[sw_lasse]

I am going to build my first HTPC, and I have spent a couple of days reading reviews to find a suitable configuration. Currently, my config. looks like this:

• Intel Core i5 2400s (http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=52208)
  
• Intel BOXDH67GDB3 (http://www.intel.com/products/desktop/mo...erview.htm)
  
• Kingston hyper-x (2 x 4GB), KHX1333C9D3B1K2/8G (http://www.valueram.com/datasheets/KHX13...1K2_8G.pdf)
  
• 2 x Western Digital 1TB AV-GP, WD10EURS (http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/library/Sp...701250.pdf)
  
• Antec New Solution NSK2480 (http://www.antec.com/Believe_it/product1.php?id=MzI=)
  

I know the amount of memory and processing power might exceed what is considered best HTPC practice. However, my plan is also to use this HTPC as a server for different tasks too, which is why I have spent a bit more on memory and processing power.

Primarily, the system should be able to play (and decode) 1080p movies - a task I have read, that the HD 2000 graphics should be able to easily do (.. I know XBMC have some problems with hardware video decoding with SandyBridge currently, however I assume that will get fixed in near future..)

I plan to run a Windows 7 64-bit OS on the machine, which is why I will stick to the HD 2000 and not go for some nvidia which (I assume) would work better with Linux..

I will start with the boxed heatsink to hear if it is too loud. If it is, a solution might be SpeedFan or another heatsink.

Before buying I would like to hear some of your comments to this configuration.

Thanks in advance

[Mallet21]

I would be looking at 2tb or 3tb drives instead of the 1tb drives you have selected. Much better value going with the largest drives you can.

Otherwise it looks good....I've got the same case and love it.

[eskro]

i feel like i always say the same thing over & over

forget about about the 'will get fixed in near future' ....

INTEL clearly said that they'll fix their 24fps issue in their next bridge version,,,

which is not the SandyBridge....

its not recommended to host a server and a HTPC under the same case...

[sw_lasse]

INTEL clearly said that they'll fix their 24fps issue in their next bridge version,,,

which is not the SandyBridge....

Could you expand on this 24fps issue? Some links to discussions? Problem description?

its not recommended to host a server and a HTPC under the same case...

Well, I guess this depends on what kind of tasks the server should handle?

[Drae]

Under Windows the 24p issue can be mostly eliminated according to AVS. At least relative to ATI and Nvidia - you supposedly just need to disable UAC.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1333324

is a link to the debate over who manages 23.976 "best". Intel also talk of further driver changes which will eliminate the need to disable UAC. But yes it'll be the next chipset/Ivy Bridge before the problem (hopefully) goes away completely.

[eskro]

Could you expand on this 24fps issue? Some links to discussions? Problem description?

here's the MacroBlocking issue thread

and here's the 24fps issue

You could easily go with the G620 CPU + GT430 GPU....
like on my build here --> http://ow.ly/1uyvd3
this would eat any 1080P files without issues...
total peace of mind....

[Mallet21]

here's the MacroBlocking issue thread

and here's the 24fps issue

You could easily go with the G620 CPU + GT430 GPU....
like on my build here --> http://ow.ly/1uyvd3
this would eat any 1080P files without issues...
total peace of mind....

For some reason you keep linking to an article from January :confused2:

[PatrickVogeli]

have you read the article?? Damn, if someone takes his time to answer, the very least you can do is give it some attention, instead of just complain.

Here’s the sitch, most movie content is stored at 23.976 fps but incorrectly referred to as 24p or 24 fps. That sub-30 fps frame rate is what makes movies look like, well, movies and not soap operas (this is also why interpolated 120Hz modes on TVs make movies look cheesey since they smooth out the 24 fps film effect). A smaller portion of content is actually mastered at 24.000 fps and is also referred to as 24p.

In order to smoothly playback either of these formats you need a player and a display device capable of supporting the frame rate. Many high-end TVs and projectors support this just fine, however on the playback side Intel only supports the less popular of the two: 24.000Hz.

This isn’t intentional, but rather a propagation of an oversight that started back with Clarkdale. Despite having great power consumption and feature characteristics, Clarkdale had one glaring issue that home theater enthusiasts discovered: despite having a 23Hz setting in the driver, Intel’s GPU would never output anything other than 24Hz to a display.

The limitation is entirely in hardware, particularly in what’s supported by the 5-series PCH (remember that display output is routed from the processor’s GPU to the video outputs via the PCH). One side effect of trying to maintain Intel’s aggressive tick-tock release cadence is there’s a lot of design reuse. While Sandy Bridge was a significant architectural redesign, the risk was mitigated by reusing much of the 5-series PCH design. As a result, the hardware limitation that prevented a 23.976Hz refresh rate made its way into the 6-series PCH before Intel discovered the root cause.

[sw_lasse]

Thanks for the answers so far.

I think I will go for a GT430 or a GT520 GPU to solve the 24fps and the macroblocking issue. Furthermore, by using some NVIDIA graphics, it should be easier for me to run Linux on it, when I decide to move from Windows at some point..

If you take the airflow of the Antec NSK2480 case into account, should I go for a passive or an active cooled graphics card?

[sw_lasse]

Based on the review at: http://www.silentpcreview.com/article591-page3.html there should be no problem in choosing a passive cooled graphics card.

Quote from silentpcreview:

Intake vent 2: The slots on the top of the cover are positioned over the PCI slots. The fans will draw air from these slots, and in the process, the cooler outside air will travel at least a little across the graphics card, helping to cool it.

I think a card like this (ASUS ENGT520) seems to be a decent buy: http://www.asus.com/Graphics_Cards/NVIDI...ifications?