Trouble matching mobo with processer

[Jade10145]

So here it goes, my head is spinning right now trying to put together a mobo with my choosen i3 2100. There are just so many freaking specs and things that need to match, don't need to match, and so many considerations to take into account. I currently have a atom processor and about 2 gb of RAM so anything is going to be a step up. Here is what I have gathered so far in regards to buying a mobo.

1- Sockets needs to match- pretty simple.
2- Chipset needs to support processor.
-This seems so simple but there are an insane amount of options out there in regards to chipsets. I just can't decide.

In terms of requirements...
1- I am thinking I would like a micro ATX since it seems like it would fit in better with the rest of my ht set up. My only concern is cooling
2- Connecting a Ceton InfiniTV 4 USB: Quad-tuner external device for Watching Digital Cable TV on the PC, USB 2.0 Interface 5102-DCT04EX-USB
3- Streaming 1080p mkv blu ray rips from a hp mediasmart running windows home server over a 1GBps network.
4- Be able to transcode .wtv (windows tv recording) files into .wmv without slowing the rest of the system down.
5- Be able to navigate wmc, watch tv, watch movies with very little lag.
6- Output would be HDMI running to an amp/reciever. The HDMI will bitstream the audio to the reciever. The reciever will handle any audio decoding for DTS/Dolby.

Any suggestions?

[barnabas1969]

First, if you're going to be using an OCUR tuner (like the Ceton, Silicon Dust, or Hauppauge CableCARD tuners), you either need a graphics card (like the nVidia GT430)... or you need to choose a different CPU. The CPU you've chosen is an Intel Sandybridge CPU. This CPU is known to suffer from the 29/59 bug. You either need to choose a Clarkdale i3/i5/i7, or you need a graphics card (nVidia GT-430 is recommended).

Now, if you decide to use a graphics card using the nVidia GT-430 and stick with the Sandybridge CPU... you have many options for a motherboard. I would recommend this one.

As for #3 above... good luck with that. The HP mediasmart extenders are not capable of 1080p playback... and ANY playback from H.264 sources (like MKV) are problematic.

As for #4... well, that depends on the CPU and the priority of the transcoding process.

#5 is easy... just use an SSD for the operating system drive.

#6 is easy... either with a nVidia GT-430 graphics card... or with the built-in Intel HD-2000 or HD-3000 graphics.

So... the big question is... are you going to be using a graphics card? If not... then you need a Clarkdale CPU. And this means that you will need an LGA1156 motherboard... and these are more rare.

The next question is... how many extenders do you plan to run simultaneously? If you need two or less, then the i3 CPU is fine. If you need 3 or 4 extenders simultaneously, then you need an i5 (4 CPU cores). More than 4 extenders... you need an i7 (6 CPU cores). Also, you need enough RAM for your extenders. A good rule of thumb is 2GB (minimum) for Windows, plus 1GB for each extender than you want to run simultaneously. One extender=3GB of RAM (minimum), two extenders=4GB, three extenders=5GB, four extenders=6GB. Personally, I would not run less than 4GB of RAM. If you need to run two or more extenders simultaneously... then you also need a 64 bit version of Windows (Home Premium or higher... I recommend Professional or higher). I run four extenders simultaneously (plus the TV that is directly-connected to the PC) and I have 8GB of RAM. I have seen RAM usage go as high as 6.3GB.

Cooling... no problem as long as you stay at 73 watts or less for the CPU (i3 or i5). If you go with an i7 (95 watts or more)... you'll probably want to install it in a larger case so you'll have more cooling options.

[newfiend]

I agree with his suggestions. I use a GT 430 for bit streaming the audio and the PQ is excellent. Asus makes a excellent MB as well.
newfiend

Sent from my WP7 using Board Express

[Jade10145]

First, if you're going to be using an OCUR tuner (like the Ceton, Silicon Dust, or Hauppauge CableCARD tuners), you either need a graphics card (like the nVidia GT430)... or you need to choose a different CPU. The CPU you've chosen is an Intel Sandybridge CPU. This CPU is known to suffer from the 29/59 bug. You either need to choose a Clarkdale i3/i5/i7, or you need a graphics card (nVidia GT-430 is recommended).

Now, if you decide to use a graphics card using the nVidia GT-430 and stick with the Sandybridge CPU... you have many options for a motherboard. I would recommend this one.

As for #3 above... good luck with that. The HP mediasmart extenders are not capable of 1080p playback... and ANY playback from H.264 sources (like MKV) are problematic.

As for #4... well, that depends on the CPU and the priority of the transcoding process.

#5 is easy... just use an SSD for the operating system drive.

#6 is easy... either with a nVidia GT-430 graphics card... or with the built-in Intel HD-2000 or HD-3000 graphics.

So... the big question is... are you going to be using a graphics card? If not... then you need a Clarkdale CPU. And this means that you will need an LGA1156 motherboard... and these are more rare.

The next question is... how many extenders do you plan to run simultaneously? If you need two or less, then the i3 CPU is fine. If you need 3 or 4 extenders simultaneously, then you need an i5 (4 CPU cores). More than 4 extenders... you need an i7 (6 CPU cores). Also, you need enough RAM for your extenders. A good rule of thumb is 2GB (minimum) for Windows, plus 1GB for each extender than you want to run simultaneously. One extender=3GB of RAM (minimum), two extenders=4GB, three extenders=5GB, four extenders=6GB. Personally, I would not run less than 4GB of RAM. If you need to run two or more extenders simultaneously... then you also need a 64 bit version of Windows (Home Premium or higher... I recommend Professional or higher). I run four extenders simultaneously (plus the TV that is directly-connected to the PC) and I have 8GB of RAM. I have seen RAM usage go as high as 6.3GB.

Cooling... no problem as long as you stay at 73 watts or less for the CPU (i3 or i5). If you go with an i7 (95 watts or more)... you'll probably want to install it in a larger case so you'll have more cooling options.

Thanks for the suggestions. This is my first HTPC build so needless to say I'm slightly overwhelmed.

Regarding some of your comments,

As for #3 above... good luck with that. The HP mediasmart extenders are not capable of 1080p playback... and ANY playback from H.264 sources (like MKV) are problematic.

- Wouldn't be streaming to extenders. At this point it would just be streaming to the HTPC. Then again there may be a point where I do want to stream to an extender like the WD Live TV. Although I don't know if this would be considered a extender. I have tried it in the past and seemed to work. Then again it wasn't going through DLNA. It was connected via a network share. So from my understanding going through a network share means that only client needs to support the codec.

As for #4... well, that depends on the CPU and the priority of the transcoding process.

Well I was hoping to be able to transcode the .wtv files in .wmv. windows home server media center connector has the ability to do this automatically. The reason I want to transcode is because from what I have read there isn't any support for .wtv on other devices. For example, I would like to be able to move the files to a asus transformer. .wtv would not be supported on this device but .wmv is.

"First, if you're going to be using an OCUR tuner (like the Ceton, Silicon Dust, or Hauppauge CableCARD tuners), you either need a graphics card (like the nVidia GT430)... or you need to choose a different CPU. The CPU you've chosen is an Intel Sandybridge CPU. This CPU is known to suffer from the 29/59 bug. You either need to choose a Clarkdale i3/i5/i7, or you need a graphics card (nVidia GT-430 is recommended)."

- I have done a bit of research and am somewhat confused on what the 29/59 bug is, can you explain? I was hoping on using an i3 2100. I caught one on sale and had to bite. So right now its sitting in my living room still in the box literally. I was hoping to avoid getting a video card by using the intergrated GPU.

Thanks again, seriously. There are so many options out there that it's enough to make your head spin. I'm still learining at this point.

[barnabas1969]

As for #3 above... good luck with that. The HP mediasmart extenders are not capable of 1080p playback... and ANY playback from H.264 sources (like MKV) are problematic.

- Wouldn't be streaming to extenders. At this point it would just be streaming to the HTPC. Then again there may be a point where I do want to stream to an extender like the WD Live TV. Although I don't know if this would be considered a extender. I have tried it in the past and seemed to work. Then again it wasn't going through DLNA. It was connected via a network share. So from my understanding going through a network share means that only client needs to support the codec.

I may have misunderstood you. When you wrote "hp mediasmart", I thought you meant the HP MediaSmart X280N extender for Windows Media Center. I'm not sure what a "WD Live TV" is, but it is not an extender for Windows Media Center. There are only four companies that made extenders for Windows 7 Media Center... the Microsoft XBox360, the HP X280N, the Linksys DMA-2100 or DMA-2200, and one made by D-Link, but nobody likes the one from D-Link, so I wouldn't recommend it. There is a new extender coming. It is the "Echo", made by Ceton. They plan to release it later in 2012.

If you're talking about putting MKV rips on a NAS or something like that... then yes, you can play them on the Media Center PC... but you have to tweak some settings in the registry and install some third party software to make it work (the Haali media splitter is one of the pieces of software). Others here are more familiar with that setup, so I'll let them give you the details on how to set that up. The MKV rips will probably not work on Media Center extenders though. However, I have read where some people are able to get the MKV's to work on the XBox extender.

As for #4... well, that depends on the CPU and the priority of the transcoding process.

Well I was hoping to be able to transcode the .wtv files in .wmv. windows home server media center connector has the ability to do this automatically. The reason I want to transcode is because from what I have read there isn't any support for .wtv on other devices. For example, I would like to be able to move the files to a asus transformer. .wtv would not be supported on this device but .wmv is.

I understand. I'm sure that WMV files will play in Media Center just fine, but you may lose fast-forward and rewind capability. I haven't tried it, but I'm sure others here can give you advice on that.

"First, if you're going to be using an OCUR tuner (like the Ceton, Silicon Dust, or Hauppauge CableCARD tuners), you either need a graphics card (like the nVidia GT430)... or you need to choose a different CPU. The CPU you've chosen is an Intel Sandybridge CPU. This CPU is known to suffer from the 29/59 bug. You either need to choose a Clarkdale i3/i5/i7, or you need a graphics card (nVidia GT-430 is recommended)."

- I have done a bit of research and am somewhat confused on what the 29/59 bug is, can you explain? I was hoping on using an i3 2100. I caught one on sale and had to bite. So right now its sitting in my living room still in the box literally. I was hoping to avoid getting a video card by using the intergrated GPU.

The 29/59 bug is a problem with content that changes frame rate from 29Hz to 59Hz and back again. Some shows, particularly on HBO but also on other channels, change frame rates very frequently. If you have a Graphics Processor that doesn't handle it well, those shows/channels can be un-watchable. The Clarkdale CPU's have been proven to work. The SandyBridge CPU's have been proven to not work. There is a wiki article on experts.windows.com about it, and the article lists known-good configurations that work. The nVidia GT-430 GPU is the one that is preferred by most HTPC enthusiasts.

Thanks again, seriously. There are so many options out there that it's enough to make your head spin. I'm still learining at this point.

I understand. I spent months researching all the options before making a purchase. Thankfully, forums like this one exist... and I got all the information I needed.

[Jade10145]

First, if you're going to be using an OCUR tuner (like the Ceton, Silicon Dust, or Hauppauge CableCARD tuners), you either need a graphics card (like the nVidia GT430)... or you need to choose a different CPU. The CPU you've chosen is an Intel Sandybridge CPU. This CPU is known to suffer from the 29/59 bug. You either need to choose a Clarkdale i3/i5/i7, or you need a graphics card (nVidia GT-430 is recommended).

Now, if you decide to use a graphics card using the nVidia GT-430 and stick with the Sandybridge CPU... you have many options for a motherboard. I would recommend this one.

As for #3 above... good luck with that. The HP mediasmart extenders are not capable of 1080p playback... and ANY playback from H.264 sources (like MKV) are problematic.

As for #4... well, that depends on the CPU and the priority of the transcoding process.

#5 is easy... just use an SSD for the operating system drive.

#6 is easy... either with a nVidia GT-430 graphics card... or with the built-in Intel HD-2000 or HD-3000 graphics.

So... the big question is... are you going to be using a graphics card? If not... then you need a Clarkdale CPU. And this means that you will need an LGA1156 motherboard... and these are more rare.

The next question is... how many extenders do you plan to run simultaneously? If you need two or less, then the i3 CPU is fine. If you need 3 or 4 extenders simultaneously, then you need an i5 (4 CPU cores). More than 4 extenders... you need an i7 (6 CPU cores). Also, you need enough RAM for your extenders. A good rule of thumb is 2GB (minimum) for Windows, plus 1GB for each extender than you want to run simultaneously. One extender=3GB of RAM (minimum), two extenders=4GB, three extenders=5GB, four extenders=6GB. Personally, I would not run less than 4GB of RAM. If you need to run two or more extenders simultaneously... then you also need a 64 bit version of Windows (Home Premium or higher... I recommend Professional or higher). I run four extenders simultaneously (plus the TV that is directly-connected to the PC) and I have 8GB of RAM. I have seen RAM usage go as high as 6.3GB.

Cooling... no problem as long as you stay at 73 watts or less for the CPU (i3 or i5). If you go with an i7 (95 watts or more)... you'll probably want to install it in a larger case so you'll have more cooling options.

I took a look at the board you mentioned in your post. Def not a bad board for the price. I do wonder if there are any major differences between the H 61 chipset and the H 67 though. From what I have read the H61 is missing some of the performance features of the H67. Not that I plan on doing any overclocking or anything like that at this point. But still I would like some room for expansion. Then again I have read that the H67 still has limited overclocking abilities.

The one thing that might keep me away from the H61 is that it doesn't have SATA 6 GB. I was thinking about using a SSD for the OS. Not sure if this would be a huge issue though in terms of speed. The price on the h61 is definitley cheaper. I also have throughts on the Z68. Chipset overload!

In general I am thinking of buying a board that's going to give me a little room for expansion.

As for the 29/59 bug you mentioned, thanks for the additonal info. I did a little research myself and this is quite annoying indeed. At this point though I am shying away from buying the Clarksdale. I don't want to downgrade so to speak. I'm figuring they have to fix the bug at some point, hopefully. Then again an ultimate fix is going to take the cable companies/providers fixing the issue with the frame rate changing. I have also read that the issue seems to be more prevalant in premium channels, none of which I get. But then again it can effect any channel really.

Another question, my apoligies if it's kind of stupid. How do you tell if the chipset/mobo you purchase supports all the features of the processor?

[barnabas1969]

The board I recommended doesn't have any Sata 6Gb ports on it, but you honestly won't see a performance difference between 3Gb and 6Gb SATA. Hard drives (and SSD's) can't move data faster than the 3Gb/S anyway. The most you get out of the faster SATA interface is a faster burst from the drive's buffer, but that assumes that the drive already has what you want to read in the buffer... and that happens probably less than 50% of the time.

It also doesn't have USB 3.0 ports, but I doubt you'll need them either.

As for overclocking... I wouldn't recommend doing that if you want your machine to continue to work for years down the road. If you're building a dedicated HTPC, expansion isn't that much of an issue.

From what I've read, Intel cannot fix the Sandybridge CPU's with some kind of driver update. It's a built-in problem with the CPU/GPU hardware. They knew about it before they released the Sandybridge, but they wanted to hurry it to market instead of fixing the problem. I've read that the next CPU from Intel will have the problem fixed, but I wouldn't hold my breath. HTPC's are a tiny percentage of their business. We don't get a very high priority from them, or from anyone for that matter.

As for getting the cable companies to fix the problem with frame rate... it's not a problem, so they're not going to fix it. Switching between frame rates is a valid way to further reduce the size of the video stream. Their cable boxes handle it just fine. You'll even see it on some non-premium channels like ABC Family. If you want it to work, you either need to get a Clarkdale CPU or a video card that works with the issue, like the nVidia GT-430. I really believe that you are over-thinking this. Just take my advice. You'll be happier with your setup if you do.

As to your last question... if the motherboard specs say that it works with a CPU, it works with the CPU. It's really not as complicated as you're making it.

Basically, when I build a PC, I follow these basic steps:

1) Find a motherboard that is the form-factor I want, and has the inputs/outputs that I want.
2) Buy a CPU that fits the socket, and is supported by the motherboard.
3) Buy RAM that is supported by the motherboard.
4) Buy a power supply that supports the motherboard/CPU combination. (i.e. the PSU has the correct connectors) The wattage isn't as important as some people think. You can pretty simply add the wattage of all the components you're using to find the minimum wattage PSU that is required. There are also tools online to help with this. Generally, you take your CPU's wattage, and add 50-60W for the motherboard, then 10-20W for each HDD/ODD/SSD. Then add the wattage of your graphics card. Some graphics cards have very high power consumption, others are very low. Higher performing graphics cards use more power. You can get the specs from the manufacturer. That said, however, the higher wattage PSU's tend to be quieter. Go for one with at least an "80 Plus Bronze" certification for energy efficiency. It will pay for itself compared to one that is not certified to be energy efficient.
5) Buy HDD's/SSD's/ODD's to fit your needs.
6) Buy a case that everything will fit in, and that looks the way you want. For an HTPC, look for something quiet.

In your case, since you don't want to have a graphics card, you should buy the Clarkdale and then look for an LGA1156 motherboard that has all the inputs/outputs and form-factor you desire. If you want this to be a dedicated HTPC, you really don't want the fastest PC you can build... unless you want a lot of heat and noise.

[adam1991]

In your case, since you don't want to have a graphics card, you should buy the Clarkdale and then look for an LGA1156 motherboard that has all the inputs/outputs and form-factor you desire. If you want this to be a dedicated HTPC, you really don't want the fastest PC you can build... unless you want a lot of heat and noise.

That's exactly what I did, and what I ended up with. Intel 1156 mobo and i3 Clarkdale. HDMI to TV, plus networked to two XBox extenders.

Not exactly appliance level, but way more trouble free than I expected. It's a dedicated DVR, and the family uses it. Even ShowAnalyzer has settled in. Been in service for a year now. I have no real need to change out anything. I'm going to let it go on and on.

Maybe one day I'll look at the landscape and put a stake in the ground and do a Mark II version, but that'll be a ways down the road. Or maybe Ceton will catch my eye...

[Jade10145]

Thanks to both of you for your input.

barnabas1969, your absolutley right about overthinking it. It's just what I do (with pretty much everything in life haha). I'm just the kind of person who needs to know every little tid bit. And for that reason I get way ahead of myself thinking about advanced things without thinking about basics and getting started.

I have decided to keep the i3 2100 so I will be adding a video card as you mentioned. Here is what I am thinking in terms of hardware. Let me know your thoughts.

Case- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811204035

Video Cardhttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814121471
I was unable to find the power so I used this link instead http://www.microcenter.com/single_produ ... id=0383880

Rest of the hardware is in my next post since i'm only allowed 3 links.

[Jade10145]

PSU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817371034
-This actually looks like more then I need but I have heard good things about Eartwatts.

The mobo that you mentioned previously http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813131716

Not sure about RAM yet. Was thinking 8 gb DDR3 1333. This might be overkill really but there always seems to be deals on RAM.

Oh and I found a good link on the 25/59 bug that explains it very well. Just throught I would throw it in.
http://experts.windows.com/w/experts_wi ... ageIndex=1

[Jade10145]

Oh one last thing. I am going to use a HD and a blu ray that I already have. I only really want use the blu ray drive to load the OS, then I will be removing it.

[newfiend]

I will make a suggestion, And people's opinions will vary here, But I would consider at least an i5 Processor. I think you would be happier with that than the i3.
If you will be converting files and using the PC at the same time, commercial skip scanning, etc.. the little extra hp in the i5 would be better. What I have found now that I have had my HTPC for a few years now is that after you have one you will want to add things to it.. More tuners, commercial skipping, encoding, streaming content to extenders,..Etc. My HTPC is a workhorse.. It gets used the most out of any PC in my home.

It is my PC exclusively for TV viewing in my livingroom, I also use two extenders in my home a XBOX and a DMA-2100. I started with the HTPC and one Extender... As the family grew, needs grew as well.. next we added another extender in the kids bedroom..And I was glad that I had a Quad Core processor.. All I needed to add was a little more RAM..

Do a little future thinking in Hardware selection. It's better to get a little more than you need for hardware that you can grow into than to have to replace a bunch of expensive pieces later becuase you didn't think ahead. I found that the more I got into the HTPC the more I wanted it to do.. Just food for thought.

Also If you can find a PSU that is modular it's a bit easier to build as you do not have to stuff all the excess cables inside the case. This serves two purposes.. Less clutter to stuff in a small area and better air flow inside the case. Better air flow is important in an HTPC as it will get used LOTS and the less heat build up inside the better. The Corsair PSU's are excellent and quiet. I have built my last 3 systems with them and have not one bad thing to say about them. Their warranty period seems a bit longer than most as well.

newfiend~

[adam1991]

Whilst I'm perfectly content with my i3, I won't at all dispute what newfiend said. As long as you're building, and if the extra $$$ don't break the bank, just get the i5. Or, depending on how rich or needy you're feeling, jump up to that i7...

However, I *do* do some conversions, and *everything* I record--1.5TB is sitting on disk, so you know it gets a workout--goes through ShowAnalyzer. Absolutely nothing has happened that I have said, "Gee, I coulda done an i5." Probably technically speaking this Windows box gets used the most of any of the six personal computers in my home, but it's doing a very specific task and it's highly tuned for that. Nothing interrupts it.

Some people have a single PC that gets used for *everything*; in that case, overbuild.

Regarding RAM, I say, it's damn near free--why *not* put 8GB (or more) into it? (I come from way back, so $50 or so for 8GB compares to...let me pick one...yeah, there was that time I spend $100 per megabyte and bought 4 megabytes...)

Do what newfiend said and think about the future, but also figure in your budget--not to mention the most critical thing of all, making it a balanced system with no bottlenecks. For example, some people get focused on finding the biggest processor (for example) and then ignore other crucial parts of the system, and they end up with a system that might give them bragging rights in one area but which overall goes slower than something that's more balanced. Get a decent processor, get a decent video card that does the job, get enough RAM, get enough disk space, etc. But don't worry about SATA speed or USB 3.0 or ten more cycles out of the processor or whatever. I'm living proof that an i3 is plenty sufficient, so *any* i5 you get will be more than enough. Don't spend your money eking out the last bit of throughput, as anything you get will be more than sufficient to the task--instead, spend that money on storage.

A system where all the parts are balanced to the task at hand is way, way better than a system that's lopsided.

Regarding future-proofing, one way to do it is this: do a cheap system now, use it to familiarize yourself with the whole thing and wrap your head around what you want and don't want, then build another one next year knowing *exactly* what you need to do.

A buddy of mine bought a cheap yellow-tag return PC off the shelf at Micro Center, stuffed it full of RAM and two Ceton cards and a couple of hard drives, and had relatively little investment (outside the Ceton cards--this was back when hard drives were cheap and Ceton cards were not). It's working fine, and I think he spent less overall than I did when I carefully did exactly what you're doing right now...

Question: why not simply keep that blu-ray disc player installed? Aren't you going to want an optical drive?

[newfiend]

Whilst I'm perfectly content with my i3, I won't at all dispute what newfiend said. As long as you're building, and if the extra $$$ don't break the bank, just get the i5. Or, depending on how rich or needy you're feeling, jump up to that i7...

However, I *do* do some conversions, and *everything* I record--1.5TB is sitting on disk, so you know it gets a workout--goes through ShowAnalyzer. Absolutely nothing has happened that I have said, "Gee, I coulda done an i5." Probably technically speaking this Windows box gets used the most of any of the six personal computers in my home, but it's doing a very specific task and it's highly tuned for that. Nothing interrupts it.

Some people have a single PC that gets used for *everything*; in that case, overbuild.

Regarding RAM, I say, it's damn near free--why *not* put 8GB (or more) into it? (I come from way back, so $50 or so for 8GB compares to...let me pick one...yeah, there was that time I spend $100 per megabyte and bought 4 megabytes...)

Do what newfiend said and think about the future, but also figure in your budget--not to mention the most critical thing of all, making it a balanced system with no bottlenecks. For example, some people get focused on finding the biggest processor (for example) and then ignore other crucial parts of the system, and they end up with a system that might give them bragging rights in one area but which overall goes slower than something that's more balanced. Get a decent processor, get a decent video card that does the job, get enough RAM, get enough disk space, etc. But don't worry about SATA speed or USB 3.0 or ten more cycles out of the processor or whatever. I'm living proof that an i3 is plenty sufficient, so *any* i5 you get will be more than enough. Don't spend your money eking out the last bit of throughput, as anything you get will be more than sufficient to the task--instead, spend that money on storage.

A system where all the parts are balanced to the task at hand is way, way better than a system that's lopsided.

Regarding future-proofing, one way to do it is this: do a cheap system now, use it to familiarize yourself with the whole thing and wrap your head around what you want and don't want, then build another one next year knowing *exactly* what you need to do.

A buddy of mine bought a cheap yellow-tag return PC off the shelf at Micro Center, stuffed it full of RAM and two Ceton cards and a couple of hard drives, and had relatively little investment (outside the Ceton cards--this was back when hard drives were cheap and Ceton cards were not). It's working fine, and I think he spent less overall than I did when I carefully did exactly what you're doing right now...

Question: why not simply keep that blu-ray disc player installed? Aren't you going to want an optical drive?

I agree with what he said.. Best to build a balanced system, Add lots of RAM (it's sooo darn cheep right now), Future think a bit w/o overthinking it... Just add a little overhead to grow into.
And you may want to add a blu-ray to it also.. It's nice to have it all in one BOX! Just add Total Media Theater 5 to your WMC build and its a great Blu-Ray player as well!

[barnabas1969]

Jade,

Your selections look OK. I tend to buy power supplies with a 120mm (or larger) fan though... they are usually quieter than PSU's with 80mm fans such as the one you chose. My PSU has a 139mm fan... and it is completely silent. It's actually been tested by SilentPCReview.com, and they found that they could not measure the noise level in their sound-proof-room at 50% output. They got a very small sound measurement at 100% output. My system never touches 50% of this PSU's output.

Hopefully the video card will be quiet enough. At least one review said it was quiet... but that's subjective. My video card is fanless, but you would never fit my video card in a low profile case. The heat sink on mine is enormous. I doubt that you can find a fanless low-profile GT-430 video card anyway.

As for what Adam and Curt (Newfiend) said above... I would not recommend an i7 CPU in a low-profile case unless you don't mind some fan noise. Also, if you do commercial skipping or ripping/encoding while watching TV, you would get more bang from a quad-core processor... but as I said before, it all depends on the processing priority of the skipping/ripping/encoding software. If you set it to a low process priority (the default for Show Analyzer), you won't notice a problem even with an i3.

RAM is cheap. Go ahead and buy 8GB. You don't need any of those fancy "rip jaws" or similar sticks of RAM either. The Kingston ValueRAM or similar "value" series from Corsair or Crucial is fine. RAM coolers like those on the "rip jaws" are unnecessary... and in my opinion are just designed to take your hard-earned cash. But, if you go with more than 4GB, make sure to install a 64-bit version of Windows 7.

As for "building for the future"... well, you want enough power to add things... so if you have any possibility of needing more than 2 extenders, you'll want more CPU cores. However, there is no such thing as a "future proof" PC.

EDIT: I should add that the GT-430 GPU can help re-encode video... if your encoding software supports using the GPU for encoding. So the video card is kinda like adding another CPU core. At the least, it will off-load the work from the CPU when you watch live or recorded TV.

Also, don't install the latest drivers from nVidia for the GT-430. The latest driver has a problem that causes stuttering. I can't remember the exact one that you should use, but Curt (Newfiend) is the expert on that. I'm still running version 266.58 and it works fine, so I have no reason to load a newer version.

[barnabas1969]

Also, I agree with Curt... it's really nice to have an all-in-one-box solution. Total Media Theatre 5 works beautifully. I believe that the GT-430 GPU does a better job rendering the video than any BluRay player or cable box I've ever seen. And I watch TV on a 64" high-end plasma, so I see every detail, every pixel. Everyone who comes to my house is not only impressed with Media Center, but also by the video quality. The reaction is usually, "Wow, that picture is gorgeous." This is not only due to the high quality TV, but also because of the video processing that happens before the TV gets the digital signal. The video processor in a BluRay player or cable box cannot match the power of this GPU.

About the "one box solution"... I'm down to the PC, two AVR's, a DVD changer, and a turntable. One of the AVR's is used to drive my outdoor speakers by the pool because my primary AVR requires an external amp to power a second zone. The DVD changer is used to play CD's or DVD's with MP3 tracks out by the pool. Today, I'm planning to buy a new AVR that will replace both AVR's and will make the DVD changer unnecessary... so I'll be down to a PC, an AVR, and a turn table.

The new AVR (Yamaha RX-A2010) can handle 7.1 in the main room, plus stereo audio in a 2nd zone without an external amplifier. It is DLNA compliant, so it will play MP3's off of the PC. It also has built-in Pandora, Last.fm, Rapsody, and Sirius internet streaming.

I'm excited about it because I'll be getting rid of two more boxes from my living room, and will be able to control the outdoor speakers from my smartphone.

[adam1991]

However, there is no such thing as a "future proof" PC.

That.

Tattoo it onto your forehead backwards, so you see it every day in the mirror. Understand that you WILL revisit your HTPC.

[barnabas1969]

Well, what Adam wrote above is funny... but basically, just don't over-think things. Build a PC that does what you need it to do. Make sure not to under-estimate what you want to do (number of extenders is the main concern). Cable/broadcast TV is not going to change anytime soon (because it will cost the cable company or broadcaster a tremendous amount of money to change things), so you're pretty safe with that. Encoding formats and containers, like H.264 and MKV are not likely to change anytime soon, but those are the biggest variables. If they do, you can always build a new machine with the purpose of encoding those formats... and leave your HTPC alone.

Personally, I don't use my HTPC to encode anything. I upgraded my desktop PC for that purpose. I don't want to interrupt my HTPC for stuff like that. It is the central component for my whole-house TV viewing. If you live with other people (wife, girlfriend, kids), you will eventually discover that they don't like it when you mess with the HTPC. They will begin to depend on it as much as they depend on the fact that when you flip a wall switch... the light turns on. Unless you live alone, your HTPC will become like a utility. People just expect it to work when they press the button.

[newfiend]

However, there is no such thing as a "future proof" PC.

That.

Tattoo it onto your forehead backwards, so you see it every day in the mirror. Understand that you WILL revisit your HTPC.

lol.. Ahh.. This is so true. I have done more to this PC than any desktop I have ever had. I agree with Brian's comments as well as Adam's.. Looks like you have some good pieces picked out, you should be happy with the outcome.

Sent from my WP7 using Board Express

[barnabas1969]

Hey Jade. I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that you buy the Silicon Dust HD HomeRun Prime (HDHR3-CC) tuner instead of the Ceton. Hopefully I don't upset the moderator gods.