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<blockquote data-quote="Ryoga79" data-source="post: 307863" data-attributes="member: 29189">Hey all, i've been out of the HTPC building game for a while (i had a stable, 100% working build that i was satisfied with, so i've been resisting the urge to tinker), but my setup is starting to show signs of wear.&nbsp; Here's my current setup (mostly frankensteined together from old parts):HTPC:&nbsp; &nbsp; Case:&nbsp; &nbsp; Antec Sonata HTPC case w/power supply (don't remember the wattage off the top of my head)&nbsp; &nbsp; Processor:&nbsp; &nbsp; Intel Pentium 4 2.5ghz&nbsp; &nbsp; Motherboard:&nbsp; &nbsp; Asus P4S800MX&nbsp; &nbsp; Memory:&nbsp; &nbsp; 1 GB DDR&nbsp; &nbsp; Video:&nbsp; &nbsp; Geforce FX 5500 (128mb)&nbsp; &nbsp; Drives:&nbsp; &nbsp; 10gb OS&nbsp; &nbsp; 60gb Additional&nbsp; &nbsp; Network:&nbsp; &nbsp; Onboard 10/100 Ethernet&nbsp; &nbsp; OS:&nbsp; &nbsp; Windows XP SP2&nbsp; &nbsp; Mediaportal:&nbsp; &nbsp; v0.2.2.9993&nbsp; &nbsp; Codecs:&nbsp; &nbsp; Combined Community Codec Pack full install/ffdshow/coreAVC (for 720p content)Media Server:&nbsp; &nbsp; Processor:&nbsp; &nbsp; Intel Pentium 3 650mhz&nbsp; &nbsp; Memory:&nbsp; &nbsp; 256 MB&nbsp; &nbsp; Storage:&nbsp; &nbsp; 10 gb OS&nbsp; &nbsp; 5x300GB (RAID 0, backed up regularly so failure isn't an issue)&nbsp; &nbsp; Network:&nbsp; &nbsp; Onboard 10/100 Ethernet&nbsp; &nbsp; OS:&nbsp; &nbsp; Windows Server 2003 R2Currently, the HTPC plays back standard def content fine, and 720p content fine for the most part, except that it's occasionally laggy (a reboot of HTPC and server usually solves the problem until it happens again).&nbsp; Also, with 720p content there is up to a 15-second delay from when i click to play the video and when the video actually starts, at minimum.&nbsp; I've also tried gaming with the machine, and both Half Life 2 (TF2) and C&amp;C 3 both run playably, but at mid-to-low graphics settings.&nbsp; What i'd like to do is upgrade my HTPC and server to be able to play 720p content flawlessly without the need of CoreAVC, as well as be able to play most modern games (i don't need it to play crysis at the highest settings, just be able to run Team Fortress 2 and the upcoming Red Alert 3 well).&nbsp; If at all possible, i'd like to preserve some existing hardware to keep costs down, but i'm not above scrapping the whole thing and rebuilding from scratch.I haven't built a machine in forever, so i'm not really up on the latest hardware in terms of motherboards/cpus and video cards.&nbsp; I read a lot about the ati HD cards performance in video playback...how does it do for gaming?&nbsp; Would i need to get a separate card and link the two for that?&nbsp; Also, should i go 64-bit?&nbsp; Dual core?&nbsp; Is dual core overkill?I put it to you, Mediaportal peeps...help me out!</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Ryoga79, post: 307863, member: 29189"] Hey all, i've been out of the HTPC building game for a while (i had a stable, 100% working build that i was satisfied with, so i've been resisting the urge to tinker), but my setup is starting to show signs of wear. Here's my current setup (mostly frankensteined together from old parts): HTPC: Case: Antec Sonata HTPC case w/power supply (don't remember the wattage off the top of my head) Processor: Intel Pentium 4 2.5ghz Motherboard: Asus P4S800MX Memory: 1 GB DDR Video: Geforce FX 5500 (128mb) Drives: 10gb OS 60gb Additional Network: Onboard 10/100 Ethernet OS: Windows XP SP2 Mediaportal: v0.2.2.9993 Codecs: Combined Community Codec Pack full install/ffdshow/coreAVC (for 720p content) Media Server: Processor: Intel Pentium 3 650mhz Memory: 256 MB Storage: 10 gb OS 5x300GB (RAID 0, backed up regularly so failure isn't an issue) Network: Onboard 10/100 Ethernet OS: Windows Server 2003 R2 Currently, the HTPC plays back standard def content fine, and 720p content fine for the most part, except that it's occasionally laggy (a reboot of HTPC and server usually solves the problem until it happens again). Also, with 720p content there is up to a 15-second delay from when i click to play the video and when the video actually starts, at minimum. I've also tried gaming with the machine, and both Half Life 2 (TF2) and C&C 3 both run playably, but at mid-to-low graphics settings. What i'd like to do is upgrade my HTPC and server to be able to play 720p content flawlessly without the need of CoreAVC, as well as be able to play most modern games (i don't need it to play crysis at the highest settings, just be able to run Team Fortress 2 and the upcoming Red Alert 3 well). If at all possible, i'd like to preserve some existing hardware to keep costs down, but i'm not above scrapping the whole thing and rebuilding from scratch. I haven't built a machine in forever, so i'm not really up on the latest hardware in terms of motherboards/cpus and video cards. I read a lot about the ati HD cards performance in video playback...how does it do for gaming? Would i need to get a separate card and link the two for that? Also, should i go 64-bit? Dual core? Is dual core overkill? I put it to you, Mediaportal peeps...help me out! [/QUOTE]

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