I was just "cleared" from the powers that be 
to move forward and build a cheap, entry level HTPC...
I currently have my Dell Insp. E1505 Laptop rigged to playback media on my 720p display via VGA and so far I think it's been pretty decent. But, with the laptop there are limitations... The Laptop's onboard Intel Video is pretty cool but I cannot get Digital audio out and on many .mkv & HD Mov files I get slight video jitter and audio synch issues... running basic FFDSHOW and Reclock.
I have no problems so far when watching HD DivX, .TS & 720p WMV files. They all play without a hitch.
My laptop specs are: 1.6Ghz w/512MB Ram.
Anyway, I only have a very limited amount of funds to do this and I need to be smart. It is very important to note that I only plan to handle 1 task at a time on this PC so I dont think I need to have discussions about Dual & Quad Core processors.
What I'd Like to be able to do:
- Output 1280 x 720 resolution to my HD70
- Playback up to 720p h264 .mkv & HDMOV files (jitter, stutter free) I absolutely love watching apple movie trailers!
- Send digital audio via s/pdif to my Home Theater Receiver
I already have spare Hard Disks, optical drives & an unused Audigy Z2 Card... so what I need to secure now is a Motherboard, decent case (which will be hidden), Memory & a capable video card.
I've scanned through Newegg & Tigerdirect but I am drawing a blank as I am only very familiar with Pentium PCs. I dont understand the speed translations... I know that a Pentium 4 will be good for what I need... but I see Athlon 1800... & so on & so on.... those numbers seem a bit low? Does that means 1.8ghz? What is the minumum speed I should be going with if I choose an AMD processor.
- Will an Athlon 1800 with 512MB of RAM be able to do the job?
- Do I go with Onboard Video? Or will a card like THIS NVIDIA work well?
If the card has a DVI output, can connect it to my 5x1 HDMI selector with the proper cable instead of going VGA?
I will not game with this PC... I will not use it as a Tuner. I just want to playback Media files at 720p using intermediate FFDSHOW settings with solid performance. As far as I can see, this is all I will need to do for quite some time. When my needs change, I will upgrade accordingly. I need to keep the budget as light as possible or I may have to find a new home soon. But I cannot keep using my laptop for my needs.
Thanks for all help.
to move forward and build a cheap, entry level HTPC...I currently have my Dell Insp. E1505 Laptop rigged to playback media on my 720p display via VGA and so far I think it's been pretty decent. But, with the laptop there are limitations... The Laptop's onboard Intel Video is pretty cool but I cannot get Digital audio out and on many .mkv & HD Mov files I get slight video jitter and audio synch issues... running basic FFDSHOW and Reclock.
I have no problems so far when watching HD DivX, .TS & 720p WMV files. They all play without a hitch.
My laptop specs are: 1.6Ghz w/512MB Ram.
Anyway, I only have a very limited amount of funds to do this and I need to be smart. It is very important to note that I only plan to handle 1 task at a time on this PC so I dont think I need to have discussions about Dual & Quad Core processors.
What I'd Like to be able to do:
- Output 1280 x 720 resolution to my HD70
- Playback up to 720p h264 .mkv & HDMOV files (jitter, stutter free) I absolutely love watching apple movie trailers!
- Send digital audio via s/pdif to my Home Theater Receiver
I already have spare Hard Disks, optical drives & an unused Audigy Z2 Card... so what I need to secure now is a Motherboard, decent case (which will be hidden), Memory & a capable video card.
I've scanned through Newegg & Tigerdirect but I am drawing a blank as I am only very familiar with Pentium PCs. I dont understand the speed translations... I know that a Pentium 4 will be good for what I need... but I see Athlon 1800... & so on & so on.... those numbers seem a bit low? Does that means 1.8ghz? What is the minumum speed I should be going with if I choose an AMD processor.
- Will an Athlon 1800 with 512MB of RAM be able to do the job?
- Do I go with Onboard Video? Or will a card like THIS NVIDIA work well?
If the card has a DVI output, can connect it to my 5x1 HDMI selector with the proper cable instead of going VGA?
I will not game with this PC... I will not use it as a Tuner. I just want to playback Media files at 720p using intermediate FFDSHOW settings with solid performance. As far as I can see, this is all I will need to do for quite some time. When my needs change, I will upgrade accordingly. I need to keep the budget as light as possible or I may have to find a new home soon. But I cannot keep using my laptop for my needs.
Thanks for all help.
