Need help creating a awesome HTPC setup!!

Hi AVS!

This is my first time posting on this forum and came here because AVS taught me interesting things in the past and I am looking for some help. I typically play Battlefield 3 using my laptop connected to my HT setup and game on the couch. I have a Samsung LED tv (UN55D6000) hooked up via hdmi to my onkyo ht-rc360 receiver with a 5.1 setup. From there I have it hooked up to my laptop via hdmi as well. I used to game on my Samsung tv and use the video and audio to the receiver, turned off the display of my laptop monitor, and used the laptop as a keyboard. I bought the laptop for out of town gaming and when I played the laptop using the monitor, I realized the significant difference in input lag. Now realizing this I now play at home with the monitor on and just use the 5.1 HT sound and tv off, (obviously because without it, BF3 would suck). This is only when I'm gaming hard on multiplayer and need to input lag.

My delema is that I am planning on building a gaming desktop and don't know how I will set it up. The idea behind this is to use the best graphics at home and the decent graphics for on the road. I used to use a older desktop for gaming on my tv with the same HT setup hooked up hdmi and I know how bad the input lag is for a desktop setup to the tv, so that isn't an option for my tv. I would totally consider getting a new computer monitor for the new desktop, but I want to game on the couch and I wouldn't know where to put it, (unless if there were a cool stand that can be easily removed from a lap or something made for a couch). I doubt there is a way to use my desktop as the main source of power and use my laptop strictly for the keybard and monitor portions hooked up hdmi or something. Or maybe some type of input lag reducing external device to my current tv somehow. Keep in mind with my tv, i have tried puting it in game mode and changing the source name to pc, still noticed too much of a difference. I was also wondering if a certain type of gaming projector would work to maybe help my situation.

Any ideas please!!!
Keep in mind that it needs to have the lowest input lag, able to be viewed on a couch, and able to benefit my 5.1 surround setup. Money isnt much of an issue.

Thanks in advance if you reply!!!

Well the older desktop has the same amount of lag I would think if not worse compared to my laptop to the tv.
Here's a picture of the difference in latency of the monitor and the tv, about 50-70 ms I would say. Now this may not be bad to some, to me I notice it too much. I play BF3 at ultra low graphics to attain the 60 fps that I need to get the most out of my gaming experience which is how I notice this difference.

Now Confidenceman, you mention that you don't notice much lag difference when connecting the laptop to the tv compared to the desktop to the tv. Try it on the monitor. From what I know the tv will output the same amount of video processing for both setups and should take the same amount of time to display the picture , with little difference in lag. I notice that slight mount of lag and now I just can't PC game on my tv anymore Not too sure about the latency specifically on the laptop though. Thanks for the response!

Well yes there can be many different things that contribute to input lag. But i completely agree with you, and would love to simply buy a monitor. I just don't know of one that well be accessible on the couch like a laptop is. But i'll have to check into the tv subforums. I've looked on here before about my tv input lag before and found some things that slightly reduce the lag but i couldn't find a topic of discussion for my specific model of tv and if anyone else knew how to tweak it to the max. I've also been told that hdmi cord length might have an impact but its about 8ft long and isn't electricity theoretically instantaneous? But what about projectors? Do they have decently low input lag on some of them?

Well yes there can be many different things that contribute to input lag. But i completely agree with you, and would love to simply buy a monitor. I just don't know of one that well be accessible on the couch like a laptop is. But i'll have to check into the tv subforums. I've looked on here before about my tv input lag before and found some things that slightly reduce the lag but i couldn't find a topic of discussion for my specific model of tv and if anyone else knew how to tweak it to the max. I've also been told that hdmi cord length might have an impact but its about 8ft long and isn't electricity theoretically instantaneous? But what about projectors? Do they have decently low input lag on some of them?

Sorry crappy internet where I'm at right now ^^^^^^^^^

Well what would that major wall be. I know that there is latency from the internet but I'm strictly talking about the latency of the movement of the mouse that shows on the screen. Multiplayer or singleplayer shouldn't make a difference. But I'll try to do what I can. I've been trying to find a laptop style monitor but can't find one.

YRD

As I mentioned before I have enabled the game mode/PC mode which does reduce the input lag very well. But what I said about a laptop style monitor is maybe some sort of regular computer monitor that can be placed on your lap without having the keyboard base and other computer parts......just something that might be out there that would be useful in this situation that could possibly be available.

NATHAN

The picture that I posted shows that when the clock starts on my laptop,(bottom display) it takes my tv 50-90ms to process the image. So at the time the picture is taken, the tv,( top display) will have a lower number in seconds because the image was lagged so much on my tv.

And I have tried connecting my hdmi directly to my tv bypassing the AVR and i still noticed a difference. I tried a lot of these methods a while ago so I'll have to try them again to see these differences of input lag. But I haven't tried using VGA to the tv yet, I'll try that and use hdmi for the audio to the avr. And I don't think you can somehow not use the video signal of hdmi and only use the audio signal right? If you could it would seem that my graphics card wouldn't have to work as hard to output a video display to my monitor AND tv with an audio output to the tv as well, because hdmi has to send both audio and video if I'm not mistaken. Not sure what you meant on how the setup is easy to do on Win 7 though.

And yes back to the tv settings when I use it I do have each setting possible turned off with game mode on. I'm just not sure about the resolution which is "screen fit" right now. But I haven't updated my tv's firmware in a while thanks for reminding me!!

The comment that I mentioned was that I had connected my older desktop via hdmi to my avr and noticed about the same amount of lag compared to hooking up my laptop via hdmi to my avr. And I will also try different settings in the graphics card to see if it changes anything. And I game pretty hard when I got the chance soooo.....rule 1) of hardcore gaming losers 101....Never use Wifi!!!! lol!




Thanks for the feedback guys!

YRD

Thanks for the response! Ya I figured that there wouldnt be a laptop type monitor just would work for my anal case, (not that ....that's gross). And thanks I checked out that link you posted it was a little pricey though. I went to a awesome computer parts store called memory express not sure if its anywhere else in canada or the states other than alberta. And I explained my delema and they suggested to just build a couch mount my self with some pvc pipe and buy a 30 dollar bracket and build it myself!!!

I didnt think that you could send a audio only signal but thanks for verifying.

TASKMAN

Haha thanks for noticing I take my gaming quite seriously. I was used to xbox and was hardcore into that and loved gaming on the couch with 5.1 and loved it and got converted to pc last year. So I can never leave 5.1!!

Anyway yes I am aware of the motion smoothing thing but I turned that off. I don't even think that they are accessible when game mode is on. But when motion plus is on it will lag even worse.... o well I think ill build a mount myself somehow.

But I bought some awesome computer parts for the start of my own xmas gift for myself build!!!!!
That's right boys and girls! I bought a msi gtx 680 4gb graphics card. A intel i5 3570k processor bundled with an asus P8z77 motherboard. And a corsair hx850 power supply for a future expansion of another 680 msI!!!!

True.....what would you recommend? Maybe some sort of metal conduit?

Hell ya man!! It'll be Awesome!!!! Its nice to see there are others as hardcore as I am. I bought this case www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119239&nm_mc=TEMC-RMA-Approvel&cm_mmc=TEMC-RMA-Approvel-_-Content-_-text-_-
This ssd www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211597
And this ram
www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231528

I plan on posting pictures when I build this thing hopefully when I have time just after xmas!

I think I found a solution to my problem!!
http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/mainstays-laptop-cart/142255?collectionName=More+Featured+Items&fromCollectionPage=false
This is a rolling laptop stand. I plan on putting my monitor (maybe strapping it down or something) on top. Having the wheels hopefully go underneath my couch so that I can move the stand closer to me when I am sitting on the couch, and with the one leg that is uniquely off to the side I can have my feet up on the table.

Nathan

I'm interested on what you mentioned about the performance leap from your old processor to the new one. Processors aren't typically going to make a huge impact in gaming performance,(assuming gaming) but I never just swapped a processor by its self before. But yes I went with the 680 4gb......wanted to properly make this an amazing gaming rig and I'm so stoked to put everything together. Here is the monitor I plan on buying maybe after xmas.
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX30594
Should be perfect for my rig I would think, and it should handle the low input lag that makes me want to snap my own neck.

But yeah no problem I understand. When I first tried to take the screen shots I was confused at first and had to think about it.

But the tvs lag is too much compared to the monitor. And it's funny you mentioned vga because I did try it out recently and it was good but not great. But it's kind of a disgrace to have such an awesome tv connected with a yucky vga lol. So I said screw it I'll just get an effin monitor already lol. But your right, vga does not use any processing like a monitor.

Yrd

What's the big deal about aluminum, thermal capacity? I don't know, I'm buying a full tower with decent room 4 tower fans and a msi twin frozr which should total everything up to being nice and cool I hope. Well see. But I only ended up paying 189 on newegg for that case...pretty good I think.

That's good guys!! I just know that the i5 3570k is on top on the benchmarks for gaming and the next cpu higher is an expensive i7 which is only slightly better. Can't wait for my parts to finally come in and I can finally build this beast. So excited!!! I'll let you guys know how this whole thing works out in the end.