HTPC - Shuttle? Silverstone?

[ninjahedge]

General question (I did a search and most of the threads from the past 6 months did not really answer it).

I am looking to re-arrange my living room. Actually, furnature wise, it is already done. But in order to fit things into the new cabinet, I have to shrink my box. (Lian Li, with hookups, is just too deep!).

My current HT dinasaur is a 2.8G Pentium pre-HT. Works fine until you get into HD (720p with signal noise causes some lag and audio de-sync). So I am thinking of just going new.

Found a nice looking Shuttle case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856101034 but I was wondering a few things:

1. Any opinion on the case?
2. How are the onboard sound and vid?
3. What CPU+Memory would work with this for the best Bang/$? This would not eb a gaming system, just MM.
4. Remote? KB?
5. Playback software? (MPC+CCCP?)

TIA!

 

[guanyu210379]

Hmmmmmmm...
Actually if you wanna have a HTPC, I think, AMD is better right now.
And build it yourself so that you get a full control on the spesification.
Don't get me wrong, shuttle is a good brand, you can either go for your current shuttle or my suggestion, both of them are fine.
Here is what I suggest you :
1. AMD X2 5200+
2. ASUS M3A78-EM AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
3. Mushkin 4GB DDR2 800 CL4
4. Anyone can suggest software or remote or tv-tuner or something suit ninjahedge's needs?
5. Pick any case that you like (it depend on your taste and budget) or how about your old case?
6. 450W Corsair PSU
7. dvd-rw or blue-ray drive.

 

[ninjahedge]

Followup on the response....

Thanks!

What's the power consumption on the AMD compared to a moderately clocked P2?

TV tuner would probably not be needed. We are in Cable Box land and would either need a special card or something just to take a vid-in signal if we really wanted to do something like TiVO...

450W sounds a bit big if I am not thinking of getting a major-league vid card or several HD's.

I will probably get a DVD-R/RW rather than Blu, they still have not come down in price much. It would be nice if they were under $100! (Combine with an HDMI/HDCP card and be able to chuck the old player... Would make my setup MUCH more compact!)

 

[rwpritchett]

+1 for AMD+780G suggestion. Maybe look at the 4x50 AMD CPU's that are 45W.

You could probably get by with a Seasonic S12 330W or 380W PSU. Seasonic makes the Corsair mentioned above. I think guany suggested it because Seasonic PSU's (Corsair) are well known for being quiet. That's very important for HTPC's.

There are plenty of cube cases that look similar to the Shuttles. Look at Silverstone's SUGO, Antec NSK1380, Aerocool M40, Ultra Microfly, Thermaltake Lanbox HT, etc. for ideas.

Do you have a budget?

 

[pous]

Look at this case: Antec nsk2480

I just bought one and I love it.

 

[ninjahedge]

I am looking in the $500 range. Like I said, this does not need to be a high performer, just able to process HDTV recordings and play them with no lag/stutter.

I have an HD I can Frankenstein, and there is no real need for a screen. KB would be an added extra and I could use suff around the house for now, but I would want to replace later.

So I guess the $500 would be mainly for the core. SOmething to be able to swap out from what I have now....

 

[guanyu210379]

$500? Without blue-ray, it is!
The AMD configuration will costs more or less $500 without blue-ray drive, but how will you take 100% advantage from HD format without a blue-ray drive?
HD-DVD is history! All that is left is Blue-ray.
(Any pirated forms like hd-format downloadable files are not to be put into account)

 

[fatcat]

Hmmmmmmm...
Actually if you wanna have a HTPC, I think, AMD is better right now.
And build it yourself so that you get a full control on the spesification.
Don't get me wrong, shuttle is a good brand, you can either go for your current shuttle or my suggestion, both of them are fine.
Here is what I suggest you :
1. AMD X2 5200+
2. ASUS M3A78-EM AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
3. Mushkin 4GB DDR2 800 CL4
4. Anyone can suggest software or remote or tv-tuner or something suit ninjahedge's needs?
5. Pick any case that you like (it depend on your taste and budget) or how about your old case?
6. 450W Corsair PSU
7. dvd-rw or blue-ray drive.

I pretty much agree with that setup, It pretty similar to what I am currently using. As for a tuner chard I chose the 650 pro from ATI. My case is a pretty basic one and not really a multi media format, it's the Cooler Master elite 330.

 

[ninjahedge]

I know what you are saying about the Blu Ray G, but right now it is too expensive and can always be added later.

It would also require a MB that either had HDCP or a vid card (frigging MPAA). I would like to go strait out VGA to my plasma since I do not have an HDMI blade for it yet (and I do not see any real reason for one....yet).

As for the case, I keep looking, but there is no way to put a 20 inch deep Lian Li into a 19" deep cabinet (not even taking into account the plugs!!!)

It is nice, but will not fit in, on, or around the new hutch/hearth.

I may just stick with teh old setup and change the case... Question on that though, what would cause a slowdown in vid processing? CPU? Memory? I know it is probably not the vid card (since it is not 3D) but I still wonder how it could be having problems....

 

[ninjahedge]

Side question on these guys:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010090007%201054808292&bop=And&Order=RATING

The ones that come with a rather small PS (Antec, InWin), how do they compare?

Are we talking decent quality PS, or something that may cause problems?

 

[guanyu210379]

I have never used InWin, but Antec is one of my favorite brands.
Antec does make good PSUs, if that answer your question.
I still have an Antec Lanboy (mid tower + bundled 350W PSU), I have bought it 4-5 years ago along with Pentium D805, and it still rocks.

 

[ninjahedge]

Hey guys, I looked up everything on there, but I can't seem to find the Mushkin CL4...

Any clue on compatibles?

Also, how is this board when it comes to Multimedia? No real problems? How is the sound quality? Recommend going with an additional Fatality? X-fi?

TIA!

 

[ninjahedge]

>bump<

Question still stands.