The other manufacturers just don't seem to be inclined to spend the extra time and money to deal with flaws, other than those that hurt short term sales. I get what you're saying, but in this case "the other manufacturer" is Micron. Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) is an American multinational ...

@trxman ... "gentoo user"? If that's your planned OS for this HTPC, you make want to check the current state of linux intel drivers. Back when I used linux on my htpc, Nvidia was the only game in town (VDPAU) for DXVA decode acceleration. I've been using Win7 since its debut, mainly for the media ce...

For sale: XFX GeForce 6800GS 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 (P/N: PV-T42G-UAD3) Old video card cheap! So old, XFX no longer lists it on their site. Luckily Newegg still does . Includes Arctic Cooling Arctic Cooling NV Silencer 5 rev 3 installed. The 6800GS is good enough for 3D games up through...

For sale: Antec Earthwatts EA-380 power supply This is not a retail EA-380 ... this is the short-cable version that comes with the Antec NSK-3480 mini tower case. You can read about it on page 4 of SPCR's review of that case . Quoting that review: Several of the cables have been shortened, and the S...

For sale: Motherboard, CPU and RAM combo MOTHERBOARD: Asrock 939Dual-SATA2 CPU: AMD Athlon64 3000+ Venice (P/N: ADA3000BPBOX ) RAM: 2x Geil 512MB PC3200 DDR400 (P/N: GE1GB3200BDC ) * I prefer to sell them as a package, because they're all compatible, they're installed in each other, and I no longer ...

The only possible benefit the Ivy Bridge GPUs have in a pure HTPC is 4K support. Intel claims that Ivy Bridge has more accurate clocks, and will get closer to 23.976 fps than previous intel designs. GPU video decoding is a yes/no feature, not a speed one. If the HD2000 decodes a given format proper...

Since you can assemble a (celeron or pentium) sandy bridge system for only slighty more than the AMD systems, I recommend going that route. Even the lowly SB celerons accelerate decode of common video codecs, and if you have some quirky videos that don't trigger hardware acceleration, you can fall b...

Quoting you out of order for the sake of argument... Taking a power supply and line level inputs, as if you were going to make an active speaker, and then going and putting all the amplifiers in one speaker and doing passive amplification is just really cheap and not appropriate for speakers more th...

For a kitchen? How about something like the Marantz M-CR603? The iPod dock is optional, but you gain DLNA over ethernet, which might be more convenient than the dock.

There's a Shanling MC50 on Audiogon right now ($1600):
http://app.audiogon.com/listings/shanli ... o-receiver

Thanks Kuzzia. but I am actually finding it hard to pick the case. I have sort of shortlisted it down to one now. Does anybody have the Lian Li PC-C39B? I like the fact that it comes with a remote control. Has anybody had experiences of this remote? I feel your pain! I don't know what it is, but ve...

Most people that use A5 in an HT setup buy a 3rd pair and use the left (powered) speaker for the center channel. Not as clean as offering a dedicated Audioengine powered center channel... Maybe they're over-thinking it: they could simply sell the powered A5 speaker separately, at a moderately reduc...

but what to do about the center ch?! Exactly. I could honestly probably live with 4.x, since I've been living with 2.0 for so long w/phantom center. 4.x is as simple as buying 2 pairs. Does the audio card in your HTPC have a center ch output? what kind (dig? analog?) It's the Realtek ALC888B on my ...

I wish there was a more convenient way to assemble these into a 5.x home theater arrangement. The only thing I use my receiver for is amplification - my sole source is the HTPC - and I've been itching to replace it with active monitors. Proaudio monitors are an option, but these audioengine's look l...

New York Times, Published 09:42 p.m., Saturday, April 14, 2012: At Obama White House, Cash Spells Access Analysis finds that big campaign donations continue to open doors. [SNIP] I try to stay away from online political debate, and so probably won't post again in this thread. This headline is prett...

What are the advantages and disadvantages on having a standalone HTPC with a standalone NAS server? I consider the two roles (serving vs playing) sufficiently different that they warrant separate machines. This allows you to select hardware and software optimized for each task. For example, I would...

I`ve been considering the M4 msata ssd too. Personally, I think it`s worth waiting for even if that means using a 2.5' drive for a while. It`s a fast, proven design. I recon it`s going to be the best msata drive for some time , once it comes out. I think you're right. I just hope Crucial releases t...

@ntavlas -- By the way, I bookmarked your "HTPC in a CD player case" a long time ago. Fantastic work. I actually sought (and found) a broken Pioneer Premier DVD player, to emulate your build. But as soon as I opened the case it was clear that it would be much more work than anticipated. It had a cas...

Just noticed this little keyboard: FAVI Entertainment Wireless Keyboard (Built-in TouchPad/Laser Pointer) - $27 from Amazon . Keyboard, TouchPad, and apparently a laser pointer Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery ... charges via USB cable 2.4GHz USB wireless receiver back-lit keyboard Check ou...

Getting closer to buying the DH61AG. I am thinking that, even if I do not end up liking it in my main HTPC, it would make a great "set-top box" in a M350. A Celeron G530 + XBMC/Openelec on a USB drive, VESA mounted to the back of my living room TV ... would make a pretty neat streamer. Evidence that...

DH61AG will get bios upgrade to support ivy bridge cpu's . H61 chipset will remain as a low budget option through 2012 so bios update is almost 100% certain. Excellent point. The board You looking for is a DQ77KB. Layout is identical as DH61AG. Ah - thank you! Based on the few photos of the DQ77KB ...

cyberspyder wrote:30# test cable ...

Love it.

Wow, amazing work. I am truly inspired. So, working with aluminum is that easy? If you had to cut a rectangular hole for an optical drive tray - 5.25" wide and perfectly tru/parallel/etc, you would do it by hand? I am contemplating cutting such a hole in a defunct power amp, to convert it into a HTP...

I am essentially looking for the DH61AG 's replacement. I plan to upgrade my HTPC to Ivy bridge before the end of the year. Applications include everything except for gaming. I use a networked HDHomeRun tuner. I will be starting from scratch, moving from m A TX to m I TX, from a dedicated GPU to int...

I also looked at the Grandia, but I actually prefer the Antec NSK2480 It seems much easier to build in. I have a NSK2400 (predecessor of the 2480), and although it is easy to build in, it is a rather deep case (16.3" / 414mm). The Grandia GD04 is much shallower (12.72" / 323mm). My NSK2400 hangs sl...

Have you tried the new GT240 in your existing case? What temps are you seeing? You could try using negative pressure to your advantage. Assuming your 80mm fans are exhausts, your case will be "inhaling" through all other gaps and openings. Seal up useless leaks and remove a few PCI slot covers direc...

Endatheworld wrote:CPU » Intel Socket 1155 Intel Core i5-2310, 4x 2.90GHz, tray (CM8062301043718)

Any reason for the quad? For what you plan to use the machine for, you could use the much less expensive sandybridge celeron G530. Put the ~$130 savings toward a SSD .

Application is railroad long-life equipment .. :shock: I would be very hesitant to deploy consumer-grade equipment in this application. FYI, full configuration is 6slots with 1 mobile CPU board plus 5 add-on boards max ... Hmm. Is this some sort of SBC or COM module-based system? Who is the vendor ...

As for optical drive on bottom, it won't fit anywhere else unless I use smaller intakes and/or ditch the h100. It will indeed live on my desk and will only be used for installing OS. Maybe I should just delete it and install the OS with the dvd drive outside the case. You could also use an external...

Newegg has the 24-port unmanaged TrendNET TEG-S24DG switch for $99 w/code EMCNFND225 , with free shipping. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833156294 I own one, like it, and coincidentally just wrote about it in the Networking subforum. Summary: Very inexpensive per port NO FANS...

I'm content with the set of Dynaudio's in my living room as of right now, hifi costs a bunch. Hifi can be crazy expensive. But the used market is a good source for bargains. I've been waiting for the right threshold/Nak stasis power amp, at the right price, to pop up on audiogon for years. Those ol...