Ok. I want to build a MC pc for watching movies/listening to music. It needs to be able to hook up to my tv (using dvi) and output stereo sound to rca jacks. I'd probably use something like XBMC as an OS, and a 500gb harddrive.
What would be the cheapest possible setup I could get away with and still have it powerful enough to run XBMC and watch movies/listen to music?
Building a Media Center PC
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Building a Media Center PC
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bicostp
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Re: Building a Media Center PC
XBMC isn't an OS, just a piece of software. 
Do you need to run HD? Will you want to play games on it as well? What are you going to do for a case? (Build one, buy one, screw everything right to the TV cabinet?)
If you don't want to run games or HD, you can get away with the cheapest Celeron-based garbage you can find, but you'll regret it BIG TIME. (Believe me, I've been there.)
If you want to connect to the TV through HDMI and play back Blu-Ray discs, you need a video card that's HDCP compliant.
Here's a decent basic setup. It will do movies just fine, but it's going to choke on games, especially without a dedicated GPU:
Pentium D E5200 - $70
ASUS P5QL-CM - $90
4 GB Corsair DDR2 800 RAM - $20 (after rebate)
Cooler Master 500w PSU - $40
Total: $220
That will get you your video player, and it's more than enough to handle HD video and some emulators. The motherboard does have built-in HDMI and DVI, and the integrated graphics are plenty for video, but it didn't say if it's HDCP compliant.
Now for a beefier setup that can handle some gaming:
C2D E8400 3.0 ghz - $165
Asus P5Q Pro - $105
4 GB Corsair DDR2 800 RAM - $20 (after rebate)
Corsair TX650w PSU - $70
EVGA GTX 260 Core 216 GPU - $190
Total: $550
This should be able to handle almost anything you throw at it, even up to 1080p. Plus, the video card is HDCP compliant, so if you want a Blu-Ray player eventually, you can just throw the right optical drive in and play them through your media center PC.
Do you need to run HD? Will you want to play games on it as well? What are you going to do for a case? (Build one, buy one, screw everything right to the TV cabinet?)
If you don't want to run games or HD, you can get away with the cheapest Celeron-based garbage you can find, but you'll regret it BIG TIME. (Believe me, I've been there.)
If you want to connect to the TV through HDMI and play back Blu-Ray discs, you need a video card that's HDCP compliant.
Here's a decent basic setup. It will do movies just fine, but it's going to choke on games, especially without a dedicated GPU:
Pentium D E5200 - $70
ASUS P5QL-CM - $90
4 GB Corsair DDR2 800 RAM - $20 (after rebate)
Cooler Master 500w PSU - $40
Total: $220
That will get you your video player, and it's more than enough to handle HD video and some emulators. The motherboard does have built-in HDMI and DVI, and the integrated graphics are plenty for video, but it didn't say if it's HDCP compliant.
Now for a beefier setup that can handle some gaming:
C2D E8400 3.0 ghz - $165
Asus P5Q Pro - $105
4 GB Corsair DDR2 800 RAM - $20 (after rebate)
Corsair TX650w PSU - $70
EVGA GTX 260 Core 216 GPU - $190
Total: $550
This should be able to handle almost anything you throw at it, even up to 1080p. Plus, the video card is HDCP compliant, so if you want a Blu-Ray player eventually, you can just throw the right optical drive in and play them through your media center PC.
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Re: Building a Media Center PC
The first setup is okay but I'd throw in a low-end videocard, maybe a Radeon HD 4550.
Re: Building a Media Center PC
Yeah I don't need it for gaming at all. Also, unfortunately the TV doesn't have HDMI in, so HD won't be needed, I believe the highest it can do is 720p/1080i. It has DVI, Composite and RGB input.
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bicostp
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Re: Building a Media Center PC
Then go with the first one. 
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Re: Building a Media Center PC
Do NOT get the first one. Intel graphics will choke on pretty much anything. Get a mobo with an Nvidia chipset, or get a graphics card.
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lifeisbetterwithketchup
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Re: Building a Media Center PC
khaag wrote:Yeah I don't need it for gaming at all. Also, unfortunately the TV doesn't have HDMI in, so HD won't be needed, I believe the highest it can do is 720p/1080i. It has DVI, Composite and RGB input.
Rekarp wrote:Cause I am Abe F#!@ing Lincoln.mako321 wrote:What makes you head ninja, anyways?
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eurddrue
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Re: Building a Media Center PC
I think I missed somethinglifeisbetterwithketchup wrote:khaag wrote:Yeah I don't need it for gaming at all. Also, unfortunately the TV doesn't have HDMI in, so HD won't be needed, I believe the highest it can do is 720p/1080i. It has DVI, Composite and RGB input.
Banned indefinitely if you desperately need to contact me STOPPHONESPAMPLOX Please dont be a dick and call for something random like "HEY YURDRUE DOO U HAZ SPAM?"
wallydawg wrote:I think we should check to see if you can withstand 220 voltschainfire95 wrote:220V I believe
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lifeisbetterwithketchup
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Re: Building a Media Center PC
XCVG said that Intel graphics will choke on any games, yet khaag explicitly said he will not use it for games.
Rekarp wrote:Cause I am Abe F#!@ing Lincoln.mako321 wrote:What makes you head ninja, anyways?
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eurddrue
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Re: Building a Media Center PC
ahhhhhhh 
the wide world of this thread just opened up to me.
Oo! I love your avatar
the wide world of this thread just opened up to me.Oo! I love your avatar
Banned indefinitely if you desperately need to contact me STOPPHONESPAMPLOX Please dont be a dick and call for something random like "HEY YURDRUE DOO U HAZ SPAM?"
wallydawg wrote:I think we should check to see if you can withstand 220 voltschainfire95 wrote:220V I believe
Re: Building a Media Center PC
Mythbuntu is a flavor of ubuntu meant of media uses with integrated DVR and other media viewing functions. Though I'm sure there are other projects related to MythTV that may suit you if Mythbuntu doesn't. Its got decent looking front-end to handle things.
Mythbuntu
Minimum System Requirements:
* 1.0 GHz x86 or x86_64 Processor
* 192 MB of system memory (RAM)
* 2 GB of disk space (Frontend Role)
* 20 GB of disk space (Backend Role)
* Graphics card capable of 1024x768 resolution
* Supported TV Tuner Card (Backend Role)
Recommended System Requirements:
* 2.0 Ghz x86 or x86_64 Processor*
* 1024 MB of system memory (RAM)
* 10 GB disk space (Frontend Role)
* 80 GB+ disk space (Backend Role)**
* nVidia 128MB Graphics Card w/ TV-Out or equivalent***
* Supported TV Tuner Card (Backend Role)
Mythbuntu
Minimum System Requirements:
* 1.0 GHz x86 or x86_64 Processor
* 192 MB of system memory (RAM)
* 2 GB of disk space (Frontend Role)
* 20 GB of disk space (Backend Role)
* Graphics card capable of 1024x768 resolution
* Supported TV Tuner Card (Backend Role)
Recommended System Requirements:
* 2.0 Ghz x86 or x86_64 Processor*
* 1024 MB of system memory (RAM)
* 10 GB disk space (Frontend Role)
* 80 GB+ disk space (Backend Role)**
* nVidia 128MB Graphics Card w/ TV-Out or equivalent***
* Supported TV Tuner Card (Backend Role)
Re: Building a Media Center PC
I said it'll choke on ANYTHING. And why not use it for gaming? That just makes no sense. You have this new PC, hooked to an HDTV and surround sound system, and you're not going to play games on it. Why not just get a DVD player, because that seems to be all you plan on doing.
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bicostp
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Re: Building a Media Center PC
Good point. Besides general desktop stuff and video, Intel graphics are pointless.
If you're not going to do games on it, you might as well buy a pack of DVD-RWs. (Especially if your DVD player can play Divx files.)
If you're not going to do games on it, you might as well buy a pack of DVD-RWs. (Especially if your DVD player can play Divx files.)
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limpport
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Re: Building a Media Center PC
XCVG wrote:You have this new PC, hooked to an HDTV and surround sound system,
khaag wrote: Also, unfortunately the TV doesn't have HDMI in, so HD won't be needed,
He says he doesn't want it for gaming, so he doesn't want it for gaming! Jeez...
Re: Building a Media Center PC
Oh, ok. Why bother? Just get a huge spindle of DVDs and a DVD player. If you're not going to use it for anything other than that, you need not bother.khaag wrote:Ok. I want to build a MC pc for watching movies/listening to music.