Media Center PC

[drezha]

Getting a new cruncher second hand...Was looking to make it a media center as well..

It's a..
Mobo is a Soltek 75MIV2-L.
http://www.soltek.de/soltek/product/...%2FSL-75MIV2-L
CPU is Duron 1800, cpu-z reports it's Applebred core. The CPU cooler isn't silent but pretty quiet still.
PSU is Zoostorm CMS-600HP 300W low noise model
Samsung 4.3 GB HD
Crucial Ballastix PC3200 512MB CL2. Note at default clocks the mobo only works at up to DDR333

Was wondering what else I would need to turn it into a media center? Was gonna up the Hard drive :roll:
Am I gonna need a GFX card? I mean there's a bunch cheap on eBay as it needs a AGP card. :D
Want it for TV out as well. as music...so a decent sound card to put in and a use the AGP card as TV?

Not set a media center up before so really dont know what I need.. :?

Cheers in advance for any help :)

[vaughan]

I have never set one up but I have read that you require a quiet system so that it doesn't disturb you when it is running in your loungeroom.

I have a Shuttle SB61G2 running a P4 3.2 Prescott which is on 24/7 crunching Seventeen or Bust and one other DC project (hyperthreading on). It runs hot but the Shuttle box fan is not noisy. Very happy with its performance and highly recommended.

[NeoGen]

Drezha, the link you posted doesn't work. I was gonna check if the motherboard had sound and/or graphics onboard. If it has then you probably don't need extra sound or graphics card. Most onboard sound chips already support 5.1 surround sound and all that. Is a media center also used for games? I have no idea, never had one, but if yes then I guess you'll have to consider a graphics card indeed.

To get tv signal in and out I think you'll need one of those tv/video cards. Some also include radio reception too. Only brand that comes to my mind is Pinnacle, but I'm sure there are more.

[drezha]

Link should be http://www.soltek.de/soltek/product/products_all.php?isbn_st=SL-75MIV2%2FSL-75MIV2-L

No it probably wont be used for games..but it will be on DC.
Is the LAN card to slow? I mean, if we wanted to share folders from upstairs in the house (will be in a student flat) so can reckon it will be fast enough to share music from our PC's upstairs to the machine to play? Will be a wired cable...

Cheers for the help so far :)

[AMD-USR_JL]

Drezha, i too have a media center pc, kind of. It doesn't have the windows media center pc os but it is hooked up to my tv. It was only about $20 US to do it too. All you need is a S-video cable to go from your pc to your tv. If your tv doesn't have S-video capabilities, i dunno how you would do it, but i think most ones from 2000-now have it. Then all you need is something called an f-jack i think. Can't remember what it was exactly called but you need it to convert the digital sound to analog stereo so your tv can play it. All i could find was a mono one :cry: . I have to listen with one speaker until i can find a stereo one.