Hi folks,
I am building my new HTPC for the living room. I currently have a Q6600 G0 and 4 sticks of DDR 2 RAM sitting and waiting. I also purchased a new ATI (Asus) 4550 video card that has HDMI out based on the review that Anandtech had on these cards for HTPC. Since that card will handle the audio and video and my Blu-Ray playing... I am now lost and confused as to what mobo I really need.
Is a simple Asus P5Q-SE good for this? Or is it worth to get a better version of the P5Q full ATX series? or.. get a P5Q-VM with the intel G45 chipset as a m-ATX? Again both are passively cooled.. are similarly priced....
I have the space so should I go for a larger HTPC case and forget the m-ATX cases and mobos due to heat and ease of use/building? Any other suggestions for a motherboard... again my issue is that since now my video card handles all the bells and whistles.. what do I need in a mobo? I don't think I need to OC with my Q6600 but, heck it makes little baby jesus cry if I don't oc a Q6600.
thanks
Edit: I should add... I guess my other thought was if the Intel P45/ICH10R chipset is better for hardrives... faster and helps in all my encoding needs or if the Intel G35/45/43 I seem to see in all the m-ATX mobos is just as good and I don't need to worry about Hardrive SATA performance etc.
I am building my new HTPC for the living room. I currently have a Q6600 G0 and 4 sticks of DDR 2 RAM sitting and waiting. I also purchased a new ATI (Asus) 4550 video card that has HDMI out based on the review that Anandtech had on these cards for HTPC. Since that card will handle the audio and video and my Blu-Ray playing... I am now lost and confused as to what mobo I really need.
Is a simple Asus P5Q-SE good for this? Or is it worth to get a better version of the P5Q full ATX series? or.. get a P5Q-VM with the intel G45 chipset as a m-ATX? Again both are passively cooled.. are similarly priced....
I have the space so should I go for a larger HTPC case and forget the m-ATX cases and mobos due to heat and ease of use/building? Any other suggestions for a motherboard... again my issue is that since now my video card handles all the bells and whistles.. what do I need in a mobo? I don't think I need to OC with my Q6600 but, heck it makes little baby jesus cry if I don't oc a Q6600.
thanks
Edit: I should add... I guess my other thought was if the Intel P45/ICH10R chipset is better for hardrives... faster and helps in all my encoding needs or if the Intel G35/45/43 I seem to see in all the m-ATX mobos is just as good and I don't need to worry about Hardrive SATA performance etc.
