Help me spec a HTPC

[Vidar]

Okay Guys I'm thinking about building a HTPC using some of the guts from my current system...

I'll most likely be keeping the following for it...

• Intel Core i7 920 D0
  
• Foxconn Renaissance
  
• Coolermaster Real Power 620w Modular
  
• OCZ Gold 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 Tri Channel
  
• Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB
  

Could you please spec me the rest of what I would need for the best overall HTPC system... It's to be connected upto a 50" HDTV

Thanks...

 

[Freddie1980]

First of all make sure you get a decent case, Lian Li has a lovely HTPC case, its not cheap but since it’s for the living room paying the extra for atheistic’s is justified IMO. You can also fit a full size video card in there as well as TV Tuners and sound cards.

The choice of TV Tuner is up to you but get one that has a double tuner so you watch and record TV at the same time. You might as well get a BLU-Ray drive since there now affordable but consider a video card like a Radeon 5770 so you can play sound out using true HD Bit streaming, also a card like that will serve as good gaming card as well.

Lastly and this is the most important part is the choice of software, I can’t choose for you but there’s 3 basic choices – Windows 7 Media Centre, XBOX Media Centre (XBMC) or my personal choice Mediaportal. There’s also a range of Linux solutions as well but I don’t much about these.