Prebuilt media center

[Away]

Looking for a prebuilt media center for my friend so I don't end up being his tech support guy (walked down this road before). An entry level unit would be just fine and something running Windows XP MCE would be preferred. If you have any experience with a specific seller or model, please let me know. Thank you for any help you can give.

After speaking to him again, I can list more details here. The primary uses for this system would be internet, games, movies, and music. It might also be used as a DVR, but he is undecided on that. He would like a receiver style case to blend in with his components. I might build him one in the end, but I figured this would be easier on me.

 

[DaveSimmons]

www.EndPCNoise.com is a SilentPCReview.com sponsor and knows how to built a quiet HTPC.

us.shuttle.com has some media cubes but a larger case (receiver-sized) can be much quieter than a cube.

Otherwise, a cheap Dell Vostro and a TV tuner card, set it to one side of the AV rack?

 

[ther00kie16]

HP has very nicely built machines, some of which are geared towards media centers. There was a deal not too long ago through office depot that was just a steal. And if HP has another one of their online deals ($400 off), it'd be worth looking into.