Hi,
I'm new to this, and I want to build an intel-mac as cheap as possible for my first project, a netflix/front row box. I'm thinking of starting with a shuttle SP35-P2-BK-V1-PR. The mobo is p35/ich9r. I've seen some confusing reports, but it seems that it will work %100 according to the HCLs at the osx86 wiki. Obviously, the chassis has no graphics, so I'll be adding on a PCI card. Any advice for me on this? any other barebones that can be had for under $200? What processor is best here?

Shuttles are very noisy…

9400GT for graphics. It's the perfect choice for an HTPC.

Yes, I've heard that. But what other small-form-factor options do I have? I'm thinking I might go a step further and start with a rackmount chassis and build it all from scratch.

Buy those new fangled ION Atom boards, or the Intel Atom boards. Those things can even run without a fan.

I found one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16813500030

Is it possible to run OSX86 on the atom, I can't seem to find much info. How does video playback performance stack up to xeon?

Is it sexy enough?
http://www.psile.com/index.php?page=catalo...tails&CID=1

The Intel D945GCLF2 works great for OSX. Of course it's very limited, but for a netflix/hulu/boxee/front row/DVD-player/internet surfer media box, this board is perfect. The video is only VGA, no DVI- but for playback on average size TVs at 720p, it's more than adequate. 1080p on a huge screen-nah. Runs Windows7 beautifully too.

I run mine fanless so the board is silent- I just yanked the fan and replaced with a $7 Zalman chipset cooler- it actually keeps the temps a couple of degrees under the stock fan temp. With a decent MiniITX case you can have a good media OSX box in the $300 range.

The D945GCLF2Works, that's great. The Zotac Nvidia Ion sems like a good bet. With the addition of a GeForce 9400, I'll get DVI and HDMI. I've only got an SD projector, so I don't care too much about resolution right now; just future proofing. My alterior motive is to get some experience with these boards to benifit my work as a techie in the multimedia/museum industry.

A Shuttle SP35P2 can be obtained from NewEgg ...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16856101066

... usually for $240, and with "free" shipping.

But, DO first check to see if NewEgg's RMA department has an "open box" unit available ...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...82E16856101066R

... usually for $160, with "flat rate" shipping for around $18, or, most recently, for $180, and with "free" shipping.

The SP35P2 product is in Shuttle's slightly larger form factor, but with NO on-motherboard video ... perfect for a Hackintosh.

You will need at least a 7200GS or 8400GS video card. I am presently using an eVGA 8400GS 512 MB.

The SP35P2 is, of course, a P35-based system, and it has an ICH9R, four internal SATA ports and two eSATA ports, so all ports of the ICH9R are usable.

The SP35P2 is NOT "noisy", although it does have FIVE internal fans: one built into the 400 watt PSU, two small ones for the hard drive bays, one for the processor cooler and one for the VRM and the bridges. The fans are temperature controlled, and are really quite unobtrusive.

The SP35P2 has liquid cooling for: the processor (a dedicated heat pipe system, and a dedicated fan) and the VRM, Northbridge and Southbridge (a second dedicated heat pipe system, and a second dedicated fan).

You can support the SP35P2 using the UInstaller. Just call it a GA-P35-DS3L Ver. 1.0, and then apply the usual hack for the Yukon gigabit E-net. An RTL8169 PCI card, about $10, can be used if you want to avoid the Yukon hack. The 8169 is supported OOTB. The Firewire ports are supported OOTB.

I have used lots of different processors in my Shuttles: Q6600, Q9400, Q8200, E8400, and, most recently, E6300.

You will have to update your SP35P2 with the SP35U20J BIOS to properly support the E6300 over the long haul. E6300 support is the only item added with SP35U20J. It corrects the selection of the clock multiplier. The SP35P2 will work OK without the updated BIOS, however, giving you time to apply the update.

I update the firmware using Shuttle's BIOS updater and the appropriate BIN file, using a USB 3.5" floppy drive which is actually a Mac accessory. There is just enough space on a 1.44 MB floppy for Caldera's DR-DOS and the two Shuttle files.

Shuttles, in general, can be particular about the RAM, but the SP35P2 is less so. I generally use Corsair XMS2 CM2X2048-6400C5. 8 GB is supported.

The SP35P2 has four device bays and four internal SATA ports: two trays for 3.5" hard drives in the very top, one 5.25" tray in the "upper mezzanine" and one 3.5" tray in the "lower mezzanine". Normally, the "upper mezzanine" would accommodate an optical drive and the "lower mezzanine" would accommodate a USB multi-card reader or a floppy (the floppy data cable is provided, as is the floppy power cable adapter). There is more than enough power for most configurations. SATA cables are provided for three devices. Power connections are provided for four devices. A two-port IDE cable is also provided, but I always remove it.

My most recent SP35P2 was an "open box" unit, and it appeared to be brand-new in every respect. Not even a fingerprint on the unit itself, and the accessory boxes and pouches were unopened. The full manual may have been missing, but it is available as a downloadable PDF from Shuttle. At $180, plus California sales tax, I consider it an exceptional value. It was ordered on a Monday and it arrived the following Wednesday. When "free" shipping is provided by NewEgg, it is guaranteed "third day" UPS, but it always reaches me on the second day.

You can perhaps save a few dollars with an SG31G2, but it has on-board GMA3100 video, which is useless for MacOS, has only three SATA ports and normally supports only two devices, one 5.25" and one 3.5". Only three of the ICH7 ports are usable. The expansion ports are the same as on an SP35P2: one 16x PCI-E and one PCI.