Need help from the PC geeks...

[RICoder]

Ok guys, hook me up. I want to get a new computer, SPECIFICALLY for my home theater. I have a set of things that I want, and really it is quite limited, so any help in the way of links or idea would be great.

1) I need it to support resolutions in that are 16:9 ratio. It will be attached to a 50in HDTV. That TV has component-in, but it also has VGA in (standard connector)

2) I really want a small profile. This means either (a) a stanard stereo component profile, or (b) a little cube.

3) I'd like, but will live without, firewire.

4) Big-ass hard drive...but that's a no-brainer

5) Wi-Fi, in the form of b/g with double-speed g...again I can get that after the fact.

Thanks...oh, and I wanna spend ~800USD

[ VIDEO CARD INFO IS REALLY IMPORTANT...I KNOW YOU KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT EM]

[Caesar]

I'd recommend and AMD 64, about 1024 RAM and a 7200+ RPM hard drive. Otherwise, I can't really add too much as I don't know the specifics of PCs made for media.

[Kevin Gelso]

Well RICoder, this time it's my turn to get rid of the bar flies.

Well Caesar was right in the fact that you should definitly go the AMD64 route. Output into HDTV is very hard for a computer to do.

I recommend:

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDe ... 488&depa=1 --- CPU
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDe ... 510&depa=1 --- MOBO
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductde ... 420&DEPA=1 --- MEMORY (buy two, set up dual channel)
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductde ... 160&DEPA=0 --- HARD DRIVE (if you can afford getting two of these and putting them on a RAID 0 array that would be a hell of a fast computer.)

As for the video card, I have no idea what is the best in terms of HDTV out. I will let someone else cover this as I have no idea.

I know my prices went a little high, but thanks to you I upped my receiver budget a few hundred. Basically you get what you pay for, this would be one hell of a computer and would eat HDTV alive.

[sponge]

I sent him a link to Walmart's computers, which are great with an upgrade or two, if anyone else is looking for something similar.

[refractor]

Check what capability the VGA input on the TV has. I'd suspect that it doesn't actually take an HDTV resolution VGA input, but upconverts a standard resolution to it.

I run a NVidia GF2MX (i.e. nothing special) into the back of my TV (cheap 42" Plasma with a VGA input) and use a widescreen desktop. My 'puters configuration is fairly minimal - 2.2GHz Athlon, 256MB RAM, quiet 20GB HD.. and then I stream media off my server. Basically I want that machine to be quiet, and as it's only chucking stuff at the TV (DivX, Xvid, DVDs, etc), it doesn't need to be powerful.

If you want something pre-built, then the <a href="http://www.hush-pc.com/start.html">"Hush PC"</a> range looks pretty nice (prices aren't wonderful but...).

Personally I'm probably going to junk my current mini-ATX case and go for a case like <a href="http://www.silentpcreview.com/article183-page1.html">this</a> (the mini-ATX case gets way too hot).

So if it's up-converting, and you're not wanting bleeding-edge gaming, get a quiet case, a reasonable Sempron with a decent mobo, 512MB RAM, practically any graphics card you like, and a quiet HD (I'd recommend a Samsung - buying two for a machine you want quiet would be silly).

[Theodoric_of_York]

[Jadam]

[RedruM]

[RICoder]

[Jadam]

[Kevin Gelso]

[chuck]

[Jadam]

[tomdon]

Nothing is kooler or better looking for a media pc than a shuttle:

[Jadam]

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much much sexier