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Author Topic: HTPC? Media Centre? Streaming box? Which would be best for my needs!!  (Read 2858 times)

  • Offline Serious

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Re:HTPC? Media Centre? Streaming box? Which would be best for my needs!!
Reply #15 on: September 23, 2008, 01:34:31 AM
Quote from: Beaker
Quote from: Serious
Quote from: moony1234
Oh also would there be any compatability issues with the following:

Asus M3A78-EMH HDMI
AMD Phenom X3 Triple Core 8450 2.1GHz
KeySonic 2.4Ghz Wireless Compact Keyboard with Integrated TouchPad
Extra Value Sonata MATX MediaCenter Case - With 220W PSU 20+4pin
OCZ 2GB (2x1GB) DDR2 1066MHz/PC2-8500 (OCZ2N1066SR2GK) Dual Channel SLI Ready Edition
500GB SATAII Seagate HDD



Have I forgotten anything??


I would check up on how good the X3s really are before you buy, last time I looked they were not that good. Go for an X2 or an Intel


For a HTPC you are better off with a Sempron + 780G than a dual core Intel.  


Quite possibly, the thing is the X3 isnt the best choice. A low end E21X0 would be adequate, I use one for this purpose and moderate gaming, but so would a Sempron as you say.
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Re:HTPC? Media Centre? Streaming box? Which would be best for my needs!!
Reply #16 on: September 23, 2008, 10:39:47 AM
Thanks again everyone.

I am more of an intel fan than AMD so the E2180 is looking like an attractive option.

If im getting a lower priced CPU then I can stretch a bit more on the case, £95 for the Antec and then another £20 on a PSU just seems a bit excessive for a case??


Also im now stumped on a motherboard with decent onboard gfx, HDMI and optical output.....

Doh!
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  • Offline Serious

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Re:HTPC? Media Centre? Streaming box? Which would be best for my needs!!
Reply #17 on: September 23, 2008, 12:58:33 PM
I bought one of the Hiper type M 580 watts for mine from tekheads for under 40, quiet. The case was an £80 Thermaltake Lanbox but half price in a sale
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Re:HTPC? Media Centre? Streaming box? Which would be best for my needs!!
Reply #18 on: September 23, 2008, 14:51:00 PM
Right as im being fussy about the appearance of the case how does this now sound:

Intel Pentium Dual Core E2180 2GHz Socket 775 800MHz FSB L2 1MB Cache Retail Box Processor    
KeySonic 2.4Ghz Wireless Compact Keyboard with Integrated TouchPad
MSI P6NGM-FIH GeForce 7150 Socket 775 onboard VGA 8 channel audio mATX Motherboard
Hiper Silver Media Center Case With 200W PSU - Only 53mm High
Hiper HFC 10828-C2 Low profile Cooler - Socket 775
Pioneer KD-08 Slimline Notebook DVDRW Black Bare Drive - OEM
Philips Vista Remote SRM5100 Universal remote control infrared/radio
Plexus 3 Port HDMI Video Switch With Remote Control
Plexus Gold Plated HDMI to HDMI Cable (Black) 1m
OCZ 4GB Kit (2x2GB) 800MHz/PC2-6400 Memory Platinum Performance CL5 (5-4-4-18)
Existing Hard drive


Sound "ok"? Forgotten anything?
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  • Offline Beaker

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Re:HTPC? Media Centre? Streaming box? Which would be best for my needs!!
Reply #19 on: September 23, 2008, 18:01:16 PM
Honestly, in all seriousness.  If you are making up a HTPC then you really do want an AMD 780 chipset if you at any point will want to put a HD Drive in there.  Its that a GPU with HD-Decoding built into it.  
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  • Offline Shaun

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Re:HTPC? Media Centre? Streaming box? Which would be best for my needs!!
Reply #20 on: September 23, 2008, 23:01:29 PM
Buying a E2180 will be something you regret down the road seriously AMD pisses all over Intel for a HTPC :P
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  • Offline Serious

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Re:HTPC? Media Centre? Streaming box? Which would be best for my needs!!
Reply #21 on: September 24, 2008, 00:06:05 AM
Quote from: Beaker
Honestly, in all seriousness.  If you are making up a HTPC then you really do want an AMD 780 chipset if you at any point will want to put a HD Drive in there.  Its that a GPU with HD-Decoding built into it.  


Quote
Following the lead of MSI K9AGM2 as the worlds first HDMI-ready mainboard, the new MSI P6NGM mainboard is the first HDMI-ready mainboard supporting Intel processors. This mainboard is engineered to perfection to create multimedia system, the P6NGM-FIH is based on GeForce 7150 + nForce 630i and is built together with HDMI interface (with HDCP) and analog D-sub to offer complete video output solution for multimedia usage.

The built-in GeForce 7 graphic core of MSI P6NGM brings the best-integrated 3D performance and great video playback in Intel platform. When user plays the HD content using P6NGM, it lowers the CPU utilization usage and provides better color and quality. The P6NGM also offers video resolution up to 1920x1080 (1080i) HD video output, providing users with the highest-quality visual experience possible.
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  • Offline Shaun

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Re:HTPC? Media Centre? Streaming box? Which would be best for my needs!!
Reply #22 on: September 24, 2008, 02:50:01 AM
Really bad goggle’ing there Serious ...the GeForce 7150 chipset  you quoted above has been replaced by the improved GeForce 8200 and the AMD 780 beat’s both:
http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=3258&p=1

I would imagine that article you quoted from without the source was from early 2007 tbh.
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  • Offline Beaker

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Re:HTPC? Media Centre? Streaming box? Which would be best for my needs!!
Reply #23 on: September 24, 2008, 02:53:53 AM
pfft, that gf7-series chipset is about even with the old AMD 690G chipset.  the 780G spanks it, and the 780GX is even better.  
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Re:HTPC? Media Centre? Streaming box? Which would be best for my needs!!
Reply #24 on: September 24, 2008, 17:19:01 PM
Ok... last attempt before I ask one of you nice people to put together a list....


Hiper Silver Media Center Case With 200W PSU - Only 53mm High
Hiper HFC-30820-C1 Low profile Cooler - Socket AM2
ASUS M3N78-EMH HDMI GeForce 8200 Socket AM2+ onboard graphics 8 channel audio mATX Motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ Socket AM2 2.6GHz Energy Efficient L2 1MB (2x512KB) Cache Retail Boxed Processor
OCZ 4GB Kit (2x2GB) 800MHz/PC2-6400 Memory Platinum Performance CL5 (5-4-4-1)
Existing Hard Drive
Pioneer KD-08 Slimline Notebook DVDRW Black Bare Drive - OEM
Philips Vista Remote SRM5100 Universal remote control infrared/radio
Plexus 3 Port HDMI Video Switch With Remote Control
Plexus Gold Plated HDMI to HDMI Cable (Black) 1m
KeySonic 2.4Ghz Wireless Compact Keyboard with Integrated TouchPad
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  • Offline Beaker

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Re:HTPC? Media Centre? Streaming box? Which would be best for my needs!!
Reply #25 on: September 24, 2008, 18:04:55 PM
Where you buying from?

Tekheads ::
AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 4450E
Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H

Scan ::
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4850e - Use the retail packed HSF, its not too shabby for this chip.
Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H

Ebuyer ::
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4450e
Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H

Ive used a couple of the Gigabyte boards, and I was impressed with the HDMI and Optical Audio outputs.  The 4x40E series are the low-powered ones, and they run pretty quietly without needing a special HSF setup.  

Edit :: This was done using the list of what they have in-stock at the moment.  

Edit2 :: If you are going for 4Gb, and all you are using it for is streaming movies, etc then save some cash and buy generic RAM, or branded Value RAM.  Youll save a packet, and you wont need the high-performance memory.  
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Re:HTPC? Media Centre? Streaming box? Which would be best for my needs!!
Reply #26 on: September 25, 2008, 11:36:05 AM
Right ive ordered the following....


Hiper Silver Media Center Case With 200W PSU - Only 53mm High
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Low Profile Socket 775 amd AM2 Processor Cooler
Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H 780G Socket AM2+ onboard VGA 8 channel audio mATX Motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4850e 2.5GHz Socket AM2 Energy Efficient 1MB L2 Cache Retail Boxed Processor
OCZ 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 800Mhz/PC2-6400 Memory GOLD DUAL CHANNEL Unbuffered CL5(5-5-5-18)
Existing SATA HDD
Pioneer KD-08 Slimline Notebook DVDRW Black Bare Drive - OEM
KeySonic 2.4Ghz Wireless Compact Keyboard with Integrated TouchPad



Hopefully it will run well....
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Re:HTPC? Media Centre? Streaming box? Which would be best for my needs!!
Reply #27 on: September 28, 2008, 12:37:55 PM
All built and running smoothly (other than the fact that the HSF they sent was for an intel cpu and not AMD so the case is currently off).

Using XMBC as the front end and its running well.

Only get 3.5 for GFX in Vista though which is a bit pants, but it is onboard i guess...

HDMI is working, optical 5.1 is working, the keyboard/mouse is pants....

Thanks for your help :)
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  • Offline Shaun

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Re:HTPC? Media Centre? Streaming box? Which would be best for my needs!!
Reply #28 on: September 28, 2008, 14:37:02 PM
I really like MediaPortal on mine  http://www.team-mediaportal.com/ I found XMBC a bit buggy and rough round the edges tbh

I really like my KeySonic keyboard what do u find pants about it??? :P
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  • Offline Beaker

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Re:HTPC? Media Centre? Streaming box? Which would be best for my needs!!
Reply #29 on: September 28, 2008, 14:44:18 PM
Quote from: moony1234
Only get 3.5 for GFX in Vista though which is a bit pants, but it is onboard i guess...


Thats normal for that chipset, what gets things moving is sticking a BluRay drive up its arse.  Full hardware decoding without having to chew the CPU is brilliant.  
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