Need feedback on proposed HTPC

milfner · Post by **milfner** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 5:49 pm

I am currently looking to build an HTPC and would like to know your opinion of my proposed system. Keep in mind I am on a tight budget, so it is not the best possible option out there, but I believe it will be good for what I need. Please answer my questions.

MB: GA-EG41M-S2H
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Mot ... -EG41M-S2H
Q. Will the onboard HDMI transmit Audio as well as the video to my HDTV without the need for an SPIDF In/Out connection?

CPU: E5400 (2M Cache, 2.70 GHz, 800 MHz FSB)
http://ark.intel.com/cpu.aspx?groupId=40478

HDD: Seagate SATA 1.5TB

RAM: 2GB 800 Kingston

DVD: LG SATA

CASE: Antec NSK1480
http://www.antec.com/Believe_it/product.php?id=MzE=

TV: Leadtek DTV1000S
http://www.leadtek.com.tw/eng/tv_tuner/ ... nameid=382
Q. I am aware the card is compatible with VistaMediaCentre, but will the accompanying remote be able to navigate through VMC, forward through videos, pause etc. (functional in MC).
Q. Does this card record in H.264 codec?

Feel free to add any comments or suggestions about the proposed system.

jerseytiger · Post by **jerseytiger** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 5:56 pm

It may be helpful for you to post your budget, so people can make suggestions with a number in mind.

Blue_Sky · Post by **Blue_Sky** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:09 pm

1. Possibly - you will have to track down someone that has tried to do that with that specific board. Newegg didn't seem to have anything relevant.
2. Yes. States that in the specs.
3. Not sure. Doesn't it come down to OS/software compatibility now?
4. Most definitely. If you can get an E5200 for cheaper, you might as well. If a couple of years down the road it isn't enough, you can overclock it. G41 has hardware decode.
5. Yes. Without a dedicated graphics card, your system shouldn't be able to hit 50% of that.
6. Not sure. If it doesn't Mirosoft's version should work just fine.
7. Only from analog TV, from Leadtek.

milfner · Post by **milfner** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 2:36 pm

Just to clear a few things up, I checked out the user manual for the motherboard and I dont think you need SPFIF...

HDMI Port *
The HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) provides an all-digital audio/video interface to
transmit the uncompressed audio/video signals and is HDCP compliant. Connect the HDMI audio/
video device to this port. The HDMI Technology can support a maximum resolution of 1920x1080
but the actual resolutions supported depend on the monitor being used.
*
Please note the HDMI audio output only supports AC3, DTS and 2-channel-LPCM formats.
(AC3 and DTS require the use of an external decoder for decoding.)
In Windows XP, select Start>Control Panel>Sounds
and Audio Devices>Audio, set the Default device for
sound playback to HDMI Device.
In Windows Vista, select Start>Control Panel>
Sound, select Digital Output Device (HDMI) and
then click Set Default.

hybrid2d4x4 · Post by **hybrid2d4x4** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 12:46 pm

One possible pitfall with the mobo you chose: G41 and G43 chipsets don't do hardware acceleration of HD video, only the G45 does (in the intel lineup).

http://software.intel.com/en-us/article ... -graphics/

The CPU you chose will be able to do it in software without straining much, so this isn't really a deal-breaker, but it's something worth considering IMO.

milfner · Post by **milfner** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 3:10 pm

Interesting point. I am confused now. Im not sure what to do. I am on a tight budget and if I dont need to buy a gfx card, that would save me money, but I want to know that the board will cope...

Some people have been saying that the cpu has to decode the hd content and then send that to the onboard gpu. If the cpu gets distracted the playback may skip. With better gpu's the take the decoding duty away from the cpu.

My response to that is this is a dedicated media PC, so the only thing it will be doing is running media (e.g an x264 video) and thats it. It wont be multitasking or running multiple applications. Dont you think a 2.7ghz 2MB 800Mhz Dual Core CPU will be able to handle this....

hybrid2d4x4 · Post by **hybrid2d4x4** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 5:22 pm

Like I said, the CPU you chose will be able to do it just fine without the hardware acceleration. Personally, I would prefer to spend a bit extra on a board that has specialized hardware for this task if that is the main purpose of the build, and have the CPU usage between 5% and 15% rather than ~75% average with 1080P content (guessing the CPU%s). But if your budget doesn't allow for that, then you could save yourself some more $ and get a G31/G33/G35 board and enjoy a few watts of power savings since I don't think there's any real benefit of having a G41 over the "previous generation" intel chipsets (I'm not 100% sure about that last part- hopefully someone else on here can chime in with some G41 vs G3x info).

Alternatively, you can opt for an E5200 cpu and use the $ saved towards the G45. Or consider an AMD platform with a 4850e-5050e CPU and 780G (if you don't need 8ch LPCM over HDMI) or GF8200 chipset. You are right about not needing to buy a gfx card for this kind of system, that would be completely unnecessary.

psiu · Post by **psiu** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 6:38 pm

Should check to see if that HD is one of the models with the bonus self-bricking feature. I would be leery of a Seagate right now.

bishyb · Post by **bishyb** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 5:18 am

Would recommend changing the motherboard to an nVidia 9300/9400 (nv730i) based motherboard instead of an Intel G4x.

Setup two new machines last night both with Asus P5N7A-VM motherboards (see spcr review here: http://www.silentpcreview.com/article892-page1.html), very nice mobo and definately more suited for HTPC use than the intel equivalent boards.

hybrid2d4x4 · Post by **hybrid2d4x4** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 7:32 am

^ If it weren't for the budget constraint, I'd second that recommendation. I'm looking into updating my HTPC with a E5200 on Gigabyte's GF9400 board, myself. Like the OPer, I'm also looking at the 1.5TB HDD (albeit from WD) but the price of that is mostly what's holding me back.

milfner · Post by **milfner** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 5:23 pm

After some extensive research I have decided that AMD is a far better option for an HTPC than Intel. My only concern is that I have heard AMD gets a lot hotter and thus a lot noisier??

What is the best CPU for HTPC that will handle everything necessary (Blu Ray, x264, 1080p/i etc.) out of the 5200+, 7750, 6000+ and 4850e/5050e
See comparison here: http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/Pro ... 76,00.html

And which is the best motherboard to accompany the above CPU out of:
G-B MA78GM-S2H http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Mot ... uctID=2758
GA-MA78GPM-DS2H http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Mot ... uctID=2859
ASUS M3N78-EM
http://www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=amYCbidk7vhOQLWp

hybrid2d4x4 · Post by **hybrid2d4x4** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 3:06 pm

The hot AMDs are the 65nm phenom-based ones. The 45W XX50e CPUs are slightly better in idle consumption than even the 45nm intels, but noticeably worse at full load.
The 7750 is based on the Phenoms, so avoid it at all costs. The 6000+ is still a proper Athlon but due to high clock speeds, it's the 2nd hottest of your choices. The 4850e and 5050e are both good choices; they are only 100Mhz apart so unless the price difference is very small as well, I'd get the 4850e.

As for boards, I can vouch for the S2H, but all 3 should be fine. I prefer GigaByte most of the time since they tend to offer more options s/a Firewire, eSata, etc. than Asus at a lower price point. The sideport memory on the DS2H isn't worth a large premium over the regular S2H, so unless they are very similarly priced, I'd get the S2H. If you need 8 channel LPCM over HDMI, then look for Gigabyte's GF8200/8300-based board- the AMD chipsets don't support any more than 2 channels in LPCM (but Dolby Digital and DTS will stream normally on the AMDs)

milfner · Post by **milfner** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 8:01 pm

Im tossing up between:
GA-MA78GM-US2H 780G-HD300 (preferred option)
ASUS M3N78-EM GF8300

So u say my preferred option will only have 2 channel audio. Im only plugging the HDMI into my TV, so I am only using the TV sound, therefore 2 channel will be fine. Will this be future proof though, if say, i want to purchase an amp down the track or run TrueHD sound etc.....

Also I'm stuck on which CPU to get. Which CPU is better out of 7750 and 6000+ and then which one is better out of the lot (7750, 6000, XX50e). Its for an HTPC, so I want it to be quiet, cool, but more importantly future proof and easily capable of handling all HD content such as x264, Blu ray discs, sound, recording etc....

JamieG · Post by **JamieG** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 8:45 pm

The GA-MA78GM-US2H 780G + 4850E should be fine for your use.

I've got that combination (non-ultra version of the mobo tho) in my HTPC. I've got a Ninja Mini running passive on the CPU in an Antec NSK2480B but I ran it for a while with the stock cooler which was quiet enough. I haven't messed around with too much HD content though, but the SPCR review shows there should be no problems with HD content.

milfner · Post by **milfner** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 4:26 pm

Ok. So i have ordered my HTPC.....

HTPC â€“ Vista Ultimate (VMC)

MB: MA78GM-US2H
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Mot ... uctID=2995
CPU: AMD 7750
http://products.amd.com/en-us/DesktopCP ... spx?id=506
Gigabyte Neon 8-BL Heatsink
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Air ... e=Neon%208
HDD: W.D SATA 1TB
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.asp?DriveID=336
RAM: 2GB 800 Kingston
http://www.valueram.com/desktop/memory.asp
DVD: LG SATA
http://www.cpusolutions.com/mm8004744CP ... 30SATA.jpg
CASE: Antec NSK1480
http://www.antec.com/Believe_it/product.php?id=MzE=
TV: Leadtek DTV1000S
http://www.leadtek.com.tw/eng/tv_tuner/ ... nameid=382
KB/M: Logitceh Dinovo Mini
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/keybo ... 8&cl=US,EN

Now, there are some things I need to know:

- Which is the best codec package to install on Vista Ultimate that will allow the best playback for VMC/WMP in all HD formats, such as x264, VLC-1, Blu Ray discs etc. etc. Is it K-Lite Codec Pack?
- My onboard HDMI states that for AC3, DTS audio, the proper decoders need to be installed. Which are these?
- I have got the updated catalyst drivers from ATI. Do I need to install any extra programs such as AVIVO Package, Hydravision Package, CoreAVC, PowerDVD, Hardware Accelerator Codecs etc. etc.

FartingBob · Post by **FartingBob** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 1:52 am

Not sure why you went for the 7750 CPU and that cooler. The CPU runs hot and is very much overkill for HTPC and i would guess that heatsink is far from the quietest.

milfner · Post by **milfner** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 4:16 am

My supplier does not stock the XX50e series anymore. The 7750 will be fine because I will have aftermarket cooler. This cooler will be fine, I have done research and it is very quiet.

milfner · Post by **milfner** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 4:57 am

Do I need to install any extra programs such as AVIVO Package, Hydravision Package, CoreAVC, PowerDVD, Hardware Accelerator Codecs etc. etc.

milfner · Post by **milfner** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 2:49 am

When installing PowerDVD 9, do i need to disable codecs it installs so they do not conflic with my vista codec pack?