New Media Center PC

[.Gunfire]

I need to make a media center PC for the lounge/family room, the only catch is it needs to be under $450(Budget given to me) not a penny over.

Requirements:

• Big HD to store A LOT of movies and music, also pictures.
• Possible HDMI, composite blah blah blah, just needs to look good on a 42" plasma
• Sound card for a 5.1 surround system
• Wireless adapter (preferably internal PCI card)

I've tried making one from scratch and so far no luck

If any help thanks a bunch :)

[TheHeartSmasher]

Re: New Media Center PC

A good guide can be found here.

You probably just did not have the guidance.

Basic parts to a media center pc:
Windows Vista Ultimate/Home Premium 64bit
2GB+ of RAM
ATI AVIO All-in Wonder Card 256MB-512MB+ with remote
500GB+ Hard drive(s)
At least a 500watt power supply
At least a midtower or desktop case that you can slide into your TVstand or Home Theater Rack (the small micropc cases are a fire hazard waiting to happen.)
Wireless keyboard and mouse

[AlecJ32]

Re: New Media Center PC

You don't need a 500 watt PSU for a media center PC.

You don't need 2 gigs of ram either, but at the price of memory it'd be silly not to get 2 gigs (Or maybe even 4).

Those All-In-Wonder Cards are a little hard to come across, so I'd get a better GPU and a tuner separate. ESPECIALLY since you wanna play Call of Duty 4.

I also wouldn't bother with a media Center case, since they're very over priced. Unless you really need one, I'd go with a regular case.

[AvalancheDiode]

Re: New Media Center PC

I need to make a media center PC for the lounge/family room, the only catch is it needs to be under $450(Budget given to me) not a penny over.

Requirements:

• Big HD to store A LOT of movies and music, also pictures.
• Possible HDMI, composite blah blah blah, just needs to look good on a 42" plasma
• Sound card for a 5.1 surround system
• Wireless adapter (preferably internal PCI card)
• Video card capable of playing CoD4 and GRID

I've tried making one from scratch and so far no luck

If any help thanks a bunch :)

Your spec is only achievable 6 months later. Or, you can wait for 6 months until you can get a cheap graphics card to play COD4 and GRID.

My suggestion is that build a gaming rig for COD4 and GRID. HTPC/Media Center should be built for cheap, longevity, low noise, low power consumption. Though it is not impossible to build an HTPC also acting as a gaming rig, it is not possible with $450. Unless you get very lucky on eBay.

[AlecJ32]

Re: New Media Center PC

Your spec is only achievable 6 months later. Or, you can wait for 6 months until you can get a cheap graphics card to play COD4 and GRID.

My suggestion is that build a gaming rig for COD4 and GRID. HTPC/Media Center should be built for cheap, longevity, low noise, low power consumption. Though it is not impossible to build an HTPC also acting as a gaming rig, it is not possible with $450. Unless you get very lucky on eBay.

Throw a TV tuner in a gaming PC and you've pretty much got a media center PC. Though I agree, his budget is too low.

[Wizrdwarts]

Re: New Media Center PC

3850 + DVI->HDMI adapter? I think ATI cards can output audio through the spare pins when it detects an HDMI adapter.

I don't know how CPU intensive "media centering" is, but if it's not too bad, a Pentium Dual Core should be sufficient.

Can you reuse any old parts? Maybe RAM, CD drives, etc.?

[.Gunfire]

Re: New Media Center PC

Alright I changed it to only media center, I was just seeing if it was possible.

[Wizrdwarts]

Re: New Media Center PC

How big do you need you hard drive to be? There's lot of choices, but I think Samsung Spinpoints are the best price/capacity ratio.

[Death Merchant]

Re: New Media Center PC

UMM $450 is low, but i think you just about get something that can do gaming and media, it should be faster than you current system but not something that can run all the newest games on high settings

AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ Brisbane 2.7GHz - $77.00

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103210

Kingston ValueRAM 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 - $36

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820144157

MSI N9500GT MD512 GeForce 9500 GT 512MB 128-bit $70

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127371

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS - $75

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136073

Case - COOLER MASTER Elite 330 $40

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119115

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA74GM-S2 AM2 $60 - will do 5.1 sound

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128342

DVD-RW - SAMSUNG Black 20X DVD $27

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151155

PSU Rosewill RD400 $28

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182021

WI-FI card $19

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833129031

Total $432

[Wizrdwarts]

Re: New Media Center PC

You're missing a DVD drive. And you could save a bit by going for the Saphhire HD 3650, it comes with a DVI>HDMI adapter iirc. Edit: Oh you changed it to a 9500GT. If you don't mind using an adapter, then try this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814161221

I think it'll be under $450 as long as you have an OS.

[Death Merchant]

Re: New Media Center PC

You're missing a DVD drive. And you could save a bit by going for the Saphhire HD 3650, it comes with a DVI>HDMI adapter iirc. Edit: Oh you changed it to a 9500GT. If you don't mind using an adapter, then try this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814161221

I think it'll be under $450 as long as you have an OS.

edited it :) hes also got WI-FI now what he asked for, but had to downgrade his graphics to a 9500gt

[.Gunfire]

Re: New Media Center PC

I just looked at the mobo, would I be able to use a DVI > HDMI adapter for the onboard DVI? because that could save me $100 there on video

[Wizrdwarts]

Re: New Media Center PC

Found a 3450 with HDMI out. $20 after rebate.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121259

[.Gunfire]

Re: New Media Center PC

Alright so here's the shopping list so far:

Grand total $441.81


Any other things to add/change/better deals?

[Wizrdwarts]

Re: New Media Center PC

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145034

More expensive before rebate, but $10 cheaper after.