JakFrost
Limp Gawd
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2005
- Messages
- 241
I've put a some configurations together based on a lot of research for two friends of mine who are looking into upgrading their gaming desktops and are also looking at HTPC systems to connect to their HDTV systems for movie playback and recording. I'm looking for some feedback on these systems and general advice.
1) What will you be doing with this PC? HTPC/Gaming/Desktop
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included? ~$2.1K with S&H
3) Where do you live? US, East Coast
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? Everything listed above.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? None, all new.
6) Will you be overclocking? Probably, but only light 10% OC on air.
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have? Current projector 1024x768, later HDTV projector 1920x1080.
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Within a few weeks.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? PCI-E, Audio
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? Will purchase OS and Apps.
The design for this configuration was based on having a system built on parts that give the most bang for the buck in the price-to-performance ratio for each category so this meant going for the new Intel i7 Socket 1366 with DDR3 memory based system. The emphasis on this design was based for an system that is powerful enough to play video games hence the Intel i7 2.66 processor and 6GB of RAM and a Radeon HD 4870 1GB video card. This system will also be serving as a HTPC systems doing video capture with AverMedia card and having enough storage for (4) 1TB drives along with HDTV component and HDMI video output along with digital audio output. The processor power and memory will also likely be used for some video encoding work to transfer DVD and Blu-ray media onto the hard drives for library storage. Since this system will be housed in the living room it includes a few additional accessories such as the wireless Bluetooth based keyboard & mouse combo, the Blu-ray drive to play back Blu-ray movies, the AverMedia capture card with remote control, the wireless network card to avoid running network cables, and a bunch of cables for any type of video and audio connections.
The design was also built for being space saving by choosing a desktop HTPC case from Lian-Li along with being thermal and noise conscious that is why the choice of the case is 100% aluminum for better heat dissipation than steel cases. Also the system will be using all 120mm fans for two internal fans, processor fan, and power supply fan for maximum air flow at minimum noise generation. The video card will be the only item housing a smaller fan but this should not cause undue noise while using the system for desktop or media usage since the GPU won't be taxed so there will be minimal heat generation. During gaming sessions the ambient music and effects should be enough to minimize the increased noise from the video card fan, and if the placement of the HTPC is in a corner of the room the noise should be further diminished.
[size="+2"]HTPC - i7 2.66, X58, 6GB, ATI 4870, ATSC, 2x30GB SS, 4TB, 520W, Blu-ray, WiFi, K+M Bt, ATX, VisPre64[/size]
Case:
LIAN LI Black Aluminum PC-C32B ATX Media Center / HTPC Case - Retail $169.99
Motherboard:
ASUS P6T LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $239.99
Processor:
Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail $279.99
Memory:
G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL8TU-6GBPI - Retail $94.99
Fan & Heatsink:
XIGMATEK HDT-SD964 92mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Retail $27.99
Bracket:
XIGMATEK ACK-I7363 CPU Cooler - Retail $9.99
Video Card:
SAPPHIRE 100259-1GL Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail $189.99
Power Supply:
CORSAIR CMPSU-520HX 520W ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail $109.99
Solid Disk:
OCZ Vertex Series OCZSSD2-1VTX30G 2.5" 30GB SATA II Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - Retail 2 x $128.00 = $256.00
Hard Disk:
Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EADS 1TB SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM 4 x $104.99 = $399.96
Capture Card:
AVerMedia AVerTV Combo PCIe MCE ATSC/NTSC/QAM Tuner Card w/MCE Remote & L-P Bracket 7 95522 96066 5 PCI-Express x1 $109.99
Media Reader:
LIAN LI CR-25B 20-in-1 USB 2.0 Black Aluminum Card Reader - Retail $22.99
Keyboard & Mouse:
Microsoft Wireless Entertainment Desktop 7000 - Retail $115.99
Optical Drive:
LG Black Blu-ray/HD DVD-ROM & 16X DVD±R DVD Burner SATA Model GGC-H20L - Retail $109.99
Network:
LINKSYS WMP300N IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Draft IEEE 802.11n 32-bit PCI Interface High-speed Wireless-N Wireless Adapter Up to 256-bit wireless encryption - Retail $64.99
Operating System:
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM $99.99
Subtotal: $2,302.82
Shipping & Handling: $51.69
Total: $2,354.51
[size="+2"]Options[/size]
Below are some downgrade options from the configuration above. (Originally this post started with the sections below being upgrade options but after some considerations the roles were reversed into downgrade options due to the lower anticipated costs of the higher performing parts.)
[size="+1"]Video Card Downgrade[/size]
One possibility is to downgrade the video card from the to the 4870 750/900 MHz to 4850 625/993 MHz for $38 total savings that would save a measly ~1.7% of the total system price for about 20% lower frame rates for games like Bioshock, Call of Duty 4, and Oblivion according to the article AnandTech: The Radeon HD 4850 & 4870 AMD Wins at $199 and $299.
The thing to consider is the increased Heat & Noise with the current 4870 video card as mentioned in the article but this might not be such a big issue when playing games anyway due to the attention being on the game and the music and effects. So this downgrade is listed here as an example but for the small price difference it might not be worth it, especially consider that buying the higher performing 4870 card you always have the option of down-clocking the card and lowering the fan RPM to minimize the noise produced.
Video Card:
SAPPHIRE 100258-1GL Radeon HD 4850 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail $161.99
Cost Savings: $38.00
[size="+1"]Intel Core 2 Quad Socket 775 and DDR2 Memory Architecture[/size]
Another option to downgrade would be to go with the older Intel Core 2 Quad Socket 775 and DDR2 memory architecture. The cost savings will $184.01 at 9% savings but at a performance decrease of 20% in most applications and 20-40% decrease in video encoding and linear calculation processing applications. There is some good information about the how the new Intel i7 architecture compares to the older Core 2 in this article AnandTech: The Nehalem Preview: Intel Does It Again article. (Revised paragraph.)
Motherboard:
ASUS P5Q-E LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $144.99
Processor:
Intel Core2 Quad Q9400 2.66GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80580Q9400 - Retail $229.99
Memory: (2)
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Desktop Memory - Retail $89.98
Cost Savings: $184.01
[size="+1"]Logitech Keyboard & Mouse Upgrade[/size]
Another option is a Logitech Keyboard & Mouse instead of the Microsoft model but there is some mixed feedback on the quality of the mouse that comes with this combo.
Keyboard & Mouse:
Logitech 967562-0403 2-Tone 103 Normal Keys 15 Function Keys USB Bluetooth Wireless Slim diNovo Media Desktop Laser - Retail $155.99
Additional Cost: $40.00
[size="+2"]Cables[/size]
Cables - Monoprice.com
Here are the same cables as in the Newegg config but ordered from Monoprice for roughly 50% less on each cable.
Cable Video Component:
12Ft 3-RCA Component Video Cable (RG-59/u) $4.17
Cable Video DVI:
DVI Analog Male / VGA(HD15) Male Cable - 15ft (Black) $8.27
Cable Video HDMI:
High Speed HDMI 1.3a Category 2 Certified Cable 28AWG - 10ft w/Ferrite Cores (Gold Plated Connectors) - BLACK $4.74
Cable Audio Toslink:
12FT Optical Toslink Cable $2.70
Cable Audio Coax:
12ft High-quality Coaxial Audio/Video RCA CL2 Rated Cable - RG6/U 75ohm (for S/PDIF, Digital Coax, Subwoofer & Composite Video) $4.86
Cable USB:
6FT USB 2.0 A to A Male/Female Extension Cable (Black) $0.88
Cable USB:
10FT USB 2.0 A to A Male/Female Extension Cable $1.27
Subtotal: $29.12
Shipping & Handling: $9.59 (5-day) / $18.50 (3-day)
Total: $38.71 (5-day) / $47.62 (3-day)
Cables - Newegg.com
Cable Video Component:
Link Depot LD-HDCPN-12 12 ft. HD Component video cable M-M - Retail $7.99
Cable Video DVI:
Link Depot 10 ft. DVI To VGA Cable Model DVI-10-VGA - Retail $5.99
Cable Video HDMI:
Nippon Labs 10 ft. HDMI TO HDMI A/V Gold Plated Cable Model HDMI1.3-10 - Retail $8.99
Cable Audio Toslink:
CABLES UNLIMITED AUD-9200-12 12 feet Toslink Digital Audio Cable - Retail $7.99
Cable Audio Coax:
CABLES UNLIMITED AUD-1315-10 10 feet Pro A/V Series Digital Coaxial Cable M-M - Retail $8.99
Cable USB:
BYTECC 6 ft. Type A Male to Type A Female USB 2.0 Extension Cable Model USB2-6MF-K - Retail $2.49
Cable USB:
BYTECC 10 ft. Type A Male to Type A Female USB 2.0 Extension Cable Model USB2-10MF-K - Retail $2.89
Subtotal: $45.33
Shipping & Handling: $31.13 (3-day)
Total: $76.46 (3-day)
[size="+2"]Alternative Configurations[/size]
Here are some alternative configurations based on similar parts as the main system along with the included downgrades that were listed above.
HTPC - i4 2.66, P45, 8GB, ATI 4850, ATSC, 2x30GB SS, 4TB, 520W, Blu-ray, WiFi, K+M Bt, ATX, VisPre64 - $2,107.82
HTPC - i4 2.66, P45, 4GB, ATI 4850, ATSC, 2x30GB SS, 1TB, 430W, Blu-ray, WiFi, K+M Bt, ATX, VisPre64 - $1,727.86
HTPC - i2 3.0, P45, 4GB, ATI 4670, ATSC, 1TB, 380W, Blu-ray, WiFi, K+M Bt, ATX, XpPro32 - $1,198.87
Shipping & Handling: ~ $60.00
[size="-2"]
Updates:
[/size]
1) What will you be doing with this PC? HTPC/Gaming/Desktop
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included? ~$2.1K with S&H
3) Where do you live? US, East Coast
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? Everything listed above.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? None, all new.
6) Will you be overclocking? Probably, but only light 10% OC on air.
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have? Current projector 1024x768, later HDTV projector 1920x1080.
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Within a few weeks.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? PCI-E, Audio
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? Will purchase OS and Apps.
The design for this configuration was based on having a system built on parts that give the most bang for the buck in the price-to-performance ratio for each category so this meant going for the new Intel i7 Socket 1366 with DDR3 memory based system. The emphasis on this design was based for an system that is powerful enough to play video games hence the Intel i7 2.66 processor and 6GB of RAM and a Radeon HD 4870 1GB video card. This system will also be serving as a HTPC systems doing video capture with AverMedia card and having enough storage for (4) 1TB drives along with HDTV component and HDMI video output along with digital audio output. The processor power and memory will also likely be used for some video encoding work to transfer DVD and Blu-ray media onto the hard drives for library storage. Since this system will be housed in the living room it includes a few additional accessories such as the wireless Bluetooth based keyboard & mouse combo, the Blu-ray drive to play back Blu-ray movies, the AverMedia capture card with remote control, the wireless network card to avoid running network cables, and a bunch of cables for any type of video and audio connections.
The design was also built for being space saving by choosing a desktop HTPC case from Lian-Li along with being thermal and noise conscious that is why the choice of the case is 100% aluminum for better heat dissipation than steel cases. Also the system will be using all 120mm fans for two internal fans, processor fan, and power supply fan for maximum air flow at minimum noise generation. The video card will be the only item housing a smaller fan but this should not cause undue noise while using the system for desktop or media usage since the GPU won't be taxed so there will be minimal heat generation. During gaming sessions the ambient music and effects should be enough to minimize the increased noise from the video card fan, and if the placement of the HTPC is in a corner of the room the noise should be further diminished.
[size="+2"]HTPC - i7 2.66, X58, 6GB, ATI 4870, ATSC, 2x30GB SS, 4TB, 520W, Blu-ray, WiFi, K+M Bt, ATX, VisPre64[/size]
Case:
LIAN LI Black Aluminum PC-C32B ATX Media Center / HTPC Case - Retail $169.99
Motherboard:
ASUS P6T LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $239.99
Processor:
Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail $279.99
Memory:
G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL8TU-6GBPI - Retail $94.99
Fan & Heatsink:
XIGMATEK HDT-SD964 92mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Retail $27.99
Bracket:
XIGMATEK ACK-I7363 CPU Cooler - Retail $9.99
Video Card:
SAPPHIRE 100259-1GL Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail $189.99
Power Supply:
CORSAIR CMPSU-520HX 520W ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail $109.99
Solid Disk:
OCZ Vertex Series OCZSSD2-1VTX30G 2.5" 30GB SATA II Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - Retail 2 x $128.00 = $256.00
Hard Disk:
Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EADS 1TB SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM 4 x $104.99 = $399.96
Capture Card:
AVerMedia AVerTV Combo PCIe MCE ATSC/NTSC/QAM Tuner Card w/MCE Remote & L-P Bracket 7 95522 96066 5 PCI-Express x1 $109.99
Media Reader:
LIAN LI CR-25B 20-in-1 USB 2.0 Black Aluminum Card Reader - Retail $22.99
Keyboard & Mouse:
Microsoft Wireless Entertainment Desktop 7000 - Retail $115.99
Optical Drive:
LG Black Blu-ray/HD DVD-ROM & 16X DVD±R DVD Burner SATA Model GGC-H20L - Retail $109.99
Network:
LINKSYS WMP300N IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Draft IEEE 802.11n 32-bit PCI Interface High-speed Wireless-N Wireless Adapter Up to 256-bit wireless encryption - Retail $64.99
Operating System:
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM $99.99
Subtotal: $2,302.82
Shipping & Handling: $51.69
Total: $2,354.51
[size="+2"]Options[/size]
Below are some downgrade options from the configuration above. (Originally this post started with the sections below being upgrade options but after some considerations the roles were reversed into downgrade options due to the lower anticipated costs of the higher performing parts.)
[size="+1"]Video Card Downgrade[/size]
One possibility is to downgrade the video card from the to the 4870 750/900 MHz to 4850 625/993 MHz for $38 total savings that would save a measly ~1.7% of the total system price for about 20% lower frame rates for games like Bioshock, Call of Duty 4, and Oblivion according to the article AnandTech: The Radeon HD 4850 & 4870 AMD Wins at $199 and $299.
The thing to consider is the increased Heat & Noise with the current 4870 video card as mentioned in the article but this might not be such a big issue when playing games anyway due to the attention being on the game and the music and effects. So this downgrade is listed here as an example but for the small price difference it might not be worth it, especially consider that buying the higher performing 4870 card you always have the option of down-clocking the card and lowering the fan RPM to minimize the noise produced.
Video Card:
SAPPHIRE 100258-1GL Radeon HD 4850 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail $161.99
Cost Savings: $38.00
[size="+1"]Intel Core 2 Quad Socket 775 and DDR2 Memory Architecture[/size]
Another option to downgrade would be to go with the older Intel Core 2 Quad Socket 775 and DDR2 memory architecture. The cost savings will $184.01 at 9% savings but at a performance decrease of 20% in most applications and 20-40% decrease in video encoding and linear calculation processing applications. There is some good information about the how the new Intel i7 architecture compares to the older Core 2 in this article AnandTech: The Nehalem Preview: Intel Does It Again article. (Revised paragraph.)
Motherboard:
ASUS P5Q-E LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $144.99
Processor:
Intel Core2 Quad Q9400 2.66GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80580Q9400 - Retail $229.99
Memory: (2)
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Desktop Memory - Retail $89.98
Cost Savings: $184.01
[size="+1"]Logitech Keyboard & Mouse Upgrade[/size]
Another option is a Logitech Keyboard & Mouse instead of the Microsoft model but there is some mixed feedback on the quality of the mouse that comes with this combo.
Keyboard & Mouse:
Logitech 967562-0403 2-Tone 103 Normal Keys 15 Function Keys USB Bluetooth Wireless Slim diNovo Media Desktop Laser - Retail $155.99
Additional Cost: $40.00
[size="+2"]Cables[/size]
Cables - Monoprice.com
Here are the same cables as in the Newegg config but ordered from Monoprice for roughly 50% less on each cable.
Cable Video Component:
12Ft 3-RCA Component Video Cable (RG-59/u) $4.17
Cable Video DVI:
DVI Analog Male / VGA(HD15) Male Cable - 15ft (Black) $8.27
Cable Video HDMI:
High Speed HDMI 1.3a Category 2 Certified Cable 28AWG - 10ft w/Ferrite Cores (Gold Plated Connectors) - BLACK $4.74
Cable Audio Toslink:
12FT Optical Toslink Cable $2.70
Cable Audio Coax:
12ft High-quality Coaxial Audio/Video RCA CL2 Rated Cable - RG6/U 75ohm (for S/PDIF, Digital Coax, Subwoofer & Composite Video) $4.86
Cable USB:
6FT USB 2.0 A to A Male/Female Extension Cable (Black) $0.88
Cable USB:
10FT USB 2.0 A to A Male/Female Extension Cable $1.27
Subtotal: $29.12
Shipping & Handling: $9.59 (5-day) / $18.50 (3-day)
Total: $38.71 (5-day) / $47.62 (3-day)
Cables - Newegg.com
Cable Video Component:
Link Depot LD-HDCPN-12 12 ft. HD Component video cable M-M - Retail $7.99
Cable Video DVI:
Link Depot 10 ft. DVI To VGA Cable Model DVI-10-VGA - Retail $5.99
Cable Video HDMI:
Nippon Labs 10 ft. HDMI TO HDMI A/V Gold Plated Cable Model HDMI1.3-10 - Retail $8.99
Cable Audio Toslink:
CABLES UNLIMITED AUD-9200-12 12 feet Toslink Digital Audio Cable - Retail $7.99
Cable Audio Coax:
CABLES UNLIMITED AUD-1315-10 10 feet Pro A/V Series Digital Coaxial Cable M-M - Retail $8.99
Cable USB:
BYTECC 6 ft. Type A Male to Type A Female USB 2.0 Extension Cable Model USB2-6MF-K - Retail $2.49
Cable USB:
BYTECC 10 ft. Type A Male to Type A Female USB 2.0 Extension Cable Model USB2-10MF-K - Retail $2.89
Subtotal: $45.33
Shipping & Handling: $31.13 (3-day)
Total: $76.46 (3-day)
[size="+2"]Alternative Configurations[/size]
Here are some alternative configurations based on similar parts as the main system along with the included downgrades that were listed above.
HTPC - i4 2.66, P45, 8GB, ATI 4850, ATSC, 2x30GB SS, 4TB, 520W, Blu-ray, WiFi, K+M Bt, ATX, VisPre64 - $2,107.82
HTPC - i4 2.66, P45, 4GB, ATI 4850, ATSC, 2x30GB SS, 1TB, 430W, Blu-ray, WiFi, K+M Bt, ATX, VisPre64 - $1,727.86
HTPC - i2 3.0, P45, 4GB, ATI 4670, ATSC, 1TB, 380W, Blu-ray, WiFi, K+M Bt, ATX, XpPro32 - $1,198.87
Shipping & Handling: ~ $60.00
[size="-2"]
Updates:
- Changed fan & heatsink from ThermalTake MaxOrb to Xigmatech HDT-SD964 with socket 1366 bracket.
- Changed power supply from SeaSonic 500W $92.99 +12V 34A to Corsair 520HX $109.99 +12V 54A. (Thanks lowteckh, Danny Bui)
- Added the HTPC i7 with 4870 video card configuration wishlist.
- Changed to larger pictures.
- Changed wireless card from Linksys WPN100 to Linksys WPN300N for separate antenna.
- Changed the DDR2 memory from 1066 to 800, back to 1066 for OC capability. (Thanks Danny Bui)
- Changed Vista Ultimate to Home Premium. (Thanks Danny Bui)
- Removed cables from wishlists and created separate lists due to shipping overcharges.
- Added the 2 x OCZ Vertex 30 GB MLC SSD for RAID-0 to top three configs.
[/size]