Htpc....
I am thinking about turning my pc into a HTPC, ditching my 19" beast of a monitor and getting a flat screen... Does anyone think this is a good idea or not? I want to still be able to play games, but i want to be able to get rid of my desk etc... clean living is where it is at. I thought about buying a mac today also. maybe i am just going crazy........
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I also like macs, so maybe we are commies or something
With that in mind, what case do i go for?
current specs:
Abit NF7-s V2.0 / Barton 2500+ / Sapphire 9800 Pro 128mb / 512 pc 3200 / Tagan 480W PSU / Lite On DVD burner / lite on cd burner currently a coolermaster ATC 201 case (the daddy of cases back in the day)
I recently built a HTPC from scratch but decided it didn't fit my needs, however the HTPC itself performed perfect. So I have a pile of like-new parts I was going to eBay.
They are as follows:
- ABIT NF7-S v2.0
- AMD AthlonXP-Mobile 2200+ (35 watt)
- WinTV-PVR 250
- Maxtor 300GB SATA, 16MB cache, 7200rpm
- Logitech Harmony 680 Universal Remote
- Zalman ZM300B-APS 300W Power Supply
- Thermaltake Silent Boost HSF
- Zalman CNPS-7000A-AlCu (doesn't fit on NF7-S)
- Lite-On SOHC-5232K (52x32x52x CD-RW, 16X DVD-ROM)
- Corsair CMX256A-3200C2PT TwinX (2x256MB)
- D-Link DWL-G520 Wireless PCI card (108Mbps)
- Asus V9520Magic (GeForceFX 5200) w/ TV-Out (S-Video + Composite)
- USB-UIRT (Universal Infrared Receiver Transmitter)
- Silverstone SST-LC03 Case (black) w/ Vantec Stealth fans (60mm exhaust, 80mm bottom intake)
I built the HTPC for power and low noise and I can say it's by far the quietest PC i've built so far. It's not 100% silent of course, but it's definitely very very quiet. When I was building it, I bought nothing that was rated above 21dB.
Everything was used for only 2-3 days (not 24 hours a day) before I decided it didn't fit my needs and I had really just wanted a project to play with... was an expensive one at that. So everything is all packaged back up in its original packaging with original accessories, manuals, papers, etc.
If anything looks like it's what you're looking for, send me a PM or I could just create a thread in the trading post. I'm trying to make as much of the money I spent building the HTPC back as possible, but I know i'm going to have to take a hit none-the-less. The CPU was never clocked past 1GHz (or 1.2GHz, can't remember) because I wanted to run it as cool as possible.
I also have eBay feedback + heat (large purchase), and long time member here. I took pictures of everything listed as well. They still need to be cropped, after which I can upload them.
Building an HTPC is a great idea. I have one hooked up to my home theatre system and HD ready TV. Great for music playback.
Your heat concern: It's important to have good airflow but you don't need to have a howler fan in the case to exaust the air.
I've written a 5 part guide here
http://www.short-media.com/review.php?c=41
You may find the following few pages good for a simple mod to bring additional air into a case without too much hassle.
http://www.short-media.com/review.php?r=169&p=3
I advise you that games and movies will play just fine on a regular TV but the desktop will be at a maximum of 640x480 for a regular TV. The HD-Ready CRT based TVs will display 800x600 fairly well because of the built in scalers.
Whatever TV you choose the best options to look for is an HDMI input that is specified to support computer monitors and check the specs to see what NATIVE resolution (Max) the TV will display. By native I mean without the need for the onboard scalers inside the TV.
Hope this helps start you off.
Here are some components that i have and would recommend...
antec overture case w/ truepower380w
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=11-129-142&depa=1
lite on wireless keyboard with built-in mouse, ps2
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=23-107-114&depa=0
Now the case is not perfect, but it can be worked with for maximum heat dissapation. I have the rev. 1 version, and the cooling is minimal, but the rev. 2 improves upon the errors of the rev. 1 by adding cooling vents and an extra fan. The link i pointed you to is the rev.2, so you should be fine. I have added a 5.25" faceplate with 3 x 40mmm fans for intake (after a little black krylon treatment), and it is a huge improvement. Here is that link...
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=35-888-104&depa=0
Now the keyboard is awesome, but i don't think it is actually a lite-on. When it came in the mail there were no lite-on logos or markings of any kind. But the battery life is amazing, and the range is really good too for a $20 keyboard. The mouse takes a little getting use to, but i like it for everyday use. You can't really game with it though b/c of the layout. The mouse buttons are on the left side and an analog thumb stick is on the right side so you can use the mouse when holding the keyboard on your lap. You can't use the W,A,S,D keys and click on the mouse buttons at the same time b/c they are both on the left side---unless you have 6+ fingers...
Yeah, you're right about the shipping, unfortunately i'm not in the UK. Enjoy your HTPC once you get it built though. For a keyboard and mouse i'd suggest the Logitech Mouseman Duo w/ MX700. I got it for the HTPC and loved it so much I decided to keep it and use it on my desktop. Range is not a problem for HTPC either, at one point I was using the keyboard and mouse at probably around 10 feet with no issues.