and intel motherboards and appends the "for intel processors" onto the "Radeon Express 200" for it's intel boards. They obviously have to be different chipsets since they are designed for different processors despite the similar name. The blog entry I gave you is talking about the amd version of this chipset and there, some report success with the 2.6.15 kernel series. I don't know what, if any isues exist with the intel version. The chipset appears to have been out for about a year so it's not realistic to expect kernel support for any but the newer kernels.
 
Old 04-12-2006, 04:13 AM   #6
Vampirite
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Thats the thing, I would buy AMD, I can get one quite cheap with an nForce chipset with an AMD processor, but it is 64 bit, will I be able to run my 32 bit applications and compile a 32 bit compatible Linux From Scratch?

Another thing, I am currently choosing x86 because Mac OS X MIGHT run on normal x86 PC's in the future.

Plus all my software, operating systems etc. are for x86.

I clearly have the money, but I won't buy something I can't use for what I need, thats just stupid.

£692.08 is $1,208.85 (Inc VAT)

I seriously don't see the reason of putting an ATI chipset, when the processor is Intel and the Graphics Card is NVIDIA.

I might just end up buying the thing, it can't be that bad, can it?

Last edited by Vampirite; 04-12-2006 at 04:18 AM.
 
Old 04-12-2006, 02:08 PM   #7
kilgoretrout
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You can compile gentoo in either 32 bit or 64 bit mode and here's an article benchmarking the two versions with both amd64 and pentium64 processors:

http://www.linuxhardware.org/article.../02/24/1747228

And, of course, most of these amd64 boxes ship with 32 bit winxp installed so running a 32 bit OS should be no problem. Also, even when running a 64 bit linux version, you can run 32 bit apps in legacy mode without any performance hit.

As for OSX, I don't know what the future will bring but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for OSX to be released for non-Apple hardware.
 
Old 04-12-2006, 03:43 PM   #8
Vampirite
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But will LFS compile for x86?? I wish to compile an LFS and possibly some sort of x86 distribution.

And since Slackware is for x86, will it still run? I don't want to use the unofficial Slamd64.

And for Mac OS X, will you be able to even emulate it, such as in VMware, it is only 32 bit on 64 bit, easily emulated. Also I assume Mac OS X might (in the rare case) be released for 64 bit aswell as 32 bit, therefore it won't really matter.

I could always just buy a Mac after though!

Oh yeah, and was the PC that good a price in $?

Last edited by Vampirite; 04-13-2006 at 09:45 AM.
 
Old 04-13-2006, 01:19 PM   #9
kilgoretrout
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If you can compile a distro with gentoo, I imagine you can compile LFS as well. It's really just a matter of what gcc flags you use when compiling. Check over on the LFS forum to be sure but the only trouble I would anticipate is some quirk in their bootstrap method. That's how these 64bit distros are made; they compile the binaries from source using the 64bit flags on gcc.

$1000 for that rig w/o a monitor is not that good of deal here. Take a look up on Dell's US website and you can beat that w/o much trouble. Of course, that says nothing about whether that's a good deal in the UK. I defer to your judgment on that matter.
 
Old 04-17-2006, 04:56 AM   #10
Vampirite
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Well I could try the LFS on AMD64, if it doesn't work, my current computer (see my sig) is 32 bit, so I could compile an LFS with that and then "install" it onto my new computer.

As for the prices, as far as I know, nearly everything is cheaper in the US, I mean those Dell, ones, to get it as good as that Acer one, will go to £1000, which is alot in USD.

Which nForce chipsets work with Linux well?

Thanks,

--
Kourosh
 
  


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