Required: HTPC for Work & Play :thumbsup: 3D applications and HD movies???

[Sofa-loafer]

G'day all...

I'm looking for help with a silent HTPC spec, with DVI out and upgradeable to future HD player (when prices drop). I require a considerable amount of power due to this PC acting as a design tool for my 3D design applications. It will feed a new Onkyo hdmi 605 amp and a Toshiba 37" Z series LCD.

My old Toshiba WLT58 will go into the bedroom, along with the X-360 for some basic multi-room functionality.

I've got around £800ish for the HTPC and would like to include a decent sound card for 7.1 compatability & maximum sound clarity. I'll be ripping my 600+ CD's to the Hard Drive. I'd also like a smaller OS drive...

Can you guys in the know share your wealth of knowledge with me. This PC is for work & play, but I'd like it to fit into my new Cinema build.

PC System Configuration - from Eclipse Computers (have to start somewhere).

Motherboard
Asus M2N AM2, DDR2, SATA2, GBLan, 5.1Snd, ATX £56.95

Processor
Intel Core 2 Duo E6420 2.13GHz LGA775 Processor - Retail £101.95

Memory Slot 1 & 2
2048Mb (2X1024Mb) Dual Channel DDR2 667Mhz Memory £71.30

Graphics Card(s)
256Mb nVidia GeForce 8600 GTS PCI-Express VGA Card £94.95

PCI Slot 1
K-world DVB-T 210P PCI Dual Digital/Analogue TV Tuner £23.95

Optical Device 1
NEC AD-5170A-0S 18x+/-DVD-R Dual Layer DVD Writer - Silver £15.95

SATA Device 1
500Gb Samsung Spinpoint T 7200Rpm S-ATAII 300 Hard Drive £52.48

Case
Thermaltake Mozart Media Desktop with VFD Display -Silver- £95.95

Power Supply Units
600W Silver Silent Modular PSU with 24Pin, SATA, PCI-e £26.95

 

[badbob]

PSU looks a bit low end. Videocard is lousy for gaming, suitable for HD acceleration though. If gaming look at another card.
You'll need a hammer to fit that CPU into that motherboard!
Add a quiet CPU HSF, to what your case allows.

 

[Sofa-loafer]

Any suggestions concerning the Graphics Card & CPU & MOBO?

I'm can't profess to being very PC-build literate. However, I do use them as a work/design tool for up to 18 hours a day...

I'm gonna give it a shot tho...

 

[badbob]

Well either keep that CPU and buy a Intel motherboard. Or keep that motherboard and buy a AMD CPU.

If you're looking at a budget the AMD's are cheaper, and a dual core AMD "will do" but if you need more CPU power go for the Intel's. Remember once you go dual core, Windows will be much faster anyway.

Are you gaming? If not that 8500 will be fine. If you are I would pickup ATI X1950 Pro

 

[Sofa-loafer]

Is this MOBO OK - Asus P5KC LGA775, DDR2/3, SATA2, GBLan, 7.1Snd, ATX ?

How much noise does the ATI X1950 Pro make? Answer - read this http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/ati-x1950xtx_6.html

 

[badbob]

Are you gaming, or just for Windows/3D/video playback? If you're not gaming you don't need that ATI (it's faster in gaming than the Nvidia) I was giving recommendation if you are. But if you're not then go for that Nvidia 8500/8600 series, there are some that are passive.

I don't know anything about suitable C2D motherboards.

 

[tinners]

You can get some ideas from my build, see sig.
I'd definately recommend a microATX for a HTPC build, saves a lot of pain.

I went with (after a lot of deliberation and reading):

Zalman HD160S Home Theatre PC Enclosure, Silver Aluminum w/o PSU
Pioneer BDC-202 5x Blu-Ray Reader Combo
Asus P5K-VM iG33
Zalman CNPS9500-LED
256MB Sapphire HD2400XT (excellent and cheap but no good for games)
Corsair HX Series 520W
Corsair 2GB Kit (2x1GB) DDR2 800MHz/PC2-6400
2nd hand E6300 from a mate (would go for an E2180 if buying new)
Hard drives already have (Spinpoint HD501Js)

and buy it from scan.co.uk

 

[Sofa-loafer]

Cheers for the input guys... I need the help, I've always forced my mates (of whom most are now IT managers) to do my dirty work. Now I'm gonna do it myself... as I now have the cash to make the odd mistake. (Not that I want too!)

I'm not using it for gaming so much as I have the X-360. However, I need a high end card that can handle CAD solid modelling software such as Solid Edge, Pro Engineer and Adobe/Macromedia products. These are very RAM and Video Card hungry. I'd like it for DVI/HDMi use too! I intend to run at 1080p & 7.1 sound.

 

[SeanT]

How much noise does the ATI X1950 Pro make?

None at all, if you have the space to fit an Arctic Cooling Accelero S1 (which if you have the space to fit the massive card in the first place you should!)