Entertainment Center PC Build: What do you think?

That looks good.

That Processor will perform excellent.

What about a TV tuner card?

Remote?

Sound Card?

Looks good:D
 
Entertainment PC? Do you mean media centre hook to TV and just to downloading, basic internet?
If yes, I don't think you need to spend that much...
 
Unless you plan on playing games on that system you don't need a video card that powerful for a HTPC. (Home Theater Personal Computer) But you will need a tv tuner card to go with it, unless you get an ATI all in wonder video card.

I don't know much about the card you selected, but will it fit in that case? Most home theater cases are on the smallish side and can be a bit cramped.

Heat is a huge issue for a case that small, so you want to run components that run as cool as possible. Lots of fans means noise and that is something you do not want in a system that is sitting in your family room.

You also don't need the fastest cpu for a HTPC. Once again, unless your going to do some gaming, step down a few levels.

Are you going to be hooking this up to a home stereo? You will need a high end sound card for the best sound.

I would make a better choice on the power supply, next to the motherboard, the PSU is the most important selection. And the one you picked I would not put in a high end system. I wouldn't put that one in a system I was giving away.
This is something you really do not want to go cheap on. I would spend as much on the power supply as I do the motheboard.


I think you need to do some research on what a good HTPC takes and re think your selections.
 
I would look into a different power supply OCZ and Corsair tend to make good ones, and like everyone else is asking... what exactly do you mean by entertainment center pc? (maybe look at an nvideo 8800 card instead of that ati)
 
cheburns said:
I would look into a different power supply OCZ and Corsair tend to make good ones, and like everyone else is asking... what exactly do you mean by entertainment center pc? (maybe look at an nvideo 8800 card instead of that ati)
Click to expand...

8800Is made for gaming rather than a 320mb GTS
 
Thank you for the suggestions. I will be using this mostly for watching DVDs and listening to music. I would like to play games on it, mostly driving simulators like Need For Speed: Carbon, etc. That is why I stepped up the video card. Also, I'm connecting it to an HDTV, so I was worried about picture quality. Would this 8800 GTS work instead? I am still looking into TV Tuners (I want one that is bundled with good capture software) and sound cards. I figure since I will have the wireless keyboard and mouse on the couch, I don't need a remote. I was planning on just putting fans on each vent. Would that cut it, or should I think about a liquid cooling system to cut down on noise? Thanks for all the help.
 
Liquid cooling on a HTPC would be the only time I would personally use it. But you have to figure in the space a liquid cooling system would take up. In a case that small it would not fit inside of it.

Look at motherboards that use passive cooling and get a passive cooling video card. Anything to cut down on noise. But you will not be able to overclock this system at all.

There are tons of websites devoted to putting together a HTPC system. Give them a look and do your research.

Here is a link to a forum devoted to a Digital home. Go to the link about Home Theaters and they have more info about building a system like this.

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=31
 
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