# Building a Low Cost HTPC for my Bedroom



## TSX420J (Oct 23, 2010)

So as the title says, I am trying to build a low cost HTPC for my bedroom. 
I just want a small PC that can playback bluray without any lag @ 1080p.

I have a laptop with a 1.8 C2D, a 8600m and a bluray drive that can handle that task
with no problems, but,, it is broken. I am looking at building something slightly more powerful than the  laptop because I am looking at staying under about 450 dollars with shipping included. I already have the memory listed. 

How does this look?


HEC 6K28BB8F Black 0.8mm SECC Steel MicroATX Mini ...

COOLMAX CX-550B 550W ATX12V     Power Supply

MSI G31TM-P21 LGA 775 Intel G31 Micro ATX Intel Mo...

Intel Core2 Duo E7500 Wolfdale 2.93GHz 3MB L2 Cach...

OCZ Platinum Revision 2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2...

XFX PVT98GYAF3 GeForce 9800 GT 512MB 256-bit DDR3 ...

Western Digital Caviar Blue WD2500AAJS 250GB 7200 ...

LITE-ON Black 4X BD-ROM 8X DVD-ROM 32X CD-ROM SATA...


Let me know if it is too much for what I want. Any more savings can 
help a lot. Everything minus the ram that I already have comes out 
to 470 with shipping included.


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## [Ion] (Oct 23, 2010)

First of all, Coolmax is miserable.  Get a Corsair or an Antec.  The Earthwatts EA-380D would be a good choice

I'd also suggest staying away from the dyeing LGA775 platform.  A BIOSTAR 785G and AMD Athlon II X2 250 would be cheaper, faster, and have the option of upgrading to a hex-core (or any other AM2+/AM3 CPU) later on


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## TSX420J (Oct 23, 2010)

[Ion] said:


> First of all, Coolmax is miserable.  Get a Corsair or an Antec.  The Earthwatts EA-380D would be a good choice
> 
> I'd also suggest staying away from the dyeing LGA775 platform.  A BIOSTAR 785G and AMD Athlon II X2 250 would be cheaper, faster, and have the option of upgrading to a hex-core (or any other AM2+/AM3 CPU) later on



Thanks Ion, I will look into that.


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## genta3d (Oct 23, 2010)

Im with Ion...
But Im sugesting to have another brand for 9800. Since XFX has stop selling Nvdia card. Dont know what will happen with its aftersales if you got a problem or two. Anyone can  confirm it ?

Source :
http://fudzilla.com/graphics/item/20453-xfx-officially-stops-doing-nvidia


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## aCid888* (Oct 23, 2010)

genta3d said:


> Im with Ion...
> But Im sugesting to have another brand for 9800. Since XFX has stop selling Nvdia card. Dont know what will happen with its aftersales if you got a problem or two. Anyone can  confirm it ?
> 
> Source :
> http://fudzilla.com/graphics/item/20453-xfx-officially-stops-doing-nvidia



Pretty much right it does appear.



Aside from that, Ion has it covered. Not much else I'd change aside from the HDD as an HTPC would be much better with a 1TB drive.  




*Edit: *

Could you salvage the BR drive from your laptop and maybe mod it to fit the case you chose?  

Also, what about the HDD??  If you dont need too much speed your laptop 2.5" drive would be pretty nice.


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## TSX420J (Oct 23, 2010)

genta3d said:


> Im with Ion...
> But Im sugesting to have another brand for 9800. Since XFX has stop selling Nvdia card. Dont know what will happen with its aftersales if you got a problem or two. Anyone can  confirm it ?
> 
> Source :
> http://fudzilla.com/graphics/item/20453-xfx-officially-stops-doing-nvidia



Yeah heard about that a while back when fermi came out but didnt think it was that bad. 
I'll have steer clear then, sounds like drama.


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## [Ion] (Oct 23, 2010)

Something like an EVGA, MSI or Asus GT240, GT430, or 9800GT would make a good choice for a GPU


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## theonedub (Oct 23, 2010)

GPU wise you can get away with something super low power (and cheap) by going with an AMD 5450 or 4550, HTPCs is what they were made for. 

On the other hand, our fav Senior Mod, eRocker, has a nice GT240 for $60 FS in the BST.


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## TSX420J (Oct 23, 2010)

aCid888* said:


> Pretty much right it does appear.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



LOL, true, I could reuse that 500gb 2.5 I have. The BD drive manufacture isn't supporting 
their drive with any new FW updates so I can't see any of the new BD's (sucks). 

Good idea on using the 2.5 drive I have. I also had thought of getting a 1tb drive but I am 
waiting for the technology to improve a bit.


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## TSX420J (Oct 23, 2010)

theonedub said:


> GPU wise you can get away with something super low power (and cheap) by going with an AMD 5450 or 4550, HTPCs is what they were made for.
> 
> On the other hand, our fav Senior Mod, eRocker, has a nice GT240 for $60 FS in the BST.



Great tip. Going to look for the thread.


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## TSX420J (Oct 23, 2010)

[Ion] said:


> Something like an EVGA, MSI or Asus GT240, GT430, or 9800GT would make a good choice for a GPU



Going to be looking into those you have suggested. Thanks!


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## theonedub (Oct 23, 2010)

Should've linked it  [FS] Video Cards n' stuff...


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## TSX420J (Oct 23, 2010)

*Updated Parts*

HEC 6K28BB8F Black 0.8mm SECC Steel MicroATX Mini ...

Rosewill Green Series RG530-S12 530W Continuous @4...

ASUS M4N68T-M AM3 NVIDIA Geforce 7025/nForce 630a ...

AMD Phenom II X2 545 Callisto 3.0GHz 2 x 512KB L2 ...

G.SKILL NS 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1...

LITE-ON Black 4X BD-ROM 8X DVD-ROM 32X CD-ROM SATA...

COOLER MASTER DK9-7E52A-0L-GP CPU Cooler


This comes out to $360.00 shipping included but I still need a Video Card.


Currently looking at a GTS 250 (9800 gtx) 

http://cgi.ebay.com/BFG-GeForce-GTS...254?pt=PCC_Video_TV_Cards&hash=item564064efbe

http://cgi.ebay.com/GALAXY-GEFORCE-...823?pt=PCC_Video_TV_Cards&hash=item2c582a3f97


-----------EDIT--------------------------------------------------


If I swap out the mobo for one with ddr2 instead of ddr3 I can keep my RAM
and save 60.00

Foxconn A74ML-K AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 740G Micro ATX AM...

This will drop the price to 292 Shipping included


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## boogah (Oct 23, 2010)

TSX420J said:


> The BD drive manufacture isn't supporting
> their drive with any new FW updates so I can't see any of the new BD's (sucks).



Bluray playability doesn't lie in the firmware it's the software like powerdvd and windvd and such that allows you to play newer protected titles.


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## boogah (Oct 23, 2010)

TSX420J said:


> HEC 6K28BB8F Black 0.8mm SECC Steel MicroATX Mini ...
> 
> Rosewill Green Series RG530-S12 530W Continuous @4...
> 
> ...





get one of these bundle instead.

http://www.microcenter.com/specials/promotions/1005_AMDbundlePROMO.html

100 bucks for both a Phenom II X2 650 black edition and the MSI mother board that supports the core unlocking.  The onboad graphics (HD 4200) will take care of BD or anything high definition contents without any problems.  If  you want to game and such you can always pickup a separate GPU.

Also why get old used GTS 250 when you can get GTS 450 new for around $100 bucks?
 Galaxy GTS450 1GB Super OC $89.99AR


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## Deleted member 74752 (Oct 23, 2010)

The i3 530 is a cheaper and better alternative...do more with less heat.

Intel Core i3-530 Clarkdale 2.93GHz 4MB L3 Cache L...

GIGABYTE GA-H55M-S2V LGA 1156 Intel H55 Micro ATX ...

Do you really even need a graphics card? Why not use the on-chip graphics of the i3?


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## TSX420J (Oct 23, 2010)

boogah said:


> Bluray playability doesn't lie in the firmware it's the software like powerdvd and windvd and such that allows you to play newer protected titles.



oh, well cyberlink lied then. They told me that I needed a firmware update to view newer 
BD's because avatar wouldnt play and tropic thunder would. I hate that BD's have 
all that security crap, that makes it worse for the consumer at times.


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## TSX420J (Oct 23, 2010)

boogah said:


> get one of these bundle instead.
> 
> http://www.microcenter.com/specials/promotions/1005_AMDbundlePROMO.html
> 
> ...



Nice Deal!! Thanks!


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## TSX420J (Oct 23, 2010)

HEC 6K28BB8F Black 0.8mm SECC Steel MicroATX Mini ...

Rosewill Green Series RG530-S12 530W Continuous @4...

Foxconn A74ML-K AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 740G Micro ATX AM... <--- Different Mobo DDR 2 so I can reuse my old ram

AMD Phenom II X2 545 Callisto 3.0GHz 2 x 512KB L2 ...

G.SKILL NS 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1...

LITE-ON Black 4X BD-ROM 8X DVD-ROM 32X CD-ROM SATA...

COOLER MASTER DK9-7E52A-0L-GP CPU Cooler


Price Now 292 Shipping included 

Now Debating on buying a GTX 470 for my Desktop and putting my GTX 260 in the HTPC,

Or, going the cheaper route and buying one of these or go even cheaper and get one of these . I am thinking if I will be gaming on this thing or not.

Also does anyone know of a good low cost PCI HD TV Tuner? Thanks you people ROCK!!!!!


Edit-----------------------------------------------------------------

On second thought I think I will be staying with the ddr3 Mobo and ram because eventually I would need 
to upgrade to 4gb. I will just spend the extra money now and stop being
so cheap.


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## TSX420J (Oct 23, 2010)

rickss69 said:


> The i3 530 is a cheaper and better alternative...do more with less heat.
> 
> Intel Core i3-530 Clarkdale 2.93GHz 4MB L3 Cache L...
> 
> ...



Interesting, I3 has on-chip graphics powerful enough for 1080p? Also how would that run a 
n64 emulator or something like mk3 on mame. Sorry, just that I am planning on using this 
machine for emulation too, forgot to mention that in the OP. Thanks 

Edit ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just priced the I3 nice but too expensive, 421 shipping included, cheaper than my original 
selection but the amd setup seems to the most cost effective at the moment.
Never thought I'd be buying AMD, but there is a first time for everything.


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## TSX420J (Oct 23, 2010)

So I've decided to get the cheapest video card that can playback 1080p
and when kepler comes out I will upgrade my desktop and throw the 
the gtx 260 in the htpc. How does the final build look? Thanks for the help
so far, you people rock!! I am saving 100 dollars already. 

387.00 shipped

HEC 6K28BB8F Black 0.8mm SECC Steel MicroATX Mini ...

Rosewill Green Series RG530-S12 530W Continuous @4...

ASUS M4N68T-M AM3 NVIDIA Geforce 7025/nForce 630a ...

AMD Phenom II X2 545 Callisto 3.0GHz 2 x 512KB L2 ...

GIGABYTE GV-N84STC-512I GeForce 8400 GS Supporting...

G.SKILL NS 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1...

LITE-ON Black 4X BD-ROM 8X DVD-ROM 32X CD-ROM SATA...

COOLER MASTER DK9-7E52A-0L-GP CPU Cooler


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## [Ion] (Oct 23, 2010)

Mostly good.  That motherboard really isn't so swell, I'd see if you can find a 760G.  It's a far nicer chipset and IIRC supports core unlocking


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## Kenshai (Oct 23, 2010)

I would swap motherboard + cpu + cooler for this combo. Better motherboard and processor when saving $25. Little higher power draw but nothing significant. Granted it doesn't have a good selection for audio out.

Same price but better options for audio out on this mother board.


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## TSX420J (Oct 23, 2010)

[Ion] said:


> Mostly good.  That motherboard really isn't so swell, I'd see if you can find a 760G.  It's a far nicer chipset and IIRC supports core unlocking



Is open box a bad idea? 

Open Box: ASUS M4A78LT-M LE AM3 AMD 780L Micro ATX...

Open Box: MSI 760GM-E51 AM3 AMD 760G HDMI Micro AT...

If I go with the MSI one I probably don't need a video card.

Update------------------------------------------------------------

Ok just read neweggs policy on open box items and I am going to pass..

Will be getting this one instead.

MSI 760GM-E51 AM3 AMD 760G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Moth...


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## TSX420J (Oct 23, 2010)

Kenshai said:


> I would swap motherboard + cpu + cooler for this combo. Better motherboard and processor when saving $25. Little higher power draw but nothing significant. Granted it doesn't have a good selection for audio out.
> 
> Same price but better options for audio out on this mother board.



Nice deal!

Update-------------

Just gave me an idea to just buy the Phenom ii x2 BE because it brings the fan. 
Saves me money and with the other mobo I was looking at it saved me 20 more 
dollars.


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## Bo$$ (Oct 23, 2010)

as long as you can return it, then why not?


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## [Ion] (Oct 23, 2010)

TSX420J said:


> Is open box a bad idea?
> 
> Open Box: ASUS M4A78LT-M LE AM3 AMD 780L Micro ATX...
> 
> ...



No, they still have the full manufacturer warranty and almost all of them work perfectly (only the occasional dud)


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## TSX420J (Oct 23, 2010)

Total 380 Shipped

HEC 6K28BB8F Black 0.8mm SECC Steel MicroATX Mini ...

Rosewill Green Series RG530-S12 530W Continuous @4...

MSI 760GM-E51 AM3 AMD 760G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Moth...

AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition Callisto 3.2GHz...

G.SKILL NS 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1...

LITE-ON Black 4X BD-ROM 8X DVD-ROM 32X CD-ROM SATA...

I think this is it people, what is your opinion before I pull the trigger.


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## TSX420J (Oct 23, 2010)

Bo$$ said:


> as long as you can return it, then why not?





[Ion] said:


> No, they still have the full manufacturer warranty and almost all of them work perfectly (only the occasional dud)



This line scared me

 "Newegg will NOT send you any missing accessories, even if it is required to use all of the item's functions".

If I have to return it I bet it'll be out of my pocket too.


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## [Ion] (Oct 23, 2010)

Well, what accessories would you need?  SATA cables, pretty much nothing else.  Do you already have some?

If you call them up, they'll usually agree to pay return shipping


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## TSX420J (Oct 23, 2010)

[Ion] said:


> Well, what accessories would you need?  SATA cables, pretty much nothing else.  Do you already have some?
> 
> If you call them up, they'll usually agree to pay return shipping



Im scared it wont bring the metal plate where the usb and vga are.


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## Kenshai (Oct 23, 2010)

TSX420J said:


> Nice deal!
> 
> Update-------------
> 
> ...



No reason to get a BE chip if there isn't going to be any overclocking going on just get a retail box cpu non BE will still come with a cooler.


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## TSX420J (Oct 23, 2010)

Kenshai said:


> No reason to get a BE chip if there isn't going to be any overclocking going on just get a retail box cpu non BE will still come with a cooler.



I checked it doesn't, at least that is what newegg states in the detailed info. 
Can you unlock the other 2 cores with the non  BE?


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## lilkiduno (Oct 23, 2010)

what about the this for 120+tax (+ shipping) if your dont have a MC close to you.
MSi 785GM and Phenom II X2 560 COMBO at MicroCenter... That would save a few $$$'s


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## Kenshai (Oct 23, 2010)

TSX420J said:


> I checked it doesn't, at least that is what newegg states in the detailed info.
> Can you unlock the other 2 cores with the non  BE?




If newegg labels it as an oem cpu it won't come with a heatsinks, any retail box cpus will.


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## TSX420J (Oct 23, 2010)

lilkiduno said:


> what about the this for 120+tax (+ shipping) if your dont have a MC close to you.
> MSi 785GM and Phenom II X2 560 COMBO at MicroCenter... That would save a few $$$'s



Thanks, I think boogah suggested that too. I will see the total will be, if it is only a difference 
of 10 dollars it wont be worth placing 2 orders. Im going to look at that seems like a good deal.

Update--------------------------------

Says in store pickup only. Too bad it was a great deal that could have saved me around 50 dollars. 


Won't let me add to cart because I live in a state where they do not have a store.


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## TSX420J (Oct 23, 2010)

Kenshai said:


> If newegg labels it as an oem cpu it won't come with a heatsinks, any retail box cpus will.



ahh , ok now i get it, let me see if I find one on there site.


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## lilkiduno (Oct 23, 2010)

TSX420J said:


> Thanks, I think boogah suggested that too. I will see the total will be, if it is only a difference
> of 10 dollars it wont be worth placing 2 orders. Im going to look at that seems like a good deal.
> 
> Update--------------------------------
> ...



that is of course why i added (+shipping) I have a microcenter store and i would be willing to make a MC trip for ya as long as you pay shipping from me to you. plus I work at the UPS Store so it's no out of the way to ship it to you!


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## TSX420J (Oct 23, 2010)

lilkiduno said:


> that is of course why i added (+shipping) I have a microcenter store and i would be willing to make a MC trip for ya as long as you pay shipping from me to you. plus I work at the UPS Store so it's no out of the way to ship it to you!



LOL, thanks! I appreciate the offer but wouldn't feel right about making you go through 
all that trouble just because I want to save money. You're a nice person, thanks. 

If I change my mind I'll definitely let you know. Thanks


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## lilkiduno (Oct 23, 2010)

pssshhh troble for me?!?!?!?! NAHHHHH i love MC! any reason to go is ok with me, i'll go spend hours looking


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## TSX420J (Oct 23, 2010)

lilkiduno said:


> pssshhh troble for me?!?!?!?! NAHHHHH i love MC! any reason to go is ok with me, i'll go spend hours looking



LOL


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## TSX420J (Oct 24, 2010)

Last opinion needed

The case. I thought I was set on the one I had listed a t first. 

Here are the two I saw and liked. 

I think I like the CM better than the TT but the TT looks a lot cleaner. 

COOLER MASTER Elite 430 RC-430-KWN1 Black Steel / ...

Thermaltake V3 Black Edition VL80001W2Z Black SECC...


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## Kenshai (Oct 24, 2010)

TSX420J said:


> Last opinion needed
> 
> The case. I thought I was set on the one I had listed a t first.
> 
> ...



Around that price range I'd get Rosewill Challenger. Better cable management, otherwise I would splurge a bit more on the case but that's just personal preference.


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## TSX420J (Oct 24, 2010)

Kenshai said:


> Around that price range I'd get Rosewill Challenger. Better cable management, otherwise I would splurge a bit more on the case but that's just personal preference.



Nice!! I will definitely consider this one. I currently have a budget of 65 shipping included for the case.


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## Kenshai (Oct 24, 2010)

TSX420J said:


> Nice!! I will definitely consider this one. I currently have a budget of 65 shipping included for the case.




Take a look at the haf 912 styling is a little different but some people like it.


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## [Ion] (Oct 24, 2010)

lilkiduno said:


> pssshhh troble for me?!?!?!?! NAHHHHH i love MC! any reason to go is ok with me, i'll go spend hours looking



I might have to take you up on that offer at some point in the future....I'd kill to have a MC within driving distance here


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## TSX420J (Oct 24, 2010)

Kenshai said:


> Take a look at the haf 912 styling is a little different but some people like it.



Yup seen it, it is pretty cool but I think it looks too bulky in the front. 
The haf x 942 is sick but too much money. 

I like a lot of straight lines and think that mesh look is on point. 
Cable management is a plus as is black insides are too, but the 
outside look and side panel is what I care about most. 

Been searching for a couple of hours and found these. 
Some have cable management but some don't. I am 
pretty good at coming up with ideas for managing cables
when needed. I believe I might have found the ones I like.


Rosewill DESTROYER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Comp...

Xigmatek ASGARD II B/B CPC-T45UC-U01 Black / Black...

Thermaltake V4 Black Edition Gaming Chassis Mid To...

COOLER MASTER Elite 370 Black Steel / Plastic Comp...

Rosewill Blackbone Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid T...


These are the ones I like the most including te one you suggested 

Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Com...


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## TSX420J (Oct 24, 2010)

I think I like the look and features of this one the best. 

Thermaltake V4 Black Edition Gaming Chassis Mid To...

1. Overall it has the most attractive exterior IMHO. 

2. It also features a painted black interior. 

3. Even though it lacks the holes on the 
    back panel, the PSU sits at the bottom, so 
    it makes managing cables a lot easier for me.

4.  I really like the red accents on the tool-less
    drive brackets. 

5. The size is a little big but still small enough 
    for my room. 

Thank you people you have been great at helping me with your
tips and opinions. I owe you all a round,,,    of applause.. hahaha J/K 

Thanks Again


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## TSX420J (Oct 24, 2010)

So the order looked like this

Thermaltake V4 Black Edition Gaming Chassis Mid To...

Rosewill Green Series RG530-S12 530W Continuous @4...

MSI 760GM-E51 AM3 AMD 760G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Moth...

AMD Phenom II X2 550 Callisto 3.1GHz 2 x 512KB L2 ...

G.SKILL NS 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1...

LITE-ON Black 4X BD-ROM 8X DVD-ROM 32X CD-ROM SATA...


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## Dent1 (Oct 24, 2010)

TSX420J said:


> So the order looked like this
> 
> Thermaltake V4 Black Edition Gaming Chassis Mid To...
> 
> ...





I would swap the Phenom II X2 for the Athlon II X3, its cheaper, faster and can potentially unlock!

I would change the motherboard, the 760G chipset isnt great. Get a 785G chipset or a 880G chipset as you'll get a much more powerful integrated card for HD movie playback.

That Rosewil PSU looks dodgy!.............well not really but for the price you could probably find better.

AMD Athlon II X3 425 2.7GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-...
AMD Athlon II X3 445 Rana 3.1GHz 3 x 512KB L2 Cach...

Edit:
880g
785g

Either way, the build you posted above will do the job, I'm just more critical that most lol.


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## TSX420J (Oct 24, 2010)

Dent1 said:


> I would swap the Phenom II X2 for the Athlon II X3, its cheaper, faster and can potentially unlock!
> 
> I would change the motherboard, the 760G chipset isnt great. Get a 785G chipset or a 880G chipset as you'll get a much more powerful integrated card for HD movie playback.
> 
> ...



LOL, I ordered last night haha. I pretty much got the phenom over the athlon because of the 6mb L3 Cache. Also, I will be trying to unlock the other two cores to make it a x4, is there a way to reverse that if it does not work out so well? The power supply has 40a on a 12v rail, that is pretty much why I chose it over a lot of others I have seen. Eventually I will add a video card so I need those 40a on one rail.

Do you think it is too late to change out the mobo? Is it that big of a deal? Remember I will be putting in my gtx 260 in the future when I upgrade my desktop. If that doesn't work I am for sure going to upgrade the video. What are your thoughts? Because if I have to, I will cancel my order because no one works today. I have a full day to do everything before anything get processed and shipped. 

Thanks, I wish you would've posted that yesterday, LOL.


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## Dent1 (Oct 25, 2010)

TSX420J said:


> I will be trying to unlock the other two cores to make it a x4, is there a way to reverse that if it does not work out so well?




Yes you just simpily disable the ACC feature in the bios.

BTW does your motherboard support ACC? because some 760G chipsets do not. 



TSX420J said:


> Do you think it is too late to change out the mobo? Is it that big of a deal? Remember I will be putting in my gtx 260 in the future when I upgrade my desktop. If that doesn't work I am for sure going to upgrade the video. What are your thoughts? Because if I have to, I will cancel my order because no one works today. I have a full day to do everything before anything get processed and shipped.
> 
> Thanks, I wish you would've posted that yesterday, LOL.



The motherboard change would be to your advantage because the 785G and 880G chipsets are newer and better supported so you're more likely to get consistant bios updates and support. Also because their upper-midrange chipsets I would be more confident that if the AM3 bulldozers would arrive it would most likely on those chipsets than the 760G. The faster integrated video card of the HD 4xxx series is a bonus, but not essential if you're getting a dedicated card anyways.

Adding a GTX260 to a HTPC defeats the purpose, a HTPC is supposed to be quiet, cool and low in power consumption, something which the GTX260 doesnt promote, but the 5770 does at the same performance level, saying that integrated video should play movies fine. Also the to my knowledge the GTX 2xx doesnt support 7.1 HD audio and video via HDMI which is a must for a HTPC.


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## TSX420J (Oct 25, 2010)

Dent1 said:


> Yes you just simpily disable the ACC feature in the bios.
> 
> BTW does your motherboard support ACC? because some 760G chipsets do not.



I think I remember reading that it does. I could be wrong though I spent hour/days 
looking for a good setup and deal, lol.  



> The motherboard change would be to your advantage because the 785G and 880G chipsets are newer and better supported so you're more likely to get consistant bios updates and support. Also because their midrange chipsets I would be more confident that if the AM3 bulldozers would arrive it would most likely on those chipsets.



Ahh, ok, now I understand. Doh!! I should have waited. :shadedshu   I got excited and 
ordered,already have a tracking number and all. Those people at newegg are fast and they have people working 24/7. I messaged them at 1am to try and swap out the OEM BD drive for a retail version and they said they cannot change the order once the order is ready to ship @ 1:15am. Do they have people responding to emails all night? I just ordered the retail BD drive and am going to return the other. Maybe I'll do the same for the mobo if they let me. 



> Adding a GTX260 to a HTPC defeats the purpose, it's supposed to be quiet, cool and low in power consumption, something which the GTX260 doesnt promote, but the 5770 does at the same performance level. Also the to my knowledge the GTX 2xx doesnt support 7.1 HD audio and video via HDMI which is a must for a HTPC. Saying that integrated video should play movies fine.



Going to look into that because I would like to upgrade that machine so that I can 
do anything on it. 

HD Gaming 
Emulation 
Watching HD Videos
Recording HDTV 
Web Browsing


Thanks for your help.


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## Kenshai (Oct 25, 2010)

Whag you ordered will work fine the other boards are better I would probably cancel. Also a gtx260 is overkill foran htpc but if its what you have and you don't have to spend anything extra have at it.


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## TSX420J (Oct 26, 2010)

Ok you people convinced me. LOL. I just ordered another mobo.   


ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO AM3 AMD 785G HDMI ATX AMD Moth...

Not bad for on-chip graphics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB0dKx9M6Jo


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## Dent1 (Oct 26, 2010)

TSX420J said:


> Ok you people convinced me. LOL. I just ordered another mobo.
> 
> 
> ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO AM3 AMD 785G HDMI ATX AMD Moth...





I'm using that motherboard, its pretty stable, if you plan on overclocking the CPU I recommend upgrading the firmware to the latest version as it allowed me to get more stable results when overclocking the memory and CPU.



TSX420J said:


> Not bad for on-chip graphics
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB0dKx9M6Jo



How can you tell that its not bad? I've noticed recently that people turning to low quality game videos on youtube rather than reviews. That video does not show the frame rate, it could be running at low detail @ 20 FPS playing at 2x speed for all we know.  From owning that motherboard I can tell you that for gaming performance its rubbish, games are bearly playable as with all integrated video cards. Although for movie playback I can confirm that it can play 720p and 1080p with ease which was your main requirement of the HTPC.


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## TSX420J (Oct 26, 2010)

Dent1 said:


> I'm using that motherboard, its pretty stable, if you plan on overclocking the CPU I recommend upgrading the firmware to the latest version as it allowed me to get more stable results when overclocking the memory and CPU.
> 
> 
> 
> How can you tell that its not bad? I've noticed recently that people turning to low quality game videos on youtube rather than reviews. That video does not show the frame rate, it could be running at low detail @ 20 FPS playing at 2x speed for all we know.  From owning that motherboard I can tell you that for gaming performance its rubbish, games are bearly playable as with all integrated video cards. Although for movie playback I can confirm that it can play 720p and 1080p with ease which was your main requirement of the HTPC.



Oh,  I thought if it could play newer games even at the lowest settings it could 
definitely play my emulators with ease. Like PJ64 or PSX.

Definitely do not think it can play crysis wars. My main machine can get only get 25-59 FPS Full settings 1080p no AA no Vsync.


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## TSX420J (Oct 28, 2010)

*Got Some Parts In!!!!!*

So I got the case, mobo, ram, psu, cpu and bd. The mobo box looked open even though 
I didn't open it because I am getting another mobo in the mail. The OEM BD drive came with
the software the customer service rep said it didn't. Cant wait for the mobo to come in so I 
can put everything together. Going to have to send back the retail BD drive and the MSI  mobo
when the BD drive arrives tomorrow. 

Here are some pics of my cables so far. Cant wait to see how it comes out. I been thinking 
of putting in my red fans from my main computer.













Going to have to sleeve those front panel wires too.


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## TSX420J (Nov 29, 2010)

Brandon900 said:


> Hello,
> I am putting together a small, quiet HTPC out of an old laptop (Dell Inspiron 6000) and a 22" widescreen monitor a friend gave me. However I'm looking for more than just an HTPC out of it, I want it to be an alarm clock/information panel of sorts and wondered if anyone here has any suggestions for applications.
> 
> First of all its functionality as an HTPC should be akin to a Media Center Extender since I have tuners and recorded content on my main Media Center PC. I've never run two Media Center boxes so is it possible for a second to interface with the tuners on the main workstation to essentially stream that "live" TV? I'd like it to be able to send commands to the main workstation so it shares its recorded TV schedule and can tell it to add/remove programs from that queue just as if I were using the main workstation.
> ...



I once had an idea like that, where the computer would wake you up and open any programs
or websites you program it to. I am not sure if there exist any software like that but it would be a great idea.


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