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-info.asp?product_id=10532&category_id=449&manufacturer_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

 

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/

[Norphy]

How about one of these?

 

A bit more modern and Asus aren't going belly up any time soon

[Dos_Box]

Because its a tower, not a media PC case?

[Norphy]

No, it's a small form factor barebones which can be aligned either way.

[Dos_Box]

Right, thanks for your help. I plumped for the Elonex delux bare bones case, and what a doozy it is too

 

http://www.thehargreaves.plus.com/artisan/images/TID772_pic2.jpg

 

http://www.thehargreaves.plus.com/artisan/images/TID772_pic3.jpg

 

The case is not branded when you receive it, so there is no Elonex badge. The motherboard is in place (an Intel 775 form FIC) but it only takes 90nm core chips such as older P4s and Celerons. I plumped for a Celeron as Scan sold out of P4s as I got there and the Celeron was only £26. You have to provide your own PCI-E graphics card (a GeForce 7100 from Scan complete with a low profile backplane kit for £3), HD (Samsung ultra quiet PC Pro A-lister), DVD (Lite-On) and tuner card (a Pinnacle 530i I already owned), but boy, what a chassis. Cheap, quiet and everything thrown in. GB LAN, HD audio, Firewire and the front LED display ties in with MCE a treat to display what is being recorded, displayed etc. IR sensors area also built into the front panel and work with the MCE remote seamlessly. This case is an utter bargain and should be snapped up by anyone looking to create a media PC on the cheap with top notch looks. You would pay this price for a cheap HTPC case anyway. Thanks for the recommendations guys, I am a very happy teddy bear.

[SpuffMonkey]

Glad to be of service - see they've dropped in price this weekend too - so I'll deffo have to get one now - trouble is - I've got a Kiss 558 - which was playing up terribly - but its all started working again - so have to comvince my better half...

[john]

I must admit its a good looking box, but I've just bought a HD TV so I think I am going to have to miss out. But I do have a shuttle setup with MCE on it so its not as if i'm without but looks a good rig.