Power options when using Xbox 360 as an extender

[Beerman]

I have 1 Xbox 360 as an extender but I don't use it all the time but am setting up a new tv in another room and plan on using another Xbox as an extender for a InfiniTV. This computer has been set to enter sleep mode after 30 minutes of inactivity (I've been using MCE Standby tool) but as this new room will have use of the TV at all different times, I wonder what's the best/easiest way to set up the PC so that it can wake when I turn the tv on or off.
First, I assume the Xbox should stay on 24/7???????
What power options do I use?
And, is Away Mode the best choice in place of sleep?

Anything else I need to know?

Thanks

[foxwood]

The XBox probably uses more power at idle than the PC does, so it doesn't make much sense to leave the XBox on and sleep the PC. The XBox should be able to wake the PC (as far as I know, the Extender mode on XBox will send a WOL packet), and Windows7 desktops are supposed to have WoL enabled by default so in a perfect world, you can let the PC sleep, and when you turn the XBox on it will wake the PC up for you, but WoL is one of those things that can be a bear to suss out if it doesn't work for you.

[nuclearxp]

Set you PC up to sleep (suspend to ram) it hibernate. Turning the xbox on and starting up in wmc will wake the PC u. If you really want to get fancy putting a ssd as the system drive the PC will wake up really quick.

[barnabas1969]

First, I have to say that an SSD has absolutely nothing to do with how fast a PC wakes from S3 standby (suspend to RAM). When using S3 standby, RAM is kept powered up. When the system resumes from S3, it does not need to load anything from the disk... and therefore, the SSD doesn't make any difference.

It would make a difference if you use hibernation (S4, or suspend to disk). But I don't recommend S4. It only saves a few watts of power compared to S3, and S3 is much, much faster.

Nevertheless, an SSD is a good thing to have in an HTPC. It speeds up everything in Media Center.

Now, back to the original question...

If your PC is correctly configured to "Wake On LAN" (WOL), then the XBox will wake your PC automatically when you start the extender mode on the XBox.

[nuclearxp]

First, I have to say that an SSD has absolutely nothing to do with how fast a PC wakes from S3 standby (suspend to RAM). When using S3 standby, RAM is kept powered up. When the system resumes from S3, it does not need to load anything from the disk... and therefore, the SSD doesn't make any difference.

Actually, you have to wait for the system to power back up which starts the drive spinning back up. Depending on the make and model of the drive that definitely takes some time to get initialized and pick back up on any I/O that the system left off with. Good thing you thought that through.