Hello, So for xmas Im going to get some parts which coupled with the parts I have here should make a nice HTPC setup. My first and biggest decision is the case. I dont want a computer looking on its side type of case, and am prepared to spend a reasonable amount to get the look I want. I am currently looking at getting the Antec Fusion Remote Max. Although I dont want the remote (at all!) the inbuilt receiver will save me buying another microsoft one and tidy things up. If anyone else can suggest a nice smart black HTPC case with a clean look, volume knob (not essential) and LCD (again not super essential) for around 100 quid that takes full size atx boards and gfx cards then please please let me know as the selection seems poor. I want something thats as Hi-Fi looking as possible but allows me to upgrade and swap components as I would normally. Inside this I am considering the following: Already owned: ASUS M2N SLI Deluxe HIS IceQ X1900XT 2GB Corsair XMS2 CL5 2 X 160Gb Barracudas Hyper 500w Modular PSU Soundblaster X-Fi Soundblaster 5.1 PB6100 Speakers for now To buy: A nice Hauppage dual tuner card, PCI or PCIe More disk space Zalman flower or similar fanless cooler Blu-Ray drive, possibly. Gigabit router. What do you guys reckon? I think its pitched about right as the contents was my gaimg machine before the current Phenom rig as per sig. The alternative is to buy an all in one matx board with hdmi etc and audio and buy a different slimline case. I would then use the components above in the file server build. These components however seem a bit overkill for a file server and I want to use the gfx card as it cost me so much, not so long ago! What are my options with regards to HD content as this will likely be paired with a 32inch LCD in the spring so I want to have 1080 content wherever possible. It will be running vistas media centre as I like the looks and the girl friend knows her way around it. Suggestions for improvements / swaps etc really welcome. Especially need advice on TV source as its totally new to me. What are my options, someone mentioned freesat? Would like to be as HD'd up as possible! Thanks, Dean.
grab an all in one mATX board, or a ATI 3550, that will happily crunch 1080i video all day, where as with the X1900XT wont de-code so HD will be crunched via CPU, hence waste of graphics card.
You'd be well advised to think about replacing the Mobo and getting a mATX instead. A full ATX case like that is HUGE. I had the LC17 which is comparable in size and it dwarfed my fairly large AV Reciever. My HTPC is built like your second option (Slim HTPC, Filesever) and its the best thing I have done with it. Monsterous amount of air cooling in the file server that it tucked away in a cupboard out of earshot and a tiny little PC to play on the TV If you have the money take a look at the mCubed stuff. Passive cooling, silenced BluRay etc etc. Do your research on the HD decoding stuff. A BluRay disk is played back differently to an h.264 locally stored media (mkv). BluRay will utilise a compatible graphics card whereas your local HD stuff will not. The card you have, whilst pricey when you got it, is not aimed at what you want.
Second the mCubed HFX case. Quite expensive, and has some niggles that requires a modder's intervention, but you can't beat passive cooling. And it is a solid-looking, nice quality case. See my project log/review here and here respectively. it discusses the actual building of the case (with all its associated snags), and some hardware choices. Low power consumption is key. Always go for a mobile CPU if at all possible, and the Western Digital GreenPower WD10EACS 1Tb harddrive. Especially if you want to store HD content you need the space, and it is also the quietest, coolest running and lowest power consuming drive on the market. The Hauppage dual-tuner card is a bit temperamental when it does not get a really strong DVB signal. Be prepared to upgrade your aerial. If you are using Windows Media Center (not a bad choice at all), then you need some essential add-ons: MCE Standby Tool Media Center Tuner Priority Utility If you like weather forecasts, also install: MCE Weather
the LCD screen that comes with the black fusions is USELESS. the contrast ratio is so poor that from your sofa all you see is a blue rectangle. i have replaced mine with a VFD, leaving the volume knob completley useless as it's unplugged. do yourself a favour and buy the normal desktop variant of that antec case, and buy a screen/remote combo seperately. i have the matx fusion. it's not bad, but i had to replace the fans with some low rpm scythes, and get some serious foam coatings happening in order to get the machine as silent as possible. it's now subjectively about half as loud as an idling ps3, so it's pretty decent. (oh, i have an matx g45 board. not bad for HTPCs)
Nexxo, have you invested in the BluRay addon for that case? I'd love to get one but I'm stuck with BTX motherboard at the moment.
A friend of mine has recently built a TOTALLY silent HTPC for himself. He went with a Gigabyte GA-MA78GPM-DS2H, 300W Silverstone Fanless PSU, a Scythe Ninja for his AMD 4850e, and a 30GB SSD from OCZ. All in a custom plexi case. Not cheap, but the only sound it makes is when he occasionally plays a DVD on it (Most stuff is gigabit-streamed from his server on another floor of the house).
Wow! Thanks for all the info guys, Im taking it all on board. I did want to use my existing hardware in the htpc as it would cut the costs down. But I can see the arguement for putting this hardware into the fileserver even though it is overkill and binning/ebaying the old gfx card. I could just get a ultra cheapo psu/case combo for that. My main problem with the matx idea for htpc is thus. I am not in the slighest bothered by having a bigger box under the tv. As it will be the only one, and will be acting as digibox, recorder, hi fi, and dvd deck so its still a space saver. But yes a matx would even better. The problem for me comes with future expansion. For a start where would I install the one or 2 tuner cards for the unit. I would also be looking at never being able to upgrade gfx etc This is probably the norm for htpc users but as someone who is habitually upgrading cards it seems kind of restrictive. I dont know. Bearing in mind this box will be my main hifi and will likely be coupled with a high end speaker setup I was thinking it will be linked via an optical out from the htpc. Is the onboard sound going to be up to the job? Im an AMD/ati chap wherever possible can someone point me to a relatively future proof matx mobo and processor combo? So many questions! Dean.
Oooh new contender for the purchase. A bit more expensive...but worth it? Silverstone SST-LC-16M Black http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/info_1292.html Anyone know much about it. Much less tack VFD imho??? Dean
If you're not bothered about size then go full ATX. I only suggested mATX as most HTPC users want small!! Soundwise onboard should be fine unless you are using high end speakers, amplifiers etc. Also consider noise... a small noise from an HTPC soon gets seriously annoying
