Pimp my media PC

[Dos_Box]

I currently have an old Athlon XP 3200, ATX motherboard, 2 GB DD400 RAM, a 250GB HD, TV tuner card and a dammed good sound card spare. What I need is to replace my current media PC (an old Shuttle whose PSU is getting louder by the day).
With a budget of £200 I need a media PC case, a silent CPU cooler and a quiet (silent if poss) PSU. I've had a good look around, but if anyone has any recommendations it would be good to get them.

[Ric_]

You might struggle to find a media-pc case for an ATX mobo... if the mobo is a micro-ATX on the otherhand...

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/112657

[Dos_Box]

I was looking at a decent micro atx board today. I may just do that.

[webman]

Have you thought about going Mini-ITX? There are several fanless boards and PSUs.

• LinITX
• ITX Warehouse
• Mini-ITX

[ICTNUT]

I use a couple of LinITX boxes for Net monitoring and SPAM control, Linux of course as Windows would kill it.

But they work great especially the new ones with 3 10/100/1000 NICs builtin.

[john]

I have built a HTPC using the following:
http://www.cclonline.com/product-inf...ufacturer_id=0

Costs a few quid but was a very nice case

[SpuffMonkey]

You might struggle to find a media-pc case for an ATX mobo... if the mobo is a micro-ATX on the otherhand...

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/112657

Right supplier - but I prefer this

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/119572/rb/26794046476

My techie has just got one and is very pleased - pretty silent in operation and a good price for case and mobo combined. Thinking of getting one myself - but its quite a deep case and it won't fit on my TV stand (well old wooden 78rpm record player cabinet to be more accurate...)

[alonebfg]

i was reading my Micromart the other day (one of the best pc mags i have ever read) It covered this i will have a look back in the old issue and see if i can see it.

[Dos_Box]

You might struggle to find a media-pc case for an ATX mobo... if the mobo is a micro-ATX on the otherhand...

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/112657

Right supplier - but I prefer this

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/119572/rb/26794046476

My techie has just got one and is very pleased - pretty silent in operation and a good price for case and mobo combined. Thinking of getting one myself - but its quite a deep case and it won't fit on my TV stand (well old wooden 78rpm record player cabinet to be more accurate...)

Elonex went belly up a little while back. They were also producing some pretty well received media PCs. This must be some end of line kit. I shall seriously look at this. Many thanks

[Ric_]

@Dos_Box: Only problem that I can see with that Elonex system is that it has only one PCI slot (and potentially little space inside) - obviously you would be throwing the modem at the nearest annoying person the first chance you got.

You would need a dual-tuner TV card or some kind of external gubbins to be able to watch and record TV at the same time.

[ChrisH]

Ric would only be interested as well if it had a high mirror sheen finish and it could also close his blinds/curtains as well

[webman]

and it could also close his blinds/curtains as well

Well, if he has an X10 home automation system...

[ChrisH]

No he's got CBUS apparently lazy git that he is .

[Ric_]

No he's got CBUS apparently lazy git that he is .

Only for the lights... the Comfort alarm that arrived last week (combined with the Convergent Living Sidekick) will do all the clever stuff :P

The new Comfort interface for MCE should be interesting too

[Dos_Box]

@Dos_Box: Only problem that I can see with that Elonex system is that it has only one PCI slot (and potentially little space inside) - obviously you would be throwing the modem at the nearest annoying person the first chance you got.

You would need a dual-tuner TV card or some kind of external gubbins to be able to watch and record TV at the same time.

Plenty of space. I already have a PC tuner card etc.

http://artisan.go.dyndns.org/