HTPC Build

[TopChip7]

Hi guys.

I want to build a dedicated HTPC to run 24/7/365.

Having only ever built gaming rigs before, I am most grateful of any advice with regards to components and other considerations I may not have thought of, anyone will kindly give.

Also, I would like to get away from using a TFT for the HTPC so would the resolution be good enough on a 1080p HDTV. If not, how about one of those 7" slot monitors that fit in a 5.25" bay?

Not really bothered about the budget as long as it does the best job it can.

Requirements must include Bluray reader and DVDRW combi, multi-card reader, USB2.0, e-Sata300, raptor for o/s and files etc, and 5 Tera-bytes of storage, super hi-end sound card. Also, it must run as near to silent at the lowest possible temperature.

Touch screen control would be nice too with back-lit remote keyboard/control etc would be sweet!!

Many thanks for all help.

[mjc]

Just what is the budget for this beast?

[TopChip7]

Hi MJC

I originally thought around £2,500 - £3,000 for the system to include a 40" 1080p HDTV (and wall bracket) and either a 5.1 or 7.1 speaker set-up.

I would only want to spend this much though if it included a way of accessing the media from other parts of the house, either via cable, ethernet or perhaps a NAS? Unsure really - never had much to do with networking etc.

I did consider a whole-of-house set-up with in wall/ceiling speakers etc, but couldnt believe the prices.

So will £3,000 cut it or am I dreaming?

[mjc]

Well some good news...

You don't need a GTX280 or even an 8800 or any high end gaming card like that...probably one of the Ati HD3xxx cards will be best (the reason...HDMI integration..these cards are better multimedia cards than they are gaming cards). The HD2900 cards do 1080p, with HDMI, so you even save a little more there...

Probably would want to stick to an Intel processor...they tend to be a bit quieter/less power hungry. A P45 chipset should be enough...maybe even a 35. We're not trying to hit the max in Crysis and serving media is a bit less demanding than gaming (or media editing/creation).

Something like this http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=77&Itemid=1 for your sound card will probably blow away any onboard or game-centric sound card. They don't come cheap, though, but the money saved on the video card, since you don't need a 'hot gaming' card can go to the sound card.

You;d think that a motherboard without integrated sound/video would be cheaper...but there just aren't that many around that don't have integrated something or other and those that do aren't any cheaper...

Also, you'll need to decide on an OS early on...it will make things like what capture device you pick a bit easier. And yes, if you are building a HTPC you will want a capture device.

As to the e-Sata...that is going to narrow down your motherboard choices. If you are looking at NAS for serving up the media files, you don't really need e-Sata, though.

BluRay burners are still a bit on the expensive side ($250 to $550...translate that to £ and add in the typical UK pricing for components and VAT)...player drives are dropping. So I would probably do two drives...a BluRay playback and a decent DVD burner...both SATA, lof course.

The Raptor is nice for the OS, but not really needed for files...especially if you are going to serve them over a network.

[TopChip7]

Thanks MJC, a really good reply I can gather plenty from there.

I think I have found a suitable HTPC case that holds 6 hard drives - I really didnt think these would be available which was one of my considerations for using NAS. It also has the card reader, usb2 etc built in under the hood of the front panel which will take away alot of work for me - Over £300 but what do you think?
http://www.scan.co.uk/Product.aspx?WebProductId=696396
Silverstone Crown CW02B - Black with LCD and IR

I like XP Media Centre and was hoping to use that but was wondering if the new Vista had MCE with it? I was considering spending the extra on a solid state drive (SSD) for the o/s - do you know what the minimum space required is for either XP or Vista?

As for TV Capture cards etc, I had a Hauppauge 3000 earlier this year and it was useless - are the HD capture cards any better?

Does it matter how much memory is on the video card - just took a look at the 3850's which have a choice of 256Mb - 512Mb ranging from £80 to £130? Only ever used nVidia's before (got 2 x7900gt in SLI but thats for gaming).

I have found 1TB Hard drives at £90 - Samsung F1 Sata300 32Mb Cache - So 5 of those will be plenty for a couple of years yet.


Thanks

[TopChip7]

Or how about this case then - comes comlete with 7" HD Touchscreen and 2x 5.25" Bays but over £500 (OMG!!! But think its exactly what I am after)
http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/info_1123.html

[mjc]

Yeah...case...umm...dang (excuse me while I wipe the drool from the keyboard), that looks sweet. Kind of reminds of Harmon Kardon products in the mid 80's, looks-wise.

It may seem a little pricey at first glance but look at what you are getting...a nice large case specifically designed for HTPC use, with features that if you had to add them to another case would quickly add up. The remote, the display, the card reader...all essential for HTPC but could get very pricey if having to add them to another case.

XP MCE would be fine.

Really for an HTPC a 256 MB card would be fine, a 512 great.

The TB drives look like a pretty good deal, not sure if a Raptor would be a better option than an SSD for the OS...except maybe price. A 32 GB SSD is over £300, a 16 almost 200...a 300GB Velociraptor is about the same price as a 16 GB SSD...

An 8GB SSD would be enough for the OS and other programs. The only advantage is in an 'always on' environment, the SSD may have a bit longer 'lifespan'...but that is hard to say for sure.

4 or 5 GB is minimum for a full install of XP. Vista, I believe, won't install to anything under 10GB, not that it uses all of it (I think it weighs in around 7-8...haven't checked on a 'clean' install).

As to recommendations for capture cards...I don't have any. The thing I've noticed with capture cards is that they seem to be rather dependent on your input signal...if it is clean, strong and stable even a cheapo card will do fairly well. If there are any problems with it, the best cards around will put out pure crap (and sometimes it seems the the 'better' cards 'enhance' the flaws in the signal).

[TopChip7]

Nice one MJC.
Most appreciated!!!

Will put a component list up shortly for compatibility checks, unforeseen problems etc.

[TopChip7]

I use DVDFab HD Decrypter for backing up my DVD's to the hard drives - would I be better off using 64bit O/S with 4Gb of Ram or 32bit O/S with 2Gb?

[hockey man]

Check out this THG article on the 780G Mobo for HTPC's:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/amd-780g-chipset,1785.html

[TopChip7]

Thx Hockeyman.

However, giving the matter a little thought I was wondering if I would be best to pull my 590SLI mobo and AMD4600X2 cpu out of my gaming rig to use in the MC and upgrade my gaming rig to 790i?

I know my 590SLI mobo is now a bit dated, but it is designed for running cool with more heatpipes + fins etc on the northbridge. I am a bit unsure as to whether or not an nvidia chipset is compatible with an ATI video card though. I know it is SLI and not xfire, but for a MC i only want to use 1 video card which would leave me a spare PCI-e slot, so:

Q- Are there any PCI-e TV Cards?
Q- Will an ATI card run on a 590SLI mobo?

Thx All

[mjc]

Yes, there are PCI-e TV cards...the newer Haupphauge cards come in PCI-e flavors, as do several others.

Yes, the 590 will run any video card by any maker...it is just capable of running Nvidia cards in the 'ganged' mode called SLI. It can't handle Crossfire.

Pulling the board from the gaming rig and using it may be the way to go. It would be a bit cheaper...

As to that board that Hockey Man linked to...there is a Gigabyte version with a 'side slot' to accept 128 MB DDR3 just for the onboard graphics...which, adds some more to its appeal as an HTPC board.

[TopChip7]

In search of a blu-ray player that will also read cd+g format - struggling to find one in the UK - can anyone assist?

Thx

[TopChip7]

Anyone actually own a BlackGold BGT3540 Tuner Card?

http://shop.blackgold.tv/product/3540.html

The company say it does everything and I like the fact it has onboard IR but I've never heard of them - wondered if better than say a Hauppauge 4000?

[mjc]

As to your drive problem...I did a quick search for one, limiting it to UK and came up pretty much empty.

The tuner card...it seems that it can be run under MythTV (a 'homebrew' Linux based media OS/PVR). And that it seems to be liked better than the 4000.

The feature list is kind of impressive...

[TopChip7]

Playing with a few ideas in my head before I make a decision.

One of which is to partition the room and if I choose this option I wouldn't want such a large screen.

I was looking at a Dell 3008WFP 30" Monitor - http://www.scan.co.uk/Product.aspx?WebProductId=752304

Looking at the connectivity (takes just about anything including composite and HDMI etc) does this mean I could use it as a TV if I connected a SKYTV HD digibox to it????

Thanks