Gaming/Internet rig for large TV

[Splaticus]

Approximate Purchase Date: Within 10 days or so

Budget Range: ~800 all included (before rebates)


System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Boxee


Parts Not Required: Monitor, speakers, keyboard, mouse


Preferred Website(s) for Parts: I like newegg, but I'm in cali so I have to pay tax. If there's a decent alternative that saves me money, I'd go with it.


Country of Origin: Cali, USA?


Parts Preferences: Don't have an affinity


Overclocking: Maybe


SLI or Crossfire: Maybe, though likely not


Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080


Additional Comments: Basically it's kind of like a HTPC, but I don't need TV or bluray support (directv, have a ps3 for blu-rays), so it's really just a gaming/internet rig hooked up to a 52" 1080p screen. Ideally aiming for playing Starcraft 2 at high detail. I have a 5.1 surround sound setup through a receiver (all hdmi for sound/video at this point), and as I haven't built a system in ~5 years, I have no idea how sound/video cards interface for outputting 5.1 sound/video over hdmi? And while HTPC form factor could be nice, I'm fine with it being a regular computer next to my tv stand so long as it's quiet

Thanks in Advance!

 

[ScrewySqrl]

basic build I'd suggest:

AMD Phenom II x6 1075t
4 GB DDR3 ram
770 or 870 mobo
1 TB HDD
HD 6850 or GTX 460
cheap dvd burner
rosewill destroyer case, or other $39-69 case of your preference
seasonic 520W S12II 80+ bronze psu.

this should run between $700 and $800

 

[Atotalnoob]

I'd get the antec 300 over rosewill....

What type of connectors does your 5.1 speakers have? There could be compatibility problems...( is it just Hdmi?) i think on hdmi you just plug it into the gpu... If that is the case, you may need to figure out a way to get 2 hdmi ports.. Or use vga for your tv...

Get a spinpoint for your hdd

 

[Atotalnoob]

@ sqiurrel, he needs an OS tooo ;p

 

[Splaticus]

The speakers are all run via speaker cables from the receiver? I think I have them using banana plugs currently (unless this isn't what you mean). I assume there's some way to pass audio output into the video card, so that it gets passed into the hdmi connection?

 

[Atotalnoob]

Umm, I really don't know much about Home theaters.... but I'll do my best... you can put audio into the Video card via HDMI, except, on my TV it only does video, not audio... so you need to figure out a way either to use a different connection to the TV or something....

 

[Splaticus]

Well, normally my other components (dvr, ps3, 360) all pass audio/video to the receiver over a single hdmi. the receiver sends out audio to the speakers, and passes the video on to the TV (via hdmi, passing audio here too, but the tv is muted since there's 5.1 in the room). I just have no idea how hdmi on video cards work. Do they have on board audio chips to handle audio? do they do passthrough from the motherboard/soundcard? I don't have a grasp on it.

Btw: here's what it comes out to on newegg:

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822152185

$69.99

MSI 870A-G54 AM3 AMD 870 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813130275

$79.99

MSI R6850-PM2D1GD5 Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity
Item #: N82E16814127531

$189.99

SeaSonic S12II 520 Bronze 520W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS 12V V2.91 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply
Item #: N82E16817151094

$64.99

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL
Item #: N82E16820231277

$49.99

AMD Phenom II X6 1075T Thuban 3.0GHz Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor HDT75TFBGRBOX
Item #: N82E16819103858

$199.99

Combo:
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

$149.93

Subtotal: $804.87

If there's brands I should be switching out or avoiding, please let me know.

 

[ScrewySqrl]

that looks like a very solid build to me.

and yes, video cards handle HDMI audio bitstreaming just fine.

 

[Dougie Fresh]

You have a couple of options for passing audio from the PC to the receiver. You can use the audio over HDMI or you can use a optical cable to go from the SPDIF port on the motherboard to the receiver. If you pass it over HDMI, you get support for the new HD audio formats (like Dolby TrueHD/DTS Master Audio) if you receiver can decode them. If you pass audio over optical, you get up to Dolby Digital 5.1.

 

[Splaticus]

If you pass the audio over hdmi, what handles that? the video card internally?

 

[ScrewySqrl]

usually there is a spdif cable from motherboard to video card

 

[Splaticus]

Ah, so internally. Thanks everyone!

 

[Atotalnoob]

no problem... =D

 

[Splaticus]

Actually, any recommendations for an N wireless card?

 

[Timop]

Thats not a great build for the usage IMO, SC2 barely uses 4 cores and without a aftermarket coolers the phenoms do get loud.

I would say, substitute the 1075T with a X4 955BE with a decent cooler, and with a uATX880G boards so you can stuff into a pretty HTPC chassis like the Silverstone GD05 .

Then finally price match it with NCIX to avoid taxes.

 

[Splaticus]

the NCIX idea is good, though they don't seem to carry many AMD chips (or any standalone, at all)?

 

[Timop]

the NCIX idea is good, though they don't seem to carry many AMD chips (or any standalone, at all)?

You always have tiger-direct: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5752143&CatId=4431

Also microcenter has the $170+tax for a 965BE+MSI 785G Mobo deal, or $40 of any mobo with a $160 965BE deal that you could check out also.

 

[Atotalnoob]

decent cooler

... can this cool anything more then a P4 @ 1 ghz? lol.... Get Hyper 212 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065 ~ 30$

 

[Splaticus]

I shall try and work my cost downwards tonight, then. Thanks Timop! Will any of the other components have trouble fitting in a microatx case?

 

[Timop]

decent cooler

... can this cool anything more then a P4 @ 1 ghz? lol.... Get Hyper 212 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065 ~ 30$

The 212+, which is 160mm is way too tall for a GD05 that's only 151mm tall if he wants one.

That TT uses a sorta-similar heatpipe design compared to the 212+ and will probably cool better than the AMD stock while being pretty quiet.

Tower coolers are pretty capped at 92mm fans like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233001
However, he could get a better flat cooler like a Gemini S that will still fit perfectly: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103046

 

[Timop]

I shall try and work my cost downwards tonight, then. Thanks Timop! Will any of the other components have trouble fitting in a microatx case?

Nope, its just the cooler and Mobo.

 

[Dougie Fresh]

usually there is a spdif cable from motherboard to video card

Nowadays at least, that is not usually the case. The graphics card handles sound natively and includes a driver to handle the sound over HDMI. In the case of Dolby/DTS formats, the audio can be bitstreamed over HDMI and in the case of the HD audio formats, HDMI is the only option. There's also the option of sending it as analog PCM over HDMI as well if you want it decoded on the PC. The motherboard also has a driver for the SPDIF output which sends the audio over the optical cable separately. It can bitstream up to Dolby 5.1. It does not have the bandwidth for the HD audio formats.

This is all managed through the Audio Devices UI under the Control Panel in Windows 7, both configuration and which is the default for audio output.

That all works of course, if you happen to get the right EDID information from your receiver and/or TV and the ATI drivers (if you use ATI) work with it. If not, there's an easy workaround: http://blogs.blackmarble.co.uk/blogs/rhepworth/archive/2009/02/08/achieving-hdmi-audio-output-with-ati-hardware-on-windows-7-and-vista.aspx

Not that I've suffered this or anything