Not an answer, just some food for thoughts:

Good links. Thanks.

I'm using a Zotac Zbox CI320 for browser based streaming.

I read a review of the CI321. The reviewer saw stuttering too. I really like the energy specs though.

I want to change my HTPC setup. I plan to move the TV capture card for recordings and DVD ISOs to a dedicated server in my home network. My new HTPC will stream videos from the server. That means a much smaller footprint in the living room. :) As the new system will stream, energy efficiency is one ...

I am surprised manufacturers do not make htpc-specific motherboards that include support for htpc unique options. Supporting power on with a remote control would add little to the price. The FLIRC and Simerec seem close to what I might be seeking. Thanks for the tips. :) With respect to something li...

The options are to stay powered down when the power comes back or power on automatically. The HTPC is never fully off. The system remains in standby so the RTC can awaken the system for recording movies. While programming the remote control to power down to standby is straightforward, there is no w...

Great ideas for controlling the speakers. Thanks!

How are you folks powering on your HTPC with the remote control?

For your speakers....some of the APC ES series UPS have a master/slave set up.

Ah, I never thought about that. A quick search reveals there are some "smart" power strips that do the same thing. Expensive and they draw their own wattage when idle, but a potential solution.

Hi All, Hard to believe 5 years have gone by since I last posted here! I plan to revamp my home network. I built my original HTPC as a stand alone system. Much has changed six years later. I now am going to build a NAS to provide central storage. So much easier to share files that way throughout the...

After additional reading, I am now thinking that with respect to remote controls, a bluetooth device is better than infra red. If browsing the web was not a design element, then any infra red remote control might suffice. Yet TV is in the stages now of shifting to online availability and I do not wa...

Hi All, Been a while since I visited. My current office box is running great based upon a lot of feedback from here. :) I'm preparing to build a MythTV box (combined backend/frontend). The motherboard will have on-board video with HDMI (1.3) output as well as on-board audio and networking. I already...

I'm using Slackware 12.1 on an AM2 motherboard (Asus M2NPV-VM) using a 2.3 GHz BE-2400 dual core CPU. I'm using the stock cooler and fan. Using fancontrol (lm-sensors), the fan is inaudible unless I place an ear almost right next to the Antec Solo case. You can read more here: My New Silent PC I hav...

I'm guessing but I think for the voltage controlled fans to respond to fancontrol, the BIOS must provide the interface. I have an Asus M2NPV-VM motherboard. I run Slackware 12.1. Asus provides something called Q-Fan control, which is needed for lm-sensors to operate correctly. On the Asus M2NPV-VM t...

I have wondered about this myself. First, the partition boundaries and data are represented by magnetic patterns, which will decay with time. How much time I don't know and I suspect nobody truly knows because actual time is needed to develop useful data. Simulations are no substitute for actual tim...

I use Slackware (Linux) 12.1. CPU voltage and frequency regulation is controlled by kernel modules. Depending upon the distro you use, you might or might not have to recompile the kernel to support those modules. There are four basic modules that you can test directly from the command line: Powersav...

pics or it didn't happen

I uploaded some pics. Happened?

I'm using the following: Seagate Barracuda IV ST340016A (40 GB) Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD3200AAKS (320 GB) Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD7500AAKS (750 GB) The old --- and no longer manufactured --- Barracuda IV is silent all the time. For the SE16s, with AMM disabled, the drives make some noise...

I've been an advocate of multiple partitions going way back to the DOS days. My basic partition scheme for Microsoft operating systems has been C: for system, D: for applications, and E: for data files. I've used additional partitions but that was always my basic scheme. Years ago my original motiva...

Another possibility if a person does not want to mess with ripping WMP out of the system or even disabling is to configure the firewall software to prevent the software from having access off the system. The first time I worked with a post 6.4 version of WMP, I noticed immediately the program phonin...

I might be able to borrow a digital camera. I'll update the thread if/when that happens and I update the story.

Several times I have spliced carbon resistors in line with 12 vdc computer fans. The ampere rating on a fan label is a start but calculations seldom are exact. I also want the actual noise level to be the deciding factor, not basic math. Because of this, I use a different approach. I snip the red wi...

Hi All, After receiving much advice here last summer and fall, finally this spring I got around to obtaining my new box. My schedule precluded me from reporting how my project developed. I finally posted a lengthy discussion at my web site: My New Silent PC Sorry, no pictures --- I don't (yet) have ...

I put the Ultra 90 on my MotD Pentium M with a TDP of 35w. Coincidentally, I read more about the Ultra-90 after posting. Sounds like all I need and less top-heavy than the Ultra-120 or Scythe Ninja. I think one reason why that model slipped past me is I tend to research through the newegg site and ...

Thanks for the responses everybody! My PSU choice stays --- I want one less fan to worry about. I don't envision a 45W CPU and integrated graphics motherboard dissipating gobs of heat or sucking a lot of juice, especially for my usage. A 300W PSU is more than sufficient for my selection list. These ...

Thanks for the responses. you should drop the 3.5" drive for a 2.5" drive if you really want it to be inaudible. then put the drive in a scythe quietbox 2.5 Regarding the hard drives, these are "legendary" Seagate Barracuda IV 7200 rpm ATA-100 drives , the drives that originally started the silent h...

I have had a two-box network for some time. There a several different ways you can approach your project, depending upon your internet connection type and the operating systems in each box. When I had only one box I simply connected to the web. No big mystery. Adding a second box complicated things ...

I have decided to stick with the Solo. Thanks everybody!

My own reflections and concerns: My head hurts! Researching these components was exhausting and frankly, the concept of silent PCs is not exactly yet mainstream. Thus, obtaining or designing a silent box requires a lot of up-front work and persistence. One significant reason why I never updated my ...

Okay, my turn I suppose! I have been hitting the web and this site hard (possibly too hard!) assembling my list for my next box. Time to ask for the customary SPCR commentaries! :) :shock: My selections: 1. ASUS M2NPV-VM Socket AM2 NVIDIA GeForce 6150 MicroATX 2. Athlon X2 BE-2300 1.9 GHz 45W (Brisb...

"Heat rises" or heat energy, or hot air, whatever you'd like to call it. Whatever I'd like to call it. Hmm. Possibly the most significant reason why people cannot or will not derive satisfactory conclusions to their discussions is a disagreement with what words and terms mean. Fail to define those ...

Well, I probably am completely guilty of thread-jacking but I find the responses fascinating. Some people are not reading. ;) Throughout my explanation I purposely distinguished between heat energy and hot air . They are not the same! I distinctly stated that heat energy flows and that hot air tends...

If the soft-power switch is what is causing the current, couldn't you just reach to the back of the power supply and flip the power switch to turn it off? Yes, but for most people that is physically inconvenient because the box is under a desk. A power strip helps provide a tad more convenience wit...