[Harro]

My rig is this
i720 cpu
asus p6t m/b
6 gigs of corsair dominator ddr3
4870x2 graphics card
all mounted in a coolermaster centurion 590 case.

I will be moving today and will be purchasing a new 42 inch tv. Probably a LG. So with this rig until I can make it into a NAS server i will be streaming to the TV, but I was wondering if what I have read is true that the dvi to hdmi adapter that ATI supplies with the 4870x2 does indeed passthru the audio also?

I may not be able to reply back on here for awhile since after this post I will be takinbg down my computer for the move and new place is without internet till I can get it hooked up.

Thanks for the input.

[AJP69]

I have seen an adapter in the past that has a dvi and audio in on one end, hdmi on the other. So it takes seperate video and audio and puts them together.

Not sure if that is what is included with this card but it si possible

[wicky]

using the supplied adapter it should be possible, however it will have limits. Because some of the DVI pins are re-purposed for audio, the maximum supported audio stream bandwidth is 6.1 Mbps. Initially the HDMI adapter also limited you to stereo output only, but I think by the time the 4870x2 arrived it had support for 5.1, but not 7.1.

Bottom line is you are really better off with a native HDMI certified card. If you're not going to be using this system for gaming right now, then there is no reason you couldn't pop in a $50 ATI or Nvidia GPU like the 5570/6450 or the GT240/440. These cards would drop power consumption, heat output, and noise levels considerably in addition to adding HDMI 1.3/1.4 compliance. And of course if you are looking to do a lot of gaming, there are a lot of newer HDMI 1.3/1.4 compliant cards that offer a lot more power than the 4870x2, while still maintaining lower heat output, noise levels, and power consumption.

food for thought on an upgrade though, 4870x2 is a good card but many of us strive for efficiency in our own HTPC builds

[numb7rs]

Edit: Beaten to it by wicky.

[Harro]

Checking this from the office.
My goal is to build a new hptc and use the case above for my unraid server. So the 4870x2 will have to be shelved until I find another use for it. But in the mean time until I can get my parts researched for both builds I don't want to miss watching my collection of tv and movies.
So thanks for the answers.
Oh on a side note. I have an older Antec watt psu, would that be enough power for say 14 2gig green drives?

[numb7rs]

I have an older Antec watt psu, would that be enough power for say 14 2gig green drives?

I'm assuming there is something wrong with your numpad

[Harro]

I'm assuming there is something wrong with your numpad

Opps LOL 500 watt

[numb7rs]

Did you really mean '14 2GB Green drives'? If so, can I suggest upgrading?

[poofyhairguy]

I have an older Antec watt psu, would that be enough power for say 14 2gig green drives?

Probably not, most Antec PSUs are multi-rail, making it so they need around 650w to power that many drives on boot.

The only single rail Antec are the Antec Neos.

[Harro]

Thanks for the info.
My main idea is to use the hardware I have and make a Unraid server and a reasonable htpc that will not be seen.
So the Asus P6T mother board and Corsair ram , along with the i720 cpu would be transfered into a differant case I have that is relatively small but large enough to use the m/b and ram. But I would need a new power supply and graphic's card. Would the old Antec 500 watt be ok in use for this? This case will not be used for anything but web surfing and XBMC.

Now the Unraid server I would need a new m/b, cpu and ram. I would be using the Cooloermaster 590 case and load it full of drives , 15 or more if I can fit more somewhere. I have http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6817139006 power supply and think that would work, but other opinions are welcome. What would be the ideal m/b and how much ram would i need?

Sorry I haven't responded earlier, real life stuff ya know.