Budget HTPC ideas

IAmMoen · 03-28-07, 10:23 PM

So I just came into some money from ram that finally made it to corsair and if i get my x850xt vid card sold on here i will have $335 to spend. I am wondering if I can build myself a htpc with that much. This is from scratch mind you. I believe i have a 2.4ghz pentium 4 lying around so maybe that would be a start. Need a tuner and hdtv capabilities, will be used with westinghouse 37" 1080p monitor.

Mr. Roboto · 03-28-07, 10:27 PM

Could be possible, though you would have to look to pick up alot of parts from the classies. The P4 would bea good start if you have it though.

IAmMoen · 03-28-07, 10:34 PM

i am pretty sure i have it around here somewhere. Also I would like to keep the size down so microatx at the largest i would think.

Maybe I should just bring my server back to my house and have it multi task as ftp server and htpc....

Oh and this thing will have to quiet. (I know i am getting specific for having so little money)

nd4spdbh2 · 03-28-07, 10:36 PM

hmm if ur gonna be using programs like ffdshow ur gonna need some more horsepower, if not the 2.4 will be fine, BUT ifyou are and live close to a frys check the ads, espically after april 22nd as intel prices will drop. I got a E4300 and PT890T-A mobo for 160, and i have seen it for 150. and with the price drop of a retail e4300 going from $163 to 113 you could expect a deal of around 100-120 for a e4300 and mobo... WHICH WOULD BE SICK.

Any ways i have been luck in that my "budget" htpc is a kickin lil system. i have only bought the mobo and procesor and the rest has been given to me for free

E4300
PT890T-A
2x512 ddr2 533
EVGA 7600gt KO pcie
My HD 130 pci hdtv tuner
320gb hd
Lian Li PC67 silent case
400w psu.

Its a simply amazing system seems as how i have only spend 173 bucks on it

so i hope you get lucky like i have. But the parts you have named off are going to make a cool lil box.

As for a tuner card, hauggpauge (sp?) makes some afforadable pci tuners, and im sure the x850xt has a DVI port on it, and your tv a hdmi port. A simple DVI to HDMI cable or converter would allow you to display an AMAZING picture to your tv (this is what i use to get 1080i to my 62inch dlp, and GAHH its amazing)

IAmMoen · 03-28-07, 11:03 PM

you saying that maybe i should keep the x850xt? I need that much horsepower on the video side?

http://www.pcalchemy.com/product_inf...tv-tuner-cards

What do you guys think about that tv tuner card? How would I do HD with that? Coaxial?

Mr. Roboto · 03-28-07, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IAmMoen

you saying that maybe i should keep the x850xt? I need that much horsepower on the video side?

http://www.pcalchemy.com/product_inf...tv-tuner-cards

What do you guys think about that tv tuner card? How would I do HD with that? Coaxial?

No, you really don't need that much for video for an htpc. Any midrange card should be more than adequate. CPU is much more important if you're going to get into FFDshow. What kind of tv are you connecting this to?

IAmMoen · 03-28-07, 11:53 PM

http://www.westinghousedigital.com/d...spx?itemnum=56

As soon as it gets back from the RMA

and yes ffdshow will be a must. Will be looking to get as good a picture as possible out of it. Do you think I should look into a good audio card as well?

Mr. Roboto · 03-28-07, 11:55 PM

eesh, 1080p. Well, if you want to upscale movies to 1920 x 1080, they I don't think the p4 will cut it.

IAmMoen · 03-29-07, 12:01 AM

do you think my A64 3500+ will?

by the way here is how my tv looks right now http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=505707

nd4spdbh2 · 03-29-07, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IAmMoen

do you think my A64 3500+ will?

by the way here is how my tv looks right now http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=505707

no... ur gonna need some more horse power than that IMO. but it MIGHT work, but ima tell you right now when upscaling a dvd with the settings i use from stock to 1920x1080 on my e4300 i get about a 40-50% load spread across both cores.

Mr. Roboto · 03-29-07, 12:13 AM

ah, right, you've the one with the messed up TV

Hope they take care of you with that. I would try and get them to pay the shipping.

IAmMoen · 03-29-07, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Roboto

ah, right, you've the one with the messed up TV

Hope they take care of you with that. I would try and get them to pay the shipping.

It will only be 50 bucks which wont necessarily break the bank

blackbird007 · 04-03-07, 04:14 PM

Look for deals in the classifieds section.

03-28-07, 10:23 PM	Thread Starter #1
IAmMoen Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Folding, MN USA	Budget HTPC ideas So I just came into some money from ram that finally made it to corsair and if i get my x850xt vid card sold on here i will have $335 to spend. I am wondering if I can build myself a htpc with that much. This is from scratch mind you. I believe i have a 2.4ghz pentium 4 lying around so maybe that would be a start. Need a tuner and hdtv capabilities, will be used with westinghouse 37" 1080p monitor. __________________ CMstacker Rig [Intel 3770k] [ASRock Extreme4] [OCZ DDR3 2133mhz 4x8gb ] [ATI 5870] [Seasonic 850w] [Samsung 840 Pro 256gb SSD with Win8 64bit]
	QUOTE Thanks

03-28-07, 10:27 PM	#2
Mr. Roboto Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Boston, MA	Could be possible, though you would have to look to pick up alot of parts from the classies. The P4 would bea good start if you have it though. __________________ Main Rig: e8400 l ASUS P5K Deluxe l G.Skill 4GB HZ's l GTX 280 l 2x320gb 7200.10 Raid 0 l X-FI Platinum l CM Stacker 830 l OCZ 700W GameXtreme l Logitech z-5500's l G5 l Saitek Eclipse II l 2 x 2407 WFP HTPC:P4 2.8 l 1.5GB ram l 7600GS l HVR-1600 l 400gb raid 0 l Audigy 1 l Coolermaster 280 l 37" Olevia Heat
	QUOTE Thanks

03-28-07, 10:34 PM	Thread Starter #3
IAmMoen Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Folding, MN USA	i am pretty sure i have it around here somewhere. Also I would like to keep the size down so microatx at the largest i would think. Maybe I should just bring my server back to my house and have it multi task as ftp server and htpc.... Oh and this thing will have to quiet. (I know i am getting specific for having so little money) __________________ CMstacker Rig [Intel 3770k] [ASRock Extreme4] [OCZ DDR3 2133mhz 4x8gb ] [ATI 5870] [Seasonic 850w] [Samsung 840 Pro 256gb SSD with Win8 64bit]
	QUOTE Thanks

03-28-07, 10:36 PM	#4
nd4spdbh2 Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Camarillo, CA!	hmm if ur gonna be using programs like ffdshow ur gonna need some more horsepower, if not the 2.4 will be fine, BUT ifyou are and live close to a frys check the ads, espically after april 22nd as intel prices will drop. I got a E4300 and PT890T-A mobo for 160, and i have seen it for 150. and with the price drop of a retail e4300 going from $163 to 113 you could expect a deal of around 100-120 for a e4300 and mobo... WHICH WOULD BE SICK. Any ways i have been luck in that my "budget" htpc is a kickin lil system. i have only bought the mobo and procesor and the rest has been given to me for free E4300 PT890T-A 2x512 ddr2 533 EVGA 7600gt KO pcie My HD 130 pci hdtv tuner 320gb hd Lian Li PC67 silent case 400w psu. Its a simply amazing system seems as how i have only spend 173 bucks on it so i hope you get lucky like i have. But the parts you have named off are going to make a cool lil box. As for a tuner card, hauggpauge (sp?) makes some afforadable pci tuners, and im sure the x850xt has a DVI port on it, and your tv a hdmi port. A simple DVI to HDMI cable or converter would allow you to display an AMAZING picture to your tv (this is what i use to get 1080i to my 62inch dlp, and GAHH its amazing) __________________ #12 in the 4ghz core 2 duo club baby! - 52 inches of CRYSIS! - Black Belt Ubercloxx0r -- Heatware Main -- Lian Li V2000b -- i7 2700k -- MSI Z68A-GD80 -- 12gb 1600 -- GTX560Ti --Adata 128gb S510 & 2x500gb -- Seasonic S12 600w -- Dell 2209WA HTPC -- Silverstone GD05B -- E7200 @ 3.2ghz -- G41-M7 -- 4GB 800mhz -- g210 passive -- 320gb 2.5in WD -- Antec EA 430w -- 52inch Samsung LCD Server -- Antec NSK4480B -- E3300 @ 2.5ghz -- ECS G33T-M2 -- 3gb 667mhz -- Onboard Vid -- 500Gb + 1TB hatachi + 1tb WD -- Zalman 400w Netbook - Dell Mini 9 - Atom 1.6ghz - 8GB ssd - 2GB pc6400 - WIN 7 PRO! Need 4 Speed - BH
	QUOTE Thanks

03-28-07, 11:03 PM	Thread Starter #5
IAmMoen Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Folding, MN USA	you saying that maybe i should keep the x850xt? I need that much horsepower on the video side? http://www.pcalchemy.com/product_inf...tv-tuner-cards What do you guys think about that tv tuner card? How would I do HD with that? Coaxial? __________________ CMstacker Rig [Intel 3770k] [ASRock Extreme4] [OCZ DDR3 2133mhz 4x8gb ] [ATI 5870] [Seasonic 850w] [Samsung 840 Pro 256gb SSD with Win8 64bit] Last edited by IAmMoen; 03-28-07 at 11:17 PM.
	QUOTE Thanks

Budget HTPC ideas

Internet Services

Website Development

Tech Hardware

03-28-07, 11:53 PM	Thread Starter #7
IAmMoen Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Folding, MN USA	http://www.westinghousedigital.com/d...spx?itemnum=56 As soon as it gets back from the RMA and yes ffdshow will be a must. Will be looking to get as good a picture as possible out of it. Do you think I should look into a good audio card as well? __________________ CMstacker Rig [Intel 3770k] [ASRock Extreme4] [OCZ DDR3 2133mhz 4x8gb ] [ATI 5870] [Seasonic 850w] [Samsung 840 Pro 256gb SSD with Win8 64bit]
	QUOTE Thanks

03-28-07, 11:55 PM	#8
Mr. Roboto Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Boston, MA	eesh, 1080p. Well, if you want to upscale movies to 1920 x 1080, they I don't think the p4 will cut it. __________________ Main Rig: e8400 l ASUS P5K Deluxe l G.Skill 4GB HZ's l GTX 280 l 2x320gb 7200.10 Raid 0 l X-FI Platinum l CM Stacker 830 l OCZ 700W GameXtreme l Logitech z-5500's l G5 l Saitek Eclipse II l 2 x 2407 WFP HTPC:P4 2.8 l 1.5GB ram l 7600GS l HVR-1600 l 400gb raid 0 l Audigy 1 l Coolermaster 280 l 37" Olevia Heat
	QUOTE Thanks

03-29-07, 12:01 AM	Thread Starter #9
IAmMoen Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Folding, MN USA	do you think my A64 3500+ will? by the way here is how my tv looks right now http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=505707 __________________ CMstacker Rig [Intel 3770k] [ASRock Extreme4] [OCZ DDR3 2133mhz 4x8gb ] [ATI 5870] [Seasonic 850w] [Samsung 840 Pro 256gb SSD with Win8 64bit]
	QUOTE Thanks

03-29-07, 12:13 AM	#11
Mr. Roboto Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Boston, MA	ah, right, you've the one with the messed up TV Hope they take care of you with that. I would try and get them to pay the shipping. __________________ Main Rig: e8400 l ASUS P5K Deluxe l G.Skill 4GB HZ's l GTX 280 l 2x320gb 7200.10 Raid 0 l X-FI Platinum l CM Stacker 830 l OCZ 700W GameXtreme l Logitech z-5500's l G5 l Saitek Eclipse II l 2 x 2407 WFP HTPC:P4 2.8 l 1.5GB ram l 7600GS l HVR-1600 l 400gb raid 0 l Audigy 1 l Coolermaster 280 l 37" Olevia Heat
	QUOTE Thanks

04-03-07, 04:14 PM	#13
blackbird007 Member Join Date: Nov 2006	Look for deals in the classifieds section.
	QUOTE Thanks

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search