Media Center Build - Need Input

MoonPig · May 22, 2009, 09:03 PM

Hey,

Family just bought a 42" 1080p TV, so i'm building a comp for it.

Got a £200ish budget.

Got this sofar:

£40 - Extra Value Black Opera ATX Desktop Case 500W PSU
£53 - Intel Pentium Dual Core E5200 2.5GHz Socket 775 800FSB 2MB Cache
£00 - Asus P5K Premium Black Pearl Edition (Already got it)
£40 - Samsung HD502HI 500GB Hard Drive SATAII - OEM Green Drive
£23 - Corsair 2GB DDR2 800MHz/PC2-6400 XMS2 Xtreme Performance Memory CL5
£18 - Pioneer DVR-216DBK 20x DVD±RW Dual Layer Internal SATA Black Bare Drive - OEM

Total - £174

Now, i need a graphics card. But with only £26 to spare, it's gunna be hard. I could push more. But hopefully people can offer me parts and i'll get this for cheaper.

I can get an 8800GT for £40, however, it's not silent.

I don't need 500GB on this one... lol. But for £40... If i can get a 250GB+ for a good deal less, then i'll have that.

So, help me boys!

Charper2013 · May 22, 2009, 09:10 PM

if you were us i would give ya a awesome deal on 8600

aCid888* · May 22, 2009, 09:14 PM

Looks fine to me, Pig......the 8800GT being silent is no worry as you can downclock it using RivaTuner and also mod the fan speed to 25% so you wont hear it and heat wont be an issue.

Edit: Maybe look at another PSU as running a 8800GT on a cheap PSU isn't good, as you well know.

Edit 2: You can get some of the cheaper RAM from eBuyer (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/116260) I got some for a friend and it will do 800mhz no worries, plus you will save 4 quid that could go to something else.

DrunkenMafia · May 22, 2009, 09:21 PM

If it is strictly a media centre only then a 8800GT is silly imo.. just go for something like this HD4350:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...56&subcat=1274

Unless you specificallly need 7.1 sound output on the HDMI then you will have to go for a HD48** series.

My HTPC uses onboard HD3200 and it runs everything fine @ 1920 on desktop and 1080 movies etc... never pauses/stutters at all.

aCid888* · May 22, 2009, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrunkenMafia

If it is strictly a media centre only then a 8800GT is silly imo.. just go for something like this HD4350:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...56&subcat=1274

Unless you specificallly need 7.1 sound output on the HDMI then you will have to go for a HD48** series.

My HTPC uses onboard HD3200 and it runs everything fine @ 1920 on desktop and 1080 movies etc... never pauses/stutters at all.

But he already has the board and can get a GT for 40 quid, so it makes sense to do it that way rather than go the onboard route.

DrunkenMafia · May 22, 2009, 09:31 PM

here is a complete new htpc from OCUK for 260. it uses a good psu and onboard GFX, you can then sell your existing MB and won't need to buy a 8800GT. Plus all parts are brand new.

Click image for larger version

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DrunkenMafia · May 22, 2009, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aCid888*

But he already has the board and can get a GT for 40 quid, so it makes sense to do it that way rather than go the onboard route.

yes but he can just go for a low range card with a HDMI port rather than a power hungry 8800gt.

MoonPig · May 22, 2009, 09:35 PM

Not bothered about the Power.

The PSU will run the 8800GT for abit untill i can get another.

Im not buying ANYTHING from OcUK

I need a Media case, not a normal case.

the 8800GT for £40 is very decent, i can always downgrade later and put the 8800 in my rig as a folder.

aCid888* · May 22, 2009, 09:36 PM

He wont buy from OcUK, I know that for sure.

But, the system he put together looks solid...the 8800GT is fine if you underclock it, it will use minimal power and heat wont be an issue.

MoonPig · May 22, 2009, 09:37 PM

Ok, ill change the RAM and the HD to lower ones. Then with that i'll be able to get the 8800GT and still be next to £200.

BrooksyX · May 22, 2009, 09:40 PM

Do you plan on gaming at all on the rig? If not i would just pick up a cheap 3450 or 4350 for HD decoding and HDMI video & audio out.

MoonPig · May 22, 2009, 09:42 PM

only some light stuff.

Im not changing the GFX. £40 for an 8800GT is too good. Why the hell would i spend £40 on a 4350 when it's worse... lol.

Changed the RAM and the HD to a WD160GB and now it's £160.

BrooksyX · May 22, 2009, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoonPig

only some light stuff.

Im not changing the GFX. £40 for an 8800GT is too good. Why the hell would i spend £40 on a 4350 when it's worse... lol.

Changed the RAM and the HD to a WD160GB and now it's £160.

8600gt is good too. I personally would prefer a card with a built in HDMI port for a media rig.

aCid888* · May 22, 2009, 09:45 PM

What was wrong with the Black Pearl, Pig??

Edit: DVI-HDMI adaptor is pretty useful.

MoonPig · May 22, 2009, 09:47 PM

Nothing..

I have a DVI - HDMI cable next to me BrooksyX. Bought two of them afew months back. Been using one on this rig.

Just noticed. I have an 80GB Maxtor SATA next to me... lol. Im silly. Make the total £128...

kurosagi01 · May 22, 2009, 11:13 PM

i would so go for that 8800GT for £40 a bargain price

May 22, 2009, 09:03 PM	#1
MoonPig Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wakefield, UK Posts: 4,085 (2.34/day) Thanks: 715 Thanked 903 Times in 621 Posts System Specs	Media Center Build - Need Input Hey, Family just bought a 42" 1080p TV, so i'm building a comp for it. Got a £200ish budget. Got this sofar: £40 - Extra Value Black Opera ATX Desktop Case 500W PSU £53 - Intel Pentium Dual Core E5200 2.5GHz Socket 775 800FSB 2MB Cache £00 - Asus P5K Premium Black Pearl Edition (Already got it) £40 - Samsung HD502HI 500GB Hard Drive SATAII - OEM Green Drive £23 - Corsair 2GB DDR2 800MHz/PC2-6400 XMS2 Xtreme Performance Memory CL5 £18 - Pioneer DVR-216DBK 20x DVD±RW Dual Layer Internal SATA Black Bare Drive - OEM Total - £174 Now, i need a graphics card. But with only £26 to spare, it's gunna be hard. I could push more. But hopefully people can offer me parts and i'll get this for cheaper. I can get an 8800GT for £40, however, it's not silent. I don't need 500GB on this one... lol. But for £40... If i can get a 250GB+ for a good deal less, then i'll have that. So, help me boys! __________________ My DeskMod Log \| My Heatware \| My SteamID \| My For Sale \| My Want to Buy

System Name:	[Insert Witty Name Here]
Processor:	Intel Core i7 3930K
Motherboard:	Asus P9X79 Pro
Cooling:	Noctua NH-D14
Memory:	Corsair XMS3 4x4GB @ 1600MHz
Video Card:	MSI GTX560Ti Twin Frozr II
Hard Disk:	OCZ Agility 3 60GB + WD20EARS 2TB
CRT/LCD Model:	Iiyama ProLite X2775HDS-1
Case:	Silverstone FT02
PSU:	Corsair AX750
Software:	Windows 7 Premium 64bit
Benchmarks:	QPad MX50 + Steelseries Ikari Laser

Processor:	AMD Athlon 64 X2 7750 Kuma Black Edition @ 3.2GHz 16x200
Motherboard:	ASUS M3A78-EM AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
Cooling:	XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler
Memory:	OCZ Platinum 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 800 & Corsair Dominator (2 x 1GB) DDR2 1250
Video Card:	HIS Radeon HD 5770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5
Hard Disk:	Western Digital 3.25 Inch SATA 320GB Drive
Optical Drive:	LG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner w/ SecurDisc Tech Black SATA
CRT/LCD Model:	SAMSUNG ToC T240HD Rose-Black 24" 5ms HDMI Widescreen HDTV Monitor
Case:	LIAN LI Lancool PC-K62 Mid Tower Computer Case
Sound Card:	Onboard Realtek ALC1200 8 Channel Audio
PSU:	Corsair 650HX ATX12V SLI Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular PSU
Software:	Windows 7 Ultimate x64 Proffesional

May 22, 2009, 09:14 PM	#3
aCid888* Join Date: May 2008 Location: In a state of flux... Posts: 2,297 (1.26/day) Thanks: 360 Thanked 660 Times in 547 Posts	Looks fine to me, Pig......the 8800GT being silent is no worry as you can downclock it using RivaTuner and also mod the fan speed to 25% so you wont hear it and heat wont be an issue. Edit: Maybe look at another PSU as running a 8800GT on a cheap PSU isn't good, as you well know. Edit 2: You can get some of the cheaper RAM from eBuyer (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/116260) I got some for a friend and it will do 800mhz no worries, plus you will save 4 quid that could go to something else. __________________ HTPC: E8500 @ 3.8GHz 1.20v ~ Passive Xiggy HDT-1283 ~ X38 Maximus Formula (Rampage BIOS) ~ 2x1GB Mushkin 1150mhz @ 950mhz 2.0v ~ 2x500GB RAID0 ~ eVGA 9800GTX+ SC ~ 52" Toshiba 1920x1080 LCD ~ Windows XP SP3 ~ Logitech Z-5500 5.1 “I would like to thank acid for this pivotal moment in internet history were he has just successfully forced the creation of a brand new meme.” -Solaris17 Last edited by aCid888; May 22, 2009 at 09:20 PM.*

System Name:	His (aCid888*) ..:\|:.. Hers (p1nky)
Processor:	Q9550 @ 4.25GHz (1.29v) - Lapped Koolance CPU-345 ..:\|:.. 945ES @ 3.82GHz (1.47v) - Lapped Fuzion v1
Motherboard:	Gigabyte EP-45 UD3P (MX-2 NB + SB) ..:\|:.. Asus M3A79-T Deluxe 790FX (MX-2 NB + SB)
Cooling:	MCP-355/XSPC 200ml Restop + Feser X-Changer 360 ..:\|:.. MCP-355/XSPC 200ml + Black Ice Extreme 360
Memory:	2x2GB OCZ Flex II 1150mhz @ 1200mhz 5-5-5-15 ..:\|:.. 2x2GB G.Skill Pi Black @ 864MHz 4-4-4-12
Video Card:	PNY "XLR8" 9800GX2 ..:\|:.. HIS 4870 1GB @ 800/1000 (Stock Air For Now)
Hard Disk:	Western Digital "AAKS" 640GB + XP SP3 ..:\|:.. Seagate 500GB + XP SP3
Optical Drive:	Black LightScibe LG ..:\|:.. Black LightScribe LG
CRT/LCD Model:	22" BenQ E2200HD @ 1920x1080 ..:\|:.. 22" Acer P223w @ 1680x1050
Case:	Modded Lian Li PC-7FW ..:\|:.. Modded Lian Li PC-6F
Sound Card:	SoundBlaster Audigy 2 ZS (Heatsink Mod) ..:\|:.. SoundBlaster Audigy 2 (Heatsink Mod)
PSU:	Zalman ZM750-HP 750w Modular ..:\|:.. OCZ ModXStream-Pro 600w Modular
Software:	A Lot?
Benchmarks:	Many?

May 22, 2009, 09:10 PM	#2
Charper2013 Banned Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Macon, Georgia Posts: 1,319 (0.81/day) Thanks: 205 Thanked 135 Times in 103 Posts System Specs	if you were us i would give ya a awesome deal on 8600

May 22, 2009, 09:21 PM	#4
DrunkenMafia Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Cairns QLD, Aussie Posts: 1,868 (0.81/day) Thanks: 230 Thanked 239 Times in 215 Posts System Specs	If it is strictly a media centre only then a 8800GT is silly imo.. just go for something like this HD4350: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...56&subcat=1274 Unless you specificallly need 7.1 sound output on the HDMI then you will have to go for a HD48** series. My HTPC uses onboard HD3200 and it runs everything fine @ 1920 on desktop and 1080 movies etc... never pauses/stutters at all. __________________

System Name:	GaMEr / HTPC
Processor:	FX8120 4.5ghz so far NB- 2815mhz / X2 255 @ 3.2ghz (Temp till BD)
Motherboard:	990FX-UD5 / GA-MA785GPMT-US2H
Cooling:	XSPC - 240rad 480rad 5 x 120mm out, 6 x 80mm in / H220-edge 1/2" & 2 x 120mm Magma
Memory:	4gb PI 6,8,6,18 1T 1706mhz / 4gb Crucial D9's 1400 @ 6,6,6,18,1T
Video Card:	2 x 5870's MCW80's + AC ramsinks / Onboard
Hard Disk:	3 x 160 Raptors RAID0 / 60gb vertex 2 + 2 x 2tb WD Greens
Optical Drive:	Samsung DVD / Pioneer DVR216
CRT/LCD Model:	24in Dell Ultra / NEC 32" FullHD LCD
Case:	LL PC71A Full tower / Antec fusion black with Imon remote Modded for WC
Sound Card:	OB / Auzentech cinema 7.1
PSU:	TT 700w TR2 / TT 600w Litepower modded with Noctua S12 fan.
Software:	7 Ult / 7 premium x64

May 22, 2009, 09:31 PM	#6
DrunkenMafia Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Cairns QLD, Aussie Posts: 1,868 (0.81/day) Thanks: 230 Thanked 239 Times in 215 Posts System Specs	here is a complete new htpc from OCUK for 260. it uses a good psu and onboard GFX, you can then sell your existing MB and won't need to buy a 8800GT. Plus all parts are brand new. __________________

May 22, 2009, 09:35 PM	#8
MoonPig Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wakefield, UK Posts: 4,085 (2.34/day) Thanks: 715 Thanked 903 Times in 621 Posts System Specs	Not bothered about the Power. The PSU will run the 8800GT for abit untill i can get another. Im not buying ANYTHING from OcUK I need a Media case, not a normal case. the 8800GT for £40 is very decent, i can always downgrade later and put the 8800 in my rig as a folder. __________________ My DeskMod Log \| My Heatware \| My SteamID \| My For Sale \| My Want to Buy

May 22, 2009, 09:36 PM	#9
aCid888* Join Date: May 2008 Location: In a state of flux... Posts: 2,297 (1.26/day) Thanks: 360 Thanked 660 Times in 547 Posts	He wont buy from OcUK, I know that for sure. But, the system he put together looks solid...the 8800GT is fine if you underclock it, it will use minimal power and heat wont be an issue. __________________ HTPC: E8500 @ 3.8GHz 1.20v ~ Passive Xiggy HDT-1283 ~ X38 Maximus Formula (Rampage BIOS) ~ 2x1GB Mushkin 1150mhz @ 950mhz 2.0v ~ 2x500GB RAID0 ~ eVGA 9800GTX+ SC ~ 52" Toshiba 1920x1080 LCD ~ Windows XP SP3 ~ Logitech Z-5500 5.1 “I would like to thank acid for this pivotal moment in internet history were he has just successfully forced the creation of a brand new meme.” -Solaris17

May 22, 2009, 09:37 PM	#10
MoonPig Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wakefield, UK Posts: 4,085 (2.34/day) Thanks: 715 Thanked 903 Times in 621 Posts System Specs	Ok, ill change the RAM and the HD to lower ones. Then with that i'll be able to get the 8800GT and still be next to £200. __________________ My DeskMod Log \| My Heatware \| My SteamID \| My For Sale \| My Want to Buy

May 22, 2009, 09:40 PM	#11
BrooksyX Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Vancouver, WA Posts: 3,572 (1.82/day) Thanks: 511 Thanked 570 Times in 527 Posts System Specs	Do you plan on gaming at all on the rig? If not i would just pick up a cheap 3450 or 4350 for HD decoding and HDMI video & audio out.

System Name:	Main / Home Media Serever
Processor:	Intel i5 2500k @ 4.75ghz / AMD AM3 5200+ x2
Motherboard:	ASRock Fatal1ty P67 Performance / Biostar 790GX
Cooling:	Xigmatek Dark Knight / XIGMATEK Apache
Memory:	16gb of G.Skill Value Series DDR3 / 4x 1gb DDR2
Video Card:	XFX Radeon 6870 1gb / Asus Radeon 5450 512mb
Hard Disk:	2x Samsung 830 64gb SSD Raid 0 & 750gb WD Blue HDD / OCZ Vertex 30GB & 8TB of HDD Space
Optical Drive:	Blu-ray Rom & DVD-RW / DVD-RW
CRT/LCD Model:	2x Acer 20" LED 1600x900 / Samsung 40" LED
Case:	Xigmatek Asgard II / APEX PC-389-C
PSU:	OCZ Stealth Power 500w / Antec EArthwatts 380w
Software:	Windows 7 Professional x64 SP1 / XBMCBuntu 11.10

May 22, 2009, 09:42 PM	#12
MoonPig Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wakefield, UK Posts: 4,085 (2.34/day) Thanks: 715 Thanked 903 Times in 621 Posts System Specs	only some light stuff. Im not changing the GFX. £40 for an 8800GT is too good. Why the hell would i spend £40 on a 4350 when it's worse... lol. Changed the RAM and the HD to a WD160GB and now it's £160. __________________ My DeskMod Log \| My Heatware \| My SteamID \| My For Sale \| My Want to Buy

May 22, 2009, 09:45 PM	#14
aCid888* Join Date: May 2008 Location: In a state of flux... Posts: 2,297 (1.26/day) Thanks: 360 Thanked 660 Times in 547 Posts	What was wrong with the Black Pearl, Pig?? Edit: DVI-HDMI adaptor is pretty useful. __________________ HTPC: E8500 @ 3.8GHz 1.20v ~ Passive Xiggy HDT-1283 ~ X38 Maximus Formula (Rampage BIOS) ~ 2x1GB Mushkin 1150mhz @ 950mhz 2.0v ~ 2x500GB RAID0 ~ eVGA 9800GTX+ SC ~ 52" Toshiba 1920x1080 LCD ~ Windows XP SP3 ~ Logitech Z-5500 5.1 “I would like to thank acid for this pivotal moment in internet history were he has just successfully forced the creation of a brand new meme.” -Solaris17

May 22, 2009, 09:47 PM	#15
MoonPig Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wakefield, UK Posts: 4,085 (2.34/day) Thanks: 715 Thanked 903 Times in 621 Posts System Specs	Nothing.. I have a DVI - HDMI cable next to me BrooksyX. Bought two of them afew months back. Been using one on this rig. Just noticed. I have an 80GB Maxtor SATA next to me... lol. Im silly. Make the total £128... __________________ My DeskMod Log \| My Heatware \| My SteamID \| My For Sale \| My Want to Buy

May 22, 2009, 11:13 PM	#16
kurosagi01 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Northampton,UK Posts: 2,578 (1.70/day) Thanks: 93 Thanked 417 Times in 390 Posts System Specs	i would so go for that 8800GT for £40 a bargain price __________________ PSN: kurosagi01\|steamid: phalanx-88\| xfire: itachiasuka Heatware Laptop Clubhouse"join" Laptop: HP Compaq 6735s AMD Turion X2 2.0GHZ\|4GB DDR2 667\|250GB HD\|ATI Radeon HD3200\|Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit

System Name:	Cerberus
Processor:	Intel Core i3 530 3.3Ghz
Motherboard:	Asus P7H55-M
Cooling:	Stock+2x120mm CM blue LED fan+1x120mm Xigmatek White LED
Memory:	Corsair Vengeance 2x2GB 1600MHz
Video Card:	MSI OC Nvidia GTX660 2GB 1006/1072/6008MHz
Hard Disk:	Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB+Hitachi Deskstar 250GB+Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB
Optical Drive:	Sony AW-G170A IDE DVD Drive
CRT/LCD Model:	LG Flatron M2762DP Monitor TV 27" (Black)
Case:	NZXT Classic Source 210 Elite White
Sound Card:	In-build/Speakers: Logitech Z-4
PSU:	Corsair CX400W
Software:	Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit Edition

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