Topic: Share your HTPC Setup

[boss_onie]

wow... salamat ulet for the very warm replies. it so nice, that we have a contrast ideas here... One more last Q?
is it worth it, waiting, (ipon for a HDcam?) or buying such a canon optura 400. My main reason for now is, baka i cannot maximize the full features of an expensive camera, coz i didnt start with a basic one. Or is it advisable to own a camera such as canon optura 400 for a beginners like me? i read all the features of this cam, also the optura 300, and for my own opinion, its on top of its class, compare sa mga kasabayan nya.

Another question, i tried going over the pdf file linked by Dviant <thanks man>. Huhm, gives me an idea on how it is done. the process is different. Just want to clear things in my head. HD, can be put in a dvd right? iba nga lang yun process nya right? the pic quality is very noticeable compare to SD's. Does that necessarily means, when i create an HD project, does that mean, i have to own a HDTV? or it can be played on a normal flat tv, and at the same time, HDTV? parang progressive scanning, pwede sa normal tv, and HDTV...

sir jpadua, pa censya, it becames a little bit of the topic.

Thanks again.

[bayonic]

if you want the best possible way to record your family vacation videos that's the cam to get. SD will become passe when your kids are your age. everyone will be on hdtv!

i agree . once you've seen the difference in the final picture quality , you wouldn't mind lugging the extra weight and bulk.

question for Andaleon :

1. does the JVC GR HD-1 uses ordinary mini-DV tapes ?
2. if I have the JVC HD VHS , can I record straight from the JVC GR-HD1 to HD VHS ? ( no editing , purely for backup / archiving )
3. How does the PQ of the JVC HG HD-1 compare with the Sony , ie 1CCD vs 3CCD
4. where can you get the JVC GR-HD1 for 1700 USD ?


thanks for this slightly OT thread and thanks for the replies in advance

[andaleon]

To answer Bayonic:

Yes, the JVC GR-HD1, the JY-HD10, and the Sony HDR-FX1 all use mini-DV tapes. The firewire outputs can de directly connectec to D-VHS for HD archiving (although I edit mine first).

The Sony 3 CCD model is not shipping yet so I can't compare.

In a Videomaker magazine here is the US, there was an ad for that GR-HD1 for $1700. Now, I have to look for that magazine.

To answer boss_onie:

Yes, HD footage can be downconverted to DVD. Once you have it in DVD you can do mass distribution. There are definitely more DVD players out there than D-VHS and HTPC powerful enough to decode HD.

I think most ED tv's can take a HD feed but of course won't display it in HD. I've seen 1080i feeds on some extended definition plasma's and the picture indeed is much better than Standard feed.

As far as your dilemna is concerned whether to get Optura 400 now or save for HD Cam. I personally would wait for HD Cam.

You invest on the Optura 400 now, it would be worthless to sell (so depreciated) when HD hits mainstream.

But at the same time, if HD is  really out-of-reach, get a SD cam . I don't know your personal situation. Get your feet wet in the world of DV editing and DVD authoring.

[boss_onie]

wow. very nice reply sir andaleon.  especially your last words. i will send you a pm sir andaleon.

thanks.

[GM]

I recently setup my own HTPC using Microsoft Windows Media Center. i bought a Shuttle SB61G2R(20th Anniversary Edition), installed a P4 2.8Ghz with HT on it and 512MB RAM and a 200GB SATA Drive.I have a ATI 9800 Pro and Hauppauge PVR250MCE TV card

Sa ngayon, its my primary recorder of TV shows(I have TiVo pero ang hirap mag extract ng recorded videos, I'm not a big linux user kasi kaya nangangapang madalas sa mga shell commands).Sa Sony 27" CRT ko lang sya naka connect since yung Tosh 46" HD RPTV ko wont accept PC video signals thru DVI

anyways, I got hooked into using Microsoft Windows MCE and planning to upgrade soon since may HD support na sya.Planning to get this case, Ahanix, a VBox HD Tuner and dump my Tosh RPTV to either a Samsung DLP or Sony LCD.

nagsimula sa pagbuo ng computer, nagtuloy tuloy ang gastos.  :'( :'(

[jackryan]

I recently setup my own HTPC using Microsoft Windows Media Center. i bought a Shuttle SB61G2R(20th Anniversary Edition), installed a P4 2.8Ghz with HT on it and 512MB RAM and a 200GB SATA Drive.I have a ATI 9800 Pro and Hauppauge PVR250MCE TV card

Sa ngayon, its my primary recorder of TV shows(I have TiVo pero ang hirap mag extract ng recorded videos, I'm not a big linux user kasi kaya nangangapang madalas sa mga shell commands).Sa Sony 27" CRT ko lang sya naka connect since yung Tosh 46" HD RPTV ko wont accept PC video signals thru DVI

anyways, I got hooked into using Microsoft Windows MCE and planning to upgrade soon since may HD support na sya.Planning to get this case, Ahanix, a VBox HD Tuner and dump my Tosh RPTV to either a Samsung DLP or Sony LCD.

nagsimula sa pagbuo ng computer, nagtuloy tuloy ang gastos.  :'( :'(

Okay lang yang master GM... ahem green buck earner ka naman eh ! hehehe... btw, yung Samsung DLP sulit... the 2nd generation available sa Best Buy looks great too but definitely yung LCD... whether Sony or Samsung is much better... though a little bit more expensive depending on size...  would be nice how to see your set-up now... the TSS1 that i inherited from you is well used on my son's xbox naman...

-jackryan

[GM]

  nice to hear na working pa rin yung TSS..

6 months pa nga lang mahigit yung rptv ko   pero pag napapayag ko si misis, baka palitan ko, before Christmas siguro.. 
post ako ng HTPC setup ko pero pag nakuha ko na siguro ung Ahanix case..

Okay lang yang master GM... ahem green buck earner ka naman eh ! hehehe... btw, yung Samsung DLP sulit... the 2nd generation available sa Best Buy looks great too but definitely yung LCD... whether Sony or Samsung is much better... though a little bit more expensive depending on size...  would be nice how to see your set-up now... the TSS1 that i inherited from you is well used on my son's xbox naman...

-jackryan

[jpadua]

Jackryan, nagbaba yung price ng Samsung DLP... yung dating 60" DLP rptv na dating 250k ay 199k nalang.. sayang ubos na yung mga 50" that would have gone down din sana to a more affordable price... 199k is still toooooooo much for me I want one waaaah I think its just really great with HTPCs.

[jackryan]

Jackryan, nagbaba yung price ng Samsung DLP... yung dating 60" DLP rptv na dating 250k ay 199k nalang.. sayang ubos na yung mga 50" that would have gone down din sana to a more affordable price... 199k is still toooooooo much for me I want one waaaah I think its just really great with HTPCs.

wow... i think they are disposing old stocks since newer models has come out of the market...  oks na rin... originally intended to get the higher model but i would have run out of space to put the rack for the peripherals... at that time i was given a discount of php 235k lang... ok na rin...

hey... dont forget, i got convinced to get the philips pixel 34" due to to your testamonials... hahaha... but you're right the 720p and 1080i mode of the Samsung DLP particularly when used with an XBOX is soo great !!!

-jackryan

[andaleon]

Need GAMING Advice:

A PC store saleman suggested that I should try PC Gaming with a rig like mine.

I have been doing a lot of video editing and Hi Def Archiving but have not looked at what seems to an exciting world of PC Gaming. Maybe I just did not have the time.

I am a newbie when it comes to Gaming.

I asked a couple of friends and I'll ask you guys:

What do you recommend? What gear?

I have always like Flying, so maybe I should start with a Flight Simulator. Any suggestions?

Few changes I made to my HTPC :

1.) Pentium 4 3.4GHz 550 Procesor 800 MHz FSB, 1MB Cache-Overclocked to 3.9 Ghz
2.) Asus P5AD2 Motherboard, PCI Express, 1394B Firewire 800
3.) Radeon X800 XT Platinum PCI Express-16 Video Card-OVERCLOCKED
4.) Two 250 GB Each SATA Drives, RAID 0 Array
5.) Two 34 GB Each RAPTOR Drives (10,000 RPM, SATA) for OS and Program Files RAID 0 Array
6.) 1 GB DDR2 PC2-4300 RAM Overclocked to 600 Mhz
7.) DVico Fusion 3 Gold HDTV card ATSC/QAM,
8.) M-Audio Revolution 7.1 Sound Card,
9.) Sony DVD DRU-700 Dual Layer DVD+-R/RW drive.
10.) Monarchy Audio 24/96 Digital Interface Processor (DIP) for jitter reduction.
11.) CoolerMaster Stacker Case with Crossflow fan



12.) Two 550W Antec True Power Power Supplies
13.) Two Antec Hard Drive coolers
14.) Two Removable 250 GB EIDE Drives-

[jpadua]

Need GAMING Advice:

A PC store saleman suggested that I should try PC Gaming with a rig like mine.

I have been doing a lot of video editing and Hi Def Archiving but have not looked at what seems to an exciting world of PC Gaming. Maybe I just did not have the time.

I am a newbie when it comes to Gaming.

I asked a couple of friends and I'll ask you guys:

What do you recommend? What gear?

I have always like Flying, so maybe I should start with a Flight Simulator. Any suggestions?

Few changes I made to my HTPC :

1.) Pentium 4 3.4GHz 550 Procesor 800 MHz FSB, 1MB Cache-Overclocked to 3.9 Ghz
2.) Asus P5AD2 Motherboard, PCI Express, 1394B Firewire 800
3.) Radeon X800 XT Platinum PCI Express-16 Video Card-OVERCLOCKED
4.) Two 250 GB Each SATA Drives, RAID 0 Array
5.) Two 34 GB Each RAPTOR Drives (10,000 RPM, SATA) for OS and Program Files RAID 0 Array
6.) 1 GB DDR2 PC2-4300 RAM Overclocked to 600 Mhz
7.) DVico Fusion 3 Gold HDTV card ATSC/QAM,
8.) M-Audio Revolution 7.1 Sound Card,
9.) Sony DVD DRU-700 Dual Layer DVD+-R/RW drive.
10.) Monarchy Audio 24/96 Digital Interface Processor (DIP) for jitter reduction.
11.) CoolerMaster Stacker Case with Crossflow fan



12.) Two 550W Antec True Power Power Supplies
13.) Two Antec Hard Drive coolers
14.) Two Removable 250 GB EIDE Drives-

Andaleon,

Wow, you know your PC specs always make me drool!   and yeah the your machine is top notch especially for gaming! you will get very smooth framerates and almost realistic graphics.

And yes, with a powerfull HTPC system like yours and plus the fact that you are hooked up to a projector, simulations would be really immersive, especially if you have a force feedback controller (flight stick, or a steering wheel)

Man I'm so addicted to this new game... It's called Richard Burns Rally... its the most realistic rally driving simulator, I'm using it with a Momo Racing Force Feedback wheel and I can say that its really immersive compared other driving games out there.  The physics engine is so realistic that the correct pressure on the gas and brake pedals, will make or break a great corner.  Also the Force feedback wheel really translate the road to your hands, you can feel the bumps and pot holes on the road, and last but not the least, the graphics are simply stunning, when watching the replays, it really looks like watching a real rally on TV its awesome.  Playing this game with a game pad wont make it enjoyable since the game is very difficult and the force feedback effects and using a wheel and pedals are important in the game.

With your system, You could run Richard burns at 1280x1024 in 32bit color, 6x anti-aliasing, and with all the graphical eye candy turned on at very high framerates...Play it on a projector, HOLY **** that would be the best sim experience.

Here's a screen shot, this pic wont do it Justice, you have to see it running at 60frames per second at high resolution... wow.


If you are into flight sims, um I wouldnt know what game to recommend, I used to play a lot flight sims, 5-6yrs ago so I dont know the good ones now.

Great thing about HTPCs, with such high system specs, gaming can be accomodated.  Higher resolutions and better graphics even an XBOX wouldnt be able to match.

Sir Andaleon... get into gaming! it would be a whole new thing for you to go gaga over! heheh... have fun!

[ADM202E]

Need GAMING Advice:

A PC store saleman suggested that I should try PC Gaming with a rig like mine.

I have been doing a lot of video editing and Hi Def Archiving but have not looked at what seems to an exciting world of PC Gaming. Maybe I just did not have the time.

I am a newbie when it comes to Gaming.

I asked a couple of friends and I'll ask you guys:

What do you recommend? What gear?

I have always like Flying, so maybe I should start with a Flight Simulator. Any suggestions?

Few changes I made to my HTPC :

1.) Pentium 4 3.4GHz 550 Procesor 800 MHz FSB, 1MB Cache-Overclocked to 3.9 Ghz
2.) Asus P5AD2 Motherboard, PCI Express, 1394B Firewire 800
3.) Radeon X800 XT Platinum PCI Express-16 Video Card-OVERCLOCKED
4.) Two 250 GB Each SATA Drives, RAID 0 Array
5.) Two 34 GB Each RAPTOR Drives (10,000 RPM, SATA) for OS and Program Files RAID 0 Array
6.) 1 GB DDR2 PC2-4300 RAM Overclocked to 600 Mhz
7.) DVico Fusion 3 Gold HDTV card ATSC/QAM,
8.) M-Audio Revolution 7.1 Sound Card,
9.) Sony DVD DRU-700 Dual Layer DVD+-R/RW drive.
10.) Monarchy Audio 24/96 Digital Interface Processor (DIP) for jitter reduction.
11.) CoolerMaster Stacker Case with Crossflow fan
12.) Two 550W Antec True Power Power Supplies
13.) Two Antec Hard Drive coolers
14.) Two Removable 250 GB EIDE Drives-

Nice setup dude. Actual photos?......internal looks and the whole system?

[andaleon]

"Momo Racing Force Feedback"

I like the thought of that!

Speed is always addictive .

I'll post pictures later.

[jpadua]

"Momo Racing Force Feedback"

I like the thought of that!

Speed is always addictive .

I'll post pictures later.

Oh not to mention, the lifelike sounds in surround with your sound system.  This game is goin to rock!  by the wya this game is extremely difficult, but once you get the hang of it, finishing a course and watching the replay is very very rewarding.

Any news of Theatertek2 yet?

[andaleon]

Picture of tha actual "RAPTOR" HTPC. 

I took it out. It is normally housed in a separate room and controlled via RF mouse and keyboard. Forget about taking this to LAN party! It turned out to be too huge to transport around.



Notice the intake for the crossflow fan.



Inside. Notice the two Power Supplies, SATA Connections



The Chip and Mobo- P5AD2 with Intel 925x  Chipset, Pentium 4 550 3.4GHz in LGA 775 form. Below is the X800 XT video card with it's unique 6-Pin Power Connector.

[jpadua]

That is one kick ass HTPC, Ive never seen so many hard drives in one case before!

[andaleon]

That's why the CoolerMaster stacker is a logical choice.

I like the cooling options on it too, especially the CrossFlow fan. You can overclock without resorting to liquid cooling. I'd rather use the resources for more Hard Drives.

The motherboard can actually support 14 hard drives.

[yukon]

HANEP!!!

[ADM202E]

Cool rigs dude! Two thumbs up!

[chronic]

are those sata?and how big is the sizes?

[andaleon]

The SATA's are 300 GB each with 16MB buffers.

I just bought two more. I run the the system at RAID 10.

Two Raptor SATA drives (34GB, 10K RPM) run at RAID 0 for the Operating System and Program Files.

I have just recently built a similar system minus the Hi Def tuner and Sound Card for a Cardiologist for his  Medical  Imaging. It takes images off his Nuclear Camera and UltraSound . A superb group of Heart Doctors then use this as a reading station.

Cool, this is thing isn't just for fun after all!

[jackryan]

The SATA's are 300 GB each with 16MB buffers.

I just bought two more. I run the the system at RAID 10.

Two Raptor SATA drives (34GB, 10K RPM) run at RAID 0 for the Operating System and Program Files.

I have just recently built a similar system minus the Hi Def tuner and Sound Card for a Cardiologist for his  Medical  Imaging. It takes images off his Nuclear Camera and UltraSound . A superb group of Heart Doctors then use this as a reading station.

Cool, this is thing isn't just for fun after all!

How much do you get those SATA drives there? I got from a local store here in Manila a 160gb SATA drive Php 6,300 or roughly US$ 120. I am sure it's far cheaper there in the US with all the stores and online merchants competing wildly for consumers there...

-jackryan

[jpadua]

been looking for a 160gb sata drive with no luck... lahat out of stock... you know where I can get one thats readily available?

[elmers]

That's why the CoolerMaster stacker is a logical choice.

I like the cooling options on it too, especially the CrossFlow fan. You can overclock without resorting to liquid cooling. I'd rather use the resources for more Hard Drives.

The motherboard can actually support 14 hard drives.

cool set up. why do you need so much hard drive?  is it because of your video editing stuff?  =)
enjoy the new world of gaming!

[jpadua]

Hi,

Was reading PC Buyers guide last week, and I found another local retailer selling an HTPC case.

Cooler Master Cavalier 4


I think I remember it was Axis Global.  I think its 7k if I remember it correctly.

[jpadua]

hmm I think its time to revive this thread once again its been quite a while.

So for those interested in building an HTPC here's a short list of things you might need.  So you can cross check with the stuff you already have and maybe stuff you might want to buy.

An HTPC is basically a PC built with  entertainment features in mind... for the most part it is used mainly with your Home Theater System hence the name "Home Theater PC".

Here's a basic Checklist:

1. HTPC Casing - A case that is asthetically pleasing, usually in a desktop configuration (not a tower) that can blend in with your Home Theater equipment.   HTPC cases are not so abundant here, but there are a few who sell them.

-Extreme Modz carry some Silverstone HTPC cases
-Axis global has the new coolermaster Cavalier 4.

2. Powersupply -  any powersupply will do, but if you will be using a powerful graphics card, like the ati 9800pro or the newer Nvidia cards, I suggest you get a powersupply that is ample enough to provide all the juice your PC might need. 

A good powersupply would be an HEC PowerOP 475w.  Its pretty quiet and the fan is automated to change speed when the PSU gets too hot.  Its pretty silent, and has enough wattage to power lots of peripherals and several harddrives.  Another nice thing about is that the cables are sleeved so you your cables can be easily arranged for good airflow inside the case.

3. Motherboard - This all depends on what type of CPU you plan to use, so I'll just layout the basic. Find one with spdif output (digital audio output).  Most motherboards now have this so you wont have a problem finding them.  This allows you to send Audio digitally to your Home Theater Amp and have the amp do the AC-3 or DTS decoding.

My personal favorite is still the Nforce 2 based motherboard.   If you are planning on using an AthlonXP then look for a board that has an NForce2 Chipset with MCP-T.   This chipset has dolby digital "encoding"  anything thing that can spit out 5.1 from your PC will be encoded into Dolby Digital, Including Games! 

4. Processor -  This is more of a personal preference, but it all really depends on what you plan to do with your HTPC.  For basic DVD, MP3, CD-Audio, Internet and some games, I suggest not to go lower than an AthlonXP 2500 or its intel equivalent.   

5. Memory  - 512MB DDR.  Minimum.  This is enough for your PC to handle most current softwares out today.

6. Hard Drive - Again this all depends on what your needs are.  This is all relative, but for basic usage, 80GB would be more than sufficient. If you plan to store DVDs to your hard drive or record a lot of TV programs, then you will need a lot of storage.  SATA drives are recommended.   Ths bigger the better 120GB - 200GB.  Add more drives if you need the space.

7. DVD drive  or DVD-RW.   - Most current crop of DVD drives and DVD-RW drives are sufficient.   I sugget going for a lite-on DVD-RW since you can flash this to dual layer in the future.  Lite-on's are a bit noisy but there are ways to quiet the beast through software. Nero Drive speed can lower the read and spindown speed of your drive to make it quiet. 

8. Video card - I would suggest ATI... maybe the 9600, 9800, XTs and X800.  This all depends again.  If you would just want to use this for video output then, the 9600 series would be sufficient.  ATI is known to have very good overlay for video.  The latest crop of Nvidia cards are also good. 

9.  Sound Card.  If your motherboard already has the spdif output, then you can skip this part.  There are only 2 soundcards available here, that I can suggest.  The Audigy 2 ZS or an M-Audio Revo.  Advantages of the other are simple... Audigy better game support.  M-Audio better audio  quality.  Both are really good, they just have their own little niches.

10.  TV-Tuner. -  Hardware MPEG-2 cards are always better, but they cost a lot and not much is available here.  The Hauppauge PVR-250 is a standard.  For software encoders, The Leadtek WinfastXP is pretty good (this is what I use) and relatively cheap.

Now for the Software:

OS - WinXP home or professional.
DVD Player - WinDVD or PowerDVD, MediaPlayer Classic (free)   
MP3 Player - Winamp (free)
DVD Region management - DVDIdle or AnyDVD , RegionKiller (free)
DVD ripping software - DVDshrink (free)     

Frontend Software - This is what ties all your software into one interface....  This usually takes up your whole screen and you are presented only with buttons you specify to launch your MP3 Player, DVD Player, CD player, TV Tuner etc.

myHTPC (free)
Media Portal (free)

Of course you would want to use your new HTPC wirelessly.  Look for any wireless keyboard and mouse combo.  Unfortunately only a few are available here locally, so we are really limited to the Logitech Wireless Combo.  Its actually has a pretty good range, enough for you to enjoy your HTPC from your couch.

How to connect the HTPC

If you do not own an HDTV, then your only choice is to connect the HTPC via s-video, most of the latest video cards already have s-video output built in.   If you will be connecting to an HDTV, you can use a VGA cable or DVI.

Connect your the digital output of the HTPC to the digital input on your amp. 

Power on and enjoy!

[av_phile1]

That was quite enlightening, jpadua.  I already have a P4 2.8 PC more for wav files and games than HT, but at least I know which parts to upgrade if I want to give it more muscle.  Thanks.  Just some concerns you may be able to help:

1.  Would a more powerful power supply that you mentioned require that I get a bigger ATX casing, or wiill they have the same form factor so that the  current one will do? 

2.   Can a SATA drive co-exist with an IDE drive?  I currently have two 80gb and one 120gb IDE drives.  My motherboard is an Asus  P4P8000 SE.that supports SATA.  At the rate I am putting in umcomrpressed wav files from new CDs, seems I will need a few more HDDs within the next 6 months.  What's the maximum number of drives I can put in?  Assuming a mix of IDE and SATA?

3.  Should I need a hard drive cooler if I go beyond 120gb?

4   With the maximum HDD on board, what's the recommended power supply? 

5.  Is the athlon 64-bit processor and motherboard better than the intel prescott and assosiated motherboard like the P5dv2? 

6    On quiet afternoons and evenings, I can still hear a whinning noise on my PC.  I am not sure if that's the powersupply fan or the CPU fan.  What would be the culprit here?   As an audiophile, I really would like to have complete siilence with only the music to hear. (I often turn off the aircon for this purpose and suffer the heat.     Are there quiet CPU fans and power supply fans out there?  Any recommendations?  Thanks.

[number1]

1.  Would a more powerful power supply that you mentioned require that I get a bigger ATX casing, or wiill they have the same form factor so that the  current one will do? 

They have the same form factor size, it is the wattage where their difference starts to crop. Power supplies nowadays are available from a lowly 350 watts to an all brawn 550 watts. Which one you should get will largely depend on your what devices you have. If you have like 4 or more hard drives and dvd-roms, dvd-writer or powerful graphic cards like Ati Radeon 9700pro, 9800pro/xt, x800 or Nvidia 5950, 6800 then you would need 450 watts at least. Also take into consideration the various case fans that you might have.

2.   Can a SATA drive co-exist with an IDE drive?  I currently have two 80gb and one 120gb IDE drives.  My motherboard is an Asus  P4P8000 SE.that supports SATA.  At the rate I am putting in umcomrpressed wav files from new CDs, seems I will need a few more HDDs within the next 6 months.  What's the maximum number of drives I can put in?  Assuming a mix of IDE and SATA?

SATA and PATA drives can co-exist without any problems. Since you have an Asus  P4P8000 SE, you may actually attach 6 hard drives provided that you don't use an optical drive. If you do have an optical drive, then you can attach 5 drives. 3 PATA drives and 2 SATA drives.

3.  Should I need a hard drive cooler if I go beyond 120gb?

In my opinion, you don't need a hard drive cooler. Since most PCs have the hard drives located at the bottom front portion of the case, just put a 80mm or even better a 120mm fan in front of it (assuming of course there is a provisional vent hole). Just allow proper ventilation of your PC case is enough.

4   With the maximum HDD on board, what's the recommended power supply? 

Just to be sure, try 450watts and above. Better overpowered than underpowered.

5.  Is the athlon 64-bit processor and motherboard better than the intel prescott and assosiated motherboard like the P5dv2? 

AMD Athlon 64 are good for gaming. Intel are better for encoding stuff like mp3, divx, etc. In your case, I think your intel 2.8 is sufficient enough . You did not mention your video card, in any case, I think thats what you need to upgrade if you decide to go into games.  Upgrade it into any video card sporting the Nvidia 6600GT chip, get the agp version since thats what your motherboard supports.

6    On quiet afternoons and evenings, I can still hear a whinning noise on my PC.  I am not sure if that's the powersupply fan or the CPU fan.  What would be the culprit here?   As an audiophile, I really would like to have complete silence with only the music to hear. (I often turn off the aircon for this purpose and suffer the heat.     Are there quiet CPU fans and power supply fans out there?  Any recommendations?  Thanks.

The noise you are hearing is likely from the stock intel fan you are using. In my case, my cpu is an intel prescott so the cpu fan would go up to 5100 rpm when under load, so you can just imagine the amount of annoying noise it makes. The amount of noise that a fan emits is directly proportional to the rpm it is running at, which is directly proportional to the heat the cpu is emitting. A quiet cpu fan may be one that operates at lower rpm which in turn could affect their cooling efficiency. On the other hand, a cpu fan that operates at a high rpm would emit lots of annoying noise but it helps control the temperature.

In your case, you might want to go for a more efficient heatsink like those heat pipes made of pure copper so that you can run your fan at a lower rpm. Good but pricey brands include thermalright and zalman. The thermalright requires the purchase of a separte fan. A good fan brand is swiftech. Go to newegg.com for more details.

[jackryan]

been looking for a 160gb sata drive with no luck... lahat out of stock... you know where I can get one thats readily available?

I got mine from Virra Mall 2nd floor store last weekend...

-jackryan

[jpadua]

That was quite enlightening, jpadua.  I already have a P4 2.8 PC more for wav files and games than HT, but at least I know which parts to upgrade if I want to give it more muscle.  Thanks.  Just some concerns you may be able to help:

1.  Would a more powerful power supply that you mentioned require that I get a bigger ATX casing, or wiill they have the same form factor so that the  current one will do? 

2.   Can a SATA drive co-exist with an IDE drive?  I currently have two 80gb and one 120gb IDE drives.  My motherboard is an Asus  P4P8000 SE.that supports SATA.  At the rate I am putting in umcomrpressed wav files from new CDs, seems I will need a few more HDDs within the next 6 months.  What's the maximum number of drives I can put in?  Assuming a mix of IDE and SATA?

3.  Should I need a hard drive cooler if I go beyond 120gb?

4   With the maximum HDD on board, what's the recommended power supply? 

5.  Is the athlon 64-bit processor and motherboard better than the intel prescott and assosiated motherboard like the P5dv2? 

6    On quiet afternoons and evenings, I can still hear a whinning noise on my PC.  I am not sure if that's the powersupply fan or the CPU fan.  What would be the culprit here?   As an audiophile, I really would like to have complete siilence with only the music to hear. (I often turn off the aircon for this purpose and suffer the heat.     Are there quiet CPU fans and power supply fans out there?  Any recommendations?  Thanks.

Hi Av_phile1,

Let me also try to answer your questions:

1.  As long as your casing is of the ATX form factor, any ATX powersupply will fit your Casing.  Actually you would be fine with a 350w PSU, but if you have a lot of peripherals like several hard drives and a power hungry video card, you might need one.  I already went through 2 350w powersupplies.  The one that lasted was my 475w I guess its more of a suggestion based on my personal experience.  My machine is running an AthlonXP overclocked to 3200, with 3 Harddrives, 1 DVDrom drive and one CDRW.  I'm using a 9800pro (which uses external power) and a TV card.  I guess 2 350w psus really couldnt cut it.

2. Yes IDE and Sata drives can co exist.  One of the main reasons why I recommended Sata drives is because they have faster drive access and have an 8mb buffer as a default.  The large size is for storing huge amounts of data. In my case, I rip my favorite DVD's to the hard drive so that I dont have to keep loading the discs.  Its very convinient, I just open my DVD player, and choose what movie to watch from the interface.  Having DVDs also on the hard drive will help prolong the life of your Discs as well, since you would barely use it now that its stored on the hard drive.   Some people archive TV shows on a regular basis using their TV card so again the large hard drive is recommended.

If you really plan on stacking up your Hard drives, I think the best way is to get 200GB sata drives.  In your case you can probably have 2 sata drives. so 400GB will be your max... also you can still use your IDE ports for maybe 4 more drives... if you can fit it in your case.

3. Hard drive cooler are neat, as long as you have the space for it.   If your case has adequate ventilation, then you might not need HD coolers (plus they add to the noise).

4.  Most of the current crop of motherboards would already support SATA.  Most configurations would have 2 SATA ports, IDE1 and IDE2 and even an IDE3.  My mobo for example is an MSI ILSR MCP-T.  Which has all of these.   The SATA ports and IDE3 can be raid configured.

5. To what I know, prescotts run really really hot.  So if you want to shave off some degrees in your case an Athlon64 would be better.

6. Silencing is also an important part in HTPC building especially if you are an audiophile. Here are some recomendations:

If you are using an AthlonXP The ThermalTake Silentboost is as quiet as a whisper (CPU Heatsink and Fan)  21dba
For other Processors the Zalman CNPS7000A-CU is king on HTPCs and is rated <21dba  Thats pretty quiet.  Only draw back with this HSF is you have to make sure it fits your motherboard for it is quite huge.  Visit the Zalman Website and check the compatible motherboards.

One of the most overlooked source of noise would be your Video card fan.  This can actually be the loudest in your system.   If you are using an ATI Card.   The Artic VGA Silencer is highly recommended.   I have one and I cannot hear it at all, even on high speed which even allows me to run my 9800Pro on XT Speeds! thats pretty impressive.   If you dont really plan to overclock, The Zalman Heatpipe cooler is totally silent since it is fanless, you can also try the new Coolviva Heatpipe cooler (the ones used on the new Nvidia 6800 coolviva)

PSU's are also sources of noise... but you can find a lot of silent PSU now.  HEC Silent OP, Power OP,  Task450, Silverstone SilentX.   When looking for a good powersupply, look at the noise rating.  Most of them are silent.   Older PSU are as loud as vaccum cleaners.  You wont have much trouble looking for Silent PSUs.

Case fans are also a source of noise.  There are a lot of Silent Case fans... look for the ones rated at 21dba or less... It may be hard to find here, but you might be able to find some from other modding enthusiasts over at tipidPC.com

Other things to silence your HTPC.   In Extreme Modz Greenhills, they sell silicon vibration absorbers for ATX PSU and 80mm fans.  Also rubber washers on your hard drive screws help a lot in reducing vibration noise. 

Another source of noise (which is somehow really irritating) is the spin-up and spin-down noise of your DVD drive.   Most drives nowadays are really fast, only draw back would be the whirring noise everytime it reads an Audio CD or DVD.  Most Set-top DVD players are very quiet since the DVD drives are as low as 2x speed.   You can acutally lower the speed of your Drive whenever you want to by using this freeware program called NERO Drive speed.  You can find this on the Web.  Another useful tool is DVD Idle Pro.   This is another DVD drive utility that caches the data on the drive thus reducing the Drive read time.  Instead of reading the disc throughout a whole DVD movie, DVD Idle will read the disc contents and the rest will be played from a memory buffer.

Samsung DVD drives are very very quiet probably the best one out there. Ive personally compared it to lite-ons and boy were the lite ons really LOUD.  (I work on my computers in a sound dampened room so I can really tell)

If you really want to get into PC silencing....  check out http://www.buildsilentpc.com/

I once built a really silent HTPC, I can hardly tell that it was running. unless I stick my ear to the case. 
My silent components were only:

Task Silent PSU
Thermal Take Silent Boost CPU Heatsink and Fan
Zalman Heatpipe video cooler.

Jay