To start off... I'm pretty confused at the moment about where to go with my current PC. I'd like to retire it by converting it into a HTPC with PVR capabilities. Here's the specs:
Shuttle XPC
AMD 2500+ Barton XP
1 GB RAM
250 GB HD
The Shuttle would make a great HTPC IMO. Currently, I have a Geforce 6600 GT 128 MB AGP Card which I absolutely hate since it's got a crazy loud fan. I would like to replace this video card with a fanless AGP card, but I'm not sure which option to go with. Looking at the forums here there's lots of talk about video cards with decoders built in such as the ATI 2400/2600. Sounds like a good start, but after a couple hours of looking around I can't find one that's fanless. I'm also confused on what TV tuner card I should go with. I have HDTV Cable, and would like a PVR card with 2 tuners so I can watch and record at the same time.
So, after all this... here's the questions in my head at this time:
- Does anyone know of a fanless ATI 2400 or 2600 for an AGP board?
- If I don't get a hardware driven decoder, can I just get a standard fanless 6600 or 7600 and then find a PVR card that would make pull up the slack by having the decoders built in as well? Any Suggestions for this setup?
- I'd like to get a PVR card with IR Remote capabilities and a dual-tuner. Card must fit into a PCI slot as that's all I have available... any suggestions?
- I'd like to run Windows XP Pro or Ubuntu, hopefully software is available for this setup?
The fact that I'm looking for a fanless setup is what makes this difficult. But having a quiet HTPC is key for me. Any help you guys can give is always appreciated.
Thanks!
Shuttle XPC
AMD 2500+ Barton XP
1 GB RAM
250 GB HD
The Shuttle would make a great HTPC IMO. Currently, I have a Geforce 6600 GT 128 MB AGP Card which I absolutely hate since it's got a crazy loud fan. I would like to replace this video card with a fanless AGP card, but I'm not sure which option to go with. Looking at the forums here there's lots of talk about video cards with decoders built in such as the ATI 2400/2600. Sounds like a good start, but after a couple hours of looking around I can't find one that's fanless. I'm also confused on what TV tuner card I should go with. I have HDTV Cable, and would like a PVR card with 2 tuners so I can watch and record at the same time.
So, after all this... here's the questions in my head at this time:
- Does anyone know of a fanless ATI 2400 or 2600 for an AGP board?
- If I don't get a hardware driven decoder, can I just get a standard fanless 6600 or 7600 and then find a PVR card that would make pull up the slack by having the decoders built in as well? Any Suggestions for this setup?
- I'd like to get a PVR card with IR Remote capabilities and a dual-tuner. Card must fit into a PCI slot as that's all I have available... any suggestions?
- I'd like to run Windows XP Pro or Ubuntu, hopefully software is available for this setup?
The fact that I'm looking for a fanless setup is what makes this difficult. But having a quiet HTPC is key for me. Any help you guys can give is always appreciated.
Thanks!