Building a HTPC/Gaming/Misc system.

[bleach]

Approximate Purchase Date: within 5 Months

Budget Range: $300-1000 or if I wait for a month or two more, $1700.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: HTPC, encoding video, websurfing, multitasking to hell, and gaming.

Parts Not Required: monitors, OS, video capture card.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg, or whichever has the best price.

Country of Origin: Canada

Parts Preferences: Full/mid ATX tower with 9 or better 5.25 bays.

Overclocking: Maybe
SLI or Crossfire: doubtful


Now I have two ASUS VE276Q 27" monitors, a perfect Bluetooth/FM sound system.(for me I am deaf.) I want to route everything though the computer.(Listed below)

I will be playing a few PC games on it. (Crysis and other hardware demanding games.) I will be encoding video, websurfing, multitasking to hell.(may get a one more monitor. :lol: )

My space is very limited, I can't have both the computer and a LCD/CRT TV. However I could have 2-3 LCD monitors, where the T.v is set up now(big bastard of a CRT T.V). (plus the sound setup is better for me on the computer.)



-Shaw cable box. I may or may not be keeping the service, for any more the a year or two. (Free)

All have A/V, S-video or HDMI.

-Sega Genesis
-Nintendo N64, Gamecube, Wii
-Microsoft Xbox, Xbox 360
-Sony PS2, PS3

All so I will be getting a few "new" game consoles. (Dreamcast, NES, SNES.) The dreamcast has A/V, the NES/SNES will be cable.


Here is how I was going to go about this.

Hardware:
-Avertv HD DVR
-IOGEAR 4-Port HDMI Switch with Remote
-Cables Unlimited - Pro A/V Series Composite Video or S-Video & Stereo to HDMI

Please note that the IOGEAR and Cables Unlimited was pulled out of my a$$. Picked the first thing that fit what I needed, from Newegg. I WILL research it better to see if it is suitable.

I have a PCI Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-500 Dual Tuner Card, in my system now for the shaw and a few things.

here is the plan i have.

My current system spec:
-ASUS M2N-E AM2
-AMD Athlon 64 X2 6300+ (3200Mhz) (no OC right now.)
-Storage 1TB HDD
-OS 80GB HDD
-1066Mhz 4GB of Ram @ 800Mhz 5-5-5-12 T2 1.8V
-ATI FireGL V5200 256MB (Yes, i know. my other card is on RMA right now.)

It's an ok system built from some of the cheapest parts, i could get when I was low on funds. (funds are much better now.)







I am VERY sorry for the novel, I hope you can read it. (I am not a writer by any means.)

 

[ScrewySqrl]

nice setup. What is your budget?

I will suggest the new half-height Palit GT 450 as your video card if you plan to stick with an HTPC box.

An off the cuff suggestion:

Athlon II X3 450 ($79)
AS Rock 880 Mobo ($60)
4 GB DDR3-1333 ($42)
Palit GTS450 half height: ($130)
HTPC box from nMedia ($60)
Antec Earthwatts Green 380W 80+ Bronze PSU: ($45)
1 TB HDD ($70)
BluRay Player ($80) (Optional)
If you are still using a CRT TV, consider picking up an inexpensive 32" HDTV which can double as a monitor as 1366x768

 

[bleach]

nice setup. What is your budget? $300-1000 or if I wait for a month or two more, $1700.

I will suggest the new half-height Palit GT 450 as your video card if you plan to stick with an HTPC box.

An off the cuff suggestion:

Athlon II X3 450 ($79)
AS Rock 880 Mobo ($60)
4 GB DDR3-1333 ($42)
Palit GTS450 half height: ($130)
HTPC box from nMedia ($60)
Antec Earthwatts Green 380W 80+ Bronze PSU: ($45)
1 TB HDD ($70)
BluRay Player ($80) (Optional)
If you are still using a CRT TV, consider picking up an inexpensive 32" HDTV which can double as a monitor as 1366x768 I am replacing my CRT T.V with my computer system running two ASUS VE276Q Black 27" 1920X1080.

I am still Looking at parts right now.

I would like to have something in the following spec.

-80GB SSD (Man is there a lot of these, I really need to read up more on the drives.)
-MOBO with 4x DIMM, 1+ PCI-e 1X,1+ PCI.
-2x4GB of ram (for upgrading later)
-AMD Quad core or maybe the new Hex core (Unless intel is a good value.)




-Thermaltake V5 Black Edition Mid-Tower
-SNT SNT-SAC3141TL 4x3.5" Hard drive in 3x5.25"
-ASRock 890GX EXTREME4
-CPU ?
-SSD?
-Video card?
-Patriot G Series ‘Sector 5’ Edition 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1333
-CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W
-Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31500341AS 1.5TB 7200 RPM 32MB

Total-$722

Ok my budget is topping out fast, any suggestion on any for the parts that are missing, and is there any better value parts that i could pick? (I will get a blue-ray burner later)


So far, Thank You very much for your time.

 

[ScrewySqrl]

alright. for your build, you don't need the 890 GX. This 880 will do everything you need it to do:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157197

CPU: Athlon II X3 450, Athlon II X4 640, Phenom II X4 955, or Phenom II X6 1075 are my suggestions.

8 GB is likely overkill for what you are doing, but RAM is cheap enough right now, go for it.

if you are looking at SSDs, consider the Mushkin Callisto 90 GB model for $180

GPU: in increasing order of price: GTS 450, HD 5770, GTX 460 SE, GTX 460, HD6850. pick one that fits your budget (100-200)

The corsair 850 is overkill for a single GPU build. Consider the Seasonic 520W model instead.

 

[bleach]

alright. for your build, you don't need the 890 GX. This 880 will do everything you need it to do:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157197

CPU: Athlon II X3 450, Athlon II X4 640, Phenom II X4 955, or Phenom II X6 1075 are my suggestions. perfect I will start read up on all those CPU's. Thank you.

8 GB is likely overkill for what you are doing, but RAM is cheap enough right now, go for it. On my system with a fresh OS I have 512-256MB left and there is not a lot in the back ground I don't need. I am not using any VM.

if you are looking at SSDs, consider the Mushkin Callisto 90 GB model for $180 Thank you for that, I going to read up on any reviews i find.

GPU: in increasing order of price: GTS 450, HD 5770, GTX 460 SE, GTX 460, HD6850. pick one that fits your budget (100-200) perfect I will start read up on all those GPU's. Thank you.

The corsair 850 is overkill for a single GPU build. Consider the Seasonic 520W model instead. That is a good point, I will check with a power supply cal to see what i can get a way with. (4-8 HDD)

-Thermaltake V5 Black Edition Mid-Tower
-SNT SNT-SAC3141TL 4x3.5" Hard drive in 3x5.25"
-ASRock 870 EXTREME3
-AMD Phenom II X6 1055T
-HighPoint RocketRAID 2680
-HighPoint Int-MS-1M4S SFF-8087 to 4 SATA Fan Out Cable
-Patriot G Series ‘Sector 5’ Edition 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1333


Total-$1027

-Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31500341AS 1.5TB 7200 RPM 32MB
-XFX HD-685X-ZNBC Radeon HD 6850
-Mushkin Enhanced Callisto Deluxe 90GB

Total-$560

The PSU was not forgotten, I have a 650W Skyhawk power one I will use for now. $560 group I will get first, to make it easier on my wallet.

 

[ScrewySqrl]

Skyhawk? I haven't heard of that PSU before. Which makes me wary.

 

[bleach]

It was given to me because of that. I have tested it for about a month, work just fine for a "unknown", it's very heavy.

It only going to be in use for a short time, on this build.(or not at all if i can do it.) It's a good PSU for computers that are at EOL.