Critique my HTPC plan.

[xFROSTx]

Ok, this is what I plan on using the HTPC for. I only have a SDTV right now but I would like to be able to do HD if possible. I want to build a HTPC that will be hooked up to my 27 inch SDTV and be used to record TV, play movies, divx and mp3's on my surround sound. I have recently started encoding all my TV series DVD's to xvid so I also need this computer to be capable of decent divx encoding as well as hopefully some light gaming. Basically I am looking to build a computer that will look the best on my SDTV, have the option to do HDTV as well as some light gaming and xvid encoding. I am currently using a dell inspiron 6000 to do all of this so I want better tv out (doesn't look that good), better sound (2 channel sound sucks) as well as faster divx processing (the laptop has a PM 1.83 and takes 2.5 hours to encode 1 hour worth of xvid). These are the components I have picked out so far, tell me if you think these would work, what I should upgrade and suggestions on software for dvd playing and recording tv.

Motherboard: BIOSTAR TForce6100 Socket 754
Processor: AMD Sempron 3100+
Ram: Wintec 512MB PC3200
HD: Seagate Barracuda 80GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache Serial ATA150 Hard Drive
Seagate Barracuda 300GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache Serial ATA150 Hard Drive
Vid Card: GIGABYTE Geforce 6600LE 128MB 128-bit DDR PCI Express x16 Video Card
TV tuner: Hauppauge WINTV-PVR-150 Retail
DVD: NEC Black IDE/ATAPI DVD Burner Model ND-3550A

few questions: would it be stupid to go s754? I want to do this as cheap as possible and I don't see an advantage on going to 939. How about this vid card, I like the passive cooling and dual monitor out, but is it gonna be alright for light gaming (quake 4, etc every now and then) as well as haveing better tv out than my laptop? Should I go for 16mb cache on the HD since I will be dealing with alot of large files? Sorry, its alot of questions but thanks in advance.

 

[IDversusEGO]

not bad looking. as far as 754, as long as you realize your upgrade path is limited, your fine. the vid card will do OK, but there are full fledged 6600 that are passive. What is the price on the LE? I have a 16mb cache seagate and an 8mb, I don't see a difference when watching movies from them.

 

[Freemason115]

Suggestion for you, get this board Gigabyte GA-K8N51PVMT-9. Drop the video card, get a lower 939 proc like a A64 3000.

This board is great for vga,composite, s-video out; also has high definition sound also.

Great board at a decent price, just don't install the nvidia ide driver.

Also, if you want a quite DVD/RW drive i would sugggest a Samsung drive also, got one yesterday and its very quite.

Nvidia's pure video works well enough for me on the TV/DVD playback part, give it a try free for 30-days.

 

[xFROSTx]

Suggestion for you, get this board Gigabyte GA-K8N51PVMT-9. Drop the video card, get a lower 939 proc like a A64 3000.

This board is great for vga,composite, s-video out; also has high definition sound also.

Great board at a decent price, just don't install the nvidia ide driver.

Also, if you want a quite DVD/RW drive i would sugggest a Samsung drive also, got one yesterday and its very quite.

Nvidia's pure video works well enough for me on the TV/DVD playback part, give it a try free for 30-days.

This was another option for me. I was considering doing this and just getting a vid card when/if i really want to game.

I realize that the 754 route is dead, but I figure that I won't be really upgrading this comp and as long as it can do everything I want I would be happy. With AM2 comming out soon, I figured that s939 was just as dead and that I should just go with the cheaper option.

 

[stelleg151]

I think you will be very happy with s754+sempron. I recommend dropping down to a 2800+ and ocing though, as the TForce will get you up to 2.4 at least, and the sempron will stay cool.

Other than that, this will do what you need it to just fine.

 

[xFROSTx]

I think you will be very happy with s754+sempron. I recommend dropping down to a 2800+ and ocing though, as the TForce will get you up to 2.4 at least, and the sempron will stay cool.

Other than that, this will do what you need it to just fine.

Just out of curiousity, will the TV out look better than my laptop (dell inspiron 6000) and will it encode faster than my PM 1.83Ghz w/1GB ram? Even if I don't overclock it.

 

[CrimandEvil]

Your only going svideo out? In that case I would get the MSI 6150 mobo and hop on ebay and get a s939 Sempron (when I looked a 3100+ was like $115 or so). This way you save cash on a video card which you wouldn't need just for svideo out but if your doing some gaming then you should probably go with a vanilla 6600 atleast or a GT if you plan on upgrading to an HDTV soon. If I was building a system I'd go with the s939 Sempron and the MSI 6150 mobo and just drop in a video card if I needed too, I'd also add a PVR500 to the list for dual tuners.

Just out of curiousity, will the TV out look better than my laptop (dell inspiron 6000) and will it encode faster than my PM 1.83Ghz w/1GB ram? Even if I don't overclock it.

That kind of depends on what your laptop has video card wise in it.

 

[stelleg151]

Your only going svideo out? In that case I would get the MSI 6150 mobo and hop on ebay and get a s939 Sempron (when I looked a 3100+ was like $115 or so). This way you save cash on a video card which you wouldn't need just for svideo out but if your doing some gaming then you should probably go with a vanilla 6600 atleast or a GT if you plan on upgrading to an HDTV soon. If I was building a system I'd go with the s939 Sempron and the MSI 6150 mobo and just drop in a video card if I needed too, I'd also add a PVR500 to the list for dual tuners.

That kind of depends on what your laptop has video card wise in it.

Yeah its hard to say if it will be better than your laptop. What did you use to connect out with your laptop?

Also, I think the point is that he needs to get videocard because he will be doing light gaming.

 

[xFROSTx]

i used svid out to my tv and my laptop uses an ati x300 video card. I really like the MSI mobo and I think I am gonna go s939 with that mobo and drop the vid card. If i feel that I need a vid card I can pick one up later.

 

[CrimandEvil]

i used svid out to my tv and my laptop uses an ati x300 video card.

A GF4 MX would be better the the X300 so yeah it will be better, ATI's svideo out is rather soft.

 

[SJetski71]

Your only going svideo out? In that case I would get the MSI 6150 mobo and hop on ebay and get a s939 Sempron (when I looked a 3100+ was like $115 or so). This way you save cash on a video card which you wouldn't need just for svideo out but if your doing some gaming then you should probably go with a vanilla 6600 atleast or a GT if you plan on upgrading to an HDTV soon. If I was building a system I'd go with the s939 Sempron and the MSI 6150 mobo and just drop in a video card if I needed too, I'd also add a PVR500 to the list for dual tuners.

Ya, here's a s939 3400+ sempron for $100 + S/H, and it's one of the few on ebay atm. Contrary to what the ebay description says it's an E6 Venice based processor which ought to run cool and overclock well.

OP, Crim's idea is a good one imho. And if your serious about building soon, then the cpu i linked and an msi 6150 mobo would be a great base to start with.

 

[fore1337]

It's important to max out your available HDD space.
using an auxillary HDD array is fine, but you will find that HD space is a premium on media PCs. My HTPC is painfully limited in storage space and I'm using a 160Gb HD.

 

[RobsTV]

A GF4 MX would be better the the X300 so yeah it will be better, ATI's svideo out is rather soft.

Have tested nearly every TV out solution over the past 15 years, (note my user name, it's what I do), and sorry but I must disagree 100%. It is not even close. The onboard x300 TV out that comes in the Dell 6000 laptop is much better than anything nvidia has come out with for TV out, including the new 6150 boards.

For socket 939 onboard, have tested Gigabyte and Asus 6150's, and sold both within a week of testing Jetway A210 GDMS Pro with it's onboard x300. Bought 5 more Jetways for HTPC's. No contest. Jetway x300 onboard looks as good or better than any set top cable or sat box, even if only using composite out.

Prior to 939's, NF2 socket A with onboard GF4MX440 (or even earlier NF1 with GF2MX onboard graphics) were the motherboards of choice for HTPC's. But, only after disabling onboard, and tossing in an ATi 8500/9100/9200 type card for TV out.

 

[RobsTV]

Just out of curiousity, will the TV out look better than my laptop (dell inspiron 6000) and will it encode faster than my PM 1.83Ghz w/1GB ram? Even if I don't overclock it.

You already have a decent machine in the i6000.
Perhaps you need to look at what you are feeding it in instead of what you are getting out?

The x300 TV out is better than the 6150's TV out, so you will be disappointed.
The P-M 1.83GHz is as fast or faster than many A64 3200+ CPU's, so again, it will not help much.

For light gaming, again the x300 is a better choice, as it is noticably faster than the nvidia 6150's. (3dm2k3 of about 2000 with Dell i6000).

The upgrade path here so far may actually end up being worse than what you already have.

You could improve the i6000.
Add a SB Audigy 2 ZSN for best sound in the i6000.
Swap in a 400MHz FSB P-M 1.7GHz from ebay, and it would run at 533MHz (2.26GHz) in your i6000, then you would have CPU power that most CPU's would have a hard time beating.