Converting to HTPC

Well.... i have decided to convert my main PC into a HTPC (Home Theatre PC).

My new case will be coming next week


i current have Intel Quad Q9550 (OC to 3.4Ghz), Gigabyte Ga-ep45-ud3l, 4gb kingston hyperX @ 1066mhz, Corsair tx 650, Nvidia 8600GT

all that will be going into the HTPC. I am selling all my current entertainment System (sky+, 250gb DVD recorder, Media player , etc) and will be building it all into the HTPC.
Told the girlfriend it will make the ton of wires disappear, and make everything work from 1 box instead of about 4/5

I will be adding
2x Hauppauge NOVA HD DVB-s2 - For Satalite, Recording one channel watch another.
Blu-ray/HD-DVD drive.

so i cant wait to start it when my case comes

i know with my current spec it is overkill for what i will be using it for (but ya can never have to much power), but just after christmas i will make it a Gaming HTPC
by adding the
Nvidia 295GTX
Watercooling kit

Very cool. I like the brushed metal design.

Nvidia 295GTX
Watercooling kit

That would be so sexy!

i know it will be awsome,

i could get them now but i would probably end up homeless as i need to pay the bills so i have to wait LOL

also the 295GTX may have come down in price abit by the time i get it

My case came today :d

strange thing is that ya know the spacers that raise the motherboard from the case, it came with some small ones , now the ports fitted fine when mounted on these but it was no where near high enough for the gfx card or pci cards.

So I swapped them for the larger spacers, still it was to low.

So I fixed the small and large together , and the mother board is a few MM to high but better than the prev attempts.

Anyway I made it fit and it's all fine now

Have you ever seen anything like that? First time for me, wonder if something is wrong with the case. But I got it all to fit in the end so it's fine now.

decided to get the

ATi 5850 Pre-ordered Now (instead of waiting for the 295GTX) for my HTPC, gunna be my games system aswell now

Ur lucky, really!!
*envy*

Anyone can make one , I enjoyed doing it.

I have added a blu-Ray player and freesat/freeview cards in since an can now watch 1 Tv channel while recording 3 others.
Just playing NBA 2K10 in HD 1080P now

Build your self one, it's best thing I did for my home cinema

if ya need any help with it I could help you

Does it support Dobly multi channel audio? 5.1, 6.1, 7.1 surround etc.?

yeah it supports all of those and all the HD audio formats.

one of the great things about it is that if it doesnt support it, chances are you can buy some hardware or down load software to make it support it

I've been using my Desktop for a HTPC for a while now, works great, plays all the high def movies i have (Except for some of the HD sound codecs that i have to convert.)

Just on a side thought, is anyone using their laptop as a HTPC? not enough grunt for gaming, but plenty for watching movies at 1080 these days and they'd only use half the power of a desktop?

Power consumption for laptops might be lower, but they aren't very comfortable for gaming. The screen is so low and small, the keyboard is attached to the whole thing. And the ones which support the newer games are expensive .

Thats Nice