HTPC questions

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yup

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Hi Guys

I am not sure if this has been posted as could not find anything.

I am setting up a HTPC and have been scanning sooooo many reviews and sites :cry:

I have finnaly come up with 2 boards to choose from and would love your input in deciding which one to go for?
I am trying to get the best value for money here as don't want to go crazy on spending for a HTPC with no gaming in mind.

I want to put win7 and xbmc

ok so here are the mb
MSI 890GXM-G65 Motherboard
and
M4A785G-HTPC


I am tired of searching now and want to start playing :D

looking forward to your skills and advice
 
I need some convincing on whether or not to build myself an HTPC. My other option is a Mede8er.

I would mainly use it for playing videos, the odd video encoding, and playing games that aren't graphics intensive.

Is it worth while to get a HTPC ? Thinking of a system for under R3000. Mede8er would cost me R1500 (ex vat) + R 600(HDD ex vat). The idea of having an extra PC around the house is cool. HTPC/Mede8er would be hooked up to my 40" v550 bravia.

Suggestions/Comments anyone
 
The 890 AMD chipset is better than the 785 from a performance viewpoint, as indicated by the higher number - but I don't know which would be better for an HTPC
 
I threw my old bit together into a nice case, made a reasonable HTPC and i don't use it. Rather use my PS3 to stream stuff, its just so much easier than using an HTPC... XBMC is cool though, and makes for an awesome interface for music, but i still prefer itunes. Got my PS3 and the HTPC on a 40" Bravia, going to get a very parent proof remote control system and try donate the HTPC to them :)
 
I started playing with both my xbox360 and ps3 in terms of being a media center.. and neither where good enough.

I ended up building a decent HTPC that runs win7 with Media Browser on top of that.... makes for an AWESOME interface that most ppl just look at and drool :D
 
mm001 said:
I need some convincing on whether or not to build myself an HTPC. My other option is a Mede8er.

I would mainly use it for playing videos, the odd video encoding, and playing games that aren't graphics intensive.

Is it worth while to get a HTPC ? Thinking of a system for under R3000. Mede8er would cost me R1500 (ex vat) + R 600(HDD ex vat). The idea of having an extra PC around the house is cool. HTPC/Mede8er would be hooked up to my 40" v550 bravia.

Suggestions/Comments anyone
Click to expand...

You'll never be able to build a proper HTPC for R3K. My HTPC case (Thermaltake DH101) cost that much and it didn't even come with a PSU. I think a complete HTPC is closer to R10K, but you don't need to buy everything at once.

The choice between htpc/media player depend on you needs. You will always be able to do more with a HTPC and it's ideal if you want to expand it later (my case can take up to 5 HDDs internally) and I can easily add a Bluray drive. It's also ideal if you want to watch TV through it with full recording and pvr functionality. If you aren't going to watch TV through it, a media player may be better suited for your needs

Generally, you don't need a very powerful pc as a HTPC, but you do want to get a good, fanless Gfx card.
 
I would also recommend XBMC...and if you have an Android phone and a wireless network, the integration is brilliant!
 
out of curiosity what are the requirements for an HTPC to run 25GB Blu-Ray mkv's.. (1920 x 1080)

??
 
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