I don't know now. After looking more into it, the HDHR does look pretty nice. I do like the fact you can record and watch on any computer. It is quite a bit for it, but not much more than the 2250. Is it pretty user friendly?

with tv tuners, user friendly should mean transparent operation. To that end, yes HDHR is very user friendly. after the inital setup, you can forget its even there. Their support also seem to be a step ahead of the other majors. They seem to come out with a new FW for the device every few months to add enhancements and fixes.

+1

Totally user friendly in that it's just there, just works.

The only trouble I ever had was that the software installer didn't set up the Windows Firewall rules right on my x64 desktop box for W7RTM. Their support forum had me up and running shortly after, then they released a revised installer that cleared it up. I've been very satisfied.

I like keeping the heat, such little as it makes, out of the HTPC. Also depending on your home wiring, there may be some advantage to placing the tuner somewhere other than where your HTPC is.

Marc

Marc

with tv tuners, user friendly should mean transparent operation. To that end, yes HDHR is very user friendly. after the inital setup, you can forget its even there. Their support also seem to be a step ahead of the other majors. They seem to come out with a new FW for the device every few months to add enhancements and fixes.

+1

Totally user friendly in that it's just there, just works.

The only trouble I ever had was that the software installer didn't set up the Windows Firewall rules right on my x64 desktop box for W7RTM. Their support forum had me up and running shortly after, then they released a revised installer that cleared it up. I've been very satisfied.

I like keeping the heat, such little as it makes, out of the HTPC. Also depending on your home wiring, there may be some advantage to placing the tuner somewhere other than where your HTPC is.

Marc

Marc

Thanks for all the input. I think I'll give this one a go and see how it works out.

On a side note, what's the consensus on the Gigabyte GA-H55M-UD2H? Reviews of it on Newegg aren't that great, but Fry's is running a deal right now where you get that motherboard and a Core i5 650 for $215 before rebate. Your basically getting the motherboard for free. I'm trying to see if it's worth taking a gamble on the mb.

On a side note, what's the consensus on the Gigabyte GA-H55M-UD2H? Reviews of it on Newegg aren't that great, but Fry's is running a deal right now where you get that motherboard and a Core i5 650 for $215 before rebate. Your basically getting the motherboard for free. I'm trying to see if it's worth taking a gamble on the mb.

Here's a link to help. In the cart I have the stated set above and also what I was originally looking to get. Price doesn't matter, because Microcenter is selling the Core i3 for $99 right now, so either way i go i would be spending $215.

So would it be better to get the i5 with a so so board, or the i3 with a decent board?

http://secure.newegg.com/Shopping/ShoppingCart.aspx?Submit=view

I have an older PC and I was wondering if the processor / ram specs would be enough to run 1080P / Bluray content.

Processor - Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2.4GHz
Ram - 4 Gig 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800
I know I would have to get a new video card over what is in there now, but I am just wondering if that would be enough to play HD content.

Thanks.

what's the consensus on the Gigabyte GA-H55M-UD2H? Reviews of it on Newegg aren't that great, but Fry's is running a deal right now where you get that motherboard and a Core i5 650 for $215 before rebate. Your basically getting the motherboard for free. I'm trying to see if it's worth taking a gamble on the mb.
This motherboard may be hit or miss - basically memory compatibility issues (Channel 0: DDR3_1, DDR3_2 is dead). Yup, it's still on my recommendation list, but if there are more complaints, I will remove it.

I have an older PC and I was wondering if the processor / ram specs would be enough to run 1080P / Bluray content.

Processor - Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2.4GHz
Ram - 4 Gig 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800
I know I would have to get a new video card over what is in there now, but I am just wondering if that would be enough to play HD content.

Thanks.
If you mean software decoding (such as ffdshow), E6600 2.4GHz should be good. You can test your system immediately: download 1080p contents from, say, HD-Trailers.net (http://www.hd-trailers.net/), play them with MPC HomeCinema and ffdshow Video Decoder (both can be download from here (http://xvidvideo.ru/)).

Don't have a newer video card yet and don't want to buy one unless I was pretty sure....

Anyone else using a E6600 2.4GHz in their HTPC?

Don't have a newer video card yet and don't want to buy one unless I was pretty sure....

Anyone else using a E6600 2.4GHz in their HTPC?

Plenty of people use the E5200 which is about the same as yours. But yours has a little better cache. You should be fine with a decent card.

On a side note I have the q6600 which is the same chip as yours. BUt obviously with 2 more cores. And it does an awesome job.

This motherboard may be hit or miss - basically memory compatibility issues (Channel 0: DDR3_1, DDR3_2 is dead). Yup, it's still on my recommendation list, but if there are more complaints, I will remove it.

I think I'm gonna give it a shot. I'll be getting it for free basically, and I can return it if I have any problems. Fry's is pretty good on their return policy, right?

I think I'm gonna give it a shot. I'll be getting it for free basically, and I can return it if I have any problems. Fry's is pretty good on their return policy, right?

Yes just be sure you can return them separately if thats what you want to do.

I am using my PC in my home theater, but the onboard audio won't output 5.1 via optical and games won't let me switch to 5.1 in games. I need something that sends at least 5.1 via digital out and can support EAX 5 and all that. Do I really need to spend $150+? I don't care about watching video with my computer as I do that with my PS3.

What sound card should I get?

Hey Guys,

I went thru several pages and I think I might have the answer, but I would like to confirm with you.

HTPC Specs:
- AMD 5050e @2.73Ghz
- 2Gb of RAM
- 8200IGP (512Mb assigned via BIOS) - only 8 SPs
- win 7 pro 32bit
- using MPC-HC w/DXVA (divx/xvid/h264(720P/1080P)) streamed from another win7 box using native smb via 100mb wired network.
- using WMC7 to play 1080i OTA channels (using KWORLD ATSC TV usb Stick (http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815260023&cm_re=usb_atsc_tuner-_-15-260-023-_-Product))
- sending 1280x720 via hdmi to Optoma HD65 720P projector (110" DIY painted screen)
- sound over SPDIF to AVR.

Overall current system works perfectly, except:

1) I cannot use PP on some 1080P files, due to 8200IGP limitations (luck of SPs). Sometimes some movies can use some extra edge enhancement/sharpness.

2) I'm not too happy about 8200IGP's 1080i deinterlacing capabilities. Since my CPU is HT2 only, GPU might not have enough power to properly deinterlace the picture.

Because money is tight at the moment, I'm wondering if I swap my main rig with 8800GT htpc I'll kill 2 birds with one stone (above problems 1 and 2)? :D

Main Rig specs:
- Intel E5200 @3Ghz
- 2Gb of RAM
- 8800GT w/3rd quiet HSF - 112 SPs
- win 7 pro 32bit
- I could use dvi-to-hdmi adapter for video.
- sound over SPDIF to AVR.

From my understanding (please correct me if I'm wrong) 8800GT = 9800GT (both VP2), so according previous tests conducted by renethx (Thank you for all your hard work) 8800GT should provide me with better HD deinterlacing option.

{renethx tests}
Here are my own test results of a couple of NVIDIA cards with Cheese Slices (1080i59.94 MPEG-2) and W6RZ vertrezmotion.ts (1080i59.94 MPEG-2).

- Win 7 RTM x86 (Aero ON or OFF does not affect the results, unlike ATI)
- NIVIDIA 191.07
- CyberLink/MS decoders
- EVR

Cheese Slices W6RZ SP
8600 GT MA Pass 32
9300/9400 A Fail 16
9400 GT A Fail 16
9500 GT VA Pass 32
9600 GT VA Pass 64
9800 GT VA Pass 112
{end}

I was going to buy HD4670 or GT220, but I don't have $$$ at the monent. Also I don't game that much anymore so there is no need for 8800GT in my machine.

So if I swap HTCP with my main rig, I believe:

1) I should be able to do PP on most 1080P files
2) it should improve deinterlacing/downscaling 1080i OTA HD signa to 720P projector
3) E5200 will offer a little more CPU massle over 5050e
4) I should be able to game a little bit on the big screen. 8800GT at 720P should still run most of the "newer" games.

renethx and others please advise/comment if my 'theory' is correct ;)

TIA :D

I am using my PC in my home theater, but the onboard audio won't output 5.1 via optical and games won't let me switch to 5.1 in games. I need something that sends at least 5.1 via digital out and can support EAX 5 and all that. Do I really need to spend $150+? I don't care about watching video with my computer as I do that with my PS3.

What sound card should I get?
Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer ~$90 with Dolby Digital Live and DTS Connect Pack (http://buy.soundblaster.com/_creativelabsstore/cgi-bin/pd.cgi?page=product_detail&category=Software&pid=F2222DDN6Z2H2ADDEZD) $4.72.

I'm having MPC-HC issues. Can anyone help me get this running?

MPC-HCx64
Windows 7 Pro x64
Ripping DVD BluRay with makeMKV
Integrated HD4200 for video/sound through hdmi

1. DVD rips play fine, but I can't get AC3 or DTS to bitstream. Since the soundcard only supports two channel audio if not playing AC3 or DTS that's all I've been able to get out of MPC-HC. Boxee bitstreams AC3/DTS fine.

2. BluRay Rips crash MPC, sometimes immediately, sometimes in 15 seconds. It will show the image and play sound if it starts to play, sometimes it doesn't get that far. Boxee plays these rips fine, so it's not the file. They are uncompressed and files are around 20GB. The settings are defaults. I've tried playing with them a bit but can't make any progress getting it to work.

OK just checked and the "Gigabyte EP45T-UD3P Rev 1.0 - Socket 775"
is not available any more...(That was the Only MB I know 100% works with Sleep! with my existing Graphic card and RAM)

So can anybody recommend a new MB + CPU that works 100% with Sleep?

Also I would like to keep the power low (65W) like intels new (S) versions!

Here is what I already have bought:
CPU: Intel Core i7 I7-920 8 MB
GRAPHIC: SAPPHIRE 100255DDR4 Radeon HD 4670 512MB 128-bit GDDR4
CASE: OrigenAE S21T
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

I have just read about the new HD5XXX cards I might need to update my card to that in order to get FULL HD SOUND from my BD drive.

Is it correct that it would be wate of money to buy ASUS´s special Audio card?

Also should I wait for the new "Clarkdale: Core i5 and i3 processors to be released in January 2010. 2 cores/(up to) 4 threads, integrated graphics core, LGA 1156, 32 nm."

Sounds like a HTPC dream!

Thanks for a great Forum!

yup, these days all gpu can do 1080p, but not all gpus can do HQ 1080i. it takes a fair amount of gpu power to deinterlace.

Yes all cards (these days) can do a resolution of 1920x1080. But 1080i is different. It takes a decent card to do proper deinterlacing, but I am far from a pro so maybe someone can chime in if I'm trippin.

Looks like 5450 is the low profile successor to 4550 but still isn't good enough.
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3734&p=4

I've upgraded my build to Radeon HD 5670

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161319

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer ~$90 with Dolby Digital Live and DTS Connect Pack (http://buy.soundblaster.com/_creativelabsstore/cgi-bin/pd.cgi?page=product_detail&category=Software&pid=F2222DDN6Z2H2ADDEZD) $4.72.

I have heard bad things about Creative. Are you sure that's a decent card?

3-D SPEC:
Heyguys
I have
gateway intel core 2 quad @2.60 each core
32 bit windows vista home premium
4gb ram i believe ddr2
500gb HD
gpu:geforce nvidia 8500gt 512mb
whatelse i need to be 3d ready
p.s: I have 3d ready monitor

I believe somebody toldme that i need more power gpu is that true
and what else i need
please help me
Tnakyou in advance

Hey guys!

I've built a boatload of systems, but this has me stymied:

My components:

ASRock H55M Pro LGA 1156 Intel H55 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor
SAMSUNG CD/DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223C - OEM
Rosewill RCR-IM5001 USB2.0 75 in 1 internal Card Reader w/ 3 ports USB2.0
generic case w/400W powersupply

This system will power on but display no video for about 10-15 seconds. It then reboots over and over again.

I've taken out all peripherals so it's just CPU/RAM/MOBO, but it still won't post. I've also swapped out the RAM to no avail.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

Have you tried a different power supply?

Edit: wait a minute, what are you using for video? You need a Clarkdale if you are expecting to get the graphics out of the processor. Lynnfield does not have the IGP. There is no onboard video on H55 boards, they are made for using the IGP on the clarkdale processors.

Check out the first post here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=17031445#post17031445).

Have you tried a different power supply?

Edit: wait a minute, what are you using for video? You need a Clarkdale if you are expecting to get the graphics out of the processor. Lynnfield does not have the IGP. There is no onboard video on H55 boards, they are made for using the IGP on the clarkdale processors.

Check out the first post here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=17031445#post17031445).

Yeah, I tried plugging in an old nvidia 9400 card...still won't post. :-(

Yeah, I tried plugging in an old nvidia 9400 card...still won't post. :-(

Ok, things went from bad to great to fricking terrible:

I took a break from the problem and worked on something else. Came back to it and realized I had the RAM plugged into the 2 blue slots, when they should have been in the white slots. That, along with the 9400 for video, enabled it to POST! GREAT!

So I plugged everything back into the mobo (I had disconnected EVERYTHING, HDD LED, RESET, POWER LED, all HD Power and data, front USB, audio).

I turn on the PC and IT BLEW UP! (only slightly exaggerting).2 seconds after powering it on the powersupply BLEW, sparks, noise, smoke the whole nine yards.

So what are the odds all my components are fried now? 100%?

I'm sure PS is dead, cpu and mobo probably, dunno about the rest.

Sad day.....sad :-(

OK just checked and the "Gigabyte EP45T-UD3P Rev 1.0 - Socket 775"
is not available any more...(That was the Only MB I know 100% works with Sleep! with my existing Graphic card and RAM)

So can anybody recommend a new MB + CPU that works 100% with Sleep?

Also I would like to keep the power low (65W) like intels new (S) versions!

Here is what I already have bought:
CPU: Intel Core i7 I7-920 8 MB
GRAPHIC: SAPPHIRE 100255DDR4 Radeon HD 4670 512MB 128-bit GDDR4
CASE: OrigenAE S21T
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

I have just read about the new HD5XXX cards I might need to update my card to that in order to get FULL HD SOUND from my BD drive.

Is it correct that it would be wate of money to buy ASUS´s special Audio card?

Also should I wait for the new "Clarkdale: Core i5 and i3 processors to be released in January 2010. 2 cores/(up to) 4 threads, integrated graphics core, LGA 1156, 32 nm."

Sounds like a HTPC dream!

Thanks for a great Forum!
Replace HD 4670 with HD 5570 (performance comparable with 4670) or HD 5670 (better 3D) and you are done.

I have heard bad things about Creative. Are you sure that's a decent card?
The point is EAX5. Only creative chips support it. The card is excellent under Windows XP. I am not sure of the current driver status for Windows Vista/7. ASUS Xonar DX ~$85 supports DirectSound 3D GX's EAX 5.0 *emulation* and Dolby Digital Live. If you drop the EAX5 support, Diamond XtremeSound 7.1 XS71DDL ~$50 and many GIGABYTE mb support DDL.

renethx,when are we gonna finally see the av guide?

I have the Linksys DMA2100 extender. I am having trouble getting this thing to wake up my HTPC from S3. Are there any secrets to this?

3-D SPEC:
Heyguys
I have
gateway intel core 2 quad @2.60 each core
32 bit windows vista home premium
4gb ram i believe ddr2
500gb HD
gpu:geforce nvidia 8500gt 512mb
whatelse i need to be 3d ready
p.s: I have 3d ready monitor

I believe somebody toldme that i need more power gpu is that true
and what else i need
please help me
Thakyou in advance

anybody!!!!!!!!!1

anybody!!!!!!!!!1
Perhaps it's too early to discuss it. MPEG-4 MVC (Multiview Video Coding) requires decoding > 60Mbps. NVIDIA says only VP4-equipped GPUs (so far only GT 220 and GT 240; 210 is too weak) support Blu-ray 3D.

anyone know if the 5500 series will be available in low profile?

edit: nevermind it is :)

Anyone?!? :D

I apologize if it is a stupid question(s)... :o

Hey Guys,

I went thru several pages and I think I might have the answer, but I would like to confirm with you.

HTPC Specs:
- AMD 5050e @2.73Ghz
- 2Gb of RAM
- 8200IGP (512Mb assigned via BIOS) - only 8 SPs
- win 7 pro 32bit
- using MPC-HC w/DXVA (divx/xvid/h264(720P/1080P)) streamed from another win7 box using native smb via 100mb wired network.
- using WMC7 to play 1080i OTA channels (using KWORLD ATSC TV usb Stick (http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815260023&cm_re=usb_atsc_tuner-_-15-260-023-_-Product))
- sending 1280x720 via hdmi to Optoma HD65 720P projector (110" DIY painted screen)
- sound over SPDIF to AVR.

Overall current system works perfectly, except:

1) I cannot use PP on some 1080P files, due to 8200IGP limitations (luck of SPs). Sometimes some movies can use some extra edge enhancement/sharpness.

2) I'm not too happy about 8200IGP's 1080i deinterlacing capabilities. Since my CPU is HT2 only, GPU might not have enough power to properly deinterlace the picture.

Because money is tight at the moment, I'm wondering if I swap my main rig with 8800GT htpc I'll kill 2 birds with one stone (above problems 1 and 2)? :D

Main Rig specs:
- Intel E5200 @3Ghz
- 2Gb of RAM
- 8800GT w/3rd quiet HSF - 112 SPs
- win 7 pro 32bit
- I could use dvi-to-hdmi adapter for video.
- sound over SPDIF to AVR.

From my understanding (please correct me if I'm wrong) 8800GT = 9800GT (both VP2), so according previous tests conducted by renethx (Thank you for all your hard work) 8800GT should provide me with better HD deinterlacing option.

{renethx tests}
Here are my own test results of a couple of NVIDIA cards with Cheese Slices (1080i59.94 MPEG-2) and W6RZ vertrezmotion.ts (1080i59.94 MPEG-2).

- Win 7 RTM x86 (Aero ON or OFF does not affect the results, unlike ATI)
- NIVIDIA 191.07
- CyberLink/MS decoders
- EVR

Cheese Slices W6RZ SP
8600 GT MA Pass 32
9300/9400 A Fail 16
9400 GT A Fail 16
9500 GT VA Pass 32
9600 GT VA Pass 64
9800 GT VA Pass 112
{end}

I was going to buy HD4670 or GT220, but I don't have $$$ at the monent. Also I don't game that much anymore so there is no need for 8800GT in my machine.

So if I swap HTCP with my main rig, I believe:

1) I should be able to do PP on most 1080P files
2) it should improve deinterlacing/downscaling 1080i OTA HD signa to 720P projector
3) E5200 will offer a little more CPU massle over 5050e
4) I should be able to game a little bit on the big screen. 8800GT at 720P should still run most of the "newer" games.

renethx and others please advise/comment if my 'theory' is correct ;)

TIA :D

Perhaps it's too early to discuss it. MPEG-4 MVC (Multiview Video Coding) requires decoding > 60Mbps. NVIDIA says only VP4-equipped GPUs (so far only GT 220 and GT 240; 210 is too weak) support Blu-ray 3D.
Thankyou man
I really appreciate it

Anyone?!? :D

I apologize if it is a stupid question(s)... :o
I put in a discrete card into both my 8200 and 8300. Worked great except hdmi audio drivers did flake out sometimes. Put in whatever you have. From my understanding, even if you have an ATI card, W7 will recognize it.

I'm building my first HTPC and following very closely the renethx Intel-Intel (iGPU) micro-ATX recommendations, including the Antec Fusion case. I'm in the middle of the build and I've got two questions:

1) The fan on the Cooler Master CPU cooler blows upward, but the case only has a little bit of ventilation on the top, whereas the two 120mm case fans vent out the side. This doesn't seem very efficient. Do I really need both? It seems like I should just have either:

a) passive cooling fins on the CPU combined with large fans on the case, or

b) a big 120mm fan on the CPU combined with a nice sized vent holes on top of the case.

Am I really supposed to use both of these solutions? Seems like they'll work at cross purposes to at least some degree. I'd prefer solution (a) if I can get away with it.

2) The Corsair power supply also blows upward. But the power supply section of the Antec case doesn't have any vents at all on the top. I find that especially worrisome since the Antec case touts how well insulated the separate sections are. I'm thinking of cutting a hole in the top and installing some kind of register/mesh. Is this a good idea, a waste of time, or a bad idea?

Thanks for any tips,
Billy

1) I should be able to do PP on most 1080P files
2) it should improve deinterlacing/downscaling 1080i OTA HD signa to 720P projector
3) E5200 will offer a little more CPU massle over 5050e
4) I should be able to game a little bit on the big screen. 8800GT at 720P should still run most of the "newer" games.
1) Yes.
2) Yes.
3) No.
4) Yes.

I'm building my first HTPC and following very closely the renethx Intel-Intel (iGPU) micro-ATX recommendations, including the Antec Fusion case. I'm in the middle of the build and I've got two questions:

1) The fan on the Cooler Master CPU cooler blows upward, but the case only has a little bit of ventilation on the top, whereas the two 120mm case fans vent out the side. This doesn't seem very efficient. Do I really need both? It seems like I should just have either:

a) passive cooling fins on the CPU combined with large fans on the case, or

b) a big 120mm fan on the CPU combined with a nice sized vent holes on top of the case.

Am I really supposed to use both of these solutions? Seems like they'll work at cross purposes to at least some degree. I'd prefer solution (a) if I can get away with it.

2) The Corsair power supply also blows upward. But the power supply section of the Antec case doesn't have any vents at all on the top. I find that especially worrisome since the Antec case touts how well insulated the separate sections are. I'm thinking of cutting a hole in the top and installing some kind of register/mesh. Is this a good idea, a waste of time, or a bad idea?

Thanks for any tips,
Billy
1) Blowing down is the normal direction. Three 800rpm fans (one for CPU and two for the case) are enough and near silent.

2) No, CMPSU-450VX fan is sucking air. There is enough space between the fan and the case cover for good airflow.

I picked up our new computer tonight. :)

When I ran the "Windows Experience Index" program there was a failure about 20% of the way through the first progress bar. During a restart chkdsk ran but I wasn't fast enough to tell what it corrected. After a clean restart, I tried running the WEI program again. This time, about 20% of the way through, there was a blue screen crash. The blue screen didn't stay around long enough for me to get the error code.

The system was assembled at Fry's Electronics so I don't know what drivers were loaded, but the Device Manager is free of errors or warnings.

Hints, guesses, directions, or other speculations are greatly appreciated.

The new system is running at 31C under a light load, and with the CPU cooler fan set to low. :)

CPU: Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition HDZ955FBGIBOX 3.2GHz AM3
CPU: Cooler: Zalman CNPS9500A LED

MB: GIGABYTE GA-790XTA-UD4 AM3 AMD 790X chipset ATX, USB 3.0/SATA 6.0Gbps

Mem: G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ DDR3-1600 2 x 2GB Kit

GPU: SAPPHIRE Vapor-X 100284VXL Radeon HD 5750 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

HDD: Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB SATA 3.0Gbps

PSU: Corsair TX650W CMPSU-650TX 650W

Case: Silverstone LC13B-E Case

I plan on building the MicroATX Mid-Range AMD-AMD system based on the Jan 2010 guide, and I'm simply not interested in the Antec Fusion case. I've got no need for the volume knob, screen, or remote.

I'd like to get either the Antec NSK1480 or NSK2480. Does anybody know if everything will fit in the slimline case?

I also intend on getting a M-Audio Audiophile 192 soundcard. Will that fit?

I intend to use the soundcard to feed a bit-perfect SPDIF from my FLACs to my outboard DAC. (Does anybody have any alternative suggestions for this? Sound quality is of utmost importance here.)

I have a 2 channel sound system and will primarily use the system for music playback. I will also watch plenty of movies, but am fully satisfied with 2 channel sound.

To summarize, 2 questions

1) will everything in the AMD-AMD MicroATX Mid-range system fit in an Antec NSK1480 slimline case with an added soundcard?

2) is there a better/cheaper soundcard to use for my purpose of having the best damn FLAC playback possible? My DAC is a modded Xindak DAC 5.

Thanks in advance for your help!

-f

I'm building my first HTPC and following very closely the renethx Intel-Intel (iGPU) micro-ATX recommendations, including the Antec Fusion case. I'm in the middle of the build and I've got two questions:

1) The fan on the Cooler Master CPU cooler blows upward, but the case only has a little bit of ventilation on the top, whereas the two 120mm case fans vent out the side. This doesn't seem very efficient. Do I really need both? It seems like I should just have either:

a) passive cooling fins on the CPU combined with large fans on the case, or

b) a big 120mm fan on the CPU combined with a nice sized vent holes on top of the case.

Am I really supposed to use both of these solutions? Seems like they'll work at cross purposes to at least some degree. I'd prefer solution (a) if I can get away with it.

2) The Corsair power supply also blows upward. But the power supply section of the Antec case doesn't have any vents at all on the top. I find that especially worrisome since the Antec case touts how well insulated the separate sections are. I'm thinking of cutting a hole in the top and installing some kind of register/mesh. Is this a good idea, a waste of time, or a bad idea?

Thanks for any tips,
Billy

"Flip" the power supply so it blows downward into the case (assuming it blows out). Many suck air in the "top/bottom" and then out the back so that air flow thru the power supply.

I plan on building the MicroATX Mid-Range AMD-AMD system based on the Jan 2010 guide, and I'm simply not interested in the Antec Fusion case. I've got no need for the volume knob, screen, or remote.

I'd like to get either the Antec NSK1480 or NSK2480. Does anybody know if everything will fit in the slimline case?

I also intend on getting a M-Audio Audiophile 192 soundcard. Will that fit?

I intend to use the soundcard to feed a bit-perfect SPDIF from my FLACs to my outboard DAC. (Does anybody have any alternative suggestions for this? Sound quality is of utmost importance here.)

I have a 2 channel sound system and will primarily use the system for music playback. I will also watch plenty of movies, but am fully satisfied with 2 channel sound.

To summarize, 2 questions

1) will everything in the AMD-AMD MicroATX Mid-range system fit in an Antec NSK1480 slimline case with an added soundcard?

2) is there a better/cheaper soundcard to use for my purpose of having the best damn FLAC playback possible? My DAC is a modded Xindak DAC 5.

Thanks in advance for your help!

-f
NSK1480 is a low-profile case; only a low-profile expansion card will fit it.

You don't need a sound card for bit-perfect stereo LPCM over S/PDIF. The onboard S/PDIF (Realtek ALC889) supports 16/20/24-bit 32k/44.1k/48k/88.2k/96k/192kHz stereo LPCM. You just need Kernel Streaming (XP), WASAPI exclusive mode (Vista/7) or ASIO.

I put in a discrete card into both my 8200 and 8300. Worked great except hdmi audio drivers did flake out sometimes. Put in whatever you have. From my understanding, even if you have an ATI card, W7 will recognize it.

1) Yes.
2) Yes.
3) No.
4) Yes.

Thanks guys :D

I picked up our new computer tonight. :)

When I ran the "Windows Experience Index" program there was a failure about 20% of the way through the first progress bar.

In my experience, most crashes of this type are due to memory (RAM) errors. The first thing I would do is open the PC and re-seat the memory modules. I would also give things a once over look to make sure all cable are full seated, nothing is loose and the CPU heat sink is well secured.

If the Windows Experience still doesn't complete then I would run a program to check the RAM. Windows 7 has a memory test program built in (I haven't used it), and the standard test is Memtest. If you can't isolate the problem, bring the PC back to FRYs; it should run with out errors.

In my experience, most crashes of this type are due to memory (RAM) errors. The first thing I would do is open the PC and re-seat the memory modules. I would also give things a once over look to make sure all cable are full seated, nothing is loose and the CPU heat sink is well secured.

If the Windows Experience still doesn't complete then I would run a program to check the RAM. Windows 7 has a memory test program built in (I haven't used it), and the standard test is Memtest. If you can't isolate the problem, bring the PC back to FRYs; it should run with out errors.Thanks for the suggestions. I'll do what you suggest.

So far my Windows 7 experience has been strange in several ways. For instance, at 2:30 AM just before I went to bed this morning, I discovered that there were Windows Experience scores posted. That's without the evaluation program ever finishing.

One of the other strange events is that when I tried to open "User Account Control" I was notified that mmc.exe the Microsoft Management Console was an "unknown publisher", and did I want to run it.

It's into the case for me on SB Sunday. :p

Thanks again.

Hey guys, before I pull the trigger on this Today, any issues? Suggestions?

Thanks!

LITE-ON CD/DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 $26.99

HIS Radeon HD 5670 (Redwood) IceQ H567Q512 Video Card $104.99

nMEDIAPC Black HTPC 5000B Micro ATX Media Cente HTPC Case $59.99
Logitech Black Cordless Keyboard $29.99

2 SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive $179.98

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory $104.99

CORSAIR CMPSU-450VX 450W Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply $69.99

GIGABYTE GA-MA785GMT-UD2H Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
AMD Athlon II X4 630 2.8GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor
Combo $176.98

Grand Total: $753.90

In my experience, most crashes of this type are due to memory (RAM) errors.How right your experience is! I'm running on one memory stick after testing each of them with memtest86+.

On to the next puzzle.

Thanks. :D

I've got a bad memory stick (G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ DDR3-1600 2 x 2GB Kit) that I just bought at Newegg. I can't find information about exchanging defective parts (One of the two sticks in the kit is defective.) on their web site.

Is the usual procedure to contact G. Skill directly? Maybe I'm missing something at the Newegg site?

The only option that I've found at Newegg would be to RMA the whole kit for exchange or refund. My system is running on the good stick, so I'm not eager to send both back for a two week resolution.

I've got a bad memory stick (G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ DDR3-1600 2 x 2GB Kit) that I just bought at Newegg. I can't find information about exchanging defective parts (One of the two sticks in the kit is defective.) on their web site.

Is the usual procedure to contact G. Skill directly? Maybe I'm missing something at the Newegg site?

The only option that I've found at Newegg would be to RMA the whole kit for exchange or refund. My system is running on the good stick, so I'm not eager to send both back for a two week resolution.

I'm thinking your going to need to do a regular rma. But you might want to get customer service on the phone to see if they cant work with you.

Order another set and rma the first.

Order another set and rma the first.Newegg makes it sound like that would result in a 15% restocking fee for a defective part. Am I understanding their policy?

Thanks for the replies.

Yeah, looks like refund or replacement has restocking fee. So you'll get that either way. Amazon has better policy but can cost more. Still, as I suggested, I think, will give you more uptime.

Hey guys, before I pull the trigger on this Today, any issues? Suggestions?


AMD Athlon II X4 630 2.8GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor
Combo $176.98



You could try going with the AMD x2 BE 550 and unlocking the 2 extra cores on the 785g MB.

Yeah, looks like refund or replacement has restocking fee. So you'll get that either way. Amazon has better policy but can cost more. Still, as I suggested, I think, will give you more uptime.True. I also may go back to Crucial, and do a return after I install the replacement memory.

Thanks for the help understanding Newegg. :)

You could try going with the AMD x2 BE 550 and unlocking the 2 extra cores on the 785g MB.
How hard is it to do this? I've never done any overclocking...

How hard is it to do this? I've never done any overclocking...
It's not overclocking, but unlocking the disabled two cores, turning II X2 550 into II X4 *B50*. The two cores are disabled sometimes because they are defective, but in many cases that's not true, they may be disabled just for a marketing reason. There is no statistics of the success rate. The extra L3 cache consumes extra 15W-25W and may increase performance 0%-5% compared with Athlon II X4 at the same clock.

In general I recommend Athlon II X4 (630 2.8GHz is now only $99) over this route if you need four cores.

Hey guys, could someone point me to where, in this thread or elsewhere, the intel versus nvidia igpu's are talked about and compared?

Just courious but why aren't you all watching the superbowl!? I am downunder and am 7 beers into it. Saints - Superbowl 44 winners. :)

Wow, that was quick. Many thanks. By the way, your guide is the greatest!

Billy

I've had 2 instances where G. Skill memory modules have gone bad and had to RMA them. Never any problem and I think it takes about 2 - 3 weeks total. The only cost is mailing the defective RAM back to G. Skill and that is cheaper than sending it back to the egg. E-mail G. Skill at: rma@gskillusa.com

How hard is it to do this? I've never done any overclocking...


The first question is "do you really need four cores for a HTPC?" If you answer, it is a nice to have compared to four cores. Then you could take a chance and hope the X2 you buy is un-lockable.

In addition you will need to flash you BIOS to an earlier version. As AMD had forced the MB makers hand to remove the "HYBRID" feature in future releases. The HYBRID feature is one you will use to unlock the extra 2 cores.

Most seem to have success.

Also note the BE Black Editions over-clock quite easily. I was able to push 3.1GHz 550 on stock cooling to 4Ghz



If you "have" to have 4 cores in a HTPC then you might as well go for the X4.

I've had 2 instances where G. Skill memory modules have gone bad and had to RMA them. Never any problem and I think it takes about 2 - 3 weeks total. The only cost is mailing the defective RAM back to G. Skill and that is cheaper than sending it back to the egg. E-mail G. Skill at: rma@gskillusa.com

Every time I have RMA'd something to newegg they have paid for return shipping. If the system does not do it for you just chat with someone online and they will send you a prepaid label. I think they'll even send out a new one before they recieve the defective unit.

Thanks to Renethx for all the fabulous advice as well as the others sharing here. Making my donation today as soon as I find my paypal password, ugh.

My first build is straight from the ATX recommendations except for the case. I have some HDD's(2 samsung 1tb, 1 raptor 75gb 10k for os)the Hauppauge 1229 WinTV-HVR-2 and a Sony BDU-x10s blu-ray drive.

Here's what I ordered (FYI only a 10 buck difference in total including shipping between the egg and the river for items they both carry )

1 "SilverStone LC20-B Aluminum Front Panel/0.8 mm SECC Body ATX Media Center/HTPC Case - Retail (Black)"
Electronics; $139.99

1 "Corsair CMPSU-550VX 550-Watt VX Series 80 Plus Certified Power Supply compatible with Core i7 and Core i5"
Electronics; $91.00

1 "Xigmatek Nepartak S983 H.D.T. 3 heat pipes with 92mm fan CPU cooler"
Electronics; $39.99

1 "AMD Athlon II X4 630 95W AM3 2MB 2800MHz Retail"
Electronics; $108.99

1 "Gigabyte AMD AM3 Phenom II/Socket AM3/AMD 790X/4DDR3-1866(OC)/ATI CrossFireX/GbE/7.1-CH ATX Motherboard GA-790XTA-UD4"
Electronics; $139.99



1 "HIS Radeon HD 5670 512MB (128bit) GDDR5 HDMI DL-DVI (HDCP) VGA PCI Express 2.1 16X Video Card Retail (RoHS) H567Q512"
Electronics; $104.99


Still need the following but the egg and the river don't have, other source suggestions please?

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ - Retail


Also, do I need to order thermal paste, hdd cables or anything else you see that I am missing. Any size conflicts for my components?

Thanks so much!
Joe

Still need the following but the egg and the river don't have, other source suggestions please?

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ - RetailI'm having the same problem exchanging a defective stick. Since Newegg is out of stock, they will do a full refund for the whole kit. That leaves me without memory for my new build. G. Skill will exchange the defective stick which allows me to keep running at 2 GB, or I can reorder and start over with a new brand.

I'm interested in a second choice for memory too. :)


Also, do I need to order thermal paste, hdd cables or anything else you see that I am missing. Any size conflicts for my components?My build would have been vastly easier if I had investigated modular power supplies. The Corsair TX650W CMPSU-650TX 650W power supply's unused cables take up a lot of room in the Silverstone LC13B-E case that I'm using. When combined with my MB, it's going to be a real challenge to install a second HDD. All those SATA ports and no room for access. :rolleyes:

I've had 2 instances where G. Skill memory modules have gone bad and had to RMA them. Never any problem and I think it takes about 2 - 3 weeks total. The only cost is mailing the defective RAM back to G. Skill and that is cheaper than sending it back to the egg. E-mail G. Skill at: rma@gskillusa.com

Every time I have RMA'd something to newegg they have paid for return shipping. If the system does not do it for you just chat with someone online and they will send you a prepaid label. I think they'll even send out a new one before they recieve the defective unit.I just checked with Newegg, and they will pay for return shipping, and because the item is out of stock, they will NOT charge for restocking.

The choices I see, if I want to keep my new computer running, are to buy an alternative memory kit combined with a refund from Newegg, or return the defective stick to G. Skill and run on 2 GBs in the mean time. The first choice would probably cost more. Unless G. Skill is discontinuing the kit that we seem to have made very popular, I expect that I will "stick" with a return to them.

I'm interested in a second choice for memory too. :)


M

Have you looked at the following?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145263&nm_mc=OTC-Shopmania&cm_mmc=OTC-Shopmania-_-Memory+(Desktop+Memory)-_-Corsair+(XMS+Series)-_-20145263

I have also read great things about:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211409&Tpk=AX3U1600GB2G9

Have you looked at the following?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145263&nm_mc=OTC-Shopmania&cm_mmc=OTC-Shopmania-_-Memory+(Desktop+Memory)-_-Corsair+(XMS+Series)-_-20145263That's interesting. I don't know enough to be sure it's a good choice for my AMD system.

Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition HDZ955FBGIBOX 3.2GHz AM3

GIGABYTE GA-790XTA-UD4 AM3 AMD 790X chipset ATX, USB 3.0/SATA 6.0Gbps

Newegg says that it's a good match for Core i5 and Core i7, but I don't see any compatibility information for AMD.

I'll see what I can find on CORSAIR's web site.

FYI just got an alert from Newegg that G. Skill is back in stock and placed my order in case you are still interested in it.



I'm having the same problem exchanging a defective stick. Since Newegg is out of stock, they will do a full refund for the whole kit. That leaves me without memory for my new build. G. Skill will exchange the defective stick which allows me to keep running at 2 GB, or I can reorder and start over with a new brand.

I'm interested in a second choice for memory too. :)


My build would have been vastly easier if I had investigated modular power supplies. The Corsair TX650W CMPSU-650TX 650W power supply's unused cables take up a lot of room in the Silverstone LC13B-E case that I'm using. When combined with my MB, it's going to be a real challenge to install a second HDD. All those SATA ports and no room for access. :rolleyes:

There's a boat load of information here..

Anyway. I'm building a non-gamer HTPC around
GA-P55M-UD4
CLARKSDALE I5-650
2 stick kit of crucial 1333 (4gb)

I have a Sapphre 4670 that will tide me over (if the onboard video doesn't) until the new 5570(?) comes out.

My question is which PSU? If I've cyphered right I could use about 500W supply. Adds would be maybe the Antec Fusion with remote case, DVD burner, and 2 WD blue drives 640G each.

FYI just got an alert from Newegg that G. Skill is back in stock and placed my order in case you are still interested in it.Thanks for the head up. I just completed an order. I hope the pending builders in this thread won't deplete the inventory before my exchange is completed. I'll do the exchange after I receive the second 4GB kit. :D

Have you looked at the following?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145263&nm_mc=OTC-Shopmania&cm_mmc=OTC-Shopmania-_-Memory+(Desktop+Memory)-_-Corsair+(XMS+Series)-_-20145263Thanks for the suggestion.

Corsair's web sit list the following for the AMD Phenom II Processors.

http://www.corsair.com/products/phenomii/default.aspx

Under a column titled SPEED they list PC3-12800, and PC3-10666. Since the recommended G. Skill memory is also PC3-12800 I assume, based on no knowledge of my own, that PC3-12800 memory will be a good choice for my system.

CMG4GX3M2A1600C6 4GB Kit 6-6-6-18 240pin DIMM ($400 with fans.)

CMG4GX3M2B1600C7 4GB Kit 7-7-7-20 240pin DIMM ($214 with fans)

TW3X4G1600C9D 4GB Kit 9-9-9-24 240pin DIMM ($150)

CMD4GX3M2B1600C8 4GB Kit 8-8-8-24 240pin DIMM ($178)

While I researched Corsair, the G. Skill kits became available again. :D

There's a boat load of information here..

Anyway. I'm building a non-gamer HTPC around
GA-P55M-UD4
CLARKSDALE I5-650
2 stick kit of crucial 1333 (4gb)

I have a Sapphre 4670 that will tide me over (if the onboard video doesn't) until the new 5570(?) comes out.

My question is which PSU? If I've cyphered right I could use about 500W supply. Adds would be maybe the Antec Fusion with remote case, DVD burner, and 2 WD blue drives 640G each.

I swear I read the fricken manual looking for this...but this time I found it.

• To meet expansion requirements, it is recommended that a power supply that can withstand high power consumption be used (500W or greater). If a power supply is used that does not provide the required power, the result can lead to an unstable or unbootable system.

Now to decide on the case!

Why is the Athlon II X4 630 or similar chips recommended over Intel Core i3? The Intel chips seem to be faster in the benchmarks I've seen, use less power, can decode 1080p and can bitstream HD audio.

Here's a bit of an odd question, perhaps.

I'm going to spread the expense of building a HTPC out over around 3 months... roughly ~$250-300 per month. What should I put off to the last month? The factors that I've thought of are price, i.e., which components are most likely to drop in price over a 3 month period; and maturity/features/better choice, i.e., which components are likely to be more mature 3 months from now from the firmware, version upgrade, etc standpoint?

An example of the latter is the HIS Radeon HD 5760, which I can NOT get the driver to install in my XP desktop just as a video card, and which I see a lot of posts about problems with. This was going to just wait in my desktop until the build of the HTPC, but it is going back. I'm thinking it will be cheaper and/or less buggy in a few months. (Assuming it doesn't get trumped by something better. There's always something better right around the corner.)

Are these the right factors to consider, or are others important?

Here's a bit of an odd question, perhaps.

I'm going to spread the expense of building a HTPC out over around 3 months... roughly ~$250-300 per month. What should I put off to the last month? The factors that I've thought of are price, i.e., which components are most likely to drop in price over a 3 month period; and maturity/features/better choice, i.e., which components are likely to be more mature 3 months from now from the firmware, version upgrade, etc standpoint?

An example of the latter is the HIS Radeon HD 5760, which I can NOT get the driver to install in my XP desktop just as a video card, and which I see a lot of posts about problems with. This was going to just wait in my desktop until the build of the HTPC, but it is going back. I'm thinking it will be cheaper and/or less buggy in a few months. (Assuming it doesn't get trumped by something better. There's always something better right around the corner.)

Are these the right factors to consider, or are others important?Put the money away each month then buy everything at the end of the 3rd month. Prices for electronics go down...there is no reason to buy something now and let it sit on your shelf for 3 months waiting for all the other components. Just my $0.02, I mean $750 - $900 worth.

Put the money away each month then buy everything at the end of the 3rd month. Prices for electronics go down...there is no reason to buy something now and let it sit on your shelf for 3 months waiting for all the other components. Just my $0.02, I mean $750 - $900 worth.

Definitely. If your not going to use it now, don't buy it. Unless of course you come across a great deal on EBay etc.

heh ....

well ....

Couple of hundred here and there don't get scrutinized when the cc bill comes. $800 will.

do I need to order thermal paste, hdd cables or anything else you see that I am missing. Any size conflicts for my components?
Thermal paste is included in the retail box of the cooler. If you want to buy it, I recommend Arctic Silver Ceramique or Arctic Silver 5.

Xigmatek Nepartak fits the case, but its heatpipes may touch the case cover. Somebody may feel comfortable with a shorter cooler such as Cooler Master Geminii S (I don't remember if thermal compound is included in this cooler).

There's a boat load of information here..

Anyway. I'm building a non-gamer HTPC around
GA-P55M-UD4
CLARKSDALE I5-650
2 stick kit of crucial 1333 (4gb)

I have a Sapphre 4670 that will tide me over (if the onboard video doesn't) until the new 5570(?) comes out.

My question is which PSU? If I've cyphered right I could use about 500W supply. Adds would be maybe the Antec Fusion with remote case, DVD burner, and 2 WD blue drives 640G each.
Even 350W is enough for your system (you will rarely see over 200W power consumption in your system).

BTW P55 does not support IGP. Although you use a discrete card, this should be noted. And if you don't use IGP, then Core i5 750 quad core may be a better choice.

Why is the Athlon II X4 630 or similar chips recommended over Intel Core i3? The Intel chips seem to be faster in the benchmarks I've seen, use less power, can decode 1080p and can bitstream HD audio.
I am also recommending a Core i3 system (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=940972&page=401#MicroATX%20System:%20Mid-Range%20System:%20Intel-Intel%20%28iGPU%29).

Athlon II X4 is supposed to be used with a discrete card such as HD 5570 or 5670. Athlon II X4 is faster than Core i3 530 in some benchmarks and Core i3 is faster than Athlon II X4 in others. For example, here (http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=3724&p=2).

i3 sucks @ 24 fps, I don't see how you could recommend it. I'm going to use it anyway, but still, if someone was going to ask me for advice I'd give them the disclaimer.

i3 sucks @ 24 fps, I don't see how you could recommend it. I'm going to use it anyway, but still, if someone was going to ask me for advice I'd give them the disclaimer.
I am going to note that in feature tables. Not everybody plays movies at 23.976Hz, whether you object to playing back 23.976fps movies at 60Hz or not. :) For such people Core i3 is an ideal solution.

Apparently 5670=4670 for deinterlacing performance. 5570 still doesn't quite hold up.
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3738&p=3

Apparently 5670=4670 for deinterlacing performance. 5570 still doesn't quite hold up.
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3738&p=3

I read that piece this morning to and was surprised. I figure if this becomes an issue and people raise enough noise, maybe AMD will allow some tweak to disable Enforce Smooth Video Playback.

I read that piece this morning to and was surprised. I figure if this becomes an issue and people raise enough noise, maybe AMD will allow some tweak to disable Enforce Smooth Video Playback.

I thought to disable it, you just uncheck the checkbox.

Even 350W is enough for your system (you will rarely see over 200W power consumption in your system).

BTW P55 does not support IGP. Although you use a discrete card, this should be noted. And if you don't use IGP, then Core i5 750 quad core may be a better choice.

Bear with me as I'm still climbing the learning hill here.

If I may, your comment translates to "the P55 motherboard doesn't do internal Graphics Processing", which if true I did note that the proper CPU had to be chosen to allow same. Unless I hosed it the i5 650 and up to 17 870 CPU will fit on this board, and allow growth later as the CPU prices drop.

BTW, went with the recommended Antec Fusion Remote Black microATX case. There were a few comments on Newegg about static discharge being an issue on the case IIRC it was from the "power" button. Can't a suitable wire be added from the button around to the ground lug of the Power module?

Anyway. cutting my teeth on this HTPC, although I have crashed a number of store bought PCs ;-)

Thanks for your help.

I'm building the renethx micro-ATX mid-range Intel-Intel (iGPU) system, Gigabyte GA-H55M-UD2H motherboard, core i3. I'm pretty well finished (and pretty happy so far), but I can't seem to get Realtek/Windows 7 to drive both my Sony TV and my outdoor speakers (connected to my amp) at the same time.

The Sony TV is using the HDMI connection. Today I purchased a little stereo to rca Y connector which I currently have connected to the black audio output in the rear of the system. No matter how much I futz with the Realtek settings, I can't make any sound come out of the outdoor speakers whatsoever.

After giving up on the black jack in the back, I tried the headphone connection on the front of the case. Finally, I was able to make that work - sort of. While the TV was playing a song from my music library, I could make the test sounds come out of the outdoor speakers. But I couldn't figure out how to make the music come out on both.

Also, while connected to the headphone jack, if I made that the Default device, then the music came on outside, but the TV quit playing.

Any suggestions on how I could get the HTPC to drive both the TV speakers and the outdoor speakers at the same time?

And just to be clear on the priorities, it's critical for me to get the same music to play both outside and inside. It's just a "nice to have" if I can also get them to play from two different sources.

Thanks for any suggestions,
Billy

I'm building the renethx micro-ATX mid-range Intel-Intel (iGPU) system, Gigabyte GA-H55M-UD2H motherboard, core i3. I'm pretty well finished (and pretty happy so far), but I can't seem to get Realtek/Windows 7 to drive both my Sony TV and my outdoor speakers (connected to my amp) at the same time.

The Sony TV is using the HDMI connection. Today I purchased a little stereo to rca Y connector which I currently have connected to the black audio output in the rear of the system. No matter how much I futz with the Realtek settings, I can't make any sound come out of the outdoor speakers whatsoever.

After giving up on the black jack in the back, I tried the headphone connection on the front of the case. Finally, I was able to make that work - sort of. While the TV was playing a song from my music library, I could make the test sounds come out of the outdoor speakers. But I couldn't figure out how to make the music come out on both.

Also, while connected to the headphone jack, if I made that the Default device, then the music came on outside, but the TV quit playing.

Any suggestions on how I could get the HTPC to drive both the TV speakers and the outdoor speakers at the same time?

And just to be clear on the priorities, it's critical for me to get the same music to play both outside and inside. It's just a "nice to have" if I can also get them to play from two different sources.

Thanks for any suggestions,
Billy
It is my understanding that windows can not output from 2 different audio devices. It gets asked often, I even made a thread myself, but hopefully someone can prove me wrong because I would like to have this too.

For your situation you might be able to get some sort of switch after the computer.

It is my understanding that windows can not output from 2 different audio devices. It gets asked often, I even made a thread myself, but hopefully someone can prove me wrong because I would like to have this too.

For your situation you might be able to get some sort of switch after the computer.

I ran into the same situation on my HTPC and I had to use the Analog audio outs to have audio come out on my outdoor speakers. I have my outdoor speakers connected on Zone2. One thing I noticed was that I was once able to have a digital and analog audio output at the same time, but after upgrading the drivers I wasn't able to. Not sure what version I had when it worked but now when I want to have audio on my outdoor speakers I have to use my analog audio 'only' and disable the digital output.

Hey guys,

Well I have been reading this thread and many others over the past few weeks trying to determine what system build I want for my HTPC.

My current parts:
Q6600
4gigs DDR2
2 1TB HDs

What I need:

Motherboard
Case
Possibly a Video Card.

I am planning to hook this to my 50inch Samsung Plasma TV and my Yamaha home theater setup.

My reciever does not support HD audio, so my only requirements is LCPM 7.1

Currently here is the products I am looking at

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

Motherboards:
BIOSTAR G31E-M7 LGA 775 Intel G31 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard 32$
with a video card 4000 or 5000 series
or
XFX MI93007 AS9 LGA 775 NVIDIA GeForce 9300 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard 80$

Any other motherboard recommendations are welcomed.

I am looking to play WoW at 1080 on my plasma. Would the 9300 be able to push that game at that res or should I upgrade to the 4000 or 5000 series GPU. Both prices will come out as a wash for the most part, but honestly I dont know what is best. It's going to be primary a HTPC build but i might wow on it from time to time.

Second part of my question, best way to rig up my PC to my TV and reciever. Should i go HDMI to the TV then HDM from the TV to my reciever, or HDMI to TV and optical out to my reciever. I have read a lot and still confused, I dont know what will provide me with the best setup.

Your recommendations will push my build, i really dont know much about this stuff and if you guys say go with the iGPU over the the other setup im good, I just want to build the best setup which will give me some older gaming at high res and great HD picture.

Completed my HTPC build, and sending renethx some thank you dollars!

Routing the power supply wires in the case was annoying (I realized *after* I installed everything that I wanted to route the wires underneath the motherboard. Disassemble, route wires, and reassemble everything.) Fishing 100' of cat6 through the ceilings, walls, and a door frame took longer than the HTPC build.

Intel DH55TC motherboard
2x 2GB Crucial DDR3-1333 memory
Core i5-650
640GB HDD
hec 7K09 case (needed something small with a front cool air inlet because of the TV stand/room placement this stuff is going into)
Adesso WKB-4000BB Bluetooth keyboard w/touchpad (wireless is great, though my eyes aren't good enough to use the HTPC as a normal computer from 10' away!)
Win7 professional 64-bit
AVSGear GP-IR01BK USB remote
Hauppauge 2250

double check to make sure you plugged in the 12v mb rail (4pin or 8pin plug)

I am going to note that in feature tables. Not everybody plays movies at 23.976Hz, whether you object to playing back 23.976fps movies at 60Hz or not. :) For such people Core i3 is an ideal solution.

I think I came off a bit harsh in my comment, sorry. I do appreciate your efforts here and they have been valuable to me.

Anyone ever get the iMon LCD, on the antec fusion or otherwise, to work perfectly with Win7MC and a Harmony? Has anyone tried getting the LCD Smartie software to work with the LCD display? If there are any writeups around I would love to see them, I have been looking.

I have been working for the last few days or so trying to get the harmony (890) to work well with the imon software. Seems like I finally get one thing to work and then something else quits working. I think I know what I have been doing wrong but I thought I should see if there's a good writeup out there before I reset everything and start over.

Renethx,
Hi it's been some time since I've been on the board. My wife got me a HP mini 311 netbook for Christmas and was wondering if there were any updates regarding using it as a HTPC? It's atom based but has the nvidia Ion LE graphics.. thanks for any quick comment....

Itching to finish my i3 ITX setup. Amazons got the Zotac H55 up for preorder.

Need 1 more post for link, sorry everyone.

$149.99
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0033Q4NJ2/ref=oss_product

Great article, very informative.

Here's my build, feel free to critique away! :)

This is going in the bedroom, I have the house wired CAT6. Going to be watching TV, DVR, streaming video from the media server over the GB LAN, playing some games, internet browsing and such. The bedroom is getting a LG 47LH30 47-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV this week as well.

(OS is Win7 64bit for MPC use, as well as Mediabrowser)

HTPC Parts:
-------------------------
LG 22X DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model GH22LS50 LightScribe Support - OEM - Item #: N82E168271361681

APEX MI-100 Black / Mirror finish Steel Mini-ITX Tower Computer Case 250W Power Supply - Retail - Item #: N82E16811154084

Western Digital Caviar Green WD5000AADS 500GB SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive -Bare Drive - Item #: N82E16822136358

AVerMedia AVerTV Hybrid Volar Max - TV Tuner Kit for Windows MTVHVMXSK USB 2.0 Interface - Retail - Item #: N82E16815100048

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ - Retail - Item #: N82E16820231122

Rosewill Windows Vista Certified Media center Infrared Remote Control RRC-126 - Item #: N82E16880101002

ZOTAC IONITX-A-U Atom 330 1.6GHz Dual-Core 441 NVIDIA ION Mini ITX Motherboard/CPU Combo - Retail - Item #: N82E16813500027

RCA ANT1450B Flat Antenna With Amplifier in Black Finish - Item #: N82E16882125338

~Mych

Anyone ever get the iMon LCD, on the antec fusion or otherwise, to work perfectly with Win7MC and a Harmony? Has anyone tried getting the LCD Smartie software to work with the LCD display? If there are any writeups around I would love to see them, I have been looking.

I have been working for the last few days or so trying to get the harmony (890) to work well with the imon software. Seems like I finally get one thing to work and then something else quits working. I think I know what I have been doing wrong but I thought I should see if there's a good writeup out there before I reset everything and start over.

Alright, I think I got all of the tricks worked out. Got everything on my harmony working pretty well with the imon. I will put together a small guide in my build thread (link in my sig). I may pull it out into its own thread in the remote forums when I get it done.

I am pretty sure that I am going to go with the Mini-ITX Standard System using Intel-Intel (iGPU), except I will probably go with a core i5 rather than a core i3, use the Mini-Box M350 case and a laptop hard drive to fit the M350. I have hemmed and hawed about getting an SSD, but don't think I can justify it for what I will be using my HTPC for. I will mostly use this to playback ripped DVD's and ripped Blue Rays, but I would like to plan for the future that might include light gaming -- hence the i5. It looks like the i5 is about $75 more than the i3, so it is worth it to me even if I never game on it. I have a few questions.

1. Will the i5 be any more difficult to cool than the i3?
2. There are 2 versions of the i5. 733MHz and 900MHz GPU's for essentially the same price. Should I expect any problems cooling the 900MHz i5 with the M350 case?

thanks,
Murray

Basically you have to use the stock CPU cooler inside M350 and it is good enough for Core i5 661 (as there are enough holes on the case surface).

Another choice is Core i3 530 (or Pentium E5xxx/E6xxx with GF9300-G-E), Radeon HD 5570 and Antec ISK 300-150. Advantages are near perfect 23.976Hz support and much better gaming performance.

Basically you have to use the stock CPU cooler inside M350 and it is good enough for Core i5 661 (as there are enough holes on the case surface).

Another choice is Core i3 530 (or Pentium E5xxx/E6xxx with GF9300-G-E), Radeon HD 5570 and Antec ISK 300-150. Advantages are near perfect 23.976Hz support and much better gaming performance.Thanks renethx...I'll be sending you a contribution in the next few days when I order all of my parts. Gaming is not really important to me and I the i5 is probably overkill for my needs compared to the i3, but once I build this HTPC, I don't want to open it up for several years to do any upgrades. With prices being essentially equal, is there any reason to ever go with a 733MHz GPU vs. a 900MHz GPU at the same processor speed? Would the 900MHz use more power?

One more question. Why does the DDR3-1600 memory seem to be less expensive than the DDR3-1333 memory?

thanks,
Murray

Thanks renethx...I'll be sending you a contribution in the next few days when I order all of my parts. Gaming is not really important to me and I the i5 is probably overkill for my needs compared to the i3, but once I build this HTPC, I don't want to open it up for several years to do any upgrades. With prices being essentially equal, is there any reason to ever go with a 733MHz GPU vs. a 900MHz GPU at the same processor speed? Would the 900MHz use more power?

One more question. Why does the DDR3-1600 memory seem to be less expensive than the DDR3-1333 memory?

thanks,
Murray

If you get the core i5 or i3 I would look at MicroCenter, they have the best prices I have seen on these (I picked up a core i5 from them)

Thanks renethx...I'll be sending you a contribution in the next few days when I order all of my parts. Gaming is not really important to me and I the i5 is probably overkill for my needs compared to the i3, but once I build this HTPC, I don't want to open it up for several years to do any upgrades. With prices being essentially equal, is there any reason to ever go with a 733MHz GPU vs. a 900MHz GPU at the same processor speed? Would the 900MHz use more power?

One more question. Why does the DDR3-1600 memory seem to be less expensive than the DDR3-1333 memory?

thanks,
Murray
A comparison of power consumption is here (http://www.guru3d.com/article/core-i5-650-660-661-review-test/7). I don't see a reason to get 660 except for slightly lower power consumption.

Not sure.

If you get the core i5 or i3 I would look at MicroCenter, they have the best prices I have seen on these (I picked up a core i5 from them)I am hoping to find some deals this weekend with the President's Day holiday. There is not a MicroCenter near me and unfortunately, most of their deals seem to be in store pickup.

thanks,
Murray

the 900mhz vs 733mhz is purely gpu speeds. Some mobos will allow you to OC the gpu from 733 to 900. It was a purely marketing move for Intel to sell a 900mhz part to differentiate it from the stock 733, even tho all 733 parts are exactly the same except underclocked. But of course 900 will use more power so get a mobo that allows you to adjust the frequency and you have the best of both worlds.

the 900mhz vs 733mhz is purely gpu speeds. Some mobos will allow you to OC the gpu from 733 to 900. It was a purely marketing move for Intel to sell a 900mhz part to differentiate it from the stock 733, even tho all 733 parts are exactly the same except underclocked. But of course 900 will use more power so get a mobo that allows you to adjust the frequency and you have the best of both worlds.I'll be using it with the ZOTAC H55-ITX WiFi H55ITX-A-E when it becomes available.

I'll be using it with the ZOTAC H55-ITX WiFi H55ITX-A-E when it becomes available.

Anyone seen a hint of this board yet? I think I read elsewhere that some preorders were popping up, but I haven't seen anything

Anyone seen a hint of this board yet? I think I read elsewhere that some preorders were popping up, but I haven't seen anythingI put a preorder in with Amazon last night.

I put a preorder in with Amazon last night.

Ahh, I was checking Newegg. I have about $100 in gift cards with Amazon!!! Thanks

Anyone seen a hint of this board yet? I think I read elsewhere that some preorders were popping up, but I haven't seen anything

Why so much anticipation for this board?

Why so much anticipation for this board?

It and the Intel board right now are the only two mini itx boards for the core i3/i5. For anyone who wants to build a mini-itx HTPC around the core i3/i5 you cannot do currently since these boards are nt available yet

Alright, I think I got all of the tricks worked out. Got everything on my harmony working pretty well with the imon. I will put together a small guide in my build thread (link in my sig). I may pull it out into its own thread in the remote forums when I get it done.
I have been unable to get the Imon to work within TMT3 inside of MC have you tried using it for FF, REW, Pause, Play with the TMT3 MC application? I have 2 Antec Fusion Remote Cases and a silverstone case with Imon inside and have yet to get any of them to operate properly with this specific program although I can get them to work TMT3 in the standalone application. I have set them up as MCE remote and added the MCE TMT3 player program with the standard MCE buttons - but no love there:rolleyes:. I have been able to add a USB IR receiver and use a MCE remote which I then used to Teach my URC MX-980 which works fine, but it means I have to have the extra IR receiver which is just stupid when there is already one built in.

It and the Intel board right now are the only two mini itx boards for the core i3/i5. For anyone who wants to build a mini-itx HTPC around the core i3/i5 you cannot do currently since these boards are nt available yet

Ah. Thanks.

I think I'm more inclined to go micro, but I'll listen in on you guys as the desirability of the minis unfolds.

I have been unable to get the Imon to work within TMT3 inside of MC have you tried using it for FF, REW, Pause, Play with the TMT3 MC application? I have 2 Antec Fusion Remote Cases and a silverstone case with Imon inside and have yet to get any of them to operate properly with this specific program although I can get them to work TMT3 in the standalone application. I have set them up as MCE remote and added the MCE TMT3 player program with the standard MCE buttons - but no love there:rolleyes:. I have been able to add a USB IR receiver and use a MCE remote which I then used to Teach my URC MX-980 which works fine, but it means I have to have the extra IR receiver which is just stupid when there is already one built in.

I am not sure about the MX-980 remote but once I added the soundgraph mediacenter remote to my harmony profile things started working better. It seemed like the software wasn't recognizing some of the commands from the standard media center remote. For example, the skip ahead and back buttons did not register for me until I switched to the soundgraph remote. When I tried adding even the antec remote, there was a note that came up in the harmony software that said to use the soundgraph remote. Also, did you download the latest (beta) imon software here (http://www.soundgraph.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=143)? I think there was a TMT3 profile in there that you can use, you might try that. I have not tried it with TMT3 yet.

I am not sure about the MX-980 remote but once I added the soundgraph mediacenter remote to my harmony profile things started working better. It seemed like the software wasn't recognizing some of the commands from the standard media center remote. For example, the skip ahead and back buttons did not register for me until I switched to the soundgraph remote. When I tried adding even the antec remote, there was a note that came up in the harmony software that said to use the soundgraph remote. Also, did you download the latest (beta) imon software here (http://www.soundgraph.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=143)? I think there was a TMT3 profile in there that you can use, you might try that. I have not tried it with TMT3 yet.

Thanks for the link, I just downloaded it (I had just finished reading your guide) and will play around with it this weekend (am on the road for work until Friday afternoon). I have 2 Universal Remote Controls (URC); a MX-980 (recent purchase for main theater) & a MX-800 (had since 2003 - now used for my daughters bedroom with her HTPC setup). Although they are expensive when compared to Logitec/Harmony remotes IMO they are worth the expense - much more programable and far superior build quality.

I pretty much went with renethx's Intel-Intel (iGPU) setup. I haven't put it together yet; probably tomorrow. I bought the Cooler Master cooler without really pondering why until now. From reviews it doesn't seem much quieter than stock. What advantage does this have over the stock Intel?

I pretty much went with renethx's Intel-Intel (iGPU) setup. I haven't put it together yet; probably tomorrow. I bought the Cooler Master cooler without really pondering why until now. From reviews it doesn't seem much quieter than stock. What advantage does this have over the stock Intel?
Set the max fan speed to 800 rpm (e.g. via SpeedFan; 800rpm/2000rpm = 40%). At CPU load you will see the difference (virtually silent and cooling CPU effectively).

I'm looking at the Intel-Intel (iGPU) midrange system. What is the reasoning for going with the ASRock and Gigabit motherboards instead of the intel? I'm looking at the BOXDH55HC. The Intel one is a little more expensive, but to be honest it is worth the ten or twenty bucks to me if the onboard graphics and all the other subtle features like sleep just work.

I'm looking at the Intel-Intel (iGPU) midrange system. What is the reasoning for going with the ASRock and Gigabit motherboards instead of the intel? I'm looking at the BOXDH55HC. The Intel one is a little more expensive, but to be honest it is worth the ten or twenty bucks to me if the onboard graphics and all the other subtle features like sleep just work.
ATX? Then only two H55 mb are available at Newegg right now (ASRock and Intel). Somehow everybody buys Intel. Perhaps they think it's a safer choice. Personally I would choose ASRock.

I'm looking at the Intel-Intel (iGPU) midrange system. What is the reasoning for going with the ASRock and Gigabit motherboards instead of the intel? I'm looking at the BOXDH55HC. The Intel one is a little more expensive, but to be honest it is worth the ten or twenty bucks to me if the onboard graphics and all the other subtle features like sleep just work.

Intel uses higher quality components (though, not necessarily better) but typically have longer warranties plus you're paying for the well recognized, respected BRAND name and difficult to compete with cheap labor found over in SE Asia.

I was thinking ATX because my AV components are already 17 inches wide, so a smaller board doesn't really do me any good. And an ATX board means there's more room for expansion if necessary. The SILVERSTONE GD01B-R was the case I was looking at.

What would you say the advantages of the ASRock are? I do see optical out, which would be nice. But I was planning on getting one of these and attaching it to the intel board - http://www.excaliberpc.com/551265/asus-motherboard-accessories-spdif-out.html. I think that would work?

Ok, I might as well just post the entire system I've been hashing out. Renethx your information has been extremely valuable, thank you. And a thank you to thread contributers as well.

Please let me know if you have any comments on this system.

Intel-Intel (iGPU) - ATX system

$120 SILVERSTONE Black Aluminum front panel, GD01B-R ATX Media Center / HTPC Case
$110 Intel BOXDH55HC LGA 1156 Intel H55 HDMI ATX Intel Motherboard
$125 Intel Core i3-530 Clarkdale 2.93GHz LGA 1156 Dual-Core Processor BX80616I3530
$120 CORSAIR CMPSU-650HX 650W ATX12V v2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready 80+BRONZE Modular *
$110 CORSAIR XMS3 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)CMX4GX3M2A1600C9 **
_$22 Adesso ARC-1100 Vista Infrared Remote Control ***
_$70 Western Digital Caviar Blue WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s
_$60 LITE-ON Black 4X Blu-ray Reader SATA Model iHOS104-06
_$29 XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler
__$9 XIGMATEK ACK-I5361 Intel Core i7/Core i5 compatible Bracket Set
_$15 ASUS SPDIF to Coax / Optical module ****
$150 SiliconDust HDHomeRun Network-based Dual Digital HDTV Tuner

Total cost - $940

* 650W is probably way more than I need, but I have a Seasonic modular in my desktop. I love the modular cables, and I love how quiet it is. Gonna go with the Corsair because its cheaper than Seasonic and still gets rave reviews.
** i3 needs 1333, but 1600 is better right? Only $5 more, and no rebate hassle.
*** This seems a very solid functional remote for cheap.
**** http://www.excaliberpc.com/551265/asus-motherboard-accessories-spdif-out.html

Looks like 5450 is the low profile successor to 4550 but still isn't good enough.
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3734&p=4

I've upgraded my build to Radeon HD 5670

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161319

Thanks for the info. I was about to pull the trigger on the 5450 because of the price, lossless audio and passive cooling, but now I'm leaning towards the 56xx series.

Ok, I might as well just post the entire system I've been hashing out. Renethx your information has been extremely valuable, thank you. And a thank you to thread contributers as well.

Please let me know if you have any comments on this system.

Intel-Intel (iGPU) - ATX system

$120 SILVERSTONE Black Aluminum front panel, GD01B-R ATX Media Center / HTPC Case
$110 Intel BOXDH55HC LGA 1156 Intel H55 HDMI ATX Intel Motherboard
$125 Intel Core i3-530 Clarkdale 2.93GHz LGA 1156 Dual-Core Processor BX80616I3530
$120 CORSAIR CMPSU-650HX 650W ATX12V v2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready 80+BRONZE Modular *
$110 CORSAIR XMS3 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)CMX4GX3M2A1600C9 **
_$22 Adesso ARC-1100 Vista Infrared Remote Control ***
_$70 Western Digital Caviar Blue WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s
_$60 LITE-ON Black 4X Blu-ray Reader SATA Model iHOS104-06
_$29 XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler
__$9 XIGMATEK ACK-I5361 Intel Core i7/Core i5 compatible Bracket Set
_$15 ASUS SPDIF to Coax / Optical module ****
$150 SiliconDust HDHomeRun Network-based Dual Digital HDTV Tuner

Total cost - $940

* 650W is probably way more than I need, but I have a Seasonic modular in my desktop. I love the modular cables, and I love how quiet it is. Gonna go with the Corsair because its cheaper than Seasonic and still gets rave reviews.
** i3 needs 1333, but 1600 is better right? Only $5 more, and no rebate hassle.
*** This seems a very solid functional remote for cheap.
**** http://www.excaliberpc.com/551265/asus-motherboard-accessories-spdif-out.html
A compatibility issue: HDT-S1283 won't fit GD01B. The height of a cooler must be less than 134mm. I recommend either the stock cooler, Cooler Master Geminii S or xigmatek Nepartak. Otherwise good.

Thanks for the info. I was about to pull the trigger on the 5450 because of the price, lossless audio and passive cooling, but now I'm leaning towards the 56xx series.

I love my 5670. I bought the Sapphire 512MB displayport/HDMI/DVI version (which comes with a DVI to VGA adaptor). Can't hear the fan, and temp in my rig is same or lower than when I had passively cooled 4550 card in there.

Marc

I love my 5670. I bought the Sapphire 512MB displayport/HDMI/DVI version (which comes with a DVI to VGA adaptor). Can't hear the fan, and temp in my rig is same or lower than when I had passively cooled 4550 card in there.

Marc

I second this. I also just bought a HIS 5670, dead silent

renethx: what do you recommend for cpu and case fans on the MonCaso 312 case? The stock HSF is too loud so I need to replace it and probably also get 2-3 40mm's for the back of the case.

Here's my current system:
ASRock H55M Pro LGA1156 Intel H55 chipset microATX
Intel Core i3 530
G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ DDR3-1600 2 x 2GB Kit
Moneual MonCaso 312b (black)
OCZ Agility 2.5" 60GB SSD
(no bluray drive purchased yet)
SeaSonic X650 Gold 650W

renethx: what do you recommend for cpu and case fans on the MonCaso 312 case? The stock HSF is too loud so I need to replace it and probably also get 2-3 40mm's for the back of the case.

Here's my current system:
ASRock H55M Pro LGA1156 Intel H55 chipset microATX
Intel Core i3 530
G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ DDR3-1600 2 x 2GB Kit
Moneual MonCaso 312b (black)
OCZ Agility 2.5" 60GB SSD
(no bluray drive purchased yet)
SeaSonic X650 Gold 650W
First I recommend to adjust the fan speed in BIOS.

BIOS Setup Utility (press DELETE at POST) > H/W Monitor > CPU Fan Setting: [Automatic mode]
Target CPU Temperature [50°C]
Target Fan Speed [Level 1]

Level 1 is the lowest fan speed (around 800 rpm, IIRC). If CPU temperature is below the "Target CPU Temperature", the fan runs at the "Target Fan Speed", and at the full speed above that. Unless the ambient temperature is very high, CPU temperature will never go up to 50°C at idle and video playback.

Scythe Shuriken is one of the best cooler for this case.

40mm fan: Scythe Mini-Kaze.

Renethx, I know you recommend the Antec Fusion quite a bit. Do you use the iMon display and IR receiver or do you just disable it? Have you ever tried LCD smartie with it?

Renethx, I know you recommend the Antec Fusion quite a bit. Do you use the iMon display and IR receiver or do you just disable it? Have you ever tried LCD smartie with it?
Actually I don't use iMon.

Renethx, I know you recommend the Antec Fusion quite a bit. Do you use the iMon display and IR receiver or do you just disable it? Have you ever tried LCD smartie with it?

I'm interested in the answer to this one, too. I just finished my Intel-Intel (iGPU) build. I'm not happy with the RM200 remote that came with the Antec case, so I'm looking to switch. Of course, that raises the two questions 1) what to switch to, and 2) do I still need iMon after I switch?

A compatibility issue: HDT-S1283 won't fit GD01B. The height of a cooler must be less than 134mm. I recommend either the stock cooler, Cooler Master Geminii S or xigmatek Nepartak. Otherwise good.
Thanks for the tip renethx!

I originally had the s983 (nepartak), but thought perhaps the taller one will fit. I'll get the nepartak.

Does the nepartak come with a pot to adjust the fan speed? If not, is there a resistor pack that is recommended? I couldn't really find anything on newegg.

I'm not happy with the RM200 remote that came with the Antec case, so I'm looking to switch. Of course, that raises the two questions 1) what to switch to, and 2) do I still need iMon after I switch?

Newegg reviewers seem to like the Adesso Arc-1100, and its pretty cheap - only $26 shipped. This is what I was going to use.

Anyone have any experience with this remote?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823166095&Tpk=ARC-1100

Alright, I think I got all of the tricks worked out. Got everything on my harmony working pretty well with the imon. I will put together a small guide in my build thread (link in my sig). I may pull it out into its own thread in the remote forums when I get it done.

Please do. It'll be a great help for me since I've been having some troubles too.

Please do. It'll be a great help for me since I've been having some troubles too.

I have started it here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=17956503#post17956503). Should be enough info to get you headed in the right direction. I still plan on adding some screen caps and some of the changes that I have made.

I'm interested in the answer to this one, too. I just finished my Intel-Intel (iGPU) build. I'm not happy with the RM200 remote that came with the Antec case, so I'm looking to switch. Of course, that raises the two questions 1) what to switch to, and 2) do I still need iMon after I switch?

Could always get a harmony, then it could control the rest of your equipment as well.

Could always get a harmony, then it could control the rest of your equipment as well.

Now that the DVD player is in the HTPC, I don't have much other equipment. Currently I only use the amp when I listen outside. I guess it would be useful to be able to switch the power and video sources on the TV. I'm not sure that's worth paying $100+ for a Harmony, though.

Thanks for the tip renethx!

I originally had the s983 (nepartak), but thought perhaps the taller one will fit. I'll get the nepartak.

Does the nepartak come with a pot to adjust the fan speed? If not, is there a resistor pack that is recommended? I couldn't really find anything on newegg.
No. Usually the fan speed is controlled by a software utility (DH55HC has its own utility).

I don't know what the ratio of contributing is, so please advise:o

Anyway. Sitting within inches of the HTPC right now. The most noise is from the Saphhre 4670 Video Card. MAybe a bit above a whisper, and once in the entertainment case...probably won't hear it.

Inside a Fusion Remote (black) case I used
Gigabyte H55M- UD2H MOBO
Core 15-650 CPU
2 sticks Crucial DDR3 -10600
About 530 bucks between Newegg and Mwave.
The TV card is on it's way from Amazon.

Salvaged from another computer:
Antec 500 Earthwatts Power supply
4670 Video Card
2 HD 640 Blue Hard Drives

I'm running 64 bit Win7, with a base score of 5.9, limited by memory and hard drives. Speedfan reports a system temp of 34 C

Biggest problem I had was finding where the stinkin LCD power cable plugged in, then noticed the mating connector on the main power extendor (which I wasn't going to use).

There's pleanty of room for growth (2 more sticks of Ram, maybe replace the video card, and the I7 CPU as prices drop)

I was lost in the maze of components. While I strayed from the "official" list this should work for my family and I.

Apparently 5670=4670 for deinterlacing performance. 5570 still doesn't quite hold up.
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3738&p=3

I read that piece this morning to and was surprised. I figure if this becomes an issue and people raise enough noise, maybe AMD will allow some tweak to disable Enforce Smooth Video Playback.

Not so fast....SensFan, you were right. ATI has fixed it.
http://www.anandtech.com/weblog/showpost.aspx?i=669

5570 is good enough afterall. Heck, the article even suggests 5450 may be enough if VA deinterlacing is all you want, but given ATI's poor track record with driver flakiness, it may be a bit too marginal.

Newegg reviewers seem to like the Adesso Arc-1100, and its pretty cheap - only $26 shipped. This is what I was going to use.

Anyone have any experience with this remote?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823166095&Tpk=ARC-1100

I have this, and another Anyware (now AVS Gear) remote. I like the Adesso because:
- it has a pad that acts like a mouse cursor, very handy at times
- it has extra buttons like "close" that will close an open window

But I also don't like it because:
- the buttons are small and the layout isn't very good
- it doesn't behave like a standard media center remote (eHome IR device) but as a HID input device, so for example holding buttons does not make media center do the "skip ahead preview"
- Egg reviews are right, it's unpredictable when this remote will wake the machine from sleep

What do you think of this build? Any compatibility issues? Its a Micro-ATX build

Tuner: Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 Dual TV Tuner / Encoder 1229 PCI-Express x1 Interface
Graphics: SAPPHIRE 100284L Radeon HD 5750 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power
Memory: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
Mother: GIGABYTE GA-P55M-UD4 LGA 1156 Intel P55 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Processor: Intel Core i7-860 Lynnfield 2.8GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80605I7860
Cooler: XIGMATEK Intel Core i7 compatible Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler
*XIGMATEK ACK-I5361 Intel Core i7/Core i5 compatible Bracket Set
Optical: LG Black 8X Blu-ray Burner SATA Model WH08LS20
Storage: Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2M080G2XXX 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Case: nMEDIAPC Black Aluminum / Acrylic / Steel HTPC 5000B Micro ATX Media Center / HTPC Case
IR to USB: *Rosewill Windows 7 Certified Media Center Infrared Remote Control RRC-127

Dark Knight-S1283V does not fit the case. Otherwise good. (Is this a gaming machine?)

Has anyone got Orb to work with HDHomeRun?

First I recommend to adjust the fan speed in BIOS.

BIOS Setup Utility (press DELETE at POST) > H/W Monitor > CPU Fan Setting: [Automatic mode]
Target CPU Temperature [50°C]
Target Fan Speed [Level 1]

Level 1 is the lowest fan speed (around 800 rpm, IIRC). If CPU temperature is below the "Target CPU Temperature", the fan runs at the "Target Fan Speed", and at the full speed above that. Unless the ambient temperature is very high, CPU temperature will never go up to 50°C at idle and video playback.

Scythe Shuriken is one of the best cooler for this case.

40mm fan: Scythe Mini-Kaze.

Thanks for this info on the fan. Mine has been running at full for the past month since I set everything up and was wondering why it was so loud.

Would this motherboard be equivalent to those listed in the Mid-Range System
Intel-Intel (iGPU) section? I have been thinking of going with a mini system, but Frys has this motherboard/cpu combination on sale this weekend for less money than I can find the cpu by itself anywhere else so I might go for a micro build and save some money.

http://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/t-series/introduction.php?S_ID=465#

thanks,
Murray

Yup, the BIOSTAR mb should be good.

Dark Knight-S1283V does not fit the case. Otherwise good. (Is this a gaming machine?)

How so? The case height 130mm and the cooler is 120mm? How tall is the i7?

Which one do you recommend that fits?

Does anybody have the Hauppauge 2250 working with Win7 x64? I've reinstalled the drivers many, many times, to no success. All I get from Media Center is a "TV Tuner Not Found" error. The 2250 shows up in the device manager fine. WinTV v7 won't install, complaining that a compatible device cannot be found. I'm at my wits end on this one.

System:
Intel DH55TC motherboard (H55)
Core i5-650 processor
4GB RAM
Win 7 Pro x64
Hauppauge HVR-2250

How so? The case height 130mm and the cooler is 120mm? How tall is the i7?

Which one do you recommend that fits?
Don't forget that the MB does not sit on bottom of case (sits on stands).

How so? The case height 130mm and the cooler is 120mm? How tall is the i7?

Which one do you recommend that fits?
120mm is the fan size. Dark Knight-S1283V is 153mm tall!

Cooler Master Geminii S (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103046), (one of) the best cooler(s) for a normal HTPC case.

120mm is the fan size. Dark Knight-S1283V is 153mm tall!

Cooler Master Geminii S (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103046), (one of) the best cooler(s) for a normal HTPC case.

I ended up getting this one...what do you think?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835114104

I don't know about this cooler.

Hey guys, before I pull the trigger on this Today, any issues? Suggestions?

Thanks!

LITE-ON CD/DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 $26.99

HIS Radeon HD 5670 (Redwood) IceQ H567Q512 Video Card $104.99

nMEDIAPC Black HTPC 5000B Micro ATX Media Cente HTPC Case $59.99
Logitech Black Cordless Keyboard $29.99

2 SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive $179.98

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory $104.99

CORSAIR CMPSU-450VX 450W Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply $69.99

GIGABYTE GA-MA785GMT-UD2H Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
AMD Athlon II X4 630 2.8GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor
Combo $176.98

Grand Total: $753.90

So I pulled the trigger and built this system. Pretty sweet!!!
Q: Are there any specific tweeks to get the best out of this? I haven't been able to get DTS audio out of it. Running it through my Pioneer VSX-21TXH (via HDMI out of the HIS) to my XBR4 - audio shows as PCM even though the source is DTS. I'm using VLC.

Thanks!

Hey Everyone! I'm working on a build based off of renethx's Micro ATX - AMD Premium Jan '10 system. I'll mainly use this as an HTPC, but will occasionally play games (TF2, Modern Warfare 2). I've got three questions currently.

Will the GPU fit inside the case?
Will the GPU be too loud for an HTPC?
I already have DDR2 RAM laying around, will it be too slow with everything else going in?

Anyone have any other ideas or suggestions for this?

Case: Antec Fusion Remote Black Micro ATX Media Center (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129054)
MB: GIGABYTE GA-MA785GM-US2H 785G MicroATX AMD Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128394)
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103674)
GPU: Sapphire Radeon HD 5750 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102859)
RAM: 2X G.SKILL 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231121) (4GB Total)
PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004)
HDD: WD Caviar 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284)
Cooler: COOLER MASTER Intel Core i5 compatible GeminII S (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103046)
DVD: Sony Optiarc Black SATA DVD/CD Rewritable Drive (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118030)

Finally made a HTPC out of some accumulating spare parts after upgrading my home destop. Nothing fancy but I'm amazed at how well it works, built it mainly as a media server. I have a standalone Blu ray so it's not doing that yet but in the future I'll put another big hard and a BD drive in it:
ASUS P5B-deluxe
Core 2 Duo 2.66 hz
4 GB Ram
ATI HD 4670

Here's my problem.

I'm having an issue, any informed ideas would be appreciated. SR-706, win 7 64bit, ATI HD 4670. Everything is hooked up via HDMI with the single HDMI out to a Panasonic plasma. Looks great but the problem I'm having is with the audio. When I set up Win 7 MCE for HDMI audio everything runs fine for a while and then I will get a message in windows MCE saying "Files needed to play video are either corrupt or missing, restart MCE", something like that. The DVD will start to play for about 20 seconds and there is no sound. I have the latest ATI (1/27/10) HDMI audio drivers. I have left the integrated ADI motherboard sound enabled on the ASUS board and I don't have the problem when running the sound via optical and video via HDMI, both still fed directly to the Onkyo. Any ideas, I'm thinking a ATI HDMI driver problem that results in an occasional handshake problem; I have also had the ATI HDMI audio device show, "not connected" when looking at the sound device management properties, even though it was selected and running fine previously. Also it seems to happen in conjunction with the computer going into standby or switching between the cable TV input and then back to the HTPC. Any suggestions?

Hello, does anyone see any compatibility issues with the following build (based off of renethx's mid-range ATX system)?

Core i3 530 2.93GHz LGA1156
ASRock P55 Extreme LGA1156 Intel P55 chipset
G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ DDR3-1600 2 x 2GB Kit
Sapphire Radeon HD 5770 GDDR5 1GB
Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 7200 RPM
Corsair CMPSU-450VX 450W PSU (this I currently own - it's about 2 years old)

Any advice would be appreciated!

Why do you want the 5770? The i3-530 will bitstream on it's own.

The 5770 would be for occasional gaming.

I read it's good for that.

I hope so =)

Mainly my concern is whether or not the 450W PSU is enough. All of the mid-range ATX systems in renethx's guide have a 500-550W PSU, and they're configured with a 5670, not a 5770.

Finally made a HTPC out of some accumulating spare parts after upgrading my home destop. Nothing fancy but I'm amazed at how well it works, built it mainly as a media server. I have a standalone Blu ray so it's not doing that yet but in the future I'll put another big hard and a BD drive in it:
ASUS P5B-deluxe
Core 2 Duo 2.66 hz
4 GB Ram
ATI HD 4670

Here's my problem.

I'm having an issue, any informed ideas would be appreciated. SR-706, win 7 64bit, ATI HD 4670. Everything is hooked up via HDMI with the single HDMI out to a Panasonic plasma. Looks great but the problem I'm having is with the audio. When I set up Win 7 MCE for HDMI audio everything runs fine for a while and then I will get a message in windows MCE saying "Files needed to play video are either corrupt or missing, restart MCE", something like that. The DVD will start to play for about 20 seconds and there is no sound. I have the latest ATI (1/27/10) HDMI audio drivers. I have left the integrated ADI motherboard sound enabled on the ASUS board and I don't have the problem when running the sound via optical and video via HDMI, both still fed directly to the Onkyo. Any ideas, I'm thinking a ATI HDMI driver problem that results in an occasional handshake problem; I have also had the ATI HDMI audio device show, "not connected" when looking at the sound device management properties, even though it was selected and running fine previously. Also it seems to happen in conjunction with the computer going into standby or switching between the cable TV input and then back to the HTPC. Any suggestions?

I had this problem with my Core i3 and Onkyo TX-606. What worked for me was going into MCE settings and turning off the MCE sounds.

HTPC stuck in image recovery hell! I did a restore of my OS image using True Image 11. Done it hundreds of times with no problems - shuts off video and then restarts after 10 - 15 mins with old image. Except this time I must have a corrupt image because it has just been runiing dark (no video) attempting to restore for 3 hours plus. I have now attempted to turn off but when I reboot it just goes right back into the restore process - no chance to boot from disc. Does any one know hot I can reset the machine so I can boot from the disc? I have unplugged, pulled the CMOS battery all to no avail :confused:

Never mind - bad memory stick removed and now I have restored image and all is well. I am having an issue with my power options disappearing on my win7x64 machine and the only way to get back is to restore an old image. I think it is a problem with a windows update.

The i3-530 is low and saw this: # 450 Watt or greater power supply with 1x 75W 6-pin PCI Express® power connector recommended (600 Watt and two 6-pin connectors for ATI CrossFireX™ Technology in dual mode)”

# Certified power supplies are recommended. Refer to http://ati.amd.com/certifiedPSUfor a list of Certified products

Set the max fan speed to 800 rpm (e.g. via SpeedFan; 800rpm/2000rpm = 40%). At CPU load you will see the difference (virtually silent and cooling CPU effectively).

Wow. You weren't kidding. I think I'll stick with iMon at least until I figure out what its limitations are for me.

I notice the Antec display either scrolls hardware info or world news of some sort. Where is it getting the news from and there a way to edit which headlines it shows?

Question about video quality. When I was watching some DVD ripped episodes (AVI) of Big Bang Theory I noticed the quality wasn't as sharp as I expected. (looked fine on the Itouch, lol). Is this because I'm using the tv as PC monitor and limited by the 1920x1,080 pixels? Would quality be different from actually watching HD television? How will the quality be watching stuff recorded with a Hauppage HD PVR?

My setup:

* CPU: Core i3 530 2.93GHz LGA1156:
* CPU Cooler: Cooler Master (Geminii S) RR-CCH-PBU1-GP:
* Motherboard: ASRock H55M Pro LGA1156 Intel H55 chipset microATX:
* Memory: 4GB Corsair XMS3 DDR3-1600 RAM
* Graphics Card: (integrated in the chipset):
* HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F1 1TB disk
* PSU: Corsair CX400W:
* Case: Antec Fusion Remote Black microATX: with LCD/IR receiver/remote
* OS: Windows 7 Home Premium.

On the way:
* Keyboard/Mouse: Adesso 2.4 GHz RF Wireless Multimedia/MCE KB w/ Optical Trackball WKB-3200UB, $55.
* HD Capturing: Hauppauge HD PVR model 1212 USB Device, $205.

The i3-530 is low and saw this: # 450 Watt or greater power supply with 1x 75W 6-pin PCI Express® power connector recommended (600 Watt and two 6-pin connectors for ATI CrossFireX™ Technology in dual mode)”

# Certified power supplies are recommended. Refer to http://ati.amd.com/certifiedPSUfor a list of Certified products

Cool, I should be good to go then. Thanks!

Until renethx affirms check the stats on the power supply that it has the 1x75W 6 pin.

Finally made a HTPC out of some accumulating spare parts after upgrading my home destop. Nothing fancy but I'm amazed at how well it works, built it mainly as a media server. I have a standalone Blu ray so it's not doing that yet but in the future I'll put another big hard and a BD drive in it:
ASUS P5B-deluxe
Core 2 Duo 2.66 hz
4 GB Ram
ATI HD 4670

Here's my problem.

I'm having an issue, any informed ideas would be appreciated. SR-706, win 7 64bit, ATI HD 4670. Everything is hooked up via HDMI with the single HDMI out to a Panasonic plasma. Looks great but the problem I'm having is with the audio. When I set up Win 7 MCE for HDMI audio everything runs fine for a while and then I will get a message in windows MCE saying "Files needed to play video are either corrupt or missing, restart MCE", something like that. The DVD will start to play for about 20 seconds and there is no sound. I have the latest ATI (1/27/10) HDMI audio drivers. I have left the integrated ADI motherboard sound enabled on the ASUS board and I don't have the problem when running the sound via optical and video via HDMI, both still fed directly to the Onkyo. Any ideas, I'm thinking a ATI HDMI driver problem that results in an occasional handshake problem; I have also had the ATI HDMI audio device show, "not connected" when looking at the sound device management properties, even though it was selected and running fine previously. Also it seems to happen in conjunction with the computer going into standby or switching between the cable TV input and then back to the HTPC. Any suggestions?

I found the default drivers on ATI were 32 bit , so drill down on ATI siteand be sure you click win 7 64 bit. I opted for audio to always be on in the task bar, and then selected the Radeon Audio.

This solved my audio problem.

I found the default drivers on ATI were 32 bit , so drill down on ATI siteand be sure you click win 7 64 bit. I opted for audio to always be on in the task bar, and then selected the Radeon Audio.

This solved my audio problem.

I'm sure I have the 64 bit drivers but I can try what you mention. Thanks for the tip.

Until renethx affirms check the stats on the power supply that it has the 1x75W 6 pin.

It does have one 6 pin PCI-E cable. But this is all the wattage info I could find in the manual:

+3.3V/+5V : 130W
+12V : 396W

I have a question about how I should be handling sound with my setup. Right now I have the onboard HDMI connected directly to my Samsung tv. However the Samsung tv outputs sound to my Sony CT-100 soundbar. The TV speakers do work but I usually don't use them. The Sony manual actuallly does recommend you connect devices to the soundbar first then to the TV like so:

DVD player -> HDMI - Soundbar -> HDMI - TV

I have the HTPC connected like so:

HTPC -> HDMI -> TV (with the tv connected to the soundbar via optical out)

Should I connect like so:

HTPC -> HDMI -> soundbar -> HDMI -> TV


The TV supports TruSurround XT, whatever that is.
The Sony soundbar supports Dolby Digital, Pro Logic surround, and DTS Digital Surround. I think I'm losing processing go to TV but since the soundbar doesn't have a specific PC-in I wasn't sure if I'd have trouble with the display by going through it.

Hey Everyone! I'm working on a build based off of renethx's Micro ATX - AMD Premium Jan '10 system. I'll mainly use this as an HTPC, but will occasionally play games (TF2, Modern Warfare 2). I've got three questions currently.

Will the GPU fit inside the case?
Will the GPU be too loud for an HTPC?
I already have DDR2 RAM laying around, will it be too slow with everything else going in?

Anyone have any other ideas or suggestions for this?

Case: Antec Fusion Remote Black Micro ATX Media Center (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129054)
MB: GIGABYTE GA-MA785GM-US2H 785G MicroATX AMD Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128394)
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103674)
GPU: Sapphire Radeon HD 5750 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102859)
RAM: 2X G.SKILL 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231121) (4GB Total)
PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004)
HDD: WD Caviar 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284)
Cooler: COOLER MASTER Intel Core i5 compatible GeminII S (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103046)
DVD: Sony Optiarc Black SATA DVD/CD Rewritable Drive (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118030)
1. Yes.
2. No. It's very quiet. HIS H575Q1GD is quieter.
3. Not too slow, but roughly ~5% slow in games.

If you don't do CPU intensive tasks such as video encoding, a better choice is a Core i3 530 system (the same gaming performance, much lower power consumption).

So I pulled the trigger and built this system. Pretty sweet!!!
Q: Are there any specific tweeks to get the best out of this? I haven't been able to get DTS audio out of it. Running it through my Pioneer VSX-21TXH (via HDMI out of the HIS) to my XBR4 - audio shows as PCM even though the source is DTS. I'm using VLC.
If you installed the HDMI audio driver (ATI or Realtek) correctly, then you have to configure VLC correctly (DD/DTS pass-through).

I hope so =)

Mainly my concern is whether or not the 450W PSU is enough. All of the mid-range ATX systems in renethx's guide have a 500-550W PSU, and they're configured with a 5670, not a 5770.
Enough. 5770 consumes at most 108W. It's very difficult to see the system power consumption exceed 200W.

Question about video quality. When I was watching some DVD ripped episodes (AVI) of Big Bang Theory I noticed the quality wasn't as sharp as I expected. (looked fine on the Itouch, lol). Is this because I'm using the tv as PC monitor and limited by the 1920x1,080 pixels? Would quality be different from actually watching HD television?
AVI? Did you create it yourself without further video compression or did you download it? In the latter case, perhaps you can't expect the original quality of the DVD movie. Try to adjust "sharpeness" in Intel HD video control panel. PC monitor vs HDTV is mostly irrelevant.

I have a question about how I should be handling sound with my setup. Right now I have the onboard HDMI connected directly to my Samsung tv. However the Samsung tv outputs sound to my Sony CT-100 soundbar. The TV speakers do work but I usually don't use them. The Sony manual actuallly does recommend you connect devices to the soundbar first then to the TV like so:

DVD player -> HDMI - Soundbar -> HDMI - TV

I have the HTPC connected like so:

HTPC -> HDMI -> TV (with the tv connected to the soundbar via optical out)

Should I connect like so:

HTPC -> HDMI -> soundbar -> HDMI -> TV


The TV supports TruSurround XT, whatever that is.
The Sony soundbar supports Dolby Digital, Pro Logic surround, and DTS Digital Surround. I think I'm losing processing go to TV but since the soundbar doesn't have a specific PC-in I wasn't sure if I'd have trouble with the display by going through it.
If you connect HTPC -> HDMI -> TV -> soundbar, you will lose surround sounds (i.e. you are limited to stereo PCM). You have to connect HTPC -> HDMI -> soundbar -> HDMI -> TV, or use S/PDIF optical cable.

Looking to build the middle performance Intel I-GPU Renethx reccomends, just curious though, will I be able to play BR's at 1080P with the onboard video with the following system, or do I need to add a video card?

Will be using this BR reader:

LITE-ON Black 4X Blu-ray Reader SATA Model iHOS104-06 - OEM


Thanks


Jesse

System

CPU: Core i3 530 2.93GHz LGA1156, $113.
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master 風神鍛 (Geminii S) RR-CCH-PBU1-GP, $30, with Cooler Master RR-ACC-1156-GP LGA1156 Retention Bracket Set, $4.
Motherboard: ASRock H55M Pro LGA1156 Intel H55 chipset microATX, $95. If you need an IDE connector and/or a FDD connector, choose GIGABYTE GA-H55M-UD2H LGA1156 Intel H55 chipset microATX, $105, or ASUS P7H55-M PRO LGA1156 Intel H55 chipset microATX, $90 (no FDD, no IEEE 1394). GIGABYTE and ASUS are releasing also USB 3.0 versions.
Memory: G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ DDR3-1600 2 x 2GB Kit, $105.
Graphics Card: Intel HD Graphics (integrated in the chipset), $0.
HDD: Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB SATA 3.0Gbps, $63.
PSU: Corsair VX450W CMPSU-450VX 450W, $70. An alternative is Enermax ECO80+ 400W EES400AWT, $58.
Case: Antec Fusion Remote Black microATX, with LCD/IR receiver/remote, $130.
Total Cost: $612

Yes, onboard video is enough for BD. But quite a few people reported compatibility issues with a certain BD software players. Of course you can add a good discrete card anytime later.

Enough. 5570 consumes at most 108W. It's very difficult to see the system power consumption exceed 200W.

Thanks for the info, and for your excellent guide!

Yes, onboard video is enough for BD. But quite a few people reported compatibility issues with a certain BD software players. Of course you can add a good discrete card anytime later.

Thanks for the quick reply.


So the whole Intel I3 Video processing actually make a difference, or is it a gimmick?

renethx why do you reccomend an AMD system with an ATI video card as your "quick reccomendation instead of an intel iGPU solution?

So the whole Intel I3 Video processing actually make a difference, or is it a gimmick?
GPU part of Clarkdale is more or less equivalent to or better than HD 5450 (apart from the 23.976MHz issue). Only driver/software need to be improved.

renethx why do you reccomend an AMD system with an ATI video card as your "quick reccomendation instead of an intel iGPU solution?
Well, my current pick is

- Core i3 530
- ASRock H55M Pro
- DDR3-1600 2 x 2GB
- Radeon HD 5670

If you do lots of encoding, Athlon II X4 630 is a better choice (or go for Lynnfield). Intel iGPU still has software issues as well as the 23.976Hz issue.

Well, my current pick is

- Core i3 530
- ASRock H55M Pro
- DDR3-1600 2 x 3GB
- Radeon HD 5670

If you do lots of encoding, Athlon II X4 630 is a better choice (or go for Lynnfield). Intel iGPU still has software issues as well as the 23.976Hz issue.

What's the reason for the Radeon in that setup? Is that to make up for the i3's flaws, or is it necessary for another reason? Also, your new recommendation has 6GB of RAM, but you also reccomend x86 windows, which doesn't support that much.

By the way, the current reccomendation from January still has the AMD system up there.

What's the reason for the Radeon in that setup? Is that to make up for the i3's flaws, or is it necessary for another reason? Also, your new recommendation has 6GB of RAM, but you also reccomend x86 windows, which doesn't support that much.

By the way, the current reccomendation from January still has the AMD system up there.
Yes, overall Radeon is better.

3GB is a typo. :o

Yup, it's time for a minor update.

Yes.

3GB is a typo. :o

Yup, it's time for a minor update.

Thanks man. I plan to donate when I order the parts in the next few weeks. I'm still debating on whether to get a Radeon right now with its known issues, and considering I don't even have external speakers.

What is the highest quality video format I can watch in a content mgmt app like iMedian or Windows Media Player, etc? I know VLC will play .ts/.m2ts files but I don't want to switch out of whatever my content mgmt app is (currently iMedian) to play a couple of files. I'll be doing most all my converting on a Linux system. What can I create 1080p Divx video with?

What is the highest quality video format I can watch in a content mgmt app like iMedian or Windows Media Player, etc? I know VLC will play .ts/.m2ts files but I don't want to switch out of whatever my content mgmt app is (currently iMedian) to play a couple of files. I'll be doing most all my converting on a Linux system. What can I create 1080p Divx video with?
You can play BD-quality videos (H.264/VC-1/MPEG-2) with WMP. The container (ts, m2ts, mkv etc.) does not matter (just use a proper souce/splitter filter). If you want to keep the quality, you shouldn't re-encode a video codec to another codec.

Hopefully the last 2 questions before I purchase my parts and send my donation to renethx! :D

I have been going back and forth between a mini-itx and micro-itx build and have decided (for now) to go with a mini-itx build using the ZOTAC H55-ITX WiFi H55ITX-A-E motherboard, M350 case, core i5 661, a pico-psu power supply and either one 250 - 500GB 7200 rpm laptop drive or a SSD.

1. What heatsink/cooler should I use with the i5? I am going to buy the Biostar HD55 micro motherboard/i5 combo from Frys because it will cost $220 including tax, and I figure that I can sell the MB and the final cost of the i5 will be less than I can find elsewhere. There is only one problem...this combo does not include a heat sink and fan. Would I be better off buying a stock cooler off of EBay for $15 or buy a better one? What other ones would fit this case? Depending upon the cost of the cooler, I might be better off just buying a core i5 by itself instead of trying to do this combo deal.

2. I am going to need to buy a pico-psu power supply and an AC/DC adapter. What size (watts/amps) will I need?

Thanks once again for all your help.

Murray

I am planning to build a system for media center and also for editing video and photo. Which intel core would be better for this purpose?

Hopefully the last 2 questions before I purchase my parts and send my donation to renethx! :D

I have been going back and forth between a mini-itx and micro-itx build and have decided (for now) to go with a mini-itx build using the ZOTAC H55-ITX WiFi H55ITX-A-E motherboard, M350 case, core i5 661, a pico-psu power supply and either one 250 - 500GB 7200 rpm laptop drive or a SSD.

1. What heatsink/cooler should I use with the i5? I am going to buy the Biostar HD55 micro motherboard/i5 combo from Frys because it will cost $220 including tax, and I figure that I can sell the MB and the final cost of the i5 will be less than I can find elsewhere. There is only one problem...this combo does not include a heat sink and fan. Would I be better off buying a stock cooler off of EBay for $15 or buy a better one? What other ones would fit this case? Depending upon the cost of the cooler, I might be better off just buying a core i5 by itself instead of trying to do this combo deal.

2. I am going to need to buy a pico-psu power supply and an AC/DC adapter. What size (watts/amps) will I need?

Thanks once again for all your help.

Murray
1. Perhaps the stock cooler is the only cooler that fits M350.
2. The max power consumption of the system is ~100W. So 150W should be enough.

I am planning to build a system for media center and also for editing video and photo. Which intel core would be better for this purpose?
Depends on how serious video editing is. For casual editing, Core i3 530 should be a good choice. Core i5 750 or higher for serious use.

Ive been reading as many of these posts in this thread as possible but now i need to ask everyone a few questions. Basically i want to build my own system that has enough memory for 5-700 DVDs. All i want to use it for is storage/playback. i dont need it for anything else. I just want to be able to rip my dvd's onto the system and select movies using the windows play back stuff. But i want it to connect directly with my onkyo receiver so i can pay the dvds on my Plasma.... So in all that, what i want to know is what do i need to purchase so that I am just utilizing the dvd storage/playback via windows interface. Could someone PM me and just give me the details. I am extremely new to building comps but hopefully i can make it work. Thanks in advance for all your help.

I like the mediasmart server solution with MyMovies. You can fill the server with 4 X 2TB HDDs and install the MyMovies home server package on your server. Get some external enclosures to throw some DVD drives in and you'll be able to pop discs in and they'll automatically get ripped and entered into the database. You can either build an HTPC or I think there are some standalone devices that are compatible with MyMovies. If you have a PC with a version of mediacenter on it, you can use that and stream to an Xbox 360.

thanks for the reply. where do i go an buy this stuff. Like i said im real new at this, need to be pointed the way. So there is no system i can build/buy that hooks right into my tv. Do i even need a windows system? Or does everything run off the windows server and streamed through the xbox?

If you do lots of encoding, Athlon II X4 630 is a better choice (or go for Lynnfield). Intel iGPU still has software issues as well as the 23.976Hz issue.

Is there a post somewhere that describes the software issues?

Also, when you say the 23.976 issue - this is the 24p issue (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/24p)? This seems like something that could (and would) be corrected with an updated driver. Would you agree?

Has this happened in the past (i.e., an ATI or nVidia card that didn't do 24p, but then was successful after a driver update).

Thanks!

Ok, I might as well just post the entire system I've been hashing out. Renethx your information has been extremely valuable, thank you. And a thank you to thread contributers as well.

Please let me know if you have any comments on this system.

Intel-Intel (iGPU) - ATX system

$120 SILVERSTONE Black Aluminum front panel, GD01B-R ATX Media Center / HTPC Case
$110 Intel BOXDH55HC LGA 1156 Intel H55 HDMI ATX Intel Motherboard
$125 Intel Core i3-530 Clarkdale 2.93GHz LGA 1156 Dual-Core Processor BX80616I3530
$120 CORSAIR CMPSU-650HX 650W ATX12V v2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready 80+BRONZE Modular *
$110 CORSAIR XMS3 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)CMX4GX3M2A1600C9 **
_$22 Adesso ARC-1100 Vista Infrared Remote Control ***
_$70 Western Digital Caviar Blue WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s
_$60 LITE-ON Black 4X Blu-ray Reader SATA Model iHOS104-06
_$29 XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler
__$9 XIGMATEK ACK-I5361 Intel Core i7/Core i5 compatible Bracket Set
_$15 ASUS SPDIF to Coax / Optical module ****
$150 SiliconDust HDHomeRun Network-based Dual Digital HDTV Tuner

Total cost - $940

* 650W is probably way more than I need, but I have a Seasonic modular in my desktop. I love the modular cables, and I love how quiet it is. Gonna go with the Corsair because its cheaper than Seasonic and still gets rave reviews.
** i3 needs 1333, but 1600 is better right? Only $5 more, and no rebate hassle.
*** This seems a very solid functional remote for cheap.
**** http://www.excaliberpc.com/551265/asus-motherboard-accessories-spdif-out.html

Can someone help me figure out the actual power requirements of this system? I know 650w will cover it, but since this will be my PVR it will be on all the time and I'd like for it to run efficiently. Here's what I have determined -

CPU - 73w (Intel (http://ark.intel.com/ProductCollection.aspx?familyID=43129)), (i5=95w max, i7=130w max)

WD6400AAKS - 8.3 watts, per WDC site spec (http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.asp?driveid=394)

BOXDH55HC - No idea. Asked on Intel community forums (http://communities.intel.com/thread/10974).

GPU - what does the iGPU draw on top of the 73w? I want the option of getting a 5670. I've been unsuccessful finding 5670 power information.

LITEON iHOS104 - No idea. Nothing on the specs page (http://us.liteonit.com/us/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=274&Itemid=191&limit=1&limitstart=1).

And then there are fans and possible additional hard disks, which I can fudge in.

thanks for the reply. where do i go an buy this stuff. Like i said im real new at this, need to be pointed the way. So there is no system i can build/buy that hooks right into my tv. Do i even need a windows system? Or does everything run off the windows server and streamed through the xbox?

Well, do you have a PC at all at the moment?

Here are some mediasmart servers:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=mediasmart

http://www.hp.com/united-states/campaigns/mediasmart-server/

If you watch for deals, you can get the 4 drive servers refurbished pretty cheap. I picked up a deal on a recertified HP Ex470 for 230.

If you want to go this route, you might want to go over to www.mediasmartserver.net or www.wegotserved.com and start reading all about what they can do.

Might want to go to www.mymovies.dk and start reading about the software for both the HTPC and the servers. You might have to "donate" depending on the functionality that you want.

yeah i have a Mac desktop and an HP Desktop... Im not opposed to buying a server. but is it easy to link into my tv. Basically can i run a direct HDMI into it?

No, the server is meant to run headless off in the corner somewhere, it is meant to manage storage. Do you have an Xbox 360? What OS are you running on your HP? Do you have wireless?

Here are some mediasmart servers:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=mediasmart

http://www.hp.com/united-states/campaigns/mediasmart-server/


I just got a Windows Home Server machine last month and I LOVE it! Automatically takes care of all those backups I've been neglecting. Works very well as an appliance type machine, adding and removing disks is easy, and it will do media stuff too!

If you haven't given Windows Home Server a look, it is worth it!

thanks for the reply. where do i go an buy this stuff. Like i said im real new at this, need to be pointed the way. So there is no system i can build/buy that hooks right into my tv. Do i even need a windows system? Or does everything run off the windows server and streamed through the xbox?

You can also check out something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Network-ready-Player-WDBAAN0000NBK-NESN/dp/B002KKFP9Y/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1266272526&sr=8-3

It will connect directly to your TV and stream over the network. All this also assumes that you have a network of some sort.

i have wireless, PS3 and 360.

so how does the hook up work with that link u just posted. Does that go from my tv to the western digital thing into the server that is attached to my main computer? Couldnt i just start up a server and load windows onto it?

so how does the hook up work with that link u just posted. Does that go from my tv to the western digital thing into the server that is attached to my main computer? Couldnt i just start up a server and load windows onto it?

Ok, there are 2 different components to this solution
1) Something to connect to your TV and play the ripped dVD
2) A place to store the ripped DVD

Currently your 360, PS3 can act as #1. The WD TV Live would as well. Your PC or the server can act as #2

Solution #1
1) Set up mediacenter on your HP and install MyMovies on it. The movies can either be stored locally on the PC with additional hard drives or you can buy the HP server and store them there.
2) Set up you 360 as an extender to your mediacenter PC. This will give you the mediacenter interface on whatever TV you connect it to. Mymovies will show up on mediacenter on here as well.

Solution #2
Rip your DVDs to the PC or server and play them through something like the WD TV live. Looks like the WD can run directly connected to a PC or over the network.

Solution #3
1) build an HTPC using all of the great resources in this thread.
2) load all of your movies on the HTPC or server
3) connect HTPC directly to TV

I just got a Windows Home Server machine last month and I LOVE it! Automatically takes care of all those backups I've been neglecting. Works very well as an appliance type machine, adding and removing disks is easy, and it will do media stuff too!

If you haven't given Windows Home Server a look, it is worth it!

I can't agree more. I recently added a HP Media Smart Server HPEX475 to my home theater (http://www.diymovierooms.com) and it was worth every penny. I picked mine up from amazon with two HDs totaling 1GB of space and use it to backup all my pcs and integrate it with my windows media center for streaming content. HP really hit a home run with this product!

I can't agree more. I recently added a HP Media Smart Server HPEX475 to my home theater (http://www.diymovierooms.com) and it was worth every penny. I picked mine up from amazon with two HDs totaling 1GB of space and use it to backup all my pcs and integrate it with my windows media center for streaming content. HP really hit a home run with this product!
Unfortunately it only does mirroring back up which is great, but when I have 8TB of movie and music media it gets to be out of my price range for storage.

I would have to have 16TB of total storage with WHS vs my unraid sytem I only need 9TB if I am using 1TB drives which saves me having to buy 7 1TB drives.

If I go with even more media that percentage gets even worse, 12TB of storage would be 24TB you would have to have with WHS vs 13 for Unraid ect ect.

So I pulled the trigger and built this system. Pretty sweet!!!
Q: Are there any specific tweeks to get the best out of this? I haven't been able to get DTS audio out of it. Running it through my Pioneer VSX-21TXH (via HDMI out of the HIS) to my XBR4 - audio shows as PCM even though the source is DTS. I'm using VLC.

Thanks!
Dump VLC and use XBMC or something. It plays movies better.

I just built my first HTCP and when I try watching live OTA HDTV in Windows Media Center 7 (64 bit), the audio starts to cut in and out after about 2 minutes. The video continues without issue. If I change TV channels, everything works for a couple of minutes and then the audio choppyness starts again. When I use Task Manager to see the CPU usage, it shows less than 10% utilization.

I've run the signal strength meter in Media Center and the channels I'm watching have full strength and I previously had the antenna connected directly to the TV and did not have these issues.

I've updated to Intel's latest video drivers but I can not find any updates for the onboard Via audio (Via V1718s). I have the system connected via the onboard HDMI to an Onkyo 605 receiver with both audio and video being sent via HDMI.

Finally, other videos (DVDs, Amazon VOD (SD), and iTunes (HD - obviously not played through WMC) play fine.

System Specs:
CPU - Intel Core i3 530
MB - ASRock H55M Pro
HD - 500GB WD Green via AHCI
Tuner - Hauppage 1600 via PCI
RAM - 2GB DDR3 Kingston Value Ram
PSU - Corsair 400W

Any suggestions?

The Core i3 with iGPU should be able to handle OTA HDTV, right?

Thanks

If you installed the HDMI audio driver (ATI or Realtek) correctly, then you have to configure VLC correctly (DD/DTS pass-through).

As far as I can tell the drivers are up to date. Today I was able to get DTS to my receiver using MPC HC and Window MP 12, after installing a bunch of codecs. I haven't had any luck with VLC though - if I set it to "Use S/PDIF when available", which seems like the only way to get it so send DTS to my receiver, the audio starts skipping continuously and at a very fast pace (4-5 pps).

I must be missing something here. Is there a tutorial anywhere that talks about setting this up?

Hi,

I'm lurking here since many monthes and I finally decide to build my own htpc.
And I'm kinda lost with all the different hardware. I will probably begin with the low-end profile in the january guide. But my hardware reseller doesn't have the motherboards or the graphic card :/

I'll explain what I want for my htpc. It won't be a gaming machine, I allready have one.
I want a htpc powered on all day/nigth with a minimum noise. It will be in my living room. I'll probably put 2 os on it (with vmware):

Debian: apache, postgres, svn, teamspeak, cruisecontrol, backup datas etc. Will host my personal website, and do a lot of scripts. But it doesn't need a huge hardware conf I guess.

Windows 7: Use to playback videos, music, browse internet, flash video games.(This is the part for my gf ;). The output will be on the 42" lcd screen.

Info: I'll buy 2 Hard drives to make a raid 1. I want a hardware raid.

Atm I allready bought my case:

Silverstone Lascala LC10B-E


What I think to buy (what I'm sure):

Western Digital Caviar SE16 640 Go 7200 RPM 16 Mo Serial ATA II - (2 items)
Corsair VX450W - Alimentation 450W ATX 12V 2.2
Noctua NF-R8 - 80 mm (2 items)
Intel Pentium E5300 - Socket 775 FSB800 cache L2 2 Mo 0.045 micron


And now the problems. I need motherboard, memory, graphic card. And I'm kinda lost :D. Don't know if I should take DDR2 or DDR3. Which one is really needed ? And I don't have all the choice due to my reseller.
Here the link of graphic card choice:
(Erf I can't post url now, I need more posts :'( )

And should I go for 4go memory or 2go? (with 2 os and vmware)

What I'm thinking atm, but I'm really not sure if the motherboard do the raid, the comaptibility etc:

G.Skill PK Series 2 Go (kit 2x 1 Go) DDR2-SDRAM PC2-6400 - F2-6400CL4D-2GBPK
ASRock P43DE (Intel P43 Express) - ATX
MSI ATI R5450-MD1GH 1Go ATI ATI Radeon HD 5450


I really need help, I'm really lost about all the chipset, the memory depending on what I need.

So if you think that it is good for what I need tell me, or feel free to change it.

Btw excuse me for my poor english, I do what I can (I'm a frog eater, and you know that we sucks in foreign languages ^^)

For RAID 1, you have to choose ICH10R, ICH10DO, P55, or H57 chipset. For example, GIGABYTE GA-EP45T-UD3LR (DDR3), ASRock P45TS-R (DDR2/DDR3).

Or go for AMD. For example, Athlon II X2 240e 2.8GHz 45W (or 240 65W if you don't care about 5W power increase) and GIGABYTE GA-MA785GT-UD3H (DDR3). Perhaps you don't need a discrete graphics in this case unless you want HD audio bitstreaming over HDMI.

thx for your answer

So if I choose to give up the raid 1 hardware, I could stay on this config:

G.Skill PK Series 2 Go (kit 2x 1 Go) DDR2-SDRAM PC2-6400 - F2-6400CL4D-2GBPK
ASRock P43DE (Intel P43 Express) - ATX
MSI ATI R5450-MD1GH 1Go ATI ATI Radeon HD 5450
Intel Pentium E5300 - Socket 775 FSB800 cache L2 2 Mo 0.045 micron


Should be enough for what I want to do. Maybe just move to 4go of memory ?

Ps: Corsair VX450W - Alimentation 450W ATX 12V 2.2 won't be too much and kinda useless ?

Hi Renethx,

I'm looking at upgrading my HD 4650 to either a HD 5450, 5570, or 5670. My monitor is a 46" Samsung LCD TV (@1920x1080). Solely using MPC-HC for playback. What would you recommend? I don't do any gaming, just after the best picture quality for HTPC using AMD 4850e.

Cheers.

thx for your answer

So if I choose to give up the raid 1 hardware, I could stay on this config:

G.Skill PK Series 2 Go (kit 2x 1 Go) DDR2-SDRAM PC2-6400 - F2-6400CL4D-2GBPK
ASRock P43DE (Intel P43 Express) - ATX
MSI ATI R5450-MD1GH 1Go ATI ATI Radeon HD 5450
Intel Pentium E5300 - Socket 775 FSB800 cache L2 2 Mo 0.045 micron


Should be enough for what I want to do. Maybe just move to 4go of memory ?

Ps: Corsair VX450W - Alimentation 450W ATX 12V 2.2 won't be too much and kinda useless ?
4GB is definitely better with VMWare.

Corsair 450W is a good choice (although your system may never consume more than 200W).

hi renethx,

i'm looking at upgrading my hd 4650 to either a hd 5450, 5570, or 5670. My monitor is a 46" samsung lcd tv (@1920x1080). Solely using mpc-hc for playback. What would you recommend? I don't do any gaming, just after the best picture quality for htpc using amd 4850e.

Cheers.
HD 5670 is the best HTPC card.

I see you still have reservations about the 5570, even with the driver fix. Is it because of the small price disparity with 5670?

I see you still have reservations about the 5570, even with the driver fix. Is it because of the small price disparity with 5670?
Mainly because of the fan noise. It is a silly idea to attach a small, whining fan on a low-profile PCB inside a full-height case.

SPCR (http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1023-page6.html)

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=167240&stc=1&d=1266336944

At one meter distance, our test system measured 17 dBA when idle and 20 dBA at load with the HD 5570 running inside. At idle, The fan emitted a soft hissing type noise, and a slight whine was noticeable when we took the side panel off our case. It was fairly smooth when fully enclosed though. On load, the whine became audible, and there was a lot more turbulent noise.

This is about the reference fan, but I bet all the other low-profile models are more or less similar. Yup, you could modify BIOS to lower the idle fan speed, but it is in question if such an effort is worthwhile. Pay $10 more and go for Sapphire HD 5670!

Hopefully the last 2 questions before I purchase my parts and send my donation to renethx! :D

I have been going back and forth between a mini-itx and micro-itx build and have decided (for now) to go with a mini-itx build using the ZOTAC H55-ITX WiFi H55ITX-A-E motherboard, M350 case, core i5 661, a pico-psu power supply and either one 250 - 500GB 7200 rpm laptop drive or a SSD.

1. What heatsink/cooler should I use with the i5? I am going to buy the Biostar HD55 micro motherboard/i5 combo from Frys because it will cost $220 including tax, and I figure that I can sell the MB and the final cost of the i5 will be less than I can find elsewhere. There is only one problem...this combo does not include a heat sink and fan. Would I be better off buying a stock cooler off of EBay for $15 or buy a better one? What other ones would fit this case? Depending upon the cost of the cooler, I might be better off just buying a core i5 by itself instead of trying to do this combo deal.

2. I am going to need to buy a pico-psu power supply and an AC/DC adapter. What size (watts/amps) will I need?

Thanks once again for all your help.

Murray
1. Perhaps the stock cooler is the only cooler that fits M350.
2. The max power consumption of the system is ~100W. So 150W should be enough.I am sorry...but I now have one more question. It seems that the connectors on the 150W AC/DC adapters and/or the 150 pico-psu won't fit the power opening slot on the M350. The 102W one will. Would I be cutting it too close using a 102W adapter? If so, would I be OK using one of the 73W variants of the i5 instead of the 87W processor with the 102W adapter?

thanks,
Murray

I am sorry...but I now have one more question. It seems that the connectors on the 150W AC/DC adapters and/or the 150 pico-psu won't fit the power opening slot on the M350. The 102W one will. Would I be cutting it too close using a 102W adapter? If so, would I be OK using one of the 73W variants of the i5 instead of the 87W processor with the 102W adapter?

thanks,
Murray
Perhaps 102W should be enough. 100W is the measurement from a wall outlet. Actual system power consumption is lower (as PSU consumes some power).

Perhaps 102W should be enough. 100W is the measurement from a wall outlet. Actual system power consumption is lower (as PSU consumes some power).Perhaps enough with the 87W 661 or for the 73W processors? Would I be safer going with 73W instead of 87W? I know that without testing it is all a best guess, but your guess would be much better than mine! :D

thanks,
Murray

100W from a wall with a 80% efficiency PSU means the actual power consumption 80W (that's why I think 102W is enough). And this is achieved only when 100% CPU load (I usually use Prime95).

100W from a wall with a 80% efficiency PSU means the actual power consumption 80W (that's why I think 102W is enough). And this is achieved only when 100% CPU load (I usually use Prime95).Sorry for being so dense. The pico-psu's seem to be highly efficient (this one states it is >96% efficient) http://www.mini-box.com/picoPSU-120-102W-power-kit

So just to make sure I understand correctly, I should be able to get close to 100 Watts from the power supply kit linked above (I will be limited by the 102W AC/DC adapter). And with 100 Watts, that should be plenty for the i5 661 87W processor for the few times I might actually approach 100% CPU load?

thanks,
Murray

Unfortunately it only does mirroring back up which is great, but when I have 8TB of movie and music media it gets to be out of my price range for storage.

I would have to have 16TB of total storage with WHS vs my unraid sytem I only need 9TB if I am using 1TB drives which saves me having to buy 7 1TB drives.

If I go with even more media that percentage gets even worse, 12TB of storage would be 24TB you would have to have with WHS vs 13 for Unraid ect ect.

I think you're misunderstanding how it works.

You have total control over the mirroring. You could add 8TB of disk and 8TB of movies, and you'd be fine.

The mirroring they call 'duplication'. You have to turn this on (configurable per share / folder), and when you do it ensures that all data for that share is stored on at least 2 disks. That means if one disk fails, you will still have all your data (and then when you replace the disk and it will rebuild the duplication).

The WHS also backs up your other machines on the network, but you can disable this if you wanted to save your disk space.

As for backing up your shares, all you do is connect a hard drive (USB or SATA), go through the 'add hard disk' wizard and say use it for backup.

Backing up your PC backups is trickier, but achievable by reading this doc - http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/8/0/18096c95-4850-4176-9821-970691b98aaf/Windows_Home_Server_Technical_Brief_-_Home_Computer_Backup_and_Restore.docx

The power pack 3 even does TV archive, which I haven't had a chance to test out yet, as I don't have my HTPC yet!

This is off topic but I'll briefly add how I built my (small) WHS:
$150 - MSI Nettop 100 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856167037&cm_re=msi_nettop-_-56-167-037-_-Product) (Atom 330)
_$40 - 2 GB 200 pin memory
$110 - 1.5 TB WD Green drive x 2
$10 - got a 5.25" to 3.5" drive adapter

So for $410, I had a 3 TB WHS that runs on 65w of power! 3TB is fine for me now, but if I want more drives later I can add them as USB, or heck just build a new machine. I've only invested $200 for the base machine.

Sorry for being so dense. The pico-psu's seem to be highly efficient (this one states it is >96% efficient) http://www.mini-box.com/picoPSU-120-102W-power-kit

So just to make sure I understand correctly, I should be able to get close to 100 Watts from the power supply kit linked above (I will be limited by the 102W AC/DC adapter). And with 100 Watts, that should be plenty for the i5 661 87W processor for the few times I might actually approach 100% CPU load?

thanks,
Murray
If the system power consumption is 100W and the efficiency of PSU is 96%, then the measurement from the wall will show 100W/0.96 = 104W.

87W is TDP, perhaps this can be achieved when both CPU and GPU are 100% load; practically this rarely happens.

If you want to be sure, I recommend Core i3-530. This is enough for HTPC. Or somebody else may have a good insight about this matter (start your own thread). :)

Hey renethx - just wanted to thank you (again) for such a great guide. I dip in and out of the htpc scene, and for a few years now I've used your guide as a blue print. This will be #3:

LIAN LI Lancool PC-K58W Black 0.8 mm SECC, Plastic + Mesh ATX Mid Tower
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800
Thermaltake TR2 TRX650MPCUSA 650W ATX 12V v2.3 / EPS 12V v2.91 Modular
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5"
ASUS P7H55-M PRO LGA 1156 Intel H55 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Sony Optiarc 24X DVD/CD Rewritable Drive Black SATA Model AD-7240S-0B - OEM
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders
Intel Core i3-530 Clarkdale 2.93GHz LGA 1156 73W Dual-Core Desktop Processor
AVS Gear GP-IR01BK Windows Vista Infrared MCE Black Remote Control

Sorry for being so dense. The pico-psu's seem to be highly efficient (this one states it is >96% efficient) http://www.mini-box.com/picoPSU-120-102W-power-kit

So just to make sure I understand correctly, I should be able to get close to 100 Watts from the power supply kit linked above (I will be limited by the 102W AC/DC adapter). And with 100 Watts, that should be plenty for the i5 661 87W processor for the few times I might actually approach 100% CPU load?

thanks,
Murray

I've been trying to dig into the power supply issues as well. I posted over on the Intel Forums (http://communities.intel.com/message/83998) asking about an i3 in the intel ATX H55 board. They said 340W was minimum with all peripherals, integrated graphics, one optical drive and one HDD.

I don't see how 100W could work even with minimal devices. Are you going to connect this to ethernet? How much power does that add over the 87W CPU? Are you connecting any hard disks? Minimum I've seen for WD green HDD is like 5W, though SSDs can get under 1W.

How much power does the northbridge take? How about the southbridge?

Like I said, I could be wrong because I'm just getting into this, but to me 100W doesn't seem workable unless you're looking at Atom processors.

Anybody happen to have this combination?

I stupidly ordered the Xigmatek Dark Knight-S1283V for use in a Silverstone LC20 (http://www.silverstonetek.com/products/p_spec.php?pno=lc20&area=usa) case without fully confirming it would work.

The case height measures 170 mm.

At 159 mm (H) I'm now afraid the Dark Knight will be too tall.

I've seen a comment elsewhere indicating that 134 mm (H) would be the max heatsink height for that case.

Any comments appreciated and/or recommendations for a socket 1156 compatible heatsink for use in a Silverstone LC20 case with an i7 860 cpu.

I was looking at a Scythe Ninja Mini Rev. B but haven't yet confirmed it's rated for an i7 860 etc. I don't care about overclocking.

What's the latest regarding converting/upgrading from Windows 7 RC?

I loved Win 7 RC, and I'd like to keep using the HTPC setup I built with minimal work at this point since it is working great.

According to this link (http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/3075/how-to-upgrade-the-windows-7-rc-to-rtm/), there's a simple way to upgrade without having to reinstall all your software. However, it requires Win 7 Ultimate.

I had a valid Win XP license before this. I'd rather find a cheap (but also easy way) to upgrade without shelling out a full $290 for Win 7 Ultimate Retail.

What are people here doing? Is there still a good deal to be had through TechNet? Or another simple way to upgrade via an OEM or Upgrade version to Win 7 that keeps software installed since I did have a valid XP license before?

I've been trying to dig into the power supply issues as well. I posted over on the Intel Forums (http://communities.intel.com/message/83998) asking about an i3 in the intel ATX H55 board. They said 340W was minimum with all peripherals, integrated graphics, one optical drive and one HDD.

I don't see how 100W could work even with minimal devices. Are you going to connect this to ethernet? How much power does that add over the 87W CPU? Are you connecting any hard disks? Minimum I've seen for WD green HDD is like 5W, though SSDs can get under 1W.

How much power does the northbridge take? How about the southbridge?

Like I said, I could be wrong because I'm just getting into this, but to me 100W doesn't seem workable unless you're looking at Atom processors.Yes, I will have a wired ethernet connection. I will have either 1 7200 rpm notebook drive or a SSD drive with no optical drive and no other components.

I am well under 100W at idle. Haven't really put it through its paces but this seems to be similar to the numbers others are getting with the i3/i5.

Case: Antec Fusion
PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-520HX
Motherboard: ASUS P7H55D-M EVO
CPU: Intel i5-650
CPU cooler: Coolermaster Geminii
RAM: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1600
HDD: 640GB Western Digital Caviar Black
Tuner 1: HDHomerun (OTA)
Tuner 2: WinTV-HVR-2250 (QAM/Analog)
OS: Windows 7 pro
Software: My Movies for WMC
Energy (Idle): 60W (GPU on) 54W (GPU off?) <1W (S3)

I am well under 100W at idle. Haven't really put it through its paces but this seems to be similar to the numbers others are getting with the i3/i5.

PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-520HX
Energy (Idle): 60W (GPU on) 54W (GPU off?) <1W (S3)

Are these numbers coming from your UPS? If not, how are you measuring?

Yeah, the UPS.

Yeah, the UPS.
This is encouraging and puts my mind at ease.

I don't mind buying a more hefty power supply if it throttles down like this. My understanding from a few years ago was that PSUs were not good at this, and would waste a lot of power.

I'm looking at the CORSAIR CMPSU-650HX, which looks exactly like yours except that it is bronze instead of silver certified, and it is 650 instead of 520.

The 520 doesn't appear to be available on newegg currently.

Yeah, I bought it back in June when I first started thinking about rebuilding my HTPC. At the time it was the smallest PSU that was modular. I think it has since been discontinued.

renethx, any reason to wait until next month on the Radeon 5830 versus the current 5770 for the Intel-NVIDIA Mini-ITX Gaming PC?

I just built my first HTCP and when I try watching live OTA HDTV in Windows Media Center 7 (64 bit), the audio starts to cut in and out after about 2 minutes. The video continues without issue. If I change TV channels, everything works for a couple of minutes and then the audio choppyness starts again. When I use Task Manager to see the CPU usage, it shows less than 10% utilization.

I've run the signal strength meter in Media Center and the channels I'm watching have full strength and I previously had the antenna connected directly to the TV and did not have these issues.

I've updated to Intel's latest video drivers but I can not find any updates for the onboard Via audio (Via V1718s). I have the system connected via the onboard HDMI to an Onkyo 605 receiver with both audio and video being sent via HDMI.

Finally, other videos (DVDs, Amazon VOD (SD), and iTunes (HD - obviously not played through WMC) play fine.

System Specs:
CPU - Intel Core i3 530
MB - ASRock H55M Pro
HD - 500GB WD Green via AHCI
Tuner - Hauppage 1600 via PCI
RAM - 2GB DDR3 Kingston Value Ram
PSU - Corsair 400W

Any suggestions?

The Core i3 with iGPU should be able to handle OTA HDTV, right?

Thanks

I had the same problem with my Onkyo 606. Go to the settings in WMC and disable the WMC sounds. It fixed all of the problems.

^^^^

I have the 605, and although I didn't have problems with audio dropping, I did have issues with my IONITX HDMI audio connection (playing movies/TV was fine, but when there was no active audio, the receiver would click and lose the audio stream). I ended up running 5.1 analog to the 605 and now I don't have any audio problems. I'm going to upgrade my HTPC m/b to the H55M Pro in a couple of days, so I'll see if I have any audio problems. However, I'm going to use a video card instead of the onboard HDMI, so there's a good chance I won't encounter any of these audio issues. (Ordinarily I'd experiment to see if I could duplicate it, but my wife will kill me if I break our TV watching...)

I've been trying to dig into the power supply issues as well. I posted over on the Intel Forums (http://communities.intel.com/message/83998) asking about an i3 in the intel ATX H55 board. They said 340W was minimum with all peripherals, integrated graphics, one optical drive and one HDD.
340W... It seems this figure came from a person who has never measured the real power consumption of the total system.

*All* peripherals: this notion is just meaningless because it depends on each user how many peripherals he attaches. :)

The below is the real measurement (by Kill-A-Watt) of the power consumption of the system consisting of:

- Core i3 530
- ASRock H55M Pro
- DDR3-1600 2 x 1GB
- iGPU
- WD 640GB Caviar Blue
- DVD drive
- Enermax MODU82+ 520W (the efficiency is ~80% at load < 100W: here (http://www.silentpcreview.com/article806-page5.html))
- Stock CPU cooler + 1 x 120mm case fan

- Idle: 55W
- MKV playback: 65W
- Furmark: 78W
- Prime95 (Small FFTs on 4 threads): 85W (this is an amazing number considering its excellent performance.)

So the true total system power consumption is:

- Idle: 44W
- MKV playback: 52W
- Furmark: 62W
- Prime95 (Small FFTs on 4 threads): 68W

renethx, any reason to wait until next month on the Radeon 5830 versus the current 5770 for the Intel-NVIDIA Mini-ITX Gaming PC?
HD 5830 is more or less the same as HD 5850 with 90% shader units. Both (9.5" long) (barely) fit the case and the power consumption of the total system will be within 300W. These pictures (http://vr-zone.com/articles/silverstone-sg05/6703-8.html) are HD 4870 (the same length as HD 5830/5850).

SilverStone recommends a card of length =< 9". So I went with HD 5770 in my recommendation.

I have a question in regards to HD ripping. I have 1 HTPC that has the LG Blu-Ray/HD-Dvd drive and I have another PC that just has a Lite-on Blu-Ray drive. I want to use the PC with the Lite-On BD to start ripping my BD & HDDVDs. Do I need to swap out the drives in order to do this or will I be able to just use the Lite-On BD to do the ripping of HDDVDs? The reason for using the PC with just the BD is cause it is a much more powerful machine and would be able to rip movies a lot faster.

Usually a BD drive can't read HD DVD (so can't rip it). The best is try it yourself.

Usually a BD drive can't read HD DVD (so can't rip it). The best is try it yourself.

Alrighty, guess I'll just go ahead and swap out drives to avoid any issues. Thanks.

Renethx, your favorite card (Sapphire 5670) is on sale right now at Newegg $85 shipped. cheaper than the 5570

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102870

Thermal paste is included in the retail box of the cooler. If you want to buy it, I recommend Arctic Silver Ceramique or Arctic Silver 5.

Xigmatek Nepartak fits the case, but its heatpipes may touch the case cover. Somebody may feel comfortable with a shorter cooler such as Cooler Master Geminii S (I don't remember if thermal compound is included in this cooler).
Thanks for your help, have made my donation today and encourage everyone to do so. This thread is an amazing resource!

After thinking about this for several months and changing my mind 50 different times in the past few weeks, here is what I am planning to go with.


CPU: Core i3 530 2.93GHz LGA1156, $120. (newegg.com)
CPU Cooler: Stock cooler, $0.
Motherboard: ZOTAC H55-ITX WiFi H55ITX-A-E LGA1156 Intel H55 chipset Mini-ATX, $152. newegg.com
Memory: OCZ Obsidian OCZ3OB1600LV4GK DDR3-1600 2 x 2GB Kit, $70. (newegg.com)
Graphics Card: Intel HD Graphics (integrated in the chipset), $0.
HDD: HITACHI Travelstar HD20320 IDK/7K 7200 RPM 2.5" SATA 320GB SATA 3.0Gbps, $70. (newegg.com)
PSU:picoPSU-120/8.5A 110W AC-DC Adapter, $69 (short-circuit.com).
Case: Mini-Box M350 Mini-ITX, $37. (short-circuit.com)

Hardware Cost: $518


Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit, $88.


Total Cost: $606


I'll be using this mainly to watch ripped DVD's/Blue Rays using TMT with HD audio and online videos. I doubt that I will ever game on it. Since the Zotac is not in stock yet, I may have another few weeks to change my mind some more! Also, I may be able to save a few dollars as prices come down.

I went back and forth between a core i5 and i3 and just can't justify paying $100 more for the i5. I also toyed with using an ssd drive, but again, can't justify the extra $150 for a faster (and smaller) drive. Maybe that will be my first upgrade next year when the prices come down. I have read the threads discussing 32bit and 64bit Windows 7 and am choosing 64bit just for future proofing. I could probably get by with the recommended 2Gb of ram, but for the extra $30, it is worth it to me for future proofing. This HTPC will also be my automation machine running Cinemar's MainLobby.

Renethx, as soon as I post this I will send you a donation. I really appreciate all you (and others) do to help us out on these decisions. Let me know if you see any problems.

thanks,
Murray

Thanks for your help, have made my donation today and encourage everyone to do so. This thread is an amazing resource!
Thanks for your help! :)

340W... It seems this figure came from a person who has never measured the real power consumption of the total system.
No, it comes from the Intel technical specification for the motherboard (page 52 to be exact). Granted, that document has to be conservative and allow for all variances of power supplies, but it is essentially the engineering calculations.

*All* peripherals: this notion is just meaningless because it depends on each user how many peripherals he attaches. :)
True, and I asked in the Intel thread specifically for this number because I wanted the freedom to add devices. And at times all of these could be drawing power at the same time (when you boot, for example).


So the true total system power consumption is:

- Idle: 44W
- MKV playback: 52W
- Furmark: 62W
- Prime95 (Small FFTs on 4 threads): 68W

Ok, single instance tests could prove this is OK for those tests. What happens when you do MKV playback and a DVD rip at the same time? Maybe this isn't common, but personally I don't want to have to worry about a 12v rail brownout just because I inserted a DVD while playing a ripped movie.

I guess it also depends on how willing you are to gamble with system stability. These are exact minimums you're talking about, based on limited accuracy measurements. What do you really gain by going with a 100w power supply, and is it worth the peace of mind? Why does everyone recommend a 500+W power supply? Since renethx's 500W power supply draws minimal current, is it worth going lower? Edit: I see you're doing this to fit in the M350.

I'm not saying don't do it - Let us know how it works out. I'm overcautious on these things... =)

But if you mess with the bull, you have to be prepared to get the horns.

@MurrayW

The system looks good. Thanks for your help. :)

Also, it seems there is some discussion of the pico power supplies on the i3 Clarkdale thread - http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1172451&page=23

I'd just go over all those and see what people have been doing. The posts are from a month ago, so this is likely figured out.

From a quick look, it seems that you might need the 150W PSU, which has the 4 pin power plug as well as the 24 pin one. I see both the 24 pin and the 4 pin power connector on your Zotac motherboard in the amazon pictures.

Ok, single instance tests could prove this is OK for those tests. What happens when you do MKV playback and a DVD rip at the same time? Maybe this isn't common, but personally I don't want to have to worry about a 12v rail brownout just because I inserted a DVD while playing a ripped movie.

I guess it also depends on how willing you are to gamble with system stability. These are exact minimums you're talking about, based on limited accuracy measurements. What do you really gain by going with a 100w power supply, and is it worth the peace of mind? Why does everyone recommend a 500+W power supply? Since renethx's 500W power supply draws minimal current, is it worth going lower?

I'm not saying don't do it - Let us know how it works out. =)

But if you mess with the bull, you have to be prepared to get the horns.
DVD rip means additional power for the DVD drive (+10W or so), and maybe +2W for extra CPU usage.

Whatever tasks I am doing with the simple Core i3 system in my previous post, it is simply impossible to achieve 340W (I even don't know how to achieve 100W [125W wall in my case with the 80% efficient PSU]).

350W-500W PSU is considered as the mainstream PSU. There are plenty of good, reliable, reasonably-priced PSUs. Selecting a PSU in this range is a wise way.