Guide to Building a HD HTPC [Text View] - Page 29

rhinogooner

03-24-09, 08:22 PM

BIOS settings are different from mb to mb. So perhaps there is no website for BIOS settings of this particular mb. A general article on BIOS is here (http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/bios-a-z,1200.html), for example (read it only when you have enough time).

Download the latest drivers from the chipset manufacturer. In your case, Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility 9.0.9.1008, Intel Matrix Storage Manager 8.8.0.1009 (for RAID), and Realtek HD Audio R2.19.

The only utility specific to this mb I found useful is @BIOS.

Antivirus software is always necessary.

The mb has two LAN chips. You can use either one.

Haven't you tried CCC's overscan utility? Help file is useful.

Thanks ReneTHX.

Sorry to be so dim, but when I attempt to run the setup.exe for the Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility 9.0.0.1008, a message appears that says my current version is newer. You would recommend I do not proceed correct?

And regarding the Realtek HD Audio R2.19, I couldn't find this on the Gigabyte website. I found it on 9Down.com but there was a warning message that you should download it from the website of the motherboard manufacturer. Any thoughts?

I attempted to adjust settings in CCC to fit my HDTV (Sony KDF-E2000) but was not succeeding. I believe my native resolution is 1280 x 720. CCC detects the maximum reported resolution as 1980 x 1080. I set the display to 1280 x 720 but it did not extend fully to the edges of my screen. There were black bars vertically and horizontally. Overscan was automatically set at its maximum already. So I was unable to adjust it to be larger. I will spend time reading the help and trying to figure out how to adjust it to fit fully when I have some more time.

What is the best way to keep track of all of the components of your HTPC that require periodic updates to drivers, utilities, etc. and the latest version you have installed for each component? I fear once I have this initial set up complete, I won't remember all of the various updates I will need to download as new versions appear.

renethx

03-25-09, 02:17 AM

I really appreciate the help! Sounds like a 4550 is a no brainer. I'm currently using PDVD 7.3, do I need a newer version to take advantage of the extended audio features that I'll be getting with the 4550?

Thanks again.
PDVD7.3 OEM is not good because Dolby TrueHD is always downmixed to stereo. PDVD7.3 Retail is good (although it can't decode DTS-HD Master Audio; it uses the core DTS instead).

In general I recommend waiting for the upcoming SlyPlayer (expected this year) instead of upgrading to PDVD9 (broken HDMI audio right now) or TMT3 (mostly good, but not worth upgrading from TMT2).

renethx

03-25-09, 02:33 AM

Sorry to be so dim, but when I attempt to run the setup.exe for the Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility 9.0.0.1008, a message appears that says my current version is newer. You would recommend I do not proceed correct?

And regarding the Realtek HD Audio R2.19, I couldn't find this on the Gigabyte website. I found it on 9Down.com but there was a warning message that you should download it from the website of the motherboard manufacturer. Any thoughts?

I attempted to adjust settings in CCC to fit my HDTV (Sony KDF-E2000) but was not succeeding. I believe my native resolution is 1280 x 720. CCC detects the maximum reported resolution as 1980 x 1080. I set the display to 1280 x 720 but it did not extend fully to the edges of my screen. There were black bars vertically and horizontally. Overscan was automatically set at its maximum already. So I was unable to adjust it to be larger. I will spend time reading the help and trying to figure out how to adjust it to fit fully when I have some more time.

What is the best way to keep track of all of the components of your HTPC that require periodic updates to drivers, utilities, etc. and the latest version you have installed for each component? I fear once I have this initial set up complete, I won't remember all of the various updates I will need to download as new versions appear.
In general you should download the latest driver from each chip manufacturer (AMD (http://game.amd.com/us-en/drivers_catalyst.aspx), Intel (http://downloadcenter.intel.com/#), Realtek (http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/) etc.). Your Realtek chips are RTL8111C (LAN) and ALC889A (audio), and ATI HDMI Audio if you use an AMD graphics card.

Can't you see "Scaling Options" (adjusting overscan/underscan) under CCC?

Perhaps you don't have to upgrade drivers very frequently; every half a year may be enough, unless you have specific problems. Keep the downloaded drivers in HDD. Then you can see when you downloaded them and what versions they are.

CaysonE

03-25-09, 02:47 AM

Well, looks like I'm finally going to get in on the HTPC action. I've decided on building essentially the midrange Intel/Nvidia system, sans discrete video. Here's the link:

https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=9999811

I had to deviate a bit with the case due to space limitations in my entertainment center. I've only got 17 inches width in my component bays and most HTPC cases are right at 17". Any problems with this case in particular, or any reason I should avoid using a cube?

I'll be running Windows Vista Ultimate, plus the LG Blu/HDDVD drive. I haven't settled on a keyboard yet, but I'm leaning towards the Logitech DiNovo mini.

renethx

03-25-09, 02:54 AM

I had to deviate a bit with the case due to space limitations in my entertainment center. I've only got 17 inches width in my component bays and most HTPC cases are right at 17". Any problems with this case in particular, or any reason I should avoid using a cube?
No problem. You should choose a case based on your specific need/environment.

woza

03-25-09, 04:30 AM

Hi. I am looking to get one of the harmony remotes but need an ir receiver. Reading through it seems that the microsoft mce remote and receiver is a popular choice. Just wanted to check that this will work well with the harmony remote.

Rest of my setup...
Gigabyte GA33M-DS2R
Intel E2160 (undervolted and overclocked)
2 x 1GB Crucial Ballistix
nVidia GeForce 8400GS 512MB
Hauppauge Nova-T-500 dual DVB-T
2TB of storage
Samsung LE37A686 LCD (actually, waiting for it to be delivered)

@ Renethx

Thanks for the fantastic guide by the way.

renethx

03-25-09, 06:18 AM

keff

03-25-09, 11:01 AM

Hi,
I'm starting to build a new multipurpose PC. It will be used for day-to-day activity (Internet, mail, office) and during weekends I'll use it as HTPC (moved to living room) along with PJ (Panny AX100) to watch SD and HD (.mkv at the moment and BD in the future) stuff so good 24p is essential. I am not a gamer but from time to time i would like to play on 22" monitor (not the latest games). Now I have only stereo receiver but within one year I will buy 7.1 AV receiver.
I did a lot of reading here but I'm confused and have no idea what will be the best solution for my requirements with mid-range budget.
Do I need a discrete graphics card or GeForce 9300/9400/8200/8300/HD 3200 with Phenom meet my requirements. Thanks for the help.

ench

03-25-09, 11:16 AM

Renethx:
I am almost ready to pull the trigger on my HTPC-2 - Thanks to your guide
I am using a combination low end and mid-range, as this unit is only for the bedroom to watch HD movies (MKV and H.264 .ts files) from my Server (HTPC-1) or Blue-Ray/HD DVD ;)
Mobo - GIGABYTE GA-E7AUM-DS2H
CPU - Core 2 Duo E7400
Case - Antec Steel Fusion Remote Black
Graphics - ASUS EN9500GT TOP/DI/512M
PSU - CORSAIR CMPSU-450VX 450W
Total cost about $570
Already have 500 Gig WD SATA drive and 2 Gig DDR2 Memory

I have 2 questions on the video card (after a search I did not find a match).
I will be using a SONY LCD with DVI input.
I read somewhere that the BIOS screen (as the PC boots) are not viewable if the HDMI port is used. I am assuming the same to be true for the DVI port.
To see the BIOS options, a VGA connection is required.
Is that true?

Am presently using an 8600GTS on my HTPC-1 and am able to clone my display(s)
that are connected to the twin DVI ports.
So if I relace this card with an 9500GT will I be able to clone the DVI and HDMI ports.
The displays that I used are Panny AE3000U projector and ASUS LCD monitor - both at 1080P resolutions.

Thanks for this excellent thread.
PS
The reason I may want to replace the 8600 GTS is because from time to time, I see severe pixalation on my screen while viewing h.264 files.
I only see this with .ts files. The file may be palying fine and then WHAM - pixalation like huge snow flakes.
The same happend if I use the mouse to jump ahead or fast forward.
My assumption is that I have a bad video card??
I use Riva Tuner to look at the core tempeature.
Its motsly at 59 degrees and when playing movies it junks to about 65 degrees.
69 degrees is the max temp that I see.

kjmott

03-25-09, 11:22 AM

hopefully my last of questions. thanks for all the help thus far.

I am down to just ordering my mb and ram. But have a question on the MB's.

I am building the budget amd/amd and looking at these two boards

GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-S2HP
GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-US2H

What is the main difference between these two? Also will I be able to use my current tv tuners with them. I have two haupaugges. One is a 1600 and the other is a mce-250.

I don't know much about pci vs pci-e and so forth. Thanks for the help.

renethx

03-25-09, 11:35 AM

renethx

03-25-09, 11:44 AM

I have 2 questions on the video card (after a search I did not find a match).
I will be using a SONY LCD with DVI input.
I read somewhere that the BIOS screen (as the PC boots) are not viewable if the HDMI port is used. I am assuming the same to be true for the DVI port.
To see the BIOS options, a VGA connection is required.
Is that true?

Am presently using an 8600GTS on my HTPC-1 and am able to clone my display(s)
that are connected to the twin DVI ports.
So if I relace this card with an 9500GT will I be able to clone the DVI and HDMI ports.
The displays that I used are Panny AE3000U projector and ASUS LCD monitor - both at 1080P resolutions.

Thanks for this excellent thread.
PS
The reason I may want to replace the 8600 GTS is because from time to time, I see severe pixalation on my screen while viewing h.264 files.
I only see this with .ts files. The file may be palying fine and then WHAM - pixalation like huge snow flakes.
The same happend if I use the mouse to jump ahead or fast forward.
My assumption is that I have a bad video card??
I use Riva Tuner to look at the core tempeature.
Its motsly at 59 degrees and when playing movies it junks to about 65 degrees.
69 degrees is the max temp that I see.
You can see BIOS with HDMI port. Clone is no problem.

Pixalation - I don't think it's a hardware problem (if this were the case, you would see pixalation not only with .ts files but also with other files). Did you try the latest graphics driver(182.08) and other video decoders?

renethx

03-25-09, 11:49 AM

ench

03-25-09, 11:59 AM

You can see BIOS with HDMI port. Clone is no problem.

OK thanks for answering my questions for the cloning and BIOS issues.

Pixalation - I don't think it's a hardware problem (if this were the case, you would see pixalation not only with .ts files but also with other files). Did you try the latest graphics driver(182.08) and other video decoders?

As for the pixalation I'm loosing my hairs trying to figure it out.
Maybe the card is not fully seated???
I'm on the previous driver version and will update this evening to 182.08.
Looking at the release notes, seems the improvements are for gaming which I don't do :(

Video decoders are from PowerDVD v8 (fully patched)

renethx

03-25-09, 12:12 PM

Maybe the card is not fully seated???
I'm on the previous driver version and will update this evening to 182.08.
Looking at the release notes, seems the improvements are for gaming which I don't do :(

Video decoders are from PowerDVD v8 (fully patched)
Then seat it firmly. :)

Using only PowerDVD is a problem (then how can you identify the problem with hardware?). Try various other players/video decoders.

kjmott

03-25-09, 12:34 PM

US2H does not support Dolby Home Theater (useful for S/PDIF users, in particular S/PDIF gamers).

Both cards should work with no problem.

not sure if I need that. I have digital optical cables, but what is spdif?

nfmmalice

03-25-09, 04:11 PM

Do you see WD in the Disk Management utility (from the Computer Management interface of Administrative Tools, accessed through Start, Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Computer Management, Disk Management)? Did you try another SATA port? Try SATA mode instead of IDE moce?

How can't you play DVD? Do you see any error message?

Will Check the Computer Management Interface when I get home tonight.

I have tried two Drives (Both DVD-RAM drives, different brands) and neither would play a DVD. I am running PowerDVD 9 Ultra, and As soon as I selected the DVD drive, it locked up powerDVD to the point that I would have to Shut it down in Task Manager.

I just got my LG H20L in the Mail Today, so I'm going to hook it up SATA tonight and see if that helps with DVD playback.

Another problem I encountered was in Playing back Video off the Hard Drive last night. I played back two different movies: One MP4 and one WMV. Both of them "Stuttered" on and off throughout the movie.

I'm running an Athlon Phenom II x4 810, with a Radeon HD4870 (512mb) Vid Card and 4 gigs of RAM, playing them off a WD Velociraptor HD. Is there maybe a problem somewhere in the system, or the Files themselves? Or can I just expect problems like that when playing off the Hard Drive?

Thanks!

dbone1026

03-25-09, 04:14 PM

Will Check the Computer Management Interface when I get home tonight.

I have tried two Drives (Both DVD-RAM drives, different brands) and neither would play a DVD. I am running PowerDVD 9 Ultra, and As soon as I selected the DVD drive, it locked up powerDVD to the point that I would have to Shut it down in Task Manager.

I just got my LG H20L in the Mail Today, so I'm going to hook it up SATA tonight and see if that helps with DVD playback.

Another problem I encountered was in Playing back Video off the Hard Drive last night. I played back two different movies: One MP4 and one WMV. Both of them "Stuttered" on and off throughout the movie.

I'm running an Athlon Phenom II x4 810, with a Radeon HD4870 (512mb) Vid Card and 4 gigs of RAM, playing them off a WD Velociraptor HD. Is there maybe a problem somewhere in the system, or the Files themselves? Or can I just expect problems like that when playing off the Hard Drive?

Thanks!

What codec(s) do you have installed on your system (may be contributing to your stuttering problem)?

nfmmalice

03-25-09, 04:48 PM

What codec(s) do you have installed on your system (may be contributing to your stuttering problem)?

I think I may have K Lite Installed.

Is there a better pack out there?

dbone1026

03-25-09, 05:33 PM

I think I may have K Lite Installed.

Is there a better pack out there?

It is odd that you are having stuttering issues with WMV which should play nativley in Windows. Sorry for the questions, what O/S and what player are you using? You can use a player like MPC-HC which has the codecs embedded. I am not 100% sure it is a codec issue since you are having WMV problems

nfmmalice

03-25-09, 05:52 PM

It is odd that you are having stuttering issues with WMV which should play nativley in Windows. Sorry for the questions, what O/S and what player are you using? You can use a player like MPC-HC which has the codecs embedded. I am not 100% sure it is a codec issue since you are having WMV problems

Im running windows XP Pro, and playback was through WMP 9.

Stutter was EXTREMELY bad when resizing the video to 200%.

dbone1026

03-25-09, 05:58 PM

Im running windows XP Pro, and playback was through WMP 9.

Stutter was EXTREMELY bad when resizing the video to 200%.

Not sure if this applies to XP as I am using vista, but I actually just did a write up on the codec setup I am using to get smooth video playback with hardware acceleration (http://dbone1026.blogspot.com). Anything you do with codecs y ou must first make sure you install whatever codecs are on your system or you run the risk of conflicts.

speedhools

03-25-09, 08:38 PM

I am using the Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P motherboard. I have adjusted the BIOS to the optimized settings and I've downloaded the latest BIOS for the motherboard (F8). Are there any websites that help guide you with the settings for this motherboard and explain the usefulness of some of the extras that come on the driver disk?

If you are familiar with this motherboard, are there any settings you would recommend?

I've installed all of the drivers on the driver disk. Are there any from the website that you would recommend downloading?

There is application software included on the driver disk as well. Are any of these worth downloading? Kaspersky Anti-virus is on the driver disk. I have router and I am connected to my network via a wireless card. Do I still need Anti-virus?

Is there anything I should know about the Dynamic Energy Saver. Any particular settings to adjust?

Can anyone tell me what LAN1 and LAN2 on the BIOS is meant for?

Off the topic here, but I'm having trouble trying to adjust my display to fit my HDTV screen fully. I have read other posts on this thread with this issue in the past referring to overscanning and other solutions. I attempted to search for these posts, and I found a few, but none that were helpful to me. I am using a Radeon 4670 video card. Is there a guide to CCC somewhere online that walks you through the settings, particularly setting the resolution to match your HDTV native resolution properly? Or do I need to download software separately to tweak this, like:
This is all new for me so thanks to everyone for any insights you would share to help me gain understanding for my HTPC project :o

forums*tweaktown*com has some good discussions on the gigabyte.

edit: Sorry I'm not allowed to post any links yet. Just replace the "*" with "."

nfmmalice

03-26-09, 12:16 AM

Maxvla

03-26-09, 12:19 AM

Hey,

Throwing my build at you guys to make sure I'm up to date with my choices. This is a slightly modified (for maximum silence) version of the low end ATX Intel/nVidia posted on page 85.

Core Unit:

Motherboard: EVGA 113-YW-E115-TR $119 ($20 rebate by 3/31/09 = $99)

CPU: Intel Pentium Dual Core 2.50ghz Wolfdale E5200 $69

RAM: A-Data 2x1GB DDR2-800 ADQVE1A16K $24.99

HD: Maxtor 250GB SATA (Already own) May change to a Caviar Green later for power/heat.

PSU: Nexus Value 430W (11db silent) $89 (#1 at SPCR)
h ttp://www.eastluna.com/hardware/details.php?id=3498&id2=b

CASE: SilverStone Lascala LC17 SST-LC17B $119

FANS: NEXUS REAL SILENT CASE FAN SP802512L-03 80mm (qty 2) $15.00 each (#1 at SPCR)
h ttp://www.eastluna.com/hardware/details.php?id=0344

Totaling $430.99

May add:

BLU-RAY: LITE-ON iHES206-08 $119 (supposed to be quietest BD out, but not many reviews mention loudness and SPCR doesn't do optical drives for some reason)

I will be building a large server based on the 4020 case for storage so 250GB should be plenty for the HTPC since I do not plan to do any recording, only viewing, which will be streamed from the server, of course.

Only question I still have lingering is about audio. I'm a big audiophile when it comes to 2 channel (music), but I haven't done the multichannel theater thing since DTS (yeah the original) wasn't even out yet so I'm lost with all the new formats. To get the most out of BluRay discs what format do I need and will the above system perform it? If not what sound card do I need to get? I don't yet have my audio path planned so this is open ended.

One last topic is networking. I obviously will be using gigabit lan, but wondered if wireless N is good enough for streaming blu-ray level content. Less wires is always a good thing, but will do so if necessary. The downside to wires is I don't own the house I'm living in so I can't do anything permanent so wireless would be great since I'll put the Norco 4020 server in my spare room due to noise.

Thanks for your time. Love the site, btw. Been lurking for weeks trying to absorb all the info I can.

renethx

03-26-09, 12:54 AM

Well, another money wrench in the works.

My LG H20L Doesn't fit in my Moneaul 972 Case with the Gigabyte Motherboard. There's not enough room between the back of the BluRay drive and the MoBo to hook up the SATA and POwer plugs to the Drive.

Does anyone else make a BluRay Combo Drive with a Smaller Footprint?
Check this comment (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=940972#Case) on Moneaul 932. I am not sure if this applies to 972.

renethx

03-26-09, 01:38 AM

Only question I still have lingering is about audio. I'm a big audiophile when it comes to 2 channel (music), but I haven't done the multichannel theater thing since DTS (yeah the original) wasn't even out yet so I'm lost with all the new formats. To get the most out of BluRay discs what format do I need and will the above system perform it? If not what sound card do I need to get? I don't yet have my audio path planned so this is open ended.

One last topic is networking. I obviously will be using gigabit lan, but wondered if wireless N is good enough for streaming blu-ray level content. Less wires is always a good thing, but will do so if necessary. The downside to wires is I don't own the house I'm living in so I can't do anything permanent so wireless would be great since I'll put the Norco 4020 server in my spare room due to noise.

Thanks for your time. Love the site, btw. Been lurking for weeks trying to absorb all the info I can.
Radeon HD 4xxx gives the best HDMI audio. Compare (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=16032183#post16032183) with 9300/9400. As I wrote in this post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=16032183#post16032183), you will get

- Perfect 24p
- Automatic refresh rate switching based on contents
- Automatic channel matching based on contents (so that you can use all the speakers regardless of the channel number of the source, for example, via Dolby Pro Logic IIx)
- Bit perfect (multichannel) LPCM for music.

9300/9400 HDMI is OK, but the lack of 44.1/88.2 may be unacceptable for some users. Xonar HDAV 1.3 (Slim) HDMI sound card is another option. Until SlyPlayer is released, you have to buy Xonar or make a mkv files with FLAC yourself (and play it with 9300/9400/HD 4xxx).

I haven't used wireless n. Some say it's flaky at best (this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1128629)). Read more (http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Awww.avsforum.com+%22wireless+n%22).

Maxvla

03-26-09, 04:24 AM

Thanks, great info.

I suppose I will be going for a Radeon, but aren't the nVidia chipset/cards supposed to process video better or will the Radeon be fine? Just want to make sure I'm not trading one good thing for another good thing and ending up with a still-imperfect setup.

I think I will try the wireless N. I found some posts where people were getting good results and since my setup is pretty basic I can't lose much money trying it out.

renethx

03-26-09, 04:58 AM

rhinogooner

03-26-09, 06:32 AM

forums*tweaktown*com has some good discussions on the gigabyte.

edit: Sorry I'm not allowed to post any links yet. Just replace the "*" with "."

Thank you very much! I will check it out :)

kjmott

03-26-09, 09:30 AM

okay I am going to go with this MB - GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-US2H

would it be better to get the ddr-800 you reccomend or should I go with 1066 since I am going to use the AMD Athlon 64 X2 2.7 GHz Socket AM2+ Black Edition CPU (Retail)

just checking. I am going to start off with the onboard video to see if it meets my needs before adding a video card. Thanks for all the help.

renethx

03-26-09, 09:38 AM

hurleyjj

03-26-09, 10:03 AM

I just purchased a new PC to use as a HTPC. It's a Gateway FX6800-11. I usually build my own pc's but for the price this couldn't be beat. Here's a link to it on NewEgg if you want to know the specs and such:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883113092

Anyway, my question has to do with the RAM. It comes with 6 slots and has 3 in use with 2GB each for 6GB tri-channel RAM right now. The speed on this RAM is 1066.

If I upgrade to 6GB more of RAM at a faster speed, will all my RAM only run at the slower speed of the current 1066 RAM? Can faster RAM even run faster on this computer, anyway? The reason I ask, is many on the internet claim different things. Some people claim that the new i7 processors and motherboards can't support RAM faster than 1066. Other people, including some motherboard manufacturers, say that it can support quite a few faster speeds.

It's all very confusing to me and I can't get a straight answer from anyone.

I know it wouldn't hurt to know the exact motherboard in this new computer but none of the support documents even on Gateway's website state the make/model of it other than just saying it's an "X58 Express".

This new PC will arrive tomorrow via UPS so I don't have it yet. It has Vista Home Premium 64-bit. Anything else you want to know about it, see the link above.

If anyone can help me with this RAM issue I would be much abliged. :)

kjmott

03-26-09, 10:15 AM

renethx

03-26-09, 11:31 AM

If I upgrade to 6GB more of RAM at a faster speed, will all my RAM only run at the slower speed of the current 1066 RAM? Can faster RAM even run faster on this computer, anyway? The reason I ask, is many on the internet claim different things. Some people claim that the new i7 processors and motherboards can't support RAM faster than 1066. Other people, including some motherboard manufacturers, say that it can support quite a few faster speeds.
Officially only DDR3-800 and DDR3-1066 are supported by Core i7 (according to the CPU specs). But Intel did not prohibit higher frequency memory and in fact most mb support DDR3-1333, 1600, 1866, 2133 too, and you will see some performance increase with higher frequency memory.

- Memory frequency = base clock (133MHz) x multiplier (6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16; only 6 and 8 are officially supported)

Of course you can mix memory modules of different frequencies, for example, three DDR3-1066 and three DDR3-1600. But usually the max operating frequency is limited by the DDR3-1066 modules (i.e. you have to select memory multiplier 8x so that all the memory modules run at 1066; if you selected 10x, the memory would run at 1333 and the DDR3-1066 modules would fail instantly).

renethx

03-26-09, 11:44 AM

how does this ram look. I know nothing about the different brands.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227364

rene thanks for all the help. I will gladly donate to you after I get me build ordered.
Should be good if it works (one Newegg GA-MA78GM-US2H customer complained that the memory only runs at 800). G.SKILL F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK DDR2-1066 2 x 2GB Kit (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231166) is perhaps more reliable (through $20 pricier). Or compromise with DDR2-800.

nfmmalice

03-26-09, 12:17 PM

Check this comment (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=940972#Case) on Moneaul 932. I am not sure if this applies to 972.

I just ordered the Lite On, so hopefully that will fit. I was initially upset about having to buy ANOTHER drive, but I just figure I can throw my LG in my Desktop Case and be able to rip 2 Blu Rays at a time. /shrug.

Iteki

03-26-09, 12:26 PM

I just ordered the Lite On, so hopefully that will fit. I was initially upset about having to buy ANOTHER drive, but I just figure I can throw my LG in my Desktop Case and be able to rip 2 Blu Rays at a time. /shrug.

I like your thinking :-)

jlabom

03-26-09, 12:41 PM

How does this look for Blue Ray and HD DVD playback:

Broadway Com Corp Black Aluminum / Steel HTPC-HT1100 ( Really a 3R systems)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811162050

Gigabyte GA-MA790FX-DS5
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128074

Athlon X2 5000 BE

4 GB A-Data DDR2 800

ARCTIC COOLING ALPINE64 92mm

SAPPHIRE 100253L Radeon HD 4650 512MB 128-bit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102805

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152102

LG Black 6X BD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM 40X CD-ROM SATA Internal Combo LG Blu-ray/HD DVD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136154

Plus of course wireless keyboard etc.

This sytem will be for Blue Ray/HDDVD and streaming media from other systems in the house. I will connect through the AL889A chipset analog and also with spdif for audio since my receiver doesn't process audio through HDMI.

Any suggestions are welcome.

renethx

03-26-09, 01:20 PM

hurleyjj

03-26-09, 01:37 PM

Officially only DDR3-800 and DDR3-1066 are supported by Core i7 (according to the CPU specs). But Intel did not prohibit higher frequency memory and in fact most mb support DDR3-1333, 1600, 1866, 2133 too, and you will see some performance increase with higher frequency memory.

- Memory frequency = base clock (133MHz) x multiplier (6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16; only 6 and 8 are officially supported)

Of course you can mix memory modules of different frequencies, for example, three DDR3-1066 and three DDR3-1600. But usually the max operating frequency is limited by the DDR3-1066 modules (i.e. you have to select memory multiplier 8x so that all the memory modules run at 1066; if you selected 10x, the memory would run at 1333 and the DDR3-1066 modules would fail instantly).

Thanks for the reply. That's what I figured but I wasn't sure.

I have built PC's in the past but it's been many years and I'm not up to speed on all the new specs on RAM and what they mean.

Let me ask you this. Do you think it would be more beneficial to just get another 6GB of the same speed RAM or upgrade to 12GB of higher speed RAM? Even for hardcore gamers, which I am not, would most really see a significant improvment? I'm betting on a "no" answer, but am I wrong?

Now, I am not a hardcore gamer as I said. I used to play PC games and even make maps for some FPS games but that was a few years ago. I will only use this machine for:

- Surfing the net
- IM/IRC/email and other social apps
- Photoshop/photo editing
- Productivity software (MS Office)
- Burning Blu-ray soon (when media comes down in price)
- Minor HTPC usage to my home theater but not a whole lot

Really just basic stuff like that. With higher-speed RAM than 1066, would I merely be talking about a .5 second decrease in OS booting and major app loading?

Let me also go ahead and ask you and everyone else if it'd be beneficial for me to get a higher RPM hdd like a Velociraptor 10,000rpm from WD?

I've even thought about upgrading the video card even though I don't game anymore. It is possible I will get back into gaming with this new computer, but I doubt it. A previous version or two of this Gateway FX6800 I bought have come with better video cards than what they state so I may wait and see when it comes tomorrow. The one I bought says it has a GeForce 150 with 1GB memory and from what I can find via Google, the 150 is simply the new name for the 250 and/or the new name for the 8800 gtx?

I think I am just tapping into that part of me that wants the "latest and greatest" in this new PC even though it wouldn't really benefit me. Is that the case or would I see some significant improvments with the faster RAM, faster HDD, and better GPU given my PC usage listed above?

renethx

03-26-09, 02:06 PM

Thanks for the reply. That's what I figured but I wasn't sure.

I have built PC's in the past but it's been many years and I'm not up to speed on all the new specs on RAM and what they mean.

Let me ask you this. Do you think it would be more beneficial to just get another 6GB of the same speed RAM or upgrade to 12GB of higher speed RAM? Even for hardcore gamers, which I am not, would most really see a significant improvment? I'm betting on a "no" answer, but am I wrong?

Now, I am not a hardcore gamer as I said. I used to play PC games and even make maps for some FPS games but that was a few years ago. I will only use this machine for:

- Surfing the net
- IM/IRC/email and other social apps
- Photoshop/photo editing
- Productivity software (MS Office)
- Burning Blu-ray soon (when media comes down in price)
- Minor HTPC usage to my home theater but not a whole lot

Really just basic stuff like that. With higher-speed RAM than 1066, would I merely be talking about a .5 second decrease in OS booting and major app loading?

Let me also go ahead and ask you and everyone else if it'd be beneficial for me to get a higher RPM hdd like a Velociraptor 10,000rpm from WD?

I've even thought about upgrading the video card even though I don't game anymore. It is possible I will get back into gaming with this new computer, but I doubt it. A previous version or two of this Gateway FX6800 I bought have come with better video cards than what they state so I may wait and see when it comes tomorrow. The one I bought says it has a GeForce 150 with 1GB memory and from what I can find via Google, the 150 is simply the new name for the 250 and/or the new name for the 8800 gtx?

I think I am just tapping into that part of me that wants the "latest and greatest" in this new PC even though it wouldn't really benefit me. Is that the case or would I see some significant improvments with the faster RAM, faster HDD, and better GPU given my PC usage listed above?
An article like this (http://hothardware.com/Articles/Triple-Channel-DDR3-with-the-Core-i7/?page=1) may be helpful. If you use your machine for professional work, you could go with all DDR3-1600 (or even higher, much pricier). Otherwise you'd better stay with DDR3-1066. The same applies to VelociRaptor.

GTS 150 (for OEM) = 8800 GT/9800 GT.

hurleyjj

03-26-09, 02:40 PM

An article like this (http://hothardware.com/Articles/Triple-Channel-DDR3-with-the-Core-i7/?page=1) may be helpful. If you use your machine for professional work, you could go with all DDR3-1600 (or even higher, much pricier). Otherwise you'd better stay with DDR3-1066. The same applies to VelociRaptor.

GTS 150 (for OEM) = 8800 GT/9800 GT.

Thanks again!

What a great article. I suppose right now it all comes down to whether or not my motherboard will support the higher speeds or needs a BIOS update.

Then again, maybe not. I love this quote from the article:

"If you game, faster memory does indeed help performance. If you're a workstation user, it's probably best to look at memory capacity rather than speed when looking to upgrade."

The fact I'm not a gamer and given the results of their tests as well, I think it'd be foolish for me to go with higher speed RAM right now.

I'm beginning to question if I really need 12GB of RAM. Many i7 users, even hardcore gamers, report never coming close to using all of their 6GB of RAM. Many report only using about 15%! If that's the case, wouldn't it also be foolish then to upgrade to 12GB? I know the answer of "yes" seems obvious here, but is it really that simple?

renethx

03-26-09, 03:01 PM

Thanks again!

What a great article. I suppose right now it all comes down to whether or not my motherboard will support the higher speeds or needs a BIOS update.

Then again, maybe not. I love this quote from the article:

"If you game, faster memory does indeed help performance. If you're a workstation user, it's probably best to look at memory capacity rather than speed when looking to upgrade."

The fact I'm not a gamer and given the results of their tests as well, I think it'd be foolish for me to go with higher speed RAM right now.

I'm beginning to question if I really need 12GB of RAM. Many i7 users, even hardcore gamers, report never coming close to using all of their 6GB of RAM. Many report only using about 15%! If that's the case, wouldn't it also be foolish then to upgrade to 12GB? I know the answer of "yes" seems obvious here, but is it really that simple?
Is More Memory Better? (http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/memory/2008/07/08/is-more-memory-better/1)

oreke

03-26-09, 03:11 PM

renethx

03-26-09, 03:41 PM

Renethx,

I was thinking of doing the mid-range Intel/Nvidia system minus the video card for an HTPC, but after reading your comparison of HDMI audio between Nvidia 9300/9400 and Radeon 4xxx, I wanted to clarify a couple of things.

The fact that Nvidia has problems with 44.1kHz sampling and resolutions higher than 16bit in your tables makes it inferior to Radeon 4xxx solutions. What does that mean for the actual audio output from the speakers. Will the quality of the audio be noticeably inferior as well?

Since Radeon 4xxx has better post-processing and better HDMI audio, do you think a non-IGP MB (cheaper than an IGP one) and a video card such as Radeon 4670 is a better solution that the Nvidia 9400 IGP? If so, which motherboard?
Perhaps most people would be hard pressed to tell the difference between 16bit and 24bit. Rather, non-working 44.1kHz in the WASAPI exclusive mode means that you have to use the WASAPI shared mode to play music (this is the normal mode of Vista) and your surround speakers will be silent (I mean you can't use, for example, Dolby PLIIx Music).

Radeon HD 4550+GA-MA78GM-US2H should be a good choice.

hurleyjj

03-26-09, 04:34 PM

Is More Memory Better? (http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/memory/2008/07/08/is-more-memory-better/1)

Good article. It's based on DDR2 and Dual-Channel memory as the article is getting close to 1 year old. But it's still very informative.

To be honest, it's done nothing more than solidify the fact that I should be 100% fine and happy with 6GB. When I get into Blu-ray ripping/burning and/or gaming again, I may want to upgrade to 12GB.

I got one more question for you renethx ::

This question has to do with HDDs and RAID.

I have never used RAID before and it's quite confusing. I have read numerous articles, even one on bit-tech.net titled "Understanding RAID". I can understand the different levels of RAID and what they do. But what I can't understand is how that factors into getting a new PC and throwing a brand new additional HDD into the equation.

I am looking at getting one of WD's new "RE3" HDDs as they seem to have nearly as much bang as the Velociraptors but much cheaper. This will be an additional HDD to the HDD in the system I just purchased from NewEgg.

If I get a HDD that isn't the same size, then RAID will only recognize each HDD by the size of the smaller HDD, right? What if the other HDD is a different brand and has a better seek/write/read/latency time, such as would be the case with the RE3 or Velociraptor if I added it? Even in RAID, it would still perform better than the other HDD, right? And the two combined would still be seen in Windows as a single HDD and the "c" drive, right?

I don't really need a lot more storage, but if I can get much better performance out of my new PC by having an additional HDD paired with the original via RAID 0, then why not do it, you know?

garycase2001

03-26-09, 05:05 PM

I am looking at getting one of WD's new "RE3" HDDs as they seem to have nearly as much bang as the Velociraptors but much cheaper... What if the other HDD is a different brand and has a better seek/write/read/latency time, such as would be the case with the RE3 or Velociraptor if I added it?

Even in RAID, it would still perform better than the other HDD, right? And the two combined would still be seen in Windows as a single HDD and the "c" drive, right?

If you're going to create a RAID-0 for performance you definitely don't want to mix drives with different access times. Buy two of the RE drives and use those for your array. Remember the data will be striped across the drives ... so transfers won't start until both drives have reached the appropriate cylinder. For similar reasons, you shouldn't mix drives with different rotational speeds (or, for that matter, with significantly different areal densities). Different brand doesn't matter -- but appreciably different performance characteristics does => and that's what you're contemplating here.

renethx

03-26-09, 05:18 PM

If I get a HDD that isn't the same size, then RAID will only recognize each HDD by the size of the smaller HDD, right? What if the other HDD is a different brand and has a better seek/write/read/latency time, such as would be the case with the RE3 or Velociraptor if I added it? Even in RAID, it would still perform better than the other HDD, right? And the two combined would still be seen in Windows as a single HDD and the "c" drive, right?
I read this article some time ago: Can Heterogeneous RAID Arrays Work? : Homogenous Vs. Heterogeneous RAID (http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/HETEROGENEOUS-RAID-ARRAYS-WORK,1789.html).

Our conclusion based on our benchmark results is straightforward: The RAID array using different hard drives worked properly and offered performance that was comparable, but its performance was clearly behind that of a RAID array based on identical hard drives - all using the same system and RAID controller.

hurleyjj

03-26-09, 05:47 PM

I read this article some time ago: Can Heterogeneous RAID Arrays Work? : Homogenous Vs. Heterogeneous RAID (http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/HETEROGENEOUS-RAID-ARRAYS-WORK,1789.html).

Our conclusion based on our benchmark results is straightforward: The RAID array using different hard drives worked properly and offered performance that was comparable, but its performance was clearly behind that of a RAID array based on identical hard drives - all using the same system and RAID controller.

Yeah, I read that, too, right after I posted last time.

I think I will not do RAID, or at least not right now. But I would like to replace the HDD in the new computer with a faster HDD (like an RE or Velociraptor). The problem I can see is that this new PC will have everything installed on the HDD right out of the box or installed upon first boot.

If I take the original HDD out and use it as a secondary HDD (as is my plan), I will encounter many issues. I will have to figure out how to get Windows Vista on the new hdd with the given discs Gateway provides and hope everything goes smoothly and then search and find drivers for everything.

I realize getting updated drivers for things like the video card is already something I was planning on, but I've never enjoyed all the other tasks.

It reminds me of the times in years past when I've formatted a computer of mine and re-installed everything and it takes the better part of a day to get everything back up and running. But those were on self-built PC's and not ones pre-made by a major manufacturer.

Do I have a legitimate concern with replacing the original HDD in a brand new pre-made PC like the one I'm getting tomorrow? Maybe my mind just isn't thinking properly at this minute.

Sabrosa

03-26-09, 06:52 PM

I think I have spec'ed out the HTPC that I want to build and was hoping I could get some final advice before placing the order. It's shaping up to be a mix between the low and mid range AMD/AMD recommendations:

CPU: AMD Athlon X2 5050e
CPU Cooling: Stock
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-US2H
Memory: A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
Graphics: SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4670 GDDR4 512MB
Hard Drive: 1TB WD
Optical: LG GGC-H20L BD Drive
PSU: Corsair CMPSU-400CX 400W
Case: Antec Fusion Remote Black microATX

The computer will be hooked up to a Samsung LN46A750 that I would like to be able to take full advantage of, so picture quality is definitely a main concern. I imagine that I will mostly be using the HTPC for watching SD/HD/BD movies, streaming movies from Netflix, and playing music. I might also use it to watch ripped movies from various sources and encode some myself, but encoding/ripping speed won't be a huge priority since I can leave it to work while at work or asleep. At some point I will probably get a HD antenna and video capture card, but that's not going to be in this first order. I do have a couple of questions:

1. Would it be better to go with the Intel processor and motherboard as far as performance and future-proofing the computer goes? I'm not sure if it is worth the extra $50-60 or if upgrading will even be that necessary in the near future, but I figured I would ask.

2. Does the Athlon/motherboard support 1066 RAM and would it be worthwhile in the system? I would imagine that 4GB is sufficient, or is that really overkill vs 2GB?

3. Will the 400w Corsair provide enough power using a discrete graphics card, or do I need to go with the 450w?

4. My biggest question is in regards to audio. My living room sound setup is 2 channel stereo: pair of Zaph TMM tower speakers powered by a Cambridge Audio 540R v2 receiver. I don't have any plans to add additional speakers for surround sound and am happy with the 2 channel setup I have. That being said, I would like to maximize the audio quality of my existing system with the HTPC. The receiver doesn't support HDMI audio so I can run either analog or digital/optical out of the computer. As far as quality goes, would it be worthwhile to install a soundcard over the on board audio? In either case, any opinions on going with analog vs digital? I definitely want the best sound I can get and don't have a problem with purchasing a soundcard if need be.

Thank you very much for your help and a huge thanks to renethx for putting together the guide.

jlabom

03-26-09, 07:13 PM

Are you sure that you can get GA-MA790FX-DS5 (discontinued a long time ago)? The SAPPHIRE card gets loud over 60 C.

I have the board already. I just upgraded my other computer and had this lying around.

Maxvla

03-26-09, 11:07 PM

renethx

03-27-09, 01:05 AM

1. Would it be better to go with the Intel processor and motherboard as far as performance and future-proofing the computer goes? I'm not sure if it is worth the extra $50-60 or if upgrading will even be that necessary in the near future, but I figured I would ask.

2. Does the Athlon/motherboard support 1066 RAM and would it be worthwhile in the system? I would imagine that 4GB is sufficient, or is that really overkill vs 2GB?

3. Will the 400w Corsair provide enough power using a discrete graphics card, or do I need to go with the 450w?

4. My biggest question is in regards to audio. My living room sound setup is 2 channel stereo: pair of Zaph TMM tower speakers powered by a Cambridge Audio 540R v2 receiver. I don't have any plans to add additional speakers for surround sound and am happy with the 2 channel setup I have. That being said, I would like to maximize the audio quality of my existing system with the HTPC. The receiver doesn't support HDMI audio so I can run either analog or digital/optical out of the computer. As far as quality goes, would it be worthwhile to install a soundcard over the on board audio? In either case, any opinions on going with analog vs digital? I definitely want the best sound I can get and don't have a problem with purchasing a soundcard if need be.
1. No.
2. Yes, but no. Buy 4GB as the price difference is so small.
3. 400W is enough.
4. Currently the best analog sound card is ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3 Deluxe and perhaps Xonar Essence STX (stereo only). (Surround sounds may be future-proof?) They should give better sounds than S/PDIF.

renethx

03-27-09, 01:08 AM

Renethx,

I've been told the best solution for audio is using the Asus HDAV 1.3. While it certainly isn't cheap, I'm willing to be a bit spendy on this aspect of the HTPC since it will also be my main music rig and thus will have my best speakers and electronics attached. Do you advise using this card?
If you use analog output, yes, Xonar HDAV 1.3 Deluxe is a good choice. If you use S/PDIF or HDMI, then onboard S/PDIF or Radeon HD 4xxx should be enough (unless you want HD audio bitstreams).

garycase2001

03-27-09, 04:08 AM

... Do I have a legitimate concern with replacing the original HDD in a brand new pre-made PC like the one I'm getting tomorrow? Maybe my mind just isn't thinking properly at this minute.

There are many products that will let you easily image the original drive and simply restore that image to a new one -- or if they're both mounted in the system simply copy the old to the new (resizing the partitions as you go).

I like Boot-It NG, but it's a bit "geeky". Acronis is perhaps a bit easier for you. DriveImage XML is an excellent free utility. Etc.

It's basically a very simple process to replace a drive as long as you have the right "tools" to copy the OS.

grittree

03-27-09, 11:50 AM

Gary, what happens when you use images to/from a drive that is software raided?

pdmarzec

03-27-09, 12:57 PM

My question is:

Using the AMD/AMD reference system (GA-MA78GM-S2HP with SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4550 DDR3 512MB) will I be able to have audio on both the on board optical S/PDIF out connector and throught HDMI on the 4550 at the same time?

Great HTPC guide, great thread!

renethx

03-27-09, 01:58 PM

pdmarzec

03-27-09, 02:18 PM

No, only one at a time.

what is the procedure for switching between the two?

Do any of the recommended systems support this?

renethx

03-27-09, 02:35 PM

what is the procedure for switching between the two?
Selecting the default sound playback device in the Sound dialog box.

HuskerChad

03-27-09, 03:55 PM

What's the best way to add s/pdif audio out with a motherboard that doesn't have it already? I have an Intel DQ35JO which has just basic audio. I'd like either optical or coaxial digital output to my Yamaha receiver (which can do DTS or DD decoding). Any suggestions? The Xonar seems like overkill but if it's the right way to go then I don't mind paying a bit for it.

renethx

03-27-09, 04:41 PM

HuskerChad

03-27-09, 04:55 PM

Xonar is overkill. You can buy a cheap sound card with S/PDIF out < $50 (for example, Diamond XS71 XtremeSound having coaxial in and out).

Thanks for the quick response.

lrstevens421

03-27-09, 07:54 PM

When outputting 24hz from my radeon 4850 I notice a slight stutter when moving the mouse. Is there anyway to remedy this? My display is a 72hz Pioneer 5010.

nozzey

03-28-09, 12:06 AM

Wap

03-28-09, 01:53 AM

Hey Guys, I am truly a newbee in every since of the word. I built my first pc from this thread its been great. I have a very stupid newbee question. I finished building everything and cut on the power and it cpu states put in boot media disc or reboot and put in boot media disk. What is that disck? Is it the graphic card disc, wd hd disc, motherboard disc or blue ray player disc? I am confused. I tried putting in all the cards and cutting system off and then on w/ each of the desk but nothing. I also put in xp disc

thanks for the help

newbee confused.

renethx

03-28-09, 02:43 AM

Hi Renethx

At the moment I'm running two displays (IGP to HDTV and 3450 to 19" monitor) and I'm swithing between the two using hot keys created in CCC. I'm only using one dispay at a time, disabling the other that is not in use.

I'm looking at upgrading to the 4670 and plan on running both displays off this card (HDMI to HDTV and DVI to monitor).

Can I use hot keys to switch between the displays disabling which one I'm not using or does it only work with IGP+video card?

Thanks
Disable IGP (the default BIOS setting; if a discrete card is inserted, IGP is disabled) and use the discrete card by setting profiles just like IGP as before, or you can mix IGP and the dGPU (e.g. dGPU to HDTV and IGP to the monitor).

Wap

03-28-09, 02:46 AM

Hey guys can u tell me if this a xp-disc problem or something else. I put in the xp disc and it started loading the drivers and then i got an error message that read 996 of INF file /I336/txtsetup.sip is invalid. the xp disc is a copy from a friend.

Gabuk

03-28-09, 03:27 AM

Hi all,

Thanks to the great guide of Renethx, I have put together two different systems, one Intel/Nvidia and one AMD/ATI. My goals are video first and audio second. I tried to build each system to be silent and cool as possible.

The primary focus of this HTPC is:

• Blu-ray playback via stored ISOs
• SD playback of DVD TV shows
• HD recordings from an HD Homerun

Priority of my video requests are:
• Stutter free 24p
• Great deinterlacing for SD and HD
• Post-processing options in case I decide to use them

Here are the two systems for review. Thank you for your recommendations and suggestions.

Intel/Nvidia
1 x Intel Core 2 Duo E7400
1 x Scythe Mini Ninja with Scythe Kama Flex 80MM 1500RPM GPU fan
1 x Gigabyte GA-E7AUM GF9400
2 x A-DATA ADQVE1A16K 2GB 2X1GB PC2-6400 DDR2-800
1 x Antec NSK2480 with 2x Scythe S-FLEX SFF21D 120MM 800RPM case fans
1 x Enermax EMD525AWT MODU82+ 525W
2 x Western Digital Caviar SE16 640GB
1 x LG CH08-LS10 Black BLU-RAY 8X Reader

AMD/ATI
1 x AMD Phenom II X3 710
1 x Noctua NH-U12P
1 x Gigabyte MA790X-UD4P ATX AM3 AMD790X
2 x A-DATA ADQVE1A16K 2GB 2X1GB PC2-6400 DDR2-800
1 x Sapphire Ultimate Radeon HD 4670 512MB GDDR3 Passive Video Card
1 x Silverstone Grandia GD01B
1 x Enermax EMD525AWT MODU82+ 525W
2 x Western Digital Caviar SE16 640GB
1 x LG CH08-LS10 Black BLU-RAY 8X Reader

pepehid

03-28-09, 12:06 PM

Hi :)

I have installed a CRT PJ at home and I need a HTPC. The resolution I'll use is 1080i/96 and 1080p/24. I need help to see if I can use the hardware I have or I need to buy new components

My computer is a Semprom 3.0Ghz + ATI 4850 and I'd use a DVI-I to RGBHV cable.

I don't know if this hardware is enough for this purpose or not. I have also a Q6600 as a server that I could use (now I have an ATI 1600pro and an ATI 4850 I could swap) for both porposes, server and HTPC. I don't know if it can be more a problem than a solution or it can be perfect.

Thanks in advance

Best regards

nfmmalice

03-28-09, 12:45 PM

Well, my Moneaul 972/BluRay Player seems to be an Ongoing Problem.

I bought the Moneaul 972 case and a GIGABYTE GA-MA790FXT-UD5P Motherboard, with an LG GGC-H20L BluRay player.

When I got it, I found that the Player would not fit in the case, with the MoBo installed. (My DVD Burner had fit just fine with an IDE Ribbon Cable and Molex Power Connector).

So I purchased a Lite On Model DH-4O1S-58 BluRay player because it was supposed to have a 20mm smaller footprint.

No Such Luck. While there is a TINY bit more room, it seems to be the same size as my LG BluRay.

MOST BluRay Players I have found seem to have a Larger Footprint than a standard CDROM/DVD-RAM unit.

Does anyone know of ANY model BluRay Player that has a Standard Sized CD/DVD Player footprint?

Or does anyone make a 90 degree Low Profile Adapter that may fit int he space between the Drive/MoBo?

**EDIT** I have found 90 degree SATA Cables that will work, but are there any 90 Degree converters for the POWER to the Drive?

The Biggest problem Seems to be that the SATA COnnectors at the back of the BR player sit in the EXACT same spot as the 20pin Power Connector on the Mobo. So it's not like they can even sit on top of the MoBo.

There's just NO room there.

Would I be better off finding a drive with a smaller footprint, or a MoBo with a Smaller footprint?

If the MoBo would be my best choice, what is a good AM3 mobo that I can get that's comparable to the GIGABYTE GA-MA790FXT-UD5P ?

renethx

03-28-09, 01:38 PM

renethx

03-28-09, 01:51 PM

renethx

03-28-09, 02:01 PM

notslow

03-28-09, 04:08 PM

I'm finally going to start assembling my system.
I'm not sure which direction the optional HD fan and the fan that mounts to the bottom should blow on the Zalman HD160 Plus. I'm guessing intake would make the most sense, but there is no mention in the directions or on Zalman's site. Anyone know for sure?

Also, top vent open or closed?

Thanks, Will

Hey, what's with the weird title on my post? That's either an adult toy description or the newest gamer fan model, LOL

Michael Mitten

03-28-09, 09:33 PM

Either system is OK. I prefer the latter because of slightly better post-processing .
Can you elaborate a little more? What would be noticed? Picture quality?

If the only thing being run on a HTPC is Blu-ray and SD DVDs, what is the advantages of upgrading the CPUs from the budget systems to the high end systems you have listed? Again, does it affect picture quality?

Also, which system on pg 85 starts to meet or exceed the quality of a PS3 for Blu-ray playback?

renethx

03-29-09, 02:37 AM

Can you elaborate a little more? What would be noticed? Picture quality?

If the only thing being run on a HTPC is Blu-ray and SD DVDs, what is the advantages of upgrading the CPUs from the budget systems to the high end systems you have listed? Again, does it affect picture quality?

Also, which system on pg 85 starts to meet or exceed the quality of a PS3 for Blu-ray playback?
Yes, PQ. CPUs in the mid-range systems are good in particular if you don't use GPU's decoding/post-processing capability (i.e. if you rely on a software solution). The high-end and premium systems are overkill for video playback.

Speqtre

03-29-09, 08:54 AM

boarderk15

03-29-09, 01:28 PM

If you're currently on the fence about your next build, you need to go over to slickdeals.net and look at the 3rd entry down from Saturday, the 28th. A well-known vendor is selling the Phenom II 920 retail for $134 shipped, no rebates. I grabbed one and renethx's recommended Gigabyte 780G board for my next build.

I was also looking at picking up that CPU for my first build. Is that an overkill for an HTPC though? Also what Gigabyte board are you talking about this one? GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-S2HP?

notslow

03-29-09, 01:41 PM

Speqtre

03-29-09, 02:00 PM

I was also looking at picking up that CPU for my first build. Is that an overkill for an HTPC though? Also what Gigabyte board are you talking about this one? GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-S2HP?

Yes, it might be overkill if you're just looking for playback, but if you're doing any encoding/remuxing it'll be pretty sweet.

The board I selected is the GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-US2H - $70 AR.

rhinogooner

03-29-09, 04:13 PM

In general you should download the latest driver from each chip manufacturer (AMD (http://game.amd.com/us-en/drivers_catalyst.aspx), Intel (http://downloadcenter.intel.com/#), Realtek (http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/) etc.). Your Realtek chips are RTL8111C (LAN) and ALC889A (audio), and ATI HDMI Audio if you use an AMD graphics card.

Can't you see "Scaling Options" (adjusting overscan/underscan) under CCC?

Perhaps you don't have to upgrade drivers very frequently; every half a year may be enough, unless you have specific problems. Keep the downloaded drivers in HDD. Then you can see when you downloaded them and what versions they are.

I am sorry it has taken me so long to respond. Thank you for sticking with me during my questions concerning the obstacles I have been experiencing ReneTHX :) I have finally had time to sit down and fiddle with settings this weekend. I had to rearrange my living room to accommodate the HTPC and I needed to unplug cables and shift equipment around in order to set up in a fashion where all of my cables reached the proper components correctly (I hope!).

So I downloaded 2 drivers from the Realtek website. One was the Realtek HD audio R2.19 and the other was called "ATI HDMI audio device v. R2.18". I then tried to adjust the settings in the Sound Control Panel by following your advice in the link in your signature entitled "PAP and HDMI audio solutions". Except I am trying to connect using an optical cable for audio instead of HDMI. Unfortunately, I am not receiving audio. I will try to describe my situation.

First I have a question: what is the most desirable connection for audio - HDMI or S/PDIF (optical)?

I have a surround sound system with a receiver and 5.1 speakers. I have run an HDMI cable from my mobo to my HDTV and an optical cable from my mobo to my surround sound receiver. I have the settings in the Sound Control Panel set up thus:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=138191&stc=1&d=1238356290

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=138192&stc=1&d=1238356290

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=138193&stc=1&d=1238356290

Am I doing something incorrectly here? I tried playing with different settings, but nothing seemed to work. When I plug headphones into the front display jack, my HTPC recognizes that I have attached "speakers" and I receive audio then. Apparently it is 5.1 audio as well since I can hear test tones for all of the speakers (minus sub-woofer) through my headphones. When I plug the optical cable from my receiver to my HDTV and set up the Sound Control Panel to use the HDMI input for audio, I receive sound but my only option is a 2 speaker system.

Regarding my screen resolution issue, I have good news! I am happy to admit I am a bit thick :( - I had the resolution set to 1280 x 768 instead of 1280 x 720. At 1280 x 768, my viewing area was well short of my full HDTV screen and the underscan/overscan option was already set to the maximum overscan. So I had no way to fit it to the full size of my screen. Now that I have changed to 1280 x 720, the underscan/overscan gauge was set in the middle and I was able to slide it towards the overscan to push the viewing area out to my full screen size. My only problem is that I need to adjust the vertical centering a little bit but have no way to do it that I know of. My HDTV set up menu allowed me to adjust the horizontal centering but the vertical centering was grayed out. Not a big deal. It will suffice as is.

ReneTHX, thank you for all of your guidance. I mean this with all sincerity. I am a novice at best at computer hardware and only slightly more proficient in operating computer software. Your guide and answers to my blockheaded questions have allowed someone with such limited ability to purchase, build, set up and utilize an HTPC from scratch. I would never have undertaken this endeavor if you hadn't created this guide and weren't here everyday responding to questions. You are a saint! :)

renethx

03-29-09, 04:38 PM

First I have a question: what is the most desirable connection for audio - HDMI or S/PDIF (optical)?

I have a surround sound system with a receiver and 5.1 speakers. I have run an HDMI cable from my mobo to my HDTV and an optical cable from my mobo to my surround sound receiver. I have the settings in the Sound Control Panel set up thus:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=138191&stc=1&d=1238356290

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=138192&stc=1&d=1238356290

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=138193&stc=1&d=1238356290

Am I doing something incorrectly here? I tried playing with different settings, but nothing seemed to work. When I plug headphones into the front display jack, my HTPC recognizes that I have attached "speakers" and I receive audio then. Apparently it is 5.1 audio as well since I can hear test tones for all of the speakers (minus sub-woofer) through my headphones. When I plug the optical cable from my receiver to my HDTV and set up the Sound Control Panel to use the HDMI input for audio, I receive sound but my only option is a 2 speaker system.
You should connect ALC889A to the receiver via an optical cable (and the graphics card to HDTV via HDMI [video only]). So you don't have to install ATI HDMI Audio driver (installing it is not harmful though). Dolby Digital Live is not the correct choice (in general). Try, for example, 24 bit, 96kHz; press the Test button and see if you hear sounds. Can you hear all the test sounds in "Supported Formats" tab?

renethx

03-29-09, 04:46 PM

Anybody know the correct fan direction for the optional fans in the HD160 Plus? I did a bunch of searches and can't find much of any info about this case. From the pictures I found the HDD fan and bottom fan look to be exhaust.
This picture (http://www.silentpcreview.com/files/images/zalman-hd160/airflow.jpg) is from HD160 review (http://www.silentpcreview.com/article603-page3.html) in SPCR. Apparently this picture (http://www.zalman.co.kr/images/productinfo/HD160plus_img01.jpg) (from the Zalman website (http://www.zalman.co.kr/ENG/product/Product_Read.asp?idx=281)) shows different airflow. It looks like Zalman changed the airflow design.

nfmmalice

03-29-09, 05:00 PM

Angled SATA power cable (http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&q=angled%20SATA%20power%20cable)

GIGABYTE GA-MA790FXT-UD5P: 244mm wide (standard ATX)
GIGABYTE GA-MA790XT-UD4P: 233mm wide, a cut-back version of the above

Okay, after getting Angled angled SATA Power cables and a Micro SATA Cable, I removed the MoBo, Installed the Blue Ray, and Reinstalled the MoBo. I couldn't fit a Frog Hair in between the Mobo and the Connectors now, but it is installed. I boot the system, Detected Both Hard Drives and an ATAPI BD Drive.

System Hung at flashing Cursor. After a Few reboots, and then Resetting the CMOS, it finally boot to windows. I put a BluRay in the Drive:

"This file typr cannot be read by windows, or is not supported" or something like that. I put in the PowerDVD Software that came with the LiteOn Drive. Installed like a champ.

Put the BluRay Disc back in. Same Error.

Also, went into Device Manager, and both Hard Drives Show there, but in the "My Computer" screen, only the System Drive shows. I dont think I have formatted the Storage Drive yet, but I cannot figure out how to format it if it doesn't exist in the "My Computer" screen.

So, any ideas on how to get the drive to play BluRays? Or How to get my 2nd HD Formatted?

boarderk15

03-29-09, 05:03 PM

Ok after reading this thread for countless days and hours I think I have decided on my first HTPC set-up. Please let me know if you see any glaring issues, it is essentially the Mid-Range AMD/AMD set-up as I am looking for HDMI audio out.

CPU: AMD Phenom II 920 2.8Ghz Quad Core AM2+ Retail Processor
Cooler: ?
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-US2H
Memory: A-DATA ADQVE1B16K
Video Card: Could use a little help here, looking to have the ability to play some recent games, like COD4 and run Crysis decently not on full settings or anything. Any suggestions?
Case: Antec Fusion Remote Black w/ Logitech Harmony remote
PSU: Corsair VX450W CMPSU-450VX
Hard Drive: 640 GB Western Digital

So my questions are will the Logitech remote work with the Antec Fusion IR reciever?

Also a good recommendation for a video card?

And last but not least, how hard is it squeezing all the components into the Antec Fusion case Micro-ATX case?

I appreciate any responses, also would just like to thank renethx for putting this thread together. Really informative and helpful while putting together a system. Thanks again.

renethx

03-29-09, 05:15 PM

Okay, after getting Angled angled SATA Power cables and a Micro SATA Cable, I removed the MoBo, Installed the Blue Ray, and Reinstalled the MoBo. I couldn't fit a Frog Hair in between the Mobo and the Connectors now, but it is installed. I boot the system, Detected Both Hard Drives and an ATAPI BD Drive.

System Hung at flashing Cursor. After a Few reboots, and then Resetting the CMOS, it finally boot to windows. I put a BluRay in the Drive:

"This file typr cannot be read by windows, or is not supported" or something like that. I put in the PowerDVD Software that came with the LiteOn Drive. Installed like a champ.

Put the BluRay Disc back in. Same Error.

Also, went into Device Manager, and both Hard Drives Show there, but in the "My Computer" screen, only the System Drive shows. I dont think I have formatted the Storage Drive yet, but I cannot figure out how to format it if it doesn't exist in the "My Computer" screen.

So, any ideas on how to get the drive to play BluRays? Or How to get my 2nd HD Formatted?
Can you play standard DVD movies? You can try ArcSoft TotalMedia Theater 3 Platinum for fifteen days.

Go to Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Administrative Tools > Create and format hard disk partitions.

nfmmalice

03-29-09, 05:19 PM

Can you play standard DVD movies? You can try ArcSoft TotalMedia Theater 3 Platinum for fifteen days.

Go to Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Administrative Tools > Create and format hard disk partitions.

Just played a standard DVD Movie. Works like a Champ.

I'm running PowerDVD 7 BD that came with the drive.

renethx

03-29-09, 05:19 PM

Speqtre

03-29-09, 05:24 PM

Cooler Master Geminii S is good for Phenom II.

HD 4850 is the highest card that fits Antec Fuson Remote, and should be good for many games.

Logitech Harmony works with the Antec Fusion IR reciever.

Renethx,

do you feel that the ninja mini in the fusion black with the single side-mount fan on the cooler will be enough for the 920?

nfmmalice

03-29-09, 05:27 PM

notslow

03-29-09, 05:28 PM

This picture (http://www.silentpcreview.com/files/images/zalman-hd160/airflow.jpg) is from HD160 review (http://www.silentpcreview.com/article603-page3.html) in SPCR. Apparently this picture (http://www.zalman.co.kr/images/productinfo/HD160plus_img01.jpg) (from the Zalman website (http://www.zalman.co.kr/ENG/product/Product_Read.asp?idx=281)) shows different airflow. It looks like Zalman changed the airflow design.

I saw that and found some pictures of a HD160 plus with the optioanl fans and it looks like Zalman contradicted their original airflow layout on the HD160. I guess I will try with all of the fans exhausting and see how it works.

Not sure about leaving the vent open or not. Silentpcreview seemed uncertain about the vent opening on the older HD160. I wish someone had performed a test on the HD160 Plus since it does seem to be quite a bit different in design.

Thanks, Will

rhinogooner

03-29-09, 06:37 PM

You should connect ALC889A to the receiver via an optical cable (and the graphics card to HDTV via HDMI [video only]). So you don't have to install ATI HDMI Audio driver (installing it is not harmful though). Dolby Digital Live is not the correct choice (in general). Try, for example, 24 bit, 96kHz; press the Test button and see if you hear sounds. Can you hear all the test sounds in "Supported Formats" tab?

I have sound now. I do not understand how. I was playing with the settings in the Sound Control Panel and I heard a 'click' from my receiver. It 'clicks' when you change the listening mode. The listening mode that is set on my receiver now is not one I had an option to use previously. Anyway, after the listening mode on my receiver changed, I could hear the test sounds from DTS, Dolby, and the various KHz options. Does this make sense?

zungkono

03-29-09, 10:25 PM

Dear all,
I use mainboard Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H (vga onboard) and LCD TV Toshiba 42X3500
i connect using HDMI, but it can't work
Can u help me ? thanks

jdcrox

03-30-09, 01:08 AM

I saw that and found some pictures of a HD160 plus with the optioanl fans and it looks like Zalman contradicted their original airflow layout on the HD160. I guess I will try with all of the fans exhausting and see how it works.

Not sure about leaving the vent open or not. Silentpcreview seemed uncertain about the vent opening on the older HD160. I wish someone had performed a test on the HD160 Plus since it does seem to be quite a bit different in design.

Thanks, Will

I have the vent open, and both side fans as intake. System runs quiet and cool with an e6300@ 2.8, HIS 4670, Asus P5E-VM HDMI.

renethx

03-30-09, 02:13 AM

Renethx,

do you feel that the ninja mini in the fusion black with the single side-mount fan on the cooler will be enough for the 920?
Yes, Ninja Mini is good enough.

renethx

03-30-09, 02:27 AM

OKay, I finally got it to play a BluRay, but it took FOREVER to load. Put the disc in there, came into this room to type my response, and when I went back out, it was barely starting. Took about 5 Min.

Also, I'm still getting some stutter playing back, and it shows 2ch Audio.

I'm running an AMD Phenom II x4 810, a Gigabyte M790fx-Ud5p Mobo with 4 gigs of RAM and a Sapphire HD4870 512mb.

I just uninstalled the Klite Codec Pack, as well. What could be causing the Lag in Loading the BluRays (Or is that Standard?) and the Stuttering?

Thanks so much for your help so far Renethx... You have been invaluable.
It takes five minutes to load a BD disc means a hardware (i.e. a defective drive) or software problem (normally it takes only a few seconds to load the disc). I recommend you to try various combinations (LG, LITE-ON + PowerDVD 7.3, TMT 3) with several BD discs. Try a different SATA port.

PowerDVD 7.3 OEM supports only stereo for Dolby TrueHD. So you will have to buy a retail player to get surround sound from a disc with a TrueHD audio track and no AC3/DTS track. Right now I recommend TMT 3 Platinum.

renethx

03-30-09, 02:33 AM

I have sound now. I do not understand how. I was playing with the settings in the Sound Control Panel and I heard a 'click' from my receiver. It 'clicks' when you change the listening mode. The listening mode that is set on my receiver now is not one I had an option to use previously. Anyway, after the listening mode on my receiver changed, I could hear the test sounds from DTS, Dolby, and the various KHz options. Does this make sense?
Good. Try music CD (stereo LPCM) and DVD movies (DD, DTS) and see if you can hear sounds correctly.

renethx

03-30-09, 02:35 AM

Dear all,
I use mainboard Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H (vga onboard) and LCD TV Toshiba 42X3500
i connect using HDMI, but it can't work
Can u help me ? thanks
Try to follow this instruction (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1029603#EnablingHDMIAudio). HD 3200 supports only stereo.

notslow

03-30-09, 02:57 AM

I have the vent open, and both side fans as intake. System runs quiet and cool with an e6300@ 2.8, HIS 4670, Asus P5E-VM HDMI.

Thanks for the advise jdcrox. So you have the fan blow on the HDDs? Do you have a bottom fan?

Thanks, Will

zungkono

03-30-09, 04:25 AM

@renethx : thanks bro for ur reply, but i mean not the audio ...
the lcd tv cant show ... just blank screen ...

renethx

03-30-09, 04:33 AM

@renethx : thanks bro for ur reply, but i mean not the audio ...
the lcd tv cant show ... just blank screen ...
Did you select the correct HDMI input port in LCD?

zungkono

03-30-09, 04:50 AM

yes, I can set pc+lcd monitor via HDMI, but if I plug to LCD TV , it cant work

renethx

03-30-09, 05:56 AM

yes, I can set pc+lcd monitor via HDMI, but if I plug to LCD TV , it cant work
Do you see BIOS screen?

jdcrox

03-30-09, 05:57 AM

Thanks for the advise jdcrox. So you have the fan blow on the HDDs? Do you have a bottom fan?

Thanks, WillNo, no bottom fan. I have a 92mm blowing in on the HD's, and an 80mm blowing in on the graphics card. I also have the power supply turned around so it exhausts air from the case, instead of just bringing in outside air for just the PSU.

zungkono

03-30-09, 06:11 AM

@renethx : no, i cant see bios

r27

03-30-09, 07:08 AM

renethx

03-30-09, 07:30 AM

@renethx : no, i cant see bios
So you see BIOS screen with a PC monitor connected via HDMI, but you can't see it with a TV connected via HDMI, right? Then apparently it's a connection problem in the TV. Check the physical connection. You have to select the port you connected the HDMI cable.

renethx

03-30-09, 09:05 AM

Hello renethx,
first of all thank you for so much helpful and valuable HTPC guide.

I am figuring out fanless variant as follows:
Case : SS Grandia GD02MT
PSU : FSP Zen 400 or SS Nightjar 450, both fanless
MoBo : mATX @ AMD 790GX w HD3x00 sAM3, the model and vendor is not yet chosen, I think ASUS would be OK
CPU : AMD X4 Phenom Ie/IIe, TDP 45-65W, lower is better
Cooler : Scythe Ninja Mini SCMNJ-1000, no fan
Memory: Kingston DDR 3 4Gb, 1333MHz (KVR1333D3N9K2/4G) Kit 2Gbx2
Sound : at first stage - MoBo embedded, and for future either ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3 or Auzen HT HD 1.3 (when released)
HDD : WD 1TB SATA
Blu-Ray : Pioneer BD202MR BD-ROM
OS : Windows 7

HTPC purpose : straight Media Center: music, video, e-radio. No gaming or encoding planned.

What do you think about above concept? Is it workable as noiseless solution or not ? Might be some component(s) is overkill for my purposes?
I can't comment on fanless PSU as I have never used it. The silent PSU may be nullified by the two 80mm case fans.

AM3 65-45W processors (905e, 900e, 605e, 600e [quad-core], 705e, 700e, 405e, 400e [triple-core] ) are not available yet (expected on April?). I haven't heard of AM3 (i.e. DDR3 memory) microATX mb yet.

GD02-MT supports only slim optical drive. SilverStone SST-TOB02 (http://www.sundialmicro.com/silverstone-slim-optical-drive-ssttob02_2100_1553.html) slim type Blu-Ray DVD Combo Optical Drive should fit nicely (I am not sure of its performance, though).

r27

03-30-09, 10:04 AM

I can't comment on fanless PSU as I have never used it. The silent PSU may be nullified by the two 80mm case fans.

agree, but case fans can be removed, unlike PSU ones.

AM3 65-45W processors (905e, 900e, 605e, 600e [quad-core], 705e, 700e, 405e, 400e [triple-core] ) are not available yet (expected on April?). I haven't heard of AM3 (i.e. DDR3 memory) microATX mb yet.

agree again, I think the platform would be announced and released soon, Q2-3 this year, unless obtianed, I am also OK for AM2+

GD02-MT supports only slim optical drive. SilverStone SST-TOB02 (http://www.sundialmicro.com/silverstone-slim-optical-drive-ssttob02_2100_1553.html) slim type Blu-Ray DVD Combo Optical Drive should fit nicely (I am not sure of its performance, though).

Oh, this is not a good news, following this way would decline flexebility for future upgrades...

hybridcj

03-30-09, 11:32 AM

I'm currently waiting to build on a matx am3 board as well. There is a DFI motherboard that has been announced but not yet released and is the only one i've heard of:

http://vr-zone.com/articles/dfi-lp-jr-790gx-m3h5-matx-board-by-end-apr/6815.html?doc=6815

Rumpelstilkin

03-30-09, 11:50 AM

bogar

03-30-09, 02:29 PM

Hello Renethx,

I'm searching for my ideal HTPC for a while, and this thread is probably the best in this subject. Thanks for it!

But unfortunately, I always get some new solutions, which is not bad, but I can't choose between them. So I think I should ask you for some help.

First of all, my purpose is:
- watch 1080p films over HDMI smoothly, perfectly
- have 5.1 sound over hdmi or s/pdif port
- use as media server
- use as low power as possible
- sometimes runs ftp,http,.. servers and some game servers
- runs torrent client
- price as always

Motherboard:

I was thinking in AMD/AMD because I saw it uses less power. But maybe I should wait for some good Nvidia Ion solutions, but I don't know if it's enough - I'think it isn't.

INTEL/NVIDIA is also a good potential. And it also has 5.1 over HDMI, but with s/pdif out port it's also good, so I think let's stay at AMD/AMD.

The other variations need discreet video cards, which consumes more power, so I didn't think about them. But if it's a must to use discreet card then probably everything collapses in my mind. :)

So, AMD/AMD.
I'm thinking in some 780G motherboards:
- Gigabyte GA-MA78GPM-DS2H
- Gigabyte GA-MA78GPM-S2H
- J&W JW-RS780UVD-AM2+
- and there are so many slightly similar Gigabyte mobos in this category

All of it has s/pdif out, except J&W who has only an internal header and they provide a slot bracket for that.

eSATA would be good if present, but it's not so necessary.

The component's quality is probably relevant, because the machine would be on all the time. But I dont have any experience in this if it's actually important.

I think Sideport memory is not so important, but dont know. In price it's more expensive but for example in my country (Hungary) J&W is the cheapest with it's sideport memory, but it has no eSATA.

I hope you can help me to choose in this. Even if my writting is a little bit muddled. And even if I'm searching in the good category (A/A).

Processor:

I'think AMD Athlon 64 X2 4050e or 4850e would be enough. But not sure. The TDPs are good, and they have absolutley good idle power usages. And the price is also preferable.

I hope it's good.

PSU:

I think this is very important, because this is a place where the power efficient HTPC/PC can be messed up.

So if every thing goes well my idle power requirements would be about 30-40W, and at peak load it would be around 100W. So I should have a PSU rated at 250W or under, rather under. And should have an efficiency above 80% or better.

High efficiecy psu dissipates less heat so if possible a passive one would be great, because of no noise, but a silent one is also good.

But it's unfortunately hard to me, because here in Hungary there are really few psus at this level.

I'm always looking at the 80plus.org and at the available psus here, but nothing yet.

If you have any suggestion in this category, please share it! :) (I saw some AC to DC outside and DC to DC inside solutions, but I don't know much of them.)

Memory:

I think I'd go whith 2GB of memory at 800MHz, and with the one which has the best price at CL5, and has a brand. :P

CPU cooler:

Some passive. I've not decided yet.

Case:

Maybe I'm crazy, but it would be at a place where it's not visible. So I thought I take it in a custom built Lego "case".

But later maybe I'll upgrade it :D, but I have enough questions for the time. So if there's no problem with Lego "case" I can save some money on it.

Optical drive:

Later I'd buy a BD drive when it's needed. Until that I won't use any.

HDD:

I'm thinking in low power, so as tom's hardware's test of hdd-s (I'm not allowed to post URLs yet.) says, I should go for WD’s Caviar Green (WD10EADS model). Or his little brother, if it's also so good at "Green".

The huge capacity is important because of backing up all the pcs important datas, and storeing the media. Maybe later I'll add some more hdds.

OS:

Maybe Ubuntu or some other linux. I've not yet choosen it.

I think that's all, maybe not, but I wrote enough for one post.

I hope you guys can help me in choosing the correct parts!

Sorry for my bad grammar or spelling, it was a while ago when I learned English. :)

Thank you very much,
bogar

lubmar

03-30-09, 02:41 PM

Thanks Renethx for the thread …
I finally pick it up the rest of the system:
GA-MA770-UD3
Sapphire ATI RADEON HD 4550 512MB

Already had:
1 GB OCZ Platinum Edition XTC DDR2-800Mhz ($10 used)
Athlon 64 X2 3800+ 2.0GHz ($30 used)

I want to use 2 old hard drives, they are “1500 sata 80G Maxtor” one for the os (xp pro) second for recording (ota channels), is it ok (speed/performance) or should I get 3Gb/s sata
Another q which sata port (on motherboard) should I use, the manual is not clear about it (no raid), any of them is ok?

renethx

03-30-09, 03:34 PM

@bogar

Adding Radeon HD 4550 will improve video and HDMI audio greatly, in particular with an AM2 (HyperTransport 1000MHz) processor. Typically it adds only 10W more power. Instead you can choose a cheaper 780G mb without SidePort memory. Athlon X2 4850e/5050e should be good.

Media server ... case and PSU selection depends on how many HDDs you will want to use. HD contents eat up storage space quickly.

renethx

03-30-09, 03:38 PM

I want to use 2 old hard drives, they are “1500 sata 80G Maxtor” one for the os (xp pro) second for recording (ota channels), is it ok (speed/performance) or should I get 3Gb/s sata
Another q which sata port (on motherboard) should I use, the manual is not clear about it (no raid), any of them is ok?
Yes, they should be good. You can use any SATA ports.

Seanraff

03-30-09, 04:52 PM

I have an old gateway that I use on occasion.
It has been replaced with newer models for every day use.
I am wondering if ti would work as a starter HTPC.

Specs:
Windows XP Home Premium service pack 3
Pent. 4 CPU
2.80 Gz

Right now it only has 496 MB of RAM, but that could be easily up graded.

If the base is good enough, I would upgrade the video and audio cards....

renethx

03-30-09, 05:02 PM

pepehid

03-30-09, 05:31 PM

You can use Sempron and 4850 (though imo the former [single-core?] is too weak and the latter is overkill [consumes unnecessarily too much power at idle/video playback]). Q6600 is good, but maybe overkill. ATI 1600 Pro is too old and should be avoided (in general).

Thank you very much indeed for your help :)

yes, the semprom is a single-core 754 socket micro and I thought it was weak too.

Searching for the motherboard's cpu support, I can upgrade with an athlon 3400+ or 3700+ (single core 754 socket). Will it be a good improve of perfomance with the ATI 4850 to feed 1080i96/1080p the Pj? Or it's spent money ;)

Best regards

lilsalmon

03-30-09, 06:41 PM

First I wanted to thank renethx for his dedication and support here on this forum. I have learned so much over the past few weeks pouring over this thread and others.

Now on to my hopefully quick question for renethx:

I am looking at making my full purchase from Newegg tomorrow for my HTPC build and I was basically set on your low-end Intel/Nvidia system with an added upgrade to 4gb ram and 1TB harddrive.

I am now wondering if the little extra money is worth the upgrade to the mid-level Intel/nvidia system?

I plan on using the system to:

Watch BD/SD DVDs
Watch Ripped SD DVDs from the hard drive
Record TV Content
View photos, videos etc. that reside on the HTPC
Surf the net
Stream Netflix and other online content
Connect to it via extenders from other areas of the house for ripped DVDs and recorded TV conent

What advantages if any will I receive from jumping up the extra couple of bucks to the mid-level intel/nvidia system. And secondly, if you would recommend the extra spend... would you recommend any other mid-level system instead of the Intel/Nvidia one.

And one last one if you have any insight.... do you haev any experience with media center extenders? and would you recommend one for this build.

Thanks again so much for your time and talents. Its extremely appreciated.

-Brian (lilsalmon)

hgeblome

03-30-09, 09:06 PM

rhinogooner

03-30-09, 09:15 PM

Good. Try music CD (stereo LPCM) and DVD movies (DD, DTS) and see if you can hear sounds correctly.

Yep, I have sound from music CDs and DVDs. I'm not sure if it's my receiver but it seems that dialogue on DVDs is only coming from the center channel. I thought it typically came from the center and front left/right channels. I will have to play with it a little more I suppose. Thanks ReneTHX!

hgeblome

03-30-09, 09:34 PM

It's normal for dialogue to come only from the center channel.

renethx

03-31-09, 01:35 AM

Thank you very much indeed for your help :)

yes, the semprom is a single-core 754 socket micro and I thought it was weak too.

Searching for the motherboard's cpu support, I can upgrade with an athlon 3400+ or 3700+ (single core 754 socket). Will it be a good improve of perfomance with the ATI 4850 to feed 1080i96/1080p the Pj? Or it's spent money ;)
Changing from single-core to single-core is a waste of money. Stay with Sempron. As you already have necessary components, you'd better test and see if they are good enough or not yourself.

renethx

03-31-09, 01:39 AM

What advantages if any will I receive from jumping up the extra couple of bucks to the mid-level intel/nvidia system. And secondly, if you would recommend the extra spend... would you recommend any other mid-level system instead of the Intel/Nvidia one.
What is your audio requirement? HDMI (i.e. you have a HDMI receiver) or S/PDIF or analog (connected to power amp or powered speakers)?

renethx

03-31-09, 01:48 AM

Is the consensus that for a low end microATX system that the Intel/nvidia is still the way to go, or has this been replaced by AMD/AMD with a good discrete graphics card? I've noticed a lot of recommendations for the Radeon HD cards.
Great guide by the way. Everyone should remember to budget a few bucks for this guide in their build!
The answer depends on the audio requirement. If you want good LPCM sounds over HDMI, then I recommend HD 4xxx. Otherwise either one is OK.

- HDMI (LPCM): Radeon HD 4xxx is better than GeForce 9300/9400.
- HDMI (bitstreaming HD audio codec): Either platform with ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3 Slim (expected soon)
- S/PDIF: Either platform (use the onboard audio codec).
- Aanlog: Either platform with ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3 Deluxe

kramster73

03-31-09, 02:29 AM

Nil Einne

03-31-09, 04:00 AM

Will the Radeon HD 4xxx cards output audio using a DVI/HDMI cable? Or does it specifically need an HDMI port on the card? Dell only offers one card with HDMI on board, and most of the others have DVI with an adapter and I'm not sure if these will pass audio or not.

Does anybody think there is a need to have a separate sound card if I don't play games and have an amp that can do any necessary decoding?

Most (actually probably all but I'm not 100% sure) Radeon HD 4xxx should output audio over DVI but they need a special ATI HDMI adapter. If your card comes with an DVI to HDMI adapter then it should be the ATI kind unless Dell is stupid.

For your second question: No

zungkono

03-31-09, 05:28 AM

So you see BIOS screen with a PC monitor connected via HDMI, but you can't see it with a TV connected via HDMI, right? Then apparently it's a connection problem in the TV. Check the physical connection. You have to select the port you connected the HDMI cable.

correct...

lasttime ...
mobo DFI Ultra-d s939 (AMD venice) ; vga POV8600GT ---> HDMI1 Tosh 42X3500 ... it works

now ...
mobo Gigabyte Ga-MA78GM-S2H (vga onbord) (AMD64 5000BE) ---> HDMI1 Tosh 42X3500 ... it doesnt work

i use another mobo ... ECS A780 still blank ... :confused:

is the onboard vga of AMD780 the problem ? cant work with lcd tv ? only work with lcd monitor ?

i want to try with samsung ... i've to wait for 2 days ...

lilsalmon

03-31-09, 08:26 AM

What is your audio requirement? HDMI (i.e. you have a HDMI receiver) or S/PDIF or analog (connected to power amp or powered speakers)?

I am going to be using a Onkyo TX-SR606 (http://www.onkyousa.com/model.cfm?class=Receiver&m=TX-SR606&p=i) AVR with a built in HDMI switcher so I would assume I could either use that or the optical out. I will be running a 7.1 setup.

Thanks and I look forward to your response.

-Brian

renethx

03-31-09, 08:43 AM

I am going to be using a Onkyo TX-SR606 (http://www.onkyousa.com/model.cfm?class=Receiver&m=TX-SR606&p=i) AVR with a built in HDMI switcher so I would assume I could either use that or the optical out. I will be running a 7.1 setup.

Thanks and I look forward to your response.

-Brian
Then there is no reason to use S/PDIF. HDMI is better. You should build your system with Radeon HD 4550 or 4670 (better post-processing), GA-MA78GM-US2H and Athlon X2 5050e or Phenom II X3 ... (or go for the Intel platform).

lilsalmon

03-31-09, 09:00 AM

renethx

03-31-09, 09:33 AM

So I will notice better picture quality by stepping up to the AMD system paired with the Radeon HD 4670 thats worth the extra couple bucks?

Where will the audio come from then?

Thanks so much.. any thoughts or recommendations on a media extender?

P.S. where can I send a donation to (whats the paypal address) I really do appreaciate your time and talents.

-Brian
Actually the platform (Intel or AMD) does not matter, but right now you can get a good AMD mb a lot cheaper. HD 4670 (like this card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102818)) is perhaps the best choice for HTPC in picture/audio/price/performance. HD 4670 has a built-in HD audio controller. This post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1029603#EnablingHDMIAudio) should be helpful to setup HDMI audio.

Popcorn Hour.

My email address is here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=14239742#post14239742). Thanks.

lilsalmon

03-31-09, 10:18 AM

Will the popcorn hour let you control vmc or 7mc?

Thanks again.

-Brian

dbone1026

03-31-09, 11:14 AM

Will the popcorn hour let you control vmc or 7mc?

Thanks again.

-Brian

No, the PCH is just a media extender which can be used as an alternative to an HTPC for some media related duties. It does not operate under VMC or 7MC.

Vinylvision

03-31-09, 11:15 AM

I am going to build a video editing workstation using mostly existing parts as listed below. I have never used video editing software and want to see if I can teach myself. Secondary use of this computer will be transcoding dvds for storage on media server. If necessary, I could do the transcoding on another pc with a Q6600 cpu. Several questions:

1. Can I use a 150gb velociraptor sataII as the primary (non-raid) drive and how should it be partitioned? I do not understand which drives do what function on a video editing workstation, thus this question.
2. Will I encounter migration difficulties later if I start using motherboard raid5 (4 500gb sataII Samsung Spinpoint) and migrate to hardware raid5 later?
3. Any other suggestions/considerations that you might have.

AVAILABLE COMPONENTS:
Asus P5B Deluxe
Intel 9450 core 2 Quad CPU
Scythe Kama Angle Cooler
8gb Kingston HyperX DDR2 1066 SDRAM
Pioneer BluRay/DVD Burner
Ram 700w Seasonic PSU
GIGABYTE GV-R485MC-1GI Radeon HD 4850 1GB 256-bit GDDR3
One 150gb Velociraptor HDD
Four 500gb Samsung Spinpoint T series HDD (software Raid5)
CoolerMaster CMmedia RC280 Chassis
Vista Ultimate 64
Sony Vegas Pro V8
Adobe CS4 Production Premium

rhinogooner

03-31-09, 11:43 AM

It's normal for dialogue to come only from the center channel.

Thanks for informing me hgeblome. I will just have to bump up the decibel level on the center channel to make dialogue more audible.

Off the topic, but having set up my HTPC in my living room now, I find myself in need of a keyboard frequently. Perhaps this pattern is temporary because of needing to type for various set ups and establishing bookmarks for web pages I'll be using to watch or download video content.

I have a remote that came with my case for iMON. It has an onscreen keyboard, but I find that a bit cludgy. I'm still getting used to the cursor control on the remote. It is difficult to make subtle movements with it and the left mouse click button is too close to the cursor control knob so I accidently bump the cursor when trying to select something.

So my question is: do most people find there is a need to have a keyboard for their HTPC, or is the answer to that too dependant upon individual usage?

If it is worthwhile having a keyboard, I'm considering the DiNovo Mini as I do not want a large keyboard adding clutter to my living room. Plus the DiNovo Mini would provide cursor control as well. But it's a bit too pricey for me at this point. Are there any other devices on the market similar to the DiNovo Mini for a better price? Or any wireless keyboards that others use with their HTPC set up they would recommend?

dbone1026

03-31-09, 12:09 PM

Thanks for informing me hgeblome. I will just have to bump up the decibel level on the center channel to make dialogue more audible.

Off the topic, but having set up my HTPC in my living room now, I find myself in need of a keyboard frequently. Perhaps this pattern is temporary because of needing to type for various set ups and establishing bookmarks for web pages I'll be using to watch or download video content.

I have a remote that came with my case for iMON. It has an onscreen keyboard, but I find that a bit cludgy. I'm still getting used to the cursor control on the remote. It is difficult to make subtle movements with it and the left mouse click button is too close to the cursor control knob so I accidently bump the cursor when trying to select something.

So my question is: do most people find there is a need to have a keyboard for their HTPC, or is the answer to that too dependant upon individual usage?

If it is worthwhile having a keyboard, I'm considering the DiNovo Mini as I do not want a large keyboard adding clutter to my living room. Plus the DiNovo Mini would provide cursor control as well. But it's a bit too pricey for me at this point. Are there any other devices on the market similar to the DiNovo Mini for a better price? Or any wireless keyboards that others use with their HTPC set up they would recommend?

I have been using the diNovo mini. Unless you plan on doing some serious typing on your HTPC the mini does a great job. It is small so you can keep it hidden, and it is BT so the range is impressive (including out of sight)

SeattleHTGuy

03-31-09, 12:45 PM

I second the mini. It is an excellent little device. Having the keyboard functionality is fantastic and it has allowed me to extend the life of my Pronto Color another couple of years. I use the Pronto to switch everything to the PC and then pick up the little mini and that's it. Two remotes is not as good as one but unless you are willing to design an insanely expensive custom solution, go this route. Buy it and you will be happy.

lilsalmon

03-31-09, 12:48 PM

No, the PCH is just a media extender which can be used as an alternative to an HTPC for some media related duties. It does not operate under VMC or 7MC.

Looking for the best option for streaming content via an extender for VMC or 7MC. Needs to be wife friendly. I figured MCE is the way to go. I started looking into Media Portal, but it seems to be real buggy unless I am mistaken.

I was looking at the linksys options (DMA2100) but wasnt sure if some would recommend others.

-Brian

dbone1026

03-31-09, 12:52 PM

Looking for the best option for streaming content via an extender for VMC or 7MC. Needs to be wife friendly. I figured MCE is the way to go. I started looking into Media Portal, but it seems to be real buggy unless I am mistaken.

I was looking at the linksys options (DMA2100) but wasnt sure if some would recommend others.

-Brian

I have read mixed reviews about any of the VMC extenders. One alternative to look at would be the SageTV HD200 Extender. It is not as flashy as say a VMC or XBMC, but it is a solid alternative

lilsalmon

03-31-09, 01:42 PM

Does the popcorn hour unit have any user interface or is it pretty basic?

-Thanks.

Brian

dbone1026

03-31-09, 01:45 PM

Does the popcorn hour unit have any user interface or is it pretty basic?

-Thanks.

Brian

It has a very basic (IMHO ugly) interface, but can play almost anything under the sun. There are a lot of add ins you can use to spruce up the interface (YAMJ, etc...). Not exactly great for a high WAF. Music and pics is not its strong point, but as I mentioned it will play everything you throw at it, including DTS/TrueHD audio (HDMI 1.3)

lilsalmon

03-31-09, 02:40 PM

ilovejedd

03-31-09, 03:00 PM

Do you have any experience with it over WiFi? do you know if there is any ability to customize the the interface? I am a creative director & web developer by trade and could probably cook up a better look and feel if needed.

-Brian
The Popcorn Hour doesn't have built-in WiFi. It doesn't support a lot of USB WiFi adapters, either. As far as I know, there are only two that are supported - Syabas' own WiFi dongle ($37, iirc) and the same model dongle without the Syabas branding.

There are alternative front ends available such as YAMJ which is quite nice indeed. However, keep in mind that the Popcorn Hour is very resource limited (both CPU & memory) and sometimes, it actually crashes even when you're just browsing for something to watch.

Actual HD video playback is excellent, though. It's also pretty good at DVD upconversion, although, I think, the PS3 edges it out slightly on that.

dbone1026

03-31-09, 03:02 PM

Do you have any experience with it over WiFi? do you know if there is any ability to customize the the interface? I am a creative director & web developer by trade and could probably cook up a better look and feel if needed.

-Brian

Never messed around with the WiFi. Since many of my movies are HD, Wifi is just not going to handle those properly. Right now everything is my house gets streamed via Cat5e/Cat6. If you like to tinker there is definitely a lot of opportunity with the PCH. The PCH also has a large forum community (www.networkedmediatank.com)

lilsalmon

03-31-09, 03:47 PM

SeattleHTGuy

03-31-09, 03:56 PM

OK, I bought, built, installed and am now using my second Renethx suggested system. Actually I modified the Mid Range AMD/AMD MATX design to suit my needs. This PC will see some gaming, a lot of use by my young kids, a great deal of Blu Ray Streaming and DVD streaming from our WHS unit.

Below is a review of the equipment used. I probably overkilled slightly for its primary use of a HTPC but I prefer goosing it up a bit so we can hopefully get a slighty longer life cycle out of the thing.

CPU. AMD Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition
Card Reader: Rosewill RCR-IC001 R
VGA: Saphire DDR4 HD4670
Blu Ray: Sony BD Drive (Read Only)
MBoard: Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-US2H
Case: Silverstone GD02
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS 8700 NT R
Memory: 2X2GB A-Data-ADQVD1B16K R
Remote: Anyware Digital Remote GP-IR02Bk
Mouse Keyboard: Gyro Model something or another (Had already)
Drive: WD 640GB 7K 16M WD6400 AAKS
PSU: Corsair 450W (Recommended in thread)

So, other than a tweak up in the CPU, CPU Cooler, Case, Memory, Card Reader, Remote, and the optional Saphire VGA; this is the mid priced MATX build.

Windows Vista Ultimate, My Movies 2.0, Arcsoft TMT 2, AnyDVD, Norton Internet Security. Gigabit Network.

It looks like a lot of people are moving to this build, so here are my thoughts.

The Case is fantastic and the stock fans are fairly quiet. Listed earlier, someone is trying to go fanless on everything. Frankly the PSU is dead quiet and I see no reason to change. The case fans make a slight bit of noise but in a cabinet is barely noticeable. The VGA fan as well as the Zalman are damn well close to totally whisper quiet. This is a very low noise PC. I'm not sure with any real movie or TV watching you could here anything. This case doesn't have IR built in but is far more attractive than the Antec stuff. I also got it for $120 on a New-Egg deal. In my opinion, I'd go for this case above others. The LCD screens from I-Mon are gimmicky and not worth the trouble.

This system appears faster than my Q9550 build of about 6 months ago. I haven't overclocked or anything but load times for most programs are simply quicker. Nothing scientific here but it is working and I am not a big gamer anyway.

The Saphire VGA card is so far pretty incredible and it's lack of noise satisfies to no end. Again, I have a 4870 downstairs from Visiontek and it is a blow dryer starting up and runs louder (Yes, I manually tweaked the speed but it's still hot and loud). Granted, it's a lot more powerful for games but for an HTPC build with some gaming,the Saphire is just fine.

I think the faster memory may have something to do with system performance but who knows?

I did have problems loading the Gigabyte Easytune software and many people say it is junk. I guess I'm in that camp.

Finally, it's a pretty tight fit in the case although it does fit. The Corsair PSU is not modular and with all the extra cables, it takes up a lot of space just to tie them down and stick them away. I am only using one drive bay and will never use the other one. I use WHS now for just about all media. The case is far more shallow than many other cases and fits well in my rack. I now just need to get a Mid Atlantic faceplate to cover the front (I'll have to get a custom piece) and then I'm done.

Now, here's the build story with a bit of humor. I had just finished the build and stuck on the case top. I then set it on the floor in the den to hook up to a monitor so that I could test it. Well, the next minute, I turn around and my 3 year old boy is standing on top of the case grinning from ear to ear. He then waves and says "Hi Dad, what are you doing?'. Then the Zalman CPU cooler starts grinding against the now slightly tweaked case top and BD Drive. A good hour later of coaxing and a little readjusting and it all fit together again nicely. Kids..... As stated, it's a tight fit with a BD drive.

I did have problems with my Denon 3806 receiver. It has HDMI switching but I don't seem to get it to register my 37" Sceptre 1080P TV consistently (Black Screen - No Signal --- ugggghhhhh!!). I had to send the HDMI signal direct to the TV, utilizing the switchable DVI setting on the Sceptre. This then meant than I needed to send the audio optical SPDIF to the Denon from the MotherBoard SPDIF Realtek 889A. This is no big deal because I have cheesy little Bose speakers in this room in a 5.1 configuration and the Denon can't even do the new lossless codecs. SPDIF is just fine for now and probably forever.

For anyone who cares, I'd suggest you dig deep in to the receiver forums to determine exactly what your receiver can pass, play, or otherwise manipulate. Just because you've got HDMI out from a whiz bang card doesn't mean you can use it. I was hoping to have the Denon switch everything but such is not the case. Frankly, I think Audio is less complicated than Video on a lot of this hand shake stuff. At least with Audio, your trusty little receiver lights up to tell us less than engineering types what it is doing. Video, I get Blank Screen and that's about it.

dbone1026

03-31-09, 04:00 PM

Well my ideal situation is to build this HTPC to have a central repository for my DVDs and recorded TV, photos etc.

Then be able to access that all via some type of extender in both my bedroom and living room. The HTPC will be in the basement in the theater. So just two extenders. I will have the ability to run cat5e or cat6 to the extenders. The main need for the 'extenders' will be the WAF because I want her to be able to utilize it.

I am not completely set on VMC or 7MC if another front end would better suit my needs. I do like to tinker especially with the look and feel/web stuff, but more importantly it needs to work right. I really like the options from MediaPortal however I didn't see a way to interface/stream my DVD collection remotely. If I am wrong please let me know. Sage looks nice but not as 'shiny' as MediaPortal and VMC.

Thanks everyone.

-Brian

Let me know what you guys think?

-Brian

Hey Brian,

The issue with MediaPortal is there is no extender to my knowledge (sans an HTPC) that it will run on. For instance, with VMC you can run any of the linksys, netgear, etc... extenders. For SageTV you can use their HD200 extender, XBMC you can use an Xbox. So if you don't want to use an HTPC as an extender as well then your options are somewhat limited. I am actually working on a write up on my blog of the SageTV HD200 which I was able to play around with this past weekend, hope to have it up shortly. There are definitely things you can do to make it "shinier" but I agree that MediaPortal/VMC/XBMC has a much better Wow factor The challange is to balance the Wow and the WAF!!!

lilsalmon

03-31-09, 04:10 PM

The challange is to balance the Wow and the WAF!!!

And that is he crux of my dilemma. What did you think of the Sage extender. Is it something I should really consider versus MCE extenders/system?

Thanka again.

-Brian

dbone1026

03-31-09, 04:18 PM

And that is he crux of my dilemma. What did you think of the Sage extender. Is it something I should really consider versus MCE extenders/system?

Thanka again.

-Brian

I am in the same position as you. I currently use two HTPCs as extenders because I get the flexability of choosing my interface. I have been using VMC with the MediaBrowser plugin and it has gone over well with the wife. The tinkerer in me wants get the most wow and can deal with some of the headaches, but as you know that won't get us far at the expense of the WAF. Due to a lot of negative reviews I have read over the VMC extenders I haven't used (I have an xbox360 but too many file limitations for my taste). The SageTV HD200 is nice. The form factor is small and it runs quiet/cool. Once you get it set up it is family friendly and plays almost every file you can throw at it. Here is the link to my blog, I hope to have my writeup finished tonight with some pics to give you an idea:

http://dbone1026.blogspot.com

Don't know if I have been helpful, but the Wow vs WAF is definitely a challenge!!!

Dalat

03-31-09, 05:00 PM

renethx,

I've settled on the microATX AMD/AMD low end system.

CPU: Athlon X2 5050e ADH5050DOBOX 2.6GHz AM2, $60.
CPU Cooler: Stock cooler, $0.
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-S2HP AM2+ AMD 780G chipset microATX, $80.
An alternative is GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-US2H AM2+ AMD 780G chipset microATX, $70.
Memory: A-DATA ADQVE1A16K DDR2-800 2 x 1GB Kit, $27.
Graphics Card: SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4550 DDR3 512MB, $60.
An alternative is SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4550 DDR3 512MB Fanless, $50.
HDD: Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB SATA 3.0Gbps, $70.
PSU: 80 PLUS 350W ATX PSU (included in the case), $0
Case: Antec NSK1480 microATX, $94.
Total Cost: $391

What is the difference between the 2 motherboards that you recommended?
As for GPU, I'll stay with the one with the fan. Fanless will generate additional heat. I'll be buying the Xonar slim card and use it with this system, do you see any problem with it?

Thanks!

lilsalmon

03-31-09, 05:02 PM

lilsalmon

03-31-09, 05:08 PM

Ok renethx... I have it narrowed down based off of your previous help this am.... here is my final details.

AMD System

CPU - AMD Phenom II X3 710 2.6GHz
MOBO - Gigabyte - GA-MA78GM-US2H
VIDEO - Sapphire Radeon HD 4670 512MB 128-bit GDDR4 PCI Express 2.0 x16 - 100255DDR4
CASE - Silverstone - LC13B-E
HDD - Western Digital - WD10EADS (1TB HDD)
MEMORY - A-DATA 4GB (2 X 2GB) ADQVE1B16K
POWER - Corsair CMPSU-450VX
Plus a few odds and ends.

$629.41

Intel

CPU - Intel Pentium E5200 Wolfdale 2.5GHz
MOBO - Gigabyte - GA-E7AUM-DS2H
Video - On Board
CASE - Silverstone - LC13B-E
HDD - Western Digital - WD10EADS (1TB HDD)
MEMORY - A-DATA 4GB (2 X 2GB) ADQVE1B16K
POWER - Corsair CMPSU-450VX
Plus a few odds and ends.

$538.0

So what I need to know is what am I going to gain from the top AMD based system for the roughly extra $100.00 and is it worth it?

Thanks for all your help again and check your paypal. You got mail :D

-Brian (lilsalmon)

Michael Mitten

03-31-09, 08:39 PM

Finally ordered the HTPC! This is for movie watching on a 56" Samsung DLP and some internet surfing. I plan on building a server later. Until Windows 7 comes out I'll use Vista, or I might toss the Beta version of Win7 on it.

Case: Antec Fusion Remote
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-E7AUM-DS2H
CPU: E7400 Wolfdale 2.8GHz
Cooler: stock for now. If the CPU runs hot I'll swap it out.
Ram: A-DATA 2GB (2 x 1GB) DR2 800
Video Card: SAPPHIRE 100255DDR4 Radeon HD 4670 512MB 128-bit GDDR4 - if the fan is loud I'll replace this card with the fanless version
DVD: LG Black Blu-ray/HD DVD-ROM & 16X DVD±R DVD Burner Model GGC-H20L - I own all three formats; Blu, HD, and SD dvds so this is a big part of why I built this. All three formats in one little case!!
Hard Drive: Patriot PE32GS25SSDR 2.5" 32GB SATA II Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - thought I'd test out a SSD. Just need the O/S and little software. Movies will be stored on separate server.

So that's it for now. I'm sure I'll add more toys to it later. If it sucks, I can always gut it and start over! LOL

YouTube vid from ComputerTV on the SSD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U4SBkGcnlo

Flips

03-31-09, 08:47 PM

dbone1026

03-31-09, 09:55 PM

LMAO dbone.. sounds like we are in the same camp. I think I found the final build.

How is the interface for Sage? I was looking for an official Sage thread here but I can't find one... anyone? bueller? :D

-Brian

Brian,

I jsut posted my write up of the HD200 over at my blog, this should give you an idea of the interface (can be used on an HTPC as well):

http://dbone1026.blogspot.com/2009/03/sagetv-hd200-inital-review-and-setup.html

renethx

04-01-09, 12:28 AM

What is the difference between the 2 motherboards that you recommended?
As for GPU, I'll stay with the one with the fan. Fanless will generate additional heat. I'll be buying the Xonar slim card and use it with this system, do you see any problem with it?

Thanks!
S2H supports Dolby Home Theater (good for S/PDIF users, in particular for gamers). US2H features "Ultra Durable 3" (more copper in PCB for lower system temperature). Either board is good, but US2H is cheaper and better for you as you won't use S/PDIF.

A good system.

renethx

04-01-09, 12:49 AM

Luck00

04-01-09, 05:28 AM

I choose an Omaura TF8 Case for my HTPC. It's a very "low-profile" case.

I have, on the mobo, a PhenomII CPU. I think its standard cooler it is not enought.

I cant find a "serious" CPU Coler with a vertical height <= 80mm

Could anyone help me in my search?

Thanks :)

renethx

04-01-09, 07:10 AM

rhinogooner

04-01-09, 07:30 AM

I have been using the diNovo mini. Unless you plan on doing some serious typing on your HTPC the mini does a great job. It is small so you can keep it hidden, and it is BT so the range is impressive (including out of sight)

I second the mini. It is an excellent little device. Having the keyboard functionality is fantastic and it has allowed me to extend the life of my Pronto Color another couple of years. I use the Pronto to switch everything to the PC and then pick up the little mini and that's it. Two remotes is not as good as one but unless you are willing to design an insanely expensive custom solution, go this route. Buy it and you will be happy.

Thank you both for your response. I guess the DiNovo Mini is the only option that fits my criteria.

I'll have to work on a scheme to convince the wife to accept spending just a bit more money. The cost of the HTPC build tested her limits already :D

After that I have to begin researching an acceptable extender for the TV my wife watches. I'll be taking a closer look at the HD200 that dbone recommends in the coming weeks. She doesn't know about that yet either ;)

lilsalmon

04-01-09, 08:17 AM

First thanks for your contribution! The AMD system is worth $100 extra cost.

Thanks again to you for all your time and effort here.

I assume I am going to gain in PQ and performance correct?

I already grabbed an HDHomeRun and your recommended LG Bluray drive last week to complete the build. I think I will be making my newegg order today.

-Lil'

renethx

04-01-09, 09:30 AM

I assume I am going to gain in PQ and performance correct?
Yes, and better HDMI audio.

lilsalmon

04-01-09, 09:49 AM

Cool thanks again. You are definetly an asset to the forums.

-Lil' (Brian)

davegod75

04-01-09, 03:22 PM

renethx.

what are your thoughts on these aopen systems?

http://global.aopen.com/Products.aspx?id=74

specifically the MP45-DR?

renethx

04-01-09, 03:28 PM

renethx.

what are your thoughts on these aopen systems?

http://global.aopen.com/Products.aspx?id=74

specifically the MP45-DR?
Should be good for both HD and SD. (But why not wait for NVIDIA Ion?)

Iteki

04-01-09, 03:31 PM

Should be good for both HD and SD. (But why not wait for NVIDIA Ion?)

How soon, do you think? Also, any word on Slyplayer?

Dalat

04-01-09, 03:32 PM

renethx,

I've settled on the microATX AMD/AMD low end system.

CPU: Athlon X2 5050e ADH5050DOBOX 2.6GHz AM2, $60.
CPU Cooler: Stock cooler, $0.
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-US2H AM2+ AMD 780G chipset microATX, $70.
Memory: A-DATA ADQVE1A16K DDR2-800 2 x 1GB Kit, $27.
Graphics Card: SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4550 DDR3 512MB, $60.
HDD: Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB SATA 3.0Gbps, $70.
PSU: 80 PLUS 350W ATX PSU (included in the case), $0
Case: Antec NSK1480 microATX, $94.
Total Cost: $391

What is the difference between the 2 motherboards that you recommended?
As for GPU, I'll stay with the one with the fan. Fanless will generate additional heat. I'll be buying the Xonar slim card and use it with this system, do you see any problem with it?

Thanks!

renethx,

I mostly buy PC stuff from newegg. Just went to compile a buy list. However, the video card that you recommended (4550) is not available, so I selected the SAPPHIRE 100255DDR4 Radeon HD 4670 512MB 128-bit GDDR4 . The WD hard drive is not available, so I got a Seagate (same capacity, same price). The Antec NSK1480 case is also NOT available. I don't know which to get for replacement. I'll send a donation soon. Please advise.

Thanks!!!

davegod75

04-01-09, 03:45 PM

Dalat

04-01-09, 03:48 PM

where did you find the case for that price?

As stated in my post above yours, that case is not available (at least not at newegg, where I buy my computer stuff). So I'm awaiting renethx's suggestion for another case.

davegod75

04-01-09, 03:49 PM

I am :)

edit.....waiting for the ION

renethx

04-01-09, 04:55 PM

How soon, do you think? Also, any word on Slyplayer?
First Nvidia Ion in Q2 2009 (http://www.fudzilla.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12595&Itemid=41).

SlyPlayer is expected this year (as you already know; no more information).

dbone1026

04-01-09, 05:00 PM

First Nvidia Ion in Q2 2009 (http://www.fudzilla.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12595&Itemid=41).

Renethx - I know there have been some reviews already on the Ion system. In your opinion, do you think the Ion system would equal the AMD/AMD system with 4670 GPU in terms of PQ, or would you still expect using a discrete GPU like the 4670 to be superior?

renethx

04-01-09, 05:02 PM

renethx,

I mostly buy PC stuff from newegg. Just went to compile a buy list. However, the video card that you recommended (4550) is not available, so I selected the SAPPHIRE 100255DDR4 Radeon HD 4670 512MB 128-bit GDDR4 . The WD hard drive is not available, so I got a Seagate (same capacity, same price). The Antec NSK1480 case is also NOT available. I don't know which to get for replacement. I'll send a donation soon. Please advise.
This Sapphire HD 4550 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102819) should be good. HD 4670 does not fit a low-profile case such as NSK1480. If you already ordered HD 4670, then buy NSK2480 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129034) (but it's only $100 at Provantage (http://www.provantage.com/antec-nsk2480~7ANTG04N.htm); NSK1480 is also available there (http://www.provantage.com/antec-nsk1480~7ANTG04W.htm)).

renethx

04-01-09, 05:05 PM

Renethx - I know there have been some reviews already on the Ion system. In your opinion, do you think the Ion system would equal the AMD/AMD system with 4670 GPU in terms of PQ, or would you still expect using a discrete GPU like the 4670 to be superior?
Definitely no. The main advantage of Ion is its small factor with reasonably good HD playback.

Iteki

04-01-09, 05:40 PM

SlyPlayer is expected this year (as you already know; no more information).

Sorry man, was hoping you had some insider info :-)

saxnix

04-01-09, 05:53 PM

Is the ATI dongle different from the 26xx line to the 46xx line? I have a spare one that I bought when I was using a HD2600, and now when I use it on my 4670 (to try to get dual displays working), I get a notification about it not passing sound/not working (can't remember exactly).

If they are different, can you provide a link of where I can buy one?
Thanks.

risk1994

04-01-09, 07:50 PM

Finally got the go ahead for new PVR...

Couple questions though, sounds like the best quality I can get from SD and HD (I really want the best in both catagories) is building the AMD/AMD with the discreet 4550. How much better if any would the 4670 be over the 4550 if at all, if so is it worth getting the 1g version or is the 512mb.

Also, whats the benefit of the 780g at all if your going discreet video anyway?

One other question, has anyone here used the Hauppauge HD PVR with either of these video cards? I hear those h.264 files require some horsepower and would hate to find out too late that my vid card cant hack it.

Thanks much

plainv70

04-01-09, 08:41 PM

...If you already ordered HD 4670, then buy NSK2480 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129034) (but it's only $100 at Provantage (http://www.provantage.com/antec-nsk2480~7ANTG04N.htm)

Here are some pictures of the Sapphire 512mb GDDR4 HD 4670 in an Antec 2480.

The other card is a Hauppauge HVR-1600; it's a tight fit, but nothing touches. The clearance is about 9-12mm between the top of the 4670 (blue card) and the top of the NSK2480; not much room.

The Sapphire HD 4670 GDDR4 is VERY quiet. It starts on high then quickly drops down in speed and idles at about 42-43DegC.

It is the fastest vid card I have ever owned and it shows. DVD playback is excellent, of course. Now I've got to get the HVR-1600 sorted out and test the OTA HD record/playback.

Thanks again Rene.

http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt222/plainv70/4e46ab36.jpg

http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt222/plainv70/8d6b1f6a.jpg

http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt222/plainv70/5786b2da.jpg

htman#1

04-01-09, 10:01 PM

About 8 weeks ago I built a system with the below listed components. Almost the exact high end ATX system suggested by renethx.

I'm expreriencing video tearing to the point that the picture is borderline unwatchable.

I'm using PowerDVD 8.0 Ultra for the player, but have experimented with Directshow and VLC. Both exibited similar tearing. Even tried PowerDVD 9.0

I initially installed XP, but have since installed Vista Ultimate 64. I read somewhere that Vista would solve the tearing problem. Unfortunately it did not.

I'm running J. River Media Center for the frontend. I've used both VMR9 and EVR renderers and neither seem to have an effect on the tearing.

Is there any chance that I have a defective video card?

I've got way to many hours in trying solve this problem and could really use a hand in troubleshooting this.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Hardware:
CPU: Core 2 Quad Q8300 2.50GHz LGA775
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS9500A LED
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA775 Intel P45 chipset ATX
Memory: A-DATA ADQVE1B16K DDR2-800 2 x 2GB Kit
Graphics Card: HIS H485QT512P Radeon HD 4850 GDDR3 512MB
PSU: Corsair CMPSU-620HX 620 PWR SPPLY

Other info:
Bios settings are all default
Running Catalyst 9.2 for Vista 64
AnyDVD and CloneDVD for ripping
Wait for Vertical Sync in Catalyst does not seem to have an effect.
Enabling hardware acceleration in PowerDVD does not seem to have an effect.

renethx

04-02-09, 02:49 AM

renethx

04-02-09, 02:56 AM

Finally got the go ahead for new PVR...

Couple questions though, sounds like the best quality I can get from SD and HD (I really want the best in both catagories) is building the AMD/AMD with the discreet 4550. How much better if any would the 4670 be over the 4550 if at all, if so is it worth getting the 1g version or is the 512mb.

Also, whats the benefit of the 780g at all if your going discreet video anyway?
4670 is better in post-processing (but not by far). Usaully 512MB is enough, go for 1GB for dual 1080p display.

Well, there are not many choices of AM2+/AM3 chipsets. Either 780G/790GX/790X/790FX or GeForce 8200/8300/nForce 750a/780a. None of the older chipsets supports HyperTransport 3.0 (so no CPU upgrade path in future) and SB is always weak.

renethx

04-02-09, 03:03 AM

saxnix

04-02-09, 03:04 AM

Thanks Rene.

saxnix

04-02-09, 03:48 AM

Next question....Storage.

My pc's (HTPC + WHS) are on 24x7 (haven't had much luck with S3 - but that is a different story). In the HTPC it/they would be used mainly for storing an ever-growning movie/tv collection.

Do they need to be server quality, or just regular drives?

16 vs 32 mb cache?

What is your recommendation with hard drives?

renethx

04-02-09, 04:20 AM

saxnix

04-02-09, 04:49 AM

Thank you.

htman#1

04-02-09, 05:57 AM

Did you try ReClock? There are vsync options. This comes in place of DirectShow audio renderer so that can be used many DirectShow players (MPC-HC, ZP, JRiver MC, TMT2/3, PDVD8 etc.; not work with PDVD9 [for BD]/WinDVD because they use Media Foundation Class or VMC, though). Did you try to clean reinstall OS? If tearing appears in all three XP, Vista, Win7 right alfter clean install, then the video card might be deffective. Bad cables (not sure)? Try a different display?

Thanks renethx.

I did a clean install with Windows Vista 64 Ultimate. The tearing may have been reduced slightly immediately after the install, but certainly present. It is a bare bones installation with only the minimum required programs for DVD playback and ripping. This includes: PowerDVD, AnyDVD, CloneDVD, Avast (virus control), RealVNC, Catalyst and J. River.

As far as the video card being defective goes. I've got an ATI X1950Pro left over from a previous HTPC that I could install. I never used it for DVD playback so I don't know if it is even capable of such a task. Would it be worth trying?

I just recently installed reclock, but don't feel like I have fully explored it to say that it won't fix the problem, but the initial install have not done anything for it. I've read that Reclock does not work with 64 Bit Vista. Do you know if that is true or not?

I'll try a different cable as well.

Thanks again.

renethx

04-02-09, 06:16 AM

@htman#1

ReClock is a 32-bit application so it does not work with a 64-bit player such as WMP11 64-bit and VMC in Vista 64. It works fine with most other 32-bit players in Vista 64.

Speqtre

04-02-09, 09:48 AM

Thanks renethx.

I did a clean install with Windows Vista 64 Ultimate. The tearing may have been reduced slightly immediately after the install, but certainly present. It is a bare bones installation with only the minimum required programs for DVD playback and ripping. This includes: PowerDVD, AnyDVD, CloneDVD, Avast (virus control), RealVNC, Catalyst and J. River.

As far as the video card being defective goes. I've got an ATI X1950Pro left over from a previous HTPC that I could install. I never used it for DVD playback so I don't know if it is even capable of such a task. Would it be worth trying?

I just recently installed reclock, but don't feel like I have fully explored it to say that it won't fix the problem, but the initial install have not done anything for it. I've read that Reclock does not work with 64 Bit Vista. Do you know if that is true or not?

I'll try a different cable as well.

Thanks again.

htman#1 - not trying to offend or question your abilities here, but rather digging for info on how to help your situation: Would you consider yourself fairly knowledgable when building a pc, or is this build one of only a few?

risk1994

04-02-09, 10:48 AM

renethx

04-02-09, 11:04 AM

Does anyone know if the passive sapphire 4670 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102816 will fit in the NSK2480? Im wondering if that heat sinc is too tall to fit in the case and if it blocks a PCI slot, I need both.
It does not fit NSK2480/Fusion Remote (here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=16090978#post16090978)).

lilsalmon

04-02-09, 11:15 AM

Yes, and better HDMI audio.

Rene... last question before I order today..... I promise :D

Am I going to have any issue fitting the following video card in the following case?

VIDEO:Sapphire Radeon HD 4670 512MB 128-bit GDDR4 PCI Express 2.0 x16 - 100255DDR4

CASE: Silverstone LC13B-E

risk1994

04-02-09, 11:24 AM

It does not fit NSK2480/Fusion Remote (here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=16090978#post16090978)).

Thanks for the quick reply rene, darn...how about this card...http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161272, its much more expensive but It should fit and its passive which I really want. The card you recommend will take up a free PCI slot no? I need both.

renethx

04-02-09, 11:25 AM

Rene... last question before I order today..... I promise :D

Am I going to have any issue fitting the following video card in the following case?

VIDEO:Sapphire Radeon HD 4670 512MB 128-bit GDDR4 PCI Express 2.0 x16 - 100255DDR4

CASE: Silverstone LC13B-E
No problem. It just occupies two slots.

renethx

04-02-09, 11:28 AM

Thanks for the quick reply rene, darn...how about this card...http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161272, its much more expensive but It should fit and its passive which I really want. The card you recommend will take up a free PCI slot no? I need both.
It should fit the case.

lilsalmon

04-02-09, 11:42 AM

No problem. It just occupies two slots.

Thanks your a life saver.

-Lil' (Brian)

risk1994

04-02-09, 11:43 AM

It should fit the case.

Thanks so much rene, last question, do you feel that heat will be a much bigger issue with this passive card as opposed to one on the 4550? I guess Im having a hard time deciding between the two. Noise and PQ are my priorities and if the 4670 is better at PQ (even if its like$40 more) its worth it, however if its only like 5% better PQ and Im going to introduce heat issues its probably not worth it...

I guess Im being indecisive, Ive been planning for so long I dont want to get the wrong thing...which of the two would you go with if you were going to be doing SD, HD and BR and wanted a Fanless system in a 2640 (except for 1 120mm case fan)

Sabrosa

04-02-09, 11:49 AM

renethx

04-02-09, 11:58 AM

Thanks so much rene, last question, do you feel that heat will be a much bigger issue with this passive card as opposed to one on the 4550? I guess Im having a hard time deciding between the two. Noise and PQ are my priorities and if the 4670 is better at PQ (even if its like$40 more) its worth it, however if its only like 5% better PQ and Im going to introduce heat issues its probably not worth it...

I guess Im being indecisive, Ive been planning for so long I dont want to get the wrong thing...which of the two would you go with if you were going to be doing SD, HD and BR and wanted a Fanless system in a 2640 (except for 1 120mm case fan)
Yes, heat is a problem with HD 4670. Once the fan of the Sapphire HD 4670 GDDR4 card stopped because the ATX12V power cable blocked fan rotating. The video card stopped sending video signals in five minutes (at idle) perhaps because of overheating.

I would go with the Sapphire HD 4550 fanless card.

vanylapep

04-02-09, 12:01 PM

http://www.niveusmedia.com/products/zone.html

http://www.niveusmedia.com/images/products/zone/zone_intro.jpg

renethx

04-02-09, 12:03 PM

Ok, so I just got all my parts in yesterday and assembled everything in the case.

Now, here's the problem, everything receives power (power supply, case LCD, case fans, video fan, hard drive, BD drive); however, the computer does not boot up.
Remove all the components from the mb and install only CPU, CPU cooler, one stick of memory (try a different memory slot), video card. Attach PSU cables and front power button cable to the mb. See if you see BIOS screen on the display.

BTW GA-MA78GM-US2H+5050e+A-DATA works fine whatever GIGABYTE website says.

risk1994

04-02-09, 12:37 PM

I would go with the Sapphire HD 4550 fanless card.

DONE! Thanks much rene, Ive been reading this thread since you created it and I FINALLY got around to ordering my parts (the AMD/AMD build with 4550 fanless).. Thanks to you and the community here I feel like I had a solid understanding of what I was ordering and that the money was used as efficiently as possible. I would NEVER have had enough time to research all this on my own.

Ill post some pics/results when I get my hardware...thanks again.

lilsalmon

04-02-09, 12:53 PM

No problem. It just occupies two slots.

Order is placed. Newegg should have it at my door probably Monday. Thanks again everyone.

-Lil' (Brian)

rhinogooner

04-02-09, 12:58 PM

dbone1026

04-02-09, 01:20 PM

Now that I have my HTPC set up in my living room and everything appears to be functioning correctly, my next step is to make it as functional and easy to use as I can in anticipation of cancelling DirecTV.

I've been playing around with WMC, but I'm not convinced it is going to provide me with the ability to play and record all of the content I desire. I want to really streamline my set up so that it is as close to the simplicity and quality of watching and recording programming and sporting events as it is with DirecTV and a DVR. You know, WAF and all :D

Can anyone provide me with any websites or forums that are particularly useful for the stage I am at?

I'm looking for reviews/comparisons of WMC, SageTV, MythTV, Beyond TV, etc. And guidance to help with set up of various tools for getting the most out of an HTPC. I'm also looking for information regarding apps and add-ons that are useful (commercial skip, playing online content, movie downloads, etc).

I've bookmarked The Green Button and Missing Remote but I haven't spent much time exploring these websites yet. Are there any that you would recommend more highly? I should check the AVS Forum to see if there is a thread for this topic.

Ah, the holy grail, what to use... I have tried most of them and go back and forth between VMC and SageTV. I have done a few writeups on my blog (http://dbone1026.blogspot.com) as well as a comparison of different softwar on mediasmartver (http://www.mediasmartserver.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=3054).

Other sites I track (you already noted TGB and missing remote so I won't include those):

- www.geektonic.com (Best source for SageTV content, there is a link at the top of the webpage that has a "guide" to SageTV)
- http://mediacenter.irreverentblogs.com/
- http://www.thehtpc.net/
- http://htpc.irreverentblogs.com/
- http://hack7mc.dreamhosters.com/
- http://www.engadget.com

And of course check out the forums for the different products:

SageTV Forum - http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/
GB PVR Forum - http://forums.gbpvr.com/
MediaPortal - http://forum.team-mediaportal.com/
Meedios - http://www.meedios.com/forum/

I am sure there are a ton others out there, but this is a good starting point. Hope this helps.

EDIT - I did not mention XBMC since you are looking for PVR functionality

Iteki

04-02-09, 02:53 PM

http://www.niveusmedia.com/products/zone.html

http://www.niveusmedia.com/images/products/zone/zone_intro.jpg

Saw that too (engadget I think)...it's pricey at $1500

risk1994

04-02-09, 03:14 PM

I'm looking for reviews/comparisons of WMC, SageTV, MythTV, Beyond TV, etc. And guidance to help with set up of various tools for getting the most out of an HTPC.

Ive been using BeyondTV for years now. Its very easy to set up and the WAF is very high. I dont believe its as configurable as Sage and it doesnt have the built in apps like movie/music library, but It cant be beat for stability and ease of use. I was looking to make my HTPC as much of an appliance as possible, I didnt want to have to tinker with it once up and running and I wanted it to be easy for the family to use. BTV fit the bill perfectly. The only real issue I've seen is that setting up QAM is a bit of a pain (although thats just a one time set up), not sure how the others are in that respect.

For those other apps I use Meedio, set up is definetely a niusance but its free and stable and does everything I want. Plus theres a good community building new plugins and providing support.

dplate

04-02-09, 04:34 PM

First Thread

case: ANTEC 900 (have)
PSU: RAIDMAX RX-700 (have)
MoBo: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P
CPU: INTEL E8500
COOLER: Arctic cooler freezer pro 7
RAM: Corsair Dominator TWIN2X4096-8500C5D (have)
GPU: Sapphire HD 4670 GDDR4
HDD: wd 6401aals 640gb 32MB
keyboard: Adress WKB-3200UB
BD: LG GGC-H20L
TUNER: ?
OS: Windows 7 (32 or 64)
Monitor/HDTV: 22" VIZIO VO22L (HDMI HDCP, Component, RGB

FEED #1
Receiver: ONKYO TX-SR674 7.1 (maybe HDMI 1.1)
Display: Panasonic TH-50PHD8UK 720P, 1080I (HDMI 1.1, Component, D-SUB 15P, RS-232C

FEED #2 (in future)
HDCP compliant receiver & Display

1. Any suggested changes or improvements ?

2. Windows 7, 32 or 64?

3. Can Blue-Ray Drive software down scale 1080P to1080I

4. How due deal with NON-HDCP in feed #1

5. Is NON-HDCP going to be a problem with streaming media?

6. How should I send 720P/1080I and 7.1 to feed # 1 about 35' away?

renethx

04-02-09, 04:53 PM

1. Any suggested changes or improvements ?

2. Windows 7, 32 or 64?

3. Can Blue-Ray Drive software down scale 1080P to1080I

4. How due deal with NON-HDCP in feed #1

5. Is NON-HDCP going to be a problem with streaming media?

6. How should I send 720P/1080I and 7.1 to feed # 1 about 35' away?
1. None.
2. Either one you like.
3. The graphics card supports 1080i.
4. Use AnyDVD HD. (Which device does not support HDCP?)
5. HDCP matters only when you play a BD movie with an AACS-compliant player (TMT, PDVD, WinDVD, Nero).

rhinogooner

04-02-09, 05:11 PM

Ah, the holy grail, what to use... I have tried most of them and go back and forth between VMC and SageTV. I have done a few writeups on my blog (http://dbone1026.blogspot.com) as well as a comparison of different softwar on mediasmartver (http://www.mediasmartserver.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=3054).

Other sites I track (you already noted TGB and missing remote so I won't include those):

- www.geektonic.com (Best source for SageTV content, there is a link at the top of the webpage that has a "guide" to SageTV)
- http://mediacenter.irreverentblogs.com/
- http://www.thehtpc.net/
- http://htpc.irreverentblogs.com/
- http://hack7mc.dreamhosters.com/
- http://www.engadget.com

And of course check out the forums for the different products:

SageTV Forum - http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/
GB PVR Forum - http://forums.gbpvr.com/
MediaPortal - http://forum.team-mediaportal.com/
Meedios - http://www.meedios.com/forum/

I am sure there are a ton others out there, but this is a good starting point. Hope this helps.

EDIT - I did not mention XBMC since you are looking for PVR functionality

Thanks for responding dbone. I didn't realize I was seeking something elusive here :eek:

And I thought selecting the specs for my HTPC build and assembling it were going to be the hard part! Sounds like I'm going to have to do quite a bit of digging.

I'll be sure to check out your blog. I did read your write up about the SageTV HD200 recently ;) Good info! I will be looking into purchasing an extender down the road. But I'd like to get my HTPC purring first.

I actually have a copy of MediaPortal that came with my case but I didn't load it because I read somewhere previously that VMC was superior.

The links you provided are definitely a good place to start, and I thank you for that! I'm concerned at this point about being able to watch and record programming within VMC from ESPN360, History Channel, Discovery Channel, TNT.com, and so on. Also, I have the Hauppauge WinTV 2250. When I connect my antenna to it, it only receives one OTA HD station clearly. When I connect my antenna directly to my HDTV, I receive 6 OTA HD stations clearly. So I have spend time reading websites that provide solutions for these issues or my wife will be severely put off at not being able to watch The Biggest Loser, Survivor, etc :rolleyes:

Forgive my naivety, but what does XBMC stand for?

dbone1026

04-02-09, 05:16 PM

Forgive my naivety, but what does XBMC stand for?

Haha, sorry about that, it is XBox Media Center. It is a media center app that was originally designed to "open up" modded xbox's, but now the software works with many other Operating Systems. XBMC is definitely up there in the Wow factor, but does not support pvr functionality. The website is here - www.xbmc.org.

Also, I should mention, the screenshots in my blog for the SageTV HD200 extender is the same interface you would have with SageTV on an HTPC

rhinogooner

04-02-09, 05:31 PM

Ive been using BeyondTV for years now. Its very easy to set up and the WAF is very high. I dont believe its as configurable as Sage and it doesnt have the built in apps like movie/music library, but It cant be beat for stability and ease of use. I was looking to make my HTPC as much of an appliance as possible, I didnt want to have to tinker with it once up and running and I wanted it to be easy for the family to use. BTV fit the bill perfectly. The only real issue I've seen is that setting up QAM is a bit of a pain (although thats just a one time set up), not sure how the others are in that respect.

For those other apps I use Meedio, set up is definetely a niusance but its free and stable and does everything I want. Plus theres a good community building new plugins and providing support.

Thanks for the input risk1994! I will take a look at BeyondTV and Meedio.

rhinogooner

04-02-09, 05:39 PM

Haha, sorry about that, it is XBox Media Center. It is a media center app that was originally designed to "open up" modded xbox's, but now the software works with many other Operating Systems. XBMC is definitely up there in the Wow factor, but does not support pvr functionality. The website is here - www.xbmc.org.

Also, I should mention, the screenshots in my blog for the SageTV HD200 extender is the same interface you would have with SageTV on an HTPC

No worries, I had seen the acronym on this forum a few times but didn't know what it was. I thought I'd pick up on it eventually, but it wasn't coming clear to me so I figured I'd better ask :o

I like the WOW factor, but my head is spinning a bit at this point so ease of use is the priority currently. ;) Plus getting all of our common uses smoothed out in preparation of canceling DirecTV has to happen or my wife will never be convinced to let me spend more money to add the diNovo mini :D

So if I am considering a SageTV extender in the future, it would make sense to use SageTV on my HTPC?

dbone1026

04-02-09, 05:49 PM

So if I am considering a SageTV extender in the future, it would make sense to use SageTV on my HTPC?

You can run the HD200 as a standalone but really to get the most out of it you want to run it in extender mode, which means you will need to have SageTV loaded up on your HTPC/server. You can download the SageTV Media Center software free for 21 days to try out and see if it will work for you (the same steps I outlined in my blog for the HD200 would apply for your HTPC as the screenshots are from setting up on my HTPC, I just mirrored it exactly with the HD200). If you get it working and feel comfortable with it great. If not you can keep playing around with VMC, MediaPortal, Meedios, etc... I think (and correct me if I am wrong) that aside from SageTV VMC is the only other app that has extender support. Other extenders like the PCH are standalone products (I guess for the PCH you could use GB-PVR, but don't want to make your head spin anymore!!!)

Maxvla

04-02-09, 11:19 PM

Renethx,

Would it be wiser to use a AMD Athlon X2 4850E 2.5ghz 45W AM2 instead of the AMD Athlon X2 5200+ 2.7ghz 65W AM2 in the 21 drive media server? The current prices at Newegg are $59 for the 4850E and $55 for the 5200+. $4.00 for 20W and I can't see any performance difference besides the clockspeed.

The second system is a 21 HDD system in a server chassis.

System

* Case: NORCO RPC-4020 4U Rackmount EATX/ATX, $290.
* PSU: Corsair TX850W CMPSU-850TX 850W, $104.
* CPU: Athlon 64 X2 5200+ ADO5200DOBOX 2.7GHz AM2, $57.
* CPU Cooler: Stock Cooler, $0.
* Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA780G-UD3H AM2+ AMD 780G chipset ATX, $90.
* Memory: A-DATA ADQVE1A16K DDR2-800 2 x 1GB Kit, $27.
* Graphics: Radeon HD 3200 (integrated in the chipset), $0.
* HBA I: Supermicro AOC-SAT2-MV8 8-port SATA Controller PCI-X Card, $100.
* HBA II: Supermicro AOC-SAT2-MV8 8-port SATA Controller PCI-X Card, $100.
* HDD: Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB SATA 3.0Gbps, $70.
* Total Cost: $838 (storage drives are not included)

renethx

04-02-09, 11:29 PM

rhinogooner

04-03-09, 07:56 AM

You can run the HD200 as a standalone but really to get the most out of it you want to run it in extender mode, which means you will need to have SageTV loaded up on your HTPC/server. You can download the SageTV Media Center software free for 21 days to try out and see if it will work for you (the same steps I outlined in my blog for the HD200 would apply for your HTPC as the screenshots are from setting up on my HTPC, I just mirrored it exactly with the HD200). If you get it working and feel comfortable with it great. If not you can keep playing around with VMC, MediaPortal, Meedios, etc... I think (and correct me if I am wrong) that aside from SageTV VMC is the only other app that has extender support. Other extenders like the PCH are standalone products (I guess for the PCH you could use GB-PVR, but don't want to make your head spin anymore!!!)

Thanks dbone. I know where to go when I begin researching extenders (you can make my head spin when that time comes :D)

andross77

04-03-09, 09:56 AM

i asked this in the htpc section but this seems more active. i just bought an ati hd4830 card and have a asus p5ad2-e mobo. the mobo has sound on it. i connected the vga card to my samsung lcd via hdmi. everything works except the sound. it is enabled in the BIOS and device manager says it's working properly and up to date. i'm running vista. I want it to come through 2 stereo speakers i have hooked up to a stereo receiver that is hooked up to the samsung tv.

where did i go wrong? =)

Iteki

04-03-09, 10:17 AM

andross77

04-03-09, 10:28 AM

You may have to switch sources within vista?

where would i do that? my original sound card that i had installed doesn't show up anymore because i had to completely remove it. so i only can get sound from my onboard sound.

renethx

04-03-09, 10:47 AM

where would i do that? my original sound card that i had installed doesn't show up anymore because i had to completely remove it. so i only can get sound from my onboard sound.
You should see a couple of sound playback devices like this (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1029603#SoundDialogBox). You have to choose the correct one.

htman#1

04-03-09, 12:22 PM

htman#1 - not trying to offend or question your abilities here, but rather digging for info on how to help your situation: Would you consider yourself fairly knowledgable when building a pc, or is this build one of only a few?

Speqtre

No offense taken what-so-ever. Also, sorry for the slow reply.

I do not consider myself to be overly knowlegdable about PC's. I've built several of them over the years and can figure out the easy stuff. I'm comfortable trying about anything from both the hardware and software standpoints. The worse that can happen is I smoke the hardware or have to reformat and reinstall the OS and applications. But, I'm really clueless on this problem. I built the "high end" ATX system spec'd by renethx and spent over $100 on PowerDVD because I did not want to have to deal with issues like this.

Here's a little more info. I can put a DVD in the drive and simply run PowerDVD by itself (without J. River or any other front end) and still get tearing. I've turned off as many processes as I can to make sure that no other applications are causing the problem. This tells me that either PowerDVD is not up to the task or I've got a hardware problem. Maybe that is too simplistic, but I'm on my second OS install and have kept things pretty simple.

I've currently got a HIS Digital 4850 video card installed, but I'm taking an Nvidia 9600 from work home with me tonight to try. I'll let you know the results of that test.

Assuming that does not work any other ideas on how to go about troubleshooting this will really be appreciated.

Thanks again.

andross77

04-03-09, 12:29 PM

You should see a couple of sound playback devices like this (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1029603#SoundDialogBox). You have to choose the correct one.

that's what i have. but only the bottom one. The realtek digital output that looks like a dvd drive. that's the only one that shows up and it says it's on and working. Is that right? or should i have the others too?

renethx

04-03-09, 12:51 PM

that's what i have. but only the bottom one. The realtek digital output that looks like a dvd drive. that's the only one that shows up and it says it's on and working. Is that right? or should i have the others too?
Your mb is ASUS P5AD2-E Intel 925XE chipset ATX (http://www.asus.com/Product.aspx?P_ID=qg3yReUze5xAYw2K), right? Then you should see two sound playback devices:

- Realtek HDMI Output (audio codec on Radeon HD 4830)
- C-Media Digital Ouptut (onboard audio codec)

To see these devices, you have to install correct drivers. I mentioned Realtek ATI HDMI Audio Device driver in another thread. The problem is that it looks like there is no Vista driver for C-Media CMI9880L audio codec (did you find it?). So perhaps this audio chip does not work correctly with Vista.

andross77

04-03-09, 02:35 PM

Your mb is ASUS P5AD2-E Intel 925XE chipset ATX (http://www.asus.com/Product.aspx?P_ID=qg3yReUze5xAYw2K), right? Then you should see two sound playback devices:

- Realtek HDMI Output (audio codec on Radeon HD 4830)
- C-Media Digital Ouptut (onboard audio codec)

To see these devices, you have to install correct drivers. I mentioned Realtek ATI HDMI Audio Device driver in another thread. The problem is that it looks like there is no Vista driver for C-Media CMI9880L audio codec (did you find it?). So perhaps this audio chip does not work correctly with Vista.

that is exactly my motherboard. that would SUCK if the audio chip did not work with vista :) What would be a work around?

Plus if i install the realtek hdmi output audio codec, shouldn't i get sound from the speakers? i thought since my VGA card is hooked into my pc power supply and i have an hdmi cable going from my VGA card to my tv and my tv has audio connections to the receiver which is hooked to the speakers....i should be good :)

No? i am going to install that realtek codec the second i get home and pray that fixes it. i'm very hopeful at this point because i didn't see that before :)

Nosferax

04-03-09, 02:50 PM

that is exactly my motherboard. that would SUCK if the audio chip did not work with vista :) What would be a work around?

Plus if i install the realtek hdmi output audio codec, shouldn't i get sound from the speakers? i thought since my VGA card is hooked into my pc power supply and i have an hdmi cable going from my VGA card to my tv and my tv has audio connections to the receiver which is hooked to the speakers....i should be good :)

No? i am going to install that realtek codec the second i get home and pray that fixes it. i'm very hopeful at this point because i didn't see that before :)

Errrrr no. Connecting your power supply to the video card as nothing to do with your audio... That is like saying that since I put some beer in the fridge I should be getting drunk on my couch :p

The alternative if your onboard sound chip isn't recognized by vista is simply to buy a pci sound card like the soundblaster x-fi or some other.

renethx

04-03-09, 02:50 PM

that is exactly my motherboard. that would SUCK if the audio chip did not work with vista :) What would be a work around?

Plus if i install the realtek hdmi output audio codec, shouldn't i get sound from the speakers? i thought since my VGA card is hooked into my pc power supply and i have an hdmi cable going from my VGA card to my tv and my tv has audio connections to the receiver which is hooked to the speakers....i should be good :)

No? i am going to install that realtek codec the second i get home and pray that fixes it. i'm very hopeful at this point because i didn't see that before :)
Realtek HDMI Output is HDMI audio as the name indicates. Just

- connect HD 4830 to TV via HDMI
- connect TV to the receiver via optical or coaxial digital cable, or analog cable.

Then you should get stereo sounds.

Another workaround is add a cheap sound card (such as Diamond Xtreme So (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=Diamond+XS71&cid=1213460537667622707&scoring=p#ps-sellers)und XS71; supports both digital out and analog outs).

hgeblome

04-03-09, 04:02 PM

Can anyone suggest a good microATX case that is less than 14 inches deep and less than 8 inches tall? Width doesn't really matter. Do I need to think about going ITX? Thanks!

andross77

04-03-09, 04:19 PM

Errrrr no. Connecting your power supply to the video card as nothing to do with your audio... That is like saying that since I put some beer in the fridge I should be getting drunk on my couch :p

The alternative if your onboard sound chip isn't recognized by vista is simply to buy a pci sound card like the soundblaster x-fi or some other.

Realtek HDMI Output is HDMI audio as the name indicates. Just

- connect HD 4830 to TV via HDMI
- connect TV to the receiver via optical or coaxial digital cable, or analog cable.

Then you should get stereo sounds.

Another workaround is add a cheap sound card (such as Diamond Xtreme So (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=Diamond+XS71&cid=1213460537667622707&scoring=p#ps-sellers)und XS71; supports both digital out and analog outs).

thanks so much guys. my problem is since i put in the videocard it takes up way too much room. i actually can't fit a separate sound card in right now (actually i maybe could but that would require taking apart everything and i don't have the know-how to do that :)). is there another workaround? like buying an external sound card that sits on top of my case and looks ugly just like an external hard drive?

i really want this to work as this was a great deal on that videocard and the only thing not working atm is the sound. in about 2 hours i'll know if downloading those realtek hdmi audio codecs fixes the issue.

renethx

04-03-09, 04:22 PM

@andross77

Then using HDMI audio is the easiest and cheapest way.

andross77

04-03-09, 04:40 PM

@andross77

Then using HDMI audio is the easiest and cheapest way.

ok, but what you're saying is that if i download the codecs and it still doesn't work it probably means Vista doesn't support that 2nd thing you told me to download and then i'm just screwed? :)

I wouldn't have the slightest clue how to transfer everything on to a fresh XP load.

renethx

04-03-09, 04:45 PM

ok, but what you're saying is that if i download the codecs and it still doesn't work it probably means Vista doesn't support that 2nd thing you told me to download and then i'm just screwed? :)

I wouldn't have the slightest clue how to transfer everything on to a fresh XP load.
It could be that your mb is too old (even the mb chipset driver for Vista is not available) to support the Radeon HDMI audio. But it's worth trying.

Nosferax

04-03-09, 06:16 PM

Why are you so set at using vista in the first place. You could just drop XP on this box and enjoy your hardware...

If it is because of Media Center, then just use one of the 12 or so frontend on xp that does essentialy the same thing.

cwstnsko

04-03-09, 09:23 PM

Can anyone suggest a good microATX case that is less than 14 inches deep and less than 8 inches tall? Width doesn't really matter. Do I need to think about going ITX? Thanks!

The only one I know of that comes close to the 14" depth you are looking for is the MonCaso 312, and it's 14.5 according to the specs on their website.

Chris W

ilovejedd

04-03-09, 09:44 PM

Can anyone suggest a good microATX case that is less than 14 inches deep and less than 8 inches tall? Width doesn't really matter. Do I need to think about going ITX? Thanks!
The Silverstone LC02 looks like it might work.
http://www.silverstonetek.com/products/p_spec.php?pno=lc02&area=usa

hgeblome

04-03-09, 10:24 PM

Thanks for the suggestions.
The MonCaso is a bit spendy but looks pretty nice.
The LC02 seems to be what I'm looking for. It's only 11.6 inches deep and it takes full ATX boards!? Why can't more HTPC cases be built like this? It seems logical. Most home theater components (AVRs, DVD players, etc.) are wider than they are deep.

Edit: Damn. Looks like it only takes slim optical drives (and it's a little out of budget anyway).

notslow

04-03-09, 11:12 PM

No, no bottom fan. I have a 92mm blowing in on the HD's, and an 80mm blowing in on the graphics card. I also have the power supply turned around so it exhausts air from the case, instead of just bringing in outside air for just the PSU.

How did you mount the 80mm fan by the graphics card? My case has no mounting holes there, just the vent.

Not sure about PSU direction yet. I'm using the MODU82+. I've read that pulling air from the case with the PSU can make the fan ramp up speed because of the extra heat. Anyone else have opinions on this?

jdcrox

04-04-09, 12:57 AM

How did you mount the 80mm fan by the graphics card? My case has no mounting holes there, just the vent.

Not sure about PSU direction yet. I'm using the MODU82+. I've read that pulling air from the case with the PSU can make the fan ramp up speed because of the extra heat. Anyone else have opinions on this?

Heh, double-stick foam tape, believe it or not. ;)

notslow

04-04-09, 01:21 AM

Heh, double-stick foam tape, believe it or not. ;)

LoL, actually I can see that working. Some of that stuff holds like nails. I might give that a try?

ehudmi

04-05-09, 05:07 AM

Hi Everybody,

I wonder if it's possible to use the ASUS N10J notebook as a low-end htpc. It has a GeForce 9300 graphics card.
Anyone ever tried that?

Ehud

jp87125

04-05-09, 11:29 AM

Iteki

04-05-09, 12:37 PM

This is my first post. I may have missed someone discussing this previously, but this is a large thread. I currently have a Dell Precision T5400 that I can use exclusively for an HTPC. Basic specs are:
Quad Core Intel Xeon Processor E5420 2.5 Ghz
4GB Ram
Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit
Going to upgrade hard drives to 2 TB
From what I've read, I should need the following:
Optical drive (LG GGC-H20L Blueray/HD DVD Rom)
Sound card (?)
Graphics card (HIS Radeon HD 4850 GDDR3 512Mb)
What I'm thinking of using this HTPC for:
Server to rip and store movies and cover art (using Control 4 for interface)
Playback of movies

Am I missing something ? Will this system perform well for what I'm looking for ?

Thanks-
Joe.

A motherboard with the features you want (eSata? Firewire? SPIF, optical?), and a case. Sound card will depend on whether you want the ability to do lossless HD Audio (DTS HD and DOLBY TRUE HD). If you do, you'll need the Xonar AV 1.3 card. Otherwise the 4850 should do Dolby and DTS from DVDs just fine.

jp87125

04-05-09, 04:44 PM

A motherboard with the features you want (eSata? Firewire? SPIF, optical?), and a case. Sound card will depend on whether you want the ability to do lossless HD Audio (DTS HD and DOLBY TRUE HD). If you do, you'll need the Xonar AV 1.3 card. Otherwise the 4850 should do Dolby and DTS from DVDs just fine.

I'm sorry. I didn't put all the info. I have a brand new Dell Precision T5400 that I can use as the starting point for the HTPC. I'm looking to see if a T5400 will be able to stream HD content without hiccupping. And if so, what are the peripherals needed. I assume, with the right equipment, I should be able to use it as a media server, blue ray/HD DVD player, and HD tv DVR, correct ?

Thanks again.

renethx

04-05-09, 04:59 PM

This is my first post. I may have missed someone discussing this previously, but this is a large thread. I currently have a Dell Precision T5400 that I can use exclusively for an HTPC. Basic specs are:
Quad Core Intel Xeon Processor E5420 2.5 Ghz
4GB Ram
Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit
Going to upgrade hard drives to 2 TB
From what I've read, I should need the following:
Optical drive (LG GGC-H20L Blueray/HD DVD Rom)
Sound card (?)
Graphics card (HIS Radeon HD 4850 GDDR3 512Mb)
What I'm thinking of using this HTPC for:
Server to rip and store movies and cover art (using Control 4 for interface)
Playback of movies

Am I missing something ? Will this system perform well for what I'm looking for ?
The processor is a bit overkill unless you do encoding. The graphics card HD 4850 is also overkill unless you do gaming, HD 4670 is enough. LG GGC-H20L should be good. Don't forget remote control. I think these are what you need for HTPC.

Sound card is optional. If your receiver supports HDMI, then use HDMI audio from HD 4xxx. If your receiver does not support HDMI, then use S/PDIF from the mb (assuming the mb has S/PDIF port). If your receiver supports HD audio decoding and you want HD audio bitstreaming, then you will need ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3.

mrCide

04-05-09, 05:04 PM

Bit late to the game here but I've been reading some and trying my best to figure things out. Here's my story -- I currently have a 50" 1080i Sony TV, an xbox360, a nice HK receiver with some nice Klipsch speakers. Currently I watch DVDs on the 360 and do DD5.1 to the audio system. All is well there.

I have standard cable (through HOA) so instead of paying extra I decided to put together old parts for a little media center PC. It's basically a p4-3.0 with a gig of RAM running MCE2005. I installed a Hauppauge WinTV-HVR 1600 dual(?) tuner card so I can have my OTA (for HD) tuner and Comcast SD cable hooked up. Also the MCE DVR and streaming network media/movies/whatever is nice.

I'm running into some issues with it though now. 1.) Too loud (crappy fans, GPU fan dying). 2.) System reboots itself when playing/recording HD content from OTA like it can't handle processing it. 3.) Slow. Old ATA drive, won't handle Vista or higher media center. 4.) Won't support any special DVD/audio playback, only will do 2ch audio. 5.) MCE2005 doesn't seem to like certain playbacks, sometimes freezes, sometimes won't play (h.264 stuff for example). Also it's all hooked up via VGA and I'd like to go HDMI.

What I WANT to do is get something solid now and that will be ready for when I get a 1080p TV at some point, including DVD and BD playback. I want the same functionality I have now OTA/cable wise but with the latest/greatest software and no AVI/video playback/speed issues. Also maybe storing the media instead of streaming it. Here's what I got based on some forum research:

1.) GIGABYTE GA-E7AUM-DS2H
2.) SILVERSTONE Black Aluminum / Steel LC13B-E
3.) Intel Pentium E5200 Wolfdale 2.5GHz LGA 775
4.) G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800
5.) CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX 400W
6.) Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EADS 1TB SATA 3.0Gb/s
7.) LG Black Blu-ray/HD DVD-ROM & 16X DVD±R DVD Burner SATA Model GGC-H20L
8.) Vista or Win7 x64 or higher OS
9.) HDMI cable

I'm also looking at options for a smaller case. I like the Lian-Li PC-C37B Micro ATX, but that means the Haup card I have now won't fit in it. So I'm looking at an AverMedia card (AVerTV Combo PCIe ATSC/NTSC/QAM TV) or Hauppauge HVR-2250. Both of them have low-profile support but the problem with the latter seems to be that I can't have both OTA antenna and SD cable hooked up so I'd have to buy 2 or something? Breaks my budget..

So, am I missing anything? It seems like I won't be able to do audio over HDMI but will this be an issue in terms of either TV or DD5.1 playback to receiver? I don't want to make a mistake before purchasing. Any advice/comments/recommendations are appreciated.