I am looking to build my new PC as the last one I built was 4-5 years ago. I am a little puzzle about the difference between the so called entertainment and game. I want my PC to be able to:

1. ample of CPU power and memory so I can run applications like CS3;
2. quiet, as my aging PCs are a little too noisy that is becoming annoying;
3. connect to XBOX-360 as the media center;
4. stay ahead of the curve so I can use it for the next few years, just like the one I built in 2003;

Please share your experiences with me so I can make a right decision.

Thanks in advance.

An entertainment PC is probably a silent PC (not necessarily powerful) used to watch movies (Standard def or high definition), with a good sound system hooked up to it, and a big screen TV for best playback experience.

A gaming PC is not necessarily silent (doesn't mean it can't be), but it's a very powerful machine, especially (and obviously) for graphic intensive applications (games) and performance all around, it's probably quite a few generations ahead of the average joe's standard PC.

One thing that has me puzzled is why would you want to use an Xbox 360 if you get a gaming PC? I mean it's fine to play sports or fighting games with your friends on the couch, but for the really immersive titles , such as shooters, RPGs, and RTS, a PC is hands down the best (on graphics, immersion and controls). Especially since most "good" Xbox 360 titles are also being released for PC with a lesser price tag.

I already have a Xbox 360 and I'd like to be able the beam photo, etc. to it. My understanding is that it can be done by connecting the Xbox 360 and a "media center".

I am not a gamer. The reason I thought of a gaming pc is that it's supposed to be very fast. Obviously speed is the reason of what brought gaming pc into the picture.

At top of my wish list is it must be very quiet! If I spend $1500 or so and I get a fast while noisy PC, I would be very, very disappointed.

An entertainment PC is strictly for movies and such and sitting next to the TV. It will therefore go into a HTPC case, have lots of HDD space for storage. No big amounts of RAM or CPU are required for playing movies. Any old video card or onboard video is fine. As long as it has a TV out or whatever you want. You can get HD out on video cards now. And SPDIF out onboard is fine for hooking to your home theatre receiver. Also a wireless keyboard and mouse are nice for using form the couch or even a PC remote control system.

A gaming PC on the other hand is designed for power. It needs lots of RAM but not much CPU power. It relies heavily on the video card. The bigger and more expensive the better. That can mean over $500 just for the video card. Because of the big video card you'll want a bigger PSU as well. You'll usually want a sound card as well so you don't loose CPU power to producing sound. Wired mice are better for no lag performance. You'll usually want a 5.1 computer sound system or 5.1 headphones. Lots of HDD is not required. But since you're already building a monster system might as well put a half decent CPU, an aftermarket high end cooler, overclock it, and make it pretty with a nifty $200+ case to show off to all your friends. Gamers are also usually downloaders so they put on tons of HDD. This is why Gaming computers are the cream of the crop and the most expensive. On the other hand an entertainment or HTPC is usually the cheapest and it does fine. A HTPC is usually a second cheapo PC jsut for sitting next to the PC as a TiVO.

Well, I'll be honest then, I'm not the guy to advice you much, because I try to advice people on how to get the most performance out of each buck while choosing quality components, however I'm not really into the whole silent PC thing (just doesn't strike me as an important factor... especially since mine is probably on par with jet turbines).

The things I can advice you on is that you'll probably end up getting a liquid cooling system (Runs for about $300-350), and on the PSU, you might want to get either the Antec Phantom 500W (Incredibly silent, however not too powerful) or the Antec NeoHE series (Pretty silent and extremely powerful)

Here is the list I come up with after doing a little research:

1. Core 2 Quad Q6600 CPU
2. Asus Striker Extreme nForce 680i SLI motherboard;
3. Zalman CNPS9700 cooler;
4. Corsai Twin2x2048 DDR2-1066 RAM (2G);
5. Asus EN8800GTS/HTDP/640M GeForce video card;

With these parts, do you think it can serve both purposes: entertainment and gaming? Most importantly, do you think it can be very quiet? :-)

thanks!

not all on board video can do hd / hdcp and you will want a low end video card with dvd or hdmi + hdcp if you want to hook it to a HD TV/. Also you don't want to be taking system ram away from things like cs3 and the os for the video.

A "Gaming" PC is not necessarily that fast.
It is "FAST" at running games due to a strong GPU.

It does not indicate that it necessarily has a top end CPU.

If you are not a gamer, spending $$$ on a top-end video card is a waste of money.

Your money would be better spent on bigger HDD, More HDDs, or many other items.

yes, the video card I was looking into cost upward $600. I just wonder what differences it might make. I am willing to consider it because I want the PC last for another 4-5 years minimum as the one I am having now. However, I dont necessarily spend money on features I would hardly use.

I guess people change.... back then (January, March 2003) I didn't pay much attention to the noisy level. Now I become quite sensitive to it. If my current PC is a little quieter, I would be willing to hold off the upgrade....

The striker extreme is an overpriced crapboard with an old chipset (however it's the newest for SLI setups), you REALLY don't need a SLI board unless you're going for a dual Geforce setup. The zalman I believe is anything but silent, I think it's somewhere around 20-25dba. And for your needs the Q6600 is overkill, I'd go with a E6550. Also for your needs, the 8800GTS is simply too much, go for something along the lines of a X1950 Pro or 7900GS.

==== One thing that has me puzzled is why would you want to use an Xbox 360 if you get a gaming PC? ===

Yeah., I was wondering about that too

I think a good entertainment PC these days is something with a modest CPU and a modest video card but with hardware support for high-def in the card, and quiet. For example E6400/8500GT. Of course, such a thing wouldn't be good for games.

IMO E6400 is way too much for an HTPC, it wouldn't really need the help of the 8500GT. We're talking along the lines of a Pentium 4/Sempron/celeron with a 8500GT/8400GS/HD2400 Pro.

I chose striker extreme is because its ability to OC, which I haven't done anything at all in three PCs I've built in the last 7 years. Looking into 8800GTS is because the speed, RAM, and its gaming capability which I might, or might not benefit....

On the CPU side I think I do want to keep the Q6600. Shortly after I built my 2.4G box, I've seen a number of new, more powerful CPU came out from both camp. I feel like I am very under-powered, :-). In the applications I use everyday, I dont feel much except the RAM I use is not the DDR but single DR. With the background, you might understand better why I choose the "high end" parts as I dont want to be let behind again (or too quickly).

What's your choose of CPU cooler for Duo Quad 6600? and what PS should I consider?

thanks.

Striker Extreme is a decent OC'er, but not worth paying $300 for it, ESPECIALLY when you can buy a GA-P35-DS3R with equal/better OC'bility for only $130, I told you, ASUS overprices their boards to a ridiculous extent.

If you think you'll be gaming, then get the 8800GTS, however don't get them from ASUS, get them from a decent manufacturer like eVGA, BFG, or XFX. Other than that, I'll go for 2GB Crucial Ballistix DDR2 800 or 1066, even though Corsair XMS2 is amazing, I prefer Crucial Ballistix just a tid bit more.

I'd go with the Tuniq Tower 120 for CPU cooling, simply because it's a beast and the best at what it's supposed to do, and as far as PSUs are concerned, go for an Antec Neo (500/550W) or Corsair HX (520) series will power any single card setup just fine, however if you have plans for a SLI setup, then get a PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750W or an Antec TruePower Quattro 850/1000W.

Also, if you are planning for a dual card setup, do not go for an Asus Crapper Extreme, the best SLI board out there right now is the eVGA 680i.

ASUS overpriced? it looks like it. Each time when I identify a board I like, I always find its price is in $200 range. I can't help wondering what kind of differences it make from the rest of the choices, just like I am not sure if my selection is the right choice before posting a question here.

I have no problem to use Crucial's RAM as I used them before. How to make the PC a little quiet? Should I consider water cooling? I am a little concerned with the complexity when installing the "water". Any idea what I should do with that?

I think the sources of the noisy from my current box is:

1. CPU fan,
2. PS fan, may be;
3. HD (I use mobile rack so the insulation is not always good.);

Speaking of mobile rack, I want to share this with all of you that it has served me very well. I have mobile racks installed in my both PCs and own 20+ HD. Each time I want to "experiment" something new, I put in a HD into the tray so I dont have to worry something unexpected would screw up my "production" system. :-)

Of course its not too quiet.... If I build the new box, I would use SATA, mobile rack too. Mobile rack is one of the reasons I dont have to upgrade for the last 4 years or so. Dont know how often you guys upgrade yours though.