Building a machine from scratch - what components actually work

[lotusboy]

I'm building an MCE/vista box (though will probably stick with MCE for a little while unless its best to go straight to vista).

I have been trying to research the issues of which dual tuner cards work best but to be honest i am now more confused that when I started.

Is there a good combination of motherboard / dual tuner / video card that actually works?

Idealy an AM2 motherboard but if need be I will use intel.

[mark.carline]

This is what I have and it works 100%. Never had any issues and its been switched on for around 6 months now. Dont bother messing around trying to setup S3 standby as its a waste of time if you use ViiV and Away Mode :

Asus N4L-VM DH i945G
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...oductID=401837

Intel Core 2 Duo T7400
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...oductID=472121
NOTE: Any Core 2 Duo will do - The T5500 for £131 is just as good.

Hauppauge Win Nova T500 Dual Tuner MCE Edition (with MCE compatible remote/receiver)
http://www.mediapc.tv/index.html?lmd=39120.341782

As far as a hard drive goes you can use any but I would recommend a 3Gbs SATAII that supports NCQ (part of the ViiV spec).

The onboard video is perfect (certainly enough for HDTV) and it also supports the Aero interface in vista.

[lotusboy]

Thanks for the info, I had not really considered onboard video as I had read about isues with stuttering:

http://www.motherboardpoint.com/t878...ci-fx5700.html

Does your MB have DVI output, could not see reference to it on the specs page http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...oductID=401837.

Thanks for the help!

[mark.carline]

My ASUS board doesnt have DVI / HDMI but i dont really need it as I have it connected to a normal VGA PC monitor.

If I was buying a new board now I would get one of these:

( Pentium M) ABIT iL-90MV i945GT - HDMI / VGA/DVI
http://www.mediapc.tv/index.html?lmd=39120.341782

That board is a ViiV board with HDMI and the same intel onboard graphics chip as my ASUS board (its called "Intel GMA 950 engine")

Including the first HDMI connector ever on a motherboard, getting you ready for the next generation of TV/movie/audio/game enjoyment in full high definition quality.

Some onboard graphics did get a bad name (rightfully so) but the above one is fine (unless your playing games !?)

I found a review here:

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/380

The above review mentions on page 3:

Extra features: HDMI port controlled by SiliconImage Sil1390 chip supporting up to 1080p, passive heatsink on the voltage regulator transistors, CPU cooler.

[rucyj]

Mark

This is all good stuff. I'm particularly intrigued by your references to ViiV and Away Mode., which I have been trying to get my head around. Do these replace the S3 etc options in MCE2005, and serve the same purpose for switching off when not in use?

Richard

[mark.carline]

more info....

http://www.intel.com/support/desktop.../cs-021770.htm

It just puts your system into a "low power" state

[WheresMyArtisan]

Originally Posted by mark.carline

more info....

http://www.intel.com/support/desktop.../cs-021770.htm

It just puts your system into a "low power" state

But it's nowhere near as low-power as S3.

I disabled all the VIIV stuff on mine after trying it. The CPU fan stays on, the HD stays on. It just blanks the screen and mutes the sound - a triumph of marketing over substance.

If you value your leccy bill, peace and quiet and the planet then S3 is still a must.

Mine works great with S3 by the way:

AOpen VIIV barebones 945GT
Core Duo T2600
NVidia 6200TC
2 x Nova-T-500 OEM's (quad tuner).

[mark.carline]

Originally Posted by WheresMyArtisan

But it's nowhere near as low-power as S3.

I disabled all the VIIV stuff on mine after trying it. The CPU fan stays on, the HD stays on. It just blanks the screen and mutes the sound - a triumph of marketing over substance.

If you value your leccy bill, peace and quiet and the planet then S3 is still a must.

Mine works great with S3 by the way:

AOpen VIIV barebones 945GT
Core Duo T2600
NVidia 6200TC
2 x Nova-T-500 OEM's (quad tuner).

ah yes but...can you:

1) Still use your Xbox 360 extender without touching the PC
2) Use WebGuide remotely to your PC anywhere in the world
3) Start a Terminal Server session (RDP remote control)
4) Recordings still work 100%

My CPU fan is soo small and as the speed of the CPU fan is relative to the temp of the CPU it spins sooo little I can hardly hear it. The hard drive spins down after 3 minutes of inactivity anyway (set in the power options).

If you think about it my system is basically a high spec laptop and as such it uses so little power anyway - Does everything I want and its "allways on".

I did try and get S3 working on a multiple of machines and after looking on the internet at the S3 issues I decided that S3 was just a waste of time and didnt bother using it. My ViiV PC has been on for around 6 months with no issues.

[WheresMyArtisan]

Yes, I understand your points but I don't use an XBox or webguide etc.

Away mode does little more than setting the power options to blank the screen after inactivity.

S3 is still worthwhile if you want silence, not just quiet.

[mark.carline]

Originally Posted by WheresMyArtisan

...Away mode does little more than setting the power options to blank the screen after inactivity.....

Bit more then that....

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902437

When your computer enters Away mode, the following actions occur:
• The display is turned off.
• The audio is muted.
• Input devices such as keyboards, mouse devices, and the remote control are filtered to make sure that errant keystrokes are not processed.
• Media playback is stopped, except for live TV.
• The CPU may enter a lower power performance state. This condition occurs if a lower power performance state is supported by the hardware.
• The graphics processor may enter a lower power performance state. This condition occurs if a lower power performance state is supported by the computer's graphics hardware and drivers.