Gaming Laptop & "modest" HTPC or Uber Gaming Desktop Rig???

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Right Guys need some advice.

I've been planning on building a HTPC for some time now with a Component output (I have the JVC HD CRT which I will be using it with)

However having been round my brothers this weekend & having a blast on FEAR (Yes I know it's very old) I have the urge to buy a new rig for some gaming as I've been away from the PC side of gaming for quite sometime now...last game I bought was Doom 3

But now I dont know what to do.

I dont know if I should still build my HTPC & buy a good Gaming Laptop or if it's at all possible should I build an uber gaming rig that will have component output so I can run it as a HTPC as well??

I would really still like the use of a HTPC to get rid of my Tevion DVD player which is really playing me up now

Anyway what would you suggest...Ideally my budget for both is about the £1500-£1600 mark obviously the lower the better
Although is it even possible to build a gaming rig that will allow me to use my JVC CRT to play games on or will I still need a Flat panel Monitor for gaming anyway??

Thanks in advance for the help.

Neil

 

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How about a Uber Gaming Desktop Rig and a HTPC?

Gaming laptop will take up all that budget for one thats vaugly decent. Gaming laptops are a waste of money.

You can easily afford a HTPC and a top-brass gaming desktop on that budget.

Now that sounds like a plan

My HTPC build was looking at about £600 & tbh I didnt realise it would be possible to build a really good gaming setup for less than £1k

I pretty much have the HTPC specc'd like I said so what should I look at for a gaming rig??

Thanks in advance

Neil

 

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FEAR is really old?? Don't think you could've found many nicer looking games to twist your arm

Well I say old I thought it came out sometime ago show's you I have been away for a while

Like I said the last "real" PC game I bought was Doom 3...since then I have bought one other title...Police Quest Collection & thats hardly taxing is it

Anyway thanks for the spec Raikiri...would that deffinitley be able to connect to Component inputs as well to act as a HTPC in the lounge??

Neil

 

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Jaffa cake,

Thanks for the specs...if I go the 2 rig route (which tbh I think I will now) then I would need a Monitor for the gaming rig other than that I can add keyboards & Mice myself.

As for the HTPC whatever card I have in it will need a VGA-Component convertor becuase unfortunatley my TV doesnt have a VGA input as it was one of those JVC sets that was out about 2 years ago & does 1080i over component but nothing else...still it's a perfectly reasonable set for the money I paid (£350) & makes my 360 look lovely

Damien,

Dont worry you'll all be the first to know what I do

Thanks again guys it's all a huge help

Neil

 

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Hey guys,

Thanks again for the specs it's really appreciated.

Just an update on the HTPC side of things...I basically already had a spec in mind for that which was all to be built around this here MOBO which actually comes with component out as standard & a Geforce 6150 chipset which I'm lead to believe would be ok for a basic HTPC??

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-145-AS&groupid=701&catid=5&subcat=807

I would then chuch a AMD Dual Core 4200+ in there with 2GB PC6400 Ram & a 320GB HDD, everything else after that (coolers etc) would be under advice from you lot anyway.

I basically neede the most help on a gaming setup as I havent got a clue whats about these days

Anyway thanks again for all this...you lot are like gods to me with your knowledge

Neil

 

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I was under the impression you would want to playback HD, but i did sort of just guess that My spec there is good for HD, but obviously you can cut down a lot if you only want dvd's

HD isnt a huge deal to me at the moment but at some point in the future (probably when I upgrade the CRT to a proper 1080p LCD) so I would like that option to be there so i'm assuming that Geforce chipset I mentioned on the ASUS board isnt good enough for that? or is the processor that I chose that lets it down?

Basically to begin with good DVD & DivX playback is my main priority for my HTPC but I would still like some future proofing of it as well, so if your spec can do all that & with component out then there is absolutley no reason why I wont go down that route.

Neil

 

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Check exactly how the HD out works - there won't be the correct sockets literally on the motherboard. Description states that a 'module' is bundled which you need to use - this will plug into something on the mobo (possibly the DVI? maybe one of the PCI slots?) and so might use up a socket that you are hoping to use for something else.

This is the actual HD card that comes with the motherboard...

Not really sure which sort of slot it might take but as long as I have a space PCI slot for a soundcard I dont think it will be a big deal tbh.

Neil