HTPC Build Question

[alimoalem]

my friend's parents just got a plasma tv and they want to get a htpc. it's going to be a pretty basic one. the budget is $500-600, not including the harddrives. i'm just wondering if the following would suffice:

cpu: am2 3800x2 $155
mobo: not sure? i know my stuff when it comes to gaming rigs...not htpc's though. he wants to spend ~$75
gpu: ATI AIW X1800XL...my friend wants to possibly game a bit on it. would the AIW X800XL be fine? or should he get something else? he wants to spend around $150 on the gpu
case: he said he'll get one off newegg for ~$100...any recommendations (cheaper is always better) SFF or HTPC case please
ram: i was thinking of having him get 2x512mb DDR2-533 A-DATA Vitesta ram. $100

i have a few questions now..
1. does he need a dual-core? would a single core 3800+ be fine?
2. what do HTPCs demand mostly? ram? cpu? something else?
3. would a seperate/different tuner be better?

thanks for all the help

 

[myocardia]

You'll definitely have to buy a high-def capture card. AIW's don't capture in high-def; S-video is the best they'll do, and they only have stereo audio inputs, also. They only have the ability to output HD, in other words. As far as the processor, I'd go with a single-core 3800, since it's 400 Mhz faster, and won't be multi-tasking, and as far as I know, none of the software that comes with these types of products is multi-threaded.

 

[mjreddy]

my opinion is that high-def capture cards are pretty worthless in their current incarnation since they only allow for OTA High def feeds, meaning you'll have to have an antenna and will only be able to record programs for high def programs that you recieve from networks in the area. I read that when Vista comes out there will finally be some hidef cards that support cable card which means that all the digital (std definition and high definition) channels that your cable provider offers will be accessible to the computer.

Also, I'm not sure, but would the E6300 C2D processor not be a better choice in that price range?

 

[alimoalem]

i told him about the e6300 but the cheapest one is nearly $30 more than the 3800x2, which would definitely put him over budget. plus, intel boards are more expesnive than amd-compatible ones, generally. and it's not like he's going to be bottlenecked by the cpu; the reason i was asking about x2 vs single-core was because i wasn't sure if having the 2nd core would help or not.

alright so i guess i'm going to need more opinions on this HD stuff. what's the difference between HD capture and HD output? he's going to be playing stuff off his htpc so doesn't he only need HD output?

if the AIW isn't the way to go, what cards do you guys/gals recommend?

again, thanks for the help everyone (especially myocardia and mjreddy)

 

[DaveSimmons]

Why not get an Xbox360 for gaming and rent the cable company dual-tuner HD DVR for $5 a month? Cost = $400 + $60 for a year of rental.

The cable DVR records cable channels in HD, it works without the effort and complexity of building a HTPC, installing an OS and running apps to use it.

 

[Liver]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Why not get an Xbox360 for gaming and rent the cable company dual-tuner HD DVR for $5 a month? Cost = $400 + $60 for a year of rental.

The cable DVR records cable channels in HD, it works without the effort and complexity of building a HTPC, installing an OS and running apps to use it.

Getting a HTPC is a labor of love, not convenience. So much to tweak and get it exactly how you want it. Manipulation of the image and what not. If they are unable or unwilling to put the time in, you are much much better off not getting a HTPC.

If they are, I recommend looking at components in this order
1. budget
2. ability to run quiet
3. performance

There will be a line that they all cross at for your friends. You'll have to decide what will be a little more important in the end. A loud HTPC will detract from the experience considerably.

 

[alimoalem]

i'll tell my friend about the xbox/cable company thing (does this work for satellite cause i think he has satellite?) but i think he's set on the htpc.

he's going to put this in his parent's closet so i'm sure the sound would be drowned out somewhat by that. i'll tell him about the sound, too.

about the parts, would a dual-core benefit him at all? very little? which one would be the ideal cpu: 3200 ($80); 3800 ($116); 3800x2 ($160)?

suppose he were to go with the HTPC and not get an AIW card. what should he get instead?

 

[DaveSimmons]

A satellite DVR might still be a better choice for HD recording, he should check with the dish company for purchase and rental prices.

If not, you might find out what satellite company and type of dish then check avsforum.com for HTPC options.

Also find out whether the plasma has a VGA connector, or component, DVI or HDMI.

For standard def recording HTPC a single-core Sempron and cheap socket 754 mATX motherboard like a Biostar TForce 6100 would be enough, with a Hauppage PVR-150 for the recording duties. The video card would be for the TV out and supply gaming power.

 

[dBTelos]

Do you already have PSU? You need one.

 

[imported_stev]

I have an A64 3500+ 939 and it's more than sufficient for my dual analog tuners.

 

[alimoalem]

DaveSimmons - i'll find out about the connection and satellite info. if a strong cpu isn't needed, i'll just have him get a 3000+ or something and get a decent graphics card (he wants to be able to game on it a bit)

dBTelos - i think he set $100 aside for case/psu

stev - thanks for the input. that's just what i needed to hear

does anyone have a cheap motherboard suggestion? maybe in the $75 range?

 

[DaveSimmons]

I've used the socket 939 Biostar TForce 6100-939 in a couple of builds and it's a nice little mATX board with passive cooling instead of a chipset fan.

The Asus A8N-E is close to your price and is what I use for my gaming PC but it does have a chipset fan.

For gaming, a 3200+ - 3500+ is probably worth the extra cost. For quiet you might want a different heatsink than the stock one, I use a Zalman 7000B-alcu with an X2 3800+ and it works very well.

 

[dBTelos]

For a x1800XL, I'd recommend the Seasonic S12 430W.

 

[alimoalem]

Originally posted by: dBTelos
For a x1800XL, I'd recommend the Seasonic S12 430W.

should i keep that card? the only reason i chose it was because it was the best AIW card in the budget.

DaveSimmons, he wants to get an AM2 cpu. i'm good with the s939 boards but i'm taking my time learning the M2 ones thanks for the recommendations and i'll let him know if he needs a quieter rig to get the zalman 7000b-alcu

 

[alimoalem]

bump

if i were to recommend him a c2d, what motherboard would be best for $75?

 

[Slammy1]

At that price range I really don't recommend an HTPC.

First question you need to ask is what you want to do with it. You can make a decent gaming rig for that price or a decent PVR with upconverting capabilities but to expect it all is problematic. Take the video card, for example. For a lot of people here HDCP is a non-issue as by the time they start enforcing the issue they'll have upgraded, but for a parent PC that's not the case. The whole case integration is scary as well as you want cheap, and if it looks like it'll integrate there's a premium in price hence a sacrifice in quality. You'll need a front-end, and MCE kinda blows for that purpose. If you want HD you're looking at significant hardware requirements (H.264 requires PCI-e, dual core, etc.).

What I'd recommend, depending on the commitment of his parents to technology, is either an STB solution or a cheapo Dell for some basic work. HTPCs, unless you're talking basic PVR, are as costly as a mid to high-end gaming rig.

 

[dBTelos]

It's always best to determine a PSU after you're certain about all your other parts. Give me the final list and I'll make a recommendation.

 

[alimoalem]

bump...any recommendations on part changes? any parts that i've written that i should recommend to my friend to definitely go with?

 

[Liver]

Originally posted by: Slammy1
At that price range I really don't recommend an HTPC.

First question you need to ask is what you want to do with it. You can make a decent gaming rig for that price or a decent PVR with upconverting capabilities but to expect it all is problematic. Take the video card, for example. For a lot of people here HDCP is a non-issue as by the time they start enforcing the issue they'll have upgraded, but for a parent PC that's not the case. The whole case integration is scary as well as you want cheap, and if it looks like it'll integrate there's a premium in price hence a sacrifice in quality. You'll need a front-end, and MCE kinda blows for that purpose. If you want HD you're looking at significant hardware requirements (H.264 requires PCI-e, dual core, etc.).

What I'd recommend, depending on the commitment of his parents to technology, is either an STB solution or a cheapo Dell for some basic work. HTPCs, unless you're talking basic PVR, are as costly as a mid to high-end gaming rig.

Yea, I think the days of just converting old computers to HTPC are over.

 

[alimoalem]

bump