Hey everyone! Sorry to do this as the first time I was going to build I was hit with a tonne of news; Sandybridge and then the MOBO Issue and then just got caught up with personal things. ANYWAY - On to the good stuff! My most recent build: Go to reply. I wish to build a powerhouse of a HTPC/GAMING Rig in an iddy-biddy-box (hopefully). I originally started out just wanting to do this in ATX form but on reflection if I could get it into an mATX form that would be just superb. The use of this rig will be to: encode HD video, photo editing, 1080p/bluray playback and to have some (reasonably demanding) gaming (I will be using a wireless xBox controller) then running it all through my tv most of the time (1024 x 768 (16:9)) - what I can gather from this that requires a fairly strong build. CPU: Intel Core i5 2500k I probably wont use hyper-threading so I downgraded to the i5 because It will save me about $100 MOBO: ASUS P8H67-M-PRO Motherboard B3 Just need to add bluetooth somehow. Make sure i have enough slots. RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 Again, I understood that I should go AT LEAST 8GB for this sort of build. Is this the right type of RAM? What speed is good? SSD: Crucial M4 SSD 128GB I'll Install OS & applications on this disk for a quick start up Saving a bit of money by not going to the next level SSD and seems reliable HDD: Seagate Barracuda XT 3TB 7200RPM 64MB ST33000651AS Wanted some large internal storage Originally was going to go WD green, But if i'm going the mATX route then I figured that I should probably get the largest drive available. Dont think the 7200RPM will be too loud? [solved: No] ODD: Pioneer BDR-206 Blu-Ray Disc Writer OEM I originally was going with a Liteon Drive, but when I saw the Pioneer brand I couldnt help myself - The quality would be better right? My options are: Pioneer (Retail - $175)Sony BD5300SOB ($159)Pioneer DBR-206 OEM ($135) Lite-on iHBS212 w/ Lightscribe ($119) Samsung SH-B123A ($99) GPU: http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=193_1164 or http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=193_1179 Yeah..... I have no idea; my original thought was: MSI Radeon HD6970 Lightning 2GB 880Mhz I just need it to be able to handle HIGH DEF gaming and movies but be as quiet as possible I heard that AMD have a UVD 3 dedicated video playback accelerator in their GPUs' which is crucial for Blu-Ray playback and apparently NVIDIA dont have that yet However, I have also heard that you require an ATI video card and set it to Force Detect TV so that it locks to the TV's display resolution. PSU: Wont know until the components are decided. CPU-Cooler: ? ADDITIONAL: Wireless:TP-Link TL-WN951N Wireless N PCI Adapter Tuner:Hauppauge HVR-2210 Media Centre Kit Thank you so much for looking in this thread - and im sorry for all of the questions. I just want to do it once; the right way & the best way.
2gb hd 6970 is a bit overkill for 768p.. go for something like a gtx 560ti or normal 560 or a hd 6870/50 also a nice and quiet cooler would be (my personal fav) corsair H50
Try this thread for some of your needs. http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=211568 Why not go for the K series? Even overclocking to 4GHz/4.2GHz isn't much effort to power generated. P8P67-M Pro is fine for your needs and light overclocking.
Thanks I'll have a look over there. Updated RE: K version THe P8P67-M Pro does suit my needs however it does not have onboard bluetooth - Is there a way I can add that? I'm a little hesitant in choosing ATI - as AMD has a UVD 3 dedicated video playback accelerator, but point taken ... I'll look into the 6870/50 Also; I do love the H50 - I just need to check i'll fit in my case EDIT: Looked into the GPU: http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=193_1164 or http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=193_1179 The reason I put the second one there is - It is a little bit more for better performance (and strangely) quieter as well! Which one do you think is the one to go for?
Regarding the onboard bluetooth. http://cpc.farnell.com/akasa/ak-cbub06-60bk/lead-int-header-to-usb-a-female/dp/CS20882 http://cpc.farnell.com/isynergy/isy29002/adaptor-bluetooth-2-0-usb-20m/dp/SB04549 You could use those to hide a usb bluetooth adaptor inside the case. Or just plug the bluetooth adaptor at the rear of the pc.
Is BT that important ? There are supersmall USB dongles for few euros. Why do you buy a H67 board and K series CPU for a computer with dedicated graphics and pretty much no overclocking ?
the hd 6950 is still a pretty powerfull card well i guess if u got the money a little E-Penis size dont matter
if u want really silent you could go with something like a hd 6950 and buy a aftermarket cooler and underclock it for now (till games need the umph) and therefore no more noise
Okay, Well i'll incorporate one of those into my build. My mouse and keyboard both run on bluetooth and if i wanted to use them at any time then it would be useful. To be honest, I have no idea on how to overclock but am willing to give it a go. I am literally just following peoples advice here - Bindibadgi suggested it might be a good idea. What board would you suggest? I know its still pretty powerful - But like i said in my first post 'I just want to do it once; the right way & the best way'. I honestly want to do editing, watching and gaming and to do this once and then not have to do it again for about 5+ years. My E-Penis has increased 4inches! If you would be interested in such treatment go to: <bogusurl>! When you say underclock - Does that decrease the upper limit of the card or does it decrease the base rate at which the card operates and then when the card needs it increases it? Im sorry everyone - I am doing research but I still dont understand completely. Please be patient with me Thankyou everyone who has taken the time to read & reply
Puts my HTPC/Gaming rig to shame. E8400, P5G41C-M LX, 4GB DDR2, HD5830 (no Bluray at the moment just DVD) - although it rips through any games I play @ 1080P and being watercooled it's pretty quiet. might upgrade the C2D for a C2Q to help with encoding though.
I really just want this to be something I can look at and say I didnt cut corners with - The best I can get for my budget. When you say watercooled - You mean out of rig? With a pump and all that jazz? I wish I could do that but sadly I rent my apartment and there would be no place but behind the TV to put it But thanks for the specs - It helps to see what others have used and how it performs
With that question i meant direct BT support on board. It is a ~10e USB dongle after all, so that shouldn't be a deciding factor for buying or not buying a board. For example : http://www.scan.co.uk/products/blue...etooth-dongle-csr-v20plusadr-class-2-20meters I don't know the chipset used in this product, but in size, there is no difference between this and the one included to my Asus Z68 board... The only difference is that you can remove this one, while i can't remove the one integrated to my Z68 board. Considering you want mATX, you should think about these : http://www.scan.co.uk/products/asus...-e-20-x16-ddr3-2133-2200-sata-6gb-s-raid-matx http://www.scan.co.uk/products/asus...5-pci-e-20-ddr3-2200-2133-sata6gb-s-raid-matx There are a few Z68 mATX boards too, if you need the IGP (for QuickSync conversion for example - but please keep in mind that there is no free software using QuickSync for now).
when i say underclock i mean to decrease the mem clock and all that good stuff in some GPU overclocking tool. This should reduce the heat production of the card and therefore the fan will spin slower and therefore quieter...... im really tired so if this doesn't make sense im sorry.......
Well that setup totally kills my HTPC and eats it for breakfast, but then again I don't game or encode on mine, playback, torrent and storage only. Couple suggestions/points: -6970 2GB or even 6950 1GB is a bit overkill, esp for 1024x768... you could get away with a 68xx or equivalent Nvidia solution (I'm personally on the red side so can't recommend). On the other hand, if you're going to be encoding mostly through GPU then you could drop the CPU a bit, like an i5 or whatever -You won't hear a 7200RPM drive over PSU & CPU cooler anyway -Cramping that kind of gear in an "itty-bitty" case usually results in either A) alot of heat, B) a lot of noise or C) going with a bigger case (my preferred solution)
Sorry for the delay.. for some reason I didnt get an email notification this time :s Ah! Thanks; You're right, for the amount it costs to put a seperate bluetooth bit it is not a deciding factor I had a look at those - I liked the P8P67-M Pro Currently I am trying to decide between: GIGABYTE GA-Z68MX-UD2H-B3 or the ASUS P8P67-M Pro I understand a little... but does that decrease overall performance or just lower the baserate? Hey OCJunkie, thanks for those three tips. At the moment in terms of a GPU I am thinking of a GTX560 ti > MSI N560GTX-Ti Twin Frozr II Golden Edition Video Card - ~$250 AUD > MSI N560GTX Twin Frozr II/OC Video Card - ~$200 AUD Both which I dont think is too expensive, what do you think? I changed from the 6950/70 because I was told that apparently performancerice the GTX I have also decided to drop down to an i5 2500k and save that ~$100 On the case - Yeah I know I realised that as well I really like the look of the Zalman HD503 except its dimensions are HUGE: 450x170x455 (W,H,D [mm]) - the 455mm depth is just a little large and if I were to go for that sort of case I may as well upgrade up to a ATX board Suggestions? I am aiming under 2k _______________________________________ New question: Can anyone tell me the difference between: Hauppauge HVR-2210 Media Centre Kit ($230) and Hauppauge HVR2200 MCE PCIe Dual Hybrid ($180)
What the Gigabyte doesn't have Choice is yours! Depends if you're fussed because some people aren't going to spend that much time there, but everyone has to go UEFI eventually. Overclocking Guide too, just FYI: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums...P67-Series-Overclocking-Guide-and-Information
Ah.. Well in light of that I should probably go and decide what Asus I like the most. Thanks! Thanks for the OC Guide too _____________________ Current questions: > Can anyone tell me the difference between: Hauppauge HVR-2210 Media Centre Kit ($230) and Hauppauge HVR2200 MCE PCIe Dual Hybrid ($180)
Due to my rookie knowledge. I now realise that It would have been near impossible to find a beautiful case which is mATX but could fit a full height GPU. So I have had a change of plans and now revert back to a normal ATX mobo. My current built is as follows: Can someone please just give me a hand with the following: 1) Can anyone tell me the difference between: Hauppauge HVR-2210 Media Centre Kit ($230) and Hauppauge HVR2200 MCE PCIe Dual Hybrid ($180) 2) Can anyone recommend a fantastic CPU cooler that'll fit this case? 3) Is that the correct Watt PSU?
Antec Fusion Remote. But depends on definition of full height, see bellow. http://www.antec.com/Believe_it/product.php?id=NzE3 http://www.antec.com/Believe_it/product.php?id=NzE4 2) Same issue as with Antec Fusion Remote - only ~12-13cm CPU cooler space. In old times, i would say Ninja Mini, but that one is not on sale anymore AFAIK. Now i would say NH-C14 in low profile mode : http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=productview&products_id=37&lng=en - only 105mm in low profile mode. 3) Overkill. Get a Seasonic X-560 instead.
