G4 Cube + Atom 330 CPU + Wiimote = Ultimate HTPC
This video is a demonstration of my G4 Cube mod. It’s probably less of a mod, and more of a gut. The only original pieces of tech left are the case and the touch-capacitance switch. The motherboard was replaced with the Intel D945GCLF2 board w/ Atom 330 processor, the HDD was upgraded, and the defunct slot-loading DVD drive was replaced. The only method of input is a Wiimote (I could sync a keyboard if needed, but it’s pretty pointless for an HTPC, I think). I wrote an Apple Script to launch DarwiinRemote and begin the syncing process. Sleep Watcher does launches the same script when the computer wakes from sleep. For further nitty-gritty details and photos, visit cliveatfive.xanga.com Wiimote Activator Script: paul.thejennis.com Or in app form: paul.thejennis.com Also, please feel free to ask questions below!
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tjassis?
Pretty freakking sweet!
How hot does this system get?
And if you were to build one today, what components would you use?
Thanks
@Gandhiablo hahaha. I think she’s beautiful.
You’ve created a monster!
A freak!
a sonnet 1,7 ghz with 1.5gb ram and a nice hard drive and a geforce wouldnt be that slower,
Cube Shell: $100
Atom 330 mo-board & PSU: $130
1Tb HDD: $75
2Gb RAM: $30
used Mac Mini slot-loading DVD drive: $30
Flexible PCI riser: $20
Wi-FI Adapter: $20
Bluetooth USB Adapter: $20
Wireless Wiimote LED bar: $25
Other Misc parts (switches, LEDs, etc.): $50
Construction materials (cutting discs, etc): $30
OS X, Leopard: $125
Total BoM: $655
One-of-a-kind computer: priceless! =)
Wiimote is a really natural step, (assuming you set up the Wiimote to the correct key commands). Also, the DVD ripping software available for the Mac are a cinch to use, compared to their PC alternatives.
Keeping these things in mind, choose your hardware carefully, as it might not be easily hackable for OS X. Check out “insanelymac” for some great OSX86 guides for a lot of different hardware profiles.
Good Luck! Send me a link when you get it all set up!
Mini ITX mo-boards have come a long way in the year since I purchased mine. If you’re not concerned with price, there are some great Core 2 boards with integrated NVIDIA 9xxxs and HDMI out. If you’re just doing a media server, then it doesn’t matter what OS you use, but if you’re going to use it as a HTPC, I absolutely recommend using OS X’s Front Row. It is absolutely super-slick. You can browse any other iTunes media library on your network, and since it works with a remote already, syncing a
Haven’t tested anything in 1080p yet… I own no BluRay discs
the GMA 950, however, allegedly plays back HD, so…
@ Cliveatfive:
I bought a gutted cube on ebay, was going to go the fishtank route but now im having second thoughts. if you were to do this again what kind of specs would you recommend? thinkin about givin this a go. I could care less if it runs osx or windows, long as i can play HD movies… HDMI out would be a nice touch.
HD?
Awsome setup. How much did this all cost? Do you have a breakdown by parts?
Thanks so much for sharing.
Well, I have several G4 500 mhz systems and I also have a hackintosh with an Atom 230. The atom does circles around the G4. And this guy has the Atom 330 so it should be even better.
I had to do this in two pieces.
The biggest improvement is not the processor but instead the memory bus the Original G4 only had 133 SDR ram while the Atom board has DDR2.
Even though the main CPU is too slow to really utilize that kind of bandwidth it probably really helps with DMA operations,allows the IGP still gain a respectable score and make operations that miss the cache a lot faster.
It does score higher on xbench but it’s not as large as an improvement as you’d think since Atom is an in order processor and the G4 an out of order cpu.
The stock G4 500 got around 33.35 on xbench while the 945GCLF2 usually scores around 51 to 53 on xbench.
Some dual core g4 upgrades can almost match a G5 and score over 100.
Ion probably would score much higher as xbench measures all aspects of a given Mac.
Adding a 7200 rpm drive also may help a little.
It’s more depents from video card… NVIDIA ION + Atom 330 = FULL HD Without any problems…
Compared to the original CPU in the Cube, the Atom 330 would be a HUGE upgrade..
Another option is the Zotac GeForce 8200 ITX as a Phenom x2 will be a few multiples more powerful then the atom 330 but it all depends on heat.
It would still play HD codecs that don’t have off loading to the video chip.
I would not stuff a Phenom or CD2 into an NES case.
If you’re planning that then Atom or the Nano are really your only choices.
With Atom anything Ion based will get the job done.
The Nano based VIA VB8001 does have a PCI-e X16 slot though so you can add a better video card.
Thanks, I appreciate the quick response. I’ll look into that for my HTPC. The Zotac board you mentioned has the Ion, yes?
@skipmeister123 Get an Nvidia ION based Atom motherboard, its capable of playing 1080p video. But make sure you get one with an atom 330 because the 230 is really slow. The ZOTAC IONITX-D-E is one of the best boards to use because it has pretty much any connectors youd need for a htpc onboard and you can also over clock the cpu to 2ghz.
I’m planning out my next HTPC… will the dual core Atoms play HD content? 720p is good enough, but 1080p is preferable. I’m not sure if it’s more cpu dependent or video card dependent.
Thanks =)
Unfortunately, C2D boards were unavailable at the time I began this mod. Still this serves as a proof of concept for future Mini ITX mods, including w/C2D boards. Eventually, G4 upgrades (the preferred method, for sure) will fail to meet the needs of modern computing. The 945GCLF2 + Atom330, while on par with modest G4 speeds, is capable of natively playing HD content, running Leopard + Front Row, and doesn’t produce a lot of excess heat – my primary objectives.
Thanks for your comments!
Ah, a Cube purist. I like that. Rest assured, the Cube I bought on eBay was missing several vital parts despite having a working motherboard (which I still have, if you’re interested).