Media Center PC - buy or build

[TransAm]

My PC is just about 3 years old. As some of you know I upgraded the gfx card and motherboard some time ago, but maybe it is time for a new PC.

Been toying with the idea of buying one of those HP or Sony media PCs, they look a bit like an AV receiver, they are designed to 'look nice' in your living room under the TV.

However, I was also thinking one of these small cube PCs, they call it a barebones system. This one has silent cooling:

http://shop2.outpost.com/product/4445516?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

When I told the guy at Frys he recommended a 939 socket for my needs, he said its best for gaming?

Anyway, time I have added a PCI gfx card, RAM, CPU, HDD, wireless keyb and mouse, etc we're nearly back up to the price of the HP media center.

Or, would you buy neither and build your own midi tower PC? I just dont want something that big in the front room...

What is best for performance per $?

:?

[gigdy]

I just built a new computer, and turned my old dell into a mediacenter. But its not at all for gaming. All i had to get for it was an old 64meg video card with tv out, a tv wonder card and a new hd. So it only cost me about $150 to make.

So do you want a media center pc and a new office computer or just a new computer to use in your family room?

[TransAm]

I just built a new computer, and turned my old dell into a mediacenter. But its not at all for gaming. All i had to get for it was an old 64meg video card with tv out, a tv wonder card and a new hd. So it only cost me about $150 to make.

So do you want a media center pc and a new office computer or just a new computer to use in your family room?

family room pc

Want to be able to record TV, play DivX (my DVD player doesnt), burn DVDs, so I think I need a TV tuner??

But, most importantly it needs to be very good at running games. Much better than what I have now (P4 2.8, 1gb RAM, Radeon 9600 256mb)

Is there an all in one card (tv tuner on board) which is really good at games? it needs to have DVI out and be PCI-express...


Also, I want to use it for net occasionally, so I need wireless keyb and mouse but saw one at walmart for $35 (logitech).

[gigdy]

id suggest not an aiw. i have a 9600 aiw and i think its great. but its rather well known that for gaming its is best to go with a seperate tv tuner. So basically you should get a good gaming pc then add a tv card and it should be the computer you want. Since you want a small system id suggest looking into micro atx formfactors.

As for buying/building id say build but it depends on what you are comfy with.

For the best components for a gaming PC its all down to price.

[stracing]

or get a HDTV tuner

[DeMoN]

HDTV tuners are expensive at the moment. I would build my own Media Center PC cuz it is cheaper.

[gigdy]

Rebuild your old one to a media center. Just put MCE on it and hide it somewhere behind the tv ;)
I run MCE on a XP2000+ with 512mb ram & a 9200se 128mb. Combined with a Hauppauge PVR500 dual tuner card, works like a charm. Can record 2 shows and watch a dvd/divx without any problems.
Good piece of advice, buy the MCE remote!


And get you a nice & new gaming station. AMD X2 3800, 7800GT & MSI K8N Neo4 FI ;)
Or gimme a shout with your budget and the shop you're looking to buy at, and if they have their prices online I'll give you my opinion.

thats the best way to go but then he has 2 computers in his living room and none in his office.

[dutchmasterflex]

Best way to go is to get an one of the latest ATI All-In-Wonder video card packages...

Will do everything you wanted, possibly more.

[stracing]

HDTV tuners are expensive at the moment. I would build my own Media Center PC cuz it is cheaper.

no its not.
which ones are you looking at? the one close to high end aren't that expensive.

[r2r]

TransAm, I don't know exactly how much you are willing to spend on a new computer, but I just bought a computer about 3 weeks ago, and I have pretty much everything you are looking for.

The computer is an HP m7330n, it has an

AMD athlon x2 (dual core) 4200+
1gb RAM
250gb hard drive
windows media center edition
video cable input
two DVD bays, one is DVD/CD burner, and the other one just plays DVD, so you can watch a movie while burning a DVD.

It also came with a remote to control the media center, it is really useful if you are going to use it as a living room TV/computer. The only thing is, it doesn't come with a powerful graphics card but its still a decent card.

I found it on sale for $850 total, (no monitor) A really good deal for a loaded high specs PC

Check http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/HP-Pavilion-Media-Center-TV-PC-M7330N-/sem/rpsm/oid/142369/catOid/-12962/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

Good luck finding your new computer :wink:

[TransAm]

^ That has a good spec and is about what I want to spend but...

...it would look well out of place in the front room!

Hiding it behind the TV is not really an option for me, hence the idea of the HP or the XPC cube.

I think I am going to do this as cheaply as possible (other than the fact the XPC cube isnt cheap compared to some barebones systems) if I go ahead:

Buy the XPC + a CPU:

I will use my AGP Radeon 9600 in the living room PC and put my old GEForce 440 back in my current PC.

I have 1 gb of RAM spare, although it is not the latest greatest RAM, it is DDR.

I have 2 HDDs in my PC a 60gb and a 80gb, so I will reformat the newer one (80gb) and put it in the new PC

So in theory all I should need to buy is the XPC, CPU, DVD burner, TVcard and wireless keyb/mouse...

Thamar, what are your thoughts on these two barebones systems?

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1232743&Tab=2&NoMapp=0

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1526422&Tab=2&NoMapp=0 (this one is PCI-express so I would need a gfx card)

Is there any better you can recommend? I dont really want anything bigger than an xbox physical size, my total budget is really $600-800 but cheaper the better, hence my idea of reusing some of my existing components.

A bit of a dumb question maybe, but will I notice much difference in performance between these CPUs:

1. a AMD64 3000+ and a P4 2.8 (I am guessing a little quicker)

and

2. an AMD 64 X2 3000+ and a P4 2.8?

I guess I am looking for confirmation here than 939 is the way to go?

As and when funds allow (and prices of them come down) I can buy an X850XT later in the year...

[TransAm]

Thanks

I will check out the SN25P

I have been looking at CPUs and I have confused myself!

AMD 64, 64 x2 and FX. FX sounds nice but too expensive for me right now.

I didnt realise Intel did 64 bit CPUs either.

[RC45]

A couple things:

We built a Media PC into the living room 2 yeras ago or so.. it was great for the first few months, then the constant updates to keep everything we wanted (DVD playing, TV recording, DivX playing or "aquired" movies, music etc) became a pain.

VVideo card driver updates, media player updates (or preventing such updates) etc etc soon mean tonce the system got out of wack the Hauppauge remote control got out of wack etc etc... and the significant other said "to hell with all this bollocks" and simply watches DVD's and satellite TV instead ;)

At first I was a die-hard and tried to convince her it was all worth it, then one night a series of patches/updates/drivers etc kept me working on it past the start of a movie time - and it hasn't been a media PC since ;)

Oh - and tose small footprint motherboards and cases are no good - to small to effectively move air and constantly overheated, so I went with a largish brushed aluminium tower.

All it's used for now is watchign the occasional DivX show, playing a couple games on the big screen and Forza/GT4 screen captures.

The ideal Media PC is a TivoDVD combo, a multi-media appliance, so to speak.

Maybe I have just lost the will to fiddle with gadgets ;) hehe

Goodluck T/A... ;)

[TransAm]

Hey Thamar,

No, I am going to get AMD, I was just pointing out 'how things move along when you are not looking' in the world of PCs!

Reading on the shuttle forums it seems some people have problems with SN25, some dont...

Also, it doesnt have to be a cube PC, in fact the ideal 'shape' for where I want to put this is about the size of an AV receiver, but stood on its smallest side

In fact, there might even be a pic on this very site of the 'space' this PC would ideally fit into... (edit: pic is now a red X, it was an old thread)

[TransAm]

Thanks Thamar, I will go measure the space...

Ok, it is 150mm wide x 400mm high x 450mm deep. I can make holes at the back
of the furniture unit for ventilation if required.

Obviously it is the 150mm dimension that is the bottleneck!

Here is a pic of the space

http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/1896/picture6zv.th.jpg (http://img127.imageshack.us/my.php?image=picture6zv.jpg)

Any case that would fit in that gap I would consider, doesnt have to be a 'barebones' system necessarily.

Looking for a black (colour) PC by the way.

[stracing]

if it was upto me, i would see if its safe to mount the motherboard directly onto the entertainment unit and then just use the glass doors to cover it.

[TransAm]

Thinking outside the box? :wink: