Computer guys, hardware recommendations?

[nando]

all it needs now is an SSD drive. the stupid mechanical drive is holding the rest of the system back!

[accident]

Hey nando.


I hate you.

[nando]

new workstation - 8x Xeon 3.3ghz :D

[Mercury[BKM]]

[bramon]

So, bringing it back from the dead, I'm looking into building a gaming desktop, basically the only requirement is to run Skyrim on it's highest setting and not feel like I'll have to upgrade it in 3-4 years, so maybe be able to play a new game in 5 years on a very good resolution... I was looking at a parts list like one of these - Tier 7 and just wanted to know what some of you thought.

http://www.hardware-revolution.com/mainstream-gaming-pc-v301-updated-hard-drives/#CPU

[z31maniac]

I ordered an Antec 300 Illusion series. All the nice HTPC cases were too pricey for my liking. And I read lots of complaints about being low on space as well.

We got it put together and Windows 7 loaded on today. Still doing a bit of tweaking here and there, but I'm posting from it now in the living room.

We will be canceling the Cable TV in just a few days.

Just gotta figure out how I'm going to get F1/WRC.

[StereoInstaller1]

Which case? HTPC specific?

[z31maniac]

Well I ordered the CPU/Mobo/video card suggested by nando (even though the video card is a bit overkill for how I'll use it I think), added in 4gb of DDR3 RAM, a nice power supply, DVD burner, Antec case, a 120gb HD for the OS and a 1TB drive for media storage

[z31maniac]

Wait, I'm not seeing enough of your requirements for this project...what are you looking for the HTPC to accomplish that a PS3 with ps3mediaserver cannot do?

You're not looking to rip DVDs/BRDs, right? Not looking to play emulated games, right?

If you're looking for something to stream high-definition video, the PS3 works perfectly. Stream from your main PC and save yourself 300-500 bucks.

It's also replacing the computer we have now and going in the living room.

[nando]

Which one pops right back up?

sleep mode, takes like 5 seconds to wake my Win7 machine.

[BraveUlysses]

Wait, I'm not seeing enough of your requirements for this project...what are you looking for the HTPC to accomplish that a PS3 with ps3mediaserver cannot do?

You're not looking to rip DVDs/BRDs, right? Not looking to play emulated games, right?

If you're looking for something to stream high-definition video, the PS3 works perfectly. Stream from your main PC and save yourself 300-500 bucks.

Regarding my dual HD idea. Is there even going to be a difference between a 7200 and 10000 rpm HD as far as speed? IE, worth the cost? Or should I just double up on 1TB drives for mega-storage space, unless I'm willing to put the OS on a SSD.

Definitely don't need more than 5400rpm drive, and certainly not a SSD or 10k drive.

[StereoInstaller1]

Which one pops right back up?

[nando]

there's sleep and hybernate.. I don't think hybernate worked so well in XP. I use sleep all the time on my XP laptop though.

[StereoInstaller1]

I hear "sleep" (Suspend to RAM, right?) actually works on 7. I hope it does, my XP Pro SP3 fully updated HT3.0Ghz P4 desktop keeps waking itself up, I now have to physically shut off the monitor...how annoying.

I think an HTPC needs a good sleep mode...now if I could figure out a way to wake on a bluetooth trigger, so it knows when I am in the room!

[nando]

maybe if you spend all day on it surfing pr0n, but if it's a HTPC that mostly plays movies and streaming TV shows, I doubt it. Windows7 boots pretty fast anyway, especially if you use sleep mode instead of powering it all the way down.