Advice on building a new computer please

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elsmandino

New Member
Thinking of building an HTPC to plug into my 40" LCD TV in the living room.

I want to be able to watch full HD movies. I also want to use the computer as a full PVR and would like a TV Card with dual Freeview tuner aswell as dual freesat tuners (the tuner must also be able to decode the one or two high-def channels currently available).

I would like the rig to be as quiet and efficient as possible, but powerful enough to do the above. I will not be playing games.

So far I have come up with
Case: Antec Fusion Remote Max
RAM: 4GB
Mobo: Have been recommended to go the ADM route for efficiency/power and get a 780G board.
CPU: AMD 5050e
Passive Cooler: Scythe Mini Ninja
HD: Two Spinpoint F2EG (1.5TB) - running in RAID 1
OS: Windows 7 64-bit

Any advice on where to take things from here would be appreciated.

My only slight concern here is the speed of the Hard drives being 5400rpm (maybe upgrade to a couple of 1TB F1 Spinpoints?)
 
Get an Athlon II X2 240, faster and runs cooler than the 5050e.

Id recommend looking at the caviar black or caviar green line of drives, havent had good luck with samsung drives.

What power supply?
 
Thanks for your reply.

I have had a look round and it looks like the ASUS M4A785TV-V EVO board might be a good idea.

With regards the CPU. I had a look at the AMD Athlon II X2 2400 would run cooler and more efficiently than the 5050e. How is this considering that it runs at 65w as opposed to the 5050e's 45W?

With regards the Hard Drives, do you think the Cavair Green, though cooler and quieter, would be a little too slow?

Thx
 
The only reason to get a Caviar Green is if you're a hippy. You're paying for a hard drive, so you want one that can actually drive. Get a black or blue.
 
elsmandino said:
Thanks for your reply.

I have had a look round and it looks like the ASUS M4A785TV-V EVO board might be a good idea.

With regards the CPU. I had a look at the AMD Athlon II X2 2400 would run cooler and more efficiently than the 5050e. How is this considering that it runs at 65w as opposed to the 5050e's 45W?

With regards the Hard Drives, do you think the Cavair Green, though cooler and quieter, would be a little too slow?

Thx
Click to expand...
The black is definately worth the extra imo. The reason being the Athlon II X2 240 is on a 45nm manufacturing process vs 65nm, and also is a heck of alot faster.
 
Thank you.

Am starting to get there. Have done some research and have short-listed the following:

Specs so far:-

Antec Fusion Remote Max

4GB RAM - unsure what type

Asus M4A785TD-V

AMD Athlon II X2 240

Samsung F1 1TB HDD

Windows 7

Dual DVB-T Dual DVB-S tuner card

PSU - have now idea which make or power rating.


Would be grateful to know firstly whether the above spec would be recommended and if not, what changes you would make - would it be powerful enough to say record two channels as well as watching a live HD programme at the same time?

Secondly, are there any bits I am missing.

Thirdly, can anyone recommend the RAM and TV tuner and PSU I should use?


Your comments would be very much appreciated.
 
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