Spec me my first HTCP!!

engstrom0304

engstrom0304

engstrom0304

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5 Apr 2008
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I want to spend as little as possible. Maybe £350 to £400.

It is to go in our second home in wales where we have no tv so we can use iplayer etc and watch dvds on media centre etc. And maybe for me a couple of games.

Any ideas?

And as i have never had or built a htcp before do you just use a normal mouse or should i buy a remote or something for media centre?

I have built many desktops before but how fiddly is the building process?

Thanks
Tim
 
HyperText Caching Protocol?

Think you might mean HTPC ;) :D

Hardware wise you'd don't need anything majorly powerful for an HTPC. Decent dual-core will do the job, say E8200 or better. 2GB of memory is ample. Graphics-wise, something like a Radeon 4350 will do fine for DVI/HDMI output.

Also, stick with 32-bit Vista or Windows 7 for an HTPC as you'll have far fewer problems with codecs than on 64-bit.
 
Vertigo1 said:
HyperText Caching Protocol?

Think you might mean HTPC ;) :D

Hardware wise you'd don't need anything majorly powerful for an HTPC. Decent dual-core will do the job, say E8200 or better. 2GB of memory is ample. Graphics-wise, something like a Radeon 4350 will do fine for DVI/HDMI output.

Also, stick with 32-bit Vista or Windows 7 for an HTPC as you'll have far fewer problems with codecs than on 64-bit.
Click to expand...

tbh even thats overkill.i use a stock e2160 in mine!
 
How does this look?
Also how can i use a remote for this and where can i find what i need?
Is that graphics card and overkill?
What psu should i use?
hdpc.jpg
 
Any reason for not going for a blu-ray drive (your system is quite capable)

A remote comes with the case & should be compatible with some of the software used for media playback

Corsair VX450 should be more than capable.

Graphics is fine.
 
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its really too much now, any ideas to lowering the price. at the moment here is how it stands.
hdpc2.jpg


when i add the monitor its £650!!! AHHHHHH!

also do i need a 1920 x1080 monitor to run bluray or can a smaller one with dvi scale it down.
 
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You are on a budget forget gaming.


You can then get a 2nd hand 32" Hd lcd from the rainforest for around £300. Anything smaller and HD is more or less pointless.
 
Tim I'd advise you to consider Athlon 6000, same price and 3.10 ghz ! Also you forgot to out an optical in. I'm not sure if integrated graphics would be up to job of Blu ray. BR probably won't even look very good on a 22" value monitor! Just save some and maybe spend on gpu so you can do a bit of gaming, that 4550 looks pretty good!
 
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