Hi,
I have been using xbmc for a few years now but in the last 6 months it has not run smoothly. There always seems to be a problem.
What is currently the most stable and well supported hardware platform?
I currently have a htpc with:
Gigabyte ep45-ud3lr
Intel core2duo E6750 2.66 GHz
Nvidia GT430
Silverstone case
500w PSU
generic harddrive
I am thinking it might be time to upgrade some of the hardware as it is starting to get old (maybe faulty).
Probably can do with a new cpu, psu and motherboard.
I just wondered what is the most stable and future proof hardware to go for.
Ideally not cost a fortune and be low power consumption.
Personally, I like using openelec.tv versions of XBMC. I like using them because they're very easy to install, well supported (free of course, but they appreciate donations), and you can install it on something as small as an SDHC card or USB thumb drive. This brings the cost way down. Openelec has it's own wiki with links to supported hardware that show you how to setup the audio files and what not. I'm using the ZBOX HD-11 (around $200) then I just bought one SD card and one stick of ram (maybe $50) total for those two things.
I have one in the bedroom and one in the living room and they stream 720p and 1080p mkv files without any issues.
ZBOX Features:
Small (size of router)
Low power
Super quiet
Inexpensive
Supported Hardware
Openelec Features:
Active Development
Crazy small install (low overhead)
Super simple install
Losts of walkthroughs on the wiki and support from the community.
Down sides. (for some, not for me) is that it boots directly into XBMC. If you're looking to run a full OS so you can install a bunch of other programs, then this setup probably isn't for you.
I try to keep the machines hooked up to my TVs as simple, small, low power, and quiet as possible. For that purpose, this is a great setup.
Get an SSD
If you want to build a new system then go A8 Fusion or i3 But the SSD is a must
But your specs seam ok. Do some bench marks to see if somethings wrong
Could also try overclocking your CPU I used to have that one and it comfortably ran at 3.2ghz
With Intel core2duo E6750 2.66 GHz+Nvidia GT430, you should be able to playback all blu-ray movies.....if you are not able to playback fluently, it is more likely the software side of thing.....
I am having problems playing back SD, and idling on the xbmc home screen it is using up 70% cpu.
Are there any programs to test the cpu etc?
Test your hard drive and then format. Reinstall everything as long as your HD is good. You problbly have a bunch of unnecessary crap running
I did several brand new installs yesterday all with the same problem. I have tried on a harddrive and a usb stick with no difference.
Interestingly when playing a video if I press 0 to get the debug info up, at the end of the bottom line W it says error 14000%. What is that?
How much memory do you have?
What OS are you using?
I am running with 4gb of ram using openelec.
The cpu seems to be constantly on 50%+ just idling on the home screen.
I found that some videos play better with vdpau disabled and others better with it enabled it is strange.
Have you tried XBMCbuntu?
Yeah I did but had similar problems and lots of crashes. It could be my hardware is on the way out some of it is 6 years old.
I have decided new hardware is the way to go.
I already have a nice case, hard drive and a gt430.
I would like to keep the power consumption and noise down.
I am thinking of going with either a i3 2100 or a G620.
If I went with the i3 2100 I would probably ditch the gt430 to save power and then its also one less thing to go wrong.
1.
i3 2100 - £90
ASUS P8H77-M - £70
Corsair XMS 2x2GB DDR3 1333MHz - £25
Huntkey Jumper 300W - £40
Sell my GT430 for ~ £30
Total: £195
2.
G620 2.6GHz - £45
ASUS P8H77-M - £70
Corsair XMS 2x2GB DDR3 1333MHz - £25
Huntkey Jumper 300W - £40
Keep my GT430
Total: £180