Linux - Hardware This forum is for Hardware issues.
Having trouble installing a piece of hardware? Want to know if that peripheral is compatible with Linux? |
Notices |
Welcome to LinuxQuestions.org, a friendly and active Linux Community.
You are currently viewing LQ as a guest. By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics, receive our newsletter, use the advanced search, subscribe to threads and access many other special features. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today!
Note that registered members see fewer ads, and ContentLink is completely disabled once you log in.
Are you new to LinuxQuestions.org? Visit the following links:
Site Howto |
Site FAQ |
Sitemap |
Register Now
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you need to reset your password, click here.
Having a problem logging in? Please visit this page to clear all LQ-related cookies.
Get a virtual cloud desktop with the Linux distro that you want in less than five minutes with Shells! With over 10 pre-installed distros to choose from, the worry-free installation life is here! Whether you are a digital nomad or just looking for flexibility, Shells can put your Linux machine on the device that you want to use.
Exclusive for LQ members, get up to 45% off per month. Click here for more info.
|
 |
04-11-2006, 06:42 AM
|
#1
|
Member
Registered: Apr 2005
Location: England
Distribution: Arch Linux
Posts: 223
Rep:
|
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.
|
|
|
04-11-2006, 09:57 AM
|
#2
|
Senior Member
Registered: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,015
|
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.
|
|
|
04-11-2006, 02:06 PM
|
#3
|
Member
Registered: Apr 2005
Location: England
Distribution: Arch Linux
Posts: 223
Original Poster
Rep:
|
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.
|
|
|
04-11-2006, 02:32 PM
|
#4
|
Member
Registered: Oct 2005
Location: Germany, Berlin
Distribution: SuSE Linux 9.1/9.2/9.3/10.0/10.1, openSuSE 10.2, 10.3, Slackware, Debian, Redhat, BSD
Posts: 315
Rep:
|
if you have the money why not buy it?*g
|
|
|
04-11-2006, 04:07 PM
|
#5
|
Senior Member
Registered: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,015
|
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.
|
|
|
04-12-2006, 04:13 AM
|
#6
|
Member
Registered: Apr 2005
Location: England
Distribution: Arch Linux
Posts: 223
Original Poster
Rep:
|
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.
|
|
|
04-12-2006, 02:08 PM
|
#7
|
Senior Member
Registered: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,015
|
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.
|
|
|
04-12-2006, 03:43 PM
|
#8
|
Member
Registered: Apr 2005
Location: England
Distribution: Arch Linux
Posts: 223
Original Poster
Rep:
|
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.
|
|
|
04-13-2006, 01:19 PM
|
#9
|
Senior Member
Registered: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,015
|
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.
|
|
|
04-17-2006, 04:56 AM
|
#10
|
Member
Registered: Apr 2005
Location: England
Distribution: Arch Linux
Posts: 223
Original Poster
Rep:
|
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
|
|
|
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:42 AM.
|
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing
Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute
content, let us know.
|
Latest Threads
LQ News
|
|