HTPC recommended parts?

[rdmbfossa]

Hi, I want to build a HTPC capable of 1080P video playback. I also want a HDMI connector to my TV and an optical SPDIF to my cinema amp. Also needs to be quiet and low power consumption, so preferably no fans on the MB or graphics card.

I dont have a budget but obviously dont want to spend silly money if it is not necessary. I am confused as what are the best components to buy.

Motherboards, there seems to be good all in one motherboards with onboard graphics and everything you need for a HTPC for a low price. Are any of these capable of what I want? Or, am I best to have a dedicated graphics card, and if so, what motherboard would be best if I dont need the onboards graphics.

From what I have read Intel CPU's are the best at the moment but am I no expert and would go AMD if this is just as good.

Any advice appreciated.

[nicky munchkin]

Most MATX boards have onboard graphics which is best to use (make sure it is/can be increased to 128meg if your going to run Vista Home Premium).
Here is kustoms selection of motherboards http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/Kustom_PCs_Shop_Motherboards_mATX_82.html
choose one that matches your price tag (and is compatible with your chosen processor.)

Intel or AMD would be good for this build. There both around the same at stock, and even when it comes to OCing the AMD wont go without a fight.

CPU's are so cheap its easy to for one that produces too much heat for a small MATX build so go for one thats sub £80. An E4400, E4300, E2140, E2160, 64 x2 4000, 64 x2 4800 to name some.

You could probably put a system like this together for £250- £300 all in all.

[LSG501]

amd x2 BE-2350 or BE-2300 (more than enough power and very low power so cooler - 45wTDP)
matx board with 7150 graphics card (has native h.264 decoding iirc) - some have hdmi inbuilt although a simple dvi to hdmi cable will do the same.
2GB ram (bare minimum in my view)
samsung hard drives (quiet)
optical of choice really
OS of choice.

If you want to get a graphics card the 8500 is probably the sweet spot, it has native h.264 decoding.
Purevideo codec pack (although there are free alternatives) which utilises the gpu.
Cyberlink probably best for hd playback as it links in with the gpu codecs.

Having said that 1080p can be very light on the cpu depending on which codec is being used. div-x/wmp hd etc use less than h.264 for example.

thread on avs forum (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=888726) covering the same base really

[jameson_uk]

here (http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/cpu-charts-2007,review-2351-21.html) might be of interest for playing back HD content based on CPU. Remember that a loaded CPU is a hot CPU and therefore a pain to cool quietly.

this (http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/CAN-MICROATX-BOARDS-DO-THE-JOB,review-2371.html) looks quite interesting about uATX boards and how they stack up. (also most mobo no longer come with an annoying 40mm fan so getting a fanless board should be easy enough).

I also seem to remember seeing an article on tomshardware about the NVIDIA vs ATI HD decoding stuff (basically seem to remember it saying it did not help much).

As for HDMI, do you really need this ?? If you are sending the audio out to your amp then you could just use DVI (basically the same as HDMI just a different connector and no sound) and get a DVI to HDMI converter. Out of interest though, what screen will you be connecting the PC to ?? It is worth researching as quite often you are better off using VGA...

Also I would ask about future proofing. If you want HDCP support (the copy protection for HD films) and are planning on installing a blu-ray or HD DVD drive then you are probably going to need a dedicated graphics card than supports HDCP.

The one piece of advice above everything else is the balance between heat and noise. Almost all products on the market either result in a hot PC or a noisy one. The few products which actually buck the trend and are silent but provide ok cooling (like Thermalright heatsinks) will cost the earth.

Silence is available... just at a cost :D