KillJoy Posted June 6, 2010 Report Share Posted June 6, 2010 So... I have been thinking of building a PC to use on our TV. Wireless is a must, as well as a decent video card. What kind of CPU and RAM should I go use? I will most likely be using Win XP so, a Min of 1GB will be used. Anything else I should think of / look at / consider? KillJoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitrousbird Posted June 6, 2010 Report Share Posted June 6, 2010 - They make specific cases for media center PC's - I would personally run Windows 7 - XP is really outdated at this point. Businesses are even migrating to Win 7 now - Noise is a concern - you want a quiet fan setup. Get a good power supply that is known for low noise levels, quiet video card, and an aftermarket heat sink with a quiet fan. Silence is a must. - Specs totally depend on what you will be using this for. Playing Blu-rays? Using it as a DVR? Gaming? Web surfing is a given. - Get a Bluetooth card as well, so you can use a Bluetooth keyboard/mouse, and sit where you want without issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unfunnyryan Posted June 6, 2010 Report Share Posted June 6, 2010 Intel core i3 processor, 2gb ram, windows 7. I have a lot of experience with several media center machines.. what exactly do you want to accomplish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KillJoy Posted June 7, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 t. - Specs totally depend on what you will be using this for. Playing Blu-rays? Using it as a DVR? Gaming? Web surfing is a given. I had NEVER even thought about BR's or DVR.... Gaming... no so much.... Basically - I am looking for the Internet on my TV. Youtube, Forums, browsing and, of course, PORN! KillJoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spankis Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 I've been growing more interested in these little things lately. Cheap, small, has HDMI out. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883103228 Does all the basic stuff you want it for, and handles video specifically well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rally Pat Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 Windows XP is a waste of money. Go Windows 7 or don't do it at all. Windows 7 scales extremely well to machines with less power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KillJoy Posted June 7, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 NICE! KillJoy I've been growing more interested in these little things lately. Cheap, small, has HDMI out. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883103228 Does all the basic stuff you want it for, and handles video specifically well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87GT Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 I've been growing more interested in these little things lately. Cheap, small, has HDMI out. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883103228 Does all the basic stuff you want it for, and handles video specifically well. NICE! KillJoy No do not buy an Intel atom. You will hate how slow it is when you start watching an HD Movie and try to multitask. Browsing CR while it plays in background would run slooow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copperhead Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 Intel Atom 1.6 Dual Core with I forget which video chipset is the bare minimum for smoothly running youtube and hulu. Single core won't cut it. Normally I recommend going with pretty much anything over Dell, but these simply can't be beat for an HTPC unless you need insane amounts of HD space: http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/desktops/inspiron-zino-hd/pd.aspx?refid=inspiron-zino-hd&s=dhs&cs=19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorne Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 Intel Atom boards kick ass. I've been beta testing a ATOM based DVR atm and the chip is solid. Or the new I3 stuff is nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaSSon Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 (edited) Mini itx socket. 1156 mobo in a small case with a core i3 proc, 2 gb ram, and a HDD. No vid card required. Will be very similar to my HTPC and will process any kind of HD video and any kind of HD audio no prob. Multitasks fine too. I've done my research on Atoms and decided against. PS: surfing the internet on my 60" HDTV from my couch kind of sucks. I much prefer using my lappy. Edited June 8, 2010 by JaSSon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave1647545494 Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 ps3 surfs the internet on the tv pretty good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unfunnyryan Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 If you get an atom, get a ION board.. It would be pretty stupid to get an atom at all with i3 prices how they are. A atom and integrated graphics (a 945 chipset) will not power video at fullscreen. A i3 with DXVA can do bluray without a lot of trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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