Clueless

**Spire** · Posted: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 04:47:30 Post Subject: Clueless

I leave the hobby for a year or so and now I am lost.

What the hell video card do I need? What happened to ATI's naming scheme?

What the hell is AM2?

How many cores can they stick on a CPU?

Enough with the joking, I need to build a reasonable HTPC with good to very nice graphics, I am going to run a DVB-S satellite tuner card (best thing ever wink, wink) and they need reasonable graphics cards.

I can't believe how lost I am now days trying to browse through Newegg.

Oh, I need a server too, but thats a totally different thread...

Anyone have the time to help an old OC'er figure out cores, GPU's and Mhz???

**Jason** · Posted: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 12:16:24 Post Subject:

So are you looking to go AMD or do you not care on processor? What kind of budget? And do you need to buy ALL the pieces or are some being recycled?

**Spire** · Posted: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 18:21:43 Post Subject:

I know AMD but I really don't care about processor make.

I have nothing left to recycle and I probably want to spend more on a video card than anything else.

This machine will see:

5% Gaming
80% Satellite TV
10% HD DVD/Blueray
5% Music

Needs to be silent (or close) run cool, gigalan, 8 Channel Spdif.

I can pick a case, powersupply, harddrive, optical, etc... (I remember that much at least) its just I am having trouble choosing processor type, and video.

For example whats the best processor for $100- $150 bucks?

Best video for $200 or so?

Blue|Fusion · Posted: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 18:48:56 Post Subject:

Definitely stick with the Core2Duo line from Intel. The cheaper models should fit in your price range and give good performance still. And for video card....8800GT (G92 core, not G80 core) or an 8600 model.

**Jason** · Posted: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 19:04:42 Post Subject:

I think he'll have a better chance getting an AM2 CPU for under $150 than any Intel. The 5000+ is under $100.

**Spire** · Posted: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 00:18:48 Post Subject:

Looks like I can get a 5400+ X2 AM2 Brizbane for $99.00 from Newegg so that works for me. Plenty of speed for this machine?

That narrows down the motherboard, good.

Now I see that the 8800Gt is a PCIe 2.0 card... Is this a different slot that a regular x16 PCIe? What does the "2.0" mean.

What would be the equivalent ATI card to an 8800gt?

I think I can figure out memory, but any hints?

**Modulok** · Posted: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 00:54:47 Post Subject:

PCI 2.0 cards will work in 16x slots. Probably only a few MBs with PCI 2.0 slots.

For an HTPC, I would get a fanless video card (unless you really want to game on it) Not sure the equivalent for the ATI side, but I would check out the fanless ATI cards.

**Spire** · Posted: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 04:16:56 Post Subject:

I feel like hijacking my own thread with this...DAAAAARRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

**Spire** · Posted: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 04:27:49 Post Subject:

Damn, I keep running into more cool stuff for HTPC's Slobbbbbbber....

**BeerCheeze** · Posted: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 11:56:35 Post Subject: