[linux-audio-user] Building a new music PC / on-board video suggestions?

[Larry Troxler]

Hey all, it's that wonderful time where I'm picking components for a new 
music machine. It would mostly be used at home, but occasionally taken 
to rehearsalls and gigs, where it would function as a synthesizer.

At first I was looking at rackmounts, say 2U, but got a bit concerned 
about how quiet they could be made.

I then found this:

http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=15738

It looks super, and has got good reviews with respect to quietness, and 
apparently there is a driver for the LCD display, which will come in 
handy for using it as a gig synth; I suppose I will look for some sort 
of USB button panel that also has Linux support.

 From the dimensions, it seems that it would fit into a 19 inch rack. So 
I wonder if I could buy or fashion some brackets so that I could put it 
into a rack when needed.

I would get a single quiet hard drive, and try 64 studio, but this time 
I'll remember to set aside a couple of blank partitions in case I want 
to try another distro later.

My main problem is deciding on a motherboard. I've been an AMD fan and 
I'm not quite ready yet to go back to Intel, even though I've read that 
the new Intel dual core is really giving AMD some competition. And since
that case only fits a micro ATX motherboard, and since it seems like the 
AM2 socket is the way to go, it sort of limits my choices. And my main 
concern is with the on-board video. I am not interested at all in good 
quality video or 3D accel, but instead my priority is to pick a chipset 
that provides the least hassle in Linux, and is not disruptive with 
real-time operation.

This is what New Egg has to offer:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Submit=ENE&N=2010200022+1070921489+1075707619&Subcategory=22&description=&Ntk=&srchInDesc=

It looks then, like the video choices are Nvidia GeForce 6100, Nvidia 
GeForce 6150, VIA K8M800, VIA K8M890, and ATI Radeon XPress 1150.

So, if anyone has suggestions on which of these might be best, it would 
be nice to hear.

I could of course throw in an older video card if that turns out to be 
better, but I am hoping to avoid that so as not to use up another slot 
on the micro ATX board.

Larry Troxler