HTPC Rig hardware suggestion?

[Viddax^2]

Hi guys!

I´m willing to build an HTPC rig to connect the TV and play some games, films in FullHD (BluRay and so), and dont really know where to start...

I dont want to spend a lot of money but i want it to be powerfull enuff not to have problems with games and films.

I have an E6600 laying on the table that i could use for this purpose, i would have to get a 775 board and some DDR2, but i guess i could get some of that 2nd hand.

4 Gbs and a 64bits W7? or 2 Gb and 32bit WinXP?

Predator told me about using a 5XXX series Ati for this because of the HDMI output had HQ audio, but I´m not sure if its all 5xxx series or you have to get a 57xx / 58xx Card for this.

Any suggestions /help would be apreciated.

Thx in advance guys!

[Predator]

Hi guys!

I´m willing to build an HTPC rig to connect the TV and play some games, films in FullHD (BluRay and so), and dont really know where to start...

I dont want to spend a lot of money but i want it to be powerfull enuff not to have problems with games and films.

I have an E6600 laying on the table that i could use for this purpose, i would have to get a 775 board and some DDR2, but i guess i could get some of that 2nd hand.

4 Gbs and a 64bits W7? or 2 Gb and 32bit WinXP?

Predator told me about using a 5XXX series Ati for this because of the HDMI output had HQ audio, but I´m not sure if its all 5xxx series or you have to get a 57xx / 58xx Card for this.

Any suggestions /help would be apreciated.

Thx in advance guys!

bro i will give you a call later on :)

[DaCoSa]

Hello bro!
You also have the hd5450 (50€) which offers the same possibilities to FullHD
Maybe games will be very fair but to play regularly at lower resolutions will perfect
http://www.amd.com/es/products/notebook/graphics/ati-mobility-hd-5400/Pages/hd-5450-specs.aspx

I personally would use w7 32b com first choice, second choice XP.

regards:ocx0931:

[Viddax^2]

@Predator : OK bro, ill be in the catalonian course from 8:00pm to 10:00pm.

@Dacosa: Thx bro, i would like to be able to play some games also on the TV so i guess i should go for a 57XX at least.

Thx!

[DaCoSa]

@Predator : OK bro, ill be in the catalonian course from 8:00pm to 10:00pm.

@Dacosa: Thx bro, i would like to be able to play some games also on the TV so i guess i should go for a 57XX at least.

Thx!
ya..
56xx ; 57xx ; 58xx ; 59xx hehehehe

good luck bro!
if you need motherboard sk 775 I have something

best regards!;)

[Viddax^2]

ya..
56xx ; 57xx ; 58xx ; 59xx hehehehe

good luck bro!
if you need motherboard sk 775 I have something

best regards!;)


Yup, in the end i will owe you a lot, thank god you lent me that zippy psu, its working fine :ocx0927:

If you have one sk 775 that you dont use you could sell it to me, but cheap please, were in crisis:ocx0942:.

THX bro, talk to you later!

[DaCoSa]

Yup, in the end i will owe you a lot, thank god you lent me that zippy psu, its working fine :ocx0927:

If you have one sk 775 that you dont use you could sell it to me, but cheap please, were in crisis:ocx0942:.

THX bro, talk to you later!
np... free bro!

regards

[Viddax^2]

So these could be the rig specs:

CPU:Intel C2D E6600
Mobo: Asus Sk 775 ATX mobo (still undefined, DaCoSa will tell :cool:)
RAM: Still to choose and get (2nd hand i guess)
VGA: ATI Radeon HD5750 1 Gb, about 130€ here in EU
HD: Im going to use any 200 Gb Disk or so i have laying around here, tho ill get a 1.5 Tb Seagate for the server.
CASE: MS-TECH MC-380 , really cheap (about 60€), ATX and black( my main preference) PIC (http://www.alternate.es/html/product/prodPicPopup.html?cmd=none&artno=TEXJ07&view=0#0)
PSU: I´m between OCZ Modstream 500W or 600W, there is a 13€ diference between them, 65€-78€, i guess both would to their job well.
Optical Drive: I´m thinking about getting a BluRay ROM reader combo, or getting a BluRay RW, but still to expensive.Anyway i think ill go for the BluRay reader combo, about 80€.

The total cost without RAM, Mobo and HD is 350€, and i guess i could search a bit more in the shops and get it better prized.

Still, I have to get pair of PowerLine Ethernet adapters, beacuse im an anti-wifi technologist.

Let me know what you think about this one.

Thx guys!

[Predator]

Bro :) , i still have to call you xD, but anyway here you have some options

All the ATIs 5xxx cards will pass thorugh HDMI High Definition lossless sound, such as LPCM, DTS HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD, BUT, to take benefict about these, you'll have to own an A/V Receiver capable of decoding HD sound, bear in mind the ATI card won't decode the sound, it will pass-through to your decoder

Another option would be any of the 4xxx series, these also will pass the sound through HDMI but not the HD sound, you would have the familiar DTS and Dolby Digital, you can have up to 7.1 channels as well

Also, for noticing the difference between DTS and DTS-HD you'd most probably need very expensive speakers

the best part is, any of the ATIs 4000 or 5000 series can decode HD film like piece of cake, and removing load off the CPU, in other words you could have play any blu-ray quality with the cheapest CPU/motherboard/
RAM combo as long as you fit an ATI 4000/5000 card in :)


i bought a blu-ray reader for the HTPC, it's 80€ you don't need a Rewritable ;)

all you need is powerdvd10, dvdfab, alcohol120%, and a talk with Predator :D

[Viddax^2]

@Predator

Sorry bro for not answering your call yesterday, i was in the doctor and when i noticed the call it was kinda late, and if i dont remember badly, on fridays you get up very early so i didnt call back.

I was thinking about all that Ati stuff, the thing is, i already have a 48xx in my daily rig as you know, and what i would like is that the HTPC was powerfull enough to play something in good quality; so, i dont really know if getting another 4xxx series would be a good buy or instead i should get a 57xx or 56xx to have the new technology at least in one of my rigs...

I dont have a good HQ audio decoder and speakers, but you know what we all think, "just in case...".

Im kinda lost now, dont know which direction to go...

One possibility would be putting the 48xx i have in the HTPC rig and getting a new 5 series for the daily rig, but i know myself, and if any of us change a part, usually its impossible to get a worse one, so i should go for 57xx or 58xx, which raises the prize a lot...

Another thing, so you think E6600+ rampage extreme for example would be a good combo?

And also, do you still have some DDR2 you could sell to me?

Ill try to give you a call this afternoon so you can give me some advice...

Thx a lot bro, talk to you later!

[skunk]

Hi Vidaxx So manu time without seeing yoou... I hope you are OK ;)

You will need one of those eyboard too for the HTPC control... I'm using an older version of this keyboard and it's really wonderfull for this purpouse

http://www.modpc.com/index.php?pageid=pagtienda&op=vart&ref=E693

Now in my HTPC i've a passive 4850... and i'm really happy with it.... you shoul buy a 5XXX, maybe for yor gaming PC and lend the 4XXX for HTPC.

Good Luck Bro!!

[Viddax^2]

Hi Vidaxx So manu time without seeing yoou... I hope you are OK ;)

You will need one of those eyboard too for the HTPC control... I'm using an older version of this keyboard and it's really wonderfull for this purpouse

http://www.modpc.com/index.php?pageid=pagtienda&op=vart&ref=E693

Now in my HTPC i've a passive 4850... and i'm really happy with it.... you shoul buy a 5XXX, maybe for yor gaming PC and lend the 4XXX for HTPC.

Good Luck Bro!!

Hi bro! Long time we dont talk...

That keyboard looks nice, Ill have it in mind.

There is a little problem with the VGA, i want to spend as little money as i can, but i still want to be able to play on the HTPC with rather good quality to bps ratio.
That means that if i use the 48xx i have for the htpc, ill need to get a 57xx at least to have power in the daily rig...

Ill have to choose between playing in the htpc or in my daily rig, thats the problem of being poor...

Take care man!