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<blockquote data-quote="doublej" data-source="post: 161520" data-attributes="member: 52902">Is a HTPC project ever complete ?I'm up and running...but not finished.HEre we Go :ASUS M2V AM2 MOBO 5.1 onboard,&nbsp; - takes DDR2 fast RAM,&nbsp; plenty of expasion, good reputation,&nbsp; overclock&nbsp; &nbsp; or easil more to dual core if needed.&nbsp; roudn 100 USDWhat I missed :&nbsp; Could have had onboard wif...doens't have firewire2gb Corsair ram - always add as much ram as you can afford.&nbsp; It's never wasted400GB Seagte SATA - size and price point sweet spot :&nbsp; 500GB was (at the time) priced at a slight premium for being hiegh end.LiteOn 20x COmbo driveDoes everything, is fast and cheap.&nbsp;&nbsp; Support is crap.&nbsp; SATA is convenientCASE : Silverstone LC10Got lucky on Fleabay !&nbsp;&nbsp; Verry lucky !&nbsp; It's a large but excellent case - accommodates everything, looks sweet - and the VFD adds class.Graphics - Gigabyte with Nvida 7600 GS Silent PipeAgaiin, I viewed this a a sweet spot.... it's quiet, can be paired with another card of the same type&nbsp; using SLI and plays games like Doom3 without a hitch. its possibly over specc'd for a HTPC but handle hi def material without a hiccup.&nbsp; Hooked up over VGA to the telly.TunersHauppauge HVR 1300 Waste of money and I dont use it&nbsp; Apart form the remote.&nbsp; Software is rubbish,&nbsp;&nbsp; I dont get DVBN-T,&nbsp;&nbsp; co-ax connections dont provide the quality i like.&nbsp; A bad buy, not necessarily a bad card.Technotrend - DVB-S 1500 basic budget job.....&nbsp; very cheap.&nbsp; Works a treat.&nbsp;&nbsp; Worked first time - but software isn't pretty.&nbsp; Also handle data if you had satellite netowrking.&nbsp; I didn't add a CI card slot - but i&nbsp; can cheaply and easily do so.&nbsp; At the moment, I have a splittler on the&nbsp; satellie feed - and it seems to use the card in my sky box.......&nbsp; experimental at the moment .&nbsp; Its doing more than i expected but i dont know why. Wht else ?A Keysonic wireless keboard&nbsp; with touchpad................lovely - if slightly cheap feeling laptop size keyboard let s&nbsp; me surf from the sofaI used a Tagan 420 PSU - quiet, incredibly high quality, incredibly flexible.&nbsp;&nbsp; Most impressed&nbsp; by what i though would be the dullest component.&nbsp;&nbsp; I added a FP34 front panel - takes USB, FIrewire(See note earlier) head phons SD cards etc etc all at the front - so can easily charge stuff from it take pocket media -&nbsp; etc etc.&nbsp; Great buyCooling I cool the chip with a regular fan. and the psu has fans.&nbsp; I have no case fans - because i ordered the wrong size........................it's running so well without them, i'm not going to include them.Building itVery easy.&nbsp; Little need for documentation - but component selection meant there'd be no problem.&nbsp; Most of the connectors these days only fit one way - it's called Poke Yoke - they are so designed&nbsp; that you cant get uit wrong.&nbsp; I avoided RAID, which would have added complexity - but&nbsp; thats an option Id consider for Performance and resilience.I use regular 54g wifi to provide all the media to the house.&nbsp; &nbsp; This is just about enough.&nbsp;&nbsp; I can stream a movie&nbsp; from PC to PC&nbsp; - but theres no room for annything else. - so I might go for for one of themutlichanel&nbsp; versions that are available.My other big constraint is, i only have a half meg internet connection provided my my company. I could just use a little morehappy to take questions....sorry its such a rush job,.JJ</blockquote>

[QUOTE="doublej, post: 161520, member: 52902"] Is a HTPC project ever complete ? I'm up and running...but not finished. HEre we Go : [B] ASUS M2V AM2 MOBO [/B] 5.1 onboard, - takes DDR2 fast RAM, plenty of expasion, good reputation, overclock or easil more to dual core if needed. roudn 100 USD [B] What I missed[/B] : Could have had onboard wif...doens't have firewire [B]2gb Corsair ram[/B] - always add as much ram as you can afford. It's never wasted [B] 400GB Seagte SATA[/B] - size and price point sweet spot : 500GB was (at the time) priced at a slight premium for being hiegh end. [B]LiteOn 20x COmbo drive[/B] Does everything, is fast and cheap. Support is crap. SATA is convenient [B]CASE :[/B] Silverstone LC10 Got lucky on Fleabay ! Verry lucky ! It's a large but excellent case - accommodates everything, looks sweet - and the VFD adds class. [B]Graphics [/B]- Gigabyte with Nvida 7600 GS Silent Pipe Agaiin, I viewed this a a sweet spot.... it's quiet, can be paired with another card of the same type using SLI and plays games like Doom3 without a hitch. its possibly over specc'd for a HTPC but handle hi def material without a hiccup. Hooked up over VGA to the telly. [B]Tuners[/B] Hauppauge HVR 1300 Waste of money and I dont use it Apart form the remote. Software is rubbish, I dont get DVBN-T, co-ax connections dont provide the quality i like. A bad buy, not necessarily a bad card. Technotrend - DVB-S 1500 basic budget job..... very cheap. Works a treat. Worked first time - but software isn't pretty. Also handle data if you had satellite netowrking. I didn't add a CI card slot - but i can cheaply and easily do so. At the moment, I have a splittler on the satellie feed - and it seems to use the card in my sky box....... experimental at the moment . Its doing more than i expected but i dont know why. Wht else ? [B] A Keysonic wireless keboard[/B] with touchpad................lovely - if slightly cheap feeling laptop size keyboard let s me surf from the sofa I used a[B] Tagan 420 PSU [/B]- quiet, incredibly high quality, incredibly flexible. Most impressed by what i though would be the dullest component. I added a[B] FP34 front panel [/B]- takes USB, FIrewire(See note earlier) head phons SD cards etc etc all at the front - so can easily charge stuff from it take pocket media - etc etc. Great buy [B]Cooling [/B] I cool the chip with a regular fan. and the psu has fans. I have no case fans - because i ordered the wrong size........................it's running so well without them, i'm not going to include them. [B]Building it[/B] Very easy. Little need for documentation - but component selection meant there'd be no problem. Most of the connectors these days only fit one way - it's called Poke Yoke - they are so designed that you cant get uit wrong. I avoided RAID, which would have added complexity - but thats an option Id consider for Performance and resilience. I use[B] regular 54g wifi [/B]to provide all the media to the house. This is just about enough. I can stream a movie from PC to PC - but theres no room for annything else. - so I might go for for one of themutlichanel versions that are available. My other big constraint is, i only have a half meg internet connection provided my my company. I could just use a little more happy to take questions....sorry its such a rush job,. JJ [/QUOTE]

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