Guide to Building a HD HTPC [Text View] - Page 36

snedecor

06-18-09, 02:49 PM

I am watching Hulu at 1080 with Athlon X2 7750 2.7GHz and GeForce 8300. CPU usage is 65%-85% and playback is mostly very smooth. You will see similar results with E5200+GF9300.

However, it seems that the E5200 may be on the edge, as you said back in May, when someone posted a E5200/GF9300 build and asked if it would be OK...:

1. It's hard to imagine that you can't install Windows from a USB device. Should you fail, you can attach the LG drive to a SATA port temporarily to install OS.
2. Yes. USB 2.0 has more than 8 times the bandwidth necessary for BD streaming.
3. Yes (except for Hulu at full screen for which you may want a better processor such as E7400).

I think I'm going to move up to the E7400 or the E8xxx series, to give my system a little breathing room.

Thanks for the advice!

Snedecor

Monkeyface66

06-18-09, 06:44 PM

.
AMD/NVIDIA

Low-End System

CPU: Athlon X2 7750 Black Edition AD775ZWCGHBOX 2.7GHz AM2+, $60.
Motherboard: ASUS M3N78-EM AM2+ GeForce 8300 mGPU microATX, $90.

What was the reason that you no longer recommend the MSI K9N2GM-FIH in favour of the ASUS M3N78-EM?

Doesn't the ASUS M3N78-EM consume +40W more power while watching a Blu-ray compared to the MSI K9N2GM-FIH?

Source:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15356946#post15356946

bmcent1

06-18-09, 08:05 PM

Is your problem this one (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=130977&d=1232773970)? I saw several people reported this problem with older mbs released in 2004 and earlier (HP z555, a P915 chipset system (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15652388#post15652388), for example). Perhaps struggling with it is a waste of time. Buying a new mb is the only solution.

Yes renethx! Da ja vu! ;-) I've seen that screen image many times while trying to get this to work.

You are most likely right that a mobo upgrade should fix it. But then I will need new RAM and a new CPU most likely too. Unless...

I could find a good ATX form factor board that will support modern processors like the E8400 but still work with my older DDR2 PC800 RAM and Pentium 4 3.2 processor. Hey... this might work (and should look familiar to you :)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358

Can you see any reason that board would give me trouble with my older 775 processor and DDR2-800 RAM?

renethx

06-18-09, 08:11 PM

However, it seems that the E5200 may be on the edge, as you said back in May, when someone posted a E5200/GF9300 build and asked if it would be OK...:
Yes, 85%-90% CPU usage may not be comfortable for everyone...

renethx

06-18-09, 08:14 PM

What was the reason that you no longer recommend the MSI K9N2GM-FIH in favour of the ASUS M3N78-EM?

Doesn't the ASUS M3N78-EM consume +40W more power while watching a Blu-ray compared to the MSI K9N2GM-FIH?

Source:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15356946#post15356946
At the last update of the guide, MSI K9N2GM-FIH was sold out at almost every place (perhaps discontinued by MSI). And +40W is not a so big issue if you live in US.

renethx

06-18-09, 08:16 PM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358

Can you see any reason that board would give me trouble with my older 775 processor and DDR2-800 RAM?
No. The board should work fine with your old processor (but make sure it is on the CPU compatibility list).

tvted

06-18-09, 09:09 PM

Its been a while since I built a box but the future is looming.

I've only used SATA drives for data never the O/S. Any opinion on small IDE vs small SATA for an O/S dedicated drive? Issues I might have to be aware of?

I've got both on hand just need to make a decision. The box will initially be an upgraded video server with some HTPC duties but will eventually become a dedicated server for 2 or 3 media clients.

thanks for any input,
ted

gfortune1981

06-19-09, 02:26 AM

What is any person's opinion concerning using the DFI BI P45-T2RS as a server and media center? I also would appreciate any recommendations on whiich box to use for this motherboard. I will be using a 4000X series AMD card.

Thanks!

Gary

stoneburner

06-19-09, 04:41 AM

I see the wireless 7000 is recommended for the input devices but the price is listed at $110. Directron has it for $60-70 in a brown box and occasionally has it for $50 as an open box item. I just got the open box version and it works great, far better than my logitech s510.

Glenstorm

06-19-09, 05:00 AM

Hi, this is my first HTPC build, so I'd appreciate if someone could give it a quick once-over for me. I mostly stuck with the recommendations, as my prior building experiences have been budget-midrange gaming rigs, so I have little experience with onboard video

Requirements: BD playback, Timeshifting, Recording OTA HD and SD cable(from comcast, no premium channels), hulu

Primary Goal: Minimize noise/power usage
Secondary Goal: Minimize cose ;)

The Build:
Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-E7AUM-DS2H $130
Processor: Intel Pentium E5200 $70
Case/PSU: IN WIN IW-BK623.BN300BL 300W $60
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EADS 1TB $85
RAM: 2x1G of whatever good stuff is cheap when I order

Tuner: AVerMedia AVerTVHD Duet - PCTV Tuner MTVHDDUWB $60
Optical Drive: LITE-ON Black 4X Blu-Ray DVD Drive SATA Model DH-4O1S-58 $80

Edit: Seems I cant post the newegg links for this stuff, sorry

Dagatech

06-19-09, 09:32 AM

handi

06-19-09, 12:10 PM

OK I have a friend building me a HTPC and I just wanted to run things by the forum first to make sure everything looks good. Main goal of the system is 1080p playback via hdmi. Thanks

Video Card - EVGA 512-P3-N954-TR GeForce 9500 GT 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

DVD Drive - LG Black 6X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 6X BD-ROM 4MB Cache SATA Internal Blu-ray Burner 6X Blu-ray Disc Burner & HD DVD-ROM Drive Model GGW-H20L

Mother Board - GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard

Power Supply - Rosewill RP500-2 500W ATX12V v2.01 Power Supply

Ram - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK

Processor - Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 Wolfdale 2.8GHz 3MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor

Hard Drives - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives

WalkinPaul

06-19-09, 02:21 PM

However, it seems that the E5200 may be on the edge, as you said back in May, when someone posted a E5200/GF9300 build and asked if it would be OK...:

I think I'm going to move up to the E7400 or the E8xxx series, to give my system a little breathing room.

Thanks for the advice!

Snedecor

I ended up going with the E8400, and Hulu runs around 25-35%, if I remember correctly. It's very smooth. I may be adding a video card for some light gaming and wanted a little more HP. The E8400 is also a 65 Watt part.

So, I'm going to postulate that the E7400 would be somewhere around 45-55%. YMMV.

My system current draw is around 43W at idle, measured at the A/C plug with a multimeter.

System specs are in my public profile page under the "about me" tab.

Glenstorm

06-19-09, 05:56 PM

@Glenstorm - I have the AVerTVHD Duet, and while it works well for OTA HD in media center (not mediaportal), it doesn't have an NTSC tuner. Thus, if you're plugging in Comcast, you'll only get the ClearQAM channels, not the regular SD channels.

Oh, thank you very much. I found the card just before I posted, and it slipped my mind to check for that. I'll be falling back on the Hauppauge WinTV-HVR 1800 then.

nrk7001

06-19-09, 08:30 PM

Ok, so I pulled the trigger. I went with the Premium Intel/AMD recommended equipment with Windows 7 64bit install (i7 2.67mhz, Gigabyte x58 UD5, 6GB Ram, ATi 4980, Energymax PS, silverstone case). I installed all components and windows 7 on first attempt! Now that was unexpected, all is good. Now, Is there a thread with some recommended software downloads, tweaks, and advice one all hooked up? I can figure it out on my own, but now Im second guessing if I need cetain software installed or not. thanks for the help.

sschen

06-19-09, 09:16 PM

Guys

If I can get some feedback here regarding this setup, that will be much appreciated.

I am building a blend between the High-End and Premium-End ATX system, and have sort of decided on the following components:

CPU: Core 2 Quad Q8400 2.66GHz LGA775
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-EP45T-UD3P LGA775 Intel P45 chipset ATX (this motherboard takes DDR3, instead of DDR2)
Memory: CORSAIR TWIN3XDHX 4GB KIT PC10600 1333M# [TW3X4G1333C9DHX ]
Graphics Card (AMD): Radeon HD 4890 GDDR5 1GB
Case: Antec Sonata III with 500W PSU

My first question is whether there is any real advantage performance wise using a DDR3 motherboard on a Quad core platform. The motherboard is only slightly more expensive than the DDR2 version and I only upgrade my computer once every three years. I was more thinking about later when DDR3 may become more mainstream and easier to buy if I do find the need to upgrade?

Last but not least, I already bought the Antec case with 500W PSU a month ago before coming across this thread, is the 500W PSU that comes with the Antec case enough for the graphics card selected?

Thanks in advance! :)

bmcent1

06-19-09, 09:27 PM

I have an older (couple years old) ATSC tuner card I bought to build a MythTV system. It's a pcHDTV HD-3000. IIRC, it was one of the few cards available at the time that didn't honor the Broadcast Flag and was suggested by some folks at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Does anyone know if this cards works, how well, and what drivers to use with it on the Windows side?

There's this thread http://www.pchdtv.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1445 but it's from 2006 and I'm guessing things have changed a bit.

bodine465

06-20-09, 08:28 AM

@bodine465

That's very strange - I have my HTPC outputting just by HDMI to a Samsung LCD, and everything shows up perfectly, desktop, movies, etc. Question - when the computer is connected by HDMI alone and you turn it on, does the boot screen appear? I'm wondering if maybe there's a BIOS setting that is set wrong.

Not sure. Haven't played with it straight through HDMI lately. Been tweaking other things. Will hook it up this afternoon & check.

MrMcCrackin

06-20-09, 12:20 PM

im using a slim formfactor case with the following:

Q9550 quad processor, 12MB L2, 2.83GHz 1333 FSB
Vista 64
8GB SDRAM 800MHz
BluRay combo drive

which GPU card would be best?

- XFX HD-435X-ZAH2 Radeon HD 4350 1GB 128-bit DDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Low Profile

- POWERCOLOR AX4650 512MD2-LH Radeon HD 4650 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Low Profile

- SAPPHIRE 100253HDMI Radeon HD 4650 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Low Profile

renethx

06-20-09, 03:18 PM

MrMcCrackin

06-20-09, 04:39 PM

Why not buy SAPPHIRE 100252HDMI Radeon HD 4550 512MB 64-bit GDDR3? Cheaper than, but as good as HD 4650 in video playback.

i originally had a 64bit 512mb 4350 HDMI with passive cooling picked out - but someone told me that i need something better

think they are getting gamming rigs and HTPC's mixed up?

renethx

06-20-09, 05:02 PM

i originally had a 64bit 512mb 4350 HDMI with passive cooling picked out - but someone told me that i need something better

think they are getting gamming rigs and HTPC's mixed up?
Any problem with 4350? 4350 is good for many video contents.

MrMcCrackin

06-20-09, 05:06 PM

i had not purchased the 4350 yet - so i cannot say bout any issues

but from what i have read - the 4350 has worked for lots of folks

MrMcCrackin

06-20-09, 06:47 PM

although Renethx -

i found your updated HTPC guide and i think i might switch to a mini-itx base system

it would fit better where it needs to live

uncola

06-21-09, 07:55 AM

I ordered the parts for an inte/nvidia mini-itx system. e5200, zotac 9300 mobo, apex mi-100. can I use the stock cpu cooler in this system? I don't plan on installing an optical drive, if that matters

shildog

06-21-09, 03:11 PM

I've been following this guide for the last couple of months and am looking to build my system, however, I am unsure about the cpu/motherboard selection.

I do want a slightly more powerful cpu for hulu and future demands. So what would be the best choice? (I do not plan on overclocking or opening up the other cores)

1) AMD Phenom II X3 710 2.6GHz 3 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Processor - HDX710WFGIBOX

2) AMD Athlon II X2 250 Regor 3.0GHz 2 x 1MB L2 Cache Socket AM3 65W Dual-Core Processor - ADX250OCGQBOX

3) AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition Callisto 3.1GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 80W Dual-Core Processor - HDZ550WFGIBOX

Rest of system:
Case - Lian or antec
WD10EADS 1TB
WD6401AALS 640GB - OS
GeminII S RR-CCH-PBU1-GP 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler (if necessary)
SAPPHIRE 100255DDR4 Radeon HD 4670
Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250
LG DVD Burner Model GGC-H20L
Windows 7 RC

Requirements: watching / storing movies (bluray/standard), dvr ota hd channels, stream full screen hulu.

Have a 1080p television currently and will be purchasing a newer receiver for hdmi connectivity.

Depending on which processor you prefer would you recommend a complementing motherboard that has the PCI-E necessary for Tuner and GPU. (prefer Micro-Atx if it has enough PCI-E for my needs)

Thanks for your comments.

stoneburner

06-21-09, 04:47 PM

I cannot get s3 resume working correctly on my HTPC build.

Here's what I have generally:

x3 710 (4th core unlocks)
Motherboard - Biostar ta790gx 128 and a asus m4a78-e
OCZ gold 2gb and (alternatively) ocz fatality 4gb 1066 mhz
WD 640 blue
2x HD 4770
plextor PATA dvd burner (716)
Logitech s510 RF keyboard and Mouse OR MS wireless entertainment 7000

As preface, I've tried two different boards, two types of memory, i've tried onboard video, i've tried just one 4770, I've tried Windows 7 32bit and 64 bit, and i've tried the two different input devices mentioned above.

With the biostar board, the computer would not resume from s3 sleep after an overclock. Even an increase of 1 in HTT fequency would have it go crazy.

I then tried with the asus board. With 32 bit Win 7, the board would resume from s3 sleep BUT it would default the HTT frequency to 200. After I reinstalled with windows 7 64 bit, I still continue to have the same problem except I have a new one: After resuming from s3 sleep once, the computer cannot enter s3 sleep again.

I've tried disabling all sorts of settings from bios and from the win 7 control panel. Nothing seems to fix my issues.

I've tried stock settings (2600 mhz with no unlocked cores)
I've tried Cool n quiet off
I've tried APCI version 2.0 off
I've turned off various peripherals ability to alter the sleep state
I've tried moving the memory to different dims

I cannot get s3 to work correctly no matter what.

an1913t

06-21-09, 07:55 PM

Here is my proposed build. I basically used the mid-level ATX suggestions.

MB: GIGABYTE GA-MA790GP-UD4H AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD $119.99
Graphics: SAPPHIRE 100255DDR4 Radeon HD 4670 512MB 128-bit GDDR4 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP $79.99
PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS $99.99 + $20.00 Mail-in Rebate
Memory: G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8500CL5D-2GBPK $34.99
CPU: AMD Phenom II X3 710 2.6GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Processor Model HDX710WFGIBOX $99.00
Cooler: XIGMATEK HDT-SD964 92mm Rifle CPU Cooler $22.99
HDD: An extra Seagate 160GB drive I have laying around

I'm still trying to decide between cases. What are the pros / cons of these two cases for this build?
(1) Antec Black Aluminum / Steel Fusion Remote Max ATX Media Center / HTPC Case $179.95
(2) SILVERSTONE Black Aluminum / Steel LC10B-E ATX Media Center / HTPC Case $128.99

Also any suggestions on a BD player?

As I mentioned previously, this will be my 1st HTPC build. I would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions. Here is what I will be using it for:

- SD/HD content from an internal BD player and streaming from a 12tb WHS (lots of SD) where all my encoding and storage are done.
- I will not be playing games.
- I have a Samsung LN52A650 that this will be connected to.
- I currently have an older Denon receiver (pro-logic old) that I will continue to use for another year or so before upgrading to something with 7.1
- I want to use Vista or W7 MC as the OS because I'm using MyMovies for streaming off of the WHS

Thanks for any help.

dbone1026

06-21-09, 08:40 PM

anttipantti

06-21-09, 09:41 PM

Hello guys,

I'm planning to build a htpc strictly for 1080p mkv playpack (possibly for blu-ray playback aswell in the future).
I'm really trying to keep the costs as low as possible.
I was planning on getting the Gigabyte GA-E7AUM-DS2H but it seems to be sold out where I live and I don't want to wait another 2 weeks :(.

The following parts are currently on my shopping list:

CPU: INTEL DUAL CORE E5200 2.5GHZ (BOXED) --------- 69.5€ (97$)
MB/GPU/SOUND: Asus P5N7A-VM (mATX/GF9300/HDMI/DDR2) ---------107€ (149$)
CASE/PSU: ANTEC OVERTURE II 450W ATX --------- 49€ (68$)
MEMORY: Kingston HyperX 2GB 800MHZ DDR2 DIMM CL5 NON-ECC (5-5-5-15) --------- 26€ (36$)
HDD: WESTERN DIGITAL 1000GB SATAII 32MB --------- 77€ (107$)

TOTAL: 328.5€ / 458$

I will be using win7 MC with Ione Scorpius P20 MC Keyboard. This setup will be connected to my Onkyo TX-SR507(-> sanyo z700) via HDMI.

I know this build would be really low-end and the case is the ugliest one on the market but I really don't have too much money right now :(.
So my main concern is if I will be able to play EVERY 1080p mkv movie perfectly/smoothly without lag or any other problems. Or would a simple media player like the Popcorn Hour A-110 be a better fit for my needs?

Marc_G

06-22-09, 06:30 AM

Hi folks,

My HTPC is working fine but there's one thing that's bugged me since I built it.

There's no power-on beep (or error codes, should I have an error).

IS the system beep speaker usually on the motherboard or in the case?

I'm using a Gigabyte MA-78GPM-UD2H mobo in an nMedia 1000e case.

The Gigabyte manual describes the speaker-out leads so I'm guessing it doesn't have any onboard beeper speaker. But the case doesn't seem to have any speaker either. Manual from the case makes no mention of any speaker. Should I buy something, for future troubleshooting purposes?

What's the norm here. Any recommendations?

And, the speaker needs to be compatible with 1080p playback (ok, just kidding on this part).

Marc

amitabh9

06-22-09, 11:38 AM

Do i have a compatibility issue with the following

Mobo:Gigabyte EP45-UD3P

RAM: G.SKILL F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK PC2-8500 4GB 2X2GB DDR2-1066 CL5-5-5-15 240PIN Dual Channel Memory Kit

or

OCZ Titanium XTC PC2-6400 4GB 2X2GB DDR2-800 CL4-4-4-15 DDR2 240PIN Dual Channel Memory Kit

if not, which one should i get? they both roughly the same price. give or take a dollar

The Adata is sold out everywhere (cant find it in canada)

stoneburner

06-22-09, 12:58 PM

John TM

06-22-09, 01:26 PM

Jackal55

06-22-09, 01:36 PM

Hey all,
With the arrival of my 2 Avermedia Duet cards this Wednesday, my hardware will be complete and I will be setting up software at that point. Here's the specs:

http://home.comcast.net/~alexander1469/HTPC/finish.jpg

Case: Moneual MONCOSA 312B

Motherboard: Gigabyte E7AUM-DS2H mATX HDMI
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3GHz
Memory: CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
CPU Cooler: Scythe "SHURIKEN"

Video Card: Nvidia GeForce 9400 - Onboard
Sound: Realtek ALC889A - Onboard

Drives:
Main: 1 x SAMSUNG Spinpoint 500GB 2.5
Storage: 1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 1TB
Optical: Plextor PX-B310SA SW Blu Ray

HDTV Tuner: 2 x AVerMedia AVerTVHD Duet - PCTV Tuner (A188)
WiFI: Netgear WG111 v.2
Keyboard/Mouse: Logitech diNovo Edge Bluetooth
PSU: Seasonic M12II 430-GM 430w
Antenna: Terrestrial Digital DB2 Multi-Directional HDTV

And on the software side:

http://home.comcast.net/~alexander1469/HTPC/desktop.jpg

OS: Win7 Ultimate RC1 Build 7100

PVR:
SageTV will handle the recording of my OTA HD programs. But may share some of the other duties with WMC. SageTV will also require me to try a few more codecs for recording TV shows in the H.264 format. I'll also be checking out more of the plugins and extenders for each that make for some decent alternate layout and functions.

Blu Ray:
Since playing a DVD is no problem, I still have to come up with a good choice for my Blu Ray player. My Plextor drive came with the limited function PowerDVD 8. But I wanted to read more about the other software packages before making a decision. BR movies will mostly be from disc and I don't plan to rip many BR movies. But I do want to give it a try so I will be looking into some of the methods and softwares that make it as painless as possible. If that's possible.

Music:
My music file management is done with Media Monkey. I've been using it for a long time now and it does what I need it to do. For ripping I'll stick with EAC but I'll try FLAC instead of Lame now. Of course I'll have a lot of choices for music players: WMC, WMP, SageTV, Media Monkey.

Pictures:
One word: Photoshop.

Streaming Content:
Netflix and Hulu. There is a SageTV plugin to run Netflix that I may try since 7MC doesn't currently have the Netflix plugin. Hulu may also have a plugin for SageTV but it also has it's own browser now. Or I could just use either service in the Firefox browser.

My needs are simple but I see a lot of other things that people are using for organizing to ripping to plugins. I'll be checking them out too.

Salami Movie Organizer
MPC-HC
Media Scout
Media Browser
TV Scout
Media Splitter
AnyDVD HD

And I'm probably forgetting some. So any helpful comments and suggestions are welcome.

an1913t

06-22-09, 03:28 PM

My needs are simple but I see a lot of other things that people are using for organizing to ripping to plugins. I'll be checking them out too.

Salami Movie Organizer
MPC-HC
Media Scout
Media Browser
TV Scout
Media Splitter
AnyDVD HD

And I'm probably forgetting some. So any helpful comments and suggestions are welcome.

Jackal,

You might want to add MyMovies to your list. I've used it to organize movies and interface with MCE with great success.

Jackal55

06-22-09, 04:34 PM

I'll do that. Thanks. :-)

foghorn2

06-23-09, 12:38 AM

Jackal55

06-23-09, 07:26 AM

burningskulls

06-23-09, 10:21 AM

Hello-

I will preface this by saying if I should just go search for something, please feel free to point me in the right direction. I have no problem getting yelled at because I didn't search well enough. Anyways, here are my priorities and proposed build. Thanks for any help in answering questions or filling in the blanks.

1) Audio is my main concern. This is going to be a music server first with about a TB of FLAC files and audio quality is a priority. I am willing to pay more for a sound card if necessary

2) My receiver does not have HDMI so I need to have a separate audio out into my receiver. This needs to pass stereo as well as surround. I can connect through VGA or HDMI directly to my TV for the video. It looks like the MB below will be fine.

3) The next priority is noise. I want this thing to be very quiet as it is going to sit on my component rack and I don’t want to hear it at all when I am playing quiet music.

4) I want to control everything with my Harmony 659 remote so here is where I need the most help. I want a software package (along with an IR receiver I assume) that I can configure to browse music, ripped and downloaded DVD’s, etc. with just my Harmony. Being able to browse ROM’s and files would be nice as well but that’s more of a luxury.

5) Video is the least important but I do want it to be relatively future proof and able to play 1080p if necessary. Right now I just want to play regular DVD’s that I rip to my hard drive and also preserve the surround sound.

6) I want to configure a RAID 5 setup with 3 1TB hard drives. I will probably have to add another one within a year. After that, would it be best to go with a dedicated file server for noise/heat concerns?

7) I don't really play games and when I do I am usually a few years behind and play RPG's and stuff. I don't ever play 1st person shooters or anything too graphics intensive. I play my Paperboy and Contra ROMs most of all
So again, my priorities (in order) are sound quality and noise (directly related), control and video. Here is what I have come up with so far. I am using the low-end ATX system as a guide:

CPU: Pentium Dual-Core E5200 2.50GHz LGA775, $64.
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler $30
Motherboard: EVGA 113-YW-E115-TR LGA775 GeForce 9300 mGPU ATX, $110
Memory: A-DATA ADQVE1A16K DDR2-800 2 x 1GB Kit, $30.
Graphics Card: GeForce 9300 (integrated in the chipset), $0.
HDD (x3): Western Digital WD10EADS 1 GB, $90
OS HDD: 320GB Hard Drive (already owned)
PSU: Corsair VX450W CMPSU-450VX 450W, $57.
Case: SilverStone Lascala LC17 SST-LC17B ATX, $118.
IR Receiver:
RAID card:
Software:

Questions
1) Would I be better off with the Antec Fusion case for the internal IR receiver. I like the extra hard drive slots in the Silverstone. It looks like if I use the OS drive I have already maxed out the capacity of the Antec with the 3 GB drives. I don't like this. Which one is quieter? Are there other cases with build in IR receivers?
2) Is that a good and quiet CPU cooler
3) Case fans for quietness?
4) Do I need a RAID card?
5) Are there better hard drives for quietness?
6) Software question from above. What's the easiest management software for controlling everything with the Harmony.

Thanks for your help!

julyccc

06-23-09, 10:24 AM

Hey all,
With the arrival of my 2 Avermedia Duet cards this Wednesday, my hardware will be complete and I will be setting up software at that point. Here's the specs:

Case: Moneual MONCOSA 312B

Motherboard: Gigabyte E7AUM-DS2H mATX HDMI
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3GHz
Memory: CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
CPU Cooler: Scythe "SHURIKEN"

Video Card: Nvidia GeForce 9400 - Onboard
Sound: Realtek ALC889A - Onboard

Drives:
Main: 1 x SAMSUNG Spinpoint 500GB 2.5
Storage: 1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 1TB
Optical: Plextor PX-B310SA SW Blu Ray

HDTV Tuner: 2 x AVerMedia AVerTVHD Duet - PCTV Tuner (A188)
WiFI: Netgear WG111 v.2
Keyboard/Mouse: Logitech diNovo Edge Bluetooth
PSU: Seasonic M12II 430-GM 430w
Antenna: Terrestrial Digital DB2 Multi-Directional HDTV

And on the software side:

http://home.comcast.net/~alexander1469/HTPC/desktop.jpg

OS: Win7 Ultimate RC1 Build 7100

PVR:
SageTV will handle the recording of my OTA HD programs. But may share some of the other duties with WMC. SageTV will also require me to try a few more codecs for recording TV shows in the H.264 format. I'll also be checking out more of the plugins and extenders for each that make for some decent alternate layout and functions.

Blu Ray:
Since playing a DVD is no problem, I still have to come up with a good choice for my Blu Ray player. My Plextor drive came with the limited function PowerDVD 8. But I wanted to read more about the other software packages before making a decision. BR movies will mostly be from disc and I don't plan to rip many BR movies. But I do want to give it a try so I will be looking into some of the methods and softwares that make it as painless as possible. If that's possible.

Music:
My music file management is done with Media Monkey. I've been using it for a long time now and it does what I need it to do. For ripping I'll stick with EAC but I'll try FLAC instead of Lame now. Of course I'll have a lot of choices for music players: WMC, WMP, SageTV, Media Monkey.

Pictures:
One word: Photoshop.

Streaming Content:
Netflix and Hulu. There is a SageTV plugin to run Netflix that I may try since 7MC doesn't currently have the Netflix plugin. Hulu may also have a plugin for SageTV but it also has it's own browser now. Or I could just use either service in the Firefox browser.

My needs are simple but I see a lot of other things that people are using for organizing to ripping to plugins. I'll be checking them out too.

Salami Movie Organizer
MPC-HC
Media Scout
Media Browser
TV Scout
Media Splitter
AnyDVD HD

And I'm probably forgetting some. So any helpful comments and suggestions are welcome.

I just order a similar setup.

Motherboard: Gigabyte E7AUM-DS2H mATX HDMI
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3GHz
I order a different case: Cooler Master Elite 360 RC-360-KKN1-GP
because of budget constrain. I am hooking it up to my onkyo 605.

No BD drive since I already have a Panasonic BD player.

It will be mainly for playing downloaded content and online streaming.

Jackal55

06-23-09, 11:34 AM

I was looking into a Yamaha RX-V465 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9245471&type=product&id=1218066769902) myself. I still have time to decide but I want to get it this summer.

Product Features

* YPAO (Yamaha Parametric Room Acoustic Optimizer)
Automatically optimizes receiver output to optimum sound for the room acoustics, checking and adjusting for speaker connections, distances, size, frequency response and sound pressure level.
* Multiple surround sound decoders built in. Learn more about surround sound home theater
* 525W RMS power (105W x 5)
Ensures powerful sound.
* Surround sound decoders
Include Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, DTS, DTS-HD, DTS-ES, DTS 96/24 and Dolby Neo:6.
* CINEMA DSP with 17 surround sound programs
Provide extensive compatibility and listening choices.
* 4 SCENE modes
For DVD viewing, disc listening, TV viewing and radio listening simplify operation by launching several operations with 1 button.
* Audio delay for lip sync
Exactly matches audio to the timing of the output of the video, correcting the lag.
* Silent Cinema mode
Lets you enjoy multichannel audio and video sound through headphones.
* Optional Apple® iPod® universal dock (model YDS-11; not included)
Lets you connect your compatible iPod to the receiver. Front panel stereo mini jack allows for quick and easy connection to a portable audio player.
* Bluetooth-compatible
With Yamaha Bluetooth wireless audio receiver YBA-10 (not included) for wireless connectivity.
* Compressed music enhancer
Utilizes digital signal processing to improve playback of compressed music formats.
* High-performance 192kHz/24-bit digital-to-analog conversion
For all channels to ensure high-quality sound.
* Inputs
Include 2 optical digital audio, 2 coaxial digital audio, 4 HDMI, 4 analog A/V, 2 component video and 1 stereo mini jack.
* Outputs
Include 1 HDMI and 1 component video.
* Preset remote
Included for easy operation. On-screen display for easy navigation.

WalkinPaul

06-23-09, 02:18 PM

I was looking into a Yamaha RX-V465 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9245471&type=product&id=1218066769902) myself. I still have time to decide but I want to get it this summer.

Product Features

*** Optional Apple® iPod® universal dock (model YDS-11; not included)
Lets you connect your compatible iPod to the receiver. Front panel stereo mini jack allows for quick and easy connection to a portable audio player.

Free Yamaha iPod dock with purchase, limited offer (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882115194), same price and includes the iPod dock.

KLC

06-23-09, 02:21 PM

Jackal55

06-23-09, 02:28 PM

jackal, I have had that receiver for about 2 months. Plenty of power for my Energy Take Classic 5.1 speakers. Works fine with my new Harmony One remote. The automated setup seemed to work, it has lots of HDMI inputs. I have no complaints.

It doesn't have a second zone for another speaker setup but that wasn't an issue with us. I got it for $280 and free shipping at Newegg on one of their specials.

Thanks for the info. It's good to know that someone has it and likes it. :)

I do have one question. I have a Passive Paradigm subwoofer left over from my old Kenwood THX amp and tuner setup. Will it work with this receiver or should I just get a new subwoofer when I get new speakers?

John TM

06-23-09, 04:29 PM

Dagatech

06-23-09, 04:58 PM

Bump if anyone could help, please.. Thanks
a quick check of the reviews on newegg doesn't find any complaints about the USB port. I'd honestly be stunned if the onboard/extension ports weren't powered - it's such a basic component of USB.

I'm using onboard HDMI (different mobo, but still) and the quality is fine. You should be good.

Can't help you on BD drive, but people seem to like the LG combo BD/HDDVD one. For hard drive, it seems that pretty much everything in 1tb range is pretty good. I have a WD Green drive, and it's great, the samsung f2? gets good reviews, seagate has always been reliable for me in the past - just get whatever one happens to be on sale when you order.

WalkinPaul

06-23-09, 08:04 PM

binbin

06-24-09, 12:13 AM

My web browser doesn't seem to be displaying the feature comparison chart shown at the start of the guide.

Can someone please tell me what plugin i have to download to display it?

Thanks

farbin

06-24-09, 07:31 AM

Thanks. I have to take it down today when I get home since the Avermedia Duet cards are suppose to arrive tomorrow. I also need to change a SATA cable to the 2.5" hdd to a longer one and do a little more cable work. The front door covering the USB and media card ports has something blocking it when it opens. I'm sure that it's the cables that I pushed underneath the optical drive cage.
I'd be very interested to know if you can use the the second AverMedia card in the PCIe x16 slot.

I have read where some motherboards don't support non-graphics cards in their PCIe x16 slots. Have othere run into this issue?

Jackal55

06-24-09, 07:36 AM

I'd be very interested to know if you can use the the second AverMedia card in the PCIe x16 slot.

I have read where some motherboards don't support non-graphics cards in their PCIe x16 slots. Have other run into this issue?

I sure hope that I can. There seems to be a lot of people that run multiple cards in the builds. I hope there is no problem. I'll keep you posted.

renethx

06-24-09, 07:41 AM

My web browser doesn't seem to be displaying the feature comparison chart shown at the start of the guide.

Can someone please tell me what plugin i have to download to display it?
You don't need a plug-in. Every registered member should be able to see it with IE, FireFox etc. All pictures are attached to these posts (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=12250020#post12250020) (click them to open in separate windows or right-click them to download).

renethx

06-24-09, 07:44 AM

I'd be very interested to know if you can use the the second AverMedia card in the PCIe x16 slot.

I have read where some motherboards don't support non-graphics cards in their PCIe x16 slots. Have othere run into this issue?
You can use any PCIe card (x1, x4, x8, x16, graphics or not) in a PCIe x16 slot. Intel IGP (G45, G43 etc.) and the PCIe x16 are mutually exclusive, however.

snedecor

06-24-09, 08:12 AM

Bump if anyone could help, please.. Thanks

What you may have heard is that there is a suspend/sleep problem with the MB. When you enter S3 (suspend or sleep to RAM) the USB ports are unpowered. Therefore, USB mice/keyboards/IR receivers cannot wake the motherboard from S3 sleep. It is a "feature" of the motherboard hardware, and a BIOS update cannot fix it.

It will suspend in S1 mode (uses a bit more power) just fine, but in the totally silent and power saving S3 mode, you cannot wake with a USB device. This was an unpleasant surprise to many, who want a totally silent HTPC unless they are using it, and don't want to startup/shutdown.

I've heard that a IR receiver that hooks into the power switch, or a wireless keyboard with a PS/2 connector can rouse the MB from S3 sleep.

WalkinPaul

06-24-09, 09:13 AM

...snip...

I've heard that a IR receiver that hooks into the power switch, or a wireless keyboard with a PS/2 connector can rouse the MB from S3 sleep.

From DaveD on the Zotac Mini-ITX GF9300 Mother Board review page at newegg.com:

"Doesn't have wake-up support from S3 standby, but no big deal because there are workarounds. The PS2 keyboard is live when in hibernation (2Watts) and can be woken up by pressing any key. I bought an RF wireless keyboard and mouse with PS2 connections on the receiver. Works great (keyboard to the PS2 connector, mouse to the USB through an adapter). BIOS must be set to wake up from keyboard - easy. So not really a con."

You will probably want to look into this more, YMMV. I have that board, but not that kind of keyboard/mouse setup, so I don't know. I just found this and thought it might help you. Maybe someone else can verify this for you.

John TM

06-24-09, 01:49 PM

Great thanks for the help I will place my order today and follow up once built.

John

WalkinPaul

06-24-09, 02:03 PM

Hello all I'm trying to build a lower cost soultion HTPC

I'm looking at using the following MB
ZOTAC GF9300-D-E LGA 775 NVIDIA GeForce 9300 HDMI WiFi Mini ITX Intel Motherboard

Is it true there is no powered USB port?

I need wireless and would like to stay with the on board HDMI, unless this is a big mistack?

Lastly I want to use a Blu-ray drive and 1 t hard drive.

Any help would be great.

I'm using the on board video with the HDMI Connection and have not had one single problem.

It also works with Blu-Ray. Blu-Ray uses very little cpu. The specs for my computer are on my "About Me" page. Click on my name in the side frame of this post. Click on the "View public profile", then click on the about me tab. Also, Renethx has a few mini-ITX systems specified on page 85 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=14239742#MITXSys) in case you didn't know. This is where I stole it from. :D I did the "gaming" one, without the video card

With Blu-ray, One issue you should be aware of is "HDCP". Display-wise, What are you hooking this computer to?

Jackal55

06-25-09, 08:17 AM

Ok. I've got both Avermedia cards installed, downloaded the Win7 drivers from the Avermedia site and the cards are upo and running.

Win7 see all 4 tuners and I have them setup in SageTV too. I'll have to go through some channel setup in Win7 and deal with a few issues of channel setup in SageTV. Then I have to do a few recording test because I don't know what tuner gets chosen of the 4 to record a show.

In SageTV I can choose to setup each tuner with its own channel listing which I think will help when it comes to tuner choice when recording. Right now all 4 tuners are set to pick up all of the same channels, even though there are still channels showing up that have been unselected. I'll go to the SageTV forum for that question. But I could do something like this for recording.

Tuner 1 - Channels 2,32
Tuner 2 - Channels 5,26
Tuner 3 - Channels 7,50
Tuner 4 - Channels 9,11

This way I can set shows to record under my "Favorites" and the tuners will have specific channels to record since I'm suppose to be able to record 4 shows at once now. Of course this will depend on the Fall TV schedule from the networks. But this way I have the 4 channels that I record most from (5,7,9,32) on it's own tuner for recording.There are a few shows that I watch on Channel 2 but they normally conflict with shows on channels 5,7 and 9 which is why I put 32 is with 2. This still needs to be setup and tested.

Then I have to find out why .vob files aren't playing int SageTV. I think it's a codec thing. And then I have to get the whole H.264 things going for recording my shows.So now that all of the hardware is in place it's all software setup now. I'll take screenshots when I can when I need help.

Last thing, my build was really hot yesterday. Way hotter than normal and I'm talking the entire case. I'm talking egg cooking temps. Even the volume knob was warm! I think it may have had something to do with the scorching heat and high heat indexes we're having right now but I'm going to check that all to fans are working when I get home tonight.

spritemv

06-25-09, 10:39 AM

Hi! I was originally going to build the AMD/AMD system from pg 85, but I'm going to be using a low profile case so would like to avoid the need for a dedicated graphics card. I've now decided on the Intel/Nvidia build with an e5200 chip. The main problem I'm now having is choosing between the two recommended mobos. After reading countless forums, I've found the vast majority of people are going with the $130 GA-E7AUM-DS2H. However, the MSI P7NGM has the same IGP and is on sale for only $85 at Newegg. The $45 savings is very tempting and with the 7.1 over HDMI I really don't have a need for an optical out port. Unfortunately, there are many negative reviews on the MSI board and this is scaring me a little. Does anyone have some insight or recommendations that may help me out? Thanks!

Teufelhund

06-25-09, 01:48 PM

You don't need to modify the cable. Connect the blue wire to pin 1 (SPDIFO) and the black wire to pin 2 (GND) of the motherboard SPDIF_O (S/PDIF Out Header). Connect the blue wire to the pin indicated by a triangular sign of the J11 connector of the card, and the black wire to the other pin. Choose Realtek Digital Output in the Sound dialog box. That's it.

I'm pretty green with this stuff, so hopefully these questions aren't too dumb. But thanks to renethx for providing some direction.

So my first question is regarding the recommended setup for the medium build intel/nvidia microATX equipment. I bought the:
GIGABYTE GA-E7AUM-DS2H LGA 775 NVIDIA GeForce 9400 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
&
ASUS EN9500GT TOP/DI/512M GeForce 9500 GT 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

If I want audio over the gpu hdmi, I need to connect the s/pdif cable supplied with the video card to the mobo, correct? My first question is about the headers. Obviously the cable connector for the gpu fits. But my mobo connector, shown here
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8wUMTidw3FcUrD1sDrVojQ?authkey=Gv1sRgCKKK_Z6LgPSwFg&feat=directlink

doesn't match the header on the cable provided with the gpu (shown here)http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/u1noRJy0CcO6YvW4x1E2Ww?authkey=Gv1sRgCKKK_Z6LgPSwFg&feat=directlink

The header has room for four pin-holes, but there are only three with a space between, as shown.

If I understand the recommendation made in the quoted post, I should be alright plugging the header onto pins 3 & 5 (as shown in the manual) with the blue wire connecting to pin 3 (SPDIF) and the black to pin 5 (GND) leaving the third, spaced pin-hole on the cable connector left empty. Is this correct? Will I damage anything?

My other question is, if I wanted to connect to the motherboard hdmi port, will the advantage of having the discrete gpu still be in effect? Would this avoid any issues I may be having with sound over the gpu hdmi port? I've read that there could be issues.

Anyways, I'm right in the middle of the build and haven't hooked it up to my HDTV yet, but I thought I'd check with some pros before getting too far along. Thanks for the help in advance.

(edit) so my pics aren't showing up. here are links to them:
Motherboard Connector: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8wUMTidw3FcUrD1sDrVojQ?authkey=Gv1sRgCKKK_Z6LgPSwFg&feat=directlink

GPU Provided s/pdif cable: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/u1noRJy0CcO6YvW4x1E2Ww?authkey=Gv1sRgCKKK_Z6LgPSwFg&feat=directlink

Thanks,

-Steve

renethx

06-25-09, 06:42 PM

WalkinPaul

06-25-09, 07:47 PM

Is this card really pretty silent at idle as they are saying in the reviews over at newegg? One reviewer said it was as quiet as a passive cooled video card, but I don't see how.

When I'm watching a movie it could be a little louder. And when I'm gaming, it doesn't matter at all.

HIS H485QT512P (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161244)

I'm wanting to check out Crysis, l4d, etc.

Anyone playing games on the IGP of a Zotac GF9300 mini-ITX board?

Anyone overclocking a Zotac GF9300 to a GF9400? Is it worth it?

It's not going to mess my htpc play back is it? It's working so good now I'm afraid to open the case.

renethx

06-25-09, 08:46 PM

@WalkinPaul

The cooler in HIS H485QT512P is one of the best coolers: quiet and very efficient (exhausts 110W quickly outside the case).

sschen

06-25-09, 10:31 PM

All

I was initially going to buy a LG775 Gigabyte GA-EP45T-UD3P Motherboard that takes DDR3 RAM. Someone was selling 2x2GB DDR3 Corsair TR3X6G1600C7, out of a Triple Kit, he kept one stick for himself. So I bought the 2 sticks of DDR3 off him. In the end, the motherboard that I bought the RAM for was sold out. So I ended up getting an i7 motherboard, Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD4P, instead. This is similar to the Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5 (one model lower) recommended in the ATX Premium Intel setup.

I have never installed an i7 motherboard before so my question is whether the i7 motherboard will work with just two sticks of DDR3 installed?

Thanks in advance.

renethx

06-25-09, 11:20 PM

I have never installed an i7 motherboard before so my question is whether the i7 motherboard will work with just two sticks of DDR3 installed?
Yes, it works. Memory runs just in the dual channel mode. If you use one stick, then it works in the single channel mode. In general dual channel mode is fast enough. (Single channel may be not good for some applications, however.)

sschen

06-26-09, 02:47 AM

Yes, it works. Memory runs just in the dual channel mode. If you use one stick, then it works in the single channel mode. In general dual channel mode is fast enough. (Single channel may be not good for some applications, however.)

Oh cool... thanks very much :) I was really worried I have to spend more time onselling the DDR3 RAM I just bought (which were new too)... and then having to buy another triple kit.. it is more hassle than it is worth

miataguy

06-26-09, 10:05 AM

Hi guys, been doing lots of research on this board for a while and on newegg's reviews and have come up with the following build. I'll be using it for bluray/hddvd play back and ripping, hd ota recording, and streaming video from sites like hulu. The rest of the ht is onkyo 705, Sony SXRD XBR2, polk speakers, 360, Toshiba HD-A30 (going away after the build).

mobo/cpu/ram combo - 159.98 - 20mir
ECS BLACK SERIES GF8200A (V1.0) AM2+/AM3 NVIDIA GeForce 8200 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
AMD Athlon X2 7850 Black Edition Kuma 2.8GHz Socket AM2+ 95W Dual-Core Processor Model AD785ZWCGHBOX - Retail
OCZ SLI-Ready Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2N800SR4GK - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.203013)

LG Black Blu-ray/HD DVD-ROM & 16X DVD±R DVD Burner SATA Model GGC-H20L (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136133)- Retail 109.99

CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX 400W ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139008) 59.99-20mir

Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 Dual TV Tuner / Encoder 1229 PCI-Express x1 Interface - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116037)112.99

Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EADS 1TB SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136317) - OEM 89.99 - 10 instant savings code

Sunbeam UV Blue Clear Acrylic ACHT-HUVB ATX Media Center / HTPC Case - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811166047) 79.99-30mir

Total 602.93 + 9.99 shipping - 70mir = 542.92

This will be my first build so what else will I need to be able to put it all together? Also what will I need to use my harmony 880 with this build? I plan on using win7 for now.
Any suggestions on better performing or lasting parts +/- $100 are greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Miataguy

dbone1026

06-26-09, 10:16 AM

miataguy

06-26-09, 10:31 AM

You will need to get an IR Receiver to link up with your Harmony remote (here is a cheap one I got, you can just keep the remote as a spare - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16880121001). Actually, the 2250 Tuner Card comes with a remote/IR Receiver (this one - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116036)

Also, I don't know how comfortable you are with building a pc but by looking at the reviews on NewEgg it appears it was frequently mentioned the difficulty/time needed to work with that case. Not discouraging you from the case, just wanted to point out.

On the software side you will need a decrypter like AnyDVD (you prob already know this)

Thanks for the quick reply, I'm not near as scared of putting the case together as I am putting the stuff in the case. I've built plenty of other things from scratch and have worked with acrylic before. We just moved and I sold most of my tools so something already precut is a better option for me. I'll look into the 2250 with remote/ir receiver. The one I have listed mentions a ir receiver/blaster. Any comments from anyone if this is enough to work with the 880?
Miataguy

dbone1026

06-26-09, 10:38 AM

Thanks for the quick reply, I'm not near as scared of putting the case together as I am putting the stuff in the case. I've built plenty of other things from scratch and have worked with acrylic before. We just moved and I sold most of my tools so something already precut is a better option for me. I'll look into the 2250 with remote/ir receiver. The one I have listed mentions a ir receiver/blaster. Any comments from anyone if this is enough to work with the 880?
Miataguy

I don't have the 880 but I have the Harmony 890 and the Harmony One. I have no problems using the IR Receiver to control my HTPCs with the Harmony Remotes. FYI - I most run Windows 7 Media Center from my HTPCs but you can get the remote to work with other programs like SageTV, MediaPortal, etc...

Teufelhund

06-26-09, 10:49 AM

@Teufelhund

Yes, use pin 3 and 5 of the mb. Switch the blue wire and the black wire in the 4-pin connector. Or connect the 4-pin connector to GPU and the 2-pin connector to mb.

If you use a receiver supporting HDMI & multichannel LPCM, then use onboard HDMI for audio.

Thanks renethx. I was able to finish the setup last night. The audio over HDMI kicked in just as I had hoped for. I'm using Windows 7 RC (64-bit). This rig destroys the 6 year old POS which I was trying to use to stream video my HDTV. I'm very satisfied with the recommendations provided by this forum and some others. My 2 year old daughter's baby Einstein videos are really kick ass now.

Thanks.

juda

06-26-09, 11:48 AM

Thanks renethx. I was able to finish the setup last night. The audio over HDMI kicked in just as I had hoped for. I'm using Windows 7 RC (64-bit). This rig destroys the 6 year old POS which I was trying to use to stream video my HDTV. I'm very satisfied with the recommendations provided by this forum and some others. My 2 year old daughter's baby Einstein videos are really kick ass now.

Thanks.http://***************/9/P/i.jpg

:o I thought windows 7 was just released in the last few days..congrats on getting everything set-up :)

Dagatech

06-26-09, 01:42 PM

win7 became available for pre-order, it doesn't actually appear until October 22

MrMcCrackin

06-26-09, 02:09 PM

BIG THANKS to renethx!

i just ordered:

Intel/NVIDIA System

CPU: Pentium Dual-Core E5200 2.50GHz LGA775, $64.
CPU Cooler: SilverStone NT07-775, $23.
Motherboard: ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi GF9300-D-E LGA775 GeForce 9300 mGPU Mini-ITX, $135.
Memory: A-DATA ADQVE1A16K DDR2-800 2 x 1GB Kit, $30.
Graphics Card: GeForce 9300 (integrated in the chipset), $0.
HDD: Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB SATA 3.0Gbps, $70.
PSU: ATX12V 250W SFX PSU (included in the case): $0.
Case: Apex MI-008 Mini-ITX, $50. An alternative is Apex MI-100 Mini-ITX, $56 and Apex MI-100BK Mini-ITX, $56.

i also pre-ordered Win7......

meloman

06-26-09, 03:04 PM

Hello folks. I'm putting together a new htpc, and thanks mostly to the brilliance of the folks on this forum I've been able to configure what I consider a good system. The htpc will mostly be used to view / rip blu-ray & dvd movies. Some streaming video. At some point, I'd also like to eliminate my directv dvr, but I know nothing yet about PVR's to have a clue of what I would need or how that would work.

Here are the components I'm using thus far:

GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz
COOLER MASTER RR-CCH-L9U1-GP
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 -- x2
SAPPHIRE 100255DDR4 Radeon HD 4670 512MB 128-bit GDDR4
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB -- x2, x3 or x4
Antec Fusion Remote Max ATX Media Center

PSU:
Any recommendations? I'm really lost on this one.

KEYBOARD & MOUSE:
Any recommendations? I'm like the Logitech Slim diNovo, but not comfortable with the connectivity issues I've been reading about. The Microsoft 8000 keyboard is awesome (backlit feature in particular), but it's silver and not black - potential waf issue there.

TV Tuner:
Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 ?

OS:
Lastly, I need to figure out whether to run Vista, 32 or 64, or even give W7 a try. Then again, xp is also a consideration.

Should you have any recommendations for me, I welcome them. Thanks for your time.:D

Dagatech

06-26-09, 03:32 PM

PSU: I just got an OCZ 400w modular two weeks ago, and it's great so far - completely silent, modular so fewer cables crowding the box, and reviews say that the power is clean and efficient. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341015

OS: Why not try Win7? It's free, so you don't lose anything by checking it out, and if you end up liking it you'll have a head start when it's out for real in a few months.

dbone1026

06-26-09, 03:33 PM

os: Why not try win7? It's free, so you don't lose anything by checking it out, and if you end up liking it you'll have a head start when it's out for real in a few months.

+1

shildog

06-26-09, 06:59 PM

Just a quick question...

is this motherboard compatible? I can find the 550 listed on Asus website but not the 250..

ASUS M4A78-EM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131384)

AMD Athlon II X2 250 Regor (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103681)

Also, is this a good cooler that will fit in theAntec Fusion Remote Black (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129054)

COOLER MASTER GeminII S RR-CCH-PBU1-GP (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103046)

Thanks for the suggestions.

renethx

06-26-09, 07:08 PM

shildog

06-26-09, 07:11 PM

sorry renethx,

Thank you very much!

pdubyu

06-26-09, 07:36 PM

I built the low end Intel/Nvidia config using the alternative MSI board and am having some video display issues. My 720p HDTV has a VGA input but when I select that resolution (1280x720@59Hz or 60 Hz), the TV seems to vertically underscan the desktop and also chop pixels at the top and bottom so I don't get the taskbar.

I've input 720p before on another computer so I know that it can work fine. I've got the latest Nvidia drivers for the 9300. Any suggestions? Is this an EDID issue? I'm running W7RC BTW.

sschen

06-26-09, 07:50 PM

OS: Why not try Win7? It's free, so you don't lose anything by checking it out, and if you end up liking it you'll have a head start when it's out for real in a few months.

Is Win7 downloadable? If so, where? I might give it a try since I am building a system from scratch anyway

dbone1026

06-26-09, 07:56 PM

Is Win7 downloadable? If so, where? I might give it a try since I am building a system from scratch anyway

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/dd353205.aspx?ITPID=mscomsl

sschen

06-26-09, 08:10 PM

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/dd353205.aspx?ITPID=mscomsl

Thanks for the quick response.

I am currently running 32-bit Windows XP at the moment as I am running some proprietary 32-bit software. Am I better off trying the 32 bit Windows 7?

If using 64-bit Windows 7, would i have any compatibility problems running the 32-bit Windows XP software?

dbone1026

06-26-09, 08:36 PM

Thanks for the quick response.

I am currently running 32-bit Windows XP at the moment as I am running some proprietary 32-bit software. Am I better off trying the 32 bit Windows 7?

If using 64-bit Windows 7, would i have any compatibility problems running the 32-bit Windows XP software?

If everything is working well under x32 I would stick with it. To do x64 you need to do a clean install, and as well may have compatibility issues with your hardware

renethx

06-26-09, 09:37 PM

hbomber202020

06-26-09, 10:29 PM

Yeah I would do what renethx, suggested, that's the best way todo it and/or create custom resolution. It's pretty much adjusting up and down to make it fit. NVIDIA aleast for me seems to be alot easier to use and get it fit and look ok, desktop wise on my odd 1024x768 plasma, compared to ATI and ccc, it seems impossible to get it to look right.

What's odd for me is NVIDIA says my native resolution for my tv is 1280x768(not sure exactly on that, thats off the top of my head), when it clearly isn't. For me the resolution thats works is 1248X700, video playback is good, just text on desktop, browsing is less than desirable. Although I'm just playing around with my current computer and older video cards before I fully plunge into building my htpc, but my htpc will only be used to play blu-ray and dvd.

I'm going the microatx, amd 5050e route, but I go back and forth daily on what video card to go, ati 4550, 4670 or go NVIDIA since I've had an easier time getting it to display adequately on my plasma with NVIDIA control panel compared to the frustrations of CCC and the latest errors/bugs I've read on here about the 4670 driver update.

gunbunnysoulja

06-26-09, 10:51 PM

renethx,

Just wondering if there is are any Nvidia cards that yield better gaming performance than the XFX GS-250X-YDFU that will fit in the Antec Fusion 430 mATX case? I'm assuming video performance for BD is equal among most cards (not including iGPU).

I am currently using the iGPU from the GIGABYTE GA-E7AUM-DS2H. I believe my old ATI 4850 offered better video performance, as I believe you stated elsewhere. Hopefully a GPU will get me back on track :)

Thanks!

renethx

06-26-09, 11:04 PM

<><

06-27-09, 10:07 AM

juda

06-27-09, 12:30 PM

win7 became available for pre-order, it doesn't actually appear until October 22http://***************/9/z/i.jpg

Ah I see..I wondered what the hype was all about, this is going to be a crazy os :)

stoneburner

06-27-09, 02:48 PM

Ah I see..I wondered what the hype was all about, this is going to be a crazy os :)

Windows 7 is an excellent OS. I stuck by XP when Vista came out but Windows 7 is that next step. It's stable and flexible.

renethx

06-27-09, 07:32 PM

Might be a noob question, but what part does the Video Card play if you have Hardware Acceleration turned off while watching either HD/SD content?

For example, using Arcsoft TMT, i have use hardware acceleration unchekced while watching a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD.

Does it only assist in taking the load off the CPU or does it help with picture quality as well?

Thanks
'Hardware Acceleration' affects decoding, deinterlacing and pull-down detection. It looks like other post-processes work fine with 'Hardware Acceleration' on or off.

dvcdude

06-27-09, 08:19 PM

I completed my HTPC build using a Gigayte GA-MA78GM-US2H and a HIS H485QT512P GPU. I cannot crossfire the GPU to the MOBO. Am I missing something here or did I purchase the wrong GPU?

jjkusaf1

06-27-09, 11:11 PM

I apologize if this has been covered before and I have overlooked it (I have searched...just tired of searching now).

I am looking at either the ZOTAC Geforce 9300-ITX or GIGABYTE GA-E7AUM-DS2H...form factor will be the deciding factor. Anyway...to the question at hand.

My receiver does not have HDMI so I will be using the optical. The HDMI will be carrying audio/video to my plasma.

Are both HDMI and Optical audio seamless...meaning that I do not need to make changes to "switch" from HDMI audio to Optical and vice versa? The HTPC will mostly be used just to watch recorded TV ... and will not need the receiver. However, when I want to listen to itunes (and maybe the occasional DVD) I will be using the receiver.

Umm...I guess I am trying to ask if both HDMI and Optical audio always "ON".

Thanks in advance.

Edit: Forgot to mention that the O/S will be Windows 7

emp3r0r

06-28-09, 12:29 AM

Built a small box for watching HD movies over network and for streaming TV from HULU and Boxee.

http://jvance.com/media/2009/06/10/HtpcParts24.media
Power Supply
FSP Group FSP180-50PLA 180W Single Server Power Supply - OEM
CPU Fan
ZEROtherm ATOM 30H Low-Profile cooler for ITX, MATX, HTPC-Retail - Retail
Motherboard
ZOTAC GF9300-D-E LGA 775 NVIDIA GeForce 9300 HDMI WiFi Mini ITX Intel Motherboard - Retail
CPU
Intel Pentium E6300 Wolfdale 2.8GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80571E6300 - Retail
Memory
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK - Retail

I built a custom case from an old dolby digital "stand-alone" decoder box. There is room in the case for future expansion of a slim-line bluray drive and/or a video card upgrade. A video card upgrade is unnecessary as it already plays 1080p really well in Boxee (http://boxee.tv) running on windows 7.

Back
http://jvance.com/media/2009/06/28/HuluBox038_thumb5.media (http://jvance.com/media/2009/06/28/HuluBox0387.media)

Front
http://jvance.com/media/2009/06/28/HuluBox024_thumb4.media (http://jvance.com/media/2009/06/28/HuluBox0246.media)
http://jvance.com/media/2009/06/28/HuluBox041_thumb4.media (http://jvance.com/media/2009/06/28/HuluBox0416.media)
http://jvance.com/media/2009/06/28/HuluBox046_thumb5.media (http://jvance.com/media/2009/06/28/HuluBox0469.media)

More images on my blog:

http://jvance.com/blog/2009/06/01/HtpcMiniCase.xhtml

renethx

06-28-09, 01:35 AM

I completed my HTPC build using a Gigayte GA-MA78GM-US2H and a HIS H485QT512P GPU. I cannot crossfire the GPU to the MOBO. Am I missing something here or did I purchase the wrong GPU?
Only three low-end graphics cards (HD 2400 PRO, HD 3450 and HD 3470) support Hybrid CrossFire: ATI Hybrid Graphics Technology (http://www.amd.com/us/products/technologies/ati-hybrid-graphics/Pages/ati-hybrid-graphics.aspx). (Even if HD 4850 supported HCF, you would see very little performance increase; HD 3200 is just too poor to CF with a high-end card).

renethx

06-28-09, 01:40 AM

Are both HDMI and Optical audio seamless...meaning that I do not need to make changes to "switch" from HDMI audio to Optical and vice versa?
You have to switch between HDMI audio and optical manually. You can use hotkeys for this purpose. Check this post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15195715#post15195715).

dvcdude

06-28-09, 05:48 AM

Only three low-end graphics cards (HD 2400 PRO, HD 3450 and HD 3470) support Hybrid CrossFire: ATI Hybrid Graphics Technology (http://www.amd.com/us/products/technologies/ati-hybrid-graphics/Pages/ati-hybrid-graphics.aspx). (Even if HD 4850 supported HCF, you would see very little performance increase; HD 3200 is just too poor to CF with a high-end card).

Thank you. That is what I thought, but I have not done this in a while and wanted to make sure I did not do something wrong.

jjkusaf1

06-28-09, 09:45 AM

You have to switch between HDMI audio and optical manually. You can use hotkeys for this purpose. Check this post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15195715#post15195715).

Thank you for the link, the script...and of course this really nice HTPC guide.

WalkinPaul

06-28-09, 05:06 PM

+1

+2. Win 7 is very nice.

stoneburner

06-28-09, 06:16 PM

John TM

06-29-09, 08:28 AM

WalkinPaul

06-29-09, 09:08 AM

Hello guys just wanted to say thank you. I purchased all the stuff needed from NewEgg. Everything works great I have sound over the HDMI to the tv and digital out to the Bose system. No problem playing BR at all.
Here is what I put it mine all for $720. Now I have a server to back-up photos and Music and play BR also that is playing on a 55" tv.
One thing I will tell you it is tight to put all this in that small case! The BR wires bend at the back to fit with the power supply in the way.
John

APEX MI-008 Black Steel Mini-ITX Tower
KINGWIN 6 ft. (1800 mm) HDMI Male to HDMI
ZOTAC GF9300-D-E LGA 775 NVIDIA GeForce 9300 HDMI WiFi Mini ITX Intel
Intel Pentium E5200 Wolfdale 2.5GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5"
SolidTek KB-3462B-BT Black Bluetooth Wireless Super mini 6" x 9" Keyboard
LG Black Blu-ray/HD DVd rOM & 16X DVD±R DVD Burner SATA Model GGC-H20L
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 32-bit
SILVERSTONE NT07-775 90mm CPU Cooler

The only other thing I had to add was wireless USB because the one one the board does not work well with Vista.

Glad to hear it came out good. Is that Vista or Win 7? Did you go with 64 bit? On my Sugo Mini ITX case, the ps cables are just long enough to attach to the mb as you slide it in from the side, so I put the mb together on the bench, and the attached the power cables and slid the whole thing in there assembled. Worked great that way.

I also found with that lg optical drive you have that you can still get HD-DVD's really cheap and they are HD. I bought the complete set of BBC's Planet Earth for $13 (used). The Regular DVD's are around $60 for the whole set. I haven't received them yet, so still waiting to verify that the drive will read them.

I've been considering buying a 720p projector for mine, but at the moment I'm saving for some new surround speakers. If/When I get the projector, I may make a big screen and be able to show movies outside by my pool. Super bowl party at my house! :D

dbone1026

06-29-09, 09:12 AM

I also found with that lg optical drive you have that you can still get HD-DVD's really cheap and they are HD. I bought the complete set of BBC's Planet Earth for $13 (used). The Regular DVD's are around $60 for the whole set. I haven't received them yet, so still waiting to verify that the drive will read them.
:D

I have the same LG Drive and have no problems with my HD DVDs. Same here, I picked up Planet Earth, the Matrix Collection, and well as another 30+ HD DVDs. I probably could have gotten maybe 5-10 Blu Rays for the price I paid for the 30+ HD DVDs :D. HD DVDs function the same as well if you are looking to rip to your PC. I use AnyDVD to get them on my PC, then either Clown_BD or MakeMKV to strip out the extra garbage.

John TM

06-29-09, 09:19 AM

Glad to hear it came out good. Is that Vista or Win 7? Did you go with 64 bit? On my Sugo Mini ITX case, the ps cables are just long enough to attach to the mb as you slide it in from the side, so I put the mb together on the bench, and the attached the power cables and slid the whole thing in there assembled. Worked great that way.

I also found with that lg optical drive you have that you can still get HD-DVD's really cheap and they are HD. I bought the complete set of BBC's Planet Earth for $13 (used). The Regular DVD's are around $60 for the whole set. I haven't received them yet, so still waiting to verify that the drive will read them.

I've been considering buying a 720p projector for mine, but at the moment I'm saving for some new surround speakers. If/When I get the projector, I may make a big screen and be able to show movies outside by my pool. Super bowl party at my house! :D

I went with Vista 32 Home The real problem is the BR player is long and leaves you about 3/4" from the power supply to you have bend the cables to fit, but all is good. That is good to know about the BR :) Good luck with the project. The only thing I'm still thinking of addine is a TV card :)

I guess I was lucky first shot everything works great.

WalkinPaul

06-29-09, 09:25 AM

:)

I guess I was lucky first shot everything works great.

Same here. Thanks Renethx! :D

Iteki

06-29-09, 03:19 PM

I finally put mine together and it worked 1st time out of the gate...with the exception of Windows7 installation times.

I won't got into too much detail, but apparently it's a known issue that one some PCs Windows7 will take HOURS to install. Prior to this install I had installed w7 on several work and home machines, from a dual core laptop to a Core 2 Duo desktop. In all cases W7 only took about 20-30 minutes to install.

In the case of my New HTPC, I have the following hardware setup:

CPU: Phenom II X3 710
MOBO: Gigabyte MA790GP-UD4H
RAM: 4 GB DDR-2 800
HD: Two 1TB Drives for storage (one internal, one external USB), one 80GB drive for OS
GPU: Sapphire Radeon 4670 DDR4
Optical: LG Bluray/HDVD combo drive
Case: Antec Overture II

The PC posted perfectly on the first try...but when I tried to install Windows7 it just seemed to hang on the mouse cursor and the install background. There were no install boxes or anything to click on, although the mouse would move. After a few reboots and a few BIOS changes (loaded failsafe defaults and optimized defaults), I decided to do a BIOS update, which was problematic because Gigabyte requires a floppy. So I cannibalized an old PC for a floppy and updated. No help.

So I just let it sit while I did some more research and it eventually gave me the dialog boxes. I eventually got through the entire install, but it took FOREVER.

Now that it's up and running, performance is great...but that install was a pain.

The only regret I have, and it's my own fault for not going with Rene's recommendation, is the Antec Overture case.

It's a good looking case, and everything works, but in combination with my Gigabyte motherboard the SATA ports are very difficult to get to. This case has a custom power supply, which is at the front (it has a passthrough power cable that goes to the back). The 3-6 SATA ports on the GB mobo are pointing at the front of the case and make the ports tough to access. There is BARELY enough room to flex a cable enough to connect it, and even then you have to unscrew the powersupply to do so. Connect your cables, then put the powersupply back. Yuck.

The fans are very quiet (it has 3, including the powersupply fan), but are non standard, so they can't be controlled via BIOS. They have a built in switch (high, med, low). On medium the machine is very quiet. I never hear it while watching content, and barely hear it when it's not in use.

Funny story: I got into hack with the wife over the last few hundred needed to put this together. But once it was up and running (with Mediabrowser) she has taken to it like duck to water. I ripped her Grey's Anatomy Season 1-4 DVDs and she's been happy as a clam watching them. There was a point where I insisted we watch Underworld, as I had ripped it weeks ago, and so she left the room and used the DVDs to continue her Grey's marathon. The moment I was done watching Underworld she came back into the room and continued on the HTPC. She claimed she'll never watch DVDs again, it takes too much time/effort to pop disks in and figure out which episodes she has already seen :-)

Thanks again Rene for your invaluable advice and the time you dedicate to this thread!

MrMcCrackin

06-29-09, 03:25 PM

The only other thing I had to add was wireless USB because the one one the board does not work well with Vista.

what exactly was the issue with the on-board wireless ???

- i have this exact system enroute from NewEgg, should be here on Wednesday

i really liked the fact the Mobo had on-board wireless! :confused:

gfortune1981

06-29-09, 06:11 PM

I received the new slim line sound card which works with vista ultimate SP1 (not SP2 which I have as my OS). But the unit works well with windows 7 RC which allows you to use the slimline by checking it off as compatible with vista SP1. Also Microsoft indicated that you can upgrade vista from windows 7 RC (save your important stuff first, though) :) I will then run less than 50 foot of HDMI cable to my basement Denon AVR and then start burning some discs to my peripheral raid 5
1.5TB drives :)

Marc_G

06-29-09, 06:19 PM

About my earlier post concerning no speaker in the nMedia 1000B case, nor on the Gigabyte MA78GPM-UD2H mother board:

Some cases don't bother with the post speaker. Sometimes they come with little 2 inch plug in types. THey are useful if you have a bios issue you need to resolve, otherwise I rarely bother with them.

The only motherboards i've seen with an actual speaker on the board was a foxconn am2 board.

For anyone interested, I bought a CACP01SP1 "case speaker replacement" from best byte computers, inc. (http://www.bestbyteinc.com) for less than $3 shipped. Installed in about a minute. PC Beeps on POST now.

:D

Marc

foghorn2

06-29-09, 08:45 PM

About my earlier post concerning no speaker in the nMedia 1000B case, nor on the Gigabyte MA78GPM-UD2H mother board:

For anyone interested, I bought a CACP01SP1 "case speaker replacement" from best byte computers, inc. (http://www.bestbyteinc.com) for less than $3 shipped. Installed in about a minute. PC Beeps on POST now.

:D

Marc

That will come in handy when you play an old dos game on you HTPC on the Big Screen!:D

WalkinPaul

06-29-09, 09:11 PM

meloman

06-29-09, 09:28 PM

Hello folks. I'm putting together a new htpc, and thanks mostly to the brilliance of the folks on this forum I've been able to configure what I consider a good system. The htpc will mostly be used to view / rip blu-ray & dvd movies. Some streaming video. At some point, I'd also like to eliminate my directv dvr, but I know nothing yet about PVR's to have a clue of what I would need or how that would work.

Here are the components I'm using thus far:

GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz
COOLER MASTER RR-CCH-L9U1-GP
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 -- x2
SAPPHIRE 100255DDR4 Radeon HD 4670 512MB 128-bit GDDR4
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB -- x2, x3 or x4
OCZ StealthXStream OCZ600SXS 600W ATX12V
Logitech Slim diNovo

TV Tuner:
Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 ?

OS:
Either Vista, (32 or 64), or W7.

Thanks!:D

Hello again & thank you for your feedback. Now, apparently I've got another issue. As it turns out, the Antec Remote Max will not fit in my media cabinet, I would need an additional 1/2" of height clearance :mad:. As it is apparent that I won't be able to use the Antec case, am I in the clear to basically use any ATX tower? Any suggestions? Thank you for your time.:)

renethx

06-30-09, 12:14 AM

Hello again & thank you for your feedback. Now, apparently I've got another issue. As it turns out, the Antec Remote Max will not fit in my media cabinet, I would need an additional 1/2" of height clearance :mad:. As it is apparent that I won't be able to use the Antec case, am I in the clear to basically use any ATX tower? Any suggestions? Thank you for your time.:)
Zalman HD135 is about 40mm shorter, but pricier (>$270). The non-MAX version should fit your cabinet, but you have to use a mATX mb.

meloman

06-30-09, 12:20 AM

Zalman HD135 is about 40mm shorter, but pricier (>$270). The non-MAX version should fit your cabinet, but you have to use a mATX mb.

Ah, I'll look into the Zalman case then, thank you! If that doesn't work or I can't find anything I'll need to opt for another mb then.

Thanks for your input.

cwstnsko

06-30-09, 06:31 AM

Make sure you check the depth of your cabinet when looking at the Zalman HD135, it is a couple inches deeper than the Antec Fusion case. I have a 135HD that I had planned to put into a 20" deep cabinet with a closed back, but it wouldn't fit unless I cut open the back of the cabinet :( The Antec Fusion just barely fits in the 20" deep cabinet without mashing the cables up against the back too much. I ended up moving the Zalman build to another room with a cabinet with an open back.

variable114

06-30-09, 06:35 AM

cwstnsko

06-30-09, 06:44 AM

I don't think anyone else can see your shopping cart, it's tied to your account/session, but no you don't need a sound card to get audio over HDMI

variable114

06-30-09, 02:35 PM

weird I remember that being possible. must be some other way to link that stuff... thanks though.

renethx

06-30-09, 08:33 PM

Is this a complete build?
(edited in build)
APEX MI-008 Black Steel Mini-ITX Tower Computer Case 250W Power Supply - Retail
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
ZOTAC GF8200-C-E AM2+/AM2 NVIDIA GeForce 8200 Mini ITX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Gyration GYR3101CKUS USB RF Wireless Mini Vista Media Center Remote combo Learning, IR&RF, mouse, 88-key KB - Retail
A-DATA 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model ADQVE1A16K - Retail
AMD Phenom 8600B 2.3GHz Socket AM2+ 95W Triple-Core Processor Model HD860BWCGHBOX - Retail
SILVERSTONE NT07-AM2 80mm CPU Cooler - Retail
LG Black Super Multi Blu-ray Disc Burner & HD DVD-ROM Drive SATA Model GGW-H20L - Retail

(edit - it's almost the exact micoITX amd/nvidia build)

I'm not quite sure if I need a soundcard, or if this works over HDMI with audio+video. Small thing that isn't quite clear to me.

I'm looking to get in without spending too much because I've never had an HTPC before so I don't think it's worth going too crazy on a first build but I do want to be able to use an HDMI connection for a/v.

The remote I have in my cart came recommended from someone on another forum and it seems to have some great functionality.
AMD Phenom 8600B 2.3GHz Socket AM2+ 95W is not a good choice. AMD Athlon II X2 250 3.0GHz 65W is an ideal choice for IGP, but I can't see it (and Phenom 8600B) in the CPU support list (http://www.zotac.com/httpdocs/brochures/cpumemorylist/ZOTAC%20GeForce%208200.txt). AMD 95W 65 nm processors are power-hungry and NT07-AM2 is not good for them.

An alternative is the combination of:

- AMD Athlon X2 4850e 2.5GHz 45W, $55
- SAPPHIRE 100252HDMI Radeon HD 4550, $35.

Video playback performance is better than GeForce 8200. GeForce 8200 and Radeon HD 4550 support HDMI audio. (HD 4550 is better in audio too.)

Marc_G

06-30-09, 09:21 PM

Folks,

Currently running with iGPU on Gigabyte MA78GPM-UD2H. It's an ATI3200 with 128 MB sideport RAM. Paired with AMD Athlon X2 7750 Kuma 2.7GHz. Going out to a 1080i plasma screen (50" Panasonic, about 4 years old, connected via HDMI). Running the latest set of drivers.

Everything is great about the picture, at least to my eyes, except for the life of me I can't eliminate the slight black border around the sides and top of the screen. IT started as border around all sides, with the used area slightly off center to the bottom. I adjusted the overscan as much as possible with the Catalyst Control CEnter, and now I have no border at the bottom. But due to the off-center nature of the screen position, I still have some border top and sides, maybe a quarter inch.

Would getting a discrete graphics card fix it? Given my starting point, ATI Radeon HD 3200 iGPU, would the Sapphire 4550 card (100252HDMI Radeon HD 4550) likely give me an improvement?

I'm willing to pop for the $35 card (including the rebate and free shipping) but the issue isn't enough to get me to spring for the 4670 card (currently $75 plus shipping).

Thoughts from this august assemblage of minds would be greatly appreciated.

Marc

hbomber202020

06-30-09, 09:38 PM

Well I went with low-end microatx form factor, amd/amd

* CPU: Athlon X2 5050e
* Stock cooler
* Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-US2H AM2+ AMD 780G
* Memory: A-DATA DDR2-800 2GB
* Graphics Card: SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4550 DDR3 512MB HDMI
* HDD: Hitachi 1 TB
* Blu ray, LG GGC-H20L

Total as of now, $387

Going to use Win 7rc 64 Bit. Just have to decide on a case, I think that's the hardest part! Still undecided. I went back and forth alot between 4550 and 4670. Hopefully I made the correct choice, if not I can always grab the 4670 and throw the 4550 in my other comp. My HTPC will purely be used for dvd and blu-ray play back off hd's. Going to add obviously another TB and eventually storage/media server.

Love the look and feel of mediaportal, that hooked me.

Thanks to everyone, lots of great info on here. Thanks rene.

Now I gotta find a case and psu soon, not looking forward to spending $150+ for both, if I want to assemble it this long weekend.

renethx

07-01-09, 09:53 AM

Another ION mini-ITX board.

TechConnect Magazine (http://www.tcmagazine.com/comments.php?shownews=27601&catid=2)

Seen earlier this month at Computex, Inno3D's ION-based motherboard has now been revealed as bearing the iChill brand, although its maker still hasn't said when we'll be seeing it in stores. The upcoming mini-ITX board is set to become available in two versions - one with a single-core 1.6 GHz Atom CPU, and one with its dual-core counterpart, and feature two DDR2-667/800 memory slots, GeForce 9400 integrated graphics (DirectX 10 support, 16 Stream Processors) clocked at 450 MHz, one eSATA and three SATA 3.0 Gbps ports, Gigabit Ethernet, and 5.1 channel onboard audio.

Inno3D's motherboard will come bundled with a low-profile fan and a 90W external PSU, and provides D-Sub, DVI and HDMI outputs. Just what the doctor ordered for a low-cost nettop. Or is it?

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=146813&stc=1&d=1246456348

renethx

07-01-09, 09:55 AM

Expreview (http://en.expreview.com/2009/06/30/amd-to-support-nvidias-cuda-technology.html)

Bill Dally, the Chief Technology Officer at NVIDIA, has hinted that AMD will probably support CUDA applications, when he talked about GPGPU at a recent conference, according to Techradar.

Bill Dally stated: “In the future you’ll be able to run C with CUDA extensions on a broader range of platforms, so I don’t think that will be a fundamental limitation.” Though Dally didn’t name AMD outright, he said: “I am familiar with some projects that are underway to enable CUDA on other platforms.”

Dally indicated that the Brook programming language that AMD’s Stream is using has “a large number of limitations”. He believed CUDA provides “hundreds of applications”, while “there are just a handful of things at AMD’s corresponding website for GPU computing”.

Dally was also unconcerned about people buying AMD GPUs instead of NVIDIA GPUs if they supported CUDA.

“We don’t care whether they [GPGPU apps] are restricted to running on our GPUs or on a broader range of platforms,” said Dally. “We produce the best GPUs that there are, so given a fair competitive environment, people will choose our GPUs.”

bytor99999

07-01-09, 11:40 AM

MrMcCrackin

07-01-09, 12:07 PM

So I was googling the word "insanity" and this was the top link in that search. :D

I don't think I have every seen such a detailed guide such as this.

renethx, you must drink a lot of Jolt cola.

Thank you so much for posting all this and keeping everything up to date.

Mark

i would think just the inverse

i think Renethx created the guide to keep from going insane

but i do agree - thanks to Renethx and the whole forum for this as well as further q/a on issues

walterg74

07-01-09, 05:16 PM

Hey guys, I 've already posted this before, but since I never got any reply, here I go taking another shor in the hope that someone who missed my previous posting of the problem, or some new readers know the solution (if it exists...).

I'll try to make it brief :D

- Built my HTPC, added a TV tuner card.
- My video card is a Sapphire ATI Radeon HD4670
- The TV card is a Sapphire Wonder TV card (regular analog)
- Up to the moment I installed the card, I gas going with HDMI cable to the
Monitor/TV, and I got video and sound out of it
- The TV card requires a normal cable w/stereo jack to be connected from it's "audio out" port, to the line in of a sound card... (my mobo has builtin sound too)

The problem is that to hear the sound from the tuner app, I must connect external speakers to the sound card's line out jack, thereby nulling the whole purpose of having a single hdmi connection to get the sound to the screen!

In the apps setup, it gives you an option to set the incoming audio (set to the line in on the sound card, only choice I have) and also the audio out, but even if I select the HDMI device, no audio comes out... only with the external speakers... :(

So any clues?? Is this just the way it is, or do I have some setting wrong? Any other thing one mught do to maybe redirect the output of the onboard audio to the HDMI ? :confused:

renethx

07-01-09, 06:12 PM

walterg74

07-01-09, 08:33 PM

@walterg74

I used an older TV tuner card with an internal audio output. It works only with analog sound device. It never works with SPDIF or HDMI audio (whatever digital sound option I see in the TV application settings).

Right, that was the thing... I don't understand why it lists the devices as possibilities if they won't work... :mad:

So no weird "magic" programs, that can re-route the sound info between devices...? :rolleyes:

gpounders

07-01-09, 11:58 PM

When are we going to get a low profile 4670 card?

gpounders

07-02-09, 12:17 AM

Renethx,

In your guide you show MPC using hardware acceleration. Is this possible in Windows 7 with GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-US2H with HD3200 only? If so how?

ericbsmith

07-02-09, 07:13 AM

Right, that was the thing... I don't understand why it lists the devices as possibilities if they won't work... :mad:It does work, just not the way you want it to; the line-in on the sound card does route the sound to the output on that sound card. Unfortunately, there really hasn't been much need until fairly recently to route the line-in of one sound card to the line-out of another sound card (and as far as windows is concerned, the HDMI sound is just another sound card).

So no weird "magic" programs, that can re-route the sound info between devices...? :rolleyes:Windows 7 can easily be set up to "Listen to" any mic/line input and output it to any other sound card.

juda

07-02-09, 11:27 AM

Another ION mini-ITX board.

TechConnect Magazine (http://www.tcmagazine.com/comments.php?shownews=27601&catid=2)http://***************/9/P/i.jpg

Woah this is ridiculous for a mobo, any word on price?

Marc_G

07-02-09, 12:53 PM

Newegg is out of the Sapphire 4550 card at the 45 minus 10 rebate free shipping price. Anybody else have one about the same price?

Marc

hbomber202020

07-02-09, 02:39 PM

C E Jones

07-02-09, 04:25 PM

Rene and others,

Now that the Samsung Ecogreen F2 1TB drive has been out for about a month, any thoughts on the Ecogreen vs. the WD Caviar Green? I'm plannong on adding a hard drive to my HTPC--I'm leaning towards the Samsung because it's a bit cheaper and has gotten very positive reviews at Newegg. Also I believe it uses 2 platters vs. the Caviar's 3? They seem about the same in terms of performance (noise, power consumption, speed, etc.).

dbrown2

07-02-09, 06:38 PM

phatcenter77

07-02-09, 08:28 PM

Oops, nm...

wickchucker

07-02-09, 08:45 PM

Hello, and help...

I took the plunge and purchased the low end Intel/NVIDIA setup.

# CPU: Pentium Dual-Core E5200 2.50GHz LGA775, $64.
# CPU Cooler: Stock cooler, $0.
# Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-E7AUM-DS2H LGA775 GeForce 9400 mGPU microATX, $130.
# Memory: A-DATA ADQVE1A16K DDR2-800 2 x 1GB Kit, $30.
# Fusion black remote case
# Thermaltake TR2 W0070RUC 430W ATX12V Power Supply

For the life me I could not get Vista Ult.. installed on the system. I tried XP Pro and still had issue during install. I then thought I would remove one of the two mem ddr and the system installed XP fine (have not tried vista yet). After all the updates, I thought I would put the other mem back in, but the system boots and as the video switches and you see an hour glass mouse the system will freeze. I can take the mem back out and it boots fine. I have tried both and both work one at a time, but not together.

Thoughts?

It sounds like the ram. Can you try it in another system?

The best way to troubleshoot is to try and isolate the problem one piece at a time. You could try booting to a program like memtest86 aimed at memory failure detection. I have not personally had to use that tool but I know of it as it is aprt of the great system diagnostics software suite on the ultimate boot cd (http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/index.html). That would allow you to boot to a cd rather than windows and run any number of diagnostics.

Marc_G

07-02-09, 08:53 PM

Newegg is out of the Sapphire 4550 card at the 45 minus 10 rebate free shipping price. Anybody else have one about the same price?

Marc

Yeah, I got me one, but without the $10 mail in, I bought it June 30th, sale started yesterday.

newegg, has a Sapphire 4670, $65, minus $10 mail in, is $55.

Mwave has a sapphire 4550, for $45. I've never used them though.

http://www.mwave.com/mwave/SKUSearch_v3.asp?scriteria=3005009

Yea! It looks like the Egg has them back in stock!

I just ordered one. It should be a reasonable step up from the HD3200, totally silent, and if I don't like it for the HTPC it can replace the 3450 card in my desktop PC. For $35, not bad.

:-)

Marc

WalkinPaul

07-03-09, 02:08 AM

Got the HIS 4850 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161244) for $99.99, + free shipping, + $15 mail in rebate.

. Small issue. I have a black border around the image. It's about 1.5" on the sides and 1" on the top and bottom. Catalyst says it's at full 1920x1080 and 1080p but it looks more like 720p in size.

I have tried changing resolutions and then changing it back to 1920x1080, but there is still the border. It detects the correct display also.

Any clues?

Also, check out the pics.

Also 2, got to get a right angle sata cable to mount the hd now that the video card is in. Not enough room between video card and back of 3.5" hard drive.

renethx

07-03-09, 02:42 AM

Renethx,

In your guide you show MPC using hardware acceleration. Is this possible in Windows 7 with GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-US2H with HD3200 only? If so how?
MPC 'HomeCinema' supports DXVA: DXVA Support (http://mpc-hc.sourceforge.net/DXVASupport.html).

renethx

07-03-09, 02:55 AM

renethx

07-03-09, 03:01 AM

Small issue. I have a black border around the image. It's about 1.5" on the sides and 1" on the top and bottom. Catalyst says it's at full 1920x1080 and 1080p but it looks more like 720p in size.

I have tried changing resolutions and then changing it back to 1920x1080, but there is still the border. It detects the correct display also.

Any clues?
Adjust "Scaling Options" under CCC?

dbrown2

07-03-09, 10:19 AM

Start your own thread? Not trying to be a jerk, but you'll probably get more responses that way. I know it always bugs me when people piggy-back my threads...

You are correct... I will start my own thread. I had seen others with issues that had in this thread and thought I would do the same. Sorry for the issues.

WalkinPaul

07-03-09, 10:52 AM

Adjust "Scaling Options" under CCC?

Yep! That was it. Scaling was set to about 12% underscan. Don't know why, but it was???

HIS 4850 is a Very quiet card. Now I needs some games. :D

@dbrown2, The windows vista not installing may be the "slow" install problem others have reported. I've read it's a documented problem over at Microsoft. One thing you could try is installing windows 7 rc first and see how that works. If it installs correctly, then you know it's not the hardware. Then install vista and just be patient. You'll want to wipe out the existing partition on install. YMMV.

WalkinPaul

07-03-09, 12:59 PM

[snip]

... Please participate in the thread for questions, answering questions, providing suggestions and information like before.

It's an open forum.

MrMcCrackin

07-03-09, 02:35 PM

in case i run into a VGA heat problem -

anyone know of a VGA cooler that fits the ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi GF9300-D-E board in the Apex MI-008 case?

C E Jones

07-03-09, 05:30 PM

Ecogreen F2 (500GB/platter) should be good. I am using a couple of Ecogreen F1 (333GB/platter) with no problem.

Thanks, I think I'll go with the Ecogreen F2. When I put it in my Newegg shopping cart 2 days ago it was $80, but when I went back to check out they'd jacked it up to $100. :( Guess I'll wait a bit to see if it goes back down, and if not grab the WD for $90. Those Samsungs were selling for $70 a few weeks ago!!

kritikadeo

07-03-09, 09:02 PM

Hello all. First off all, I would like to say that this is such a great forum to find everything HTPC related under one place. I am a new member to this site and I am currently researching on building a HTPC.
The HTPC that I build, I want it to serve as a server as well. Because of this reason, I am looking for a case that can house 5 or more HD's. I also want the case to be piano black in color so that it can match everything else in my home theater. The HTPC will go on a rack in my living room right next to my receiver.
I am going to list the components that consist of my home theater so if anyone has suggestions they can advice me to a better case that can go well with my home theater.

Current Home Theater Electronics:
TV:
Pioneer Elite Kuro 50"
http://www.hdtvexpert.com/images_d/Pro111FD_1.jpg

Receiver:
Pioneer Elite VSX-94XH
http://www.crunchgear.com/wp-content/uploads/pioneer-elite-vsx-94txh-av-receiver.jpg

Vianna Accoustic Webern Speakers:
http://www.sumikoaudio.net/va/images/WEBERN_BLK_3-4.jpg

Power Conditioner/Voltage Regulator:
Panamax M5500EX
http://www.plasma.com/surgesupp/largeimages/m5500-ex.jpg

Tosiba HD-A20 HD-DVD Player:
http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2007/04/toshiba_hd_dvd.jpg

Logitech Harmony 1000 Universal Remote Control:
http://hurbania.com/clickseguro/images/REMOTE.jpg

Zline Piano Black Home Theater Tv Stand
PS3
PS3 Energizer Remote Control Charger:
http://news.cnet.com/i/bto/20081030/Energizer_PS3_charger_270x299.jpg
Linksys Router
XBOX 360

Parts to Buy:
1) HTPC Case:
Whichever case that I use to build the HTPC, I would like it to match the rest of my electronics. So far from a week of research I have come to his specific one.

Thermaltake DH-104 with IR receiver and Remote Control:
http://raimpc.com/ini/wp-content/uploads/marcas/thermaltake/Thermaltake_DH_104.jpg

I also like this case because I can access my media center without turning on the TV, especially for music playback. Currenty, everytime I play my music library in the living room, I have to turn on the PS3/TV/Receiver, start the playlist then turn off the tv. With this case, I should be able to just turn on the HTPC/Receiver and start the playlists without turing on the TV.

2) Motherboard:
AMD/ATX
Asus M4A78T-E, Socket Type AM3, Cpu type Phenon II X4/Phenom II X3, 790GX/SB750, 4xDDR3 1333 memory slots, Max memory 16GB, 2xpcie2,0x16, 2pcie, 2pci, 1PATA, 5SATA, Onboard ATI Radeon HD 3300 build in 128MB DDR3 1333 memory, HDMI/Optical.
$140 at Newegg.

3) CPU with heatsink and fan:
AMD
Phenom II X4 810, Socket AM3, Quad Core, 2.6Ghz, 4000Mhz HT, L1-4x128kb, L2-4x512kb, L3-4mb, 95watt.
$140 at Newegg.
This CPU is sold out at Newegg. Does anyone have any other suggestions where I can obtain one.

4) Video Card:
ATI Chipset with Avivo HD Technology with hardware-based Unified Video Decoding, HDMI with 7.1 digital surround audio, and Accelerated Video Transcoding.
This should offload the VC-1 and H.264 processing from the CPU and would allow the GPU to provide hardware acceleration and video processing. Also supports Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS via the built in audio controller.
Gigabyte GV-R487D5-1GD, Radeon HD 4870 @750mhz, 800 Stream Processing Units, 3600mhz memory clock, 1GB GDDR5 memory size, DirectX10.1, HDMI.
$170 at Newegg.

5) Memory:
G. Skill F3-10666CL-7D-$GBPI, 4GB(2x2GB) DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666), Cas latency 7-7-7-18.
$65 at Newegg.

6) PSU:
Antec EA-750 ATX12V Versioon 2.3, 750watt, 20+4pin, 80 Certified.
$120 at Newegg.

7) HD:
I have a Western Digital 1TB HD for storage and Western Digital 250gig for boot. Both are sata.

8) Optical Drive:
I have a DVD-Burner that I will use for install purposes.

9) Keyboard/Mouse:
I have a Microsoft wireless combo that I will use in the mean time.

Well folks, this is what I have come up for the HTPC. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. Also, if anyone see's any problems with any of these parts being compatable with each other, please let me know as well. I hope that all these parts will be compatable with each.

Thank you for all your help, and once again this forum is awesome.

Remo Deo

renethx

07-03-09, 09:27 PM

@kritikadeo

Do you play games? HD 4870 is a gaming card and overkill for video playback (consumes a lot more power [+50W] at idle and video playback than HD 4670 with no PQ improvement). If you go for HD 4670, then 750W is overkill, 300-500W is enough (each HDD consumes only max 8W).

Phenom II X3 720.

kritikadeo

07-03-09, 10:39 PM

@renethx

I do play games, although this HTPC will be more for movie playback as of now. I went with the HD4870 primary for the Avivo HD features of the card, especially for the Accelerated Video Transcoding. This way, I have a card that can satisfy both of these tasks.

I picked the Antec 750 because of future HD's that may be put into this setup.
At max 5 hard drives, video card, motherboard, etc what size watt psu do you suggest.

Thank you

renethx

07-03-09, 10:54 PM

@kritikadeo

Is 'transcoding' real-time or just re-encoding files?

kritikadeo

07-03-09, 10:56 PM

@renethx

I basically want to take all my media content, mostly DVD's, and put them onto the server in a digital format. This way my entire physical DVD library can be within my HTPC.

renethx

07-03-09, 11:07 PM

I basically want to take all my media content, mostly DVD's, and put them onto the server in a digital format. This way my entire physical DVD library can be within my HTPC.
Ripping DVD does not involve re-encoding unless you want to convert MPEG-2 to a more efficient compression scheme such as H.264 (which many people object to because, for example, HDD is now very cheap [a $90 1TB HDD holds 200 single-layer DVDs]). Even a low-end CPU can do that easily. I recommend you to look at one of my mid-range systems on page 85.

kritikadeo

07-03-09, 11:12 PM

Thank you, thank you, thank you so much. That feature of the video card was pushing up my price a lot.

Remo Deo

kritikadeo

07-03-09, 11:17 PM

I forgot to mention something. I am not sure if this is possible.

Is it possible to use one wireless keyboard and mouse for both the PS3 and HTPC.

Remo Deo

renethx

07-04-09, 12:04 AM

Is it possible to use one wireless keyboard and mouse for both the PS3 and HTPC.
No. The USB kb/mouse receiver must be connected to either HTPC or PS3, but not both at a time. (You could use a KVM switch.)

dane_peterson

07-04-09, 01:13 AM

Will 350watts be enough power to run the mid-range MicroATX AMD/AMD system?
The case I'm getting has a 350w PSU, and I'm already pushing my budget... will be using the Gigabyte Radeon HD 4670 Card.

renethx

07-04-09, 02:08 AM

Will 350watts be enough power to run the mid-range MicroATX AMD/AMD system?
The case I'm getting has a 350w PSU, and I'm already pushing my budget... will be using the Gigabyte Radeon HD 4670 Card.
Yes. Max system power is < 200W.

sschen

07-04-09, 04:56 AM

Is 500W that comes with the Antec Sonata III enough for the following ATX High/Premium system?

Intel i7 920 with a Nexus 120mm Silent Case Fan
Gigabyte EX58-UD4P
ATI HD4890 1G
1TB Seagate 7200.12 HDD
LG GGW-H20L Blu-ray/HDD reader/writer
4GB Corsair TR3X6G1600C7 DDR3

Will most likely bring across an old Samsung 500GB SATA HDD from an existing system.

renethx

07-04-09, 05:32 AM

sschen

07-04-09, 10:23 AM

Yes. Max system power (100% CPU + 100% GPU at the same time) is < 400W.

Fantastic, thanks for the confirmation! Now just have to find some time over the weekend to put it all together. Thanks for all this fantastic guide

Iteki

07-04-09, 10:43 AM

I forgot to mention something. I am not sure if this is possible.

Is it possible to use one wireless keyboard and mouse for both the PS3 and HTPC.

Remo Deo

It would be a pain, but the logitech dinovo mini can control both.But you would have to toggle a switch that is underneath (and behind the door that holds the battery and dongle). It would be fine for occasional switching, but anything more frequent would drive me nuts.

MrMcCrackin

07-05-09, 12:07 AM

i finally got a chance to build my HTPC

ran into a little problem with a DOA RAM stick - but its up and running!

Thanks to all you guys and renethx!

CPU: Pentium Dual-Core E5200 2.50GHz LGA775,
CPU Cooler: SilverStone NT07-775,
Motherboard: ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi GF9300-D-E LGA775 GeForce 9300 mGPU Mini-ITX,
Memory: PATRIOT DDR2-800 2 x 2GB Kit,
Graphics Card: GeForce 9300 (integrated in the chipset),
HDD: Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB SATA 3.0Gbps,
PSU: ATX12V 250W SFX PSU (included in the case):
Case: Apex MI-008 Mini-ITX
OS: Vista Home Premium OEM
DVD: LG GGC-H20L
Keyboard: Adesso 2.4 GHz RF Wireless Multimedia/MCE Keyboard with Optical Trackball WKB-3200UB

gpounders

07-05-09, 05:21 PM

Is USB 2.0 external enclosure fast enough for blu-ray and HD-DVD playback.

Is the Vantec USB 2.0 a good choice for LG blu-ray HD/DVD player?

Thanks

WalkinPaul

07-05-09, 06:37 PM

Is USB 2.0 external enclosure fast enough for blu-ray and HD-DVD playback.

Is the Vantec USB 2.0 a good choice for LG blu-ray HD/DVD player?

Thanks

I'm using the LG Model GGC-H20L and the VANTEC NST-530SU Aluminum 5.25" Black USB2.0 & eSATA External Enclosure.

I'm using it with the eSata connection and it works fine so far. Sorry, I haven't tried the USB yet. The only issue I have is that you have to turn the drive on before you start the computer. The eSata connection won't connect after the computer has started. Well, at least I haven't figure out how to make it connect yet.

Davinleeds

07-05-09, 07:46 PM

Is USB 2.0 external enclosure fast enough for blu-ray and HD-DVD playback.

Is the Vantec USB 2.0 a good choice for LG blu-ray HD/DVD player?

Thanks

Yes, fast enough for players and hard drives.

JDz

07-05-09, 09:42 PM

Thinking about buying this computer instead of trying to build one....

HP Pavilion Elite e9150t customizable Desktop PC

* – Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
* – Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-920 processor (2.66GHz, 1MB L2 + 8MB shared L3 cache with QPI Technology)
* – 9GB DDR3-1066MHz SDRAM [5 DIMMs]
* – 1.5TB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive
* – 1GB ATI Radeon HD 4850 [2 DVI, HDMI and VGA adapters]
* – LightScribe 16X max. DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti drive
* – Blu-ray ROM (player)
* – Wireless-N LAN card
* – 15-in-1 memory card reader, 1 USB, 1394, audio
* – No TV Tuner w/remote control
* – Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium
* – Logitech X-540 5.1 stereo speakers
* – HP multimedia keyboard and HP optical mouse
* – Microsoft(R) Works 9.0
* – Norton Internet Security(TM) 2009 - 15 month
* – HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

What would be the need in the Creative Sound Blaster card? Won't the 4850 pass through multi channel lpcm already? If this card will not bit stream the HD audio I don't see the need in getting this sound card. Unless I am wrong...

I want the best audio/video I can get for Bd/hddvd etc.....maybe some gaming down the road

BTW I am new to all of this....sorry if this is a stupid question....

foghorn2

07-05-09, 11:02 PM

I would not touch anything with a HP name on it. You are asking for aggravation.

renethx

07-05-09, 11:15 PM

@JDz

Logitech X-540 is a comupter speaker system, not for a home theater. It accepts only 5.1 analog and would match Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi nicely, of course.

JDz

07-05-09, 11:47 PM

bighick

07-05-09, 11:49 PM

I am putting together a 2nd htpc. It will be hooked up to 2 old tube tv's (i will be splitting it so that isnt the problem) but needs to be hooked up Via composite (not even svideo on these beasts). I have a s-video to composite adapter which i would not mind using as long as it wont make it blurry or anything. I just do not know which card to get. I do not care if it has HDMI since i can just use a DVI to hdmi and use s/pdif in the future when i upgrade the tv. The cpu will be a e5200.

so
1. DXVA
2. Svideo or composite out
3. Less than $50 for sure the cheaper the better.

Sidenote, I have a 4350 sitting around that i could put in in the future if you just give me a decent card for s-video or composite. Wont need to do HD videos for a while.

renethx

07-06-09, 12:09 AM

Was going to take the sound card off, was wanting the speakers for times I watch a movie on the computer and for gaming on down the line. I've never built a computer and since it was 30% off this configuration it compares to the prices for a do-it-yourself computer. Was not for sure about the sound card and whether I needed it for my situation.....streaming bd's , best possible sund/video I can get etc...

Won't the 4850 pass through multi channel lpcm already?
If you use the Logitech speakers, you'd better choose a sound card such as SB X-Fi instead of onboard sound.

HD 4850 supports multichannel LPCM over HDMI (assuming you have a HDMI AV receiver).

To switch between sound playback devices, use hotkeys (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15195715#post15195715).

renethx

07-06-09, 12:13 AM

Nomgle

07-06-09, 04:20 AM

I am putting together a 2nd htpc. It will be hooked up to 2 old tube tv's (i will be splitting it so that isnt the problem) but needs to be hooked up Via composite (not even svideo on these beasts). I have a s-video to composite adapter which i would not mind using as long as it wont make it blurry or anything...
The composite connection on a CRT telly will be spectacularly blurry, by it's nature. Composite is a terrible way to carry video !
I remember back in the days of CRT TVs, text in Windows was pretty much unreadable - even at 640x480 ! And the interlaced flicker will cause your brain to implode :)

I'd just ditch the old displays - modern screens are now very cheap, and will display a Computer signal properly !

tiger8mush

07-06-09, 06:52 AM

hi guys, total beginner here. this is a great thread, much appreciated!

I plan on building my first htpc soon - something close to the recommended low-end intel/nvidia setup so i can get my feet wet. I'll be using this in a room that has an xbox and LG lcd hdtv. Couple of questions:

1) i will want to surf the net of course, so any recommendations on an ethernet card that will work will with the low-end setup? i have a belkin pre-n wireless router.

2) sound - i'd like to either go from the htpc to a set of 5.1 speakers. So i'd need either an amplifier or self-powered speakers, correct? Do they make htpc amplifiers or would an external amplifier be a better option?

3) i'll want to hook up the xbox to the htpc, will the low end setup work?

THanks so much!
Rob
:o)

renethx

07-06-09, 08:34 AM

amitabh9

07-06-09, 08:56 AM

speedoflight

07-06-09, 09:41 AM

amitabh9

07-06-09, 09:43 AM

thank you. what happens if i only plug one of them in, will the system still start up?

bighick

07-06-09, 09:49 AM

The composite connection on a CRT telly will be spectacularly blurry, by it's nature. Composite is a terrible way to carry video !
I remember back in the days of CRT TVs, text in Windows was pretty much unreadable - even at 640x480 ! And the interlaced flicker will cause your brain to implode :)

I'd just ditch the old displays - modern screens are now very cheap, and will display a Computer signal properly !

The old lady only lets me update 1 tv per year :( I know I won't be able to surf the net due to picture quality but it should be good enough for media portal with a hulu launch so i should hopefully never have to look at windows.

And thanks to the person above that posted the video cards

Ximori

07-06-09, 01:09 PM

Does anyone have an opinion on this build? It'll be for casual gaming and HTPC use...though I mainly use the PS3 for watching movies. thanks.

AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition
Gemin II S cpu cooler
Gigabyte GA-MA770T-UD3P AM3 mobo
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500)
XFX HD-487A-ZHFC Radeon HD 4870 1GB
Western Digital Caviar Green WD5000AADS 500GB
LG Electronics GGC-H20L LightScribe Blu-Ray/HD DVD Combo Drive
CORSAIR 550w VX Series 12v ATX 80 Plus Certified Power Supply

Marc_G

07-06-09, 01:21 PM

I need your help. I finally purchased all my htpc parts and am in the process of putting it together. I will post pictures soon.

My mobo, Gigabyte EP45-UD3P, has two power connectors, 1 2x4 - 12v that is sitting beside the cpu socket and another 2x12 at the end of the mobo, beside the ram sockets.

My question is this

How do i connect my PSU (Enermax Liberty) to it? i have two cords coming out of my PSU, one that is labeled mobo and another cpu. The mobo is 2 cables that join to form 2x12 and the cpu is 2 cables that join to form 2x4 (with a 12v) label.

Do i hook both of them up? Just one, if so, which one?

Thanx for the help, and i will post pictures and my comments once done.

You have to plug both of them in.

thank you. what happens if i only plug one of them in, will the system still start up?

@amitabh9:

I'm sending out waves of mental reassurance to you right now. Where you are, I was about 10 weeks ago. On my first build I had a similar PSU / mobo combo and misread the Gigabyte directions about connecting PSU to mobo. I thought it was an either-or situation instead of "you need to plug them both in!"

So I plugged in the 2x12 (or whatever the larger one was...) and thought I didn't need to plug in the smaller one (2x4). Someone I trusted (a good source, but to whom I mis-described the situation) told me I shouldn't plug both in for fear of causing overload.

So I nervously plugged in the 2x12, pressed the on switch, and to my delight the fans (incl. CPU fan) spun up and the drives started making noise. Hooray.

Short lived was my joy. No picture on the screen. No POST beep. Nothing. Even the reset button did nada.

I figured it might be bad RAM or something and gradually stripped the system until nothing, not even RAM, was left connected. Just CPU/mobo/PSU/monitor. Nothing. Then I figured I might be wrong about the power cable so I plugged the 2x4 in. Still nothing. So I figured it was bad cpu or mobo and was fixing to return the parts for exchange.

Then I got better advice. No 2x4 = no boot. No RAM = no boot. I never had tried +2x4 +RAM. Plugged EVERYTHING back in and it worked like a charm.

First time build issue. Classic. Several people have told me similar stories.

Good luck with your system. Once you get past newbie jitters it'll be joy. And occasional hair-pulling.

Marc

PS: Neither my mobo or my case has a speaker, so I never did get a POST beep until I bought a $0.99 case speaker.

amitabh9

07-06-09, 01:52 PM

@ Marc_G:

thank you for sharing your experience. So, i will plug both cables in, cross my heart, and hope my htpc does not die!

with my previous pc, there was only 1 power connector. Now, there is two, and both have to be connected. I wish the gigabtye manual was a little clearer in that aspect for me(at least in lemans terms).

amitabh9

07-06-09, 01:56 PM

Ximori

07-06-09, 02:37 PM

Honestly, i just use renethx suggested system. Great source and value to the HTPC community.

I couldn't agree more - but few parts, such as mobo and cpu/heat sink, were altered because of costs.

Marc_G

07-06-09, 04:27 PM

tiger8mush

07-06-09, 04:31 PM

1. For example, ENCORE ENLWI-N 802.11n Wireless PCI Adapter

2. Yes. If you use a powered speaker system (with or without digital input), you don't need an AV receiver. Otherwise you need an AV receiver. If you care about sound quality, a good AV receiver/speakers is recommended.

3. Yes.

Thanks renethx for the reply and suggestions!

Just wondering if maybe the MSI Media Live Diva 5.1 motherboard would be compatible with one of the low-end setups that you suggest so I wouldn't need an AV Receiver?

Thanks again!
Rob
:o)

Marc_G

07-06-09, 04:32 PM

Folks,

I've got a system with two WD Caviar Green SATA drives, 1.0 and 1.5 GB respectively, with an Athlon X2 2.7Ghz Kuma and a Gigabyte MA-78GPM-UD2H mobo.

If the system is idling, and I copy/move a large file from one drive to the other, I get practical speeds on the order of 3 GB/min. For some reason I expected faster file handling. Also, when doing such copies, the computer is mega slow for anything else.

Is this typical for my kind of setup or should I be investigating the source of a slowdown?

I've never worked with such large files before on any sort of routine basis, but it seems odd that from one drive to the next is about the same speed as I can copy from one COMPUTER to the next, albeit over a gigabit network. :D

Thoughts?

Marc

wickchucker

07-06-09, 05:51 PM

Thanks renethx for the reply and suggestions!

Just wondering if maybe the MSI Media Live Diva 5.1 motherboard would be compatible with one of the low-end setups that you suggest so I wouldn't need an AV Receiver?

Thanks again!
Rob
:o)

I too initially looked into the Diva solutuion, but quickly realized it would suffice well as an amp, but not a true AV receiver - e.g. a device to switch inputs and accept inputs of external devices like a xbox 360 (just one example). There is a long thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1003579) in the main HTPC forum that you could probably asked specific, detailed questions.

But to answer your question directly, it uses the 780g chipset so you could substitute it in the low/mid/high end AMD/AMD recommended parts list.

renethx

07-06-09, 07:45 PM

AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition
Gemin II S cpu cooler
Gigabyte GA-MA770T-UD3P AM3 mobo
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500)
XFX HD-487A-ZHFC Radeon HD 4870 1GB
Western Digital Caviar Green WD5000AADS 500GB
LG Electronics GGC-H20L LightScribe Blu-Ray/HD DVD Combo Drive
CORSAIR 550w VX Series 12v ATX 80 Plus Certified Power Supply
Good, except for one point: GA-MA770T-UD3P supports only DDR3 memory modules, so make sure to buy DDR3 memory instead of G.SKILL DDR2 1066.

renethx

07-06-09, 07:50 PM

Thanks renethx for the reply and suggestions!

Just wondering if maybe the MSI Media Live Diva 5.1 motherboard would be compatible with one of the low-end setups that you suggest so I wouldn't need an AV Receiver?

Thanks again!
Rob
:o)
Yes, you could use Media Live Diva 5.1 in the mATX low-end AMD/AMD system in place of GA-MA78GM-US2H without an AV receiver.

amitabh9

07-06-09, 09:30 PM

i finally got my pc put together and everything seems to work well. Its quieter which is nice. a few challenges with space. the lc17 case not really friendly.

BUT

my real issue is the following. I have a messed up display, my display seems corrupted. I dont know what is wrong. These problems occur during loading (bios screen) and when in vista. I am attaching display pictures. Hopefully its only the v/c, if so then i have to buy one. :(

i have updated the drivers. i havent installed windows 7 yet, i wanted to make sure everything works.

renethx

07-06-09, 09:41 PM

Can you see POST screen (like this (http://biorobots.cwru.edu/server/howto/buildcomp/POST/)) right at the startup normally?

amitabh9

07-06-09, 09:54 PM

@renethx

i wish, its jumble there too, (i couldnt take a picture fast enough.) Every screen was jumbled or had vertical lines.

renethx

07-06-09, 10:04 PM

Looks like a driver or hardware (video card) issue. If you can see POST screen and can install Windows fine, then your video card is good. Maybe you should reformat HDD and install Windows again.

amitabh9

07-06-09, 10:13 PM

will try that tomorrow. Thanx for the suggesting.

wizzack

07-06-09, 10:13 PM

Hi guys, looking for any input. I have zero experience in htpc so anything is appreciated.

My goals are play blu-ray, dvd's and send HD audio via HDMI. Would this rig do it as it stands (with addition of a BD drive)? Someone near me is selling it, and will take my PS3 as part of a trade towards it (plus cash). He wants $550 for it. From his listing:

-Q9400 2.66ghz
-Asus P5Q SE2 Motherboard
-ATI HD4850 512mb Dual HDMI support (with adapters, 1 included) that also supports sound via HDMI also!
-2x2gb PC8500 OCZ DDR2
-Silverstone LC-20B Black HTPC case
-Corsair 520w Modular PSU
-22x Sony SATA DVD-RW
-500gb WD 32mb Cache Hard Drive
-XP Pro, or I can preinstall Windows 7 Beta 64bit

What do you think? :)

renethx

07-06-09, 10:28 PM

Vinnems

07-06-09, 11:54 PM

renethx, I'd first like to thank you for making such a comprehensive post on this subject. I was going through other forums and asking for help on this to no avail, only to find you cover everything I need to know! Major thanks for help with the sound portion, as I need a 7.1 card that can decode DTS and such.
Question, though. I find that alot of people use these HTPCs to record TV. I don't watch TV (I don't even have cable to the house), and will just be using this thing to watch the anime I download, the BDs and DVDs I own, and listen to music. With that in mind, would the low end systems you posted cover my needs? I don't want to spend a ton on powerful video cards and a processor if I will never even need the power. I'd rather spend it more on storage or a nice remote.
Thanks again for making this wonderful guide!

renethx

07-06-09, 11:58 PM

I find that alot of people use these HTPCs to record TV. I don't watch TV (I don't even have cable to the house), and will just be using this thing to watch the anime I download, the BDs and DVDs I own, and listen to music. With that in mind, would the low end systems you posted cover my needs? I don't want to spend a ton on powerful video cards and a processor if I will never even need the power. I'd rather spend it more on storage or a nice remote.
Yes, a low-end system is enough for video playback, in particular 1080p contents.

Ximori

07-07-09, 01:42 AM

Good, except for one point: GA-MA770T-UD3P supports only DDR3 memory modules, so make sure to buy DDR3 memory instead of G.SKILL DDR2 1066.

Glad you caught this, renethx, as I was about to place the order tonight. It'll be replaced by a G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600.

billzkid

07-07-09, 04:55 AM

Hi, i have one question. I am builind my HTPC and I already have Antec NSK1480 which is a low profile case.

As my for a graphic card i am looking at Gigabyte Ati Radeon HD 4550 (http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/VGA/Products_Overview.aspx?ProductID=2925). Mostly because i look to output both audio and video signal through its hdmi output.

Should i expect any sound quality loss in comparison with sound over Sp/dif and onboard sound card.

One more question. Gigabyte's site (i've given above) specifies this:
Screen-Cooling
The extended heatsink makes the low profile PCB to standard ATX size. This stylish heatsink with special screen design uses the natural air flow in the case to cool down. Therefore, GIGABYTE Screen-Cooling technology provides customers the same high performance in the ultra silent environment. Furthermore, the extended metal cover is able to protect the VGA cable and provides a useful handling. This new “Screen-Cooling” technology creates both cooling ability and outlook. It also creates a new trend for cooling thinking.

Is there a possibility i could have overheatink issues if i remove this screen cooling and use the card as a low profile one?

Thanks for your answers

MilM

07-07-09, 04:55 AM

Hi,

First of all, I would like to thank the topicstarter for this very good and detailled topic.

I would like to configure a HTPC and I thought it might be better to have a seperate fileserver for it. I started to read this tut and looked at the configuration but I have some problems. So it's about a pure file server.

I can buy a case of my brother: Lian Li v2000
It has 12 3.5" internal bays so I don't need cages and it saves me some money.

I would like to buy a motherboard with 6 SATA connectors, so I can have a DVD drive (maybe) and 5 HDs.
Later I could extend it with a SATA controller

My problem is the motherboard.

I have found a store in my country (Belgium) where they sell the GIGABYTE GA-MA780G-UD3H, but I don't know what is needed for WOL (Wake On Lan).

I searched in the manuals, but nothing is there. I did found however PME events and I learned that this can be used for WOL. Is this correct? And do I need a specific network card for this? (In other manuals of Gigabyte I did found an additional specific reference to WOL, so I'm very consufed now :-) )

Or can someone suggest another motherboard and Network Card combination? I'm not sure if you can use a motherboard with integrated network card + WOL functionality?

I'm also thinking to buy the Corsair TX650 instead of the 750W model, because it's 30 euro cheaper and I don't have so many HDs as in the example.

Then I would choose some random 2GB DDR2 and a dual-core processor.

Software: I would go for WHS + FlexRaid

Any remarks and suggestions?

Vinnems

07-07-09, 05:38 AM

renethx

07-07-09, 08:13 AM

Hi, i have one question. I am builind my HTPC and I already have Antec NSK1480 which is a low profile case.

As my for a graphic card i am looking at Gigabyte Ati Radeon HD 4550 (http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/VGA/Products_Overview.aspx?ProductID=2925). Mostly because i look to output both audio and video signal through its hdmi output.

Should i expect any sound quality loss in comparison with sound over Sp/dif and onboard sound card.

One more question. Gigabyte's site (i've given above) specifies this:

Is there a possibility i could have overheatink issues if i remove this screen cooling and use the card as a low profile one?

Thanks for your answers
If you are going to use an HDMI AV receiver, then HDMI is the best audio solution.

Is there a particular reason to choose this video card? I see more troubles than benefits for NSK1480. You'd better choose this card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102819).

amitabh9

07-07-09, 08:50 AM

@ renethx

do you have a preference for the sapphire/his brand? if so, why? not that i am challenging you, but simply to understand your reasoning. Does brand matter in v/c or jsut the chipset?

My first experience with my HTPC only built.

1. the damn psu native power cords are not long enough. The location of the CPU power header is at the far end of the mobo, ie. the opposite end of the psu. therefore, the cpu power cord has to be stretch and placed under the v/c to barely connect with the cpu power. As a matter of fact, the cord is resting on top of the plastic casing of the intel heatsink fan.

2. LC17, looks great! but i found challenges with the modo and the location of all the headers/connectors. If you have a long v/c, the middle hd bay, becomes unless. I am pretty much shoving wires in there.

3. i have hardware issues with my v/c. I have jumbled or vertical lines on my screen during my bios screen, post screen, and just all screens. :( I am still in the process of resolving this.

I will post pictures of my finished product soon. Internal and external.

renethx

07-07-09, 09:21 AM

@ renethx

do you have a preference for the sapphire/his brand?
No. I have good reasons to choose each card in my recommendations. For example, why I think Sapphire HD 4670 GDDR4 is a good card is here (http://www.silentpcreview.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=452874#452874) (and in several other posts). If no brand is specified, then it's simply because the reference design card is good enough.

billzkid

07-07-09, 09:45 AM

If you are going to use an HDMI AV receiver, then HDMI is the best audio solution.

Is there a particular reason to choose this video card? I see more troubles than benefits for NSK1480. You'd better choose this card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102819).

First of all thanks for your answer.

Yes i will use it with Denon AVR-1909

As for graphics cars it's the only card they currently have in store. My first choice was this sapphire card so i will look at other stores if they have any in stocks.

thanks for recommendation

amitabh9

07-07-09, 11:29 AM

No. I have good reasons to choose each card in my recommendations. For example, why I think Sapphire HD 4670 GDDR4 is a good card is here (http://www.silentpcreview.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=452874#452874) (and in several other posts). If no brand is specified, then it's simply because the reference design card is good enough.

thanx.

hbomber202020

07-07-09, 12:04 PM

First of all thanks for your answer.

Yes i will use it with Denon AVR-1909

As for graphics cars it's the only card they currently have in store. My first choice was this sapphire card so i will look at other stores if they have any in stocks.

thanks for recommendation
listen to rene, man knows his hardware.

I just completed pretty much the same build as you. I did the low end amd/amd in the antec nsk1480. I went with the Sapphire 4550. Love it all. Buy it on newegg if they don't have it in your store. It's usually $45free shipping.

Rene, I bought two ENCORE ENLWI-N Wireless adapters. My previous adapter stopped working yesterday, it was some cheap Amigo wireless adapter that is crap. Anyway, bought two since you suggested em and I'm sure I'll love them.

One question do you recommend encores wireless router? ENCORE ENHWI-N ? Or is there another one you recommend, thanks.

Cabages

07-07-09, 02:55 PM

I've heard it mentioned and suggested, but just want to get it confirmed. Does the LG GGW-H20L combo drive work well with Windows 7 x64 RC?

Iteki

07-07-09, 03:41 PM

I've heard it mentioned and suggested, but just want to get it confirmed. Does the LG GGW-H20L combo drive work well with Windows 7 x64 RC?

The drive works fine for me on 32 and 64 bit, but the software (particularly WinDVD9) does not.

iPirate

07-07-09, 08:12 PM

I know the software guide is "under construction" but is there somewhere I can get some information on what software I can use to get the most out of my HTPC?

dbone1026

07-07-09, 08:22 PM

I know the software guide is "under construction" but is there somewhere I can get some information on what software I can use to get the most out of my HTPC?

Don't know if there is an ultimate guide. Here a couple starting posts that I either tried writing up or followed from others:

Media Portal Guide - http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1092168

Media Software Posts I did beginning of this year - http://www.mediasmartserver.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=3054

SageTV - some posts I wrote up on my blog - http://dbone1026.blogspot.com/search/label/SageTV. Also, check out their site - www.sagetv.com

SageTV - an excellent resource - www.geektonic.com

Media Browser (in WMC) - some posts I wrote up on my blog - http://dbone1026.blogspot.com/search/label/MediaBrowser. Also, check out their site - www.mediabrowser.tv

Latest Boxee Release - post on my blog http://dbone1026.blogspot.com/2009/06/boxee-updated.html

Hopefully this is a good starting point. If you plan on doing live tv recording then you can narrow down your choices (i.e. take XBMC/Boxee out of the equation)

calvinguy

07-07-09, 11:07 PM

Thanks for the guide, I'm still quite a bit confused with all these different brands and models.

What kind of motherboard and cpu combo should I get that can support smooth blu-ray disc and HD DVD playback through Power Dvd software? I'd rather not spend more on a seperate GPU if i don't have to. I won't be playing games on the system, I'll only be using it for watching blu-ray/dvd and also as a work station with programs like Microsoft office.

I also want it to be hooked up to a TV via HDMI.

Thanks in advance.

renethx

07-08-09, 12:18 AM

I have found a store in my country (Belgium) where they sell the GIGABYTE GA-MA780G-UD3H, but I don't know what is needed for WOL (Wake On Lan).

I searched in the manuals, but nothing is there. I did found however PME events and I learned that this can be used for WOL. Is this correct? And do I need a specific network card for this? (In other manuals of Gigabyte I did found an additional specific reference to WOL, so I'm very consufed now :-) )
GA-MA780G-UD3H with the onboard LAN supports WOL (at least from S3 sleep state). You don't need a separate Ethernet card.

renethx

07-08-09, 12:22 AM

One more question before I start ordering parts. You mention under soundcards that sound is usually ran through the GPU via HDMI. Building the Intel/Intel low spec ATX that you have posted, would I be able to do this and get surround sound output with my 7.1 system, or do I have to invest in one of the mentioned cards? I ask before the cards are really pricey and seem to be for audiophiles with top of the line systems, which is what I don't have at the moment.
Thanks again!
If you have a HDMI AV receiver, then yes, you get 7.1 sound through HDMI. If you don't like a discrete graphics card, then there are many microATX mb that support 7.1 HDMI audio. Check the feature table on page 85.

renethx

07-08-09, 12:28 AM

One question do you recommend encores wireless router? ENCORE ENHWI-N ? Or is there another one you recommend, thanks.
D-Link DGL-4500 or TRENDnet TEW-633GR IEEE802.11n is a good wired/wireless router.

renethx

07-08-09, 12:52 AM

calvinguy

07-08-09, 04:07 AM

Any system on page 85 is good for your purpose. The support for HD DVD is limited. You have to choose a drive and a player carefully.
System

* CPU: Pentium Dual-Core E5200 2.50GHz LGA775, $64.
* CPU Cooler: SilverStone NT07-775, $23.
* Motherboard: ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi GF9300-D-E LGA775 GeForce 9300 mGPU Mini-ITX, $135.
* Memory: A-DATA ADQVE1A16K DDR2-800 2 x 1GB Kit, $30.
* Graphics Card: GeForce 9300 (integrated in the chipset), $0.
* HDD: Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB SATA 3.0Gbps, $70.
* PSU: ATX12V 250W SFX PSU (included in the case): $0.
* Case: Apex MI-008 Mini-ITX, $50. An alternative is Apex MI-100 Mini-ITX, $56 and Apex MI-100BK Mini-ITX, $56.
* Total Cost: $372

The store I go to doesn't carry that brand of ram, is it a special type that only works with that mobo or can I just grab any other ddr8-800 ram.

Thanks again,

renethx

07-08-09, 05:20 AM

The store I go to doesn't carry that brand of ram, is it a special type that only works with that mobo or can I just grab any other ddr8-800 ram.
No, any brand is fine.

hardhat_123

07-08-09, 06:23 AM

Hi renethx,

Please could you tell me if there is any reason why you havn't recommended the use of: G.SKILL F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK in the below build on page 85 ?

* CPU: Core 2 Quad Q8400 2.66GHz LGA775, $183.
* CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS9500A LED, $50.
* Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA775 Intel P45 chipset ATX, $115.
* Memory: A-DATA ADQVE1B16K DDR2-800 2 x 2GB Kit, $44.
* Graphics Card: HIS H485QT512P Radeon HD 4850 GDDR3 512MB, $130.
* HDD: Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB SATA 3.0Gbps, $70.
* PSU: Enermax PRO82+ 625W EPR625AWT, $125. A cheaper alternative is Corsair TX650W CMPSU-650TX 650W, $66.
* Case: Zalman HD160 Plus ATX, with LCD/IR receiver/remote, $277.
* Total Cost: $994.

Also what is the reasoning behind, going for WD6400AAKS drives in your builds rather than the quieter Samsung F1 spinpoints?

Thanks ;-)

renethx

07-08-09, 06:36 AM

@hardhat_123

Yes, you can use DDR2-1066 if you are going to overclock CPU (otherwise this is not so meaningful). Another choice is GA-EP45T-UD3P + F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ DDR3-1600 (DDR3 modules are reusable in future upgrade).

hardhat_123

07-08-09, 07:33 AM

Thanks renethx, but what about the spinpoints?

renethx

07-08-09, 08:01 AM

Thanks renethx, but what about the spinpoints?
Is there a reliable noise/performance comparison test between WD6400AAKS and HD642JJ? WD6400AAKS is remarkably quiet.

rwruck

07-08-09, 09:44 AM

I built the AMD/AMD MicroATX PC.
So far I have been unable to get HDMI audio to work through the HD 4550 card. Does anyone have any tips for configuring HDMI audio?

OS: Win XP MCE SP3
CPU: Athlon X2 5050e
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-US2H
Memory: 4GB
Graphics Card: SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4550

Notes:
1) HDMI audio worked with the motherboard HDMI port.
2) Onboard video is disabled.
3) Disabled the onboard audio.
4) Uninstalled Realtek audio drivers.
5) Removed ATI drivers and reinstalled ATI Catalyst Suite version 9.6.
6) Installed the ATI HDMI Driver
7) Sapphire Tech support claims the HD 4550 audio should appear in the drop down list for Sound & Audio Device tab: Audio, Sound Playback, Default Device. The Sound Playback drop down list is empty when the onboard audio is disabled.

Thanks,
Richard

hardhat_123

07-08-09, 10:33 AM

Is there a reliable noise/performance comparison test between WD6400AAKS and HD642JJ? WD6400AAKS is remarkably quiet.

Not exactly but this thread maybe of interest:

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=180779

The general consensus is that the WD6400AAKS is slightly faster and more reliable, but the spinpoint f1's are the quietest drives on the market.

The reason I bring this up is that I already have a WD6400AAKS and find it noisey at times, this has the operating system on it, but I'm thinking of getting two HD103UJ for data, in a raid 1 config.

renethx

07-08-09, 11:07 AM

Not exactly but this thread maybe of interest:

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=180779

The general consensus is that the WD6400AAKS is slightly faster and more reliable, but the spinpoint f1's are the quietest drives on the market.

The reason I bring this up is that I already have a WD6400AAKS and find it noisey at times, this has the operating system on it, but I'm thinking of going for the two HD103UJ for data, in a raid 1 config. in the near future.
Hmm ... looks like nobody actually compared the two directly for quietness. Some say

you do recognize HDD access very clearly with the F1

the 640GB WD AAKS are whisper quiet!

I am using a Samsung HD501LJ SpinPoint T166 500GB (2007, discontinued, had been recommended by StorageReview for a long time). I feel this is quieter than WD6400AAKS. Comparison between T166 and F1 is here (http://www.storagereview.com/php/benchmark/suite_v4.php?typeID=10&testbedID=4&osID=6&raidconfigID=1&numDrives=1&devID_0=351&devID_1=361&devCnt=2), its performance is not that bad (considering 166GB/platter vs 333GB/platter of F1). My recommendation for OS drive was:

HD501LJ -> WD3200AAKS -> WD6400AAKS -> ?

clobber

07-08-09, 11:14 AM

What happened to the tables on page 85? I no longer see any graphics around the "Lower-cost components" and "Higher-cost components" labels

thanks

Shake54

07-08-09, 11:40 AM

Renethx,

Is this a good deal:

1. AMD Athlon X2 7550 Kuma 2.5GHz Socket AM2+ 95W Dual-Core Processor Model AD7550WCJ2BGH - OEM
2. ECS BLACK SERIES A780GM-A AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
3. CORSAIR XMS2 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X4096-6400C5C - Retail
4. Western Digital Caviar SE WD3200AAJS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM

All for $165. Just wanted to get your thoughts on items 1 and 2.

hardhat_123

07-08-09, 11:48 AM

I am using a Samsung HD501LJ SpinPoint T166 500GB (2007, discontinued, had been recommended by StorageReview for a long time). I feel this is quieter than WD6400AAKS. Comparison between T166 and F1 is here (http://www.storagereview.com/php/benchmark/suite_v4.php?typeID=10&testbedID=4&osID=6&raidconfigID=1&numDrives=1&devID_0=351&devID_1=361&devCnt=2), its performance is not that bad (considering 166GB/platter vs 333GB/platter of F1). My recommendation for OS drive was:

HD501LJ -> WD3200AAKS -> WD6400AAKS -> ?

Well if I do buy the two sammies I'll let you know how they compare.

amitabh9

07-08-09, 12:55 PM

V/C

HIS 4670 (H467QT512P) GDDR3 vs. Sapphire 4670 512 GDDR 3 (w/ on board HDMI)

I cannot find (in Canada) a dealer for the Sapphire 4670 GDDR 4, so decided on the GDDR3 version.

My question is, which one should i choose? The price difference is about C$20 dollars, with the HIS being the more expensive.

Is there a clear distinction between the two cards? I know the HIS is a dual slot v/c, while the Sapphire is not. But outside of physical attributes, is there anything else that seperates the two, quietness, performance, etc.

derekmw

07-08-09, 02:26 PM

Anyone care to comment on my setup I want to do? Basically I want to be able to record and watch TV (Thus the need for dual digital tuner card) as well as do the basics of watching my HD movies on my hard drive (Thus the need for at least 1TB HDD), listen to music, browse the web, etc:

Micro ATX case (already has power supply)
WinTV-HVR-2250 (Dual Digital Tuner)
ASUS P5QPL-VM EPU LGA 775 Intel G41 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Pentium E5200 Wolfdale 2.5GHz 2MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
Bluray drive (Don't need to burn)
2 GB RAM
1TB HDD

I plan to just RDC to it so I don't think I'll need a mouse/keyboard.

One thing I'm not sure on is how the remote's work with HTPC's. I can get one for the Tuner card or the Motherboard...but what's the difference? Will I be able to setup recordings with either one? Or will such things need to be done via keyboard/mouse?

MiBz

07-08-09, 02:29 PM

hardhat_123

07-08-09, 02:49 PM

Well spotted MiBz, some good information, thanks, but which drive is relative to the Caviar blue on the specs there.

MiBz

07-08-09, 02:57 PM

Well spotted MiBz, some good information, thanks, but which drive is relative to the Caviar blue on the specs there.

Caviar SE16 640GB = WD6400AAKS

hardhat_123

07-08-09, 03:14 PM

Caviar SE16 640GB = WD6400AAKS

Ok thanks, although the website is a little ambiguous on this matter: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.asp?driveid=394

Compatibility Summary >>

To make drive selection simple, we've gathered all our popular WD Caviar SE16, WD Caviar SE, and WD Caviar drives under one umbrella we call WD Caviar Blue.

MiBz

07-08-09, 03:30 PM

The actual review of the WD Caviar SE16 640GB (http://techreport.com/articles.x/14380)

Pretty clear to me :)

WD6400AAKS
WD Caviar SE16
http://techreport.com/r.x/wd-caviar-640/label.jpg

hardhat_123

07-08-09, 03:53 PM

A picture paints a thousand words ;-) Western digitals website isn't clear thought they have just took a whole host of drives and bannered them under one name, according to the above quote I lifted.

Still no clearer on which (raid 1) 1TB data drives to go for, what's your best advice WD or Samsungs ?

mzanaty

07-08-09, 03:59 PM