Guide to Building a HD HTPC [Text View] - Page 49

renethx

01-23-10, 01:04 AM

I just completed my build using the new i3 cpu and h55 asus motherboard and am getting excellant hdmi and sound from the combination to a 54" lcd tv. When watching tv I run the hdmi directly to the tv and run the sound thru the Asus. When playing blu-ray/dvd I run the hdmi output of the Asus to the tv and the sound out of the Asus to my Denon receiver. Why are folks putting one of the 5000 series video cards in the combination? What do you get video wise that the h55 can't deliver? Just wopnder what I'm missing.
There may be several reasons. Everybody has his own preference. Many people have been accustomed to ATI since HD 2xxx in this forum and they may want to continue using ATI. Even some people may think ATI is better in video playback performance. Some may want to play games and obviously a discrete card is a much better choice. A discrete card may be more flexible; you are not forced to buy a $110 processor. And so on.

kevinqian

01-23-10, 01:17 AM

holy **** renethx, the onslaught...

renethx

01-23-10, 01:18 AM

Why get the i3 though? The whole appeal to the Clarkdale line is that the integrated graphics and cpu are in the same package...and it can bitstream. It seems to me that if you are going to go with a separate video card (that can bitstream) then getting a Clarkdale cpu is sort of pointless. I would go with a better processor without the integrated graphics since that function is now being taken care of by the dedicated video card. Just my two cents.
Using Core i3 530, $113, with a discrete graphics card is not so pointless. Lots of people have been using Core 2 Duo E7xxx $113 for a HTPC with a discrete card. Core i3 530 is a much better replacement of E7xxx (the price is the same), in particular for a gaming HTPC. Even for a pure HTPC quite a few people prefer ATI...

Goosey

01-23-10, 04:51 AM

sorry if this has been asked before. I did try doing a search. What version of Windows 7 is usually recommended here?

dbone1026

01-23-10, 06:31 AM

High Yield

01-23-10, 12:26 PM

Goosey

01-23-10, 02:03 PM

W7 x32 Home Premium. If you need RDP then Ultimate (but honestly a waste as you can use a free program like LogMeIn to get RDP)

Thanks. Is there a disadvantage to running 64bit?

Marc_G

01-23-10, 02:52 PM

sorry if this has been asked before. I did try doing a search. What version of Windows 7 is usually recommended here?

W7 x32 Home Premium. If you need RDP then Ultimate (but honestly a waste as you can use a free program like LogMeIn to get RDP)

Thanks. Is there a disadvantage to running 64bit?

I use Home Premium and have installed the hack to get RDP working on it. See The Green Button (http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/t/79427.aspx)for details. Most people get it working fine; a few people have reported trouble getting it going.

For me the hack works fine on both my 32 bit (primary HTPC) and 64 bit (desktop) systems. I test things out on the desktop so it could serve as a backup HTPC if needed; so far everything I care about works fine on 64 bit.

Marc

utee05

01-23-10, 03:48 PM

So I recently purchased a Denon 790 and I hooked up my HTPC and I'm having issues. I am using the IGP on my ASUS M3N72-D motherboard and connecting the HTPC to the Denon 790 with an HDMI cable.

The connection is HTPC(HDMI)->790(HDMI 1)->TV.

I have the i/p scaler in the Denon 790 set to ON in order to see the OSD on my TV. Whenever I switch between sources I lose picture on my TV. When I either unplug the hdmi cable from the receiver or power cycle the receiver then I'm able to get the display up. Anyone seen this issue?

Tucdaddy

01-23-10, 04:13 PM

Did a search of this thread and couldn't really find an answer, so I apologize if this has been covered....I admittingly don't know much about cpu coolers, but I noticed that renethx recommended cpu coolers that required accessory brackets to attach to the 1156 socket for both his high end and premium intel-intel ATX setups in the nov edition. What's better about these two (Zalman CNPS9500A LED and Xigmatek Dark Knight-S1283V) rather than just buying a cooler that was designed for the 1156?

jmasterman

01-23-10, 04:52 PM

I just replaced the OE cooler on my new i7 with the Xigmatek Dark Knight-S1283V and the crossbow adapter and I can testify to the difference it makes under load. It is a very high quality piece, solved my memory clearance problem and is normally silent.

Not for a low profile case though.

Makaveli6103

01-23-10, 05:53 PM

I am using the ASRock H55M Pro with G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) memory, but on CPU-Z it is only showing 667MHz. Why is that?

dbone1026

01-23-10, 06:08 PM

Thanks. Is there a disadvantage to running 64bit?

No disadvantage. From an HTPC standpoint you get no benefit though with x64 and I feel there is potential for a lot more confusion with x64 (codecs, software, etc...)

tlmaclennan

01-23-10, 06:39 PM

Using Core i3 530, $113, with a discrete graphics card is not so pointless. Lots of people have been using Core 2 Duo E7xxx $113 for a HTPC with a discrete card. Core i3 530 is a much better replacement of E7xxx (the price is the same), in particular for a gaming HTPC. Even for a pure HTPC quite a few people prefer ATI...
I don't get that. If I had an existing HTPC with a CPU with integrated video and decided it wasn't good enough, then the upgrade to a dedicated ATI makes sense. But I wouldn't build a new HTPC with two options for video.

If the Clarkdale video is not good enough then I would opt for a CPU without integrated video and a dedicated video card like the ATI. Planning to have two video options seems redundant to me...but that's just me.

kjgarrison

01-23-10, 06:52 PM

Could there be other issues, such as heat/noise?

kevinqian

01-23-10, 08:07 PM

mazspeed

01-23-10, 08:13 PM

What a great thread, but hard for me to follow on the technical terms. I am looking for a home theater computer for my house as well. I don't know what I need, but here is what I have. I have a 65 inch Mit's CRT TV with no hdmi, but it does have dvi. I have an arcam avr300 and a blu ray player. What I am looking to build, or have built is something that will be able to rip my blu ray movies and DVD and music files and be able to play them on my big TV at will via mouse or keyboard. I have a dish network system as well. Is there also a way to do streaming on a home built system? I’m looking to have at least 3 TB, loads of memory TV tuner and whatever else I need to build one. What parts are best? What parts do I need? It can be up to 10 inches tall to fit in my cabinet. I can get Nvidia stuff cheap though my buddy, so good parts will not be an issue. It will be hooked up with Component cables or DVI. What would you guys recommend as far as a system that I can have built. Thanks in advance

Mike

renethx

01-23-10, 11:29 PM

bonscott87

01-24-10, 08:27 AM

As a rookie, I put together Renethx mid-range AMD setup with the exception of using an nMedia 1000B case.

I got everything working, OS installed etc. with one exception. None of the 3case fans worked. I had connected them using the provided PSU cable but instead of connecting it to the PSU, I attached the smaller 4 pin connector to the SYS_FAN plug on the GA-MA785GMT-UD2H. Figuring I was wrong and should have plugged it into the PSU, I unplugged the SYS_FAN and plugged the other end of the cable into the PSU. They worked now. Unsatisfied why the SYS_FAN on the MB wasn't being used, and thinking it probably acted like a thermostat, I attached the other end of the cable to the MB while also being connected to the PSU all without shutting down:eek:. To my horror, the system shut off immediately. Turning it back on made it go into repair mode but it said it couldn't be fixed.

Could someone explain what SYS_FAN is used for on the MB. Are case fans supposed to run full-time or cycle on and off?

Lastly, why does the system tray say Realtek HDMI when the ATI 4670 drivers are installed and the HDMI cable is plugged in the 4670, not the MB.

Thanks for any help.

Thanks you!

Unfortunately you probably did fry something. Never, ever do anything with the power on. If you're going to connect something to the mobo (or anything else really) unplug the PSU from the wall so there is no power at all in the system. Anyway, you're beyond that so good luck on getting things back up, but you may be out of luck.

As for the fan plugs on the mobo, I'm not familiar with the Gigabyte boards but on the Asus boards they allows the fans to have their fan speeds changed in software depending on the specs you give them. This is usually used if they are too loud and you want to manually control when they spin faster or slower. I usually just plug them into the PSU with the adapter that usually comes with and not worry about them as I get "quiet" fans.

And yes, they should be running all the time unless you have your computer in an icebox. :D

bonscott87

01-24-10, 08:32 AM

Thanks. Is there a disadvantage to running 64bit?

I went thru this struggle as well. I ended up going 32bit and really glad I did as some plugins and codecs I want to use with Media Center either aren't available in 64 bit or aren't supported in 64 bit.

There is no advantage to using 64 bit for a HTPC as even 2 gigs is enough memory (typical argument for 64 bit is to use 4 gig or more). However, if you're sure that all the software, plugins and codecs you want to use are available in 64 bit (and stable) then I would do 64 bit just because it's the future. In my case I needed 32 bit for those reasons.

grittree

01-24-10, 09:49 AM

I am using the ASRock H55M Pro with G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) memory, but on CPU-Z it is only showing 667MHz. Why is that?

You have to change the memory settings in the bios. But the truth is memory speed won't make any difference for most uses, so don't worry about it.

Goosey

01-24-10, 10:42 AM

No disadvantage. From an HTPC standpoint you get no benefit though with x64 and I feel there is potential for a lot more confusion with x64 (codecs, software, etc...)

I went thru this struggle as well. I ended up going 32bit and really glad I did as some plugins and codecs I want to use with Media Center either aren't available in 64 bit or aren't supported in 64 bit.

There is no advantage to using 64 bit for a HTPC as even 2 gigs is enough memory (typical argument for 64 bit is to use 4 gig or more). However, if you're sure that all the software, plugins and codecs you want to use are available in 64 bit (and stable) then I would do 64 bit just because it's the future. In my case I needed 32 bit for those reasons.

Thanks. Unfortunately, I want this to be an all purpose build including some gaming capabilities. So I think I will install 64 bit just so I can get 4gigs of ram. Is it difficult to instaling software, plugins, and codecs that are only available in 32 bit?

Makaveli6103

01-24-10, 11:51 AM

You have to change the memory settings in the bios. But the truth is memory speed won't make any difference for most uses, so don't worry about it.

Oh Ok Thanks.

But I downloaded SpeedFan today and noticed that my AUX temp is at 128C and there are 3 AUX fans that are not spinning. What is up with this?

renethx

01-24-10, 12:06 PM

Recommended HTPC Systems – January 2010 Edition (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=17984809#post17984809) is up!

I am going to post "Video Playback Guide" on page 402.

HTPCat

01-24-10, 01:04 PM

Oh Ok Thanks.

But I downloaded SpeedFan today and noticed that my AUX temp is at 128C and there are 3 AUX fans that are not spinning. What is up with this?
Connect the fans directly to the psu if they aren't working with the mbo 3 pin connection.

Makaveli6103

01-24-10, 05:18 PM

Connect the fans directly to the psu if they aren't working with the mbo 3 pin connection.

What exactly the AUX fans? the case fans?

Makaveli6103

01-24-10, 05:19 PM

Recommended HTPC Systems – January 2010 Edition (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=17984809#post17984809) is up!

I am going to post "Video Playback Guide" on page 402.

I'm looking forward to the Video Playback Guide becuase setting up my first HTPC is taking forever with all of the codecs and different programs out there.

rotarnomore

01-24-10, 06:27 PM

I don't get that. If I had an existing HTPC with a CPU with integrated video and decided it wasn't good enough, then the upgrade to a dedicated ATI makes sense. But I wouldn't build a new HTPC with two options for video.

If the Clarkdale video is not good enough then I would opt for a CPU without integrated video and a dedicated video card like the ATI. Planning to have two video options seems redundant to me...but that's just me.

I just wanted to point out also that I really don't understand why people feel the need to upgrade their current video card to one that supports bitstreaming. PCM is just as good with one advantage, it can send over secondary audio as well. I think this article does a great job of explaining the differences. You need to add the http:// because I have less than 3 posts

hd.engadget.com/2009/07/11/lpcm-is-not-always-equal-to-bitstream/comments/20062641

I PCM everything whenever possible and this allows me to leave my Blue-ray set to secondary audio on. Is there some reason I don't know why an HTPC would need bitstreaming over PCM? If not, save your money and go with an ATI 4xxxx card. These companies have done a great job of marketing bitstream at the cost of consumers.

renethx

01-24-10, 07:10 PM

Is there some reason I don't know why an HTPC would need bitstreaming over PCM? If not, save your money and go with an ATI 4xxxx card. These companies have done a great job of marketing bitstream at the cost of consumers.
A couple of issues in PCM under *Windows*:

- Windows can modify PCM freely against the user's will that every audiophile wants to avoid by every means. Resampling, mixing with system sounds, etc. (As many people testify, the sound quality in the WASAPI exclusive mode is noticeably better than the shared mode even if all the sound effects are disabled.)
- The channel count is modified to the one specified in the sound control panel (e.g. 5.1 to 7.1 with silent rear speakers).
- WASAPI exclusive mode is one way to work around the above issues, but not every player works in this mode (e.g. WinDVD 2010). *PCM bitstreaming* (a special media type) is an ideal solution, but this is simply impossible without the support by the audio driver. madshi proposed realtime encoding to TrueHD; someday we may see it.

BTW you can buy HD 5450 (supporting HD audio bitstreaming) now at as low as $52 (http://www.google.com/products?q=%22HD+5450%22).

rotarnomore

01-24-10, 07:48 PM

A couple of issues in PCM under *Windows*:

- Windows can modify PCM freely against the user's will that every audiophile wants to avoid by every means. Resampling, mixing with system sounds, etc. (As many people testify, the sound quality in the WASAPI exclusive mode is noticeably better than the shared mode even if all the sound effects are disabled.)
- The channel count is modified to the one specified in the sound control panel (e.g. 5.1 to 7.1 with silent rear speakers).
- WASAPI exclusive mode is one way to work around the above issues, but not every player works in this mode (e.g. WinDVD 2010). *PCM bitstreaming* (a special media type) is an ideal solution, but this is simply impossible without the support by the audio driver. madshi proposed realtime encoding to TrueHD; someday we may see it.

How can windows (or anything for that matter) modify PCM? After all, it's just like a zip file. The HTPC would "unzip" the file (whether it is the PCM track, TRUEHD track, etc) which is the same mode of action that any other device would do. No modification is done to the file at this point (not even re-encryption for PCM). The modification of the sound comes into play at the digital-to-analog conversion which would be at the receiver. This is when the quality of the receiver actually matters.

HTPCat

01-24-10, 08:13 PM

What exactly the AUX fans? the case fans?
Whichever fans aren't spinning :eek:

renethx

01-24-10, 08:29 PM

How can windows (or anything for that matter) modify PCM? After all, it's just like a zip file. The HTPC would "unzip" the file (whether it is the PCM track, TRUEHD track, etc) which is the same mode of action that any other device would do. No modification is done to the file at this point (not even re-encryption for PCM). The modification of the sound comes into play at the digital-to-analog conversion which would be at the receiver. This is when the quality of the receiver actually matters.
By Windows Audio Engine. Everybody can do a simple test like this:

- Select "7.1 Surround" in the speaker configuration in the sound control panel.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=164724&stc=1&d=1264382833

- Select "24 bit, 96000 Hz (Studio Quality)" in Default Format.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=164723&stc=1&d=1264382833

- Play a music file (stereo, 16 bit, 44100 Hz) and check the audio format your receiver receives from PC.

Now you will see "7.1", "96kHz" in the receiver's indicator!

PCM is the standard digital audio format used in PC and CE. It's uncompressed (i.e. *unzipped*) and Windows/DSP can modify it easily. Also read this post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=17830545#post17830545).

Marc_G

01-24-10, 08:53 PM

Hi Renethx,

What plans do you have to test the 5XXX cards recently released?

I'm thinking of upgrading from my current 4550 to whatever card is the "best" for video playback (SD/1080i/1080p/streaming content, no gaming at all) via HDMI to my 1080i plasma. About 40% of my content is SD, the rest is assorted flavors of HD.

The 4550 is doing a very good job, actually, but I'm guessing that the new cards probably would have improved interlacing support (VA) comparatively, and maybe some other visual benefits.

The driver is that I want to use that 4550 card in a different computer (replacing a much worse card), and while I'm at it put in the "best" possible graphics card for the HTPC.

What do you recommend? It's going into an nMedia 1000b case (so, full height) with no other cards to block it. I prefer fanless but a very very quiet fan would be OK. Athlon X2 Kuma processor. Sound issues not important; I use SPDIF optical to my receiver.

There's no rush so if you are planning on doing a comparative roundup, I'd be very interested to wait for that. I just want to make sure when I do make the leap that I buy the card that will give me the best video quality.

Thanks!

Marc

renethx

01-24-10, 09:10 PM

rotarnomore

01-24-10, 09:31 PM

- Play a music file (stereo, 16 bit, 44100 Hz) and check the audio format your receiver receives from PC.

Now you will see "7.1", "96kHz" in the receiver's indicator!

PCM is the standard digital audio format used in PC and CE. It's uncompressed (i.e. *unzipped*) and Windows/DSP can modify it easily.

Absolutely amazing. So much for standardizing. Thanks for the info.

Makaveli6103

01-24-10, 10:27 PM

Whichever fans aren't spinning :eek:

I opened up my case and checked but all of my fans are spinning. Not sure why it says there are no RPM's.

kevinqian

01-24-10, 10:59 PM

renethx

01-24-10, 11:05 PM

Aren't the 55xx hamstrung by a 64bit mem bus? Wouldn't that handicap them to MA like it does to the 4550?

Also, what is your conclusion on the Core i3 HD deinterlacing capbilities? MA or VA?

Thanks.
Yeah, based on the specs, I assume HD 5450 is equivalent to HD 4550 in video; the catch is HD audio bitstreaming.

None of them. Simply the algorithm is different from ATI. I will post screenshots shortly.

kevinqian

01-24-10, 11:22 PM

funny you recommended a card that not even officially out yet (HD 5450).

renethx

01-24-10, 11:27 PM

I am tired of updating the list constantly, so included lots of products available shortly, hoping I don't have to update it until March. :) (Of course I haven't tested them myself, but reliability/performance is almost guaranteed from various information.) As for HD 5450, it's already available at several retailers.

kevinqian

01-24-10, 11:52 PM

I don't blame ya. Hopefully we'll see your video guide soon. Should clear up some confusion for newbies like me.

Marc_G

01-25-10, 06:39 AM

Marc_G,

HD 5450 (http://www.google.com/products?q="HD+5450") (as low as $52 right now, 80 stream processors, GDDR3) is at least as good as HD 4550 (I haven't tested it yet though), now with the support for HD audio bitsreaming. The specs of HD 5570 are unknown; 200 or 400 sp? Maybe 5570 is the best graphic card for HTPC (surely 5670 is overkill).

So, 5570 (unknown specs) is still likely to be not as good, or at least not better than, the 5670? I don't mind a bit of overkill; my goal is to get the best card and absolutely "never" need to rethink that decision. When I bought the 4550 I went a bit cheap and sort of regretted not getting the 4670, despite the good performance of the 4550. Kept thinking "maybe that 4670 would be better, more clear on SD content..."

So, if a ~$100 5670 card caps off those thoughts for me, and I'm recycling the 4550, I can sleep soundly.
Which 5670, though overkill, would you recommend, given a person who wants a very quiet or silent card?

Marc

renethx

01-25-10, 06:53 AM

Which 5670, though overkill, would you recommend, given a person who wants a very quiet or silent card?

Marc
Either HIS or Sapphire.

dbone1026

01-25-10, 07:39 AM

Which 5670, though overkill, would you recommend, given a person who wants a very quiet or silent card?

Marc

I have the 5670 Sapphire (with bitstreaming now working :D ) and with the stock cooler it is very quiet. I have read that the HIS is extremely quiet as well, and I think the stock cooler on this card blows air out of the case

Marc_G

01-25-10, 07:41 AM

What about the 1 gb vs 512 mb choice? Again, no gaming but even a tiny HTPC benefit would tip me in favor of the 1gb card. If it's just waste heat with no benefit I would go 512mb.

Marc

dbone1026

01-25-10, 07:42 AM

What about the 1 gb vs 512 mb choice? Again, no gaming but even a tiny HTPC benefit would tip me in favor of the 1gb card. If it's just waste heat with no benefit I would go 512mb.

Marc

512MB, no need for 1GB if no gaming is being done

hellerbrewing

01-25-10, 12:30 PM

I have a few questions about the Imon LCD for those of you with the Antec fusion case. Should I use the most recent drivers/software that are available on the Antec site or should I get the newest version here (http://www.soundgraph.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=104&langid=1&styleid=15)? Also, the installation manual (in the imon download) says to unplug the display from the USB port before installing. Should I shut down and unplug the cable from the mobo and install, shut down and plug it back in?

hellerbrewing

01-25-10, 12:35 PM

Another question about the Fusion case. It seems that the optical drive cage is the only place that they did not include any noise dampening features. I put a DVD drive in there and there is really alot of vibrational noise when installing software. Anyone do anything to make this quieter? I was thinking about maybe some of those felt pads that they put on the corners of cabinet doors for padding. There is not much clearance but one might be able to get something between the drive and the cage and between the cage and the case.

gsr

01-25-10, 03:57 PM

hellerbrewing

01-25-10, 04:52 PM

I don't recall that drive making nearly that much noise in my tower. I think the case is contributing to the noise.

gsr

01-25-10, 08:15 PM

I don't recall that drive making nearly that much noise in my tower. I think the case is contributing to the noise.
It may very well be - I know that the Lian Li case I'm currently using for my HTPC results in a higher noise level than my Zalman case. But using one of the available tools to slow the drive down will most definitely make a big difference in noise level and a negligible difference in actual performance.

Makaveli6103

01-25-10, 08:46 PM

Marc_G

01-25-10, 10:07 PM

512MB, no need for 1GB if no gaming is being done

I have the 5670 Sapphire (with bitstreaming now working :D ) and with the stock cooler it is very quiet. I have read that the HIS is extremely quiet as well, and I think the stock cooler on this card blows air out of the case

OK, I ordered the 512MB 5670 from Newegg. Got the one with a Displayport instead of the VGA adaptor. For now I am just using the HDMI on either card anyway, and figure the displayport might come in handy down the road.

I'm hoping that fan is silent or at least quieter than my case fans and drives!

Wish me luck. Will install this weekend if it ships on time.

Marc

Basilius

01-25-10, 11:11 PM

I want to back up the video files on my HTPC onto an internal hard drive. Is there a program that can automatically check for new files and back them up? And and remove old files that have been deleted.

rsync.

Oh, wait. You're probably on windows. Then install Cygwin first - I believe it's part of that package.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rsync
http://www.cygwin.com/

phreaknes

01-26-10, 12:15 AM

Renethx,

I have been a faithful follower of your recommendations and I truly appreciate all the hard work and extra effort it takes to provide this information to the pubic.

Thank you.

That being said I would like to give a little bit of my input on updating some products you've recommended for certain builds

Power supplies

I have been an Enermax MODU82+ guy for quite a while and have used them in about HTPC 10 builds so far. As of late i've had to replace 4 (including 1 of my own) of them because of noisy fans. This may be an isolated incident but there are several sites that have talked about my same findings.

In each of the cases I've replaced them with the Seasonic X650 or x750 and i've be quite impressed with not only the noise level, but the stability, build quality and price for what you get. I might recommend having a look at them and their reviews they are quite rock solid.

Case fans
I noticed that you really don't have a recommendation / guide for case fans. As you well know that most of the OEM case fans you get with a case can be quite noisy and/or somewhat inefficient.

I've had extremely good luck with Noctua NF-R8-1800 80mm and Noctua NF-R8-1600 92mm fans. They are almost an industry standard and provide a high level of quality and performance for the price.

Cases
Every ATX case i've come across that had a stock 60mm fans for exhaust i've disliked. I truly think that any case that has 60mm fans will disappoint most average HTPC enthusiast. Finding good flowing, quite 60mm fans is almost impossible (trust me I have a drawer full of them) thus I think though the case might be a good fit the fans may make the whole experience dreadful. I feel maybe a warning or a note stating that in most situations, 60mm fans can be loud and may have a negative impact on achieving ones silent / quiet HTPC experience.

Thanks for your time.

Sgt_Strider

01-26-10, 03:34 AM

What's the best Blu-Ray reader at the moment for an HTPC? I'm looking for one to rip and play my Blu-Ray discs. I definitely don't need any burning capabilities.

texagjosh

01-26-10, 04:58 PM

Nefarious1

01-26-10, 05:16 PM

Soon to start ordering my parts for the recommended Norco 4220 build. Is there much performance difference in the 4020 SATA II configuration vs the 4220 SAS setup?

maxBR

01-26-10, 05:23 PM

What's the best Blu-Ray reader at the moment for an HTPC? I'm looking for one to rip and play my Blu-Ray discs. I definitely don't need any burning capabilities.

I'm curious about this as well. I couldn't find much info in my research last week, so I went ahead and ordered an LG CH08LS10. LiteOn had a poor rep for reliability, LG's is very good in that respect. It doesn't seem like a great drive though since it is locked at 4.8x when ripping BRDs, even though it is an 8x drive. One Newegg review even mentions CD ripping is locked at 1.6x(!) and DVD ripping is also slow. However I failed to find anything better, and I can rip CD/DVD media on another computer. It seems like a great blu-ray drive doesn't exist.

Marc_G

01-26-10, 07:03 PM

I'm curious about this as well. I couldn't find much info in my research last week, so I went ahead and ordered an LG CH08LS10. LiteOn had a poor rep for reliability, LG's is very good in that respect. It doesn't seem like a great drive though since it is locked at 4.8x when ripping BRDs, even though it is an 8x drive. One Newegg review even mentions CD ripping is locked at 1.6x(!) and DVD ripping is also slow. However I failed to find anything better, and I can rip CD/DVD media on another computer. It seems like a great blu-ray drive doesn't exist.

I too noticed the extremely pokey DVD rip speed and wondered about it. Fortunately the machine I have my LS10 in has a faster DVD drive as well.

It does seem to rip BDs twice as fast as my 4x drive though.

Marc

Tucdaddy

01-26-10, 08:53 PM

I'm considering building my first HTPC, and looking for some constructive criticism, as well as compatibilty between all the parts and possible better alternatives. My goal was to build a HTPC that could function as an OTA DVR, HD video playback and editing, gaming capable (avid Ps3 gamer but never really got into pc gaming), and relative future proofing. I didn't list a optical drive, bc I plan on using a dvd burner from an old pc.

I also didnt include a cpu cooler; do you guys think I need one based on this build?
I seemed to have the most trouble finding a case that was a compromise between price and performance. Anyone have any experience with this case? It got pretty good reviews at Newegg. Do you guys think I'll be able to fit all my components in this case?
If I do decide to get into gaming, I considered adding a second radeon 5770 in crossfire. Will two of these cards fit into this case?

-Intel DP55KG Extreme Series Desktop Motherboard

-Intel Core i7-860 Lynnfield 2.8GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor

-G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL8D-4GBHK

-HIS H577FN1GD Radeon HD 5770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

-Western Digital Caviar Green WD15EADS 1.5TB 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

-SeaSonic M12D SS-850 850W ATX12V V2.3/EPS12V V2.92 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

-AVerMedia AVerTVHD Duet - PCTV Tuner (A188 - White Box) MTVHDDUWB PCI-Express x1 Interface - OEM

-SILVERSTONE Black Aluminum front panel, 0.8mm SECC body GD01B-R ATX Media Center / HTPC Case

-Windows 7 64 bit

-cheap MC remote/ir receiver that I can program my harmony remote with

Thanks for any and all input....This is a wonderful thread.

Makaveli6103

01-26-10, 10:28 PM

kjgarrison

01-26-10, 10:47 PM

Recommended HTPC Systems – January 2010 Edition (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=17984809#post17984809) is up!

I am going to post "Video Playback Guide" on page 402.

Greatly looking forward to this guide, especially if it ties in all the codecs, containers, ripping workflow issues, and how they all connect to various hardware.

Also, if it is something you know all about (and I have a hunch you do), an "Audio Playback Guide" would be most welcomed, especially if it tied all the confusing operating systems, video cards, sound cards, bitstreaming, GPU assisted audio, hi-def audio, etc, etc.

For me, in many ways this kind of information will help guide hardware decisions. My son recently built a high end new computer with the i7 CPU, top of the line grpahics card ... everything. And it is fast, fast, fast. But so's a jet plane, and that is exactly what his computer souds like. No chance of that beast ever being used for HTPC. When people are getting good HD playback with ION machines, it is clear that lower performance CPU and video cards can do just fine. QUIET is the key, at least for me. Well, OK, it's the second key ... after flawless BR rips playback and bitstreaming HD audio to my AVR. All I want is the ability to handle these with enough headroom for comfort but with minimal heat (= noise). I don't need gaming.

Is my thinking fundamentally correct?

I'll donate for these alone, even if I never build a HTPC!

Tucdaddy

01-26-10, 10:57 PM

I recently got the AVerMedia Duet A188 and I do not recommend it. There is a well known bug that it disappears when you put the computer to sleep. I received a new rev of the product last week and it happened 2 days into using it. I returned it and got a HDHomeRun. Even though it is twice the cost it is much more reliable.

Hmmm...I chose that bc it seemed to have the least amount of negative reviews on the various forums. Considered the Haupauge 2250, but from reviews it seems even buggier, especially win7. I reviewed the homerun; it seems to be pretty well liked all around. I had initially ruled it out not wanting to have yet another box in my av rack, but I may have to reconsider it. Anyone else out there have any feedback?

gsr

01-26-10, 11:20 PM

Soon to start ordering my parts for the recommended Norco 4220 build. Is there much performance difference in the 4020 SATA II configuration vs the 4220 SAS setup?
My understanding is that it's mostly a matter of cabling. The 4020 uses a separate SATA cable for each drive, while the 4220 uses 4(?) connectors total - you need to either have a breakout cable to split them to individual connectors or a controller with a compatible input.

I'm going to be going down a similar path in the relatively near future, but am struggling to find a case I'm happy with. I'd really like to be able to use a full size optical drive and 120mm fans, which rules out the 2 Norco options (there is a custom fan mount for at least one of the Norco's that addresses the fan issue). I'm ok with less than 20 drives, but there just aren't that many good choices out there. I'd be fine with a something taller than 4U if it gets me what I'm looking for.

The goal is to have this case serve as my DVR and storage for most of my movies. So it'll have an ATI 5xxx series video card, a Ceton tuner (when they're available), a pair of Hauppauge 2250 dual tuners, and an Areca controller card (to handle the large number of drives). To get all these PCIe cards playing together nicely, I'm planning to go with one of the few motherboards with 7 PCIe slots (such as the Asus P6T7 Supercomputer). It'll be located in the rack in my basement and connected to my home theater system via a CAT6 / HDMI extender. With all this hardware, I'm not going to complain too much if the case I select costs more than the Norco options as long as it suits my needs but I'd rather not pay Supermicro $$$ either.

If I can't find a case I'm happy with, I'll just go with 2 cases - 1 for the computer itself and the other for a bunch of drives.

Any thoughts?

renethx

01-26-10, 11:21 PM

Greatly looking forward to this guide, especially if it ties in all the codecs, containers, ripping workflow issues, and how they all connect to various hardware.

Also, if it is something you know all about (and I have a hunch you do), an "Audio Playback Guide" would be most welcomed, especially if it tied all the confusing operating systems, video cards, sound cards, bitstreaming, GPU assisted audio, hi-def audio, etc, etc.

For me, in many ways this kind of information will help guide hardware decisions. My son recently built a high end new computer with the i7 CPU, top of the line grpahics card ... everything. And it is fast, fast, fast. But so's a jet plane, and that is exactly what his computer souds like. No chance of that beast ever being used for HTPC. When people are getting good HD playback with ION machines, it is clear that lower performance CPU and video cards can do just fine. QUIET is the key, at least for me. Well, OK, it's the second key ... after flawless BR rips playback and bitstreaming HD audio to my AVR. All I want is the ability to handle these with enough headroom for comfort but with minimal heat (= noise). I don't need gaming.

Is my thinking fundamentally correct?
Actually video means video+audio here. HD audio bitstreaming/LPCM bit-perfect is an important part of the guide. Perhaps I won't include an audio only playback guide, however.

It is somewhat incorrect to say that a high-end system is noisy. If you select cooling solutions carefully, the system can be very quiet. Actually the idle power consumption of the latest, most powerful CPU/GPU is extremely low (Core i7 870: 10W!, HD 5870: 27W), and there is only 10W-20W increase in video playback. But for video playback, a mid-range system is the best choice.

I'll donate for these alone, even if I never build a HTPC!
This is very encouraging. :) A donation is much more helpful than just a thank you message.

kjgarrison

01-27-10, 12:19 AM

Actually video means video+audio here. HD audio bitstreaming/LPCM bit-perfect is an important part of the guide. Perhaps I won't include an audio only playback guide, however.

Oh Yes! If your video guide will cover both video and audio, then that would be great. I'll keep an eye on page 402 !!

dbone1026

01-27-10, 05:21 AM

Oh Yes! If your video guide will cover both video and audio, then that would be great. I'll keep an eye on page 402 !!

Regarding the fun codec stuff, up to this point I have been using the default WMP player in W7MC. I had followed Renethx's guide for setting up my codecs so I could get proper playback (had to disable WMF to get my ts VC-1 to play back properly, assign MPC Video Dec to get proper DXVA, etc...). Everything was working fine but I found there were instances where making a small change to my system would screw everything up. Recently I just got bitstreaming working with my 5670 thanks to help from AVSForum members, and since WMP was still somewhat unstable I have been using MPC. I never used MPC as part of my HTPC setup only because I never felt like it integrated well WMC/MediaBrowser. However, i now have it working seamlessly with Media Browser, and the greatest thing about MPC is you don't have to worry about codecs or hacking around on your system.

bonscott87

01-27-10, 09:31 AM

I reviewed the homerun; it seems to be pretty well liked all around. I had initially ruled it out not wanting to have yet another box in my av rack, but I may have to reconsider it. Anyone else out there have any feedback?

I can honestly say it is the best thing since sliced bread. And no need to go in your AV rack, it is very small. It can anywhere so long as it's plugged into the network and has coax from your antenna going to it. I've got mine in my "cable closet" where I also have my network switch for the home theater.

Anyway, just like all the reviews, there really is no downside I see for the HDHomerun.
* Very sensitive OTA tuners
* can do Clear QAM
* can add a 2nd unit on the network for 4 tuners
* just plug in to the network and antenna, install drivers -no opening up the computer
* no extra heat or power draw in the computer
* can upgrade the computer or replace it and not worry about your tuner card not working in the new computer
* and best of all....the tuners are available to *every* computer on your network. So if a tuner is free that the HTPC is not using you can access it on another computer.

All pros and no cons as I see it.

kevinqian

01-27-10, 10:28 AM

gsr

01-27-10, 10:36 AM

How bout the fact that you gotta have the whole house wired in the first place? Even Wireless N seems too glitchy for reliable viewing.
That really depends on what you're looking to do. Even if you don't have the whole house wired, you could have a switch located where your PC is and connect the PC and HDHR(s) to it. That still gives you the advantage of not having to open up the PC, though it obviously doesn't take full advantage of what the HDHR can do for you. The point is just that the HDHR is more flexible than an internal or USB tuner. If you don't want or need the flexibility, some of the other options would be less expensive and result in a little less clutter.

hellerbrewing

01-27-10, 11:59 AM

I can honestly say it is the best thing since sliced bread. And no need to go in your AV rack, it is very small. It can anywhere so long as it's plugged into the network and has coax from your antenna going to it. I've got mine in my "cable closet" where I also have my network switch for the home theater.

Anyway, just like all the reviews, there really is no downside I see for the HDHomerun.
* Very sensitive OTA tuners
* can do Clear QAM
* can add a 2nd unit on the network for 4 tuners
* just plug in to the network and antenna, install drivers -no opening up the computer
* no extra heat or power draw in the computer
* can upgrade the computer or replace it and not worry about your tuner card not working in the new computer
* and best of all....the tuners are available to *every* computer on your network. So if a tuner is free that the HTPC is not using you can access it on another computer.

All pros and no cons as I see it.

Are the tuners really that sensitive for OTA, are there comparisons somewhere? I have been using an HDHR for a long time. It does a fine job but I think the tuning could be quicker and I have my doubts as to how sensitive it is for OTA. I have a 2250 on order that should be here any day and I am going to try to do a comparison. I would imagine the 2250 would be quicker to change channels given it is on the PCIexpress bus. Something else I have wondered, do they have encoders built in or does the streamed signal need to be processed by the CPU. Alot of the card based tuners have encoders built in.

Another thing that might be a con to some is that there is no analog tuner, you will still need a tuner card if you want to get your basic cable. This fact might lead some to the 2250 as you can attach on cable line and set one tuner to QAM and one to analog (I think this is correct).

kevinqian

01-27-10, 12:35 PM

That really depends on what you're looking to do. Even if you don't have the whole house wired, you could have a switch located where your PC is and connect the PC and HDHR(s) to it. That still gives you the advantage of not having to open up the PC, though it obviously doesn't take full advantage of what the HDHR can do for you. The point is just that the HDHR is more flexible than an internal or USB tuner. If you don't want or need the flexibility, some of the other options would be less expensive and result in a little less clutter.
Well the whole draw of the network tuner is that you can place it anywhere you need and stream the content to your remote pc, especially if the PC is nowhere near a coax plug. If you have to place it next to it, it's no better than getting a USB tuner or PCIe one. This is no knock on the HDHR itself (I own one), just something to consider given each's own circumstances.

kevinqian

01-27-10, 12:36 PM

Are the tuners really that sensitive for OTA, are there comparisons somewhere? I have been using an HDHR for a long time. It does a fine job but I think the tuning could be quicker and I have my doubts as to how sensitive it is for OTA. I have a 2250 on order that should be here any day and I am going to try to do a comparison. I would imagine the 2250 would be quicker to change channels given it is on the PCIexpress bus. Something else I have wondered, do they have decoders built in or does the streamed signal need to be processed by the CPU. Alot of the card based tuners have decoders built in.

Another thing that might be a con to some is that there is no analog tuner, you will still need a tuner card if you want to get your basic cable. This fact might lead some to the 2250 as you can attach on cable line and set one tuner to QAM and one to analog (I think this is correct).
No tuners have decoders built-in. All decoding is done by gpu/cpu for output. Some tuners have analog encoders, which help encode the NTSC signal into Mpeg2, which would then have to be decoded by the cpu/gpu as well.

hellerbrewing

01-27-10, 12:39 PM

I just noticed that the 2250 (probably others as well) has a minipin remote input. Has anyone tried hooking up the logitech RF extender to it? This could be a great remote solution for some people if it worked.

Tucdaddy

01-27-10, 12:49 PM

I'm considering building my first HTPC, and looking for some constructive criticism, as well as compatibilty between all the parts and possible better alternatives. My goal was to build a HTPC that could function as an OTA DVR, HD video playback and editing, gaming capable (avid Ps3 gamer but never really got into pc gaming), and relative future proofing. I didn't list a optical drive, bc I plan on using a dvd burner from an old pc.

I also didnt include a cpu cooler; do you guys think I need one based on this build?
I seemed to have the most trouble finding a case that was a compromise between price and performance. Anyone have any experience with this case? It got pretty good reviews at Newegg. Do you guys think I'll be able to fit all my components in this case?
If I do decide to get into gaming, I considered adding a second radeon 5770 in crossfire. Will two of these cards fit into this case?

-Intel DP55KG Extreme Series Desktop Motherboard

-Intel Core i7-860 Lynnfield 2.8GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor

-G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL8D-4GBHK

-HIS H577FN1GD Radeon HD 5770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

-Western Digital Caviar Green WD15EADS 1.5TB 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

-SeaSonic M12D SS-850 850W ATX12V V2.3/EPS12V V2.92 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

-SiliconDust HDHomeRun HDHR-US Dual Networked High Definition Digital Television (White)

-SILVERSTONE Black Aluminum front panel, 0.8mm SECC body GD01B-R ATX Media Center / HTPC Case

-Windows 7 64 bit

-cheap MC remote/ir receiver that I can program my harmony remote with

Thanks for any and all input....This is a wonderful thread.

Ok...I've been convinced to go with the HDHomerun. Couldn't really find a valid negative review on it. Anyone else have any constuctive feedback on my build. Thank you all for your suggestions...

hellerbrewing

01-27-10, 01:07 PM

No tuners have decoders built-in. All decoding is done by gpu/cpu for output. Some tuners have analog encoders, which help encode the NTSC signal into Mpeg2, which would then have to be decoded by the cpu/gpu as well.

Yes, I realized my mistake when I went and looked at the specs again. So to answer my question, is there an encoding step that the CPU would have to perform on an NTSC signal from an HDHR that it would not need to do if there was a card based tuner with an encoder onboard?

archibael

01-27-10, 01:33 PM

There are no NTSC signals from the HDHR. ATSC/QAM only.

Zebo51

01-27-10, 05:13 PM

Looking at building a true HTPC finally. Been using an old PC slopped together for too long.

I currently have a BR player hooked to my Rcvr via HDMI and my rcvr to my TV via HDMI. Problem is my rcvr doesn't do any of the decoding and my BR player only does DTS-MA I think it is called.

So what would I need in a HTPC as far as video card/MB/sound card to get both DTS-MA and True-HD audio formats? I want to be able to get it both from a BR player in the HTPC and from ripped BR movies sitting on the HDD.

Is there a video card that can do all that with an HDMI connection?

I just don't know enough these days on all the new computer technologies.

Thanks

bonscott87

01-27-10, 05:22 PM

steved1961

01-27-10, 06:29 PM

I built the server that was recommend below:
15 HDD Tower System

* Case: Cooler Master Centurion 590 RC-590-KKN1-GP ATX (9 x 5.25” bay), $48.
* HDD Cage: Athena Power BP-SATA3051B 5-in-3 backplane, $110.
* HDD Cage: Athena Power BP-SATA3051B 5-in-3 backplane, $110.
* HDD Cage: Athena Power BP-SATA3051B 5-in-3 backplane, $110.
* PSU: Corsair TX650W CMPSU-650TX 650W, $95.
* CPU: Athlon II X2 240 ADX240OCGQBOX 2.8GHz AM3, $60.
* CPU Cooler: Stock Cooler, $0.
* Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA785GT-UD3H AM3 AMD 785G chipset ATX, $93.
* Memory: G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-2GBNQ DDR3-1600 2 x 1GB Kit, $65.
* Graphics: Radeon HD 4200 (integrated in the chipset), $0.
* HBA: MonoPrice 2530 2-port SATA RAID Controller PCI Express x1 Card, $14.
* HBA: MonoPrice 2530 2-port SATA RAID Controller PCI Express x1 Card, $14.
* HBA: MonoPrice 2530 2-port SATA RAID Controller PCI Express x1 Card, $14.
* HBA: MonoPrice 2530 2-port SATA RAID Controller PCI Express x1 Card, $14.
* HBA: MonoPrice 2530 2-port SATA RAID Controller PCI Express x1 Card, $14.
* Cable: 18 inch SATA Cable x 16, $15.
* OS HDD: WD Caviar Blue WD6400AAKS 640GB SATA 3.0Gbps, $63.
* Total Cost: $839 (storage drives are not included)

The 5 in 3 drive bays don't seem to fit in the case. Drives lying flat there is to much room on the sides. Drives lying on there sides the cages won't slide into the case.
Any ideas?
SteveD

renethx

01-27-10, 07:48 PM

renethx

01-27-10, 07:53 PM

The 5 in 3 drive bays don't seem to fit in the case. Drives lying flat there is to much room on the sides. Drives lying on there sides the cages won't slide into the case.
Any ideas?
SteveD
Bend the tabs inside the 590 before installing the cages. The drive bays are to be vertical.

stoneburner

01-28-10, 02:36 AM

gsr

01-28-10, 09:05 AM

Hi everybody.

I ran across this rather hot deal on a blu ray player at directron.

LITE-ON iHOS104
http://www.directron.com/dh4o1s11.html?newsletter=012710

SEems better than the really basic one that's recommended and it's cheap. The newegg review are fairly good too.
I just took a quick look and this may not be the deal it appears to be. There are reviews of this drive going back to 2007, so it's probably an older model that they're trying to get rid of. Very few places seem to have it available, so it's tough to compare prices, but I suspect the regular price is from when it first came out.

stoneburner

01-28-10, 02:40 PM

I looked at its history actually. It definitely is older but it was being marketed as a "hot deal" on newegg for $95 or so last month on one of the deal sites. Spec wise it beats out the cheap lite on as it has faster dvd reading and appears to have dvd burning capabilities.

I'll provide an update next week after I receive it. I have the liteon ihos 104 and it reads SLOOOOW. I'm going to replace it with this drive and see what happens.

FguerraG

01-28-10, 07:32 PM

Hey guys!

Long time lurker here

I have just finished building a Mid range MicroATX AMD/AMD HTPC as recomended on Renethx guide (minus the video card)

the motherboard MB GIGABYTE|GA-MA785GMT-UD2H 785G R says it can output audio and video trough the HDMI port , but for some reason I get only video

I have installed all drivers supplied by the manufacturer

I'm using Win7 and when I try to enable audio in the control panel the HDMI audio says it's not connected I only have analog and SPDIF adio available

please advice.

utee05

01-28-10, 09:22 PM

So I'm trying to decide between the Sapphire or HIS version of the HD5670. There is about a $10 difference between the 2. Is the HIS that much more better over the Sapphire? If not I'll just go with the cheaper of the two which would be the Sapphire.

renethx

01-28-10, 10:07 PM

utee05

01-28-10, 11:35 PM

Which cards are you referring to? The 512MB version of each brand costs $99.99 at Newegg.com.

I'm referring to the HIS H567Q512 and the Sapphire SAPPHIRE 100287L. Both are 512MB. The HIS is $95 at Newegg and the Sapphire is $85 from Ewiz. Is it worth it to get the HIS over the HIS or will the Sapphire be fine?

renethx

01-29-10, 12:19 AM

HIS: VGA, Sapphire: DisplayPort, otherwise no difference (apart from cooling).

kjgarrison

01-29-10, 01:39 AM

HIS: VGA, Sapphire: DisplayPort, otherwise no difference (apart from cooling).

Well then, what about cooling, and noise? Two biggies for me.

htwaits

01-29-10, 02:30 AM

renethx

01-29-10, 02:31 AM

Well then, what about cooling, and noise? Two biggies for me.
Not much difference. HIS is better in that it exhausts heat outside the case. But the max power of HD 5670 is only 61W at games...

Marc_G

01-29-10, 06:35 AM

Well then, what about cooling, and noise? Two biggies for me.

This weekend I'm putting my 100287L Sapphire 5670 (arctic cooling, and 512MB with displayport) in, replacing a 4550 fanless. Will post my opinion on it's noise level after I've installed it. Probably tomorrow afternoon.

Note: be careful which Sapphire 5670 you get. In the 512MB set, one has HDMI+DVI+VGA, the other has HDMI+DVI+Display Port. I got the latter, which comes with a DVI to VGA adaptor as well. Either card is probably just fine, but make your selection based on your preferences. I chose the one with DisplayPort for potential future proofing, since it comes with the DVI-VGA adaptor anyway.

Marc

StardogChampion

01-29-10, 10:21 AM

Well then, what about cooling, and noise? Two biggies for me.

I have the HIS 5670 512MB and the card is absolutely silent. I bought the HIS specifically for the slot cooling feature. I am a big fan of slot coolers. I have Antec Cyclones in all my PCs except my file server tower (not needed). I also didn't need a display port and wanted connectors for things I own (VGA monitor, HDMI plasma, etc.)

I haven't maxed it out or anything to test it but for HTPC'ing but it's completely silent, even when I had the cover off testing the install. And, yes, it's working :) I could feel warm air coming out the back.

utee05

01-29-10, 11:02 AM

This weekend I'm putting my 100287L Sapphire 5670 (arctic cooling, and 512MB with displayport) in, replacing a 4550 fanless. Will post my opinion on it's noise level after I've installed it. Probably tomorrow afternoon.

Note: be careful which Sapphire 5670 you get. In the 512MB set, one has HDMI+DVI+VGA, the other has HDMI+DVI+Display Port. I got the latter, which comes with a DVI to VGA adaptor as well. Either card is probably just fine, but make your selection based on your preferences. I chose the one with DisplayPort for potential future proofing, since it comes with the DVI-VGA adaptor anyway.

Marc

Which cooler did you get in addition to the Sapphire 5670?

Also how much of a deal is air blowing inside the case as long as you have case fans that will be extracting any air inside the case? The only GPU that I have is a dual-slot that blows air outside the case.

dbone1026

01-29-10, 11:03 AM

Which cooler did you get in addition to the Sapphire 5670?

Also how much of a deal is air blowing inside the case as long as you have case fans that will be extracting any air inside the case? The only GPU that I have is a dual-slot that blows air outside the case.

The Sapphire 5670 has the arctic cooling as the stock cooler. It works great for me and is very quiet

renethx

01-29-10, 11:11 AM

Arctic Cooling is designing coolers for lots of cards (HIS IceQ, Accelo L series etc.): VGA partner (http://www.arctic-cooling.com/catalog/main.php?cPath=41).

dbone1026

01-29-10, 11:21 AM

@ Renethx - are you still avoiding the latest Haali (I think 12/19/09)?

Makaveli6103

01-29-10, 02:18 PM

I just installed CyberDVD 9 and am having some problems. It was set to PCM but I changed it to no encoding so my receiver can do it. It worked at first but then the audio cut out when I changed chapters. Now it doesn't work at all. I went back to settings and it wont let me change audio output, it stays at non-decoded.

PS I am just playing a DVD, with Dolby Digital track.

Makaveli6103

01-29-10, 02:22 PM

mryerse

01-29-10, 02:44 PM

Any word on Zotac H55ITX-A-E availability in the US? I see it listed in the new build guide, thought it was interesting considering you can't buy it in the US yet (although I do see it in the EU).

rizorith

01-29-10, 04:34 PM

I just thought I'd chime in and let everyone know that I received the ATI HD5450 (MSI version) yesterday and it works fine in my htpc. The one I have is half-height and fanless. The only surprise is the thing is running at 60C right out of the box. This was almost as soon as I put it in.

So far so good. I'm not quite sure it's worth it thought considering the 4670 is actually cheaper and probably a lot more powerful. Regardless, I went with renethx suggestion. Does anyone know how to tell if the GPU is processing the movie instead of the CPU?

Goosey

01-29-10, 04:41 PM

I've been looking for analog cables to connect my (upcoming) HTPC to my receiver. I found a lot of 3.5mm to 2RCA cables, but I need six 3.5mm to 1RCA correct?

gsr

01-29-10, 04:46 PM

I've been looking for analog cables to connect my (upcoming) HTPC to my receiver. I found a lot of 3.5mm to 2RCA cables, but I need six 3.5mm to 1RCA correct?
You most likely need the 3.5mm stereo to 2 RCA cables, but unless you let us know which specific motherboard or sound card you're using, we can only guess...

pmaisn

01-29-10, 06:05 PM

I'm thinking about a new system, and am looking for some base line information. Does anyone have an idea about where the the sweet spot for Windows 7 would be from a memory, CPU and GPU point of view? I would like to start a system at the point where Win 7 will have a high level of performance without paying for the last most expensive bit.

check out a most valuable post by renethx via link the below. Pay particular attention to the "Low-End" build (budget minded) or "Mid-Range" build (great performance/good value).

hope this helps ;)

link:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=17984809#post17984809

htwaits

01-29-10, 06:18 PM

check out a most valuable post by renethx via link the below. Pay particular attention to the "Low-End" build (budget minded) or "Mid-Range" build (great performance/good value).

hope this helps ;)

link:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=17984809#post17984809Thanks. I'm sure it will. :)

dbone1026

01-29-10, 06:40 PM

For anyone using Media Browser as your UI for your HTPC, I just finished documented how to set up MPC to work seamlessly as your default player from Media Browser:

http://www.mediasmartserver.net/2010/01/29/guide-using-mpc-hc-as-your-video-player-in-wmc-media-browser/

htwaits

01-29-10, 07:03 PM

I understand the reason for staying with the 32-bit version of Windows 7 HP. I have a question about the combination of 4 GBs of memory with 1 GB graphics cards.

Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate, 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) edition. OEM should be enough.

Windows 7 editions: x86 vs. x64: Currently the main advantage of Windows x64 is the support for more than 4GB memory. However Windows Media Center x64 is a 64-bit application and a couple of useful DirectShow filters are not available in x64 (e.g. madFlac Decoder, ReClock [a must tool for bit-perfect LPCM HD audio]). Unless you are sure you will take advantage of more than 4GB memory, you may want to stay with x86.In the Win XP world that I'm familiar with, the above combination would result in 1 GB of main memory not being usable. How does the Win 7 32-bit OS handle memory?

lunar

01-29-10, 07:17 PM

I revive my HTPC again. I think I got it. The concern I have is with Intel G45 motherboard, especially the DG45ID. I really like the features this board has. But many people are having problems with the HDMI port and some audio. If I decide to buy this should I buy a discrete graphic card or should I go with another like the Intel BOXDG43GT LGA 775 Intel G43 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard?

Intel BOXDG45ID LGA 775 Intel G45 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Pentium E6300 Wolfdale 2.8GHz 2MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
windows 7 Home Premium(retail)
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel
WD Caviar Blue 500GB
APEVIA Black / Silver SECC Steel / Aluminum X-MASTER-AL/500 ATX Media Center

Are there any good external blu-ray drives?

Thank You

Marc_G

01-29-10, 07:35 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by maxBR
"... I went ahead and ordered an LG CH08LS10. ... It doesn't seem like a great drive though since it is locked at 4.8x when ripping BRDs, even though it is an 8x drive. One Newegg review even mentions CD ripping is locked at 1.6x(!) and DVD ripping is also slow."

Marc_G Said:
I too noticed the extremely pokey DVD rip speed and wondered about it. Fortunately the machine I have my LS10 in has a faster DVD drive as well.
It does seem to rip BDs twice as fast as my 4x drive though.

I retract my statement about it ripping BDs twice as fast. It's just about the same as my 4x drive. I was mistaken earlier. Where do they get off calling it an 8x drive? Grrr. And what's with the slow CD/DVD rip speed?

FguerraG

01-30-10, 03:10 AM

grittree

01-30-10, 08:23 AM

I understand the reason for staying with the 32-bit version of Windows 7 HP. I have a question about the combination of 4 GBs of memory with 1 GB graphics cards.

In the Win XP world that I'm familiar with, the above combination would result in 1 GB of main memory not being usable. How does the Win 7 32-bit OS handle memory?

The same for XP, Vista & 7.

shelbycsx

01-30-10, 09:09 AM

I got my HTPC Built yesterday and used the HD5850 card in a Zalman HD160 plus case. I was afraid it would be too loud but during normal operation, it is surprisingly quiet. The card is huge but it fit in the case with all drive bays filled pretty easily. Just thought I'd post it incase anyone was contemplating the faster cards.

BTW, Modern Warfare 2 on a 50" plasma through HDMI with this card is beautiful!

Jake

whiteboy714

01-30-10, 01:24 PM

I got a question. If I buy this card HIS H567Q512 Radeon HD 5670 that is recommended in these posts. Will it work in a mobo that only has pci express X16 1.0

Im assuming thats what mine has since its a couple years old and is an HP oem version.
Mobo (http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01324212&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&product=3686668&lang=en)
Also anyone know the measurements of this card I don't see them anywhere on the His site.

Edit, actually I dont even know if I need all that. I just want a card that can do multichannel lpcm and that is very quiet. With hdmi out.

And would like to avoid replacing my oem 300w psu if possible.

paslue

01-30-10, 03:19 PM

I love slim things. Hence I would like to use the Silverstone ML02 for my first HTPC build: silverstonetek.com/products/p_contents.php?pno=ml02&area=

In order to get HD quality Multichannel LPCM over analog (I am planning on buying a Rotel RMB 1077) I will take the ZOTAC H55 Mini ITX with a Core i3, a TV tuner PCIE, and a blu-ray player.

Now, is there enough power in the ML02 (120W)?

Also due to height restrictions (CPU cooler cannot exceed 37mm in height) will this fit (and not fry)?

The alternative would be to wait for a Modt based on an Arrandale CPU but I don't know when these are coming...

htwaits

01-30-10, 04:57 PM

The same for XP, Vista & 7.Thanks. I was afraid of that. I'm not going to use my HTPC for Blu-ray, so I'll go Win 7 64-bit.

Marc_G

01-30-10, 08:37 PM

Hi everyone,

As a follow-up to prior discussion, today I installed the 512MB Sapphire 100287L HD5670 in my HTPC, replacing the HD 4550 which will move to a desktop.

The card is doing great so far. Can't hear it from the couch, even before the HTPC goes into the cabinet. In fact I can't even make out the fan from a foot or two away, as any tiny noise it makes is drowned out by case fans, HD noise, and so forth. Bottom line is it's not audible in my system.

Heatwise there's no change in Speedfan temp ratings that I've noticed so far (I'm in an nMedia 1000b case). Maybe 1 degree lower? Hard to tell. No big difference noticed so far.

Only hiccup was that I went to the ATI driver site, and downloaded the 10.1 driver package it lead me to for my x32 system. But that driver package didn't fully install (no errors, just no driver or CCC). Turns out it DOESN'T support the 5670 despite their site recommending it.

Eventually I got a link to some 8.70_RC2 drivers and installed. See:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=18022339#post18022339

One important note: if you have the stutter/judder bug on certain OTA shows (like I get on CBS for the CSI shows), be sure to turn off the dynamic contrast control setting. It's a checkbox in the All Settings window. Otherwise you get major strobing like flashbulbs going off. One click, problem sorted.

Marc

whiteboy714

01-30-10, 09:08 PM

renethx

01-30-10, 09:53 PM

renethx

01-30-10, 10:00 PM

whiteboy714

01-30-10, 10:18 PM

PCIe Gen 1 is good enough for video playback. HD 5670 is much shorter than the mb width (= 9.6" = 244mm). For LPCM, HD 4670 is enough. The max power consumption of HD 5670 is 61W, that of HD 4670 is 59W.

So do you think bitstreaming will even matter on a $600 home theatre in a box. And if the price difference of the 4670 to the 5670 is only 15 bucks should I just go for the newer card??

Future proofing if anything. Or do you disagree.

renethx

01-30-10, 10:29 PM

So do you think bitstreaming will even matter on a $600 home theatre in a box. And if the price difference of the 4670 to the 5670 is only 15 bucks should I just go for the newer card??

Future proofing if anything. Or do you disagree.
If the price difference is small, I would buy a HD 5670. Surely HD audio bitstreams *sound* better than LPCM.

BTW HD 5450 will be released on February 4th, HD 5570 on February 9th. It looks like HD 5570 is good enough for video playback.

gibroni

01-30-10, 10:37 PM

I was looking through my mobo (GIGABYTE GA-MA78GPM-DS2H) specs online and it claims to be able to decode DTS HD and the Dolby True HD formats. The audio chip is the Realtek ALC889A. Does this work through the analog outputs since it doesn't work through the HDMI? Will it work through the optical output? My receiver (Denon AVR888) doesn't decode the Blu-ray audio formats but it does have the multichannel inputs. I'm considering upgrading the PowerDVD software if I can benefit from it.

http://www.gigabyte-usa.com/Products/Motherboard/Products_Overview.aspx?ProductID=2859

renethx

01-30-10, 10:46 PM

whiteboy714

01-30-10, 10:46 PM

If the price difference is small, I would buy a HD 5670. Surely HD audio bitstreams *sound* better than LPCM.

BTW HD 5450 will be released on February 4th, HD 5570 on February 9th. It looks like HD 5570 is good enough for video playback.

Ok thanks a lot for the help man. I greatly appreciate all the work you do for this site.

htwaits

01-31-10, 12:18 AM

Will it work through the optical output?The optical output doesn't have the band with for BD lossless digital audio. You should wind up with core lossy audio which sounds better than what you get from DVD sound tracks because the bit rate is much greater.

My receiver (Denon AVR888) doesn't decode the Blu-ray audio formats but it does have the multichannel inputs.My Denon 3806 doesn't decode lossless either, but it does accept lossless LPCM which is identical in quality to lossless bit stream from a device (dedicated Blu-ray player in my case) that can do the decoding.

If you use analog outputs, then your input device must be able to translate to LPCM and then to analog. The quality of the DACs used for translation from digital to analog will be determined how good your audio sounds.

swing8

01-31-10, 12:59 AM

I've glanced over renethx's recommendations (much appreciated) and see an Intel-Intel mid-range microATX I'd like to try. I just want an HTPC to:

- store media content (I will do all editing/conversion on my Ubuntu desktop)
- store stuff I record via a Hauppage PVR
- play back above content to my Samsung LN46A550/Sony HT-CT100 soundbar
- has to be Windows so I can manage my iPods easily
- a remote would be really nice
- not much gaming interest

Are VGA and HDMI equally acceptable options to output to the tv quality-wise? I guess that would determine whether I'd use onboard video or a Radeon HD solution.

renethx

01-31-10, 01:23 AM

Are VGA and HDMI equally acceptable options to output to the tv quality-wise? I guess that would determine whether I'd use onboard video or a Radeon HD solution.
No reason to use analog out. Use HDMI whether you use onboard video or a discrete card.

pmaisn

01-31-10, 02:55 AM

renethx

01-31-10, 03:00 AM

QUOTE= renethx
[BTW HD 5450 will be released on February 4th, HD 5570 on February 9th. It looks like HD 5570 is good enough for video playback.]

What is the difference between the various Radeon HD video cards: HD5450, HD5570, HD5670 and HD5750? What are the pros and cons of each?
:confused:
A better 3D engine (and higher power consumption, a higher price) for a higher mode number. A good 3D engine (stream processors) is necessary even for video playback (as all video post-processing are done there). HD 5570 is perhaps the best/cheapest for video playback.

whiteboy714

01-31-10, 11:54 AM

A better 3D engine (and higher power consumption, a higher price) for a higher mode number. A good 3D engine (stream processors) is necessary even for video playback (as all video post-processing are done there). HD 5570 is perhaps the best/cheapest for video playback.

By best cheapest do you mean bang for your buck? Is the 5670 a better card?

renethx

01-31-10, 12:33 PM

By best cheapest do you mean bang for your buck? Is the 5670 a better card?
The best bang for your buck.

whiteboy714

01-31-10, 12:54 PM

Ok thanks

kjgarrison

01-31-10, 01:07 PM

The best bang for your buck.

"bang for your buck" worries me a little. What about just absolute bang?

If a card can play BR whether from player or BR rips and decode/bitstream HD audio, will a higher end card provide better PQ or AQ? I was under the impression that the only advantages to higher end cards is in gaming, and that 1080p/HD audio is easier to do and well within the capability of such cards as the 5670 (which I have en route :o )

I wouldn't want to compromise PQ/AQ at all for HTPC purpose.

Is my understanding incorrect?

Marc_G

01-31-10, 01:11 PM

Hey Marc_G thanks a lot for the info. Im looking at that card and am probably going to buy it. One question, do you know how long it is? Is it larger then normal? I think it will fit in my case but I cant get a measurement on any of the sites Ive found.

I opened up the case and took a measurement of about 16.5 to 16.7 cm from the "front" of the card to where it mates with the metal piece that attaches to the back of the case. (Sorry I can't think of the right term right now!). My ruler was metal and I didn't want to get it too close so sorry I can't be exact. I'm not sure if this is typical spec for a card or relatively long.

It's definitely a full-height card; it goes right up to the top of my nMedia 1000b case.

So far I'm very happy with this card. Quiet, no heat problem, and video very good quality so far. I'm on a 50" 1080i plasma screen so interlacing capability is important. I'll be putting it through the paces over the next week.

Marc

EDIT: PS: If the 2 mm matters and you need me to get exact, let me know and I'll power down the PC and get it exactly right.

kjgarrison

01-31-10, 01:25 PM

Thanks. I was afraid of that. I'm not going to use my HTPC for Blu-ray, so I'll go Win 7 64-bit.

I'm not knowledgeable about the BR problem with W7/64. Can you give a brief summary please?

And, does this problem with "BR" include all forms of BR rips as well as far as you know?

kjgarrison

01-31-10, 01:28 PM

This weekend I'm putting my 100287L Sapphire 5670 (arctic cooling, and 512MB with displayport) in, replacing a 4550 fanless. Will post my opinion on it's noise level after I've installed it. Probably tomorrow afternoon.

Note: be careful which Sapphire 5670 you get. In the 512MB set, one has HDMI+DVI+VGA, the other has HDMI+DVI+Display Port. I got the latter, which comes with a DVI to VGA adaptor as well. Either card is probably just fine, but make your selection based on your preferences. I chose the one with DisplayPort for potential future proofing, since it comes with the DVI-VGA adaptor anyway.

Marc

Thanks. Looking forward to your report.

I have the HIS 5670 512MB and the card is absolutely silent. I bought the HIS specifically for the slot cooling feature. I am a big fan of slot coolers. I have Antec Cyclones in all my PCs except my file server tower (not needed). I also didn't need a display port and wanted connectors for things I own (VGA monitor, HDMI plasma, etc.)

I haven't maxed it out or anything to test it but for HTPC'ing but it's completely silent, even when I had the cover off testing the install. And, yes, it's working :) I could feel warm air coming out the back.

Thanks. Ordered the same card. :)

renethx

01-31-10, 01:28 PM

"band for your buck" worries me a little. What about just absolute bang?

If a card can play BR whether from player or BR rips and decode/bitstream HD audio, will a higher end card provide better PQ or AQ? I was under the impression that the only advantages to higher end cards is in gaming, and that 1080p/HD audio is easier to do and well within the capability of such cards as the 5670 (which I have en route :o )

I wouldn't want to compromise PQ/AQ at all for HTPC purpose.

Is my understanding incorrect?
The specs of HD 5570 have not been revealed (officially). Based on leaked information, the performance of HD 5570 is comparable with HD 4670. Then 5570 is enough for video playback. 5670 (or a higher) does not improve PQ/AQ; it's overkill for video playback, but still good for better gaming.

whiteboy714

01-31-10, 02:09 PM

I opened up the case and took a measurement of about 16.5 to 16.7 cm from the "front" of the card to where it mates with the metal piece that attaches to the back of the case. (Sorry I can't think of the right term right now!). My ruler was metal and I didn't want to get it too close so sorry I can't be exact. I'm not sure if this is typical spec for a card or relatively long.

It's definitely a full-height card; it goes right up to the top of my nMedia 1000b case.

So far I'm very happy with this card. Quiet, no heat problem, and video very good quality so far. I'm on a 50" 1080i plasma screen so interlacing capability is important. I'll be putting it through the paces over the next week.

Marc

EDIT: PS: If the 2 mm matters and you need me to get exact, let me know and I'll power down the PC and get it exactly right.

No thats perfect bud thanks a lot!!

htwaits

02-01-10, 03:21 AM

I'm not knowledgeable about the BR problem with W7/64. Can you give a brief summary please?

And, does this problem with "BR" include all forms of BR rips as well as far as you know?My understanding is that the two best codecs for lossless audio are 32-bit code. It's not an area that I know about, so I have no idea if or when there will be a high quality lossless 64-bit codec.

Someone who knows will have to give you the details. :)

mrjag

02-01-10, 12:44 PM

Can you run these 32 bit codecs on a 64 bit system? I assumed they would execute in a compatibility layer much like 16 bit legacy drivers on a 32 bit system when every upgraded from win95 to win98/2k.

MurrayW

02-01-10, 02:22 PM

moosenoz

02-01-10, 03:58 PM

htwaits

02-01-10, 04:50 PM

Marc_G

02-01-10, 05:13 PM

hi all,
i'm looking for opinions on a graphics card.

i'd like to replace the on board geforce 8200 on my asus m3n78-vm mobo with a discrete graphics card

would i be better off sticking with nvidia or would an ati radeon be better?
i'd like to have something with a passive cooling system to keep the noise levels at a minimum and i'd also like to stay within a $120.00 budget. so i guess my question is, what's the best passively cooled $120.00 card out there?
kids like to play the odd game but they won't be playing crysis anytime soon. anyone care to throw out a few opinions or suggestions. i'd really appreciate any help you could provide.

regards,
Mark

I'm very happy with the Sapphire 5670 card I just got. It's not passively cooled but its fan is extremely quiet and is not audible to me from a distance of a foot or so. It's not a high end gaming card but probably bridges the gap between gaming and HTPC use.

You can get it for $95-99 depending on exact version plus shipping.

Marc

renethx

02-01-10, 10:39 PM

I would like to use the M350 Universal Mini-ITX Case in my HTPC build (the 2.5" height appeals to me). http://www.logicsupply.com/products/m350.

I want to do a core i3 or maybe even core i5 build similar to the recommended system here. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=17984809#Mini-ITX%20System:%20Standard%20System:%20Intel-Intel%20%28iGPU%29

Does anyone see any problems (heat-wise or cpu-cooler height limitations) in using this case with the recommended SilverStone NT07-775 which is listed as 1.46 in tall?

thanks,
Murray
Oops, the SilverStone cooler won't fit LGA1156! Use the stock cooler instead (quiet enough). (The only reason to use the SilverStone cooler is it's slightly shorter than the stock LGA775 cooler and the interference with PSU in MI-008 can be avoided.)

renethx

02-01-10, 10:42 PM

hi all,
i'm looking for opinions on a graphics card.

i'd like to replace the on board geforce 8200 on my asus m3n78-vm mobo with a discrete graphics card

would i be better off sticking with nvidia or would an ati radeon be better?
i'd like to have something with a passive cooling system to keep the noise levels at a minimum and i'd also like to stay within a $120.00 budget. so i guess my question is, what's the best passively cooled $120.00 card out there?
kids like to play the odd game but they won't be playing crysis anytime soon. anyone care to throw out a few opinions or suggestions. i'd really appreciate any help you could provide.

regards,
Mark
What case are you using? The heatsink of a passive cooling system tends to be large and may not fit some case.

Do you need HDMI audio? (TrueHD/DTS-HD, multichannel LPCM etc.; your receiver must support them.)

bonscott87

02-01-10, 10:45 PM

The Intel i5 CPUs seem to come boxed with a heatsink and fan included. Are these coolers ineffective or noisy or both? My HTPC will not be in the living room with our display, so noise isn't a big issue. Keeping a Silverstone LC13B-E case at a reasonable operating temperature is important.

Is using the Intel "cooler" a bad idea?

I use the stock cooler/fan on my i3 and it's actually very quiet and things remain cool. These are cool CPUs as it is. Don't really need a whole lot of extra cooling unless you have a hot case.

renethx

02-01-10, 10:47 PM

The Intel i5 CPUs seem to come boxed with a heatsink and fan included. Are these coolers ineffective or noisy or both? My HTPC will not be in the living room with our display, so noise isn't a big issue. Keeping a Silverstone LC13B-E case at a reasonable operating temperature is important.

Is using the Intel "cooler" a bad idea?
If you keep the fan speed low, it is very quiet (and the processor runs very cool at idle and video playback [consumes only ~10W]).

As LC13B-E is a large case, you can use a better cooler of course. For example, Cooler Master Geminii S (with a LGA1156 bracket, sold separately).

Makaveli6103

02-01-10, 11:09 PM

MurrayW

02-02-10, 01:24 AM

Oops, the SilverStone cooler won't fit LGA1156! Use the stock cooler instead (quiet enough). (The only reason to use the SilverStone cooler is it's slightly shorter than the stock LGA775 cooler and the interference with PSU in MI-008 can be avoided.)So since the stock cooler is only slightly taller than the SilverStone cooler, is it safe to assume that it will fit in a 2.5" tall case like the M350? Do the i3 and i5 use the same stock cooler?
thanks,
Murray

htwaits

02-02-10, 01:36 AM

If you keep the fan speed low, it is very quiet (and the processor runs very cool at idle and video playback [consumes only ~10W]).

As LC13B-E is a large case, you can use a better cooler of course. For example, Cooler Master Geminii S (with a LGA1156 bracket, sold separately).Thanks renethx. Tonight I'm looking at the AMI Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition paired with the GIGABYTE GA-790XTA-UD4 AM3 AMD 790X.

The recommended Zalman cooler is big at 85(L) x 112(W) x 125(H) mm, and the CoolerMaster Hyper TX3 doesn't seem to have as much capacity. The Zalman looks like a tight fit in the LC13B-E.

I think I'll buy the LC13B-E tomorrow along with a dual layer burner. That should give me some exact measurements. I'm also wondering about space for the optional side fan. It's been about 8 years since I built a system and it was a tower. ;)

renethx

02-02-10, 01:47 AM

So since the stock cooler is only slightly taller than the SilverStone cooler, is it safe to assume that it will fit in a 2.5" tall case like the M350? Do the i3 and i5 use the same stock cooler?
thanks,
Murray
The stock cooler of Core i3/i5/i7 (all identical cooler) fits M350 just fine.

renethx

02-02-10, 01:49 AM

Thanks renethx. Tonight I'm looking at the AMI Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition paired with the GIGABYTE GA-790XTA-UD4 AM3 AMD 790X.

The recommended Zalman cooler is big at 85(L) x 112(W) x 125(H) mm, and the CoolerMaster Hyper TX3 doesn't seem to have as much capacity. The Zalman looks like a tight fit in the LC13B-E.

I think I'll buy the LC13B-E tomorrow along with a dual layer burner. That should give me some exact measurements. I'm also wondering about space for the optional side fan. It's been about 8 years since I built a system and it was a tower. ;)
A cooler of up to ~134mm height fits LC13B-E fine.

htwaits

02-02-10, 02:03 AM

A cooler of up to ~134mm height fits LC13B-E fine.After watching the Zalman at YouTube, I've got to have one. I'll also need to install a viewing window in the LC13B-E! :D

Thanks again.

moosenoz

02-02-10, 05:59 AM

What case are you using? The heatsink of a passive cooling system tends to be large and may not fit some case.

Do you need HDMI audio? (TrueHD/DTS-HD, multichannel LPCM etc.; your receiver must support them.)

my case is an Antec NSK2400. there should be plenty of room in there. none of the expansion slots are occupied at the moment. HDMI is a must. i have everything tied in to my 1909 denon receiver. system consists of a 9150e phenom - Windows 7 64bit - 4GB ram. i only have a 5.1 surrond sound system and have no intentions of upgrading to 7.1 anytime soon. i would like to add a blu-ray drive in the near future. at the moment, all of my media (music/tv shows/movies) is downloaded content which i watch through xbmc.

thanks for taking the time

Mark

renethx

02-02-10, 06:37 AM

my case is an Antec NSK2400. there should be plenty of room in there. none of the expansion slots are occupied at the moment. HDMI is a must. i have everything tied in to my 1909 denon receiver. system consists of a 9150e phenom - Windows 7 64bit - 4GB ram. i only have a 5.1 surrond sound system and have no intentions of upgrading to 7.1 anytime soon. i would like to add a blu-ray drive in the near future. at the moment, all of my media (music/tv shows/movies) is downloaded content which i watch through xbmc.

thanks for taking the time

Mark
I recommend either of the two. If you play BD movies in future, HD 5xxx is the only discrete card for HD audio bitstreams.

1. Wait for HD 5570 (to be released on February 9th). ~$70.
2. Buy HD 5670 now. One of them (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=Property&Subcategory=48&Description=&Type=&N=2010380048&srchInDesc=&MinPrice=&MaxPrice=&OEMMark=0&Manufactory=1561&Manufactory=2058&PropertyCodeValue=679%3A54319). The difference is memory size 512MB vs 1GB (512MB is good enough for video playback) and video connector (some has DisplayPort, some has VGA). These cards are close to silent (at least at idle and video playback).

moosenoz

02-02-10, 10:13 AM

the 5670 it shall be. thanks for taking the time. i really appreciate the input

rferrar1

02-02-10, 12:24 PM

For those interested in adding a cablecard tuner to your HTPC, Engadget HD is now reporting that the Ceton tuner will also function as a "network tuner" when it is released late this month. This means you will be able to access the tuner card regardless of which machine it is physically installed in.

Should create an environment of competition (i.e. lowering prices) between Ceton and the HD homerun cable card tuners. Exciting times!

aubbie

02-02-10, 04:03 PM

whiteboy714

02-02-10, 05:31 PM

robertdi8

02-02-10, 06:13 PM

Thanks for all the great info Renethx...
I am currently looking to replace my display.....I cannot find any recommendations for monitors for HTPC. I am currently plauged with overscan on my old Samsung and am trying to aviod that kind of pitfall again.
What monitors are you recommending these days? (28-38")???

Or can you point me to good resource??

Thanks in advance.
Dave.

TheSensFan

02-02-10, 07:23 PM

So renethx I see you talking about the 5570 that is coming out in a few days. My question is do you know what 4xxx series card it will be comparable to?

And how will it compare to the 5670 as far as gaming goes. I ask because I would like to use my htpc for some very light gaming.

I dont do it much at all but just curious if the 5570 could get me by or should I stick with the 5670 if I plan to do a little gaming here and there.

The 5670 is very comparable to the 4830 when it comes to benchmarks.

For gaming... meh. If you stay below 1600x1200 you should be "ok"

The Radeon HD 5570 looks like it will be a nice card and I bet it will be pretty cheap compared to its nVidia rival. 2GB mem and a 650 MHz clock... I suspect the 5570 won't get you a performance increase worth the money of the card compared to your 5670. But it does look like it is aimed at the so called mid range market, so who knows.

whiteboy714

02-02-10, 07:47 PM

The 5670 is very comparable to the 4830 when it comes to benchmarks.

For gaming... meh. If you stay below 1600x1200 you should be "ok" Thats sounds pretty good, I would probably game @ 720p. Well idealy. I like the exhaust that the His 5670 has. I feel like the passive card I currently have (8500gt) is a large heat source in my pc. And thta a card with an exhaust would help.

But if the 5570 is only 70 bucks that sounds like a pretty good deal. Still wondering how its going to stack up to the 5670 as far as gaming goes.

renethx

02-02-10, 09:21 PM

renethx

02-02-10, 09:24 PM

Still wondering how its going to stack up to the 5670 as far as gaming goes.
There will be plenty of reviews on 5570 on the Internet by February 9th (or so).

whiteboy714

02-02-10, 09:49 PM

There will be plenty of reviews on 5570 on the Internet by February 9th (or so).

Sweet, thank you.

Makaveli6103

02-03-10, 12:17 AM

So I installed Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit and want to downgrade to 7 Home Premium 32 bit. Is there an easy way other than a clean install?

kevinqian

02-03-10, 12:41 AM

Nope, it's easy to climb up, but impossible to come down.

Makaveli6103

02-03-10, 01:02 AM

Nope, it's easy to climb up, but impossible to come down.

Thats what I thought...I haven't really set up my cpu that much yet so it wont be that hard of a switch but just need to find the time to do it.

sakshaug007

02-03-10, 01:30 AM

htwaits

02-03-10, 03:48 AM

Ok, so I'm putting together an HTPC and what to get the "best" OEM cpu cooler that my motherboard/cpu/case will allow (Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R LGA1366/Intel core i7 920/Silverstone LC13B-E case). The candidates I have in mind are as follows with the reason I can't decide:

Thermalright 120 Ultra extreme - don't know if it will fit case.
Noctua NH-D14 - don't know if it will fit case.
Cooler Master GeminII S - don't know if it will work with LGA1366 (I've only seen it advertised for LGA775).

What would you guys suggest? I don't really care so much about fan noise, I just want my CPU the coolest it can get (air cooling only).

ThanksA cooler of up to ~134mm height fits LC13B-E fine.I used this information from renethx to check for vertical space in the Silverstone LC13B-E case.

I also did a dry run while I wait for the memory, and power supply to show up. So far I like the LC13B-E case, but it's not on their web site. All I could find there was the silver version. I got the last one at Fry's today.

Marc_G

02-03-10, 06:33 AM

First I want to say thank you for this post and all the research that went into it,this is the treasure chest of info I was looking for.Now that the butt kissing (LOL)is out of the way here is what I ordered to replace my current aged htpc/media server.My daughters stream SD movies and music from the htpc so the server duties do not put much of a strain on the htpc.

GIGABYTE GA-MA785GMT-UD2H AM3 AMD 785G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail

Antec Basiq BP430 430W Continuous Power ATX12V Version 2.2 Active PFC Power
Supply - Retail

AMD Athlon II X4 630 Propus 2.8GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor Model ADX630WFGIBOX - Retail

SAPPHIRE 100287VGAL Radeon HD 5670 (Redwood) 512MB 128-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card - Retail

Arctic Silver Ceramique Thermal Compound - OEM

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-2GBNQ

COOLER MASTER GeminII S RR-CCH-PBU1-GP 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler - Retail

Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 Dual TV Tuner / Encoder 1229 PCI-Express x1 Interface - Retail

nMEDIAPC Black Aluminum / Acrylic / Steel HTPC 5000B Micro ATX Media Center / HTPC Case - Retail

Windows7 32bit

Some may not like the case but I like the looks and the ability to add multiple HD's.So again thank you for the info and let me know what you think.

Should be a sweet system. I like the nMedia cases; I use a 1000b myself which is similar to the 5000b. Like you I started with a single, 1 TB drive, which I partitioned to OS and storage. This wasn't the best move. While it works OK, there are times I wish the OS was on a completely separate drive; I recommend you get a different drive for the OS. You have plenty of room in there! I now have that 1 TB drive (partitioned as mentioned) plus a separate 1.5 TB drive, but I still frequently think of getting a separate drive for my OS.... something small, quiet, lightning fast.

If your case side fan is like mine was, it will be noisy. I eventually bought this fan to replace it:
Scythe KAMA FLEX SA0925FDB12M 92mm Case Fan ~$10

Sounds like maybe you don't need a bluray drive but I didn't see any optical drive on your list. Also given the nice big case and such, you might hold off on the special CPU cooler and see if you need it. Stock cooler might work fine for you.

Marc

scientest

02-03-10, 11:20 AM

So I installed Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit and want to downgrade to 7 Home Premium 32 bit. Is there an easy way other than a clean install?

Why would you want to? With Ultimate 64 you can run the XP Mode VM if you really need 32 or 16 bit compatibility:

Windows XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx)

dbone1026

02-03-10, 11:39 AM

So I installed Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit and want to downgrade to 7 Home Premium 32 bit. Is there an easy way other than a clean install?

Unfortunately not, going between x32 and x64 requires a clean install

htwaits

02-03-10, 02:09 PM

I'm going to be installing Win 7 OEM on a new build in a few days. Have any of you, who have done the same thing, run into any Microsoft activation problems?

As I understand it, they no longer accept "hobby" builders for the OEM version. At least Newegg has a disclaimer to that effect.

Marc_G

02-03-10, 03:13 PM

Not sure how MS would enforce agaist hobby builders... Unless they track all "legit" resellers. OEM worked fine for me in Oct and Dec last year on two systems I built.

sspatil

02-03-10, 03:28 PM

I have HP m9150f in my living room as HTPC. The system is very quiet and sturdy, can play all HD/ BR rips stuff without any issues. Only problem is the tower case, even though it is blending with my HT set up properly (All black in color). I still feel that it's a full PC in my HT set up. I want to upgrade this system in proper HTPC case. So any of you Gurus can advice me for a decent looking HTPC case for this system.
The System specs are - Intel core 2 quad Q6600, Asus MicroATX motherboard 9.6 in X 9.6 in , 3 GB DDR2 ram, 720 GB hard drive- SATA (2x 360), 1 LightScribe DVD burner (SATA), 1 HD DVD ROM (SATA) . NVidia GeForce 8500gt- 256 MB graphic card, onboard audio (Coax SPDIF going to my receiver). It has multi format memory card reader in the front and I would like to keep it that way.
Please let me know what will be the suitable case for this set up?
I'm planning to add blu ray ROM to this, So it should take 3 external DVD palyers (1 HD DVD, 1 LightScribe, 1 BR ROM). Should I upgrade my video card? any thaughts. Thank You.
Oh' I forgot to mention, the stock power supply is 400W should I upgrade this or keep it as such? And this system comes with windows media center remote, so I think I don't need case with remote. Everything on Windows7.

robertdi8

02-03-10, 03:53 PM

Thanks Renethx,
No not a monitor...looking for a TV (HTPC) as most of what I use it for is movies, however do use it for some PC work as well.
Thanks,
DAve.

htwaits

02-03-10, 06:52 PM

Not sure how MS would enforce against hobby builders... Unless they track all "legit" resellers. OEM worked fine for me in Oct and Dec last year on two systems I built.Thanks for the reply. I'm sure you're right. It sounds like the activation procedure hasn't set up any new hurdles for the OEM version.

There might be a problem moving the install to a significantly different system, but most of us wouldn't have a reason to do that.

RodzR

02-03-10, 06:55 PM

Hi all,

First post here. Awesome thread by the way!!!

I'm thinking on pulling the trigger on the following:

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive $89.99

GIGABYTE GA-MA785GMT-UD2H AM3 AMD 785G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail $89.99

HIS H567Q512 Radeon HD 5670 (Redwood) 512MB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card - Retail $99.99

CORSAIR CMPSU-450VX 450W ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail $69.99

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL7D-4GBRH - Retail $114.99

AMD Athlon II X4 630 Propus 2.8GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor Model ADX630WFGIBOX - Retail $108.99

nMEDIAPC Black Aluminum / Acrylic / Steel HTPC 5000B Micro ATX Media Center / HTPC Case - Retail $79.99

I'll be running this through my Pioneer VSX-21XH receiver (via HDMI) to my 46" LCD TV, .
Can I expect to run HD audio into my receiver with this setup?
Any reason to believe that this HTPC and my Pioneer/46" LCD won't get along?
Also, can anyone spot any obvious parts where I could save some $$ - or anything I might be missing?

Thanks in advance!

grittree

02-03-10, 08:02 PM

Rod, you can save about $30 by getting the 1600 speed G.Skill on sale at the egg.

maxBR

02-03-10, 08:30 PM

I built a similar system with the 400w Corsair power supply which you can get from newegg around $35-$40 lately.

RodzR

02-03-10, 08:36 PM

Thanks grittree - I just switched to those on my shopping cart. Anything else? Anyone else care to chime in? By the way, I will mainly be using this system to view BD/DVD rips, pictures and such, and probably streaming to to my PS3.

Thanks again.

RodzR

02-03-10, 08:45 PM

I built a similar system with the 400w Corsair power supply which you can get from newegg around $35-$40 lately.

Will 400W power all these parts plus another one or two HDDs in the future?

Davinleeds

02-03-10, 08:49 PM

renethx

02-03-10, 10:34 PM

Thanks Renethx,
No not a monitor...looking for a TV (HTPC) as most of what I use it for is movies, however do use it for some PC work as well.
Thanks,
DAve.
Then LCD Flat Panel Displays (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=166).

pyngthyngs

02-03-10, 10:41 PM

This is an awesome thread. It's almost overwhelming but it's definitely inspiring me to try this out as a possibility to kick up my home theater system up a notch.

thunder_catz888

02-03-10, 11:55 PM

manakeri

02-04-10, 02:06 AM

Hi All

I decided to build my "Ultimate Touch screen" MCE in 2009.
Because of wrong installation instruction I did have allot of problems getting sleep by remote working on below Rack S21T, but I got it solved in the end...

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=165897&stc=1&d=1265265821

So what's the problem now? SLEEP!...from testing every single part of my setup in other HW where sleep works I found out that my MB was the problem! (I have tried every Beta bios available with same result)

It goes into sleep, but when starting it again it reboots...

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=165898&stc=1&d=1265265821

My set-up is as follows:

****************************************
OLD HTPC - SLEEP DONT WORK!!
****************************************
CPU: Intel Core i7 I7-920 8 MB
GRAPHIC: SAPPHIRE 100255DDR4 Radeon HD 4670 512MB 128-bit GDDR4 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready
CASE: OrigenAE S21T + OrigenAE XDS21 Black Extractor module
PSU: Corsair TX series 620W Corsair
RAM: Corsair XMS3 DDR3 1600MHz 6GB CL7 - Kit w/3x 2GB XMS3 modules, CL7-7-7-20, 1T, for Core i7, 1.65v
FAN: Nexus 120mm Real Silent blæser, sort & hvid, 22,8 dB(A), 36,87 CFM
HD: WD10EACS 1TB HD
MB: GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD5 - LGA1366 Intel X58 chipset ATX
CPU Cooler: Thermalright HR-01 PLUS + Thermalright LGA1366 + FAN Noctua NF-P12-1300 120mm
*****************************************

Why so much power?, Because I also encode in H264 and because I want perfect playback to play 1080P with subtitles overlay and De-interlacing!
(Subtitles overlay srt to MKV can not be done with HW Graphic support)

Okay so my question I am thinking about using this MB & CPU for my NAS...
So what is Guaranteed to work with the rest of the old HW....

I have build another MCE for a friend and here sleep works a 100%
(Also with my Graphic Adapter and RAM)

*****************************
Verified The following works
*****************************
MB: Gigabyte EP45T-UD3P Rev 1.0 - Socket 775
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 2,3GHz
*****************************

I would replace the CPU with a more powerful one and "S" model to keep the power down with silent cooling.

Maybee a Core 2 Quad Q9550S 12 MB (65W) ?

It funny that sleep is the biggest problem, not getting perfect playback or codec installation, special TV guides, HDMI with Sound and Picture, BD playback...etc...NO ITS SLEEP its so HW dependent, RAM, Your Graphic card, or some Bios setting can really screw this up!

Any recommendations? New MB & New CPU? I would like to reuse most of my setup if possible:

1) Best new MB for above HW?

2) Best new CPU for above HW?

Any help is much appreciated :D
Thanks

reanimator

02-04-10, 02:37 AM

First off, this is a great thread! Special thanks to Renethx and all the helpful advice provided here. Without it, I’d be lost.

This will be my first HTPC, and I plan on building the following…

Processor: CORE i7 920 2.66Ghz LGA1366
CPU Cooler: XIGMATEK DARK KNIGHT-S1283V
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD3R
Memory: G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ DDR3-1600
Video: GEFORCE GTX 275 DDR3 (896MB)
Power: SEASONIC M12D (850W)
Case: THERMALTAKE DH103 ATX
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate
Bluray: LITE-ON iHOS104 BD/DVD READER
Hard Drive: WESTERN DIGITAL WD1001FALS 1.0TB

How’s it look? I’m unsure about RAM. Is the GSKILL 4GB enough? Is there a compelling reason to go with the 6GB Corsair Dominator? Or would it make more sense to go with 8GB at around the same cost of the Dominator?

Primary use will be ripped BD, DVD and Steam games (TF2, Left4Dead, Bioshock). I’m not really a hardcore gamer, and have no need for an over-clocked, water-cooled system.

Any suggestions for a wireless network adapter?

All input is appreciated.

And once again, thanks for the awesome thread.

bonscott87

02-04-10, 08:17 AM

How’s it look? I’m unsure about RAM. Is the GSKILL 4GB enough? Is there a compelling reason to go with the 6GB Corsair Dominator? Or would it make more sense to go with 8GB at around the same cost of the Dominator?

Actually 2GB is all you really need for a HTPC unless you plan to do video editing and encoding.

Your CPU choice is overboard as well, again unless you are planning on video editing.

You really don't need that much power for a HTPC. A PC from 3-4 yrs ago has enough power to even do 1080p and Bluray's without a problem. So don't get too wrapped up in getting a "kick butt" system as it's just not needed unless you plan to do gaming or video editing/encoding.

EDIT: I do see you list some high end games there. I missed that. Then yes, 6-8 GB recommended and the best video card you can afford. With games like those you really do need a higher end gaming system. But for HTPC functionality, you don't need it.

TheSensFan

02-04-10, 09:46 AM

A

You really don't need that much power for a HTPC. A PC from 3-4 yrs ago has enough power to even do 1080p and Bluray's without a problem. So don't get too wrapped up in getting a "kick butt" system as it's just not needed unless you plan to do gaming or video editing/encoding.

E

This is only true if you have a half decent video card to offload the video processing.

radesh.rao

02-04-10, 09:53 AM

manakeri

02-04-10, 09:53 AM

And also.. Subtitles overlay srt to MKV can NOT be done with HW Graphic support only CPU can do that....

renethx

02-04-10, 10:09 AM

And also.. Subtitles overlay srt to MKV can NOT be done with HW Graphic support only CPU can do that....
The exceptions are MPC-HC with EVR custom presenter and MediaPorta with the MPC-HC subtitle engine. I am not sure of the current status of ffdshow...

amheck

02-04-10, 10:37 AM

Hey guys, was tossing around the thought of building a HTPC in mini-ITX form.

With this MB:
Motherboard: ZOTAC H55-ITX WiFi H55ITX-A-E LGA1156 Intel H55 chipset Mini-ATX
with no additional videocard, I'll get DD 5.1 sound via HDMI right? And enough video processing power to play back ripped DVD's via a media server?

Also, I like the looks of the Silverstone SG06 case. But a lot of the reviews mention way too many PSU wires. I searched on newegg for a modular mini-ITX PSU, but didn't see anything. Does such a thing exist?

Thanks!
Aaron

whiteboy714

02-04-10, 12:06 PM

I'm planning on a HTPC build with:
MSI R4550-MD1GH Radeon HD 4550 1GB 64-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Low Profile Ready Video ... - Retail

ASRock P55 Pro LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80605I5750 - Retail

Is this good enough for Blu ray playback on HD TV (waiting for the Ceton or HD Homerun cable-card tuners)?

Yes that will play blu rays with ease but the Ati 4xxx series cards do not support the new HD audio codecs that blu rays have. This only matters if you have an avr that supports them as well.

radesh.rao

02-04-10, 12:24 PM

Yes that will play blu rays with ease but the Ati 4xxx series cards do not support the new HD audio codecs that blu rays have. This only matters if you have an avr that supports them as well.

I was planning on using HDMI to connect to my Panasonic G10 Plasma TV. I have no other HT gear.

whiteboy714

02-04-10, 01:06 PM

I was planning on using HDMI to connect to my Panasonic G10 Plasma TV. I have no other HT gear.

Then you should be all good there. If you plan on using a cable card you may want to be sure how this card handles interlaced content since most broadcast HD is @ 1080i.

stoneburner

02-04-10, 03:17 PM

I'm having a similar problem to Manakeri. I have a build largely similar to the AMD-AMD SFF build with teh J&W 780g MINIX Mobo.

I can't power on the thing by USB even though USB standby power is clearly working. I have it in S3 sleep, it resumes just fine (except for a sound issue i need to work out) but I can't get it to resume via keyboard or MCE remote.

I see no options in the bios to get this to work either.

I checked device manager and all the necessary devices have permission to turn the device on.

I see no jumpers on the mobo that would alter the USB standby power state.

Help please :(?

Makaveli6103

02-04-10, 05:30 PM

I'm looking to make the dive and ditch satellite in favor of a HTPC with DVR functionality. I was wanting to know if this proposed set up would work. Right now the main use would be DVR and watching Hulu and Netflix. I might want to add a Blu-Ray player down the line. I am holding off on a large hard drive just because I already have an external 1TB drive that I plan to use for the time being, and to help keep cost down a little. Please let me know what you think, or if you think any other parts would be better.

LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model GH22NP20 $26.99
Western Digital Caviar Blue WD1600AAJS 160GB 7200 RPM $39.49
AVerMedia AVerTVHD Duet - PCTV Tuner $64.99
CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX 400W ATX12V $54.99
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1600 $84.99
GIGABYTE GA-H55M-USB3 LGA 1156 Intel H55 $109.99
Antec Steel Fusion Remote Black Micro ATX HTPC Case $129.95
Cooler Master GeminII S Universal CPU Cooler $31.99
Cooler Master Socket 1156 Retention Bracket Set $4.79
Intel Corporation Core i3 530 Processor $99.99

I initially had the AverMedia Duet and ended up returning it. There is a well known problem with it disappearing after the computer goes to sleep. I ended up with the HDHomeRun. Even though it is twice the price, it works. Also you do not need to buy the 1156 Retention Bracket Set becuase the Gemini II comes with it now. It is not listed anywhere but when I bought from newegg 3 weeks ago it came with it and now I have an extra bracket because I bought the retention bracket set also.

thunder_catz888

02-04-10, 06:04 PM

Thanks for the heads up on the bracket. However I'm looking fora pc card tuner. I don't really want any additional accessories that are not internal. What do you think about the Hauppage PVR-2550?

Marc_G

02-04-10, 06:35 PM

Thanks for the heads up on the bracket. However I'm looking fora pc card tuner. I don't really want any additional accessories that are not internal. What do you think about the Hauppage PVR-2550?

Of course this is a personal decision, so don't take this wrong. But give the HDHomeRun another look. It's tiny. Mine lives right underneath my DSL modem, and is plugged into the adjacent router in my home office, with a simple UHF/VHF antenna behind the desk and pulls in all local stations with ease; any computer on the network can get TV, and it doesn't care about which computers are going to sleep...

RodzR

02-04-10, 06:53 PM

Rod, you can save about $30 by getting the 1600 speed G.Skill on sale at the egg.

Price just went up to $104.99. :mad:

Makaveli6103

02-04-10, 07:21 PM

aubbie

02-04-10, 09:27 PM

Should be a sweet system. I like the nMedia cases; I use a 1000b myself which is similar to the 5000b. Like you I started with a single, 1 TB drive, which I partitioned to OS and storage. This wasn't the best move. While it works OK, there are times I wish the OS was on a completely separate drive; I recommend you get a different drive for the OS. You have plenty of room in there! I now have that 1 TB drive (partitioned as mentioned) plus a separate 1.5 TB drive, but I still frequently think of getting a separate drive for my OS.... something small, quiet, lightning fast.

If your case side fan is like mine was, it will be noisy. I eventually bought this fan to replace it:
Scythe KAMA FLEX SA0925FDB12M 92mm Case Fan ~$10

Sounds like maybe you don't need a bluray drive but I didn't see any optical drive on your list. Also given the nice big case and such, you might hold off on the special CPU cooler and see if you need it. Stock cooler might work fine for you.

Marc
Thanks for the reply,I wanted my first post to be a short one so I left a few details out that I should not have.

I have a few parts from my current htpc that will be used in this build,I have a 250gig sata that will be my os drive and the 1tb will be storage only.I have a blueray drive in the current htpc and some fans that will go in this build as well.

I always use a good cooler on my builds for the simple fact that a cooler temp cpu is a faster cpu inmho anyway

All the parts arrived today and everything went together great untill I opened the power supply,I did not notice that I ordered the wrong power supply until it was already here.I am sending it back in the morning so it will be a few days before I have the correct psu and can get the ole girl purring.I can not wait to see how fast this puppy is encoding.Anyway I will post again when I have her up and running.

radesh.rao

02-04-10, 09:29 PM

I did some research links follow.

radesh.rao

02-04-10, 09:29 PM

Then you should be all good there. If you plan on using a cable card you may want to be sure how this card handles interlaced content since most broadcast HD is @ 1080i.

Thanks for the heads up. Looks like it should be OK:

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3420

Also supports 1920x1080 which should be good for 1080i.

Thank you!

hellerbrewing

02-04-10, 09:34 PM

Thanks for the heads up on the bracket. However I'm looking fora pc card tuner. I don't really want any additional accessories that are not internal. What do you think about the Hauppage PVR-2550?

Do you mean the HVR-2250? I don't see any PVR models other than the HD-PVR on their site anymore. I have the 2250 and the HDHR. Everyone seems to love the HDHR around here, they are both good products but the 2250 does have its advantages. For one, you only need one cable connection. If you are going to connect it to regular cable for QAM, the 2250 actually shows up as 4 tuners in windows 7, 2 analog cable and 2 QAM for one cable connection. I am sure you can only record 2 things at once but at least you get the option to record analog and digital on each tuner. The HDHR is digital only and has 2 inputs so you need to split to each tuner. There is also no FM tuner if you think you might ever need that.

One cool thing about the HDHR, if you are going OTA you can drag your laptop up on the roof with you and use it as a signal level meter to adjust the antenna.