[hubble]

I want to turn my xps 430 into a media center that will be connected directly to TV where i dont have to spend a forutune to modify what i already have

I want to be able to play every file type or at least the majority, and I need storage of about 12tb for my library and i want to keep power consumption lower if possible.

Current specs Processor Intel® Core™2 Quad CPU Q9550 4 Cores 2.83 GHz
Graphics Card ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2
1.2TB Sata Hardrive
4 GB Ram DDR3
Intel® X48 Chipset
Intel® 7.1 channel High Definition Audio

Rest of the information can be found here.



So what do I need to make this machine into a powerful media center keeping in mind im not the most technical minded when it comes to computer hardware?

[00b5]

Sounds like you want 5 different things here, so lets start easy.

Assuming you want to hookup to a HDTV you have, does the pc in question currently have HDMI out?
If yes, then install xbmc, get some demo files, and test it out.

I don't expect you to have an issue with what you have, short of getting a new video card with HDMI out, which they make plenty of cheap options good for accelerating HD video.