Projects
Hardware/Software Specs:
- OrigenAE H6 HTPC Case
- Abit Fatal1ty F-I90HD ATI Micro ATX
- Tagan TG430-U15 430W ATX2.01 Easycon PSU
- Intel Core 2 DUO E4400
- GeIL 2GB PC6400C4 800MHz DDR2 Memory
- 2 x Samsung SpinPoint T HD501LJ 500GB SATA-II
- Pioneer DVR-111K DVD
- Creative X-FI Extreme Sound Card
- Vista Home Premium Edition - 64Bit Edition
GPU
Playback of HD material and especially x264 is very processor intensive and bairly
utilises the GPU, so it was a quick decision for me to go for onboard graphics.
This not only saves a few pennies but uses less space in the case, improves airflow
and most importantly reduces heat and noise.
CPU
I have always been an Intel boy, mostly by habit but I didn't see the point in straying
from them now, especially as the Core2Duos seem so good and relatively cheap. In
the past I always opted for the best performance I could get (within reason) and
spend hundreds on CPUs. With the HTPC I was determined to keep the budget as low
as possible and get only what I needed to perform the tasks at hand.
I was going for an E6320 or higher but noticed an article on the less popular E4400.
It was cheaper with better performance and as with all C2D chipos, is an excellent
overclocker. I somewhat nervously took the plunge.
Motherboard
My previous choices led me very quickly to the Abit F-190HD, which has the fastest
ATI onboard GPU and is mATX format for compatibility with most HTPC cases. It also
includes HDMI connectivity which will apeal to some, although personally I prefer
the solid fit of a DVI connector.
This MB has a great BIOS with idiot-proof overclocking controls. I must just point
out I have never overlocked before this PC and was very nervous about it. It was
so easy to OC from 2Ghz to 3Ghz with this CPU/MB and it seems very stable and of
course much faster than stock.
RAM
I tried to get away with 1gb of ram and although OK in XP it was terrible in Vista
so 2GB of Geil DDR2 6400 is in there now. My only complaint is that the Heatspreaders
clash with the MB
Case
This was probably the hardest decision for me and I was very close to going for
the Antec Fusion as it looks good and has excellent cooling. I have the P180 tower
so I know it is going to be well organised.
I am afraid the tart in me had to have the Origen AE H6, a great looking case, perfect
for my AV Rack and really high build quality.
On the downside it is not laid out all that well but I suspect any case with a central
DVD/VFD will have the same problems. One advantage of the all Aluminium chassis
is that is aids cooling disspiating the heat very well.
It comes with fans but in all honesty you can keep them, I am fussy about noise
so no stock fan would ever keep me happy. The main gripe is that the larger 80mm
fan has a molex connector with no step-down resistor you can add. So unless you
happen to have one lying around it runs at full tilt and is noisier than the MB
controlled 40mm fans.
It also takes a Full ATX PSU which is great, I have learnt the hard way that Tagan
PSUs are ideal for HTPC use as they are well shielded and include a heavy duty earch
cable. Noisy PSU buzz coming through your speakers is not something I want to repeat.
After much fiddling and some minor customising with fans and cables I have to say
I am extremely happy with this case. Yes it did cost more and is fiddly to install
some components but this is all far outweighed by the gorgeous looks IMO.
Sound
A very important factor for me was to take advantage of the new lossless HD sound
formats so a good quality sound card with analogue connections was a priority. I
stole the Creative X-FI Extreme from my desktop for this and it works a treat. LPCM
7.1 sounds amazing!
Storage
I started off with 2 x Samsung Spinpoint 500GB drives but ended up moving over my
existing HD library form my Desktop PC. So in total there is 2TB over 4HDD in the
case. This is better for me so I don't need to have more than one PC turned on to
acess all the media.
OS & Software
I decided to get Vista Premium x64 as it is the future and I need to get used to
it. I thought that MCE would make life easier witha one-stop integrated solution...
yeah right!
IMO for music you can't beat iTunes, for HD video you only really have PowerDVD
7.3, MCE doesn't play any of my .ts files, I don't have any tuner cards so it looks
like MCE will be relegated to viewing DVDs, home movies and pictures... however
I suspect there is probably something else that is better than that.
MediaPortal is a better option but still a little flawed in Music/Video management
I feel and I haven't tested it in Vista x64 yet.
I just wanted to add that I haven't had any problems finding x64 drivers for anything
yet except FFDshow but I know it is out there somewhere
The HTPC is setup to dual boot Vista x64 and XP. I have added all the software in
XP but not tested anything yet. I am determined to get everything working
right in one OS.