Guys, need some help

Im moving my simple HTPC to inside master bed-room. Now, needs shelf. Tried Ikea but can't get what I need.

basically something like this, but with box type, ie close. It will be wall mounted about 2 mtr high.
Length about 2 Feet long, 10" wide with holes for cables.

Question: where i can get such box here in KL?

^^I like the setup, very neat and simple . Amazingly can't see any wiring.

wires hidden inside the wall.

taken from avforums.

Its time to refresh my old htpc and build a new one. I have the following draft config;

CPU Intel i7 4770
CPU Fan NOCTUA NH-L12
Chassis Silverstone GD07B
Mobo G1.SNIPER Z87
HDD Samsung 840 EVO 250GB
RAM 4GB PC1600 8 chips x 2
Graphics Palit GT 640
PSU Enermax NAXN 500W 80Plus

Total price about RM3200++

I'm still waiting to see if there will be a new MacMini this year. Hope to have either Haswell or Broadwell CPU.

unless you're thinking of gaming on the htpc, such high specs would be a waste.
not to mention the energy usage

@ broenwei

That is expensive and power hungry.
Mine is using sub-1000 RM HP mini-desktop, sufficient for HD 1080i/p

Brilliant spec. If you don't play game on it, try to consider latest A6 chip with A88+ mobo. Its cooler, energy saving and fast enough for all Full HD videos.

Yup, another choice will be AMD CPU. Have the budget for RM3000 mainly is to claim max for PC tax relief. Gaming is optional as GT640 won't be so good for full HD gaming. Power wise I think it is reasonably fine as Haswell i7 & GT640 do not consume that much of power anyway.

I really like Silverstone GD07 case as I can stack it up to my Yamaha amp. Nonetheless I'm still hoping for Apple to release a Haswell or Broadwell MacMini. Will see at June keynote.

different people have (usually) vastly different opinions regarding AMD vs Intel solutions.
but one thing remain consistently true: Intel solutions are usually better in energy management compared to AMD. it's been that way for decades years.


http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/core-i...ew,3521-18.html

so if you don't mind paying a couple bucks more for cheaper initial costs, get AMD.
but if you're planning to turn on the system for a few hours per day, the extra ~200W per hour, per day will add up to a substantial number at the end of the month.

tho it's not impossible to build a system capable of handling full HD material whilst maintaining ~50W (or less) power.

If got budget, try ATS rack @ Amcorp mall?
http://hifi-unlimited.blogspot.com/2010/04...p-ats-rack.html
They manufacture themselves, so can ask for custom made also.

Thx for the info, appreciate it

I do hope that Apple will release a new MacMini this year, but to enjoy DTS HD MA or Dolby TrueHD, I still have to install Windows OS...

Dear expert, I am newbie for HTPC. May I know what spec CPU should choose for setup HTPC?

IMHO main question is whether you wanna do any gaming on it.
second question is whether you wanna run it for downloads or torrent or for any reason you want it to run >4 hours everyday.

because right now, even the cheapest dual core CPU is capable of decoding full HD. with the exception of perhaps the lowest powered atom/celeron dual core.

some people die die wanna have 6 or 8 core in their htpc without realizing it'll easily cost them an extra 4,000W a day to run it.

I am not addict with online gaming. Normally surf net & torrent. Most prefer watch 1080p & dts sound system.
Then need connect to my home theater too.

This post has been edited by petlu28: May 11 2014, 12:05 PM

If your home theater system supports HD audio (DTS HD MA, Dolby TrueHD), make sure you go for graphics card that support HD audio (eg GT 640) or onboard HDMI (eg Intel NUC) that can support passthru to your amp.

If your amp doesn't support HD audio, optical out will do the job nicely.

Guys,

I've recently moved from a media player (HDX BD1) to a HTPC
My HTPC uses Intel Core i3 onboard graphics and audio.
It is connected to my Denon 2311 amp via HDMI and I've left, right, center Mordaunt-Short speakers plus a Rythmik subwoofer.

I've an issue with the audio.
When I was using the HDX BD1, the sound impact and LFE effects was much stronger.
Now on the htpc it feels much more flat.

Any ideas why?

My HT support DTS only.

you planning on downloading torrent using the htpc?
if yes then get a cheap dual core processor. not necessarily an i3. a dual core pentium with a graphics card capable of hdmi bitstream might be better if you're into audio. refere below. cheaper electricity.

or if you don't wanna run it on days end, can always consider an i5, i7 or AMD multicore solution.

i do agree that onboard graphics while could bitstream hd audio, do sound lacking. blame it on jitter. as onboard graphics usually extract their clock frequency from the main processor clock, the clock sync mechanism is usually not good. we've tested side-by-side between onboard solution from intel and dedicated solution from ATI graphics and the dedicated graphics do sound better.

but the great thing about htpc is that it's upgradeable. and the upgrade path is freaking cheap.
if you find the onboard graphics to sound lifeless, you could always add a dedicated card. an ATI graphics solution that could bitstream hd audio could be had from ~RM100 (HD5450). better card from HD6XXX and HD7XXX series could be had for around ~RM200.

I'm using a Silverstone GD06 HTPC case.
http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=293

What graphic card can I use that'll fit?

My friend recommend me choose i3 rm1449. Honestly I don't know which spec should choose.



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