[ltrambo85]

Ok here we go:

Case:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6811204035

Motherboard:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6813128397

PSU:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6817139008

CPU:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6819103688

RAM:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6820231185

HDD:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6822136073
I have a external 1TB also.

Remote:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6880121003

My goal is to have a cool low energy HD playing media center. I have alot of experience build "PC's" and picking the best parts for your dollar. But I wanna know what you HTPC experts have to say.

[ccMatrix]

I would say that build is a no go.

Well, first of all you have selected a AMD+ATI Mainboard/CPU combination. This means that right now you are unable use hardware accelerated video decoding. It should be possible later when XBMC for Windows can make use of DXVA but on Linux you will be out of luck (you didn't say anything about the operating system you want to use).

Another issue could be the PSU - first of all 400W is probably way too overpowered. Also this is a full sized PSU which might be too big for your case (there is no size information so you should check that before you buy).

Another thing that can be a problem is the noise of such a systems. The PSU alone is probably louder than a NVIDIA ION system.

If you seriously want to have a low energy HD playing media center you should look into Nvidia ION based Intel Atom systems. Even the more expensive versions are cheaper than your build.

[ltrambo85]

Ok thanks for the input, could you maybe recommend me a build off of new egg for under $425 that can play any 1080P content. I've been looking at this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...-_-Product

[ltrambo85]

Oh and what is the best remote to use for XBMC for windows?

[sraue]

Oh and what is the best remote to use for XBMC for windows?

the remote from http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6880121003 i have too and they works wonderfull under linux with xbmc, but you have no function to switch on your mediacenter from poweroff

the rest of the hardware is very overpowered - good for an gaming pc, not for an mediacenter

[ltrambo85]

This is what I have decided to go with. What do you guys think now?
Oh and by the way my htpc now is a PD805 With a old FX5500 and a 1gb of ddr400. So hopefully this will be alot faster.

Also what OS would you recommend for the best HTPC experience with this setup? I know linux and windows well so leaning curve is not the issue.

For $304 with shipping..

HDMI Cable: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6812123144 4.99

Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6811147131 40.99

MOBO/CPU/GPU/WiFI: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6813500027 184.99

RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6820161182 49.99

Remote Control: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6880121003 23.97

[sraue]

This is what I have decided to go with. What do you guys think now?
Oh and by the way my htpc now is a PD805 With a old FX5500 and a 1gb of ddr400. So hopefully this will be alot faster.

For $304 with shipping..

HDMI Cable: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6812123144 4.99

Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6811147131 40.99

MOBO/CPU/GPU/WiFI: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6813500027 184.99

RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6820161182 49.99

Remote Control: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6880121003 23.97

For Zotac IONITX-A-U you dont need an Powersupply in your Case (it has an external Powersupply). When you want this Case, use an cheaper Zotac without ext. Powersupply or use an Case without an Powersupply - so you can save some Money

i would prefer http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6813500036 then you can (later) add an PCI-E Card like an tv card for use XBMC as an PVR

[ltrambo85]

Yeah I really wanted that case and I also really wanted the external powersupply to keep the heat out of the case so I am just going to remove the PSU from the case. Thanks for the reply though.

[ossiansweet]

I'm using the CPU/Motherboard combo that you have in your original post with 4GB Memory. I'm running 1080p without any issues....cpu doesn't need to work that hard. HDMI out to a panasonic plasma works but the audio sometimes needs a reboot to work.

[Milleman]

I would say that build is a no go.

Well, first of all you have selected a AMD+ATI Mainboard/CPU combination. This means that right now you are unable use hardware accelerated video decoding. It should be possible later when XBMC for Windows can make use of DXVA but on Linux you will be out of luck (you didn't say anything about the operating system you want to use).

Another issue could be the PSU - first of all 400W is probably way too overpowered. Also this is a full sized PSU which might be too big for your case (there is no size information so you should check that before you buy).

Another thing that can be a problem is the noise of such a systems. The PSU alone is probably louder than a NVIDIA ION system.

If you seriously want to have a low energy HD playing media center you should look into Nvidia ION based Intel Atom systems. Even the more expensive versions are cheaper than your build.

I'm using the following hardware for HDMI out to 1080p, but can still notice stuttering and skipping video frames occasionally:

CPU - AMD 9850 (4 core)
RAM - 8 GB
MB - Nividia Chipsets
Video - GF 8800 GT 512 MB
XBMC Linux Live CD

XBMC works fine in 1080p. But what hardware should I use in order to eliminate stuttering and frame skipping? The above PC is my desktop unit, but I'm running the XBMC Live CD on it in order to test examine what hardware works best for my final HTPC which I will assemble from new hardware.

[ltrambo85]

Are you using a DVI to HDMI?

Sounds like a codec or driver issue to me.