HTPC Building.. (1 Viewer)

[DeathStar1]

Anyone have any reviews on this motherboard?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813188013

I've read most of the new egg ones, and would like some HTF reviews to go with it .

Also, anyone have some video that deals with working on home theater pc cases? The super small gamecube sized ones? I want to see how tough it really is to manuver in there, especially with wires and heating issues. It's SO tempting to get one of those cases .

 

[Chris]

Since this board is a full ATX, you'll never get it into a small case. In fact, because it uses heatpiping, putting it in a desktop case (ie, one that lays flat, like a HT receiver, etc.) is virtual death to it - you end up cooking the SB because heat just sits.

This is a great board for gaming, for someone who's looking for something high end and overclockable. But for HTPC, it's the wrong idea. SLI is great for gaming, and yes, people make it work for HTPC, but a dual tuner card + a HDTV card = 2 PCI slots. That means you've instantly wiped out both PCI slots in this board, and have no further PCI expansion. And since you have to put one tuner right next to PCI-E Slot #1 (primary video) it means you're going to have a smaller video card (like a 79xx or 76xx or 86xx series) so SLI goes out the window anyway.. you could use that second SLI slot for any other PCI-E card, like a PCI-E TV Tuner, but then you've just spent a bundle on an SLI ready motherboard when you won't use SLI.

I hope this makes sense

 

[Kimmo Jaskari]

You don't want a small case anyway - small cases bring problems like lack of space and almost always force you into using small fans - ideally, you want something you can cool with 12cm big fans that move air without sounding like an angry mosquito.

Or better yet, get a case that is in itself a big heatsink and use that. The mCubed hfx seems very cool, and you can buy add-on bits to make heatpipes extend from the CPU and graphics card to the heatsink on the side of the case. No noise.

Although personally I'd really like an OrigenAE S21T... coolest darn design I've ever seen, but ridiculously pricey too.

http://www.origenae.com/en/htpc_s21t.htm

Of course, the mCubed box will rack up the price too when one adds the extras like heatpipe attachment etc... but either of those should make one incredible HTPC.

 

[DeathStar1]

THat is pretty neat Especially if you could run the computer through that screen without the need for a monitor . Sort of reminds me of those old wall projecting things I used to have in the 80's..

I actually just completed the build yesterday with the Power Supply and Memory.

I wound up with a Cool Master case...Basic PC case, nothing to gamery and two LED lights on the side. 5 or so DVD Bays, and one front panel access for a memory card reader. http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16811119104

Asus P5w DH Delux Board with Wi-Fi
Intel Core 2 Duo E6600
GSkil 1GB Ram of DDR2800
320GB WD Hard Drive with 16 MB Cache 7200 RPM
Zalman CNPS9500 Fan
1 120MM Fan that came with the case - exhaust
Seasonic Modular Power Supply 600 Watts
EVGA Nvidia 256 MB 7950 DDR3 Graphics card with HDCP
ATI Theater 550
Fusion HDTV 5 Pci Express card
HT Omega Sound Card (Bye Bye Creative )

Runs like a charm, feels super cool to the touch, whisper quiet... Board reads a little hot at 52 degrees, but everything else is cool to the touch..

Hopefully my last build untill either Quad Core becomes cheap and upgradable or PC's change drastically in the next few years. I'm planning to add my first Blu-Ray by the end of June. I may also buy another of the same case to put my shore build in, because I just don't care for that clunky JustPC brand case anymore. Finally, I don't think I'll buy another Asus P5W board. Even though it works, the HD Audio is placed in a rediculously annoying to reach area. To the far LEFT of the bard underneath where a PCI card sits.