HTPC Help - Component Suggestions

M.J.M.C

Hi Guys

I'm looking to build my own HTPC and just need a few suggestions.

I want to use a Silverstone LC16 as my case

Its going to be a HTPC for 1080p playback, no gaming etc.
I'm going to install linux on it and run XBMC

Here's where I need help.

-I need suggestions for a processor, ive been looking at an i3 so I dont have to use a graphics card, to limit noise. i3 seems better than AMD power wise.
-I need a suggestion for a Mobo, i'll be connecting 6 sata drives to it


I have 4GB of DDR2 (i know DDR3 is newer, so if the Mobo only takes DDR3 ill go with that) ram from work I can use, and I have an ASUS ENGT220 Graphics card too if i HAVE to use it. The less noisy it is the better.

I want to connect it via HDMI to my Onkyo 507 that supports DTS-HD & True-HD

Ive heard Linux now supports bitstreaming DTS-HD & True-HD via HDMI, is that true?

Thanks

slave1

Firstly, shop around more than dabs, www.scan.co.uk have become as price competitive as anyone and very quick with shipping.

I don't run Linux so can't comment on that approach.

There is no need whatsoever for an i chip, any dual core will do it for you and just pick up a passive GPU, you can get a second hand NVIDA 8600 for around €30 on adverts every once in a while. Don't forget that the more you use your CPU, the hotter it will get and potentially the more your coller fan will spin.
If you do not have a dedicated GPU you will not be able to allow hardware acelleration (sic.) in XBMC so your chip will studder at high quality 1080p content.
Your m/board and RAM are fine.
Regarding all that TrueHD etc, very little content out there with marked differential when played back through than amp, even if you source content with TrueHD etc. will your m/board or GPU be capable of delivering it to your amp?

M.J.M.C

slave1 wrote: »

If you do not have a dedicated GPU you will not be able to allow hardware acelleration (sic.) in XBMC so your chip will studder at high quality 1080p

Thanks for the reply

I read that an i3 will playback 1080p fine without a dedicated GPU

slave1

It may well do mate

Here's a passive GPU @ £46 and it will give you greater flexibility WRT picture quality than an on-board motherboard HDMI connection, I'm sure there's cheaper ones out there, that's just an example.

slave1

Here's a cheaper one

sink

M.J.M.C wrote: »

Thanks for the reply

I read that an i3 will playback 1080p fine without a dedicated GPU

That's because the i3 has an integrated GPU. If it's just for 1080p video integrated GPU is fine but may struggle with the transition effects in various media players.

M.J.M.C

M.J.M.C wrote: »

..... I have an ASUS ENGT220 Graphics card too if i HAVE to use it. The less noisy it is the better.

Thanks

I already have a GPU as in my original post, other websites are saying an i3 Sandy Bridge plays 1080p and even remux's fine no issues at all.

I guess I'll just throw in the GPU if I run into issues

Carter P Fly

An I3 will do what you want without a need for a GPU.

Any Non "I" dual core or amd processor will require a GPU.

If you do get a GPU I'd reccomend Just getting a HD 5450 or similar, less then 50 euros from lots of places, dabs, komplett etc

The 8600 mentioned above does not do audio over HDMI

M.J.M.C

Cheers Carter

Do you know does my GPU i have linked to do Audio over HDMI?

slave1

Carter P Fly wrote: »

The 8600 mentioned above does not do audio over HDMI

Absolutely, I should have mentioned that but I was concentrating on your 1080p playback requirement, I run sound separate to vision on my HTPC, just feel it's better with dedicated route to amp

kuro_man

If you plan of using Linux, check that the driver will use the integrated graphics in the i3 to render video, decode h.264, otherwise it might hammer the CPU itself.

Otherwise you may need an nvidia card for VDPAU.
I use a ASUS EN210 fanless (£27 amazon), which works fine but I think a 220 might be a better buy support-wise.

Voodu Child

Playing 1080p H.264 is not particularly taxing; any decently-clocked mainstream dual-core from the last 5 years should be able to software decode 1080p H.264.

For example an i3-530 plays full bitrate Bluray content with an average CPU load of about 15-20%.

Be aware that none of the Core i integrated graphics can output at 23.976Hz, where's pretty much all the Nvidia and ATI cards can. It's only an issue if you want to output 23.976fps content to a capable display without any dupe frames or stutter.

M.J.M.C

Voodu Child wrote: »

Be aware that none of the Core i integrated graphics can output at 23.976Hz, where's pretty much all the Nvidia and ATI cards can. It's only an issue if you want to output 23.976fps content to a capable display without any dupe frames or stutter.

Thanks for the reply, very helpful.

Can you clarify what you mean by the above? Sorry just unsure what 23.976Hz is all about, cheers

Voodu Child

M.J.M.C wrote: »

Thanks for the reply, very helpful.

Can you clarify what you mean by the above? Sorry just unsure what 23.976Hz is all about, cheers

The majority of movies are shot at 23.976 fps.

In the old days of DVDs, for the PAL region they would speed them up to 25 fps (including the audio which went higher in pitch!) and that is easy to play on a 50Hz PAL TV, you just show every frame for 2 cycles.

Nowadays with Bluray, movies are presented at their native framerate. And some TVs are capable of running at this exact framerate. So for some people they've gone and bought good TVs specifically for that reason and it is important that their HTPC can output at exactly 23.976Hz. For whatever reason the Core i integrated graphics can only do 24Hz.

The difference might sound trivial but it means you have to stick in a duplicate frame every now and then, if you've a good eye you might notice a re-occuring judder, especially on panning scenes.

If you don't know what any of this means then it is probably irrelevant. But it is one reason why i've seen some Core i3 users still go with a discrete graphics card, even though the CPU itself has no problem decoding 1080p H.264.

M.J.M.C

Thanks VC

Thanks for clearing that up for me, I guess since I have a card I might as well put it in, given the above

slave1

Voodu Child wrote: »

The majority of movies are shot at 23.976 fps.

In the old days of DVDs, for the PAL region they would speed them up to 25 fps (including the audio which went higher in pitch!) and that is easy to play on a 50Hz PAL TV, you just show every frame for 2 cycles.

Nowadays with Bluray, movies are presented at their native framerate. And some TVs are capable of running at this exact framerate. So for some people they've gone and bought good TVs specifically for that reason and it is important that their HTPC can output at exactly 23.976Hz. For whatever reason the Core i integrated graphics can only do 24Hz.

The difference might sound trivial but it means you have to stick in a duplicate frame every now and then, if you've a good eye you might notice a re-occuring judder, especially on panning scenes.

If you don't know what any of this means then it is probably irrelevant. But it is one reason why i've seen some Core i3 users still go with a discrete graphics card, even though the CPU itself has no problem decoding 1080p H.264.

Bang on, jutter is very annoying (to me anyhow), 99% of 'downloads' are 23.976 so if the CPU cannot accommodate then I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.

Voodu Child

slave1 wrote: »

Bang on, jutter is very annoying (to me anyhow), 99% of 'downloads' are 23.976 so if the CPU cannot accommodate then I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.

It's not the CPU, it is the integrated GPU. It just doesnt have 23.976 as a supported output refresh rate.

And like I said, it is only an issue if your display is capable of that refresh rate, and if you are discerning enough to want the feature.

Most people watching Bluray or downloads are doing it on their TVs at 50Hz or 60Hz anyway, you still get pulldown and most people don't notice or care. So if you're in that bracket it's not really relevant. Just something to be aware of. I think Intel are planning on fixing it in the next platform or refresh.

M.J.M.C

Voodu Child wrote: »

Most people watching Bluray or downloads are doing it on their TVs at 50Hz or 60Hz anyway, you still get pulldown and most people don't notice or care. So if you're in that bracket it's not really relevant. Just something to be aware of. I think Intel are planning on fixing it in the next platform or refresh.

So do some people set their tv to 23.976Hz for a movie and then back to 50-60Hz for a TV?

Voodu Child

M.J.M.C wrote: »

So do some people set their tv to 23.976Hz for a movie and then back to 50-60Hz for a TV?

Yes, you see some TVs advertised as 24p capable and that's the whole idea of that feature. It can be done automatically, it's not something you have to manually set.

M.J.M.C

Oh ok cool

Jesus, building a HTPC i thought was gonna be easy, one thing has made me look into another, into another into another....

Anyway cheers i'll check this out