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Guide to Building a HTPC, Workstation and Server - Page 103

post #3061 of 18891
9/2/08 at 7:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Satan. View Post

Good spot with the Q6600. What kind of case would you recommend? I'm looking for something black (preferably), IR receiver built in, doesn't have to have a card reader or power supply (but are nice to have). I find the Silverstones to be a bit on the expensive side... I'm looking for the $160-80 range.

You might want to have a look at the Antec NSK2480 (http://www.antec.com/Detail.bok?no=571).

It's super quiet and has 120mm fans.
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Gear mentioned in this thread:

post #3062 of 18891
9/2/08 at 7:55pm
3650 is here already on newegg.
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post #3063 of 18891
9/2/08 at 8:05pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by miltofineai View Post

Im thinking in this htpc based system this one is one of the recomended with small changes.
AMD/AMD

System

* CPU: Phenom X3 8450 HD8450WCGHBOX 2.1GHz, $102.
* CPU Cooler: Scythe SHURIKEN SCSK-1000, $33.
* Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-S2H AMD 780G chipset microATX, $85.
* Memory: A-DATA ADQVE1A16K DDR2-800 2 x 1GB Kit, $38.
* Graphics Card: Radeon HD 3200 (integrated in the motherboard chipset), $0.
* HDD: Western Digital WD3200AAKS 640GB SATA, $85.

* Case: Antec NSK4480B Black 0.8mm cold-rolled steel construction ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 380W Power Supply $79.99
* Total Cost: almost $480 with shipping and tax.

what do you guys think, it will be my first biuld system so.

A good selection.
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post #3064 of 18891
9/2/08 at 8:07pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Satan. View Post

Good spot with the Q6600. What kind of case would you recommend? I'm looking for something black (preferably), IR receiver built in, doesn't have to have a card reader or power supply (but are nice to have). I find the Silverstones to be a bit on the expensive side... I'm looking for the $160-80 range.

Antec Fusion Remote Black (mATX only), ~$150 (PSU and a remote controller included).
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post #3065 of 18891
9/2/08 at 9:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by renethx View Post

Antec Fusion Remote Black (mATX only), ~$150 (PSU and a remote controller included).

Just curious, do you think fusion black is equally as good as the Fusion 430? My friend is looking for a black case as well. Figured I'd show him the new black also.

I noticed the PS on the new black is 350 vs. 430 and has 2 x80mm fans (plus a 1x 80mm HDD intake fan) vs. 2x 120mm.
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post #3066 of 18891
9/2/08 at 10:04pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by gunbunnysoulja View Post

Just curious, do you think fusion black is equally as good as the Fusion 430? My friend is looking for a black case as well. Figured I'd show him the new black also.

I noticed the PS on the new black is 350 vs. 430 and has 2 x80mm fans (plus a 1x 80mm HDD intake fan) vs. 2x 120mm.

AFAIK

Fusion Remote Black = Fusion 430 Black - PSU + iMON remote controller.
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post #3067 of 18891
9/2/08 at 11:11pm
Hi all,

I am looking to add a bd rom to my system and was wondering if you all can tell me if my current system is good enough to playback blueray.

Critical Specs:
1. abit ip35-pro
2. gigabyte 8500gt video card
3. 2gb ram
4. intel e4400 2.0ghz
5. windows media center

Based on the above specs, if I had to upgrade components, what would you recommend? I would like to pipe audio into my receiver which can take a toslink/digital input. So, I was thinking maybe a bluegears b-enspirer as an add-on to this system. Do you think the CPU and the video card would be sufficient?

What else would I need?

Thanks in advance for any help.
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post #3068 of 18891
9/2/08 at 11:22pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by hueyn View Post

Hi all,

I am looking to add a bd rom to my system and was wondering if you all can tell me if my current system is good enough to playback blueray.

Critical Specs:
1. abit ip35-pro
2. gigabyte 8500gt video card
3. 2gb ram
4. intel e4400 2.0ghz
5. windows media center

Based on the above specs, if I had to upgrade components, what would you recommend? I would like to pipe audio into my receiver which can take a toslink/digital input. So, I was thinking maybe a bluegears b-enspirer as an add-on to this system.

Your system has enough power to play BD movies. You don't need a sound card, just connect the optical S/PDIF port of the back panel of the mb to your receiver.
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post #3069 of 18891
9/3/08 at 6:48am
I am planning on building my first HTPC. Currently, I am just using a Macbook pro Core Duo 1.86Ghz with 1.5GB of RAM. After reading a lot of different threads, I am planning on building the following system, but want to make sure everything works together and will fit with one another. Also, if you think I should upgrade or downgrade in certain areas, please let me know.

Objectives:
1. Play BD
2. Use VMC or SageTV
3. Record HDTV through DirecTV Choice Package (only 15/month since our building is pre-wired for it) and OTA
4. Increase storage as time passes by and as I see good deals.
5. What else? Hmmmm....

Specs:
Case: nMEDIAPC Black Aluminum panel & Steel HTPC 1000B Micro ATX Media Center / HTPC Case (119.99)
MOBO: ASUS P5Q-EM LGA 775 Intel G45 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard (134.99)
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8500 (189.99)
Memory: A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model ADQVE1B16K (77.99)
HD: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive (149.99)
DVD/Bluray Player: LITE-ON Black 4X Blu-ray DVD ROM SATA Model DH-4O1S-08 (139.99)
CPU Cooler: Scythe SCMNJ-1000 80mm Sleeve "NINJA MINI" CPU Cooler (34.99)

Accessories:
-Hauppauge HD PVR High Definition Personal Video Recorder 1212 USB 2.0 Interface (219.99)
-Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 Dual TV Tuner/Encoder (149.00)

Total Cost: $1216.92

Currently Own:
Logitech diNovo Mini Keyboard (115)
47" Westinghouse LVM-47w1 1080p Monitor (1900)
Harman KardonAVR 247 (350)(Supports 7.1, but hooked with 5.1 currently - have two extra Yamaha speakers that I can connect if I want)
Klipsch Quintet III Surround Speaker System (5 speakers) (499.99)
Klipsch - 10" 420W Powered Subwoofer (399.99)
Toshiba HD-A30 HD DVD Player (175.89)
XBOX 360 (Non HDMI Version) (400)
Nintendo Wii (250)
1TB Harddisk in an Antec MX-1 Enclosure (190)
Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-950Q USB stick (99)
Logitech Harmony 880 Universal Remote (134)
DirecTV HD DVR - HR22 (200)
MonoPriceHDX-501 (5X1 Enhanced HDMI Switch with built-in Equalizer (REV.2.1)) (33.60)
Linksys WRT160N Ultra RangePlus Wireless-N Broadband Router (79.99)
Linksys BEFCMU10 Ethernet Cable Modem (69.99)

Holy crap, that's a fortune...Feel free to total it up...This doesn't include a past surround sound system I had and wires, accessories, etc....I'm scared...Oh well...

I'm not sure if I need to get a sound card or a video card to go along with it, but I don't game on the PC. I have my XBOX 360 and Wii for that. I just want a nice powerful system so that I can watch TV and movies, and rip them on the hard disk as well. Also, there might be remote access through software such as Sage Placeshifter so when I am travelling (which is most of the time), I can access my system from anywhere. Should I go with a different motherboard or a quad processor? Or downgrade the CPU to the E8400 which is only $20 cheaper on Newegg? I didn't go with a bluray burner just because I think the prices of bluray discs are high, and it would be cheaper to add extra storage.

I own all the necessary software, so I have not included that in this.

I hope this is detailed enough. Please provide me with your suggestions or any questions.

Thanks!!!
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post #3070 of 18891
9/3/08 at 7:27am
So, I'm using the Asus 8200 mATX board, 4gb RAM, Vista 32, 4850e CPU. DVD's don't look near as good as the HTPC that has an 8600GT in it. Is this about post-processing that the 8200 doesn't do very well? Everything else is the same except the video card. Will standard DVDs look better if I upgrade to a 65w Phenom or add in a video card?
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post #3071 of 18891
9/3/08 at 7:28am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by nchaurdia View Post

Please provide me with your suggestions or any questions.

Your system should work fine for your purposes.

From your usage (no CPU intensive task such as transcoding), I don't think you need E8500. You can go with E7300, E7200 or E5200 if you want to save money.
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post #3072 of 18891
9/3/08 at 7:29am
I probably will be doing some transcoding when ripping my DVDs from the DVD to store on the hard drives right?
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post #3073 of 18891
9/3/08 at 7:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by nchaurdia View Post

I am planning on building my first HTPC. Currently, I am just using a Macbook pro Core Duo 1.86Ghz with 1.5GB of RAM. After reading a lot of different threads, I am planning on building the following system, but want to make sure everything works together and will fit with one another. Also, if you think I should upgrade or downgrade in certain areas, please let me know.

Objectives:
1. Play BD
2. Use VMC or SageTV
3. Record HDTV through DirecTV Choice Package (only 15/month since our building is pre-wired for it) and OTA
4. Increase storage as time passes by and as I see good deals.
5. What else? Hmmmm....

Specs:
Case: nMEDIAPC Black Aluminum panel & Steel HTPC 1000B Micro ATX Media Center / HTPC Case (119.99)
MOBO: ASUS P5Q-EM LGA 775 Intel G45 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard (134.99)
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8500 (189.99)
Memory: A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model ADQVE1B16K (77.99)
HD: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive (149.99)
DVD/Bluray Player: LITE-ON Black 4X Blu-ray DVD ROM SATA Model DH-4O1S-08 (139.99)
CPU Cooler: Scythe SCMNJ-1000 80mm Sleeve "NINJA MINI" CPU Cooler (34.99)

Accessories:
-Hauppauge HD PVR High Definition Personal Video Recorder 1212 USB 2.0 Interface (219.99)
-Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 Dual TV Tuner/Encoder (149.00)

Do I need to get any fans/heatsinks/coolers? If so which ones if I plan to overlock it?
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post #3074 of 18891
9/3/08 at 7:42am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by nchaurdia View Post

I probably will be doing some transcoding when ripping my DVDs from the DVD to store on the hard drives right?

No, the CPU usage is very low when ripping.
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post #3075 of 18891
9/3/08 at 7:46am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by nchaurdia View Post

Do I need to get any fans/heatsinks/coolers? If so which ones if I plan to overlock it?

Perhaps no, as all necessary fans/heatsinks/coolers are included in the case and Ninja mini. Read nMediaPC HTPC 1000B Review. You don't need to OC for your purpose.
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post #3076 of 18891
9/3/08 at 9:41am
Thanks for the opinion. I should be ordering it soon.

Will this motherboard support Dolby Digital and surround sound?
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post #3077 of 18891
9/3/08 at 9:47am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by nchaurdia View Post

Thanks for the opinion. I should be ordering it soon.

Will this motherboard support Dolby Digital and surround sound?

Yes (through S/PDIF [Realtek ALC1200] and HDMI [Intel]).
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post #3078 of 18891
9/3/08 at 10:03am
If no one has yet told you, you're a genious!
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post #3079 of 18891
9/3/08 at 11:09am
I'm really suprised at how bad the DVD quality is on the 8200 compared to the 8600gt. I'm going to get another video card and maybe a 9150e Phenom and give it a shot.
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post #3080 of 18891
9/3/08 at 11:18am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by redtyler1 View Post

I'm really suprised at how bad the DVD quality is on the 8200 compared to the 8600gt. I'm going to get another video card and maybe a 9150e Phenom and give it a shot.

This type of questions may be better answered in its own thread. Which player/codec are you using?
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post #3081 of 18891
9/3/08 at 1:38pm
Fantastic guide at the beginning of this post , you obvously have too much time on your hands renethx !

Am I right in thinking if you want the ultimate system that does everything ie copes with 1080 24p , PAP , bitstream etc etc - you need a radeon 4850 and either an Asus Xonar or Azuntech HD soundcard in the same system ? When using these HD souncards does the video pass thru the HDMI input of the soundcard and then out combined with the audio thru the HDMI output of the card to the receiver ?
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post #3082 of 18891
9/3/08 at 2:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by divad2 View Post

Fantastic guide at the beginning of this post , you obvously have too much time on your hands renethx !

Am I right in thinking if you want the ultimate system that does everything ie copes with 1080 24p , PAP , bitstream etc etc - you need a radeon 4850 and either an Asus Xonar or Azuntech HD soundcard in the same system ? When using these HD souncards does the video pass thru the HDMI input of the soundcard and then out combined with the audio thru the HDMI output of the card to the receiver ?

If you aren't doing much gaming you might want to wait a week and look into the ATI 4650 instead of the 4850. Much smaller card and uses a lot less power. However, it has the same video capabilities of the 4850.

I will be trying the ATI 4650/Asus Xonar combo, the only thing I am worried about it that the Xonar is tied to TMT and in my experience so far nVidia has been working much better than ATI when watching 24p with TMT as the player.
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post #3083 of 18891
9/3/08 at 3:42pm
Will this fit my setup to-be?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835186134

Case: nMEDIAPC Black Aluminum panel & Steel HTPC 1000B Micro ATX Media Center / HTPC Case (119.99)
MOBO: ASUS P5Q-EM LGA 775 Intel G45 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard (134.99)
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.00GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8500 (169.99)
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post #3084 of 18891
9/3/08 at 4:21pm
its over 4.9 in tall... might be tight (without checking the nmedia metal to metal case dimensions) plus the 1/2 in rise for the mobo above the case floor...
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post #3085 of 18891
9/3/08 at 4:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jim tressler View Post

its over 4.9 in tall... might be tight (without checking the nmedia metal to metal case dimensions) plus the 1/2 in rise for the mobo above the case floor...

5.4" is the height on newegg's site for the case
motherboard..if i had 1/2"...it will be an exact fit.

maybe i need to find another case fan/heatsink...
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post #3086 of 18891
9/3/08 at 6:40pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by divad2 View Post

Am I right in thinking if you want the ultimate system that does everything ie copes with 1080 24p , PAP , bitstream etc etc - you need a radeon 4850 and either an Asus Xonar or Azuntech HD soundcard in the same system ? When using these HD souncards does the video pass thru the HDMI input of the soundcard and then out combined with the audio thru the HDMI output of the card to the receiver ?

The upcoming HD 4650 performs identically with HD 4850 in video (UVD2, post-processing) and audio (multichannel LPCM) with lower cost and heat output.

HD 4650 is an all-in-one solution, but still lacks HD audio bitstreaming. If you need it, go with Xonar HDAV1.3 or X-Fi HomeTheater 7.1. Video goes from the video card to the sound card (via HDMI), then is muxed with HD audio, then goes out from the sound card to the AVR through HDMI.
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post #3087 of 18891
9/4/08 at 3:07am
Maybe is my first post here, but I 've been reading this for months now. I have "lost" many hours...

This is my conclusion:

MotherBorad Asus P5Q Pro 125 EUROS
CPU Core 2 Quad Q9550 2.83GHz Socket 775 275 EUROS
Graphic Card ASUS EAH4870/HTDI/512M 229 EUROS
Memory DDR2 OCZ 4GB DDR2-1066 2x2048MB 81 EUROS
CPU Cooler Zalman CNPS 9500 AT 38 EUROS
PSU Enermax MODU82+ 525Watt 1x120mm 97EUROS
HDD SATA 1000GB 7200 32MB Samsung HD103UJ 111EUROS
Case THERMALTAKE VF7001BNS DH101 MEDIA LAB BLACK 178EUROS

Maybe the prices are more expensive than what you find at the States, but here in Europe everything I think is more expensive...

I want the system to be first for HD movies in my Sony 46x3500 and transcoding videos, less for games(I do not play games).. I have an old Yamaha AVR with 5.1 analog input for the audio which I am going to change it in the next 6 months.

Any suggestions or comments ???

Thanks everybody (especially renethx) .... it is a great Thread and I have learned a lot...
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post #3088 of 18891
9/4/08 at 3:32am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by nikou View Post

Any suggestions or comments ???

A good selection. (Are you thinking of GPU parallel computing? If not, the upcoming HD 4650 may be enough.)
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post #3089 of 18891
9/4/08 at 6:19am
When do you really need to start thinking about a separate graphics card such as the HD 4650?

What sort of stuff would you be doing other than gaming?
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post #3090 of 18891
9/4/08 at 6:25am
I've changed my specs a little bit, and just realized that the nMediaPC does not include a power supply which I thought it did. I must have misread that or newegg corrected a mistake.

Could someone please recommend how much Watts I will need, and recommend a PSU? Do I need 300W or 450 or 430? I don't want something that is really loud either.

Specs:
Case: nMEDIAPC Black Aluminum panel & Steel HTPC 1000B Micro ATX Media Center / HTPC Case

MOBO: ASUS P5Q-EM LGA 775 Intel G45 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400

Memory: A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model ADQVE1B16K

HD: WESTERN DIGITAL WD10EACS 1TB SATA 7200 RPM 16MB Hard Drive

HD2: WESTERN DIGITAL WD10EACS 1TB SATA 7200 RPM 16MB Hard Drive

HD3: SEAGATE Barracuda 7200.11 ST31000340AS 1TB SATA 7200 RPM 32MB Hard Drive

HD4: Something for the OS

DVD/Bluray Player: LITE-ON Black 4X Blu-ray DVD ROM SATA Model DH-4O1S-08

CPU Cooler: Scythe SCMNJ-1000 80mm Sleeve "NINJA MINI" CPU Cooler
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