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Guide to Building a HTPC, Workstation and Server - Page 450

post #13471 of 18891
4/16/10 at 1:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kevinqian View Post

Those are pretty small sector sizes. The standard is 512kb right? What's the benefit of such small sectors?

Sorry, I meant allocation units. NTFS default is 4KB. I think 64KB is the highest you can go unless you format the drive with GPT instead of MBR.

Quote:
Originally Posted by gsr View Post

Don't your comments about specification sheets and maximum sustained sequential throughput apply to the other drives as well? Granted they may not drop the same percentage as the "green" drives, but it only seems fair to compare apples to apples on the stats.

Yeah, they do drop, but minimum speeds and average speeds will still be higher than green drives (estimate +10~20MB/s). Granted not all green drives perform the same. The Seagate Barracuda LP 2TB performs very close to the Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 1.5TB making it my choice for an upcoming unRAID server upgrade.

From some posts in the unRAID forums, parity check of green drives (the WDxxEACS and WDxxEADS in particular) finish at 65MB/s average or around 6 1/2 hours with 1.5TB drives. Those with 7200RPM drives get 85MB/s or less than 5 hours with 1.5TB drives (assuming no other bottleneck is in place). While I don't really mind the 6 1/2 hours (I'm sleeping during that time), now that we have 2TB drives, that same 65MB/s will equate to 8 1/2 hours. Someone will already be awake before the server finishes parity check and I'd rather not have anyone reading from/writing to the array during that time.

Quote:
Originally Posted by gsr View Post

It should also be noted that even 50MB/s is probably sufficient for most home users' needs. It's not like most of us are trying to run the google search engine at home .

Definitely more than sufficient. Again, I'm using a 2.5" 5400RPM notebook drive for my HTPC and that's even slower than 3.5" green drives.

Quote:
Originally Posted by fivestarplus View Post

SSD drives. Has anyone used a SSD drive as their "data" drive? I use them for my "OS" drive.

Should be heck fast. Tom's Hardware did a RAID-0 of 16 Intel 64GB Enterprise SSD's (1TB total) and got 3.4GB/s throughput. Now, just gotta rob a bank to afford a similar set-up...
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post #13472 of 18891
4/16/10 at 4:15pm
i am setting up bios on Asrock H55m pro with a cooler master geminii S. what is recommendation on CPU Fan setting? Automatic mode with target temperature of 50 degrees and target fan speed of 1? what about chassis fan? thanks
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post #13473 of 18891
4/16/10 at 5:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hudayuda View Post

I am remodeling my basement (myself) and installing 5.1 surround sound and a HDTV. The rear ceiling speakers are 300 watt RMS 8” 8ohm; the front in-wall speakers are 300 watt RMS 8” with liquid cooled silk domed tweeters 8 ohms ; the subwoofer is 350 watt RMS, 12” 8ohms, and the front center angled ceiling speaker and 8” 200watt RMS with a pivoting liquid cooled dome tweeter.

Since the start of this project, I have learned that audio and TV have changed…a lot….. since I was a teenager and an audiophile back then, 40 years ago. Someone has inspired me to look at HTPCs and now I am totally confused. While I love the idea of having access to HDTV, Blue Ray, Music, Surfing the net and many other things, will I need a separate amplifier, or will a motherboard or soundcard put out enough power ( remember it’s 8ohms also) .



You'll need a Home Theater, integrated amp. The simplest way to connect a PC to the amp is via HDMI. One cable carries the video and audio. You should need any add in sound card in the PC.
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post #13474 of 18891
4/16/10 at 6:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by b_rubenstein View Post

You'll need a Home Theater, integrated amp. The simplest way to connect a PC to the amp is via HDMI. One cable carries the video and audio. You should need any add in sound card in the PC.

For clarity, there's a typo in the above. You shouldn't need any add-in sound card.

If you go the HTPC route, I recommend you follow Rene's recommendations and put together one of the HD bitstreaming-capable systems such as using the ATI HD5670 graphics (and audio) card. Pair it with a receiver that can handle it (connected to the GPU via HDMI, and the TV connects to the Receiver by HDMI). And put in a 7.1 speaker system.

I'm not much of an audiophile so I'm living with just DTS/DD 5.1 though I do have a receiver that can turn DTS into a mockup of 7.1 which sounds fine to me.

I'm more of a videophile so I would invest in a better TV first, but that's just me...

Good luck!

Marc
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post #13475 of 18891
4/16/10 at 7:04pm
Ok ... I'm torn

ASUS P7H55D-M EVO vs ASUS P7H55-M PRO

About $30 diff ...

I don't have any immediate need for USB 3.0 ... but I guess it would come in handy ... maybe. Also, not currently using esata or much else other than standard USB. Building an HTPC just for streaming from my HP Media Server.

What do you buys think? (Also, for those that own either, are they working well for you?)
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post #13476 of 18891
4/16/10 at 7:31pm
What other differences are there besides USB3? Solid caps?
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post #13477 of 18891
4/16/10 at 7:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by fun4stuff View Post

i am setting up bios on Asrock H55m pro with a cooler master geminii S. what is recommendation on CPU Fan setting? Automatic mode with target temperature of 50 degrees and target fan speed of 1? what about chassis fan? thanks

I have a similar setup and would also like to know what others bios temp/fans speed settings are.
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post #13478 of 18891
4/16/10 at 11:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lintoc View Post

Did you ever resolve this issue? I'm building on the same mobo, and I don;t even get a beep or single cursor - no beep, no display wake up. Did you RMA that board to Amazon with success? I think mine had damaged inner packing - probably DOA board.
If you replaced it, what did you get instead?

I RMAed it, after RMAing I got a responce from OCTOGONPC the are the ones who sell it on amazon marketplace

"Thank you for the very detailed response. I will address your concerns w/ the manufacturer. I agree that the boards have been very good overall. The reports of not posting have been more common than they should have been, and I've found that there are 2 jumpers for the BIOS...one for resetting, and another for boot-up. It's the second jumper that has not be set properly. I will encourage the manufacturer to maybe emphasize or remove this jumper in future implementations. Thank you very much for your patronage, and I hope that we will be able to serve you again in the future.

Vincent Black
OCTOGONPC "

I don't know what other jumper he is talking about, or where it is even at.

I bought a second one from amazon which the clam shell holding the PC was even more beat up but this one worked Ive been using it for about 3-4 days with no problems.
Hope this helps.
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post #13479 of 18891
4/17/10 at 7:21am
Looking at two weekend deals at Frys, wondering if either is a good combo to start building a HTPC. Can you guys weigh in and give me your thoughts on if its worth buying one of them.

Intel® Core™ i3 530
& Gigabyte GA-H55M-S2H Motherboard for $103.88

Or

AMD Phenom™ II 955 BLACK
& MSI 890GXM-G65 Motherboard for $169.99
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post #13480 of 18891
4/17/10 at 8:18am
are either still available in stock? I know most of the former went flying off the shelves yesterday at most places. The latter is definitely overkill for htpc, would make for a great gaming system tho.

OT: AVS is getting really annoying with these new ad "features." if there's one type of ad more annoying than popups, it's these mouse over popups.
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post #13481 of 18891
4/17/10 at 9:11am
whats the difference between the Gigabyte GA-H55M-S2H and the AS Rock MOBO renythx recomends?
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post #13482 of 18891
4/17/10 at 9:38am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by amkesler26 View Post

whats the difference between the Gigabyte GA-H55M-S2H and the AS Rock MOBO renythx recomends?

The main difference is here. I prefer ASRock if I use a discrete graphics card.
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post #13483 of 18891
4/17/10 at 9:49am
I will use a discrete graphics card as well so will this mobo work ok for a HTPC build? Gigabyte GA-H55M-S2H Will I be missing any features or functionality from your other recomended MOBO's?

Is this combo a powerhog compared to the intel I3 combo?

AMD Phenom™ II 955 BLACK
& MSI 890GXM-G65 Motherboard for $169.99

Or would you stick to the I3 530 combo?
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post #13484 of 18891
4/17/10 at 9:54am
Renethx one other question, if i already have a computer case without a built in IR what do you recomend by way of building this functionality in with a remote?
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post #13485 of 18891
4/17/10 at 9:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by kevinqian View Post

are either still available in stock? I know most of the former went flying off the shelves yesterday at most places. The latter is definitely overkill for htpc, would make for a great gaming system tho.

OT: AVS is getting really annoying with these new ad "features." if there's one type of ad more annoying than popups, it's these mouse over popups.

You can shut off the ads, just go into options in your User profile (towards the bottom you will see)
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post #13486 of 18891
4/17/10 at 10:11am
Thread Starter 
@amkesler26

GA-H55M-S2H is a good choice if you don't care about all solid capacitors, IEEE 1394, or ALC889 (full resolution Blu-ray analog audio).

Use the USB IR receiver that comes with GP-IR01BK.
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post #13487 of 18891
4/17/10 at 10:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by amkesler26 View Post

I will use a discrete graphics card as well so will this mobo work ok for a HTPC build? Gigabyte GA-H55M-S2H Will I be missing any features or functionality from your other recomended MOBO's?

Is this combo a powerhog compared to the intel I3 combo?

AMD Phenom™ II 955 BLACK
& MSI 890GXM-G65 Motherboard for $169.99

Or would you stick to the I3 530 combo?

Gigabyte board only has 2 DIMM slots. big disadvantage if you plan on using 4 DIMMs later on. I also hear from user reports that if you use a long gpu dual slotted, it will block half of the SATA ports.

Renethx, i never really cared for the analog out but is there a tangible difference between the two Realtek chips? Is the 888B limited to 16bit/48khz or something? Just combed through Realtek's site and from what i can tell, the 888B does not have Bluray HD audio protection. Does that mean all blu-ray audio will be downsampled before output? I always thought this was an issue with HDMI digital audio connections but seems like analog audio also need PAVP to function.
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post #13488 of 18891
4/17/10 at 10:55am
Thanks guys for the input sounds liek even though you get a good deal on the combo the moboard is not ideal, but saving $90-$100 sure is tempting.
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post #13489 of 18891
4/17/10 at 11:04am
Think about it this way, the combo costs less than the CPU itself. Getting a free mobo, even if it's low end, is very tempting. Just hope it's still in stock at any of the Fry's locations. If not, that combo seems to pop up every two weeks or so, so keep an eye out on Friday mornings when they post their new weekly specials and get in on it EARLY.
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post #13490 of 18891
4/17/10 at 11:05am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by kevinqian View Post

Gigabyte board only has 2 DIMM slots. big disadvantage if you plan on using 4 DIMMs later on. I also hear from user reports that if you use a long gpu dual slotted, it will block half of the SATA ports.

Renethx, i never really cared for the analog out but is there a tangible difference between the two Realtek chips? Is the 888B limited to 16bit/48khz or something? Just combed through Realtek's site and from what i can tell, the 888B does not have Bluray HD audio protection. Does that mean all blu-ray audio will be downsampled before output? I always thought this was an issue with HDMI digital audio connections but seems like analog audio also need PAVP to function.

888 lacks PAP. That means PowerDVD downsamples HD audio to 16/48. There may be other hardware differences (please check data sheets).
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post #13491 of 18891
4/17/10 at 11:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dbone1026 View Post

You can shut off the ads, just go into options in your User profile (towards the bottom you will see)

Thanks
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post #13492 of 18891
4/17/10 at 2:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kevinqian View Post

OT: AVS is getting really annoying with these new ad "features." if there's one type of ad more annoying than popups, it's these mouse over popups.

Quote:
Originally Posted by dbone1026 View Post

You can shut off the ads, just go into options in your User profile (towards the bottom you will see)

I've noticed that even though you can shut off the ads, the system now doesn't keep me logged in as long as before. So, frequently when I click on a link to this or other AVS pages, when it gets there I'm "logged out" and am subjected to the ads until I log back it. That used to happen once a week or so... but now it logs me out a couple times per day...

Marc
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post #13493 of 18891
4/17/10 at 2:55pm
Yes the MSI 890GXM-G65 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813130269looks perfect for my next build. Is the 4290 2 channel like the 4200? But 2 pci16 slots, 889 analog, usb3 and sata3. Thanks
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post #13494 of 18891
4/17/10 at 4:55pm
HD4290 has exact same limitations as the 785g. It's dual PCIe x16 slots but operate at x8/x8 in CFX.
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post #13495 of 18891
4/17/10 at 6:53pm
I've figured out a bunch of what I'm looking for and now I'm researching memory. Would someone be so kind as to explain to me what the difference is between these two?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...00C8D3K2%2f4GX

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...600C9D3K2%2f4G
To me as a newbie, they're the same thing. Both are SDRAM DDR3, both are non-ECC, both are 240-pin and Newegg has them priced the same.
Thanks!
Jim
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post #13496 of 18891
4/17/10 at 8:10pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jim97219 View Post

I've figured out a bunch of what I'm looking for and now I'm researching memory. Would someone be so kind as to explain to me what the difference is between these two?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...00C8D3K2%2f4GX

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...600C9D3K2%2f4G
To me as a newbie, they're the same thing. Both are SDRAM DDR3, both are non-ECC, both are 240-pin and Newegg has them priced the same.
Thanks!
Jim

One is "XMP Ready", the other not, I think. There are cheaper modules with more or less the same specifications, e.g. G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ, $110 (1.5V operating voltage is even better for many people).
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post #13497 of 18891
4/17/10 at 9:52pm
As helpful as this amazing thread is, my head is spinning. Renethx's builds all seem to be well thought out and researched, particularly with regards to fitting together and capabilities. Yet for me, there are other things that matter a lot and that I don't know enough about to make any decisions.

1. Is there a thread someplace that is to the software involved with HTPC as this thread is to the hardware?

2. Where in the progression from low to middle and high end is the point where there is no further improvement in playback performance but increased heat and noise production? Noise is highly important to me. Am I correct in thinking that the "lower end" of the performance scale (such as Core i3 as opposed to i5 or i7) are both more than enough for flawless BR playback and will run cooler (quieter)? Any differences with regards to heat (noise actually) between Intel and AMD?

I'm not interested in gaming, and I hope to avoid software solutions that are overly CPU intensive, so I can stay as low on the heat/noise spectrum as possible yet have as much quality as can be had. I also hope to have my HTPC be a good quality audio streamer, if possible. Basically I'm just looking for an AV player that is as close to videophile and audiophile quality as a HTPC can be.

Ideas from those of you who are already doing all of this would be invaluable and much appreciated.
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post #13498 of 18891
4/17/10 at 10:20pm
Hi all. I've decided to upgrade my main PC and put my old parts into the HTPC after realizing how much I was spending. This changes a few things for me. I'll be using an ATX board

EVGA 750i FTW, Core2Duo E8400, 4GB DDR2-800 ram, LiteOn DVD-RW (re-used parts)
1.5TB Samsung 5400RPM
LiteOn Blu-Ray ROM

I thought I might be able to use my old power supply, but looking at my MB I need one with an 8Pin EATX12v connector. Also, I'm thinking about getting a case since I'm having to buy a power supply anyway.

Can anyone recommend a NO FRILLS ATX HTPC case that a stock Intel Heatsink/fan will fit in? I don't need an IR receiver or remote. I already have those.


Is modular PS the way to go for an HTPC case? The Corsair below is cheaper, but I'm concerned that the description says "extra long cables for full tower"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139003

The Enermax is modular, but with less watts/amps on 12v
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817194042

Also, there is a 400w Corsair as well, 80plus. Would that work as well? My PSU calc says I'm not even breaking 300w for my parts
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139008
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post #13499 of 18891
4/17/10 at 10:32pm
Renethx, you're right. I took a look at Kingston's website (next time, I'll do that first!) says the "X" suffix designates XMP-ready for Intel Core i5 7xx and Core i7 8xxx series processors and systems." So if I'm using an i3 chip, the X is meaningless.
Thanks again.
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post #13500 of 18891
4/17/10 at 10:49pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by kjgarrison View Post

As helpful as this amazing thread is, my head is spinning. Renethx's builds all seem to be well thought out and researched, particularly with regards to fitting together and capabilities. Yet for me, there are other things that matter a lot and that I don't know enough about to make any decisions.

1. Is there a thread someplace that is to the software involved with HTPC as this thread is to the hardware?

2. Where in the progression from low to middle and high end is the point where there is no further improvement in playback performance but increased heat and noise production? Noise is highly important to me. Am I correct in thinking that the "lower end" of the performance scale (such as Core i3 as opposed to i5 or i7) are both more than enough for flawless BR playback and will run cooler (quieter)? Any differences with regards to heat (noise actually) between Intel and AMD?

I'm not interested in gaming, and I hope to avoid software solutions that are overly CPU intensive, so I can stay as low on the heat/noise spectrum as possible yet have as much quality as can be had. I also hope to have my HTPC be a good quality audio streamer, if possible. Basically I'm just looking for an AV player that is as close to videophile and audiophile quality as a HTPC can be.

Ideas from those of you who are already doing all of this would be invaluable and much appreciated.

1. I am still thinking about how to integrate a software guide. There are already several good guides, e.g. dbone1026's.

2. Here is a rough differentiation between the systems.

Noise is not directly related with power consumption (i.e. heat). A 150W system with good cooling in a spacious ATX case can be much quieter than a cramped 60W mini-ITX system.
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