@jessekopelman
Thanks for all the help. Much appreciated. I've ordered the bits. Let you know how it turns out in 2-3 weeks.

Browsing the memory choices at newegg, it isn't obvious why one would choose 240 pin over the others, if at all. For the unit I want to have built, which is the better choice 667 and is a heat spreader a worthwhile feature?

For similarly priced processors am I right to conclude that overclocked C2D's offer much better value than AMD's, and C2D's can be passively cooled and remain stable in a Solo case, provided that overclocking isn't extreme? If yes, choosing a C2D4300, overclocking it to say 2.5 MHz and using a Therm...

Following posted recommendations I've searched quite a bit. This ASUS board seems to be a suitable choice—ATI 1250 graphics, 8 channel Audio, HDMI and DVI out, but I can't seem to find anything mentioned about sound capability. I think HDMI is limited to 5.1 and there doesn’t seem to be any bett...

The server will double as a client, although its main function is serving 2-3 clients over a LAN. Because transcoding is so resource intensive, which I'll be doing a lot, I've decided to back-off on the CPU somewhat. In addition to this server I'll seek help in another thread for what I'll call a Ne...

I intend to have 2xTV in (Hauppauge 500) that'll run 24/7, saving the last 24 hours in MPEG2, and making the files available to 2-3 client PCs in close to real-time. TVs are connected to the client PCs. Transcoding and/or editing of the MPEG2 files, using Remote Desktop to the server, won’t be in ...

I intend to have 2xTV in (Hauppauge 500) that'll run 24/7, saving the last 24 hours in MPEG2, and making the files available to 2-3 client PCs in close to real-time. TVs are connected to client PCs. Transcoding and/or editing of the MPEG2 files, using Remote Desktop to the server, won’t be in real...

Point taken about tomshardware—some of the comments struck me as less than objective. I intend to use my media server for transcoding. Removing DRM, wma to aac or mp3, mpeg2 to mpeg4, etc. I tried some of this on my PC and it just about makes it unusable until it's finished. The need to transcode ...

I suspect that most people (including me) who want to spec (and build) a media server are overwhelmed with choices and decisions—or the hype and BS. There are some good comparison sites such as www.tomshardware.com, but they're not too useful in terms of specifying the best matching components one...

The difference between SPCR’s review and Legit’s really demonstrates the subjectivity and bias of reviewers. Although reviews and the comments that follow them are quite helpful it’s obvious to me that there isn’t any de facto process to determine the best or optimum value. Although I’m new to the q...

It’s good to hear that the Sonata I isn’t what it used to be—it’s improved perhaps to a point where one wouldn’t necessarily hold off purchasing because Sonata II is probably close to release—or ought to be. I’m amazed to think that anyone would choose a Centurion 5, presumably in preference to a So...

If this is a preview, I’m sorry to have misled. However, it’s a pretty good insight in terms of what one may expect given some familiarity with Sonata I—de facto name I guess. Sure wish there was a time frame for release though. http://www.silentpcreview.com/article213-page5.html

There are several reviews of the Sonata II. Wondering if anyone has a feel for when this model can be purchased and which reseller usually has the best street prices for Antec cases—an estimate of the price would also be helpful. tia.