my first build... please advise

[ng12345]

my first build is going to be an htpc

the main specs that i am concerned with are my gfx card, memory, and case

i want an htpc case with enough room

Case ??? $200
Processor Athlon 64-M 3200+ 1.5V $200
Motherboard Asus K8N-E Deluxe nforce3 250gb $125
VGA Cooler Artic Cooling VGA Silencer $20
DVD Player Benq 1620a $70
Keyboard/Mouse Gyration Combo $100
Hard Drive WD2500JD $130

looking at the cases i'm deciding between the arisetec ht-400 (i dont think it was reviewed here) the ahanix d4 and the silverstone 10/m

i'm a little confused about the htpc 2004 roundup that is posted here ... the temps between the d5 and the L10/m are almost the same in every aspect yet the review lists the dvine as being a "much" hotter case ... aslo the casaully mention the d4 in terms of the sound, but not in terms of the thermal comparison... any ideas on how the d4 compares with the L10?

for a gfx card ... which cards are the quietest but remain cool, or is it worth investing in the vga cooler (listed above) ... i've heard about leadtek, his, and sapphire ... of those which would you recommend?

for memory ... is it worth the risk of getting generic ddr ram (i found a stick of 1gb pc3200 for $100 shipped) ... or should i spend the extra cash for a kingston hyperx module ($170)

thanks for all the help

any suggestions on the rest of the hardware also appreciated

 

[mwmorph]

get generic ram. no real difference. go to CPU/PROCESSORS AND OVERCLOCKING and click memory matrix which is stickied. if you dont oc, generic is just as good as premium.
as for gfx card, go GIGA-BYTE nVIDIA GeForce 6800 Video Card, 128MB DDR, 256-Bit, TV-Out/DVI, 8X AGP, Model "GV-N68128DH" -RETAIL it's completely silent with only a passive heatsink.

cant help you with case though. just pick the one you like better.

 

[Waylay00]

I recommend Corsair Value Select.

 

[ng12345]

do you have any recommendations for a 256mb card?

i definitely want to be able to play games like doom 3 or far cry at good resolutions

also need to be able to record and display hd content on my screen

also i was looking for a card for about $200 ... dont know if that''s reasonable for what i'm asking

the gigabyte is listed as getting pretty hot

 

[ts3433]

Originally posted by: ng12345
do you have any recommendations for a 256mb card?

i definitely want to be able to play games like doom 3 or far cry at good resolutions

also need to be able to record and display hd content on my screen

You'll be able to game effectively at around 1280x1024 high details with the 6800 or a 6600GT (closer to your $200 target), even though its frame buffer is 128MB. The size of the frame buffer isn't too big of a deal by itself unless it's less than 128MB (on a card that can use that much) or you expect to be able to play at 1920x1400 with above-maximum details. I can't help you with the HD part, though.

 

[TheGreenGoblin]

Originally posted by: mwmorph
get generic ram. no real difference. click .

I'd have to disagree. You're a lot less likely to have problems now and in the future if you get name brand. You definitely don't need HyperX or deluxe modules of any kind but I'd avoid generic no name ram.You also get lifetime warranties when buying Kingston or other brands' "Value" models.

Corsair Value or Kingston definitely isn't much pricier either.

You don't have to choose between generic no name and Hyper X. There's a middle ground between those two choices.

 

[ng12345]

ok so looks like i got that ram issue sorted out ... thanks everyone! ... i think i will go with something that has a lifetime warranty, but not a hyperx (though that blue color looks so sweet!)

i am acquiring the amd mobile 3000+ and a hitachi desktar 7k400 drive

i've heard the hitachi makes quite a bit of noise on start up and shut down... will this be as big of a deal if i'm not running my os on it? ... also will a silent hd solution help minimize this?

in terms of gpu ... are the passive heatsinks a good choice? i was looking at a thermaltake "schooner" which got really good reviews but isn't in any retail store... ther is a lower model of that same heatsink ... a cl-g0003 ... but i couldn't find any reviews for it. this heatsink uses up a pci slot to have the heat sink stick outside... will that be a problem if my htpc is enclosed in an entertainment unit?

i found a sapphire atlantis 9800 for $179 with 256mb ... i think it may be a "lite" version... is ther a disadvantage to this?

i'm also seeing "powercolor" 9800 256mb boards for less ... how do these rate?

thanks again for all the help

 

[dennisjai215]

buy my value ram it has a life time warranty

 

[ng12345]

what value ram is that?

also plz suggest on the video card... its the only component i have left to buy ... would definitely prefer a 256mb board ... is it better to have a 256mb board on a 128 bit interface or a 128mb board on a 256bit interface?

 

[jst0ney]

Originally posted by: TheGreenGoblin

Originally posted by: mwmorph
get generic ram. no real difference. click .

I'd have to disagree. You're a lot less likely to have problems now and in the future if you get name brand. You definitely don't need HyperX or deluxe modules of any kind but I'd avoid generic no name ram.You also get lifetime warranties when buying Kingston or other brands' "Value" models.

Corsair Value or Kingston definitely isn't much pricier either.

You don't have to choose between generic no name and Hyper X. There's a middle ground between those two choices.

In my experience you should get the best ram possible. I recommend Corsair.

 

[Kashim]

well... i dunno about the graphics cards, but any of them should be great... i'm running a non-oc'd gforce 5600 fx, and it runs hl2, far cry, doom3 and counter strike source at decent resolutions and framerates without any trouble... just make sure you have enough ram...
i've never had any problems with my no-name sticks...
all my problems have been motherboard or powersupply related...
make sure to get a decent name-brand powersupply... expect to pay at lease $100...
http://www.newegg.com is a great place for parts...


this is a sweet lookin case from thermaltake...
http://www.newegg.com/app/view...tion=11-133-143&DEPA=1

 

[yadda]

Why would you buy this: DVD Player Benq 1620a $70 ????

You should get NEC

Y

 

[Glpster]

Originally posted by: yadda
Why would you buy this: DVD Player Benq 1620a $70 ????

You should get NEC

Y

Or, the Nu rebadge of the BenQ 1620.
Link

That's what I ultimately decided on. Why, when the NEC 3520a is FASTER!!!!

Because ultimately speed is less important to me than a high quality burn, quality SUPPORTED Firmware updates, and a quiet operating drive, which is what you get from the BenQ 1620 (according to various reviews I've read).

NEC (from what I've read) seems to burn somewhat lesser quality (Anandtech roundup - despite the NEC getting the nod essentially for being somewhat speedier), requires hacked unsupported firmware, and is loud as hell.

Mine's on order now, so I should be getting it sometime later this week (I hope. We'll see if all the praise over NewEgg for this is accurate).

However, if you're obsessed with getting a drive that is somewhat speedier, then go with the NEC.

 

[ts3433]

Originally posted by: ng12345
also plz suggest on the video card... its the only component i have left to buy ... would definitely prefer a 256mb board ... is it better to have a 256mb board on a 128 bit interface or a 128mb board on a 256bit interface?

128-bit memory interface = crippled, unless it's the 6600GT.

Trust me, you do not need a 256MB frame buffer, and you'll see no benefit from one till you get into $400 6800GT territory.

 

[ng12345]

yah i was deciding between the benq and the nec... seems to be a big source of debate ... benq has better firmware support (official and not official) ... but now these lightscribe drives are starting to look might tasteful... especially the toshiba slim lightscribe with 8x recording ... wowzer!

i might want to get one of those expensive atech fab cases ... very appealing ... just a little expensive ($5-700 case depending on how many options you get)

 

[tmchow]

I'm also about to build an HTPC and am undecided between the Ahanix D4, Silverstone LC10M and the Arisetec HT-400.