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.The 150W PSU's power plug will not fit in the M350 case and I don't want to have to modify the case -- I am pretty good with computers but am terrible at cutting metal! So if at all possible, I'd like to stay with the 102W adapter. I'll take a look at the other thread you mentioned. Thanks, Murray.

Also check Silent PC Review's Antec ISK 300-65 Mini-ITX Case review (http://www.silentpcreview.com/Antec_ISK300-65). The case comes with only a 65W PSU, but the system consisting of

- Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 65W TDP
- Zotac GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi

runs fine:

Another quibble is the 65W power adapter, which seems underpowered, even if the target motherboards are only low power embedded CPU types. An 80W or 90W adapter would provide greater headroom and flexibility for a wider variety of components. Despite reservations, our test system of a 65W TDP Intel C2D CPU ran without issues.

BTW the above C2D system consumes 5W more at video playback and 15W more at Prime95 than my Core i3 system. :)

The 150W version (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129080&Tpk=ISK%20300-150) of the Antec ISK 300-65 is now available.

The 150W PSU's power plug will not fit in the M350 case and I don't want to have to modify the case -- I am pretty good with computers but am terrible at cutting metal! So if at all possible, I'd like to stay with the 102W adapter. I'll take a look at the other thread you mentioned. Thanks, Murray.The mini-box 120W picopsu/102W adapter was out of stock, so I went with the short-ciruit.com 120W picopsu/110W adapter. I am actually building 2 of these, one as an HTPC and one as a desktop computer attached to the back of a monitor in the kitchen like the picture below.

http://resources.mini-box.com/online/ENC-M350/moreimages/M350-Universal-Mini-ITX-enclosure-b6.jpg

I am actually building 2 of these, one as an HTPC and one as a desktop computer attached to the back of a monitor in the kitchen like the picture below.

That is cool, you going to do a touchscreen with that?

That is cool, you going to do a touchscreen with that?If I was going to be the main user, I would, but my wife has an aversion to using touch screens. I'll just have a wireless keyboard/mouse. I do have an old ELO touchscreen sitting around gathering dust...maybe I will try that first and tell my wife that the other monitor that I was going to use won't work with this little box! :D

renethx -

Frys has got a deal going on with a i5 530 / BIOSTAR TH55B HD (matx) combo - any thoughts on this mb? Is this a suitable board for a midrange system?

tia

renethx -

Frys has got a deal going on with a i5 530 / BIOSTAR TH55B HD (matx) combo - any thoughts on this mb? Is this a suitable board for a midrange system?

tiaI asked the same question a couple of days ago. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=18128590#post18128590

I had been thinking about getting this deal just for the i5 then selling the MB. But it doesn't come with a cpu cooler and by the time I bought that, got maybe $50-60 for the board and paid tax, I wasn't looking at much savings over the i5 by itself. However, if I was going to do a micro build, this would be a great deal.

I had been thinking about getting this deal just for the i5 then selling the MB. But it doesn't come with a cpu cooler and by the time I bought that, got maybe $50-60 for the board and paid tax, I wasn't looking at much savings over the i5 by itself. However, if I was going to do a micro build, this would be a great deal.

MurrayW - I appreciate the heads up and I do recall seeing your post.

There's a slight difference with the processor and mobo in today's advertised combo - you were referring to the TH55 HD which is a more expensive board.

The mobo that I was asking about was the Biostar TH55B HD.

renethx -

Frys has got a deal going on with a i5 530 / BIOSTAR TH55B HD (matx) combo - any thoughts on this mb? Is this a suitable board for a midrange system?

tia
In general BIOSATAR mb are good and reliable. If the mb has features you need, that should be fine.

Renethx,

Thanks for the amazing information. I plan on buying my items today to build my first HTPC, thanks to your help and will make a nice donation for all the advise! I have a couple of questions I am hoping you will be kind enough to answer.

1)I noticed your new recomendation is the core i3 system with video card. What is the difference between this system and your other recomendation from AMD using the 630 quadcore processor?

I want to be able to record HDTV via antenna while I watch shows on two tv's at the same time. Is this possible? If so how is the best way to set up this system and what components do you recomend including the media extenders? Will the core i3 be able to handle this or do I need somthing more powerful? I am not a gammer at all, just enjoy TV and movies.

I am trying to keep the basic functionality of the Dish DVR we are replacing but we really only watch network channels and blue ray movies.

I do not have a receiver or speakers so I will be purchasing these at the same time to do a 7.1 surround sound package, do I need a reciver or just a amplifier, can you provide the correct way to hook it up form the HTPC and the minimum specs I should look for in purchasing a receiver or AMP so as to harm the digital sound capabilities from the HTPC? Do you have a recomendation for the audio equipment?

Thank you again for your help!

renethx,

Forgot to also ask what software do you recomend using, I have win 7 but am interested in what else you recomend to watch blue rays, rip my movies to the hard drive, etc.

From a power efficiency/video quality perspective, would it be a significant upgrade to move from a Gigabyte GA-E7AUM-DS2H (with 9400 IGP) + Intel E5200 to a new H55 mATX mobo (using the inegrated) + i3 530?

Aside from the software and 23.97 hz issues, does the clarkdale processor provide equivalent video quality to the 5670 card in your latest recommended system?

I have a couple of questions I am hoping you will be kind enough to answer.

1)I noticed your new recomendation is the core i3 system with video card. What is the difference between this system and your other recomendation from AMD using the 630 quadcore processor?

I want to be able to record HDTV via antenna while I watch shows on two tv's at the same time. Is this possible? If so how is the best way to set up this system and what components do you recomend including the media extenders? Will the core i3 be able to handle this or do I need somthing more powerful? I am not a gammer at all, just enjoy TV and movies.

I am trying to keep the basic functionality of the Dish DVR we are replacing but we really only watch network channels and blue ray movies.

I do not have a receiver or speakers so I will be purchasing these at the same time to do a 7.1 surround sound package, do I need a reciver or just a amplifier, can you provide the correct way to hook it up form the HTPC and the minimum specs I should look for in purchasing a receiver or AMP so as to harm the digital sound capabilities from the HTPC? Do you have a recomendation for the audio equipment?
Athlon II X4 is a bit slow, heavy, power-hungry (relative to Core i3 530). This processor is better in certain applications that require processing power such as video re-encoding. But overall I prefer Core i3 (quick, responsive, low-power, dual-core with HyperTreading Technology is good enough for many applications).

Yes, possible. You will need three TV tuners, typically two dual digital tuner cards such as HDHomeRun or AverTV AVerTVHD Duet (two cards don't need to be the same model), in conjunction with Windows 7 Media Center.

As for audio system, you will need an AV receiver and 7.1 speakers. The selection is so diverse that it's not easy to recommend a particular one (it also depends on your budget). Yamaha and Pioneer AVRs have less trouble in bitstreaming HD audio with Radon HD 5xxx (EDID Overrides to solve bitstreaming issues for ATI 5xxx's (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1227161&highlight=)). Connecting HTPC to AVR is simple: use one HDMI cable for video/audio. That's it.

To rip BD, you will need SlySoft AnyDVD HD. ArcSoft TotalMedia Theater 3 Platinum and CyberLink PowerDVD 9 Ultra are popular commercial BD players (well, practically there are only three commercial BD players, the third one is WinDVD 2010 Pro). You can try them. MPC HomeCinema is the best free media player.

From a power efficiency/video quality perspective, would it be a significant upgrade to move from a Gigabyte GA-E7AUM-DS2H (with 9400 IGP) + Intel E5200 to a new H55 mATX mobo (using the inegrated) + i3 530?

Aside from the software and 23.97 hz issues, does the clarkdale processor provide equivalent video quality to the 5670 card in your latest recommended system?
No. At idle and video playback you can save only ~5W by going with Core i3. In general a good discrete card is better than IGP. If you already own GA-E7AUM-DS2H + E5200, I recommend adding a HD 5670 card.

renethx -

Frys has got a deal going on with a i5 530 / BIOSTAR TH55B HD (matx) combo - any thoughts on this mb? Is this a suitable board for a midrange system?

tia

Shouldn't that be the i3 530.... ?

No. At idle and video playback you can save only ~5W by going with Core i3. In general a good discrete card is better than IGP. If you already own GA-E7AUM-DS2H + E5200, I recommend adding a HD 5670 card.

Great! Thanks for the input.

Shouldn't that be the i3 530.... ?

Yep, typo on my part - it should have been the i3 530.

The mini-box 120W picopsu/102W adapter was out of stock, so I went with the short-ciruit.com 120W picopsu/110W adapter. I am actually building 2 of these, one as an HTPC and one as a desktop computer attached to the back of a monitor in the kitchen like the picture below.

Yeah, I just ordered an Acer Revo AR3610 for one of my machines. If you're not averse to the Atom processor / ION chipset, you might give it a look. It seems like a pretty good deal, and the reviews I've seen around all rave about it doing very well playing content and is small and quiet.

Atom 330 (dual core / 4 threads)
ION chipset (does full 1080p)
2GB ram
Wireless keyboard / mouse included
Win7 x64.
160GB HDD
eSATA
4 USB
HD Audio
Wireless ethernet
VGA / HDMI out

Only $325 at NewEgg (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883103235).

I don't need much processing power on this machine, so I think it should work out fine. I bought mine to drive one of my TVs. Most of my content will come from my WHS. If it doesn't work out, $300 isn't bad for a kitchen computer.

One other thing to note - these are probably getting cheap because the new Atom chip is already out, and the ION2 chipset is coming soon.

Thanks renethx for the reply. So do I need a discrete card for video? or will the IGP of the i3 work for this type of system and functionality.

As for the receiver what are the specs I need to look out for just 7.1 with at least one HDMI input and one output? Sorry I am very new to the receiver end of things....


I will try out the two dual tuner cards to see how it works

Any suggestions on what to use or buy for the media extenders to simply play back recorded video to another TV?

I should also mention my budget is pretty thin for the receiver, looking for somthing to get the job done correctly but at the lowest price possible.

Thanks renethx for the reply. So do I need a discrete card for video? or will the IGP of the i3 work for this type of system and functionality.

As for the receiver what are the specs I need to look out for just 7.1 with at least one HDMI input and one output? Sorry I am very new to the receiver end of things....


I will try out the two dual tuner cards to see how it works

Any suggestions on what to use or buy for the media extenders to simply play back recorded video to another TV?

If your goal is to play back recorded video probably the best client/extender product would be using SageTV Media Center with the SageTV HD200 extenders connected to your tvs.

What are you guys using for content management? All the solutions seem to have quirks.

Boxee - for some reason isn't finding my Season 1 of Big Bang Theory even though it's in the same master folder as Season 2. I love some of the apps like Youtube, Flickr, Pandora. I have trouble with Video on Revision3.

MCE - Seems to sort all my videos by filename instead of movie name, folder, etc so everything is just lumped together. I really like the Internet tv option.

iMedian HD - Still the best for actually playing my own content so far.

What are you guys using for content management? All the solutions seem to have quirks.

Boxee - for some reason isn't finding my Season 1 of Big Bang Theory even though it's in the same master folder as Season 2. I love some of the apps like Youtube, Flickr, Pandora. I have trouble with Video on Revision3.

MCE - Seems to sort all my videos by filename instead of movie name, folder, etc so everything is just lumped together. I really like the Internet tv option.

iMedian HD - Still the best for actually playing my own content so far.

If you like W7MC try using alongside MediaBrowser (http://www.mediasmartserver.net/2009/12/24/review-media-browser-2-2-1-0-firestorm/)or MyMovies (http://www.mediasmartserver.net/2009/12/27/mymovies-3-10-out-of-pre-release/)

Renethx,

Thanks for the amazing information. I plan on buying my items today to build my first HTPC, thanks to your help and will make a nice donation for all the advise! I have a couple of questions ...

I want to be able to record HDTV via antenna while I watch shows on two tv's at the same time. Is this possible? If so how is the best way to set up this system and what components do you recomend including the media extenders? Will the core i3 be able to handle this or do I need somthing more powerful? I am not a gammer at all, just enjoy TV and movies.

I am trying to keep the basic functionality of the Dish DVR we are replacing but we really only watch network channels and blue ray movies.
...
Thank you again for your help!



Yes, possible. You will need three TV tuners, typically two dual digital tuner cards such as HDHomeRun or AverTV AVerTVHD Duet (two cards don't need to be the same model), in conjunction with Windows 7 Media Center.



I just migrated from a dual-tuner HD Tivo with DirecTV to an HTPC with Windows 7 Media Center and the Hauppage 1229 dual tuner. The good news is that I am indeed able to record one program from HD broadcast while watching another. The bad news is that, maybe I missing something, but the user experience is nowhere near as good as it was with the Tivo.

With the Tivo, if I was simply channel surfing or watching the news, I had a habit that when a commercial came, I would pause the current channel. Then, I would switch to the other tuner and surf around to another channel (e.g. Good Eats on Food Network) and watch something else until a commercial came on there, at which point I'd switch back to the first tuner. With this process, I had perfected watching live TV without commercials.

With Windows 7 Media Center, this use case eludes me. There doesn't appear to be a way to pause one live channel and switch to the other tuner. If it weren't for the fact that I tested recording while watching another channel, I wouldn't even know that I had dual tuners.

So, just a warning that the multi-tuner user experience with Windows Media Center might not be quite as smooth as you're accustomed to.

Built my ATX AMD midrange today, POST on first try and OS and all drivers are installed/updated. :cool:

Do you all recommend any kind of burn in / testing? Adjust any settings such as fan speed? MB has stuff like Easy Tune, worth installing this or any other of the Gigabyte stuff? Other suggestions? Tx

Anyone here have an ATI 4000 or 5000 series card without HDMI out? Can you get 8ch LPCM audio out using the ATI DVI>HDMI adapter? Or is that limited to SPDIF?

Thanks renethx for the reply. So do I need a discrete card for video? or will the IGP of the i3 work for this type of system and functionality.

As for the receiver what are the specs I need to look out for just 7.1 with at least one HDMI input and one output? Sorry I am very new to the receiver end of things....


I will try out the two dual tuner cards to see how it works

Any suggestions on what to use or buy for the media extenders to simply play back recorded video to another TV?
Surely you don't need a discrete card unless you want perfect playback at 23.976Hz.

You will want an AVR supporting Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD and 7.1 speakers at the minimum. Yamaha RX-V565, ~$430 and Pioneer VSX-919AH-K, ~$400 are the cheapest one. If you are content with 5.1 amp, then you can find cheaper.

Anyone here have an ATI 4000 or 5000 series card without HDMI out? Can you get 8ch LPCM audio out using the ATI DVI>HDMI adapter? Or is that limited to SPDIF?
I tested DVI ports on HD 5750 with the proprietary ATI DVI-HDMI adapter (for HD 3xxx/4xxx). HD audio works fine. It's identical with the native HDMI port.

Another finding is that HD 5xxx supports only single HD audio stream, while Clarkdale supports dual HD audio stream (a generic DVI-HDMI adapter is enough for Clarkdale); that's the reason why you see the name of the receiver in the control panel.

I tested DVI ports on HD 5750 with the proprietary ATI DVI-HDMI adapter (for HD 3xxx/4xxx). HD audio works fine. It's identical with the native HDMI port.

Another finding is that HD 5xxx supports only single HD audio stream, while Clarkdale supports dual HD audio stream (a generic DVI-HDMI adapter is enough for Clarkdale); that's the reason why you see the name of the receiver in the control panel.
What do you mean by dual/single HD audio streams?

What do you mean by dual/single HD audio streams?
Suppose you connect your HTPC to two AVRs, HDMI to one, DVI (with an adapter) to the other. If you play two movies simultaneously with two players, you can send each audio stream via Intel HD audio to each AVR (so even dual HD audio bitstreamin is possible). ATI HDMI audio can send audio to only one AVR so that you have to use another audio device to play two movies simultaneously (this is a bit strange considering HD 5xxx supports simultaneous dual HD video streams). BTW dual HD video streaming of Clarkdale is not so good (stuttering).

So I am seeing some issues with 1 of my HTPCs. Here are my specs:
Mobo: Gigabyte x38-DS4
CPU: Q6600 G0
RAM: G.Skill DDR2 4gb 1600
OS: Vista 64-bit Ultimate
GPU: HD3870
Optical: Samsung DVDRW, LG BD/HDDVD
HD: 320GB Seagate, 500GB WD, 640GB WD
PSU: PC Power & Cooling 750W

So I recently added the 640GB WD drive and can see the drive in BIOS and in Device Manager. For some odd reason I can't see the drive in "My Computer." Anyone know why I'm seeing this issue? Is my mobo limited to how many drives I can use? I am only using 5 of the 6 SATA ports on the board.

So I am seeing some issues with 1 of my HTPCs. Here are my specs:
Mobo: Gigabyte x38-DS4
CPU: Q6600 G0
RAM: G.Skill DDR2 4gb 1600
OS: Vista 64-bit Ultimate
GPU: HD3870
Optical: Samsung DVDRW, LG BD/HDDVD
HD: 320GB Seagate, 500GB WD, 640GB WD
PSU: PC Power & Cooling 750W

So I recently added the 640GB WD drive and can see the drive in BIOS and in Device Manager. For some odd reason I can't see the drive in "My Computer." Anyone know why I'm seeing this issue? Is my mobo limited to how many drives I can use? I am only using 5 of the 6 SATA ports on the board.

Right Mouse Click on My Computer and select Manage

Then select Disk Management

This should bring up all your drives, is the new drive listed in the list?

When you say dual HD video streaming with Clarksdale is not so good are you saying that you cant really watch tv well on two different tv's at the same time with two dual tunner cards? Do you need a more powerful processor than a I3 530?

Sorry what does it mean to not have perfect playback at 23.976Hz.?

When you say dual HD video streaming with Clarksdale is not so good are you saying that you cant really watch tv well on two different tv's at the same time with two dual tunner cards? Do you need a more powerful processor than a I3 530?
Decoding MPEG-2 is easier than H.264, but still not that great. You'd better add a discrete card. You can mix two GPU with no problem.

Sorry what does it mean to not have perfect playback at 23.976Hz.?
If you play 23.976 fps movies at 24.000Hz (this is the closest refresh rate that Clarkdale supports), a frame is inserted every ~40 seconds, which may (or may not) be seen as stuttering.

Suppose you connect your HTPC to two AVRs, HDMI to one, DVI (with an adapter) to the other. If you play two movies simultaneously with two players, you can send each audio stream via Intel HD audio to each AVR (so even dual HD audio bitstreamin is possible). ATI HDMI audio can send audio to only one AVR so that you have to use another audio device to play two movies simultaneously (this is a bit strange considering HD 5xxx supports simultaneous dual HD video streams). BTW dual HD video streaming of Clarkdale is not so good (stuttering).
sounds like a hidden feature of these chipsets un advertised. cant see too many applications of this feature tho.

btw isnt clarkdale advertised as dual stream acceleration

Dual audio streaming is seen in the feature table (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1172451#The%20new%20Intel%20Clear%20Video%2 0HD%20technology). Dual video streaming perhaps means 1080p+secondary video stream (such as commentary), while ATI supports 1080p+1080p.

Hello and thanks a bunch for the guide. I'm researching an HTPC project that may or may not come to fruition but I'm in need of certainty whether the specs I've tentatively arrived at would meet the requirements.

The box would connect directly to an LCD HDTV via HDMI, no separate receiver or other equipment. It would be used for:

Blu-ray/DVD playback
Up to 1080p H.264 video file playback
Hulu Desktop/Netflix Instant Play
Recording SD cable television and/or ClearQAM local channels
Music jukeboxing via onboard audio-out to a stereo (the TV isn't and won't be hooked up to this stereo receiver - don't ask - and obviously anything can play MP3s without a hitch so I'm not worried on this req, just including it for completeness' sake)


Parts:
Antec Black M FusionRemote case w/80+ cert 350W PSU - $89.99
ASUS P5KPL-AM EPU G31 mobo - $49.99
E5400 - $72.99
2GB G.Skill DDR2-800 - $49.99
WD Caviar Green 1TB - $84.99
Sapphire HD 5450 - $42.99
LITE-ON BD-ROM - $61.99
AVerMedia AVerTV Combo G2 - $89.99
Logitech diNovo Mini - $139.99
Win7 Home Premium 32-bit OEM - $104.99
ArcSoft TMT 3 Platinum - $59.99
HDMI cable - $4.99
TOTAL... $852.88

Obviously the #1 thing I'm concerned about here is being able to smoothly play Blu-ray and 1080p video files - the box wouldn't be used for anything more taxing than that.

[QUOTE=BillyDude;18164038
With Windows 7 Media Center, this use case eludes me. There doesn't appear to be a way to pause one live channel and switch to the other tuner. If it weren't for the fact that I tested recording while watching another channel, I wouldn't even know that I had dual tuners.
[/QUOTE]

True. It's because MC prioritizes tuners inversely 'tween live and recording.

The question is why you don't use it the way it was designed. Just record the two shows and switch away. Press the red button before the pause button.

I also noticed that after pressing record, it doesnt actually start recording until after about 10 sec. Also it doesn't record the previous live tv buffer you had been watching like every other DVR does.

Coming from Tivo I also noticed that its not able to switch tuners. which is kind of annoying since I don't need to record the show, maybe i just want to watch 2 shows like i use to with my Tivo. On Tivo you just press live TV button and it switches between tuners. Its also possible to pause both of them let them buffer a bit then u can switch and watch 2 shows without recording.

I have a question about the 5450. The only interlacing material I watch is sd stuff (576i???) and it is output to my tv at 1920x1080 res. I have read alot of reviews but because of the bug in the ati drivers when the card was reviewed the actual deinterlacing performance of the card is unclear. Basically what I want to know is will I be able to achieve VA deinterlacing on sd stuff at 1080 resolution. From what I can gather it can do VA on 1080i stuff if you don't enable edge enhancement etc... Is that the same for SD stuff or can it do it on that with some enhancements? The problem with the drivers when the card was reviewed makes it really hard to work out how capable it is.

SD deinterlacing is no problem (much easier than HD deinterlacing).

Coming from Tivo I also noticed that its not able to switch tuners.

Just hit "OK" on the mediacenter remote and it will switch to the last channel you were watching, which is effectively the othe active tuner.

SD deinterlacing is no problem (much easier than HD deinterlacing).
So I guess the resolution you output at doesn't affect the deinterlacing?
Ok so just to confirm before I click "buy", the 5450 does VA deinterlacing on SD no problem with enhancements, and it does it on 1080i as long as theres no enhancements?

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

Well alrighty then, no sense in waiting for a tax check. Mine will be here Monday, with another pair of memory sticks.

Maybe I won't have to open the case again for a few years?

I am using WMC 7 with My Movies. I noticed that when I play a DVD I ripped, some text that is in the movie is not visible. It is as if I am in a zoomed-in mode. I know that the ripped DVD is fine because when I play the movie in VLC or WMP I see all the text in the movie. Anyone give me any suggestions as to what is going on. I am confused!

Thanks.

I am using WMC 7 with My Movies. I noticed that when I play a DVD I ripped, some text that is in the movie is not visible. It is as if I am in a zoomed-in mode. I know that the ripped DVD is fine because when I play the movie in VLC or WMP I see all the text in the movie. Anyone give me any suggestions as to what is going on. I am confused!

Thanks.

Try toggling through the different aspect/zoom settings while playing back (I think there are four options)

So I guess the resolution you output at doesn't affect the deinterlacing?
Ok so just to confirm before I click "buy", the 5450 does VA deinterlacing on SD no problem with enhancements, and it does it on 1080i as long as theres no enhancements?
Yup, deinterlacing fields of the original resolution comes first, then all the other post-processing including upscaling.

Yes.

Thanks dbone. It was the zoom. I toggled the zoom settings and that seemed to fix it...

I then went in and looked at the TV settings under Tasks and noticed that the wizard seems to have the resolution as 1080i even though my TV is 1080p. I tried changing the resolution to 1080p but when I go back and see if it has changed it still says the resolution is 1080i. Any suggestions?

Right Mouse Click on My Computer and select Manage

Then select Disk Management

This should bring up all your drives, is the new drive listed in the list?

Sweet that worked. I was surprised that Vista didn't automatically recognize the drive and format it. Went through the Disk Management, formatted the drive and now it shows up. Thanks for the help.

After 9 years, my HTPC finally can no longer cut the mustard. So, I'm need to upgrade, but my budget is very limited. Money is very tight. I have read through 50 pages or so of this thread. But I still have a few questions.

I'm looking for a Windows 7 system that will play blu ray from hard drive and optical, play dvd, stream media from the networks and netflix and surf the internet.

Will the January Budget ATX Intel system (below) meet my needs? Will it be fast?

Intel-Intel
CPU: Pentium Dual-Core E5400 2.70GHz 2MB L2 LGA775
CPU Cooler: Stock cooler
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-EP43T-UD3L LGA775 Intel P43 chipset ATX
Memory: G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-2GBNQ DDR3-1600 2 x 2GB Kit
Graphics Card (ATI): MSI R5450-MD512H Radeon HD 5450 GDDR3 1gb
HDD: Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB SATA 3.0Gbps
PSU: Corsair VX450W CMPSU-450VX 450W
Case: SilverStone Lascala LC10-E SST-LC10B-E ATX
Optical: Some kind of Blu Ray drive (burner not necessary)

True. It's because MC prioritizes tuners inversely 'tween live and recording.

The question is why you don't use it the way it was designed. Just record the two shows and switch away. Press the red button before the pause button.

Sounds great. Let's see. On the Tivo, switching between two stations on two different tuners to avoid commercials required three clicks: Pause on first tuner, Swap Tuners, Play on second tuner. I might switch back and forth like this four or five times during a one hour show for a total of say 3x5=15 clicks.

How many will it be to use your purported "way it was designed?" Don't forget to add in the record button plus every click required to navigate to and select from your list of recorded items plus you'll want to delete both of them at the end.

Now if I combine that less than ideal user experience with the WMC challenge of stopping predictably at the appropriate frame after fast-forwarding and rewinding (never a problem with Tivo, almost always a problem with WMC), it's almost as inconvenient as the old days when I had to get up to change the channels.

But this is starting to sound like a different thread. Thanks for indulging my rant.

I notice this WD hardrive is recommended for many of the builds, and seems to get good reviews:

Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB SATA 3.0Gbps

On the other hand, the above drive has only 16mb cache, and might be a touch louder than some of the so called "green" drives. How would it compare to something like this, a WD green drive with 64mb cache:

Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EARS 1TB 5400 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5

Is it the 7200 vs. 5400 rpm that is the key quality, in terms of placing the operating system and various other programs on the drive? Or would the 64mb of cache on the green drive be able to make up for the rpm difference?

I am new to PC building, and just trying to understand better, why I would want to go with the one hard drive over the other. This would be the drive I plan to install Windows 7 and the various applications. The PC would be used for HTPC duties, various office applications, web surfing, also some amateur video editing, and some reasonable gaming (my kids are getting to that age). I guess at some point, I would install a second drive to hold mainly media and other data files, that seems to be the usual way these things are handled? Thanks for any advice related to selecting the hard drive.

Renethx, do you see any problems if I substitute this memory (OCZ Obsidian 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600) for the GSkill in your Intel-Intel (iGPU) mini recommendation? http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?nm_mc=AFC-TechBargains&cm_mmc=AFC-TechBargains-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA&Item=N82E16820227495

After rebate, it is $65.

thanks,
Murray

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.
Why does the i3 suck at 23.976fps? When I convert DVD to video for i3 530 should I use 23.976, 24 or 29.97 (NTSC video)?

Hi fellows
I need help please

I have intel quadcore -core2duo 6600
4gb ddr2 ram
500gb HD
nvidia 8500gt 512mb ram as gpu

Iam encoding my home dvd vidoe to bluray
and iam using xvid4psp freeware software itis goos
but the problem is 8.5gb takes about 2days roughly which is a long time for me
Is there any other softwares that do converting dvd to bluray
my spec are 1920 x 1080
atleast ac35.1 audio
if i choose to upgrade to i processors/motherboard/ram
does it cutdown my encoding time
Iam looking at least 4-8hours i will be happy
which processor to get i3/i5/i7-please help
thanks in advance

I notice this WD hardrive is recommended for many of the builds, and seems to get good reviews:

Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB SATA 3.0Gbps

On the other hand, the above drive has only 16mb cache, and might be a touch louder than some of the so called "green" drives. How would it compare to something like this, a WD green drive with 64mb cache:

Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EARS 1TB 5400 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5

Is it the 7200 vs. 5400 rpm that is the key quality, in terms of placing the operating system and various other programs on the drive? Or would the 64mb of cache on the green drive be able to make up for the rpm difference?

.

I actually own both of these drives. I think I have a somewhat defective 6400AAKS as it makes noise like sleighbells any time the drive is active. It's actually the noisiest drive I own. Fortunately it was just in a desktop (not HTPC) until I removed it and put it into a USB enclosure; now it's a backup drive. Replaced it on the desktop with the 400GB version of the AAKS drive which is probably in my case about a third as loud but just as fast (and at the same time added a caviar green 10EARS, which is very quiet). My HTPC uses another of the Caviar Green 10EARS you listed. It's quiet and fast enough for system drive use, though it is clearly not the speediest drive on the planet. I partitioned it for a small system partition and use the rest for storage. The HTPC also has a 1.5 GB version of the drive; it too is quiet.

Were I doing it over today, I would look around for a small fast ultraquiet system drive rather than use either the AAKS variants or the big EARS drives for the system.

Marc

Will the January Budget ATX Intel system (below) meet my needs? Will it be fast?
Yes.

"Fast": depending on what do you want to be faster, you may have to spend more money. In this price range, the system is the fastest in general.

Renethx, do you see any problems if I substitute this memory (OCZ Obsidian 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600) for the GSkill in your Intel-Intel (iGPU) mini recommendation? http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?nm_mc=AFC-TechBargains&cm_mmc=AFC-TechBargains-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA&Item=N82E16820227495

After rebate, it is $65.

thanks,
Murray
Basically there should be no problem.

Why does the i3 suck at 23.976fps? When I convert DVD to video for i3 530 should I use 23.976, 24 or 29.97 (NTSC video)?
Because Clarkdale supports 24.000Hz, not exactly 23.976Hz.

- Film-based discs (DVD/BD): 23.976Hz
- Vdeo-based discs (DVD/BD): 59.94Hz.

The closest refresh rate Clardale supports is 24.000Hz/60.000Hz respectively, that may (or may not) result in periodic stuttering.

Yes.

"Fast": depending on what do you want to be faster, you may have to spend more money. In this price range, the system is the fastest in general.

Thank you!

Any recommendations for a BluRay optical drive?

I would like to thank renethx for an awesome write up that overs pretty much every aspect of HTPC building. I just placed orders for this build, minus one addon controller card. I feel that one will be fine for the foreseeable future. I currently have a raid box with


"20 HDD Rack Mount System I

The first system uses NORCO RPC-4020 case (20 SATA connectors in the backplane) and two 8-port SATA controller PCI-X cards.

System

* Case: NORCO RPC-4020 4U EATX/ATX (20 x SATA/SAS drive bay), $264.
* PSU: Corsair TX750W CMPSU-750TX 750W, $105.
* CPU: Athlon II X2 240 ADX240OCGQBOX 2.8GHz AM3, $60.
* CPU Cooler: Stock Cooler, $0.
* Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA785GT-UD3H AM3 AMD 785G chipset ATX, $93.
* Memory: G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-2GBNQ DDR3-1600 2 x 1GB Kit, $65.
* Graphics: Radeon HD 4200 (integrated in the chipset), $0.
* HBA: Supermicro AOC-SAT2-MV8 8-port SATA Controller PCI-X Card, $96.
* HBA: Supermicro AOC-SAT2-MV8 8-port SATA Controller PCI-X Card, $96.
* OS HDD: Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB SATA 3.0Gbps, $63.
* Total Cost: $842 (storage drives are not included)

Remarks

* Supermicro AOC-SAT2-MV8 is a PCI-X card. However it works fine with a PCI slot and the performance is good enough for WHS or unRAID (this is natural considering the bandwidth of PCI is 133MB/s, higher than most single disks).
* You may need two Right (Left?)-Angle SATA cables so that one of the Supermicro cards does not interfere with the onboard SATA ports,"

I feel that one controller card will be fine for the foreseeable future. I currently have a raid box with four 1.5 TB drives that will be moved over to my new server once all the movies and TV shows have been transferred on to the four new 2.0TB drives I just ordered.
I plan on running UnRaid for the operating system. I am looking forward to the build. I should not have a problem with temperatures as this sever will be placed in my unheated basement (Average temperature year round is in the low to mid 60's. I run a dehumidifier, so that shouldn't be an issue either.
Thanks again for the tremendous amount of time you spent on the write up renethx.

Any recommendations for a BluRay optical drive?
LITE-ON iHOS104 (no DVD write) or LG CH08LS10 (DVD write). Thanks you!

What kind of power supply would I need for the midrange MicroATX Intel system with the Radeon 5670? I was thinking of getting an ANTEC NSK2480 SILVER 380W or Antec Micro Fusion case to save some money since they include power supplies. Would I be able to fit the 5670 in those cases?

What kind of power supply would I need for the midrange MicroATX Intel system with the Radeon 5670? I was thinking of getting an ANTEC NSK2480 SILVER 380W or Antec Micro Fusion case to save some money since they include power supplies. Would I be able to fit the 5670 in those cases?
350W is enough (see this post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=18165346#post18165346)). Antec MicroFusion Remote 350 is a low-profile case and supports only low-profile cards. So the best card for this case is HD 5570 or 5450. (The fan noise of HD 5570 may not be quiet for some users; the fan is small [because it's low-profile] and rotates at higher speeds.)

Because Clarkdale supports 24.000Hz, not exactly 23.976Hz.

- Film-based discs (DVD/BD): 23.976Hz
- Vdeo-based discs (DVD/BD): 59.94Hz.

The closest refresh rate Clardale supports is 24.000Hz/60.000Hz respectively, that may (or may not) result in periodic stuttering.

Thanks for the concise answer for those wondering what's up.

And many (most?) people won't see this stuttering. I don't, it all looks perfect. But then my display (Samsung Plasma from just last year), while it takes a 24p input it converts it to 60p for display. Thus I see no issues with stuttering at all (there is none on my display). Blurays and rips of Blurays look perfect on my TV with the Clarksdale.

I'd gather that if the display is a true 24p display and displays at 24p then that's when someone may see the stuttering if their eyes are attuned to it.

No matter what though, Intel does need to fix the issue.

Is there a low profile version of the 5670 available? Will the 5670 fit into the Antec NSK2480 SILVER 380W?

Is there a low profile version of the 5670 available? Will the 5670 fit into the Antec NSK2480 SILVER 380W?
There is no low-profile version of HD 5670. HD 5670 fits almost all full-height cases, including NSK2480 of course.

There is no low-profile version of HD 5670. HD 5670 fits almost all full-height cases, including NSK2480 of course.

Thanks renethx.

I was wondering if anybody has any experience with any of the following cases?

1. nMEDIAPC Black Aluminum / Acrylic / Steel HTPC 5000B Micro ATX Media Center
2. nMEDIAPC Black Aluminum panel & Steel HTPC 1000B Micro ATX Media Center / HTPC Case


Also, renethx, I was wondering what your preferred media center software is? XBMC looks beautiful, so I was thinking of installing that on my future HTPC (will be Windows 7 based), but from what I understand, it doesn't fully support Blu-ray playback yet?

I've recently built the mid-range mATX amd system, and I had a question about the case fans in the Antec Fusion Remote case. Each fan has a toggle for its speed (H, M, L), and I've had them set on low. However, I've had a few system crashes, so I am running Prime95 to stress the system. In this case, the CPU temp skyrockets, but if I bump the case fans to high, it runs around 55C (slightly high, but ok, right?).

- Is there any way to control the speed of the case fans programmatically?
- Also, is there a tutorial for Speedfan? I swear I've seen one here, but I cant find it again.

Thanks for all the help.

I've recently built the mid-range mATX amd system, and I had a question about the case fans in the Antec Fusion Remote case. Each fan has a toggle for its speed (H, M, L), and I've had them set on low. However, I've had a few system crashes, so I am running Prime95 to stress the system. In this case, the CPU temp skyrockets, but if I bump the case fans to high, it runs around 55C (slightly high, but ok, right?).

- Is there any way to control the speed of the case fans programmatically?
- Also, is there a tutorial for Speedfan? I swear I've seen one here, but I cant find it again.

Thanks for all the help.
I wrote a simple instruction somewhere: search with keyword SpeedFan and user name renethx.

Thanks renethx.

I was wondering if anybody has any experience with any of the following cases?

1. nMEDIAPC Black Aluminum / Acrylic / Steel HTPC 5000B Micro ATX Media Center
2. nMEDIAPC Black Aluminum panel & Steel HTPC 1000B Micro ATX Media Center / HTPC Case


Also, renethx, I was wondering what your preferred media center software is? XBMC looks beautiful, so I was thinking of installing that on my future HTPC (will be Windows 7 based), but from what I understand, it doesn't fully support Blu-ray playback yet?

I have the 1000B case and recommend it, though can't compare it to the 5000B that I've never seen. The 1000B was easy to work with as a first-time system builder. Everything fit in nicely though one of the HDD slots was a bit tight (I just used a different slot; I'll never fill this thing). Could have been user error.

Anyway I recommend the case and can say to my eye it looks nice. The LEDs (power/HD) are bright enough but not too bright.

For software I use W7MC supplemented by Media Browser. I rip DVD/BD to MKV files using MakeMKV, though occasionally for forced subtitle movies I use the original ISO I make with AnyDVDHD (mounted via VirtualCloneDrive) and play them with PowerDVD 7.3 which came with the BD drive. It all fits together pretty seamlessly.

Marc

I'd gather that if the display is a true 24p display and displays at 24p then that's when someone may see the stuttering if their eyes are attuned to it.There are displays that allow 24P input, but I'm not aware of any that display at 24P.

This is a repost, but I don't think I saw a reply...

What's the recommended path for someone who used and enjoyed Win 7 RC on their HTPC?

I'm getting the pop-up now that my machine will start shutting down every 2 hours starting in about 2 weeks.

I'm really interested in the mini gaming system (intel-intel) posted here. Does anyone know the status of the motherboard?
It's the ZOTAC H55-ITX WiFi H55ITX-A-E.

Has anyone built either of the other configurations (intel-nvidia, nvidia-nvidia) of this build yet? How is that case?
I got a Dell Zino at Christmas time and couldn't be happier for a htpc, my friends and I are getting excited about the prospect of cramming a nice gaming system into such a small package.

This is a repost, but I don't think I saw a reply...

What's the recommended path for someone who used and enjoyed Win 7 RC on their HTPC?

I'm getting the pop-up now that my machine will start shutting down every 2 hours starting in about 2 weeks.

I took notes on how I got everything just the way I wanted it, then created an image of the system the way it was (just in case I botched something up). Did a custom install of Win7 upgrade and re-setup everything the way I had it on RC. Went pretty smooth.

I'm looking into putting together an HTPC. One thing I'm seeing is that USB 3.0 is on the horizon but I don't see any cases offering a USB 3.0 port. Are USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports physically the same size, that all you have to do is connect the USB 3.0 from the motherboard to the port on the front of the case and you're good to go? Or is there a difference and cases with USB 3.0 ports in front are just not out yet?
Thanks
Jim

I'm really interested in the mini gaming system (intel-intel) posted here. Does anyone know the status of the motherboard?
It's the ZOTAC H55-ITX WiFi H55ITX-A-E.

Has anyone built either of the other configurations (intel-nvidia, nvidia-nvidia) of this build yet? How is that case?
I got a Dell Zino at Christmas time and couldn't be happier for a htpc, my friends and I are getting excited about the prospect of cramming a nice gaming system into such a small package.

The zotac is available at Amazon (looks like 11-14 days shipping). Also another site had it in stock (cannot remember the name but someone ordered and got it this past friday)

I'm looking into putting together an HTPC. One thing I'm seeing is that USB 3.0 is on the horizon but I don't see any cases offering a USB 3.0 port. Are USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports physically the same size, that all you have to do is connect the USB 3.0 from the motherboard to the port on the front of the case and you're good to go? Or is there a difference and cases with USB 3.0 ports in front are just not out yet?
Thanks
Jim
USB 3.0 connector has 5 new pins in addition to the 4 pins of USB 2.0 (so a USB 3.0 cable is thicker). But you can use an older USB 2.0 cable/peripheral (such as current PC cases with USB 2.0 ports) with a USB 3.0 connector and vice versa.

USB 3.0 will be supported by chipset (AMD/Intel) in 2011 (or later). Until then you will see USB 3.0 connectors only in the rear panel of a mb.

Hi can someone answer this question?

So I'm interested in getting the ati 5450 for my htpc to do bitstreaming. Currently I have asus p5q pro motherboard with ati 4850 installed. I was just wondering if I could add the ati 5450 to the current setup in crossfire configuration. If so, how would that work out for gaming and bitstreaming? Thanks

Hi can someone answer this question?

So I'm interested in getting the ati 5450 for my htpc to do bitstreaming. Currently I have asus p5q pro motherboard with ati 4850 installed. I was just wondering if I could add the ati 5450 to the current setup in crossfire configuration. If so, how would that work out for gaming and bitstreaming? Thanks
Yes, you can do CrossFireX. Just insert a HD 5450 in the second PCI Express x16 slot and enable CrossFireX in CCC. You can use the ATI HDMI audio controller in either HD 4850 or HD 5450 (or both simultaneously) freely.

Yes, you can do CrossFireX. Just insert a HD 5450 in the second PCI Express x16 slot and enable CrossFireX in CCC. You can use the ATI HDMI audio controller in either HD 4850 or HD 5450 (or both simultaneously) freely.


So I can add 5450, connect the crossfire bridge cable, enable crossfirex in CCC and I will be able to bitstream Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA even though HDMI connection to receiver is still from 4850? Also there will be a slight increase in gaming performance right?

Thanks so much for answering so many of my questions.

This is a repost, but I don't think I saw a reply...

What's the recommended path for someone who used and enjoyed Win 7 RC on their HTPC?

I'm getting the pop-up now that my machine will start shutting down every 2 hours starting in about 2 weeks.

I took notes on how I got everything just the way I wanted it, then created an image of the system the way it was (just in case I botched something up). Did a custom install of Win7 upgrade and re-setup everything the way I had it on RC. Went pretty smooth.

+1 I did the same. Don't mess with "in-place" or upgrade installations. Not worth the potential hassle.

Renethx, when do you think the ATI HD 5XXX series with move into an integrated GPU platform?

So I can add 5450, connect the crossfire bridge cable, enable crossfirex in CCC and I will be able to bitstream Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA even though HDMI connection to receiver is still from 4850? Also there will be a slight increase in gaming performance right?

Thanks so much for answering so many of my questions.
An entry-level card does not require a physical "bridge"; it is designed to operate in CFX mode via PCI Express bus.

Here is a caveat: you have to connect the HDMI cable to HD 5450 in order to get HD audio bitstreaming. I am not sure if CFX works this way. (My previous post is wrong in this regards.)

In general I recommend selling your HD 4850 and buying HD 5750 or 5770 instead. It's simpler than CFX, quieter (usually) and consumes much less power (4850: 110W, 5450: 20W, 5750: 86W, 5770: 108W; but there is a big difference in idle power: 4850: ~40W, 5750: 16W, 5770: 18W).

Renethx, when do you think the ATI HD 5XXX series with move into an integrated GPU platform?
Llano in 2011 (perhaps H1).

The zotac is available at Amazon (looks like 11-14 days shipping). Also another site had it in stock (cannot remember the name but someone ordered and got it this past friday)I had placed a preorder for it on Amazon about 2 weeks ago. I got a message this weekend saying it would ship between March 5th to 9th.

I had placed a preorder for it on Amazon about 2 weeks ago. I got a message this weekend saying it would ship between March 5th to 9th.

Same here.

Here is the company I found online that actually had in stock:

http://www.tonermeister.com/H55ITX-A-E-89608.htm

I did not know much about so I avoided, but someone else from AVS (I think LawGuy) did order from them and got the Mobo last Friday.

This is Addesso wireless keyboard is certainly convenient but frustrating also. The reset button on the bottom is in a very bad place. It's easy to bump, forcing you to get up and re-establish the connection all too often. I wish some place had the Hauppage HD PVR 1212 in stock.

Are you all getting the Zotac mb because of the built in wireless?
I am considering the DFI LANParty MI P55-T36 I see at newegg instead of the Zotac since I plan to use a stand alone video card with it and don't need the wifi.
Any reason this is a bad idea?

Are you all getting the Zotac mb because of the built in wireless?
I am considering the DFI LANParty MI P55-T36 I see at newegg instead of the Zotac since I plan to use a stand alone video card with it and don't need the wifi.
Any reason this is a bad idea?

The Zotac is a mini-itx mobo (first one to hit the market) for the core i3/i5. I have no need for the wireless, just want the mini-itx part

The Zotac is a mini-itx mobo (first one to hit the market) for the core i3/i5. I have no need for the wireless, just want the mini-itx partMe too for my HTPC. I am also going to make a 2nd PC to mount on the back of a monitor in the kitchen and the wireless will come in handy for that one.

# LG CH08LS10 Super Multi Blue BD-ROM/DVD Rewriter, $104.
# LITE-ON iHOS104 BD/DVD Reader, $60.

Is there any advantage to the BD playback on the LG over the LITE-ON? I have no need for another DVD burner. I already have 3. It would be nice to have a combo, but for $40, I'd rather put that to other HTPC parts.

# LG CH08LS10 Super Multi Blue BD-ROM/DVD Rewriter, $104.
# LITE-ON iHOS104 BD/DVD Reader, $60.

Is there any advantage to the BD playback on the LG over the LITE-ON? I have no need for another DVD burner. I already have 3. It would be nice to have a combo, but for $40, I'd rather put that to other HTPC parts.

The LG performs poorly as a DVD reader/burner. Rips on it take longer than any of my other drives and it writes slowly too. BD ripping takes about the same as my other LG drive which I think is 4x; not sure how they call this an 8x drive. If I were doing it over again I would buy the LITE-ON.

This is Addesso wireless keyboard is certainly convenient but frustrating also. The reset button on the bottom is in a very bad place. It's easy to bump, forcing you to get up and re-establish the connection all too often.

I got this keyboard and love it! It's true, it's too easy to bump the reset button. Also, you have to hit a key, like the Shift key after 2 minutes when the keyboard goes to sleep to wake it up... moving the track ball won't wake it up, which is counterintuitive.

I've seen several suggestions to place a thin washer around the wireless resync button to make it harder to hit accidentally. I haven't bothered yet having gotten used to not picking up the keyboard in a certain way, but that should work well enough.

+1 I did the same. Don't mess with "in-place" or upgrade installations. Not worth the potential hassle.

Okay, thanks for the replies.

Unfortunately, I didn't take notes. On the plus side, I did make fairly heavy use of this thread so a search should go a long way ;)

I don't have spare disk space to make a backup or a system image. And I also figure since it only contains rips of DVDs I own or recorded TV shows, there isn't THAT much to loose.

Can someone confirm though... if I do a "clean install", is it possible to do that without formatting the disk, so that the OS itself gets a clean install but my medial library stays in place on the disk? That would save a lot of time if I don't have to re-rip all my DVDs.

The Zotac is a mini-itx mobo (first one to hit the market) for the core i3/i5. I have no need for the wireless, just want the mini-itx part

The DFI board is a mini-itx board, socket LGA 1156.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136073&Tpk=DFI%20LANParty%20MI%20P55-T36

It looks like both are mini-itx socket LGA 1156 boards, the Zotac has integrated video and wifi, the DFI does not.
The DFI is a P55, and the Zotac is a H55, not sure what else I am missing. It looks to me like both would work for a core i5.

Okay, thanks for the replies.
Can someone confirm though... if I do a "clean install", is it possible to do that without formatting the disk, so that the OS itself gets a clean install but my medial library stays in place on the disk? That would save a lot of time if I don't have to re-rip all my DVDs.

I can confirm this. This is how I did the install on my main HTPC/server. It kept all of my other stuff. On that particular install, I did not format the disk and it installed fine. It created a folder called windows.old or something and put my old install in there, with the user folders, etc. It left all other folders intact - my mame, my music, etc.

I can confirm this. This is how I did the install on my main HTPC/server. It kept all of my other stuff. On that particular install, I did not format the disk and it installed fine. It created a folder called windows.old or something and put my old install in there, with the user folders, etc. It left all other folders intact - my mame, my music, etc.

Great, thanks!

An entry-level card does not require a physical "bridge"; it is designed to operate in CFX mode via PCI Express bus.

Here is a caveat: you have to connect the HDMI cable to HD 5450 in order to get HD audio bitstreaming. I am not sure if CFX works this way. (My previous post is wrong in this regards.)

In general I recommend selling your HD 4850 and buying HD 5750 or 5770 instead. It's simpler than CFX, quieter (usually) and consumes much less power (4850: 110W, 5450: 20W, 5750: 86W, 5770: 108W; but there is a big difference in idle power: 4850: ~40W, 5750: 16W, 5770: 18W).

Thanks for the suggestion. What would be a fair price for a sapphire 4850 512mb on craigslist?

@ Renethx,

MvixUSA (http://www.mvixusa.com/store/index.php?target=products&product_id=1600#main_description) has the Mini-ITX 785G available for $155 (for your Mini-ITX AMD-AMD build)

Also, for your media servers section you have the total cost also showing as the cost for the Antec 1200:

20 HDDs in Hot Swap Bays, $552
Antec Twelve Hundred ATX (12 x 5.25” bay), $552.
Athena Power BP-SATA3051B 5-in-3 backplane, $110.
Athena Power BP-SATA3051B 5-in-3 backplane, $110.
Athena Power BP-SATA3051B 5-in-3 backplane, $110.
Athena Power BP-SATA3051B 5-in-3 backplane, $110.

Can someone confirm though... if I do a "clean install", is it possible to do that without formatting the disk, so that the OS itself gets a clean install but my medial library stays in place on the disk? That would save a lot of time if I don't have to re-rip all my DVDs.

You can clean install w/o losing data. Or better yet partition the disk and put the media on D:

I've done three upgrades of Vista to 7 with zero problems, unlike XP to Vista which sometimes caused problems. Which led to the mantra of always do a clean install.

Thanks for the suggestion. What would be a fair price for a sapphire 4850 512mb on craigslist?
Searching at eBay ("Completed listings") may be helpful. Sold price of a used HD 4850 512MB ranges over $60-$96 (http://cgi.ebay.com/VisionTek-ATI-Radeon-HD-4850-512-MB-900241_W0QQitemZ220551647342QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCC_Video_TV_ Cards?hash=item3359e7106e).

@ Renethx,

MvixUSA (http://www.mvixusa.com/store/index.php?target=products&product_id=1600#main_description) has the Mini-ITX 785G available for $155 (for your Mini-ITX AMD-AMD build)

Also, for your media servers section you have the total cost also showing as the cost for the Antec 1200:
Thanks. :)

I've recently built the mid-range mATX amd system, and I had a question about the case fans in the Antec Fusion Remote case. Each fan has a toggle for its speed (H, M, L), and I've had them set on low. However, I've had a few system crashes, so I am running Prime95 to stress the system. In this case, the CPU temp skyrockets, but if I bump the case fans to high, it runs around 55C (slightly high, but ok, right?).

- Is there any way to control the speed of the case fans programmatically?
- Also, is there a tutorial for Speedfan? I swear I've seen one here, but I cant find it again.

Thanks for all the help.

I used some Noisemagic controllers on mine. Had to get some 3 pin to molex power adapters to power the silverstone fans that I used. You can see pics in my build thread linked in my sig.

Anybody still debating an Atom vs. a full dual core cpu for an HTPC should take a look at this article. Clarkdale system idling at 25w, same as an Atom build.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/25w-performance-pc,2551.html

If one were to use a i5-650 instead, the power usage would be about the same without having to under volt.

< content deleted - I blame the lack of sleep >

Here is my current build:
CPU: i3-530
PSU: Corsair 400W
MOBO: Asrock H55M Pro
Ram: G.Skill DDR3 1600
HD: OCZ 60gb SSD
Optical: Lite-on Blu-Ray
OS: Win7 Ultimate (32-bit)
AVR: Onkyo 805

So I finally put this build together and installed the latest Intel HD Graphics Driver (2057) and hooked it up to the Onkyo 805. I am having issues with the audio driver. When I go to configure playback devices the HDMI audio only allows for stereo sound. I don't get an option for 5.1/7.1. Anyone know what issue this could be or do I need to get some drivers from Asrock website? I have the HDMI Audio Out Disabled on my Onkyo 805.

Here is my current build:
CPU: i3-530
PSU: Corsair 400W
MOBO: Asrock H55M Pro
Ram: G.Skill DDR3 1600
HD: OCZ 60gb SSD
Optical: Lite-on Blu-Ray
OS: Win7 Ultimate (32-bit)
AVR: Onkyo 805

So I finally put this build together and installed the latest Intel HD Graphics Driver (2057) and hooked it up to the Onkyo 805. I am having issues with the audio driver. When I go to configure playback devices the HDMI audio only allows for stereo sound. I don't get an option for 5.1/7.1. Anyone know what issue this could be or do I need to get some drivers from Asrock website? I have the HDMI Audio Out Disabled on my Onkyo 805.

I have the same board, processor and Onkyo 606 and had problems to get audio to work with the newest version of the Intel driver. What I found that worked was install the older version of the driver that comes with the CD for the board. I emailed ASRock and they said it should work but I updated it again and still did not work. I am not sure what version of the driver I have but try that.

I used some Noisemagic controllers on mine. Had to get some 3 pin to molex power adapters to power the silverstone fans that I used. You can see pics in my build thread linked in my sig.

Thanks for the reply, and that is a very nice writeup in your sig.

I have the same board, processor and Onkyo 606 and had problems to get audio to work with the newest version of the Intel driver. What I found that worked was install the older version of the driver that comes with the CD for the board. I emailed ASRock and they said it should work but I updated it again and still did not work. I am not sure what version of the driver I have but try that.

Thanks I'll go ahead and give it a try. I originally just downloaded the drivers from the intel website and didn't even bother to install the drivers on the disk. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks again.

Thanks I'll go ahead and give it a try. I originally just downloaded the drivers from the intel website and didn't even bother to install the drivers on the disk. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks again.

Installed the drivers on the cd that came with the ASRock mobo and now I get audio. Odd that the Intel drivers aren't compatible but all is good now. Thanks for the advice.

Installed the drivers on the cd that came with the ASRock mobo and now I get audio. Odd that the Intel drivers aren't compatible but all is good now. Thanks for the advice.

Yea I know it's odd and very frustrating.

GIGABYTE GA-890GPA-UD3H at Newegg, $140 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128435). (The official release date will be March 1st.) You can use it in an ATX mid-range/high-end AMD system.

- AMD 890GX (northbridge with IGP): An improved version of 790GX, supporting multichannel LPCM over HDMI.
- AMD SB850 (southbridge): Supports SATA 6Gbps six ports.

- GA-890GPA-UD3H: Supports USB 3.0 two ports (with the NEC chip).

880G (non-CFX version) and 890FX (CFX x16 version, no IGP) will be released on April 26 (?).

What's the IGP on this version? Same as the old 785G?

Hd 4290.

Here is my current build:
CPU: i3-530
PSU: Corsair 400W
MOBO: Asrock H55M Pro
Ram: G.Skill DDR3 1600
HD: OCZ 60gb SSD
Optical: Lite-on Blu-Ray
OS: Win7 Ultimate (32-bit)
AVR: Onkyo 805

So I finally put this build together and installed the latest Intel HD Graphics Driver (2057) and hooked it up to the Onkyo 805. I am having issues with the audio driver. When I go to configure playback devices the HDMI audio only allows for stereo sound. I don't get an option for 5.1/7.1. Anyone know what issue this could be or do I need to get some drivers from Asrock website? I have the HDMI Audio Out Disabled on my Onkyo 805.

I ordered the Asrock H55M Pro yesterday along with an i3-540 processor and then found your post. Did you get this going for bitstreamming? Does the Asrock H55M Pro mb work with HD audio codec's? Any other problems?

I'll be trying out the latest tmt3 .170 patch with this setup. W7 64bit, G.SKILL 4GB DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 RAM, My Movies, AnyDVD HD, Blu-ray ISO's and DVD .ts files.

Anyone else have experience with the Asrock H55M Pro mb?

I ordered the Asrock H55M Pro yesterday along with an i3-540 processor and then found your post. Did you get this going for bitstreamming? Does the Asrock H55M Pro mb work with HD audio codec's? Any other problems?

I'll be trying out the latest tmt3 .170 patch with this setup. W7 64bit, G.SKILL 4GB DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 RAM, My Movies, AnyDVD HD, Blu-ray ISO's and DVD .ts files.

Anyone else have experience with the Asrock H55M Pro mb?

There is only a problem with the newest drivers for the Intel drivers for the HD graphics. I posted above to install the older drivers that come with motherboard, don't download the newest version online.

There is only a problem with the newest drivers for the Intel drivers for the HD graphics. I posted above to install the older drivers that come with motherboard, don't download the newest version online.

I noticed that. Thanks! I just wanted to make sure that the actual ASRock H55M Pro mb didn't have some sort of actual hardware problem with HD audio compaired to the Asus or Gigabyte. Hopefully all of the driver problems will start getting worked out soon!

The DFI board is a mini-itx board, socket LGA 1156.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136073&Tpk=DFI%20LANParty%20MI%20P55-T36

It looks like both are mini-itx socket LGA 1156 boards, the Zotac has integrated video and wifi, the DFI does not.
The DFI is a P55, and the Zotac is a H55, not sure what else I am missing. It looks to me like both would work for a core i5.

I think you subtly said this, but it is worth repeating I think. The P and the H matter.

P55 DO NOT support the integrated i3/i5 Clarkdale graphics.
H55 boards DO support integrated i3/i5 Clarkdale graphics.

So if you want to ever use integrated Clarkdale graphics, you need an H55 or H57 board (H57 has a RAID chipset).

Looking for a little advice here...

I'm ready to cancel my cable service and go OTA only with an HTPC. I was all set to pick up a Revo R3610 with a couple USB tuner sticks and an IR receiver for my Logitech Harmony, but after checking out this thread, I realized I could do the AMD low end microATX build (plus DVD drive, dual tuner, keyboard, etc.) for practically the same price. If the price ends up the same, is there a compelling reason to go for the Revo setup over a more flexible HTPC build? Either system will only be used for watching and recording OTA HDTV, Netflix and Hulu streaming, and locally stored video.

I think you subtly said this, but it is worth repeating I think. The P and the H matter.

P55 DO NOT support the integrated i3/i5 Clarkdale graphics.
H55 boards DO support integrated i3/i5 Clarkdale graphics.

So if you want to ever use integrated Clarkdale graphics, you need an H55 or H57 board (H57 has a RAID chipset).

Thank you for repeating that back to me. Believe it or not, the fact that this was the major difference was escaping me even though I plainly typed it out :) For whatever reason, it wasn't clicking in my head.

I could really use some help. I've been following this thread and much is over my head. I am building an HTPC. My goal is to use this to run audio and video throughout my home, but I am not sure how to connect this to my AV system.

My hope is to connect the HTPC to a 4x4 HDMI matrix swtich and have that route to the main 5.1 system and other video/audio in the home distributing high quality audio and 1080P video. Should I connect the HDMI out on the video card to the switch or is there a better way to do this? Will this send audio along with the video since it comes from a video card?

Would really appreciate anyone's advice.

I will buy all my wiring through Blue Jeans (XLR's & HDMI's) and try to support all the forums sponsors whenever I can.

The pickings are very slim on GeForce GTX 275 DDR3 896MB. Wanting EVGA. Any suggestions?

Looking for a little advice here...

I'm ready to cancel my cable service and go OTA only with an HTPC. I was all set to pick up a Revo R3610 with a couple USB tuner sticks and an IR receiver for my Logitech Harmony, but after checking out this thread, I realized I could do the AMD low end microATX build (plus DVD drive, dual tuner, keyboard, etc.) for practically the same price. If the price ends up the same, is there a compelling reason to go for the Revo setup over a more flexible HTPC build? Either system will only be used for watching and recording OTA HDTV, Netflix and Hulu streaming, and locally stored video.

For a dual tuner I just can't praise the SiliconDust HDHomeRun network tuners enough. Mounts anywhere on your network, two HD OTA tuners and you can add more, a dual cablecard tuner coming soon, no extra heat inside the HTPC, all HTPC's on the network can access the tuners and they work flawlessly!

I got rid of cable about a year ago when ours went up again to around $120 a month and rearely miss it. Even when we cut out most of the extras it was still about $90 a month! I put up a good outside antenna for the price of one months cable that pulls in all my local channels and signed up for Netflix for online streamming through W7 WMC and also get my 3 DVD rentals at a time. Even subtracting my Netflix bill I've saved over $800 this year on my TV viewing and OTA TV looks outstanding!

It time to build or buy a HTPC to be used as a extender in the family room. This will only be used to stream movies and tv shows over the network from main HTPC. After looking around to see what items I already own, here's what I got:

Gigabyte GA-K8N ultra 9 motherboard
MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 Processor
Zalman CPU Cooler
DVD drive
Win 7 operating system

Stll need:
Case and power supply
memory
Video Card AMD 5XXX

It's this even doable to stream 720p and 1080p movies? My other option is the Acer Aspire Revo 1600. Does the Revo passtrough HD audio?

Hi Renethx,

Can you recommend a slim Blu-Ray drive. I want to build a mini-itx system. Silverstone LC09 case. I see you can get one from Silverstone, but their download site does not have drivers. Also saw a post at newegg, that someone was having a hard time finding drivers.

I see for the most part in your recommendation you do not have listed a ODD, much less a Slim ODD Blu-Ray... Do you have one?

A couple of people have asked about the Revo, so I'll chime in on that.

I bought an HDHomerun and this antenna (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882790014) from Newegg, and have them hooked up to a Revo AR3610. The antenna works great - I just have it indoors at the moment, but I was very impressed. HDHomerun was easy to set up, though my XP box can't use the tuner for some reason - something about codecs.

Back to the Revo 3610 - the keyboard and mouse are really nice RF wireless components, allowing me to hide the box. And it is a very capable machine - 1080p, plays my hulu / netflix / ripped dvd movies / tv tuner just fine.

But I do find myself underwhelmed by the speed of the system. I know it is an atom machine, but it takes at least 5 seconds for the guide to come up, and it just isn't that fast generally. I'm not sure if it is the atom, or the software, or the 5400 drive, but I'm glad that for my main HTPC machine I'm going to use real non-laptop/nettop components. I'm hoping that the guide will be speedier (can someone confirm?).

I also wonder if the Dell Zino HD would perform better. There was a deal today for $322 that included a zino, 4gb, 320gb hdd, amd processors, lcd monitor at techbargains (http://www.techbargains.com/product/zino_hd).

There are separate threads about the Revo and the Zino HD in this forum.

Hi Renethx,

Can you recommend a slim Blu-Ray drive. I want to build a mini-itx system. Silverstone LC09 case. I see you can get one from Silverstone, but their download site does not have drivers. Also saw a post at newegg, that someone was having a hard time finding drivers.

I see for the most part in your recommendation you do not have listed a ODD, much less a Slim ODD Blu-Ray... Do you have one?
SilverStone TOB02 SST-TOB02. Which driver are you looking for? Every BD drive works with Windows's built-in driver.

It's this even doable to stream 720p and 1080p movies? My other option is the Acer Aspire Revo 1600. Does the Revo passtrough HD audio?
Sream movies to other systems or play back movies streamed from another system? Streaming videos is usually easy (the only limiting factors are the HDD and network performance). Playing back HD videos is also easy with a newer graphics card.

Revo can't bitstream HD audio. It is limited to LPCM.

Sream movies to other systems or play back movies streamed from another system? Streaming videos is usually easy (the only limiting factors are the HDD and network performance). Playing back HD videos is also easy with a newer graphics card.

Revo can't bitstream HD audio. It is limited to LPCM.

This system will only be used to play movies streamed from the main HTPC. Thanks for the answer on the Revo.

I've been following this thread for awhile and pretty much had decided to do one of your builds, renethx. Now I'm having second thoughts ...

One other thread I subscribe to is the new Dune players, and they seem to be performing very well.

Can you, or anybody else for that matter, tell me why I should spend more than twice the price of one of the Dune 3 players on a HTPC project? Is it because it is more of a DIY hobby than just a box that can apparently play BD and DVD rips with HD audio flawlessly? Does it have anything to do with "future proofing"? (If so, what in the future will be more demanding than BR playback over a network is right now?)

I have no interest in gaming, and all but the high end HTPC builds aren't very good at gaming anyway. I do want something my wife can easily use, and something that is amenable to some sort of universal remote setup.

I've been following this thread for awhile and pretty much had decided to do one of your builds, renethx. Now I'm having second thoughts ...

One other thread I subscribe to is the new Dune players, and they seem to be performing very well.

Can you, or anybody else for that matter, tell me why I should spend more than twice the price of one of the Dune 3 players on a HTPC project? Is it because it is more of a DIY hobby than just a box that can apparently play BD and DVD rips with HD audio flawlessly? Does it have anything to do with "future proofing"? (If so, what in the future will be more demanding than BR playback over a network is right now?)

I have no interest in gaming, and all but the high end HTPC builds aren't very good at gaming anyway. I do want something my wife can easily use, and something that is amenable to some sort of universal remote setup.

I personally enjoy the flexability of HTPCs. You can pick and choose what UI you want to use, how to view it, etc... With the dedicated media players you are very limited (I think the PCH being the best of the bunch since you can use a variety of jukeboxes such as YAMJ + Aeon, plus they are the only one I feel is somewhat future proof due to the coming flash ui). I have a mix of HTPCs and media players but always go back to my HTPCs as my main players, especially now that I have bitstreaming working. Undoubtedly media players require less maintenance, you don't have to mess with codecs, filters, etc... With an HTPC you have no restrictions on what online content you can access. Basically, either method has its pros and cons, so I don't think there is a clear answer except personal preference. You can do some neat things with an HTPC such as moving back and forth between WMC, Netflix, Boxee, Hulum and XBMC all by using nothing more then a remote (http://www.mediasmartserver.net/2010/02/25/adding-xbmc-boxee-and-hulu-to-your-windows-media-center/)

GIGABYTE GA-890GPA-UD3H at Newegg, $140 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128435). (The official release date will be March 1st.) You can use it in an ATX mid-range/high-end AMD system.

- AMD 890GX (northbridge with IGP): An improved version of 790GX, supporting multichannel LPCM over HDMI.
- AMD SB850 (southbridge): Supports SATA 6Gbps six ports.

- GA-890GPA-UD3H: Supports USB 3.0 two ports (with the NEC chip).

880G (non-CFX version) and 890FX (CFX x16 version, no IGP) will be released on April 26 (?).

Good to see these are almost here! I'm waiting to see what the 880G boards are capable of, I really want an IGP that will manage VA with an HT3.0 processor. Has anyone gotten ahold of the 890GX board for testing yet?

Hi Renethx , i see that u dont include HD5770 in your configurations, can u explain why is that? HD 5770 is faster than HD5750 like many techs report , i wonder why. I want to buy one , HD 5850 is my preference , but doesn't fit on this (http://www.nox-xtreme.com/products_uk.php?cat=1&type=0&id=22&op=1) case, thus im doubting why . I read that Powercolor PCS HD5770 is also very quiet according to this (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Powercolor/HD_5770_PCS_Plus/29.html) and like 1.5 dba noisier than HD5750 icooler according to this (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/HIS/Radeon_HD_5750_iCooler_IV/29.html)

Hi Renethx , i see that u dont include HD5770 in your configurations, can u explain why is that? HD 5770 is faster than HD5750 like many techs report , i wonder why. I want to buy one , HD 5850 is my preference , but doesn't fit on this (http://www.nox-xtreme.com/products_uk.php?cat=1&type=0&id=22&op=1) case, thus im doubting why . I read that Powercolor PCS HD5770 is also very quiet according to this (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Powercolor/HD_5770_PCS_Plus/29.html) and like 1.5 dba noisier than HD5750 icooler according to this (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/HIS/Radeon_HD_5750_iCooler_IV/29.html)
Yes, you can use HD 5770 instead of HD 5750 with no problem.

Can you, or anybody else for that matter, tell me why I should spend more than twice the price of one of the Dune 3 players on a HTPC project? Is it because it is more of a DIY hobby than just a box that can apparently play BD and DVD rips with HD audio flawlessly? Does it have anything to do with "future proofing"? (If so, what in the future will be more demanding than BR playback over a network is right now?)


I view HTPC as more of a hobby. It gives you more flexibility but it will cost you time. You can build a backend with more that 2TB of storage, mirror or RAID drives, use an internet browser, etc. If you only need the features and ease of use of a media player like Dune 3 and do not want to mess around with a HTPC then it would not be worth paying extra for it.

I would not say future proofing much to do with it. In x years when the next great technology comes out just buy the Dune 4. With a HTPC you can upgrade your video card, Hard Drive, etc. In x years you are almost in the "start from scratch" game again though.

A HTPC should be able to host the CableCard soon. Will let you watch all encrypted channels in HD and record them to your hard drive.

I've been following this thread for awhile and pretty much had decided to do one of your builds, renethx. Now I'm having second thoughts ...

One other thread I subscribe to is the new Dune players, and they seem to be performing very well.

Can you, or anybody else for that matter, tell me why I should spend more than twice the price of one of the Dune 3 players on a HTPC project? Is it because it is more of a DIY hobby than just a box that can apparently play BD and DVD rips with HD audio flawlessly? Does it have anything to do with "future proofing"? (If so, what in the future will be more demanding than BR playback over a network is right now?)

I have no interest in gaming, and all but the high end HTPC builds aren't very good at gaming anyway. I do want something my wife can easily use, and something that is amenable to some sort of universal remote setup.

Boxes like the Dune 3 players don't do a lot of things that I use my HTPC for.
1) DVR - The main thing is it's not a DVR and can't record OTA HD or cable. That is my main use of a HTPC.
2) Online Streaming - From what I can tell it also can't do streaming from Hulu, Boxee or just from a network web site. Non starter in this house if it can't do that. Doesn't look like it can do Netflix either but I can't be sure
3) If some new streaming site or app comes out I can have it on my HTPC today, not when some firmware update comes along to add it (if it ever comes).
4) On that note same goes for file formats or if a file format is buggy. Either wait (and hope) it gets addressed in a firmware update or I can load up various solutions today from many sources.
5) Doesn't rip DVDs/BluRay so you'd need a computer anyway to do the ripping for you

So yes, a player like the Dune 3 is nice if it does everything you need and you don't see a need to go beyond it's capabilities. A HTPC can be a hobby, but it's a whole world more flexible and powerful. I build mine and I barely touch it other then then to process windows updates. A HTPC can very much be a configure it and forget it system for the most part, just depends on what you want to do with it.

Since the selection is so bad on the GeForce GTX 200 series video cards, will a new GeForce GTX 400 series video card work with my current motherboard with 200 series chipset when it comes out? I do not know.

Hi All,

Posting this here since a bunch of you probably have similiar hardware as I do... Built a new htpc /w the following hardware:

ASUS P7H55-M PRO
Microsoft Windows 7 HP 64-bit
Intel Core i3-530

I'm getting (what I think is) underscan on the right side of my Samsung un46b6000 LCD television - and I'm not sure what the best way to remedy it is. Here's a photo of the symptom:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_apfD6YDau1Y/S4bhFtZqYGI/AAAAAAAAAOI/vN6azMx4zHc/s640/20100224_016.jpg

If I set the television to 16:9 it overscans and the symptoms (lights on the right side) disappear, but set at "Just Fit" (which I believe is what I want for 1:1 the lights appear). They do show up as well when I'm watching 16:9 1080p films, I just used a 4:3 video so that it'd be apparent what was happening.

Thanks for any thoughts - I apologize in advance if I'm ignoring something obvious.

SilverStone TOB02 SST-TOB02. Which driver are you looking for? Every BD drive works with Windows's built-in driver.

Thanks Renethx,,,, I will trust your advice on this drive it is cheaper then a sony I found.

But one last question, looking at the new ZOTAC H55 - ITX motherboard. There are two places to put a TV tuner card. The Portable type PCI slot where the wireless card is installed when purchased and the PCI x16 slot for a graphics card. Will a mini PCI slim style card fit in the graphics slot or better asked, work in the slot that is stated for graphics cards? Can't find a tuner card for a portable type slot to replace wireless adaptor.

I want to add a TV tuner to a ITX system I am planning at this time - it will be wired to my network so the wireless is not required. If not this motherboard, do you know of a solution for providing tuner functionality on an ITX motherboard?


Thanks again in advance.

Hi All,

Posting this here since a bunch of you probably have similiar hardware as I do... Built a new htpc /w the following hardware:

ASUS P7H55-M PRO
Microsoft Windows 7 HP 64-bit
Intel Core i3-530

I'm getting (what I think is) underscan on the right side of my Samsung un46b6000 LCD television - and I'm not sure what the best way to remedy it is. Here's a photo of the symptom:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_apfD6YDau1Y/S4bhFtZqYGI/AAAAAAAAAOI/vN6azMx4zHc/s640/20100224_016.jpg

If I set the television to 16:9 it overscans and the symptoms (lights on the right side) disappear, but set at "Just Fit" (which I believe is what I want for 1:1 the lights appear). They do show up as well when I'm watching 16:9 1080p films, I just used a 4:3 video so that it'd be apparent what was happening.

Thanks for any thoughts - I apologize in advance if I'm ignoring something obvious.

This is a known Win7 issue which has a Microsoft hotfix. Search the Core i3/i5 thread for "hotfix" and find the link.

...

I want to add a TV tuner to a ITX system I am planning at this time - it will be wired to my network so the wireless is not required. If not this motherboard, do you know of a solution for providing tuner functionality on an ITX motherboard?


Why not go for an HDHomeRun which is a network tuner. Doesn't live inside your computer so no worries about slots or any of that. Put it anywhere on your network where it is convenient for you. I have one (I use mine strictly for OTA - ATSC) and love it.

Marc

I've been following this thread for awhile and pretty much had decided to do one of your builds, renethx. Now I'm having second thoughts ...

One other thread I subscribe to is the new Dune players, and they seem to be performing very well.

Can you, or anybody else for that matter, tell me why I should spend more than twice the price of one of the Dune 3 players on a HTPC project? Is it because it is more of a DIY hobby than just a box that can apparently play BD and DVD rips with HD audio flawlessly? Does it have anything to do with "future proofing"? (If so, what in the future will be more demanding than BR playback over a network is right now?)

I have no interest in gaming, and all but the high end HTPC builds aren't very good at gaming anyway. I do want something my wife can easily use, and something that is amenable to some sort of universal remote setup.

I personally enjoy the flexability of HTPCs. You can pick and choose what UI you want to use, how to view it, etc... With the dedicated media players you are very limited (I think the PCH being the best of the bunch since you can use a variety of jukeboxes such as YAMJ + Aeon, plus they are the only one I feel is somewhat future proof due to the coming flash ui). I have a mix of HTPCs and media players but always go back to my HTPCs as my main players, especially now that I have bitstreaming working. Undoubtedly media players require less maintenance, you don't have to mess with codecs, filters, etc... With an HTPC you have no restrictions on what online content you can access. Basically, either method has its pros and cons, so I don't think there is a clear answer except personal preference. You can do some neat things with an HTPC such as moving back and forth between WMC, Netflix, Boxee, Hulum and XBMC all by using nothing more then a remote (http://www.mediasmartserver.net/2010/02/25/adding-xbmc-boxee-and-hulu-to-your-windows-media-center/)

Thank you for the reply. I had not thought of these capabilities since I'm not really into them. Maybe it's just because I haven't spent time on them. I'll need to spend some time with these to see if these features are factors for me.

I view HTPC as more of a hobby. It gives you more flexibility but it will cost you time. You can build a backend with more that 2TB of storage, mirror or RAID drives, use an internet browser, etc. If you only need the features and ease of use of a media player like Dune 3 and do not want to mess around with a HTPC then it would not be worth paying extra for it.

I would not say future proofing much to do with it. In x years when the next great technology comes out just buy the Dune 4. With a HTPC you can upgrade your video card, Hard Drive, etc. In x years you are almost in the "start from scratch" game again though.

A HTPC should be able to host the CableCard soon. Will let you watch all encrypted channels in HD and record them to your hard drive.

Thank you also. Yes, that's what I was thinking about HTPC being a hobby. I don't have cable available where I live (out in the country), so CableCard will (I believe) not be useful to me.

Boxes like the Dune 3 players don't do a lot of things that I use my HTPC for.
1) DVR - The main thing is it's not a DVR and can't record OTA HD or cable. That is my main use of a HTPC.
2) Online Streaming - From what I can tell it also can't do streaming from Hulu, Boxee or just from a network web site. Non starter in this house if it can't do that. Doesn't look like it can do Netflix either but I can't be sure
3) If some new streaming site or app comes out I can have it on my HTPC today, not when some firmware update comes along to add it (if it ever comes).
4) On that note same goes for file formats or if a file format is buggy. Either wait (and hope) it gets addressed in a firmware update or I can load up various solutions today from many sources.
5) Doesn't rip DVDs/BluRay so you'd need a computer anyway to do the ripping for you

So yes, a player like the Dune 3 is nice if it does everything you need and you don't see a need to go beyond it's capabilities. A HTPC can be a hobby, but it's a whole world more flexible and powerful. I build mine and I barely touch it other then then to process windows updates. A HTPC can very much be a configure it and forget it system for the most part, just depends on what you want to do with it.

Thank you too. I live in the country and there is no cable and no OTA (only satellite), so I'm thinking unless you can record from the component outputs of a satellite box with a HTPC like the Hauppauge HD PVR can do, I'm out of luck with DVR capability.

With regards to firmware updates, it seems that even HTPC owners have to deal with that.

Thanks again to all of you guys.

I live in the country and there is no cable and no OTA (only satellite),

Just how far out in the country are you? If you're less than 50 miles from a city you should be able to pick up something, though it will likely require a directional antenna. There are claims for 70 and even 80 miles: Winegard HD 7084P (http://www.dennysantennaservice.com/1078181.html)...

Thanks Renethx,,,, I will trust your advice on this drive it is cheaper then a sony I found.

But one last question, looking at the new ZOTAC H55 - ITX motherboard. There are two places to put a TV tuner card. The Portable type PCI slot where the wireless card is installed when purchased and the PCI x16 slot for a graphics card. Will a mini PCI slim style card fit in the graphics slot or better asked, work in the slot that is stated for graphics cards? Can't find a tuner card for a portable type slot to replace wireless adaptor.

I want to add a TV tuner to a ITX system I am planning at this time - it will be wired to my network so the wireless is not required. If not this motherboard, do you know of a solution for providing tuner functionality on an ITX motherboard?
You can use an external TV tuner (network [HDHomeRun] or USB), or add a PCI Express x1 TV tuner card in the PCI Express x16 slot.

Renethx, since there are so many issues with the IMON software that comes standard with HTPC cases with IR, what is the best approach? 1. get a case you recommend and disable the capability or 2. get a case that has no IR capability and buy a WCE remote with IR and its designed software?

If the answer is the later, then what ATX case would you recommend? I do plan on using my Harmony 880.

renethx, FYI, the coolermaster mounting bracket is NOT needed with the heatsink on the mid-range intel setup. It is already included in the box of the heatsink.

It time to build or buy a HTPC to be used as a extender in the family room. This will only be used to stream movies and tv shows over the network from main HTPC. After looking around to see what items I already own, here's what I got:

Gigabyte GA-K8N ultra 9 motherboard
MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 Processor
Zalman CPU Cooler
DVD drive
Win 7 operating system

Stll need:
Case and power supply
memory
Video Card AMD 5XXX

It's this even doable to stream 720p and 1080p movies? My other option is the Acer Aspire Revo 1600. Does the Revo passtrough HD audio?

I had a setup very similar to what you had, ran it for a long time. In fact I have that same MSI board. I am in the process of selling off all the parts, I have some stuff on ebay right now that you might be interested in (memory). I think there are rules about self promotion on AVS so I won't post a link, just search for the same username or send me a PM and I'll send you a link.

Anyway, running the MSI board with an Athlon 3700+ worked pretty well for streaming HD as long as it is in a format compatible with the extender. I tried transcoding DVD ISO files with my movies and it would max out the CPU because it had to transcode on the fly to the extenders. This would lead to somewhat choppy video. Streaming HDTV and DVDs ripped to DVR-MS files worked great. This was was with a really crappy video card too (6200LE I think), as a decent video card isn't really needed if all you are doing is streaming to extenders.

Edit: I see that you are going to use it as an extender, not stream to extenders. Given that you have a decent video card, you should be fine.

Anyway, hope this helps.

Just how far out in the country are you? If you're less than 50 miles from a city you should be able to pick up something, though it will likely require a directional antenna. There are claims for 70 and even 80 miles: Winegard HD 7084P (http://www.dennysantennaservice.com/1078181.html)...

Way out. 100 miles from the Twin Cities.

But thanks for that link. The site that shows what stations I get and their strength are almost all red X's (No Signal.)

Does this microATX board do video and audio out via HDMI?
http://www.gigabyte.us/Products/Moth...ProductID=3328

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128432

This is my first HTPC build and I don't want to put a dedicated vid card in yet.

Thanks!

Yes. Audio restrictions (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=940972&page=401#Sound%20Card).

Just built an HTPC and did not add a TV Tuner card. Now I decided I am going to. I'm looking at the AVerTV Combo G2 (Media Center Upgrade Kit) because it is in this guide. However, on their website it says it supports Stereo Sound (http://www.avermedia-usa.com/AVerTV/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?Id=479&tab=APDriver). Since many channels are now broadcasting Dolby 5.1 this seems odd to me. Can someone confirm/deny whether this card can record 5.1 sound or not?

Thanks

mryerse, for digital tv it doesn't "record" anything. It just captures a stream. Whatever audio is in the stream is what you get. Ignore what they say.

Does it not decode the video and audio stream? Wouldn't that require some kind of support for the stream broadcast?

So I turned on my HTPC today and noticed something weird. There are random lines on the font throughout my computer. Attached is a picture of it. Does anyone have a fix for this?

So I turned on my HTPC today and noticed something weird. There are random lines on the font throughout my computer. Attached is a picture of it. Does anyone have a fix for this?

I don't see any lines

Does it not decode the video and audio stream? Wouldn't that require some kind of support for the stream broadcast?

Nope. It just captures a mpeg2 stream. Your PC software decodes it.

Renethx, I see you recommending the 5750 and 5770 all the time.

Does this exist as a low profile card? I was originally thinking about going with a full height HTPC case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163110), but a 3.5" tall case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112186) is sounding much better than 6.7" tall.

6.7" - SILVERSTONE Black Aluminum front panel, 0.8mm SECC body GD01B-R ATX HTPC Case
3.7" - LIAN LI Black Aluminum PC-C37B Micro ATX HTPC Case

I'll likely start with an iGPU anyway, but I want to know if I am limiting my upgrade options...

Thanks!

Renethx, I see you recommending the 5750 and 5770 all the time.

Does this exist as a low profile card? I was originally thinking about going with a full height HTPC case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163110), but a 3.5" tall case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112186) is sounding much better than 6.7" tall.

6.7" - SILVERSTONE Black Aluminum front panel, 0.8mm SECC body GD01B-R ATX HTPC Case
3.7" - LIAN LI Black Aluminum PC-C37B Micro ATX HTPC Case

I'll likely start with an iGPU anyway, but I want to know if I am limiting my upgrade options...

Thanks!
The best low-profile card is HD 5570. If you don't want to limit your upgrade option, a full-height case is better. Antec NSK2480/Fusion is shorter than the SilverStone ATX case.

I'm thinking about purchasing a 5450 ATI card. It would go in my HTPC with Vista Ultimate/VMC, Gigabyte MOBO that has Analog and Optical out audio.

The question: any idea if I could ouput from the MOBO audio if I use this card, either via analog or optical while sending via HDMI? I want it to be able to play to Zone 2 on my Onkyo, and Zone 2 only accepts analog. Currently I am sending audio via the optical from MOABo, and I am sending that through a converter that will send to analog while also sending to the optical. I am aware that it may depend on the OS, because when my HTPC was XP, I could send out analog and digital simultaneously, but on Vista Ultimate, I have to use the converter.

I suppose another option to inquire about: Any chance there is a HDCP care that would oupt to analog while sending HDMI?

With a HDCP card, I'm not sure if I would be totally out of luck to get the audio to analog.

Hello everyone,

I am looking to archive my library to a hard-disk array and build myself an HTPC but would like to know your thoughts on whether I can expect the HTPC quality to be comparable to that of a dedicated player such as my Oppo BDP-83. I posted my question in detail in the following thread so please send any replies to that thread instead.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=18216597#post18216597

Thank you very much in advance!!

Warm Regards,

Anthony

Has anyone been able to get bitsreaming on Blu rays to work with the Asrock H55M Pro motherboard? I have the mobo connection to the AVR via HDMI and am using TMT3 for Blu ray play back but am only able to get Dolby Digital and DTS working. When I change to TrueHD on a Blu ray my speakers don't produce any sound.

I am currently running the stock drivers that came on the AsRock cd but am going to try the newest Intel 2082 drivers to see if that resolves the issue. I wanted to see if anyone has gotten bitstreaming to work with the AsRock Mobo.

I have a question on the suitability of the Antec Fusion Remote case for my situation.

All my home theater components go into a BDI Home Theater Cabinet. A nice piece of furniture but each component is on a shelf and behind doors. My concern is the width. Where the HTPC would go is an 18.5" wide shelf, solid wood on each side. Open to the back though.

I noticed the Antec Fusion Remote case is 17.5" wide. So it would fit but without much clearance on the sides. I also noticed that there are 2 fans on the right side of the case. Would this present a problem with cooling? Are these intake or exhaust? Would there be a better case choice instead?

I have a question on the suitability of the Antec Fusion Remote case for my situation.

All my home theater components go into a BDI Home Theater Cabinet. A nice piece of furniture but each component is on a shelf and behind doors. My concern is the width. Where the HTPC would go is an 18.5" wide shelf, solid wood on each side. Open to the back though.

I noticed the Antec Fusion Remote case is 17.5" wide. So it would fit but without much clearance on the sides. I also noticed that there are 2 fans on the right side of the case. Would this present a problem with cooling? Are these intake or exhaust? Would there be a better case choice instead?

I just did a build with this case.

Those fans on the right (as you look at the front) are exhaust. They recommend a minimum of 1" clearance next to those fans. You'd be cutting it close with this case. Plus, the case _actually_ measures 17 5/8" across. And 1/8" means something when you're cutting it that close already.

I just did a build with this case.

Those fans on the right (as you look at the front) are exhaust. They recommend a minimum of 1" clearance next to those fans. You'd be cutting it close with this case. Plus, the case _actually_ measures 17 5/8" across. And 1/8" means something when you're cutting it that close already.

Thank you. It's too close. I'll have to look for a different case.

I'm going to be building an HTPC in a few months that I will also use for occasional gaming (Mass Effect 2, Dragon Age, Diablo III when it comes out, other single player things) and I had a few questions. I plan on using the Antec New Solution NSK2480 case and was wondering if it would get too hot and noisy with a Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB and Radeon 5770 (or maybe a 5670) using the stock cooling?

Alternatively I was thinking of using the Caviar Green WD10EARS 1TB is available for about the same price as the Black, but it only has a 3 year warranty and I wasn't sure if it would be considered too slow for decent gaming performance?

Thanks.

Hello all,

I looked through Renethx's guide and am a little confused. I don't need a full blown HTPC but need something a bit more than a NAS box. My needs are :
1. centralised storage and streaming of BD, DVD, audio, divx, photos, etc.
2. I'd also like to access my data from any pc over the network.
3. I'd like to set up shares and control user access by folder. I've done some reading and have decided to go the FlexRAID route for added protection so i beleive that rules out most nas boxes.
4. I want to have a minimum of 4 drives and would like to be able to grow my storage pool as necessary. Backup preotection is also required (flexraid).
5. I will be using this with either a pch or blueview player.
6. If possible i'd like the storage pool to be accessible by usb 3.0 and/or esata as well as over the network.

My primary computer is my laptop with a usb bd drive so i'd like to avoid building an all dancing and singing HTPC if possible. Any suggestions would be welcome.

I'm going to be building an HTPC in a few months that I will also use for occasional gaming (Mass Effect 2, Dragon Age, Diablo III when it comes out, other single player things) and I had a few questions. I plan on using the Antec New Solution NSK2480 case and was wondering if it would get too hot and noisy with a Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB and Radeon 5770 (or maybe a 5670) using the stock cooling?

Alternatively I was thinking of using the Caviar Green WD10EARS 1TB is available for about the same price as the Black, but it only has a 3 year warranty and I wasn't sure if it would be considered too slow for decent gaming performance?

Thanks.

These days, Large capacity Hard Drives seem be be crap shoot for Quietness and especially with the faster spins, and may be relative to the heavy hits they might take. The mentioned Western Digital Blacks have been better "overall", than the Greens for me. Samsung has never disappointed here, and currently using the new SJ F3 series, very cool, quite and speedy too...I'm ready to purchase some more. :)
Bring on the "Best bang for your Buck" SSD :D

Hello all,

I looked through Renethx's guide and am a little confused. I don't need a full blown HTPC but need something a bit more than a NAS box. My needs are :
1. centralised storage and streaming of BD, DVD, audio, divx, photos, etc.
2. I'd also like to access my data from any pc over the network.
3. I'd like to set up shares and control user access by folder. I've done some reading and have decided to go the FlexRAID route for added protection so i beleive that rules out most nas boxes.
4. I want to have a minimum of 4 drives and would like to be able to grow my storage pool as necessary. Backup preotection is also required (flexraid).
5. I will be using this with either a pch or blueview player.
6. If possible i'd like the storage pool to be accessible by usb 3.0 and/or esata as well as over the network.

My primary computer is my laptop with a usb bd drive so i'd like to avoid building an all dancing and singing HTPC if possible. Any suggestions would be welcome.

You should explore a WHS build.

I'm sure this is covered in this thread in great detail, but I've spent the past few days looking through it (and the rest of the forum), and now I'm just more confused than I was before.

I'm considering building one of Renethx's recommended HTPC's as I've given up on streaming to my xbox or PS3. I just want to make sure an HTPC with windows 7 MC and maybe TMT3 will allow me to stream my Blu-ray iso's with full surround sound, menus, and ffwd and rwd intact? One catch is my AV receiver does not pass through HDMI, but only accepts digital audio input or individual 7.1 inputs.

Has anyone been able to get bitsreaming on Blu rays to work with the Asrock H55M Pro motherboard? I have the mobo connection to the AVR via HDMI and am using TMT3 for Blu ray play back but am only able to get Dolby Digital and DTS working. When I change to TrueHD on a Blu ray my speakers don't produce any sound.

I am currently running the stock drivers that came on the AsRock cd but am going to try the newest Intel 2082 drivers to see if that resolves the issue. I wanted to see if anyone has gotten bitstreaming to work with the AsRock Mobo.

I upgraded the bios on Asrock to 1.90 and installed the 2082 intel drivers, the good news is with the intel drivers you get HDMI sound, but the bad news is that TrueHD and DTS-MA still don't play. I'm thinking of getting another mobo due to this. Any suggestions?

I don't see any lines

Well now I look with a different cpu and they are not visible anymore. There must be a problem somewhere in the relay of the video feed. It goes from my cpu to an Onkyo 606 to my tv.

Just wanted to report back and thank reneTHX for his excellent guide :p I had never built a PC before, the farthest I got was swapping memory or a hard drive.

After ordering last weekend and receiving the parts this week, I got to work late Saturday morning. It took me most of the rest of day, taking it easy and breaking for food and drink at the local hangout, but I got it together first try :p

Most time was wasted by trying to determine what order to put the parts together in. The documentation for the case and the MoBo were pretty good though, so I just followed those. The CPU cooler also posed some pronblems to this newb, but I finally got it together. Overall, pretty easy and a great learning experience.

I basically ordered renethx' recommended system (AMD/AMD), choosing the USB3 motherboard. I added a Hauppage 2250 TV card and a LiteOn BD drive (from the local Frys). After installing Windows 7 Ultimate, I was up and running - no hickups. If I were to do it again, I could probably do the hardware in an hour or so. Key is knowing what order to put it together in :-)

I like the whole setup overall, but if I were to build another one, I would probably:
- buy a faster harddrive
as it is now, the drive is the slowest link in the whole chain
- look for a different case
I see no use for the LCD screen, and it's way too bright even in the lowest setting


The only thing missing is a good Media Center remote. The one that came with the Antec case is not going to cut it, and the Hauppage that came with the 2250 apparently is not programmable (so I can control TV on/off and volume from it). I looked at the Gyration remote (spendy), but it apparently does not allow for volume 'punch through' when in PC mode :-(

Right now, I'm using the Lenovo keyboard/mouse thingie, and like it a lot as a mini keyboard and mouse, but it's no good for controlling Media Center.

Hai fellows
I have this gateway gm5478
the only thing i did upgrade memory from 2GB to 4gb

does this pc runs 64 bit O.S?

rightnow iam running vista home premium 32 bit

And if i upgrade to full 8gb does my 32 bit works or do i need to install 64 bit

Iam using this pc for bluray playback and backup and i want to make it 3d ready by upgrading gpu
what kind of gpu should i go for inorder to be 3d ready

do i need to upgrade power supply unit rightnow i have 400 watt
please help




Specifications
Part Number: 1009570Gateway GM5478 Desktop Computer
Model: GM5478
The following table provides the specifications for the Gateway® GM5478 desktop computer.


Feature Specification
Processor •Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Q6600 Quad Core Processor with VT
•Each core operates at 2.40 GHz
•Shared 8 MB L2 cache
•1066 MHz front side bus

Chipset Intel G33
Memory •Installed: 2048 MB DDR2, 667 MHz, (PC2-5300) dual channel memory (two 1024 MB DIMMs)
•Expandable to: 8 GB (4 DDR2 DIMM slots)

Hard Drive 500 GB, 7200 RPM, SATA II hard drive
Support for up to two hard drives
Optical Drive DVD ±RW, 16X super multi-format dual layer drive
•Write max: 16X DVD±R, 6X DVD-RW, 6X DVD-R DL, 8X DVD+RW, 8X DVD+R DL, 12X DVD-RAM, 48X CD-R, 32X CD-RW
•Read max: 12X DVD-ROM, 12X DVD-RAM, 48X CD-ROM

Media Card Reader 15-in-1 high speed digital media manager supporting the following:
•Compact Flash (CF) I, II
•IBM Microdrive™ (MD)
•SmartMedia Card (SMC)
•Memory Stick™ (MS)
•Memory Stick Duo (MS Duo)
•Memory Stick PRO (MS PRO)
•Memory Stick PRO Duo (MS PRO Duo)
•Secure Digital™ (SD)
•Mini Secure Digital (MiniSD)
•Multi Media Card (MMC)
•RS Multi Media Card (RS-MMC) (need adapter)
•Multi Media Plus Card (MMC Plus)
•Multi Media Mobile Card (MMC Mobile)
•xD-Picture Card (xD)

Video •NVIDIA® GeForce® 8500GT 256 MB video card
•DirectX® 10 and Blu-ray™/HD DVD™ capable
•One DVI-I port with HDCP
•One HDMI port
•One S-Video port (includes DVI-VGA Dongle)

Audio Integrated 8-Channel (7.1) High Definition Audio
Network Support Intel integrated 10/100 Ethernet LAN
Modem 56 K ITU V.92 ready fax/modem
Power Supply 400 watt
Add-in Card Slots •One PCI Express ×16 (graphics interface)
•Two PCI Express ×1
•One PCI conventional

External Connectors •One PS/2 keyboard port
•One PS/2 mouse port
•One VGA monitor port
•One S/PDIF Optical port
•Eight USB ports (six rear, two front)
•Two IEEE 1394a port (one rear, one front)
•One RJ-45 Ethernet LAN port
•Seven audio jacks (five rear, two front)
•Three front RCA jacks (one video, two audio)

Drive Bays Five total:
•Two external 5.25-inch
•One external 3.5-inch (with a docking bay for optional Gateway 2.5-inch removable USB hard drive)
•Two internal 3.5-inch (hard drive)

I upgraded the bios on Asrock to 1.90 and installed the 2082 intel drivers, the good news is with the intel drivers you get HDMI sound, but the bad news is that TrueHD and DTS-MA still don't play. I'm thinking of getting another mobo due to this. Any suggestions?

This is not good because I was going to upgrade my drive to a Blu Ray and this is a deal breaker for me. I can't return it though because I have had it for over a month.

This is not good because I was going to upgrade my drive to a Blu Ray and this is a deal breaker for me. I can't return it though because I have had it for over a month.

So what H55 boards have confirmed bitstreaming? Last night I thought I had settled on the ASRock board, but now this one, like the Gigabyte board, doesn't have bitstreaming? What board is confirmed to perform HD audio?

Another experiment: Low Profile HTPC

I have http://www.gigabyte-usa.com/Products/Motherboard/Products_Spec.aspx?ProductID=3321 which works perfectly with i3-530. I put it

in http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811121027 and it's working great. VERY QUIET. It has a 270w power supply, I want to add http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131339 and
am wondering if this is pushing the power supply. One hdd(500g) and a bd drive (401S)
already installed.

Thanks

i am thinking to buy a nvidia video card for the nvidia 3d glasses but i dont know which card is compatible.

Recently I have been having problems with WMC. I am running Windows 7 64 Bit and HDHomeRun tuner. When I am watching live TV in WMC the picture and audio judders and skips constantly. I ran the HDHomeRun LiveTV program and it was fine there. What is the problem with WMC?

Just about finished watching the OTA (CTV 9-1) Olympics in HD on my HTPC running Win7 & SageTV. Perfect, flawless. I could even rewind and watch the lipsincing ;)
It was even recording Family Guy & American Dad in the background at one point.
Audio via optical SPDIF was great in DD5.1
Tip, onboard video cards like the HD4200 (shared memory) just can't keep with high motion up at 1920x1080 @ 60Hz, the HD4550 can.

The HTPC is Win7 32bit & SageTV, 2G DDR2, Hauppage tuners 2250 & 1600, Gigabyte motherboard, AMD 5050E, ATI 4550 fanless with HDMI.

Tip, onboard video cards like the HD4200 (shared memory) just can't keep with high motion up at 1920x1080 @ 60Hz, the HD4550 can.

The HTPC is Win7 32bit & SageTV, 2G DDR2, Hauppage tuners 2250 & 1600, Gigabyte motherboard, AMD 5050E, ATI 4550 fanless with HDMI.
You need a HT 3.0 processor (such as Athlon II X2) to play back 1080i properly with HD 4200.

You need a HT 3.0 processor (such as Athlon II X2) to play back 1080i properly with HD 4200.

Ahh always thought it was a RAM bandwidth limitation with shared memory.

The 4550HD was cheap and silent plus did the trick. The 5050E was attractive because of its low thermal power.

I recently built renethx's recommended NORCO 20 bay server which I currently have 20 TB of space with half of it filled now with Blu-ray and SD movies. I have just started watching some of my Blu-rays on my HTPC streaming from the server and I am getting an ocassional hiccup(maybe 2 times per movie) or stutter where the movie slows down and audio goes off and on (lights on AVR link off and on) for maybe 30 seconds and then it's fine. If I load these same movies on a external HDD and plug it into the USB port of the HTPC I don't expierence this problem at all. Not really sure how to troubleshoot this or where to start to try and track down what the problem is exactly? So can anybody point me in the right direction? The only changes I made to the recommended server setup was to get a supermicro motherboard MBD-X7SBE-0. My network consists of a D-Link DIR-655 wireless extreme N router and D-Link DGS-2208 8 port switch. 2 HTPC's that are wired with CAT6, both with gigabit NICs and both the router and switch are gigabit as well. Shouldn't I be getting better throughput from the wired network than I can get from the USB2 port? I am running WHS no raid and windows 7 64 bit on main HTPC and windows 7 32 bit on other.

Thats what its looking like at the moment. If I decide to go the WHS route wouldn't i need a full pc (keyboard, mouse and display) to install software and administer? Is there any way to get a 'storage box' only without the screen, etc? Perhaps I could administer the system from my notebook?

I'd appreciate any links or suggestions anyone could provide.

Thanks


You should explore a WHS build.

Hello all,

I looked through Renethx's guide and am a little confused. I don't need a full blown HTPC but need something a bit more than a NAS box. My needs are :
1. centralised storage and streaming of BD, DVD, audio, divx, photos, etc.
2. I'd also like to access my data from any pc over the network.
3. I'd like to set up shares and control user access by folder. I've done some reading and have decided to go the FlexRAID route for added protection so i beleive that rules out most nas boxes.
4. I want to have a minimum of 4 drives and would like to be able to grow my storage pool as necessary. Backup preotection is also required (flexraid).
5. I will be using this with either a pch or blueview player.
6. If possible i'd like the storage pool to be accessible by usb 3.0 and/or esata as well as over the network.

My primary computer is my laptop with a usb bd drive so i'd like to avoid building an all dancing and singing HTPC if possible. Any suggestions would be welcome.

If I decide to go the WHS route wouldn't i need a full pc (keyboard, mouse and display) to install software and administer? Is there any way to get a 'storage box' only without the screen, etc? Perhaps I could administer the system from my notebook?

I'd appreciate any links or suggestions anyone could provide.

Thanks
If you build your own WHS box, then you need to attach a screen/keyboard/mouse temporarily for initial software installation of the WHS OS. Once up and running, WHS can be a headless system administered remotely from your notebook or other PC on your network.

A good resource is the WeGotServed (http://www.wegotserved.com/) site, which has an active users forum (http://forum.wegotserved.com/) and a wiki of WHS resources and topics (http://wiki.wegotserved.com/index.php?title=Main_Page).

Recently I have been having problems with WMC. I am running Windows 7 64 Bit and HDHomeRun tuner. When I am watching live TV in WMC the picture and audio judders and skips constantly. I ran the HDHomeRun LiveTV program and it was fine there. What is the problem with WMC?

Check the possible causes listed here:

http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/t/79957.aspx

(long thread, but the last page or two contains a summary of various causes with diagnostics to help determine which one is responsible)

Check the possible causes listed here:

http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/t/79957.aspx

(long thread, but the last page or two contains a summary of various causes with diagnostics to help determine which one is responsible)

Yea thanks for the thread, I will try them tonight.

Specifications
Part Number: 1009570Gateway GM5478 Desktop Computer
Model: GM5478
The following table provides the specifications for the Gateway® GM5478 desktop computer.


Feature Specification
Processor •Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Q6600 Quad Core Processor with VT
•Each core operates at 2.40 GHz
•Shared 8 MB L2 cache
•1066 MHz front side bus

Chipset Intel G33
Memory •Installed: 2048 MB DDR2, 667 MHz, (PC2-5300) dual channel memory (two 1024 MB DIMMs)
•Expandable to: 8 GB (4 DDR2 DIMM slots)

Hard Drive 500 GB, 7200 RPM, SATA II hard drive
Support for up to two hard drives
Optical Drive DVD ±RW, 16X super multi-format dual layer drive
•Write max: 16X DVD±R, 6X DVD-RW, 6X DVD-R DL, 8X DVD+RW, 8X DVD+R DL, 12X DVD-RAM, 48X CD-R, 32X CD-RW
•Read max: 12X DVD-ROM, 12X DVD-RAM, 48X CD-ROM

psu is 400watt







anybody!!!!!!!!!!!

Specifications
Part Number: 1009570Gateway GM5478 Desktop Computer
Model: GM5478
The following table provides the specifications for the Gateway® GM5478 desktop computer.


Feature Specification
Processor •Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Q6600 Quad Core Processor with VT
•Each core operates at 2.40 GHz
•Shared 8 MB L2 cache
•1066 MHz front side bus

Chipset Intel G33
Memory •Installed: 2048 MB DDR2, 667 MHz, (PC2-5300) dual channel memory (two 1024 MB DIMMs)
•Expandable to: 8 GB (4 DDR2 DIMM slots)

Hard Drive 500 GB, 7200 RPM, SATA II hard drive
Support for up to two hard drives
Optical Drive DVD ±RW, 16X super multi-format dual layer drive
•Write max: 16X DVD±R, 6X DVD-RW, 6X DVD-R DL, 8X DVD+RW, 8X DVD+R DL, 12X DVD-RAM, 48X CD-R, 32X CD-RW
•Read max: 12X DVD-ROM, 12X DVD-RAM, 48X CD-ROM

psu is 400watt

anybody!!!!!!!!!!!

Whats the Question?

Here's the system that I'm thinking about putting together. Does anybody see problems with these components?

1) APEVIA X-QPACK-NW-BK/420 MicroATX Desktop Computer Case 420W Power Supply

2) GIGABYTE GA-H55M-S2H LGA 1156 Intel H55 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

3) Intel Core i3-540 Clarkdale 3.06GHz 4MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 73W Dual-Core Desktop Processor

4) GIGABYTE GV-N96TZL-1GI GeForce 9600 GT 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

5) OCZ Gold Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ3G10664GK

I can't post links, but all components are available on Newegg.

Of course, I will add a hard drive, mouse, and keyboard, but these are the components that I'm worried might not work together.

What do you think?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Makaveli6103
Recently I have been having problems with WMC. I am running Windows 7 64 Bit and HDHomeRun tuner. When I am watching live TV in WMC the picture and audio judders and skips constantly. I ran the HDHomeRun LiveTV program and it was fine there. What is the problem with WMC?

Check the possible causes listed here:

http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/t/79957.aspx

(long thread, but the last page or two contains a summary of various causes with diagnostics to help determine which one is responsible)

I just put a new build together with the ASRock H55M Pro, 4GB RAM and the i3-540 processor, W7 64bit, tmt3 w/.170 patch, HDHomeRun, AnyDVDHD, My Movies. I also have Silicondust HDHomeRun with the latest updates and I'm having a similar problem with live TV (any channel, haven't tried recordings yet) the video looks good for a few seconds with one line of audio repeating, then the TV screen goes away and I get an error message in MC. "Files needed to display video are not working correctly" and it tells me to restart MC or reboot the PC. Neither work. Maybe I can find the answer in that thread too.

I have DD and DTS surround working on tmt3 when played as standalone player but no TrueHD or DTS MA yet. Tmt3 also will not play anything within MC. Opening a movie from within My Movies in MC opens tmt3 but the movie never starts playing. Tmt3 is open but just a black screen. Controls are there, I can push the stop, play, etc buttons but nothing happens. I have the same programs (w7 64bit, identical programs) working on another machine (HTPC-Gigabyte GA-E7AUM-DS2H (Nvida 9400), Asus HDAV Slim) without any problem.

If anybody else has seen this please let us know!

Here's the system that I'm thinking about putting together. Does anybody see problems with these components?

1) APEVIA X-QPACK-NW-BK/420 MicroATX Desktop Computer Case 420W Power Supply

2) GIGABYTE GA-H55M-S2H LGA 1156 Intel H55 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

3) Intel Core i3-540 Clarkdale 3.06GHz 4MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 73W Dual-Core Desktop Processor

4) GIGABYTE GV-N96TZL-1GI GeForce 9600 GT 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

5) OCZ Gold Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ3G10664GK

I can't post links, but all components are available on Newegg.

Of course, I will add a hard drive, mouse, and keyboard, but these are the components that I'm worried might not work together.

What do you think?
Basically nothing wrong. Better components (IMO) are:

- Radeon HD 5670 is $20 cheaper (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102871) and slightly better in 3D.
- You can buy DDR2-1600 with $20 more.

It's mysterious for me why some people get HD audio bitstreaming and others don't. In my case I don't get bitstreaming with ASRock/GIGABYTE+TMT3; WinDVD and ffdshow are just fine; PowerDVD is the worst (no proper H.264 decoding). Tomorrow I will test ASUS P7H55D-M EVO.

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,
MurrayI put together my HTPC and a similar PC for my wife to use in the kitchen (only difference was that I put an 80G ssd drive in the kitchen computer). I haven't loaded anything other than Windows 7 on the kitchen PC, so I will work on all the software this week. I ran into a couple of problems using this case.

The drives are connected to a bracket at the top of the case. http://www.mini-box.com/core/media/media.nl?id=18693&c=ACCT127230&h=4d54386b31f0392554a1 The standard i3 cpu fan sits too far into the open space of the MB to allow the drive to be connected normally to the bracket. I had to do two things:

1. I snipped off one of the plastic posts that sits above the fan (see highlighted area in red in the attached picture). The drive bumped into this piece of plastic and you could not lower it enough to put the cover back on the case.

2. Even with the plastic post snipped off, the fan blade still rubbed against the side of the drive when the drive was attached using the 4 screws as intended. I had to shift the drive as far to the outside as possible and attach it using double-sided tape and also I wrapped electicial tape around the drive and bracket in an area where the fan blades did not interfere with it. Even doing this, there are just a few mm of space between the fan blades and the side of the drive. I am a little worried about this, but it does appear that it is just enough clearance.

Also, the pico-psu I used was a very tight fit next to the 2nd ram stick when it was plugged into the 24 pin power connector on the motherboard. There are some components on the psu that protude towards the back and it is touching the ram and putting force on it towards the center of the MB.

Other than these problems, I am quite pleased with the build. If I had it do do over again, I would probably go with a 1.8mm SSD drive instead of the 2.5mm. Also, instead of using tape, I probably should have drilled new holes into the bracket, but it was late last night and I am not that good with a drill, so I stuck with the tape.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Makaveli6103
Recently I have been having problems with WMC. I am running Windows 7 64 Bit and HDHomeRun tuner. When I am watching live TV in WMC the picture and audio judders and skips constantly. I ran the HDHomeRun LiveTV program and it was fine there. What is the problem with WMC?

I have both the HDHomerun and the Hauppauge HVR 2250 (don't ask...).

On my laptop, using HDHomerun, WMC will work fine for a while (hr or more), and then start pixelating badly, then it can't find the tuners at all. I have traced that one down (I think) to my Intel WiFi network card.

On my HTPC, the HVR 2250 reports the same problem you mentioned: ""Files needed to display video are not working correctly." That one I haven't been able to narrow down yet (have only been running it from Saturday). Restarting WMC fixes this problem though.

No solution to your problem, I know, but it may help you trace the bug on your side?

@ Renethx,

Any recommendations on a quiet 80mm fan? I want to replace the stock fans in my Antec ISK 300-150 case. Thanks.

@ Renethx,

Any recommendations on a quiet 80mm fan? I want to replace the stock fans in my Antec ISK 300-150 case. Thanks.

I've used these: Rosewill RFA-80-K 80mm (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835200044) and been quite happy with them. Not silent, but no 80mm that is moving any reasonable amount of air is going to be. Good deal for $2.00...

hey cardnation:


i did upgrade memory from 2GB to 4gb

does this pc runs 64 bit O.S?

rightnow iam running vista home premium 32 bit

And if i upgrade to full 8gb does my 32 bit works or do i need to install 64 bit

Iam using this pc for bluray playback and backup and i want to make it 3d ready by upgrading gpu
what kind of gpu should i go for inorder to be 3d ready

do i need to upgrade power supply unit rightnow i have 400 watt
please help

@ Renethx,

Any recommendations on a quiet 80mm fan? I want to replace the stock fans in my Antec ISK 300-150 case. Thanks.

I have the same case and I'm thinking of using the Noctua NF-R8-1800 80mm Case Fan (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608006). Silent PC Review (http://www.silentpcreview.com/Antec_ISK300-65) did a review of the 65w version of the case and used this fan.

I have the same case and I'm thinking of using the Noctua NF-R8-1800 80mm Case Fan (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608006). Silent PC Review (http://www.silentpcreview.com/Antec_ISK300-65) did a review of the 65w version of the case and used this fan.

Thanks for the link. I am definitely going to get two fans as this case may end up in a cabinet. Right now I don't have the case fan even hooked up (seems silly that the Case Fan included cannot be connected to the included PSU without a separate molex connection which you need to purchase)

I have both the HDHomerun and the Hauppauge HVR 2250 (don't ask...).

On my laptop, using HDHomerun, WMC will work fine for a while (hr or more), and then start pixelating badly, then it can't find the tuners at all. I have traced that one down (I think) to my Intel WiFi network card.

On my HTPC, the HVR 2250 reports the same problem you mentioned: ""Files needed to display video are not working correctly." That one I haven't been able to narrow down yet (have only been running it from Saturday). Restarting WMC fixes this problem though.

No solution to your problem, I know, but it may help you trace the bug on your side?

I went to the link above that was provided by Marc_G and tried a few of the fixes. I turned off Aero and enabled AHCI but still the problem is there. But it also suggests setting UMA to 512 for onboard grahpics. How do you do this?

hey cardnation:


i did upgrade memory from 2GB to 4gb

does this pc runs 64 bit O.S?

rightnow iam running vista home premium 32 bit

And if i upgrade to full 8gb does my 32 bit works or do i need to install 64 bit

Iam using this pc for bluray playback and backup and i want to make it 3d ready by upgrading gpu
what kind of gpu should i go for inorder to be 3d ready

do i need to upgrade power supply unit rightnow i have 400 watt
please help

With a 32 bit OS, you can utilize a maximum of 3gb IF your MB supports it. A lot of people say 4gb max, but they don't take into account memory allotted for other hardware resources.

To get 8 GB's of memory to work, you need a 64 bit OS AND it needs to be dual channel. I have a core i7 - 860 with 8GB's and that sucker just flat out hauls a$$!!!. 6GB or 12 GB if you are running tri-channel.

@ Renethx,

Any recommendations on a quiet 80mm fan? I want to replace the stock fans in my Antec ISK 300-150 case. Thanks.
There are many. For example, Scythe S-FLEX S-FDB 80mm Quiet FAN (http://www.scythe-usa.com/product/acc/062/sflf80_detail.html) (1000rpm if you want a quieter fan than TriCool).

Basically nothing wrong. Better components (IMO) are:

- Radeon HD 5670 is $20 cheaper and slightly better in 3D.
- You can buy DDR2-1600 with $20 more.

Thanks!

I went to the link above that was provided by Marc_G and tried a few of the fixes. I turned off Aero and enabled AHCI but still the problem is there. But it also suggests setting UMA to 512 for onboard grahpics. How do you do this?

That setting should be in the BIOS.

Anandtech have published an article on AMD's 890GX chipset, and it sounds pretty disappointing to me: AMD's 890GX Chipset - Same Graphics, Better South Bridge (http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=3755)

I was really hoping for an improved IGP, as I don't have room for a discrete card in my case without severely upping the case temps. Renethx, do you know what the 790GX was like for video playback? Was it ever capable of VA with an appropriate CPU?

Renethx, do you know what the 790GX was like for video playback? Was it ever capable of VA with an appropriate CPU?
No. MA at best.

I'm thinking about purchasing a 5450 ATI card. It would go in my HTPC with Vista Ultimate/VMC, Gigabyte MOBO that has Analog and Optical out audio.

The question: any idea if I could ouput from the MOBO audio if I use this card, either via analog or optical while sending via HDMI? I want it to be able to play to Zone 2 on my Onkyo, and Zone 2 only accepts analog. Currently I am sending audio via the optical from MOABo, and I am sending that through a converter that will send to analog while also sending to the optical. I am aware that it may depend on the OS, because when my HTPC was XP, I could send out analog and digital simultaneously, but on Vista Ultimate, I have to use the converter.

I suppose another option to inquire about: Any chance there is a HDCP care that would oupt to analog while sending HDMI?

With a HDCP card, I'm not sure if I would be totally out of luck to get the audio to analog.

I gather no-one has any ideas on this. I've tried 3 different forums here. But thought I'd try here one more time.

I'm thinking about purchasing a 5450 ATI card. It would go in my HTPC with Vista Ultimate/VMC, Gigabyte MOBO that has Analog and Optical out audio.

The question: any idea if I could ouput from the MOBO audio if I use this card, either via analog or optical while sending via HDMI? I want it to be able to play to Zone 2 on my Onkyo, and Zone 2 only accepts analog. Currently I am sending audio via the optical from MOABo, and I am sending that through a converter that will send to analog while also sending to the optical. I am aware that it may depend on the OS, because when my HTPC was XP, I could send out analog and digital simultaneously, but on Vista Ultimate, I have to use the converter.

I suppose another option to inquire about: Any chance there is a HDCP care that would oupt to analog while sending HDMI?

With a HDCP card, I'm not sure if I would be totally out of luck to get the audio to analog.
If you are going to send two different audio streams with two players (simultaneously or not), there is no problem. Select ATI HDMI Audio in one player as the audio playback device and select Speakers (Realtek High Definition) in the other player.

If you are going to send an identical audio stream to Zone 1 and Zone 2 simultaneously, no, you can't do that.

HDCP is concerning digital output.

No. MA at best.

Damn, then it looks like I'm waiting for AMD's next generation before I update my IGP, or I need to investigate Intel some more. Thanks for the info!

Looking for recommendations for a tower case the can be laid horizontal and/or media center case less than 16.5" wide in this position.

Thanks

edit- found a Dell Inspiron 537s case, anyone know what size motherboard would fit? I have an extra ATX board, but I'm guessing this take a micro-ATX board.

Hi renethx

Thanks so much for sharing! For your mini ITX Gaming system, having a hard time finding these 2 items in Canada for the Zotac H55 board:

Scythe Slip Stream Slim 120 mm Case Fan SY1212SL12M 1600rpm, $8 (the stock fan is too tall for the selected case), and Cooler Master RR-ACC-1156-GP LGA1156 Retention Bracket Set, $4 (necessary to attach the cooler to the LGA1156 socket)

Can you recommend alternatives? Or an alternative cooler that will fit stock? Or use the supplied Intel cooler?

Thanks very much, and hoping to make a donation when I get this done!

So it looks like AMD's new 800 chipset will not support 8ch LPCM. That sucks.

That setting should be in the BIOS.

The UMA only goes to 256. Does the Core i3-530 not go up to 512?

Still trying to decide which route to take on my HTPC upgrade. :(

For the time being my HTPC will also act as a file server until I do my unRAID build later this year. I have enough room in my entertainment center for a mATX Mid Tower so that is not an issue. I plan on running Win 7 Ultimate and MediaPortal for the front end. I would like to stream Netflix, Hulu, and do normal PC stuff on occasion. I will likely do my ripping on this machine too with an already purchased LiteOn BD drive. I'll be serving up music, movies (both DVD and some BD), but no TV yet. Video goes to a Toshiba 46" LCD while audio will go SPDIF to my Denon 3802 until I upgrade that as well.

So, do I stick with a budget AMD system for around $300 (XII 240, Gigabyte 785 Mobo, 2GB RAM, mATX case and Corsair 400 PSU) or spend about $100 more for an i3 system. This combo from Newegg looks really nice! http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.343620

I would get the ability to bitstream HD audio down the road once I upgrade my receiver, plus it is 4GB RAM over 2GB and a really nice Lian Li case that I could eventually use for my unRAID build (don't need a 20 bay case just yet ;) ).

Thoughts?

So I am about to pull the trigger on my second HTPC build, and am wanting to try an ITX build this time (what a wonderfully horrible addiction this is) :eek:

Here's my question:

Can anyone confirm that I can fit...

Zotac P55-ITX mobo
i3 with stock cooler
standard 3.5 HDD
standard 5.25 optical drive such as the Lite-ON iHOS104

...into the APEX MI-008 with included PSU.

The real question being whether or not the optical drive will fit into this case with the other components, or if I need to go with a slightly larger case.
TIA for any advice!

So I am about to pull the trigger on my second HTPC build, and am wanting to try an ITX build this time (what a wonderfully horrible addiction this is) :eek:

Here's my question:

Can anyone confirm that I can fit...

Zotac P55-ITX mobo
i3 with stock cooler
standard 3.5 HDD
standard 5.25 optical drive such as the Lite-ON iHOS104

...into the APEX MI-008 with included PSU.

The real question being whether or not the optical drive will fit into this case with the other components, or if I need to go with a slightly larger case.
TIA for any advice!
Just FYI - you didn't list a graphics card.

If you're planning on the i3 for integrated graphics, you need an H55 or H57 motherboard - the P55 won't work.

Just FYI - you didn't list a graphics card.

If you're planning on the i3 for integrated graphics, you need an H55 or H57 motherboard - the P55 won't work.
I think he did mean H55. I don't think Zotac makes P55 boards anyway. :p

So I am about to pull the trigger on my second HTPC build, and am wanting to try an ITX build this time (what a wonderfully horrible addiction this is) :eek:

Here's my question:

Can anyone confirm that I can fit...

Zotac P55-ITX mobo
i3 with stock cooler
standard 3.5 HDD
standard 5.25 optical drive such as the Lite-ON iHOS104

...into the APEX MI-008 with included PSU.

The real question being whether or not the optical drive will fit into this case with the other components, or if I need to go with a slightly larger case.
TIA for any advice!

Don't take my word for it, but I think I read somewhere that stock cooler fits but it's really close and a smaller one would be easier to work with.

Also, seems to me that a 3.5 HD and 5.25 BD are big (not impossible) for ITX. Why not 2.5 HD and slim HD?

Renethx (or anyone),

Any suggestions for a WHS build? I'd like at least 4-6 drives and the option to expand storage if necessary. I'm looking to spend about 500usd on the hardware (minus the drives).

Thanks

Any matx motherboard should work fine in the Dell case. The 537S case is well designed, but be aware it uses a non standard power supply.

Only room for 2 hard drives and only one optical.






Looking for recommendations for a tower case the can be laid horizontal and/or media center case less than 16.5" wide in this position.

Thanks

edit- found a Dell Inspiron 537s case, anyone know what size motherboard would fit? I have an extra ATX board, but I'm guessing this take a micro-ATX board.

Any matx motherboard should work fine in the Dell case. The 537S case is well designed, but be aware it uses a non standard power supply.

Only room for 2 hard drives and only one optical.

Thanks, this build will only be used as an extender so I'm not worried about the lack of hard drive space.

Hi renethx

Thanks so much for sharing! For your mini ITX Gaming system, having a hard time finding these 2 items in Canada for the Zotac H55 board:

Scythe Slip Stream Slim 120 mm Case Fan SY1212SL12M 1600rpm, $8 (the stock fan is too tall for the selected case), and Cooler Master RR-ACC-1156-GP LGA1156 Retention Bracket Set, $4 (necessary to attach the cooler to the LGA1156 socket)

Can you recommend alternatives? Or an alternative cooler that will fit stock? Or use the supplied Intel cooler?

Thanks very much, and hoping to make a donation when I get this done!
SY1212SL12L (http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=39631&vpn=SY1212SL12L&manufacture=Scythe) 1200rpm is perhaps enough.

Still trying to decide which route to take on my HTPC upgrade. :(

For the time being my HTPC will also act as a file server until I do my unRAID build later this year. I have enough room in my entertainment center for a mATX Mid Tower so that is not an issue. I plan on running Win 7 Ultimate and MediaPortal for the front end. I would like to stream Netflix, Hulu, and do normal PC stuff on occasion. I will likely do my ripping on this machine too with an already purchased LiteOn BD drive. I'll be serving up music, movies (both DVD and some BD), but no TV yet. Video goes to a Toshiba 46" LCD while audio will go SPDIF to my Denon 3802 until I upgrade that as well.

So, do I stick with a budget AMD system for around $300 (XII 240, Gigabyte 785 Mobo, 2GB RAM, mATX case and Corsair 400 PSU) or spend about $100 more for an i3 system. This combo from Newegg looks really nice! http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.343620

I would get the ability to bitstream HD audio down the road once I upgrade my receiver, plus it is 4GB RAM over 2GB and a really nice Lian Li case that I could eventually use for my unRAID build (don't need a 20 bay case just yet ;) ).

Thoughts?
Yup, that combo is a great deal.

Renethx (or anyone),

Any suggestions for a WHS build? I'd like at least 4-6 drives and the option to expand storage if necessary. I'm looking to spend about 500usd on the hardware (minus the drives).

Thanks
Here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=940972&page=401#Media%20Storage%20Server:%20System:%2015%20HDD%20To wer%20System). For starters you don't need 5-in-3 backplanes and SATA RAID controller cards.

For the power conservation "green" folks with a SW background may be interested in checking out Intel Energy Checker SDK (http://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/intel-energy-checker-sdk/)

This is what I would like to do:

I'd like to establish a central hard drive in my home (NAS). I will use the NAS in a raid configuration for important data and retrieval. I will sinc the NAS with my office NAS off site nightly. Data will include office documents, photos, videos, music collection for casatunes.
I would like to be able to record from a digital antenna up to two HDTV shows at once onto the NAS (DVR style). I would like to be able to burn my videos (blu-ray and DVD) to the NAS. I would then like to be able to access the shows and movies on any TV in my home. I would like to do this without loss of quality. Most of my TVs have component inputs, but some have cable only, others HDMI. I have several PCs that I can use for this task, but they are old office computers I would have to convert to the task (five years old, pentium processors). I am wondering how I can do this so that my various TVs can be used to see what shows are available and access them remotely. I have an X-box and a playstation 3 that I can use as well. I have a casatunes audio card installed which sends music throughout my house, I it is zoned. It would be nice to use the speakers in the house attached to the casatunes for sound for whatever shows we are watching in a given room to supplement/replace the TV speakers. There is only one input from external sources into the casatunes card. It can use up to four internal sources. I can place the casatunes card into a new computer if necessary. Here is a link to the stats on the card. http://www.casatunes.com/products/xli.html

I own a license for Slysoft's AnyDVD software suite.

Does anyone have a comprehensive solution/suggestion on how to do this?

Here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=940972&page=401#Media%20Storage%20Server:%20System:%2015%20HDD%20To wer%20System). For starters you don't need 5-in-3 backplanes and SATA RAID controller cards.

Thanks mate

If I were to substitute an intel processor/mobo combo for the amd one which would you suggest?

If I were to substitute an intel processor/mobo combo for the amd one which would you suggest?
- Pentium G6950, $87.
- ASRock H55DE3, $85, is cheap, but has only 4 SATA ports as 2 SATA ports from H55 chipset are placed in the rear panel, which is useless for a server (you can loop them back by this bracket (http://www.google.com/products?q=KINGWIN+ESAC-02)). MSI H55-GD65, $135, has 7 internal SATA ports and 1 external SATA ports (and IEEE 1394).

- Pentium G6950, $87.
- ASRock H55DE3, $85, is cheap, but has only 4 SATA ports as 2 SATA ports from H55 chipset are placed in the rear panel, which is useless for a server (you can loop them back by this bracket (http://www.google.com/products?q=KINGWIN+ESAC-02)). MSI H55-GD65, $135, has 7 internal SATA ports and 1 external SATA ports (and IEEE 1394).
I do believe the Pentium lacks bitstreaming support and several other handicaps compared to the Core i3.

What are the advantages to a WHS vs a NAS (specifically NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+)?

SY1212SL12L (http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=39631&vpn=SY1212SL12L&manufacture=Scythe) 1200rpm is perhaps enough.

Thanks! Will let you know how it fits/works.

I do believe the Pentium lacks bitstreaming support and several other handicaps compared to the Core i3.
The op asked an Intel chip/mb for a WHS system.

Because lack of space where my media hardware will be at, I'm considering buying an HTPC Laptop rather than building an HTPC desktop.

I will have two HDhomeRun TV tuners connected to the network and all the HD content (Recorded TV shows, Music, and 1080P Movies) will be store in an enclosure with TB hard drives.
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=027982&cid=HDE.690

So the laptop hard drive will only have the operating system and Media Center.

This laptop will be access from 3 TVs located in Kitchen, Living room and basement via media extenders and at any time different family members may simultaneously be pausing OTA tv shows, recording shows, listening to mp3s or watching 1080P content.

I need to be sure that by buying a laptop I'm not loosing to much in performance like bitstreaming, audio quality and video.

I read in this forum that with i3 or i5 CPU I would be able to process HD audio and Video out of the CPU. I'm sticking to i5 so a cheap laptop's video and audio card wouldn't be an issue and to deal with the demand of 3 users at the same time, as previously stated.

My budget is around $1000 for this laptop. Here are my choices and I would like for you guys to tell me which one is the better option, or suggest an alternative your self.

1- http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=028017&cid=NBK.300.645

2- http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/gateway-gateway-15-6-intel-core-i5-430m-2-26ghz-laptop-nv5911h-black-nv5911h/10137508.aspx?path=f5496d6f74839a599a448ffca4639accen02

3- http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/hewlett-packard-hp-pavilion-15-6-laptop-featuring-intel-core-processor-i5-430m-dv6-2138ca-black-dv6-2138ca/10137980.aspx?path=ef35ed38aae100ce03fa2f69ac83c141en02

4- http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5705305&CatId=4938

Thanks in advance

Alex

Any matx motherboard should work fine in the Dell case. The 537S case is well designed, but be aware it uses a non standard power supply.

Only room for 2 hard drives and only one optical.

On the non-standard power supply, do you mean the psu size or non standard connections that will not work on a non Dell motherboard?

Thanks

On the non-standard power supply, do you mean the psu size or non standard connections that will not work on a non Dell motherboard?

Thanks

Dell is "special" and uses proprietary connectors. :mad:

CJ

The op asked an Intel chip/mb for a WHS system.
ahh sorry didn't catch that... but wouldn't the Pentium G be overkill for a WHS? Would a Celeron or Atom be enough?

My budget is around $1000 for this laptop. Here are my choices and I would like for you guys to tell me which one is the better option, or suggest an alternative your self.

1- http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=028017&cid=NBK.300.645

2- http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/gateway-gateway-15-6-intel-core-i5-430m-2-26ghz-laptop-nv5911h-black-nv5911h/10137508.aspx?path=f5496d6f74839a599a448ffca4639accen02

3- http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/hewlett-packard-hp-pavilion-15-6-laptop-featuring-intel-core-processor-i5-430m-dv6-2138ca-black-dv6-2138ca/10137980.aspx?path=ef35ed38aae100ce03fa2f69ac83c141en02

4- http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5705305&CatId=4938

Thanks in advance

Alex
- ASUS K52JR-A1 looks a great deal (7200rpm HDD; HD 5470 is overall better than IGP).
- HP Pavilion DV6-2138CA: Should be avoided (no Gb LAN).
- HP Pavilion DV6-2150CA: What's the point of adding GeForce G105M (more or less the same performance as IGP)? :confused:
- Gateway: No reason to choose this over ASUS (8GB RAM is pointless, 5400rpm HDD etc.).

ahh sorry didn't catch that... but wouldn't the Pentium G be overkill for a WHS? Would a Celeron or Atom be enough?
Consider available PCI Express x4 or higher slots for SATA controller cards (if you use the PCI Express x16 slot, IGP will be disabled with a chipset prior to LGA 1156). That's the reason why I chose the AMD platform (no such restriction, a lot cheaper).

- ASUS K52JR-A1 looks a great deal (7200rpm HDD; HD 5470 is overall better than IGP)

Ok so the ASUS seems to be the winner. I just called the seller and it doesn't have e-sata port to connect the external hard drive enclosure.

Do you think is a good idea to connect the Hard drive enclosure via Ethernet port? or would it be to slow for what I want to do?

Should I search for another laptop with PCI Express slot, to be able to connect a e-sata card?

Ok so the ASUS seems to be the winner. I just called the seller and it doesn't have e-sata port to connect the external hard drive enclosure.

Do you think is a good idea to connect the Hard drive enclosure via Ethernet port? or would it be to slow for what I want to do?

Should I search for another laptop with PCI Express slot, to be able to connect a e-sata card?
If you want attach extra HDDs in an enclosure, yup, eSATA is faster than USB (until USB 3.0 is common). But perhaps you will want to build a media storage server, and Gb LAN (1 Gb/s = 125MB/s) is fast enough for usual HTPC purposes. (A 1TB HDD can hold only 150 hours of HDTV recordings.)

BTW do you really want a laptop HTPC? You can build a Mini-ITX system (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=940972&page=401#Mini-ITX%20System:%20Standard%20System:%20Intel-Intel%20%28iGPU%29), that's a lot cheaper and better in performance. If Apex MI-008 is too large, you can find a smaller case (e.g. Antec ISK 300-150 (http://www.antec.com/Believe_it/product.php?Family=Mjg4)).

Ok so the ASUS seems to be the winner. I just called the seller and it doesn't have e-sata port to connect the external hard drive enclosure.

Do you think is a good idea to connect the Hard drive enclosure via Ethernet port? or would it be to slow for what I want to do?

Should I search for another laptop with PCI Express slot, to be able to connect a e-sata card?Are you dead set on a laptop? I had a space limitation and I built my HTPC using the M350 case. The hardware cost was right around $500.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=18154574#post18154574

MurrayW thought the same thing as me. :)

If you want attach extra HDDs in an enclosure, yup, eSATA is faster than USB (until USB 3.0 is common). But perhaps you will want to build a media storage server, and Gb LAN (1 Gb/s = 125MB/s) is fast enough for usual HTPC purposes. (A 1TB HDD can hold only 150 hours of HDTV recordings.)

Thanks renethx, So a gigabit ethernet connection will work fast enough for what I want to do, I do have an pentium 3 with xp on it that I could install a PCI gigabit ethernet card and put all the TBs hard drivers on it as a server right?

Can this server PC be away from the HTPC laptop somewhere on the basement connected to the basement router via an 5e ethernet cable that is able to support gigabit speed? Or that would be too far from the main laptop on the main floor, for the HD content play and record without issues or delays?

By the way I found my self another deal, I guess this one is a better one because it has Bray player, so I can put all my Bray disc on the server.


Please renethx, can you take a look at the specs of this new laptop and tell me if I would be loosing on performance for gaining a BRay player? http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5592724&CatId=4938

Thanks again renethx for all you help on this site.
I plan on using Unraid with this MB GIGABYTE GA-MA785GT-UD3H Is it fine to use one of the external USB ports for the pen drive that will contain the Unraid OS?

Also, do you know where I may fine 18" Straight to straight SATA cables at an affordable price? I don't see why the ones I am finding cost 6-7 bucks a piece.

This is the items I have.
Case: NORCO RPC-4020 4U EATX/ATX (20 x SATA/SAS drive bay), $264.
* PSU: Corsair TX750W CMPSU-750TX 750W, $105.
* CPU: Athlon II X2 240 ADX240OCGQBOX 2.8GHz AM3, $60.
* CPU Cooler: Stock Cooler, $0.
* Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA785GT-UD3H AM3 AMD 785G chipset ATX, $93.
* Memory: G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-2GBNQ DDR3-1600 2 x 1GB Kit, $65.
* Graphics: Radeon HD 4200 (integrated in the chipset), $0.
* HBA: Supermicro AOC-SAT2-MV8 8-port SATA Controller PCI-X Card, $96.
* HBA: Supermicro AOC-SAT2-MV8 8-port SATA Controller PCI-X Card, $96.
* OS HDD: Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB SATA 3.0Gbps, $63.
* Total Cost: $842 (storage drives are not included)