The Transition From PC To HTPC.... HELP!

[jb2uk]

hi, i've been using media portal a fair while now and i've been reading the posts in the forum a few months aswell, but only in the last few days have i started posting. but anyway to the point.

my htpc isn't really a htpc its a pc with a tvcard at the moment and i'd like to change that, my main drawbacks are 1)money 2)the case 3)my mobo is an atx board

i built the pc initially for video processing so the specs are not too bad

Gigabyte GA-8IPE775 Mobo
Intel P4 3.0gHz fsb800 + HT
1gb DDR400 Ram (2x 512mb Dual Channel)
nVidia Fx5200 128mb
300gb S-ATA (DVD iso's)
80gb IDE (Partitioned 20gb Sytem drive 60gb Photos And Music etc)
Hauppage Nova-T pci
4x DVD writer etc etc

so i guess what i'm asking is, is there anything that isn't upto the job (component wise), and would you recommend getting a micro-atx board as i looked at buying an antec overture II case but when i looked at the size of it it was huge! i even made a 2d paper model of it to see if it would fit where i wanted it but it wouldn't. i've looked at a replacement board and i don't really want to spend loads on one because i spent a lot on my current one i found this http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...uct_uid=100835 it seems to be quite a good spec unless theres something i'm missing, and can you also recommend a suitable but inexpensive case to accompany it?

thanks in advance Elliot

[Tech Geek]

As far as specs go, your system looks ok. The 5200 won't do HDTV but it's fine for everything else.

I'm using a full size ATX board in my HTPC. Just remember unless you don't mind losing card slots the case *is* going to be large. And better looking cases aren't cheap.
My Thermaltake Bach is the largest component in my system but it does look pretty nice.

There are some smaller cases that take a full size ATX board. The CM Media 260 looks pretty nice. You might have to use a low profile CPU cooler if you get too small.
http://www.coolermaster-europe.com/i...%20Media%20260

[jb2uk]

I got an unexpected £100 bonus so i decided to go for it and buy a new mobo and case, in the end i went for an asus microatx board and the antec aria shuttle style case, i love the case its everything i wanted and i highly recommend it! two probs with the motherboard you may be able to help me with tho!

it didn't come with an s/pdif adapter and the only one i can find is on ebay for £24 (asus sell them on their us site for $10 but don't ship to uk) and the motherboard doesn't have firewire onboard, although i do have a firewire pci card, the problem is that the firewire port on the case is connected to motherboard by pins and the internal connection on my card is an actual firewire port does anyone know of an adapter that i can plug the pins inot and then plug into the pci card?

thx in advance!

Elliot R

[Tech Geek]

Originally Posted by jb2uk

it didn't come with an s/pdif adapter and the only one i can find is on ebay for £24 (asus sell them on their us site for $10 but don't ship to uk) and the motherboard doesn't have firewire onboard, although i do have a firewire pci card, the problem is that the firewire port on the case is connected to motherboard by pins and the internal connection on my card is an actual firewire port does anyone know of an adapter that i can plug the pins inot and then plug into the pci card?

S/PDIF boards usuallly aren't cheap. Most are priced at about $25 and anything I've seen cheaper is rarely in stock. That's half the price of my motherboard that needs one and why I chose a board that has it built in for my HTPC. I think the boards cost the companies about $5 to build so it's kind of a ripoff but what can you do? Best of luck.

If you are handy with a soldering iron you can buy a firewire extender cable, cut and end off and solder the wires together. If you solder on a connector then it would be easier to return to factory condition.