[scarfi]

i am new to this site and i would like to say hello to everyone.
first of, sorry for my bad english, i am giving my best

i want to build a htpc, i am new to this, but not new in operating systems and software/hardware in general.

after a lot of reading i canceled buying a boxxe box or appletv.
now i want to build a nice and flawless working htpc.
i often read that intel + ion based hardware works best with linux +xbmc ootb.
i also read that amds zacato is more powerful but it has a lot of problems running with linux.
is this true? what about kernel 3.0?
is there a amd mini itx hardware available, which is working ootb in linux (or with a little tweak)
windows might be the best solution in terms of hardware-drivers, but i really would like to run linux on it.
after setting up this whole thing, the system has to be girlfriend-proof (she is o-kay with tech, not a total noob)

i am really not sure what hardware to pick….

my needs are:
running every video file i am throwing at this htpc, fully hardware accelerated in 720p/1080p at any bitrate, totally fluid/smooth
the option to play bluray + 3d
full sound (i read somewhere that amds zacato has problems with hdmi audio, is this still a problem?)
the possibility to add a dvb-c/s card in the (near?) future
gigabit network
wlan, ir remote control, usb ports (3.0 would be great if its also possible)

i want to buy the hardware today
so, i really need an advice


i thought of this configuration:

Asus AT5IONT-I (or deluxe) D525 with Realtek ALC887
or
Asus E35M1-I Deluxe with Realtek ALC892
or
Gigabyte GA-E350N-USB3 with Realtek ALC892

if there is a board (ION2 or AMD) which works a lot better then what i listed, please tell me

also i thought to buy 2gb ram (is this enough?)
a 32 or 64gb ssd drive

i have a tinnitus and therefor i need a system which is super quiet, so it has to be a fanless solution (or with a fan that is not noticeable)

i am still looking for a really nice super-small case for it, maybe someone can recommend something (i love the boxee box cube…but i know i wont find something similar….)

i hope i didnt forget something really important, if so, please help this total htpc-noob.

thank you for reading

[X3lectric]

http://forum.xbmc.org/forumdisplay.php?fid=112

that has many discussions on this subject and perhaps best place... whatevr you do go nvidia gpu.

[scarfi]

okay, thanks a lot!

only one question: if i pick a ion2 based board with 1,8ghz atom intel, will i be able to play 3d blurays or is the hardware not capable in doing this fluid/smoothly?

[X3lectric]

both those question are not for someone who boycots blurays and hates 3D

\\Edit

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=...eg&cad=rja

ok theres a google link

[johnjohn1981]

both those question are not for someone who boycots blurays and hates 3D

\\Edit

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=...eg&cad=rja

ok theres a google link

i understand your pain all too well but i will say this i do not own any bluray'$ at all just the ones my friends provide and the quality on a 40" LCD is near on perfect

[X3lectric]

Im sure ION2 is able but TBH only windows and not with XBMC I doubt xbmc supports 3D playback.

[scarfi]

a new day, a new hardware setup….
yesterday i was at a local hardware-shop and they recommended me following setup:

Asus P8H61-I Rev 3.0
CPU Intel Core i3 2100T 2,5 ghz boxed
4GB S0-Dimm Kingston
Cooler Master Elite 100 mini itx

but google tells me, that a intel core i3 boxed is very loud and this setup would not be very great with linux +xbmc. is that correct?

what hardware can you recommend?
i would really like to have a nvidia graphics card, but i am really lost in finding the best setup.

[wsnipex]

Performance wise this setup will blow the atom out of the water......., here comes the BUT:
if everything you are going to do with this machine is watch movies, you are better off with something cheaper and nvidia GFX based. The Intel Integrated GFX (HD 2000) of the core i3 is able to decode everything you throw at it in hardware, but drivers are still not nearly as robust as on the nvidia side(same goes for ATI cards btw).
I own an ATI and an Intel core i5 setup, both work with some fiddling though.

Now, if you plan to use this htpc for other things too, like downloading with sickbeard, couchpotato etc, the core i3 will be well worth the money. Atoms and probably the E350 lack power for downloading(in my case Usenet over SSL), par/unrar etc. at decent speeds.
The energy efficiency of the core i3 is great, also idle power should not be alot above the atom/E350.

in the end, it all depends on you and your planned usage patterns, there are alot more options to go with, all with their respective advantages and weaknesses.

[Thunderbisciut]

I recently bought an Asus EB1012P barebones kit, Atom D510(dual core 1.66), ION, HDMI, wifi and wired, 6 USB 2.0, 1 esata. This thing is tiny and silent. Just need to add a hard drive, ram, input devices, and an OS. I went with a quiet slow Scorpio Blue drive, and 4 gb of ram. Initially I put Win 7 64 before deciding to just install XBMC Live.

With Live I can play up to 720p without enabling hardware acceleration. After enabling hardware acceleration everything 1080p is brilliant.

There is no internal optical drive bay, and only room for 1 internal 2.5" hard drive, so that may be a downfall for some. I keep my media currently on a 3tb external drive.

The barebones kit costs around 200. I got mine as an open box for about 130, spent another 50 for ram, 50 for the internal hard drive, 150 for the external, and about 15 for a remote. Cheap cheap cheap.

It's not a powerhouse by any means, but I love this damn thing.

[scarfi]

thanks for your feedback!

…it´s a shame, ca. 13 years mac user and you forget what else is available on the market…
my last setup, which i built by myself was @P3 500mhz generation

so if i take the core i3 + good nvidia gpu i should be okay, correct? which nvidia gpu is really good atm and not so expensive + full linux compat?
are 4gb ram enough or should i go with 8gb?
64/128 gb SSD
what board is good for my purpose? i need a mini-itx (or mikro-atx, is there a big difference in size?) <-- i want a small case (and i am still looking for a real nice one) with 2 PCI (express?) slots.
can you recommend a good one? maybe with wlan onboard

what about hd-audio? is there a problem with linux?

@Thunderbisciut : Ha! that´s one of those barebones that i wanted first
but there i am really limited in things a maybe want to do in the near future…

the main problem is surely the TV-card, correct? let´s say: i choose to play a 3d fullblown 1080p movie while i want to record a dvb-c tv-movie + maybe ripping a bluray simultaneously…and everything really quiet + in a small case + linux... if That is possible: what hardware would YOU pick? let´s forget the price...

i know that linux is not capable in doing this bluray-stuff ootb + legal problems, but let´s forget this for a moment

thank you for your help! i really appreciate it!

[wsnipex]

if you pick an i3 you should not need an extra gfx card the i3 should have it built in with complete HD hardware decoding. Just make sure the gfx is really in there. In case you find it not good enough for whatever reason you still can buy a discrete nvidia(e.g. GT430 or 520).

full workload and really quiet is almost mutually exclusive specially with a small case. Really quiet coolers take alot of space and usually do not fit in an htpc case, but there surely are some out there. But on near idle this cpu should be quiet, an aftermarket cooler won't hurt though.

[bluray]

this setup should work:

1. SILVERSTONE Sugo SG05-B or APEX MI-008
2. Zotac GeForce 9300
3. Silenx IXP7409 iXtrema Pro Fan
4. LG Black 12X BD-ROM
5. HP OEM Windows 7 Vista XP Media Center MCE PC Remote Control
6. SAPPHIRE 100324L Radeon HD 6570 2GB or [url="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133356"]PNY VCGGT4301XPB GeForce GT 430[/url]
7. Intel Core2 Duo E7500 Wolfdale 2.93GHz
8. G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2
9. Corsair Force CSSD-F40GB2-A 2.5" 40GB

[scarfi]

thanks guys!

what about this setup?

OrigenAE S10 V 314,90 euro
Be Quiet! Pure Power BQT L7-350W 36 euro
Technotrend TT-connect CT-3650 CI USB TV Karte 72,90 euro
Asus P8P67-M PRO Rev 3.0 Sockel 1155, matx, DDR3 115 euro
Intel core i3 2100 3,10 93,84 euro
Scythe SCBSK-1000 Big Shuriken 24 euro
Zotac Geforce GT 430 passiv 77,89 Euro <-- can i pick i generic one for 50 euro? or does linux more support geforce cards from company xyz?
8GB Kingston DIMM-240-PIN 1333 mhz (PC3-10600) 35 euro
Super Talent UltraDrive 64GB 300 MBps 94 euro
Panasonic Uj225 Slot-in Blu-ray Brenner 2x Bd 114,99 euro

it would be great if i could get this a little bit cheaper + i also don´t know if this setup would work, generally...
would this setup be really quiet?

[bluray]

thanks guys!

what about this setup?

OrigenAE S10 V 314,90 euro
Be Quiet! Pure Power BQT L7-350W 36 euro
Technotrend TT-connect CT-3650 CI USB TV Karte 72,90 euro
Asus P8P67-M PRO Rev 3.0 Sockel 1155, matx, DDR3 115 euro
Intel core i3 2100 3,10 93,84 euro
Scythe SCBSK-1000 Big Shuriken 24 euro
Zotac Geforce GT 430 passiv 77,89 Euro <-- can i pick i generic one for 50 euro? or does linux more support geforce cards from company xyz?
8GB Kingston DIMM-240-PIN 1333 mhz (PC3-10600) 35 euro
Super Talent UltraDrive 64GB 300 MBps 94 euro
Panasonic Uj225 Slot-in Blu-ray Brenner 2x Bd 114,99 euro

it would be great if i could get this a little bit cheaper + i also don´t know if this setup would work, generally...
would this setup be really quiet?

that is very expensive htpc. if you want to cut down on euro, you might want to consider replacing the OrigenAE S10 V with Antec Black Aluminum and the ram with G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) and Corsair Force CSSD-F40GB2-A . you don't need 8gb of ram and 64gb of ssd. i recommend the Radeon HD 6570 over gt 430. it has more kick with less power consumption.

[scarfi]

i always read that i have to go with nvidia if i want to have linux + xbmc + full hardware acceleration.
the price diffenrece between 4gb and 8 is only 15 euro, that´s okay for me.
the SSD....i wanted to start with a good 2,5" harddrive (i got a few here) and next month or so, i wanted to upgrade (boot time is a lot better with a ssd, right?)

is there a full radeon hd 6570 linux support? i mean without dirty patches etc.

edit: the antec case would be my second choice, so our taste matches here
...i am still unsure if i really go down the road and buy the hardcore expensive case. i have to sleep over it...