Building Media PC

[Druid]

This is going to be a media pc for a new 52" 1080p tv my parents are buying. Since those tvs are just 1920x1080, despite their size, the video card I listed should be fine? I know that you don't even need one at all to watch movies, but I would like one to play games on it. I haven't calculated the cost on this yet, but I might have to cut a corner on the video card to get the price down a bit, something I really don't want to do. Another of my concerns, is that sound card going to cut it for surround sound? Is it going to sound like it should?

CPU: Newegg.com - Intel Core 2 Duo E7300 Wolfdale 2.66GHz 3MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Dual-Core Processor - Processors - Desktops
Mobo: Newegg.com - BIOSTAR TForce TP45HP LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Intel Motherboards - really have no clue with mobos, just found this one in recommended components topic
Ram: Newegg.com - OCZ SLI-Ready 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory X2
GPU: Newegg.com - ASUS EAH4870 DK/HTDI/1GD5 Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards - price just went up on these too
PSU: Newegg.com - hec X-Power Pro 650 650W Continuous @ 40°C ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Power Supply - Power Supplies - this brand reliable?
HDD: Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - Internal Hard Drives
Case: Newegg.com - Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Computer Cases
Sound card: Newegg.com - Creative SB X-Fi Xtreme Audio 70SB104000000 7.1 Channels PCI Express Interface Sound Card - Sound Cards
optical drive: Newegg.com - LITE-ON Black 6X Blu-ray DVD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM SATA Internal Blu-Ray DVD Drive & DVD Burner with LightScribe Model iHES206-08 - Blu-Ray Drives - no idea if that's good enough
OS: Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit English for System Builders 1pk DSP OEI DVD - Operating Systems - anything wrong with OEM?
heatsink: Newegg.com - Tuniq TX-2 Cooling Thermal Compound - Thermal Compound / Grease
TV tuner: Should I get one? Newegg.com - ASUS Analog TV Card MY CINEMA-P7131 PCI Interface - TV Tuners & Video Devices - it does say analog...

For the keyboard and mouse, I'm thinking of moving this wireless stuff I got over here down there and getting a g5 mouse and either a g11 or g15 keyboard. Why is the g15 so much more? What is so special about it?

Ok, so I need to buy an hdmi cord, and I do I need to buy some sort of cord for the surround sound or should the surround sound system come with what I need? Also, do I need to buy a power cord or any other connectors at all? Anyway, the sound system nor the tv has been decided on, so if you would like to make some input on that, feel free to go ahead here or here.

Btw, this is a first time build.

 

[veg1992]

Newegg.com - Creative SB X-Fi Xtreme Audio 70SB104000000 7.1 Channels PCI Express Interface Sound Card - Sound Cards

Is just a rebranded SB Live Card and is not a true X-Fi.. get a real X-Fi

HEC is on Avoid list if I remember correctly

 

[Druid]

Do you have a recommendation? Is there like something called an xtreme music or something? Would that work good with surround sound?

or this: Newegg.com - Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio 7.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound Card - Sound Cards

Newegg.com - Antec Basiq BP500UB 500W ATX12V Version 2.01 Active PFC Power Supply - Power Supplies

How's this psu? It is only 500W. That enough for this system? It seems kinda on the edge to me. Also, I don't know why there are some other antec psu's with lower wattage for more cash.

 

[veg1992]

All XtremeAudio's are the rebranded ones..

The XtremeMusic is a good one... if you can find one that is (woot has a deal once in a while for this card for $37, I'd recommend getting one next time it shows)

 

[Druid]

well if I need this stuff pretty soon, is this card worth $105?

Amazon.com: Used and New: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic Card

If there is something close to it cheaper, let me know.

and then about the connectors and the keyboard?

Will that card fit in that case? And is it very loud?

I don't need any fans if I'm not overclocking, correct?

If I don't need to buy anything that isn't listed in my first post, I'm going to go ahead and do so after these questions are answered.

 

[philbar71]

as far as the sound card check out the asus xonar

Newegg.com - ASUS Xonar DX 7.1 Channels PCI Express Interface Sound Card - Sound Cards

sounds just as good, if not better.

 

[UA_Iron]

You could probably get away with a 4850 at that resolution:
Newegg.com - POWERCOLOR AX4850 512MD3-DH Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards
That's convenient cause it has the HDMI out jack.
Yes, it should fit in the antec 300. You may have to carefully select where you place your harddrives in the case with respect to the video card though. How loud those things get can be controlled by software - Rivatuner for instance will help you adjust fan speed.
I dont think you'll need a separate sound card. Sound will travel over the HDMI cable from the computer to the TV - so that 8 channel onboard sound will suffice.
It'd be easier to just get one 4gb kit of memory:
Newegg.com - OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory

The case will come with fans. As will the power supply.
The stock heatsink will be fine if you're not over clocking - it will even allow temps to be decent with a mild overclock.

Buy HDMI cables from monoprice:
HDMI Cable
Even the cheapest ones will work very well.

 

[Druid]

Well the 4870 has an hdmi port via the adapter it comes with. If I have to get a cheaper card, I will definitely get the 4850.

I thought not all video cards have sound capabilities. I take it both the 4870 and 4850 do? I want good sound though, so shouldn't I get the soundcard?

Is that ram with good timings? I'll get it if so. I don't know what good timings are, so yeah.


To philbar, some of the reviews seem kinda shaky on that card. Just don't trust customer reviews?

 

[saltynay]

If you want great sound quality your going to have to pay for it and use a spdif cable to the graphics card that is creating the hdmi signal. I know that the nvidia range supports this not to sure on the ati front as they tend to go with the alternative of small soundchips on the graphics card which aren't always upto scratch compared to dedicated.
To have a decent sound quality doesn't matter how great the signal is speakers have a massive effect. Like trying to push a sausage (signal) through a straw (speakers)

 

[Druid]

Wait, if I am buying the sound card, why do I need to run this spdif cable to the graphics card? Does the sound card come with the cables I need or the speakers? Or do I have to buy a separate cable to connect the sound card to the speakers?

Also, I almost forgot, why the g15 keyboard so much more than the g11?

I guess the ram question is still out there.