HTPC specs (need advice)

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shadowhc

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Jan 31, 2005
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This will be my first HTPC. I plan to use it as a file server also. Here are the specs so far. Any ideas would be helpful.

From New egg:
AMD-compatible Motherboards
Qty. Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price


Update MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Model #: K8N NEO4 Platinum
**This item may only be returned for a replacement of the same make/model. what's this?
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$142.00 $142.00
Cables
Qty. Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price
1 AMC 8" 4-Pin Power Cable Splitter Model Y Power Cable - OEM
Model #: Y Power Cable $5.00 -$5.00 Sale $0.00
Internal Hard Drives
Qty. Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price

Update Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 ST380013AS 80GB 7200 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: ST380013AS
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$65.00 $65.00

Update HITACHI Deskstar 7K400 HDS724040KLSA80 (0A30984) 400GB 7200 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: 0A30984
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$260.00 $780.00
Memory - System
Qty. 3 Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price

Update Rosewill 512MB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered System Memory Model RW400/512 - Retail
Model #: RW400/512
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$44.99 $44.99
Operating Systems
Qty. Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price

Update Microsoft Windows XP Professional With Service Pack 2 - OEM
Model #: E85-03013
**Software delivered damaged and/or defective may be returned for an identical replacement. what's this?
Remove item from Cart Remove Save Save Move To Wishlist
$145.95 $145.95
Processors
Qty. Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price

Update AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Venice 1GHz FSB Socket 939 Processor Model ADA3000DAA4BP - OEM
Model #: ADA3000DAA4BP
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$149.00 $149.00
Video Cards & Related Devices
Qty. Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price

Update POWERCOLOR R41AB-ND3D Radeon X700 256MB DDR PCI-Express x16 Video Card - Retail
Model #: R41AB-ND3D
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$145.00 $145.00
Subtotal: $1,471.94
What's this? Tax: $88.32
Shipping
Zip Code: GO
*Enter your Zip Code and select a shipping option to determine your shipping cost. Shipping: $23.95
Redeem Gift Certificates
Claim Code:
Security Code: Redeem
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Gift Certificates $0.00
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Promo Code: Apply

Total: $1,584.21

from PCAlchemy:
SageTV 2.2 / PVR-500MCE / NVIDIA DVD Decoder Bundle SageTV 2.2 / PVR-500MCE / NVIDIA DVD Decoder Bundle
$199.95

USB-UIRT IR Blaster USB-UIRT IR Blaster
$46.95

Hauppauge A/V Cable Set for PVR-150 / 250 / 350 / 500 Hauppauge A/V Cable Set for PVR-150 / 250 / 350 / 500
$13.95

Niveus PC Remote Control Niveus PC Remote Control
$35.95

HDA Digital X-Mystique 7.1 GOLD Sound Card HDA Digital X-Mystique 7.1 GOLD Sound Card
$99.00

Seasonic S12-430 430W, Silent Power Supply, ATX Seasonic S12-430 430W, Silent Power Supply, ATX
$89.95
Sub-Total: $485.75
United Parcel Service (1 x 13lbs) (3 Day Select): $26.42
Total: $512.17

Total: 1984.11

For other software I was going to trial a bunch of them before I bought anymore.
 
The rosewill memory is hit or miss from what i read, might want to go with the corsair value select instead. Or research what brand memory will allow 1T timings, which is supposedly a good/cheap performance boost with NF3/NF4 motherboards, $10 more here can go a long way.

For video you might want to compare the X700 with the nvidia 6600, the 6600's features might be better suited for home theatre.

Otherwise you seem to have a powerful and future-proof htpc, you could even later swap the cpu for the dual-core version when their prices have dropped to sane levels ;)
 
Why the Roswell garbage?
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=80098-6
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=80098-2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145026
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820141424
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820220027

How you plan on hooking it up to your TV pretty much decides what video card to get. I'd drop both HDDs and go for a Maxtor DiamondMax 10 250gig (times two) and then a single 80 or 120 version (I imagine this is for OS/apps/etc). For silence and performance Hitachi makes really good drives but I haven't heard this extended to their high capacity (eg: the 400 gig choosen) HDDs yet, Seagate use to be the best for silence (at the expense of performance) for an HTPC but they've sort of fallen by the way side starting with the 7200.7 series. It's a good drive (better then the 7200.8 series for sure) but Maxtor offers a much better warrenty (five years compared to Seagates two/three years IIRC).
 
I am going to change the ram to the cosair
Corsair VS512MB400 512MB DDR400 PC3200 CAS2.5 Value Select Memory Retail *** Free 2nd Day *** for 42.00 that CrimandEvil mentioned. I have to decide on the video card though yet. I picked the x700 since it pretty much had all output options taken care off.. I m going to buy a new tv in 3 months time and dont want to buy a new video card then. I just have composite to my tv right now. hmm any suggestions.. As for the hdd's i am dropping the 3 hdd. I read a review that they are louder than average. So I 'll be lookin again. Anyone have any suggestions on 300 gb drives or should I just go with the 250's.


Thanks,

again
 
Here are the new specs so far. Let me know what you think:
anyone have a explorer 4200 cable box . I am hoping the ir blaster at pcalemchy will work. anyone have an experience with this
Replaced x700 with an Aopen 6600gt and replaced the hard drives: 4 300 gb maxtor III for the 5 yr warranty and 80gb hitachi.
New Egg:


Qty. Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price

Update MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Model #: K8N NEO4 Platinum
**This item may only be returned for a replacement of the same make/model. what's this?
Remove item from Cart Remove Save Save Move To Wishlist
$142.00 $142.00
Cables
Qty. Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price
1 AMC 8" 4-Pin Power Cable Splitter Model Y Power Cable - OEM
Model #: Y Power Cable $5.00 -$5.00 Sale $0.00
Memory - System
Qty. Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price

Update Patriot 512MB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered System Memory Model PSD512400 - Retail
Model #: PSD512400
Remove item from Cart Remove Save Save Move To Wishlist
$37.55 $37.55
Operating Systems
Qty. Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price

Update Microsoft Windows XP Professional With Service Pack 2 - OEM
Model #: E85-03013
**Software delivered damaged and/or defective may be returned for an identical replacement. what's this?
Remove item from Cart Remove Save Save Move To Wishlist
$145.95 $145.95
Processors
Qty. Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price

Update AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Venice 1GHz FSB Socket 939 Processor Model ADA3000DAA4BP - OEM
Model #: ADA3000DAA4BP
Remove item from Cart Remove Save Save Move To Wishlist
$149.00 $149.00
Video Cards & Related Devices
Qty. Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price

Update AOpen Geforce 6600GT 128MB GDDR3 PCI-Express x16 Video Card - Retail
Model #: 91.05210.66F
Remove item from Cart Remove Save Save Move To Wishlist
$166.99 $166.99
Subtotal: $641.49
What's this? Tax: $38.49
Shipping
Zip Code: GO
*Enter your Zip Code and select a shipping option to determine your shipping cost. Shipping: $13.81
Redeem Gift Certificates
Claim Code:
Security Code: Redeem
Click here to add another Gift Certificate.
Gift Certificates $0.00
Apply Promo Code
Promo Code: Apply

Total: $693.79

ZipZoomfly

100719-1
Maxtor Maxline III 7B300S0 300GB Serial ATA 7200RPM Hard Drive w/16MB Buffer *** Free 2nd Day ***
Remove $202.00 x 4 $808.00
100590-2
Hitachi Deskstar 7K80 80GB Serial ATA II 7200RPM Hard Drive w/8MB Buffer ***Free 2nd Day***
Remove $59.00 $59.00

total : 867.00

pc alchemy
SageTV 2.2 / PVR-500MCE / NVIDIA DVD Decoder Bundle SageTV 2.2 / PVR-500MCE / NVIDIA DVD Decoder Bundle
$199.95

USB-UIRT IR Blaster USB-UIRT IR Blaster
$46.95

Hauppauge A/V Cable Set for PVR-150 / 250 / 350 / 500 Hauppauge A/V Cable Set for PVR-150 / 250 / 350 / 500
$13.95

Niveus PC Remote Control Niveus PC Remote Control
$35.95

HDA Digital X-Mystique 7.1 GOLD Sound Card HDA Digital X-Mystique 7.1 GOLD Sound Card
$99.00

Seasonic S12-430 430W, Silent Power Supply, ATX Seasonic S12-430 430W, Silent Power Supply, ATX
$89.95
Sub-Total: $485.75

Sub-Total: $485.75
United Parcel Service (1 x 13lbs) (3 Day Select): $26.42
Total: $512.17

final total: 2072.96
 
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