HTPC

[LaDeDa]

The last two months I've gotten really interested in building another pc. My old pc was fried, and I've been using my laptop for about 6 months now as my main system. All the hub-bub about HTPCs has brought that into my focus tho. While I want a system that I can use for everything from tv, to watching movies, and playing music, I also want a system that can play today's massively demanding games (quake 4, wow, hl2, etc). Would it be possible to fit that kind of machine into a htpc case? Or should I build a system for gaming and other needs now, and wait to build a pc thats JUST a htpc. Also, any cases to recommend?

 

[Crashman]

Check out the case reviews at www.sysopt.com/features You can get a fairly powerfull system into a small desktop-style HTPC case, I'd recommend the Cooler Master CM Media 250. If you need room for an even longer video card than this case supports, you could remove its left bay, or go with a huge case like Silverstone reviewed there.

 

[pwnage]

Build a shuttle

Get a good video card, TV tuner card, proc, memory, hard drive, DVD-RW drive and you all set.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16856101458

its an older chip set but you don't need much to have a HTPC a P4 3GHz with HT should be fine to do all you want.

 

[Crashman]

Nobody asked for your bad opinion, we prefer our help to be helpful.

 

[pwnage]

"Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!"
"Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!"

HMM

Indeed your ego is quite big, but your brain quite small. You only look at the small picture while you ignore the large. The suggestion you made is quite good. But the fact that you have to go and belittle mine isn’t.

His question was.

The last two months I've gotten really interested in building another pc. My old pc was fried, and I've been using my laptop for about 6 months now as my main system. All the hub-bub about HTPCs has brought that into my focus tho. While I want a system that I can use for everything from tv, to watching movies, and playing music, I also want a system that can play today's massively demanding games (quake 4, wow, hl2, etc). Would it be possible to fit that kind of machine into a htpc case? Or should I build a system for gaming and other needs now, and wait to build a pc thats JUST a htpc. Also, any cases to recommend?

An HTPC case can be anything; it is just up to the users preference. I choose a shuttle because; they are widely accepted as an appropriate HTPC. I have built many of them they are reliable and a stable platform for gaming. I personally have 3. One for Gaming, one for and HTPC, and one for just general use. There is nothing wrong with shuttles, sure they are a little expensive but they are well worth it.

You should also know you don’t need much for a gaming rig. You don’t need SLI and you don’t need an expensive processor. You can build a gaming rig that plays BF2 or HL2 with very little. A Celeron, 1 – 2 gigs of ram, a good video card, and good motherboard accomplishes this fine.

This line of though leads me to a question.

What do you do for a living Crashman?

It would be interesting to find out seeing that you think that you are god of computers. I wonder if you are an actual computer tech or just some loser flipping burgers at McDonalds. If you had one ounce of common sense you would see that my suggestion was, and is perfectly acceptable. Hey but don't listen to someone who has been a tech for 6 years with experience with Apple, Programming, and building computers since 10 years old. Listen to the donkey that knows nothing. You should know, normally I don’t like to hack and trash people in forums, but here I feel I can make the exception. The way you treat people in life will come back to you, whether it be good or bad. Just though you should know that.

I sincerely hope that in the future that you can come to be more accepting, and not cast aside others opinions. You don’t have to agree with them, but you shouldn’t trash them like you did mine.

I am sorry if this hurtful, and forthcoming but it needed to be said.

Have a good rest of the day, and a happy new year.

 

[fishmahn]

* pulls up a chair to watch the fireworks *

FYI: Crash deserves his ego, and you only have 6 yrs experience? Go back to grammer school then... I have nearly 20yrs and Crash might not have me beat in longevity (I don't think we've ever compared so I don't know for certain), but I'm beat by miles in skill & knowledge of hardware.

Enjoy...

Mike.

 

[Rugger]

*Kicks back in recliner*
*Cracks a beer*
Want one?

 

[pwnage]

Fish

Crash should still respect others and their knowledge. Just because he thinks he knows it all doesn’t mean he dose.

While I respect his opinion, I don't necessarily agree with it.

So what if I’m a young gun, big deal. I couldn't care less about who has more ring time. In my mind its not quantity, its quality.

I have built many, many systems. All of them progressively more advanced. I have built servers, workstations, HTPC, gaming boxes, and many more.

I Cant see why you and crash want to lord your selves over people. There are probably others out there that have you beat in knowledge and experience. So, I can’t see the gain in promoting your selves to a "god" like position.

A thought just came to me; I don't think crash likes others challenging his suggestions.

Yea Ill take one. you got any Guinness. may be some Grey Goose

 

[Rugger]

Never too far from a Guinness...
*Passes Guinness*

 

[pwnage]

Thanks man. Cheers!

 

[Rugger]

NP.

 

[Crashman]

Cubes are a bad design for nearly any purpose. The cooling isn't optimized, the card layout is really bad, they only support two cards, and they don't look right in a home theater rack. Because they're taller than typical desktop-style cases, they take up more space in a rack, even though they're only half as wide. Most cubes use proprietary power as well.

The only excuse, and I mean only excuse to use a cube in a home theater is that you think they look cool. But when put in a home theater rack, they look kind of stupid, so that excuse doesn't matter.

I see you're popping up in a lot of threads with around 50% useful advice. I try not to be too hard on anyone who's at least 50% useful, but I prefer to see a slightly better ratio.

Does it really matter what I do for a living? You really wouldn't want to know. Really.

 

[Rugger]

*Passes beer to Fish*

 

[pwnage]

There not as horible as you would think. true the get a little warm and have a proprietary power supply.

As I said before I have one for my HTPC and it's fine. The macchine is behind a cabinet so I can't see it. besides even if I could see it I wouldn't care. the way a computer look has no weight with me. it's all about functionality, If it works, IT'S FINE.

Yes I do agree it's ugly but who the hell cares. what do you want, the thing to match your couch?

Thats kinda retarded if you ask me. But hey to each his own.

I would like to find out how you get your statistics.

 

[Crashman]

How about just having it blend in with your other home theater components, like the receiver?

Desktop cases are better at everything than cubes, and those who would choose to be fussy about looks can get a desktop to match their A/V receiver.

 

[Rabidpeanut]

I would NEVER buy one of those things. Is your space really that valuable that you will buy more expensive components just to save a few cubic decimeters?
Get an average computer case, the small ones are not worth the trouble.

 

[Crashman]

You can get an average computer case, tipped sideways, in the Desktop style, even with an aluminum face panel to match your home theater components.

Personally, I'd choose something like the Cooler Master CM Media 250, simply because it IS smaller, but without the normal sacrifices. It holds a full-sized power supply and several drives, and it's big "weakness" is that it's limited to Micro ATX boards. But Micro ATX boards have gotten to be so good, I don't really see that as a significant factor.

 

[pwnage]

Shuttle parts are easy to get and in great supply. Check out Newegg they have an entire store devoted to Shuttle.

Anyway I'm tired of disputing this so I leave the floor to you. If my suggestion ratio is as bad as you say it is (witch I don't think it is) then ill try to fix it.

Hopefully we wont have to get in to it again and we can respect each other. You obviously have a great deal of knowledge regarding certain things, and so do I. So maybe, just maybe we can bring balance to the force.

Have a happy new year.