HTPC CPU

[olds]

Is a 3.0 ghz single core adequate?
I have that, 2 gb of ddr2 and XP Pro lying around.
I will need a new mobo, PSU and video card.

I'll be surfing the internet, watching movies online and playing Blu ray movies.

 

[cheesehead]

I'm pretty sure that you could do most of that on a 3ghz P4, especially if your video card can deal with some or all of the decoding work.

However, video encoding or transcription is generally highly CPU intensive and heavily multithreaded. The more cores you got, the better it works.

 

[Shawn]

I wouldn't use anything less than a C2D and Windows Vista for a HTPC. You will need Vista for Blu-ray anyway.

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: Shawn
I wouldn't use anything less than a C2D and Windows Vista for a HTPC. You will need Vista for Blu-ray anyway.

Hmmm, I have Vista HP 32 bit for my PC and I was going to use XP for the htpc. Maybe I'll reverse that.

 

[Shawn]

Yeah. Vista's Media Center is pretty much awesome, though Windows 7 Media Center is even better.

 

[cheesehead]

Linux, anyone?

The C2D is really only necessary if you've got a PVR card - he hasn't.

 

[Shawn]

I dunno. Blu-rays will max out a 3GHz P4.

 

[cheesehead]

Originally posted by: Shawn
I dunno. Blu-rays will max out a 3GHz P4.

I thought that modern video cards could do a lot of the decoding?

 

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: Cheesehead

Originally posted by: Shawn
I dunno. Blu-rays will max out a 3GHz P4.

I thought that modern video cards could do a lot of the decoding?

I think they have to specifically say that. Either way I had a bad experience with that. I replaced my card with a slower fanless card but which was supposed to decode HD. Well it didn't work like I thought it would and video performance suffered.

 

[olds]

I want to use audio via HDMI for the HTPC.

What is this audio connector on a video card called?
Text

I have a SPDIF out on my mobo, will that work? Do I need an adapter?

EDIT

This will be the base for the HTPC but I want to change out the video card so I can use HDMI. This is my everyday rig. I just want to try it out for a while to see if I really need a HTPC. I may add a TV card with DVR capability later.

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2.4GHz
Motherboard: ASUS P5B Deluxe/WiFi-AP (onboard sound)
Memory: 4GB (1GB X 4) CORSAIR DDR2 PC2 5300
Video Card: ASUS 8800GTS 640MB (no HDMI)
PSU: Corsair 520 Watt
OS: Vista Home Premium 32 bit

 

[Soundmanred]

Are you just connecting this to a TV, or to an audio system as well?
If using a decent audio system, just get a DVI->HDMI converter (or cable) and run it to your TV, and the S/PDIF out to your audio system.
I have audio to my TV as well for when I have the stereo off, but I just use the line out into the TV.
It's cheaper and works as well as buying a new video card.

 

[olds]

I bought a DVI to HDMI converter but it didn't work.
I didn't think of running the audio through my receiver. :thumbsup:

 

[Soundmanred]

It didn't work?
What kind of TV are you using?
Are you running it at a supported resolution?
I'm just not sure why it would work...

I fabricated a bracket for my S/PDIF from my motherboard to a Digital Coaxial that hooks up to my reciever. (I just took a blank bracket, drilled a hole in it and bought a RCA jack at RS to install in it.

 

[olds]

50" Panasonic Plasma.
I bought the adapter at Radio Shack. Can't find the one that came with my EVGA video card.

Is SPDIF an optical connection?

Denon 3805

 

[yh125d]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
50" Panasonic Plasma.
I bought the adapter at Radio Shack. Can't find the one that came with my EVGA video card.

Is SPDIF an optical connection?

Denon 3805

S/PDIF Comes in both optical and coax connections.The far left side of your receiver is the digital audio inputs, with several optical ports and a couple co-ax

 

[Soundmanred]

Here's a pic of the rear of my PC. I have the S/PDIF Digital Coax labelled.

 

[yh125d]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
I want to use audio via HDMI for the HTPC.

What is this audio connector on a video card called?
Text

I have a SPDIF out on my mobo, will that work? Do I need an adapter?

EDIT

This will be the base for the HTPC but I want to change out the video card so I can use HDMI. This is my everyday rig. I just want to try it out for a while to see if I really need a HTPC. I may add a TV card with DVR capability later.

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2.4GHz
Motherboard: ASUS P5B Deluxe/WiFi-AP (onboard sound)
Memory: 4GB (1GB X 4) CORSAIR DDR2 PC2 5300
Video Card: ASUS 8800GTS 640MB (no HDMI)
PSU: Corsair 520 Watt
OS: Vista Home Premium 32 bit

That connector on your video card is S/PDIF.

There's a co-ax connector on your motherboard that needs to go to your receiver until you get a video card that will send the digital audio via HDMI

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: Shawn

Originally posted by: Cheesehead

Originally posted by: Shawn
I dunno. Blu-rays will max out a 3GHz P4.

I thought that modern video cards could do a lot of the decoding?

I think they have to specifically say that. Either way I had a bad experience with that. I replaced my card with a slower fanless card but which was supposed to decode HD. Well it didn't work like I thought it would and video performance suffered.

Any of the AMD 4xxx video cards will do most of the decoding. BD playback isn't as intensive as a lot of people think anyways. It's not nearly as intensive as deinterlacing 1080i and decoding H.264.

If you don't want to do gaming, then I think a 4550 would be a great video-card choice. Another option is a 780g motherboard and an X2 processor. The onboard graphics is sufficient for everything except deinterlacing. That would probably be cheaper than a motherboard and 4550.

I just saw your video card link. I assume you'll be gaming then? If not, then that's way too much money to spend on a video card that won't function any better in HTPC duties than a $40-50 4550.

 

[olds]

Yes, I'll want to game on the rig.