Upgrading an old PC into an HTPC

[JackJimson]

Hi Everyone,

I'm considering upgrading my brother's old PC into an HTPC.
I wasn't sure where to place this, but since it pertains more to hardware than an HTPC specifically, I posted here.

The PC is an old Acer Aspire E560.
A short rundown on the specs:

CPU: Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU 2.80GHz
MOBO: Acer E415SM
RAM: Kingston 1 GB DDR2 (2x)
PSU: "Industry Standard 250 Watt"
HDD: 160 GB?
GPU: GeForce 9500 GT

I have a GTS 250 lying around since I recently upgraded to a GTX 570. So, I was thinking I could make use of that to reduce costs.

Aside from the GPU, here are the components I plan to upgrade:

CASE: COOLER MASTER Elite 430 49.99
* I'm not sure the GPU would fit in the OEM case. Plus it's too crammed.
HDD: WD Caviar Green WD10EARX 1TB 139.99
* Additional storage for movies, etc. Not sure if it's compatible though.
PSU: CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 44.99
* I don't trust the "Industry Standard 250 Watt" PSU

TOTAL: $234.97

(I won't be ordering from Newegg as I don't live in the US but it'll be a sufficient reference)

What do you think?
Are there any incompatibilities?
Is it worth it? Any suggestions?
My budget is around $250 as I don't want to invest anymore in an ancient machine. Of course, I prefer going lower.
Feel free to use Newegg as reference, I'll be the one to look for the part

I am still researching/doing due diligence on the feasibility of this, so please bear with my limited knowledge.
Any input would be greatly appreciated!

 

[johan851]

That sounds pretty good to me. I think you picked the right things to update. That Pentium D is a warm processor, so it might be tough to get things as quiet as you want. If the existing motherboard is mATX, you could get a smaller case that might be a little more convenient. And I think it's worth it - the parts you're using will work well for future builds.

 

[Knufire]

Yeah, you did your homework, great upgrades.

 

[Neuromancer]

9500GT probably would have worked too... but HDD prices are falling again (thank good ness) I saw 2TB 5900RPM drives for a little over $100.

Make sure codecs are instaleld for GPU acceleration of HD video content, and the latest version of flash to get GPU accelerated flash content as well.

You will still have trouble with Java applications on that old of a CPU, but its pretty simple to avoid java apps nowadays

Also make sure to get a HW accelerated tuner card as well

 

[JackJimson]

<snip>
If the existing motherboard is mATX, you could get a smaller case that might be a little more convenient. And I think it's worth it - the parts you're using will work well for future builds.

Thanks a lot Johan.
I'll certainly consider a smaller case.
I'm currently looking at the Cool Master Elite 343.

Oh, and thanks for the welcome.
This has got to be one of the, if not the, friendliest boards I have been to. Great community.

Yeah, you did your homework, great upgrades.

Thanks Knufire!

9500GT probably would have worked too... but HDD prices are falling again (thank good ness) I saw 2TB 5900RPM drives for a little over $100.

Make sure codecs are instaleld for GPU acceleration of HD video content, and the latest version of flash to get GPU accelerated flash content as well.

You will still have trouble with Java applications on that old of a CPU, but its pretty simple to avoid java apps nowadays

Also make sure to get a HW accelerated tuner card as well

Yup, probably would. But I prefer the GPU to have a bit more power.
Plus the GPU is just lying around collecting dust, so why not use it.

I'll monitor the prices of the HDD before making a purchase. Hopefully, I can find a bargain somewhere.

I'll keep those in mind (codec/java apps), thanks!

Dang, I forgot about the tuner! Thanks for reminding
Hope I can find one. Quality TV tuners seems to be the hardest component to find locally for me.

 

[johan851]

Is there some reason you can't get gear online?

 

[JackJimson]

The shipping costs make it impractical. Not to mention the warranty.

There are local online stores/suppliers in my country but TV Tuners are sparse. I'm guessing there isn't that good a market here for that component.

 

[Dag]

Hi
Do you still have that old rig? I happens to have an identical one, and I am curious on how it worked out for you.

Recently I pulled my old E560 out from the heap at the attic and decided to see what I could do with it.

Here is what I did:
The anemic Pentium D 915 CPU may be replaced by an intel Core 2 duo e6400. They come really cheap on ebay nowadays. I had a lot of 7 shipped over to Norway from the US 2 weeks ago at a total of $ 37.5
I put in a Geforce 9800GTX+ card that I had as a leftover from a gaming rig upgrade, 2 x 2GB kingston RAM, and a random 550 W PSU I had lying around.
Yesterday I gave it a try, installed a fresh windows 7......and.....it moves!
Benchmark scores from Novabench shows a total score of 561 for the system after upgrade versus 229 before. (The 2 x 2Gb RAM modules were in on the pre-upgrade test as well)

 

[Theocnoob]

Hi
Do you still have that old rig? I happens to have an identical one, and I am curious on how it worked out for you.

Recently I pulled my old E560 out from the heap at the attic and decided to see what I could do with it.

Here is what I did:
The anemic Pentium D 915 CPU may be replaced by an intel Core 2 duo e6400. They come really cheap on ebay nowadays. I had a lot of 7 shipped over to Norway from the US 2 weeks ago at a total of $ 37.5
I put in a Geforce 9800GTX+ card that I had as a leftover from a gaming rig upgrade, 2 x 2GB kingston RAM, and a random 550 W PSU I had lying around.
Yesterday I gave it a try, installed a fresh windows 7......and.....it moves!
Benchmark scores from Novabench shows a total score of 561 for the system after upgrade versus 229 before. (The 2 x 2Gb RAM modules were in on the pre-upgrade test as well)

Rule number 1 of internet forums is that you don't necro old threads (unless they are yours and you have something to add). This thread is about four years old. Most of the members in the thread don't even come here any more.

 

[Dag]

Rule number 1 of internet forums is that you don't necro old threads (unless they are yours and you have something to add).

ehhh..OK, I will remember that. Honestly, this is actually the first time I hear that replying to an old thread is frowned upon. Please bear with my questions about the rule. What is wrong taking up an old thread anyway if I as a forum reader finds it interesting or have something to add?
Would a more proper way be to open a new thread instead, with a reference to the old one?

 

[Theocnoob]

ehhh..OK, I will remember that. Honestly, this is actually the first time I hear that replying to an old thread is frowned upon. Please bear with my questions about the rule. What is wrong taking up an old thread anyway if I as a forum reader finds it interesting or have something to add?
Would a more proper way be to open a new thread instead, with a reference to the old one?

I figured I'd say something before a moderator did. It is frowned upon by the powers that be on this site because you are taking an old, irrelevant topic, the participants of which are either no longer interested in participating in the conversation, or have left the forum altogether, and moving it to the top of the forum. That bumps all the new threads down a notch and brings traffic instead to this old thread, which I can tell you after briefly browsing, has mostly members who have since abandoned us here at OCF. So you're basically responding to ghosts.

It would be best to ask your question in a new thread, and if you want, make reference to this thread. For example, I'm having problem X, similar to this guy in this other thread from 4 years ago, here's the link...
I don't know why it's like that here, but it is.

You can gauge whether somebody is likely to respond to you on OCF using the handy "Stars" system. Everybody has from zero to nine stars under their name. Mods and "blue" staff have more stars. No stars means the person has made maybe 1-10 posts total. 1 star is just a few more posts than that. So if you see somebody who joined in 2002 and still only has 1 star, odds are they log on once every 6 months. Or maybe never at all. People with 8 or 9 stars are heavy forum users and are probably on every day, so you'll get a response from them.

You should start a new thread about your HTPC. People will respond.

 

[Dag]

All right. Thank you for enlightening me