[mk78]

I have an old (maybe not that old) PC, which I think I could use for HTPC + XBMC Live.
The spec is:

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-945GM-S2
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo (or Dual Core - don't remember) 2.80 GHz
RAM: 2GB DDR2 667 MHz

I also have an old mini desktop case from Dell GX270 SFF. Now I need only a good video card and a fast HDD.

What is the difference between Asus GeForce GT430 1GB DDR3 128bit PCI-E 700/1600 low profile ENGT430/DI/1GD3(LP) and Gigabyte GeForce GT430 OC 1GB DDR3 (producer symbol GV-N430OC-1GL).

Which one should be better for this purpose? The price is similar.
The other thing I need is HDD or SSD. I have Qnap drive and I was thinking about a small SSD just for the system, i.e. 8GB.

What do you think about my choices?

Thanks in advance.

[macer]

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo (or Dual Core - don't remember) 2.80 MHz

2.80 Mhz? Good luck

[eskro]

8GB SSD for Linux is Great!

one thing tho,
your motherboard has a PCi EXPRESS x 16 slot...
not sure how well a PCi EXPRESS 2.0 x 16 card would work on it...

[mk78]

2.80 Mhz? Good luck

You mean...?
Edit: OK, mistyped. 2.80 GHz.

8GB SSD for Linux is Great!

one thing tho,
your motherboard has a PCi EXPRESS x 16 slot...
not sure how well a PCi EXPRESS 2.0 x 16 card would work on it...

I asked at the shop, and they confirmed. If not - I will return it.
Edit: I have confirmation only about the one from Gigabyte. It seems it's not 2.0...?

[eskro]

but note that your card wont operate at its full potential...
your card will have less bandwidth to work with so it'll not be as performant as it could...

anyways, difference between thopse 2 cards are that the Gigabyte one is OC...
OC = OverClocked (performs better)

[nemek]

Such low end cards like gt 430 will probably work at its full potential on pcie x8 (mb even x4)

[mk78]

Overclocking always ment higher temperature to me. Is it good to use overclocked card? They are also saying there something about Blu Ray 3D - whatever it means... They are also saying it's perfect for HTPC.

[eskro]

i wouldnt worry too much about Heat,,,
that gygabite card seems well ventilated!

the GT430 is considered the best HTPC video card because it can do it all!!

3D playback
HD-Audio BitStreaming
Flawless 1080P playback

[maxinc]

but note that your card wont operate at its full potential...
your card will have less bandwidth to work with so it'll not be as performant as it could...

As noted by nemek, the GT430 does not require a PCI-E 2.0 to operate at it's full potential so the mainboard will be ok. PCI-E 2.0 may have an advantage on serious high end gaming rigs but for simple media playback, the requirements for bandwidth are quite low in comparison.

[mk78]

Thanks every one for help with the video card.
What about the storage HDD/SSD? Shall 8GB enough for the XBMC Live? I was thinking about XBMC Live, because I don't want to have anything more there, so I thought the stand alone XBMC Live would be enough.

The last thing I forgot to mention is remote control. I use Logitech Harmony 785 at the moment to control TV, PVR and AV Receiver. I wish I could use it for HTPC too. I believe I need some IR receiver. Would you recommend something that will work with that? It would be good if I could turn HTPC to standby mode and then wake up, but it's not so necessary.

[eskro]

as i said, 8GB SSD is enough for XBMC Live...
Some users even runs their XBMC from a USB Pen Drive....

Im happy to know that the GT430 card should work at its full potential on your motherboard...

and as IR Receiver, i've always been told this,
Use only HP IR receivers (P/N: 5188-1667) with Logitech Harmonies!!!!

[mk78]

It seems everything is clear now!

Once again thank you very much.
I will get back when I'm done to report if everything works.

cheers!

[maxinc]

8GB should be enough for Live but do shop around as you my find a 16 not much more xpensive in case you my wnt to experiment with Win 7 in the future.

[mk78]

I tried to fit my motherboard to Optiplex GX270 casing, and unfortunately I couldn't. Original motherboard is specially prepared for that model. Furthermore, as I decided to use GT430, I think 160 W power supply is not enough, is it?
I will probably go for Antec casing or something similar.

In the meantime, I was thinking about building 2 in 1 machine. Now, I am using also set-top-box satelite receiver. Is that possible to use HTPC on XBMC Live (or any other - which one?) with SkyStar HD2 card for satelite TV?

[waxer]

I think you should get a stronger PSU..

As for the SSD, I reccomend you buying the 16GB in stead of the 8GB, as the speed on SSDs increases rapid by the size of the disk...