Intel DG45FC "Flying Creek" Mini-ITX motherboard

It also supports HDMI 1.3 according to the specs sheet compiled by Expreview.com.

driver issues might forever keep it "half baked" as the previous chipsets...

Interesting. That is a small form factor with good enough graphics and audio over the hdmi port. It looks like it has one pci express x1 slot, which for HTPC/media centers would likely go for a tv capture card.

What cases are available to fit mini-ITX boards? Lately I've only looked at the old standbys of ATX and micro-ATX cases.

Don't get your hopes up just because it says it supports 1.3. The Geforce 8300 says the same thing, but it supports none of the 1.3 features (lossless audio, deep color, CEC, etc.). Check for specific features.

Where? Gary Key's blog seems to be the only source, but he immediately denied the possiblity of sending Dlboy TrueHD/DTS-HD Master Audio bitstreams (let alone deep color) in the same blog. It looks like there is no confirmation of the support for HDMI 1.3 from NVIDIA (meaning it's just a false rumor spread by Gary Key).

No kidding. I'm a little unimpressed with my G35. Improper VMR9 rendering and lack of resolution persistence (reverts to 800x600) - neither of which were fixed in the driver update released this month. Come on Intel.

Mini-ITX.com has some actual pictures of this board, as well as Intel's other miniITX, the DQ45EK.

EDIT: Larger pics available here (HEXUS.net).

Jay

If the Intel DG45FC mobo with LGA775 socket is meant for an HTPC, I wonder what will be the power supply requirement. I am planning to build a very slim HTPC with the Silverstone LC-19 case which comes with a brick PSU of 120W. I wonder if this would be enough when used with a core2duo. I am thinking of using a coket P (T8300 cpu) mobo. Any ideas anyone?

Well...Intel and driver support lately is so so.
I did just go DP35DP and now have DDL and since no onboard video..a 9800GTX.
Ah...the fun of upgrades.

Then it will be nicknamed another kind of creek.

Intel's webpage now lists these G45 motherboards:
DG45FC mini-ITX: http://www.intel.com/products/mother...45FC/index.htm
DG45ID micro-ATX: http://www.intel.com/products/mother...45ID/index.htm

Hopefully this means that they'll be shipping soon, but not even all the documentation is online yet.

It looks like the mini-ITX DG45FC only supports the Core2Duo processors up to the E8500 (3.16GHz, 6MB L2 cache), and doesn't support the Core2Quad processors. The microATX DG45ID supports Core2Quads up to the Q9550 (2.83GHz, 12MB L2 cache).

A quick look at the downloads for this board -- I don't see any audio drivers available. The audio chip is the IDT 92HD73E, which I have not heard of before. It's not Intel's usual Sigmatel.

Does anyone know is this is any good?

IDT took over the Sigmatel PC audio business a while back (financial troubles I think. Or should I say allegedly?).

See http://www.idt.com/products/getDoc.cfm?docID=18448844 for specs.

I've not heard it in action yet.

edit: The FC is showing up in UK distribution as "on order" so we'll find out soon

Wo0zy

Ah... thanks.

I wonder why they just don't use Realtek or Analog Devices like everybody else.

I gotta tell ya, with this board, and the Asus HDAV 1.3 sound card, we'd have a Blu ray player with hi def audio in a very nice little package. The on board audio could be less than ideal, the Asus card will hopefully allow us all to have bitstreaming and uncompressed LPCM capability. Very exciting!

The Asus card will certainly add bitstream support for HD audio but don't worry about the IDT audio if MLPCM is your requirement. This feature will be independent of the on-board audio chip. The IDT audio will only be required for analog and SPDFF duties.

Wo0zy

Has anyone scoured the Internet and picked out the appropriate, but ever elusive, small mini-itx HTPC-like case that can also be quiet?

Thanks Woozy, hopefully the software side of things will be sorted out sooner rather than later as well so that nothing gets downsampled.

As for a case, there are a couple cases I was thinking about using. First, is the Nexus Psile case, its seems pretty good looking. Also, I like the Omaura cases, the TF5 is really nice, but supply and shipment problems make the possibility of that being here anytime soon somewhat remote. Which is too bad. I also looked at the Silerstone ML05. It has a 50mm fan which just screams noisy and loud, but I wonder if one could get away with running the system fanless (but with a low profile CPU cooler). Ventilation is key there obviously. Plus, using a low power CPU. I was hoping that the board would allow using the Intel mobile chips instead of the more power hungry desktop Core 2 Duo's. Oh well.

I was going to use a PicoPSU 120w to power this so there would be no PSU heat inside the box. The interesting thing is that there are mini itx 780G and 8200 boards as well, I don't know when they'll be available or anything though.

SKU'ed at $136. No availability date yet.

http://www.sparco.com/cgi-bin/wfind2?spn=H253G74

Is this board capable of bitstreaming? 7.1 LCPM over HDMI?

We can assume that if either a sound card or a motherboard can bitstream that it passes as PAP. Then, as long as the software player is PAP compliant, then the audio will not be downsampled. The problem with the 8200 board and Radeon 4850 is that they are not PAP compliant, regardless of whether or not the software side is PAP compliant, any audio from those two sources will be downsampled. In my opinion, if the G45 has PAP, it would be a big advantage. I hope so. I think I remember reading from archabel (sp? sorry about that!) that G45 has PAP, but I could be wrong.

http://softwarecommunity.intel.com/a...s/eng/1488.htm

Lists all the G4x models as possessing PAVP.

No clue on bitstreaming, though I'm warning you: I wouldn't hold my breath. Everything I've seen in this generation talks about 8-channel LPCM.

So Intel's drivers are PAVP compliant, but is that for the video or the audio portion? That chart seems to be concerned with video. Further, the protected audio path has long been established as incomplete in Vista as it is today, so all implimentations of a protected audio path are vendor specific and must be coded for by the media players (Cyberlink, ArcSoft, etc.) which is why we are seeing custom versions of PowerDVD and TotalMedia Theatre coming with the AuzenTech and ASUS HDMI 1.3 sound cards.

Well, if it were video only, presumably it would have said "PVP".

You're right, though. With PAVP as uncertain, spec-wise, as it is today, you kind of have to take a wait-and-see attitude. That said, there are criteria, it's just that Microsoft doesn't publish them externally.

Does anyone know if the other manufacturers will also be building G45 mini-ITX boards besides Intel?

^^what he said

g45 xp drivers already on intel site

That seems like a good sign to me. Anybody heard a release date on this board or the G45 in general? Thought it was end of this month...

UK distribution has it listed for the 7th July but I'm not holding my breath.

TBH I'm still hoping the remaining Intel driver and/or application compatibility issues are resolved before it shows its face. That would be the sensible thing to do IMHO.

Wo0zy

Sometiems I wish I wouldn't look for more information. Ncix.com says August/September.

http://forum.ncix.com/forums/index.p...nt=2&subpage=1