How much hardware
What you will need
The type of computer hardware you will need depends entirely on what you plan to use the HTPC for. There isn't a best for everything. (ie: The latest hardware is usually more powerful but you'll have a harder time keeping it cool and will pay more on your power bill.)
Sometimes in a HTPC you can't get exactly what you want, especially if you're on a strict budget. I recommend for those people to list out what they want so they can review it as time goes on to help them pick what they should get. If you want, either remember or make a list for the following:
- The features that you want in a HTPC as a minimum.
- Any and all features you could possibly ever want in a HTPC.
- The minimum hardware requirements needed for your HTPC and their costs.
- The best hardware you could get for your HTPC and their costs.
- The features you will really end up with in your HTPC.
- The hardware that you will need to buy for your HTPC and their costs.
First, for any HTPC system regardless of a use you need the following (But few people would settle for this hardware as it wouldn't do much):
- A Case & Power Supply
- CPU of 600Mhz
- 128MB RAM
- 20GB Hard drive
- Keyboard/Mouse
- Basic Video Card
Next are the lists of what you need in order to get the following features. The HDTV recommendations are also specially for MythTV use, but will also work for MCE or Media Portal as these two don't do timeshifting which a faster CPU is needed for.Windows HDTV systems can work on 2.0Ghz, but refer to the recommended system specs with your specific choice of software.
For HDTV playback (Frontend):
- CPU (3.0+Ghz Intel P4 with HyperThreading produces the smoothest playback. AMD 3200 or better (32bit or 64bit won't make a difference for audio/video quality))
- Shared type of interface between HDTV display and video card (See Video page for comparisons)
- Shared type of interface between AV Receiver and sound card (See Audio page for comparisons)
- 256MB RAM
- Remote control support
- 100Mbit Network card
For HDTV recording (Backend):
- CPU with atleast a 200mhz FSB (typically 1.0Ghz or faster if you want to do a *lot* of transcoding)
- 200GB is okay for starters, 1TB+ is helpful (up to 9GB/hr for HDTV, average of 5GB/hr, but you can transcode down to as far as .5GB/hr if you have don't mind loosing a lot of quality)
- Any video card
- 256MB Ram (512MB if you have 3+ HD tuner cards, commercial detecting can use 150MB of RAM for HDTV streams)
- HD input hardware (pcHDTV HD Tuner, Set top box with firewire out & that's hackable -- HD tuners require only IO, no CPU to save recordings)
- 100Mbit Network card
A HDTV frontend and backend can be the same system, which is what most people do. I split the requirments for those that want to know how to do this. I ran the frontend and backend on the same system for almost two years. I no longer do this so I can keep the frontend quieter, smaller, and cooler. Also I can dual boot the fronend to Linux/Windows without missing a recording. The backend sits in a basement office, close to the HD antenna cable, where it is cooler and where it can be noisier.
For SD (Regular) TV:
- CPU of 800Mhz per "Dumb" TV Tuner card. (If you get a PVR-x50 card you won't need over a 1.5Ghz for just TV)
- Disk space needs (up to 2GB/hr, normally 1GB/hr, as low as .3GB/hr)
- Shared type of interface between TV and video card (See video page for comparisons)
- Shared type of interface between stereo and sound card (See audio page for comparisons)
- At least 256MB RAM
- Remote control support
- Network card
For watching a DVD:
- CPU of 400Mhz
- DVD Drive
- At least 128MB RAM
- Shared type of interface between TV and video card
- Shared type of interface between AV Receiver and sound card
- Remote control support
For 3D Gaming:
- CPU of 1800Mhz (More is always better)
- Fast 3D graphics card
- At least 256MB RAM (More is always better)
- Good mouse/keyboard/game pad
- Network card
- Sound card
For Music:
- Shared type of interface between AV Receiver and sound card
- Remote control support
Photo Gallery:
- Device to handle cards or inputs from cameras (SD, CF, USB, 1394)
In general, most HTPC's are designed for HDTV (and/or TV), DVD, Music, Photo Gallery, Web Surfing/e-mail, Weather, and sometimes 3D games. This means that the common requirements are as follows:
- A Case & Power Supply
- CPU of 2.8Ghz
- 200+GB Disk space
- Shared type of interface between HDTV display and video card
- Shared type of interface between AV Receiver and sound card
- DVD Drive
- Remote control support
- Network card
- Good mouse/keyboard/game pad
- Fast 3D graphics card
- At least 256-512MB RAM
My example list is as follows:
- SilverStone LC01 HTPC Case
- P4 3.0Ghz with Hypter Threading
- Seagate 300GB ATA hard drive
- Nvidia FX 5200 or 6200 Video card with DVI video out (FX 5200 is usually fanless (Some brands have fans) and supports XvMC, 70%+ of HD HTPC use this card. If you're building a Windows HTPC, I recommend ATI's 9200 card -- ATI does have better color, but ATI isn't supported as well as NVidia in Linux and the features a HTPC will need)
- Sound card with Optical and Coaxial S/PDif for an DD/DTS Receiver
- DVD burner
- An inexpensive IR keyboard with built in mouse (~$20 at newegg)
- A learning remote for Remote control support that will learn the IR keyboard commands
- 2 pcHDTV HD-3000 HD Tuner cards
- 100Mbit Network card
- 512MB Ram
It's fairly easy now to find a motherboard that has Coaxial and Optical S/Pdif out, a 100Mbit network card, and other useful things. I really like the Asus P4P800-E Deluxe board.
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