Project: Galileo - Rebuilding HTPC

[lord_farfig]

Welcome to Project: Galileo! (version 2)


This is my first worklog, and I figure I would share my re-build of my HTPC!

My previous HTPC was a combination of parts from an older HP computer I had, which I put into an HTPC enclosure. I've pulled the HP parts out of the case and put 'em back together for a family member who was needing a reliable computer. So, now I am without an HTPC... but not for long!

I had some parts laying around:

- AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+
- 500 GB HDD
- DVD+/-RW
- Vista Ultimate
- Antec Fusion (duh)

And I've ordered some parts:

- Zotac GF8200-A-E AM2+/AM2 mobo (link) - I'm not sure about the design of the board, but it should be great for an HTPC. I mainly chose this one because it has a Coax Digital out, which will go to my receiver. The HP board I was using had a Digital Coax out, so this was a must for the board to have.
- 4 GB DDR2-6400
- Zalman CNPS8000 HSF

Now, I just have to wait for the parts to arrive so I can assemble everything. This will probably be a quick and dirty worklog, but I thought I'd share anyway.


Now, for the obligatory 1st picture...

 

[morgwon]

I have the same case. I love it. I am using a scythe ninja mini, be-2400 proc, and Asus 8200 board. Havent had any issues with the setup.

 

[Reanimation_LP]

Interesting looking at the Newegg pictures, the back I/O plate doesnt seem to match the ports. At all.

Hope its a fluke on their end and ya get the right plate. Those little details irk me.

How good is the cases VFD and IR? I see that it comes with its own remote. Is that remote receiver compatible with any MCE remote? I have one from an HP computer I absolutely love.

 

[mikey976]

this case rocks just got one thur the newegg hot deals.
ir seems to work flawless the vfd is pretty good. howevver with some quick thinking i had to fit a 4th hd above the psu

 

[lord_farfig]

Interesting looking at the Newegg pictures, the back I/O plate doesnt seem to match the ports. At all.

Hope its a fluke on their end and ya get the right plate. Those little details irk me.

How good is the cases VFD and IR? I see that it comes with its own remote. Is that remote receiver compatible with any MCE remote? I have one from an HP computer I absolutely love.

Yeah, I noticed that too... hopefully just a photo issue. Otherwise it'll be going back to newegg and I'll have to pick a different board. Yeah, I'm a bit anal in regards to those details too, everything has to be right!

As for the VFD, I've personally never had it working right. It worked right one day, and that was it. It just lights up blue when I power the system on, and then off when I kill the software in Windows (otherwise it'll stay on - all the time. Even if I power the system off). Maybe with this re-build it will want to work for me! If not I'll have to contact Antec since I recall reading about some issues with the VFDs, that they'll fix via RMA. I mainly use it to watch downloaded shows, and my MP3 collection on my surround system, so the VFD hasn't been too terribly important. But since I have it, it would be nice for it to work.

The VFD is compatible with MCE remotes, I also have an HP MCE remote and USB receiver I had been using. I would first turn off the VFD, because I would get 'double' IR going to the system and things wouldn't work right. Say mute. HP USB Receivers gets "mute" signal, so does VFD... Windows see's "mute" "mute," and we all know from math class, 2 negatives make a positive... so no mute!

Though I will also share (I don't have pictures of this process) what I had to do to enable both the Power button and "Remote" power on via the VFD. I don't know why Antec wouldn't have enabled this from the factory... The VFD has IR support for power on (via MCE Remote) to the motherboard. There is also a Power button on the case, which has its own leads. So when I first got the case I had 2 sets of Power leads, one from the button, and one from the VFD. I found on Antec's website in their FAQ section for this case a quick how-to to support "Remote" power on... However, it was nowhere near as easy as they documented. There was supposedly a header on the back of the VFD I could run my Power button leads to, and then I would only use the VFD leads to the mobo. So I removed the front bezel to find this header... Hmm. No header. Well I guess I'll take the VFD off... it was almost in it's own enclosure attached to the front bezel, so it wasn't a pick-nick taking that off. Then finally getting to the back of the VFD I find the header... but wouldn't you flippin' know the Power button leads were a bit too long to fit back in the enclosure the VFD was attached to. At this point I'm a bit irritated, so I just decided to bend the header to make the leads fit into the enclosure. Gosh... after all that. WHY COULDN'T ANTEC DO THIS FROM THE FACTORY!!!! [end rant]

::deep breath::

Ahhh. Ok. Now, I'm just waiting on the parts. They should be here Friday, and hooray, I don't have to work Friday! But there is a Halloween party I am to be attending. So hopefully the parts will get here early so I can toss everything together!

 

[lord_farfig]

Yippie! UPS delivered the goodies! So I'm installing the parts now and I'll have pictures soon!

 

[lord_farfig]

So, here we go! (BULK UPDATE - I told you it was going to be quick!)


Starting with the pile of goodies:

POOF! They're together! (I guess it's not much of a worklog if they parts are magically together... hehe)
Now I'm not superb at the cable management, and this board didn't help with that fact much either. But I went out on a limb and got a no-name brand (well I've 'heard' of Zotac - but never had personal experience) motherboard. Though build was smooth and everything is working great! Oh, and the I/O plate that came with the board is for this board!

Hey look! My TV has a BIOS!

Now it's time to install Windows:

Even though Setup recognized my HDD to install on, I've used a nifty trick and went ahead and loaded the SATA drivers in Setup, it helps with boot times and whatnot.


After what seemed like a whole 20 minutes I was greeted with this screen!

The install was QUICK! So time for drivers!

Installing Service Pack 1, since my disc was Pre-SP1...

 

[lord_farfig]

And here are the fruits of my labor! Remember how before I mentioned I didn't have the VFD working right... Well guess what!

iTunes:

Here's the whole setup:

(Well half the TV down...)


And here's a sexy one, just for kicks.

Final Specs:
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ [Zalman CNPS8000]
Zotac GeForce 8200 AM2+/AM2 Mobo
4GB PC2-6400 (2x2GB) G.Skill
500GB Seagate 7200.11 SATAII
Lite-On DVD+/-RW DL (IDE)
D-Link DWA-522 Wireless N PCI
Antec Fusion HTPC Case with 430W PSU

Using onboard video to TV (DVI -> HDMI cable)
Using onboard sound to Receiver (Digital Coax)
HP MCE Remote and HP Wireless KB/Mouse (Little USB Receiver in front)

 

[lord_farfig]

So... Comments? Questions?

(sorry if the pictures take a while to load)

 

[Shambler]

Makes my ghetto Celeron, random case, HTPC feel inadequate.

Congorats, looks quite nice!

Question: Only for Vid and Tunes. Any plans for discreet graphics, gaming in the future?

 

[thebeephaha]

Is there a reason you have your ram in single channel mode? Two slots on the far right are filled...

Other than that looks nice!

 

[colinstu]

Is there a reason you have your ram in single channel mode? Two slots on the far right are filled...

In the picture, the two left slots are blue, and the two on the right are red. He has it setup correctly in dual channel.

Manual here. Page 10 (11 if including the cover page)

 

[lord_farfig]

Makes my ghetto Celeron, random case, HTPC feel inadequate.

Congorats, looks quite nice!

Question: Only for Vid and Tunes. Any plans for discreet graphics, gaming in the future?

Thanks!

I might pop a discreet card in there in the future, but the integrated 8200 should suffice. My old one had an 8400GS, but I didn't do much gaming. I have a whole other computer for that with CrossFireX...

Is there a reason you have your ram in single channel mode? Two slots on the far right are filled...

Other than that looks nice!

No, it is in dual channel mode. I had to use the right 2 slots because the HSF blocked the 1st of the 2 blue slots, which then would have prevented me running in Dual Channel mode.

 

[Adidas4275]

how does the 8200 igp do, i have built 4 HTPCs all with the ati 780g chipset boards

how does the 8200 do with blu-ray content?

 

[thebeephaha]

In the picture, the two left slots are blue, and the two on the right are red. He has it setup correctly in dual channel.

Manual here. Page 10 (11 if including the cover page)

Oh its one of those funny boards where they are next to each other. My bad.

 

[lord_farfig]

how does the 8200 igp do, i have built 4 HTPCs all with the ati 780g chipset boards

how does the 8200 do with blu-ray content?

I think it works rather well. I unfortunately don't have a Blu-Ray drive in this system so I can't say for sure. I have 1 HD file (.mkv) of the British (super duper amazingly awesome) car show Top Gear; a "Polar Special" where they travel to the North Pole. It's 1080p and plays fine with VLC/MPC and the CCCP (which some people discourage, but it's easy for me, and I don't have to buy any extra software like CoreAVC - but that is amazing)
w1retap built a little HTPC with an 8200 ITX board and it handled Blu-Ray and HD fine. He's mostly the reason I re-did mine with an 8200 board, though I went for no-name generic board. But it's working out great!

Oh its one of those funny boards where they are next to each other. My bad.

Yep. Most newer boards are coming that way now... I guess to make it easier for the Average Joe.
Though I didn't get a picture of it, but there was a little sticker on the RAM slots when I took it out of the box explaining that the like colored slots were for Dual-Channel. I thought that was nice. (I mean, it's not that hard to read a manual either)
But real Men don't read manuals, hehe.