My first HTPC build... any comments before I pull the trigger?

[aeroguy]

Here's what I'm thinking for my HTPC build:

Case - nMediaPC 200 HTPC. $131 shipped
Power Supply - SeaSonic S12-380. $84 shipped
Motherboard - MSI K8NGM2-FID Socket 939 Micro-ATX. $90 shipped, but may have to pay $100 at zipzoomfly, most other places are out of stock.
Processor - AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Venice. $173 shipped
Memory - 512x2 Corsair DDR 400 (PC3200). $79 shipped
Hard Drive (OS) - WD Caviar SE 80 GB. $56 shipped
Hard Drive (Media) - WD Caviar SE 250 GB. $100 shipped
DVD Burner - Plextor PX-708A (already own). $0
TV Tuner Card - Hauppauge PVR-150 w/ MCE remote. $93 shipped
Network Adapter - D-Link DWL-G122 Wireless USB Adapter. $27 shipped, after MIR
OS - Windows Media Center 2005. $116 shipped

Any last comments/advice/suggestions?

Edit: Total is $918 + $41 S&H = $959

 

[bpwilldo]

The components you have selected will certainly work. However, heat and noise are of primary concern for an HTPC. I would recommend a Zalman cooler for the processor over the stock unit. nMedia lists what will work in their chassis. If you can get by with only a single large hard disk, I might recommend a Samsung to reduce a bit of heat and noise. If you are set on two drives, you may consider using a notebook drive for your system. It will be quieter. I have the 100 case. It did not come with anti-vibration mounts for the drives. You could pick up some cheap somewhere if you don't have any. They could help with noise. You may also consider putting fan speed controls on the 3 case fans. I know nMedia says they are silent and the fans may be but the moving air may not be. You might save a bit by getting an MCE package at pcalchemy.com which would include the OS, tuner card, remote and nvidia purevideo decoder. For cables, which can get expensive, try out monoprice.com. Crazy prices on hdmi/dvi cables. While you're at it, you might stop by htpcnews.com and silentpcreview.com to pick-up a few hints.

Cheers.

 

[Copilot]

You forgot to include a vid card.

 

[imported_fx]

Originally posted by: Copilot
You forgot to include a vid card.

MSI K8NGM2-FID Socket 939 Micro-ATX motherboard has onboard video. :roll:

 

[aeroguy]

I feel special to be the recipient of your first post.

I am definitely going to get a Zalman cooler if the system turns out too loud, I chose the WD Caviar model because silentpcreview rated it highly, but I did read that the Samsung P80 series are the best, but are IDE I think. I was going to go with SATA Drives, but do they really have any noticable advantages over IDE? I will also consider anti-vibration mounts and fan speed controls.

pcalchemy hasn't worked for me all day. Can you tell me what's included in the MCE package and how much it costs? Is it the Hauppauge 150 tuner? Thank you so much for the monoprice.com suggestion for cables, I'll need a second SATA cable I think. Are there any other cables I'm missing?

Thanks again for your suggestions.

 

[aeroguy]

Originally posted by: fx

Originally posted by: Copilot
You forgot to include a vid card.

MSI K8NGM2-FID Socket 939 Micro-ATX motherboard has onboard video. :roll:

Should be okay for me for now. I'll be using the system mainly as a PVR and Music/DVD library (no gaming). Will I notice much of a difference with a video card? If so, I don't mind spending some money on one. Can always upgrade later.

Edit: I'm outputting to my 27" Panasonic tube TV if that makes a difference (for now anyway).

 

[aeroguy]

Hmmm, the Samsung Spinpoint hard drives are basically the same price. Would I be better off with those as far as heat/noise go?

 

[bpwilldo]

For this application the performance of sata is not an advantage. The easier cable routing may be an advantage for airflow. There are pata cables that have been bound round. I have read some folks have experienced crosstalk with them. You're right about pcalchemy being offline. I don't know about the package you are buying. I checked their price for the OS, the 500 tuner, remote and decoder. It was a little better shipped than what I could find separately elsewhere. Besides, I liked the idea of buying from a place that specilizes in htpc stuff.

BTW, I'm using a Sempron 3100+ and nvidia 6600 with a Dvico hdtv tuner. Being a software encoding tuner card, it doesn't place as much demand on the cpu as one might think. It plays live hdtv and records and playbacks just fine. As you are choosing an analog tuner with a hardware encoder, it should place less a load on the cpu. The reason I bring this up, is you might look at the Turion as your cpu as it's thermal design is more appropriate for an htpc. But, I don't have any experience with it so, for me, it would be an experiment.

 

[aeroguy]

I did consider a Turion and am still mulling it a bit, but then I'd have to go back and find a socket 754 motherboard, plus Turions are more expensive. I also wonder what the difference is between Mobile Athlon 64 and the Turion 64 Mobile.

Edit: bpwilldo, do you recommend the Samsung Hard Drives over WD?

 

[bpwilldo]

Yeah, you are not going to find a 754 mobo with the features you desire. You will wind up having to get a video card and sound card to make a true htpc. Takes slots which the matx doesn't have many to spare.

I am not a professional tester. I have done a bit of research though. Samsung and Hitachi have done more work in the area of acoustics than have Western Digital and others. Particularly the head movement during seeks. The clicking sound of some drives can be irritating in a home theater setting. Actually, I wouldn't mind a manufacturer going back to 5400 rpm and slower seeks to quiet drives specifically for htpc use. You might want to consider using a bluetooth mouse/keyboard combo and have the pc out of the room. My logitech mx5000 doesn't have a problem with 15-20 ft away.

 

[Childs]

Get a PVR 500 instead. Once you have 1 tuner you'll wish you had two to avoid recording conflicts.

 

[Penth]

definetly get two tuners. Also, I haven't really looked at what options are available but if I was going to build a HTPC to replace the one I currently have I would try to find some kind of external dvd/card reader combo and put my computer as far away from the tv/viewer as possible. Noise is a big concern. My system isn't loud most of the time but when it gets hot and the fans get going (Low speed Panaflos even) it is annoying.