Commel MA-ATI it is a MiniAGP card with ATI Moblility M10 GPU.

It features:

- Onboard ATI 8x/4xAGP M10 mobile VGA controller
- Onboard 64 MB DDR SDRAM as independent video memory
- Support dual concurrent / simultaneous type on each display
- Built-in 230 MHz LVDS transmitter supports TFT LCD
- Resolution up to QXGA (2048 x 1536)
- Built-in 165 MHz TMDS transmitter supports TMDS DVI display
- Resolution up to UXGA (1600 x 1200)



It seems to me more efficient and valuable than the previous card I found and described on the other thread...

https://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?topic_id=5221&forum=11

This time Krashan will be happy for this little graphics card...



This is a review of it on a french site (complete with photos):

http://www.pcinpact.com/actu/news/Carte_graphique_ATI_M10_au_format_mini_AGP_4x8x.htm

This is the site of the producer (the card it is listed but seems not available -(?)- Infacts there is no ordering code. Must ask to manufacturer.)

http://www.commell-sys.com/Product/SBC/FS-978.HTM

This is a japanese site selling it.

http://www.coneco.net/list_spec/01507010/3959.html

On japanese reseller site is stated it costs 28.800 Japanese YEN (price NO V.A.T. - 29.300 YEN with V.A.T.), that is actually 178,50 Euro circa.

Price seems at least reasonable to me...



So there is at least a Mini AGP card which could be fitted into Efika and help to transform it to a laptop motherboard.


Now all we need it is:

1) PCI <-> MINI AGP riser

2) Drivers

(it is an ATI card. Should be not difficult to modify existing Efika Linux and MorphOS drivers)

3) Laptop rechargeable batteries to power the Efika

4) Laptop Chassis to mount Efika in it...

[ Edited by Raf_MegaByte on 2007/4/15 9:25 ]

[ Edited by Raf_MegaByte on 2007/4/15 9:27 ]

Hmmm nice ...... but what would we actually gain from this card ?

It won't decrease the height of an EFIKA, actually that fan might even increase it.

Speaking of fans, pretty much spoils the point of the EFIKA, doesn't it

It also does nothing to the width or lenght of an EFIKA-system, so whats it's point ?


If Genesi does build a revised EFIKA with a different connector for USB/ETH and a mini-AGP-port on board ........ but then why not just put a Radeon-mobility onboard when we allready are at redesigning ?

The main problem for an EFIKA-laptop is height, and this doesn't change when useing standard AGP-cards.

It seems to me more efficient and valuable than the previous card

But still plain R9200SE is more efficient and valuable. And no, I'm not happy. This card uses active cooling while R9200SE has radiator only. This card has still 64 MB of VRAM, while R9200SE has twice as much. You again need expensive riser for it. And 180 euro, bah, I can have 6 Radeons for this price (brand new, boxed).

The problem with making "bottom part" of Efika laptop is to get rid of vertical Eth + 2 x USB connector and having 90 degree angle PCI connector (or better just AGP one, which eliminates the PCI->AGP riser) mounted on the edge of Efika board. Without these two changes you will have 4.5 centimeters height of the bottom part, and using an ordinary AGP card does not increase this. So either you just go with these 4.5 cm, or the Efika needs redesign. Any expensive MiniAGP or MiniWhatever card won't help.

Quote:

It exists. So there is no need at the moment to redesign Efika and make onboard graphic chips.

With it you can build and sell Laptop Efikas, and earn more money to finance the design of further Efika models with all peripherals included.

Quote:

Well there are also L shaped and U shaped risers, so you can keep the height at reasonable limits.

Quote:

You mean that the point is for the DESKTOP Efika...

If a little fan it is needed into a laptop so we will use a little fan...

If there is such a necessity to have a fan we will adequate to it...

(a Laptop it is a computer with necessary limits)

(Nothing prevents I will found in the nearby future more AGP based graphic cards with LVDS connector AND NO NEED FOR COOLING FAN which are actually available on the market, so we will be able to built our own Efika Laptop).

[ Edited by Raf_MegaByte on 2007/4/15 10:13 ]

Well there are also L shaped and U shaped risers, so you can keep the height at reasonable limits.

You should really just get an Efika, some risers and cards, a scale or slide caliper, take some measurements and then go figure...

Quote:

Bah... You are hard to please like as the "Peas Princess" in the kids tale.

Quote:

And full lenght...

The problems it is only an adequate laptop chassis...

Maybe it will be not extremely slim...

Maybe it will be of a little strange shape form in the rear...

Maybe its thickness will be a bit high... but usable...

And at this very moment we need a laptop Efika AND NOT simply a sub-laptop equipped with ATI 9200SE...

Talking strictily regarding Laptop solution, it is clear we need an all-in-one solution (LCD monitor, Efika, keyboard, pointing device, batteries all included into a single box-case, and one single external power supply), and not a solution based of various pieces (mouse, keyboard, LCD monitor, Efika in its case, and twice external power supplies, one for monitor and one for Efika) to be mounted on the fly any time you need Efika to run...

[EDIT]

I made this search for little graphics cards equipped with LVDS port, just only to help people who want to build a real Efika Laptop.

Now I found something reasonable.

If you find something better, with more RAM, cheaper and with better dimensions, then you are welcome!

[EDIT END]

[ Edited by Raf_MegaByte on 2007/4/15 10:31 ]

why do you want exactly to turn the efika into a desktop computer ?

there are some PCI cards who can host mini-pci devices, so technically it is not really a problem but i still don't get the point. Why do you want such a gfx card in the Efika ? the Radeon 9200SE AGP cards that fit the Efika are enough for it. There's no point in using a high end gfx card anyway as the Efika is not powerful enough to use the full potential of these cards (nor the drivers).

The Efika is not a good basis to buld a desktop machine. It's a nice embedded device though, making it a desktop machine would increase the cost in a unreasonable way.

IMHO the only way to build a cheap and nice laptop with this board would be to wait for the gfx-on-board version of the Efika.



[ Edited by SoundSquare on 2007/4/15 10:50 ]

Quote:

It doesn't change (or atleast get lower) whatever gfxcard/riser you use, period.

The main problem for an Efika-laptop is the Efika.

Quote:

That's pretty funny coming from the guy that seems to be throwing all kinds of wild ideas at random into forums without evidently doing any kind of pre-research at all .. I suggest you take Krashan's advice and waste your money on an Efika and start taking measurements instead of wasting everyone elses time on this nonsense...


- CISC

Quote:

Did I said DESKTOP computer?

And perhaps it is not me who want an efika Laptop.

It was just BBRV who want it and they launched a competition to realize that laptop.

https://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?topic_id=5179&forum=2

Quote:

So why BBRV launched the competition to realize a laptop out of an efika IF the problem it is the Efika itself?

Are they kidding to us all?

Why oh why are people getting carried away so easily ???

Offcourse it's clear that an EFIKA-laptop can never be such a sleak piece as the macbooks or Sony's VAIOs, and I'm sure even BBRV knew that.

For such an laptop one has to either make compromises (and com up with something in line with laptops from 10 years ago) or "think out of the box" (no I don't know how this should work).

This result would than probraly serve only as proove-of-concept to meassure interest in a real laptop based on a new mobo.

Useing obscure cards that have no real benefit compared to standard cards, in size, power, heat or anything else is conterproductive.

The task would rather be to come up with a case-design that fits the EFIKA as it is available, with looking good as an extra bonus.

"So why BBRV launched the competition to realize a laptop out of an efika IF the problem it is the Efika itself?

Are they kidding to us all?"

naaaaa! they do market research! (just kidding Raf...take it easy!)

Quote:

Yes, you have been fooled all the time. So no Pegasos3, Efika-laptop and "High-density-blade" for you, Raffaele. It's time to go home now.

Kronos wrote:
> This result would than probraly serve only as
> proove-of-concept to meassure interest in a real
> laptop based on a new mobo.

That would be insane. How could a clunky and completely unattractive
hack job tell anything about interest in a real product?

Certainly the Efika could be used to get an impression of the
usability of a laptop system based on this board and with roughly the
same performance. But putting it in some 5cm thick box and call this a
'prototype' would not help one bit.

Personally I think such a machine would be very interesting, but apart
from the huge obstacle of getting a custom high-precision casing and
other custom mechanical parts, I think it would need a dedicated video
decoding chip and USB2.

Feel free to contribute.

http://portable.powerdeveloper.org/

R&B

Yep, thats the kind of "out of the box thinking" I was waiting for.

Not sure whether I would have any need for such an portable device, but atleast it shows that bog-standard laptops aren't the only option.