HTPC - help me with my build: What would I need?

[Kdar]

I finally decided I will build it. I got new job hehe.. so have more money coming in now .. Plus recently tried to buy laptop, but I got it defected (it was missing power adapter) so I had to go back to store, they gave me another power adapter and it also didn't work.. so on the second day of this wonderful computer I return it to store and decided drop the laptop plan and realize my idea on HTPC first.

However there are few questions that I need help.

I want to build HTPC to just have one HTPC under my TV (well, maybe VHS player for old movies). But I want to get rid of my DVD player, Cable box from my CableTV provider (if that is possible, one of my questions). Want it to be clean and nice there.. just one thing that can do it all hehe.. I also want low noise..
---(I have two DVD player. One which I brought from Russia and it play all my Russian and European format DVDs, other is from USA and play any DVDs that I buy here.. but occasionally I get some DVD that I can't play on both.. and of course it only can play DVD format, which I don't like also.. want to have HTPC to watch my own made videos)
--My other thing is I want to vuew channels from my Cable TV provider on HTPC as well, if it is possible.. So that I will not have to switch all the time from my Cable Box for TV and to HTPC for all the rest (music, movie.. etc).

Now about Hardware.. and what do buy.

CPU: How good does it have to be? I guess I should get something decent to not have any problems with video playback.

Audio card: This is another question that bothers me. If I will buy some good sound system for my TV (which I do plan in future). Do I really need good sound card for my HTPC or can this be handled by TV itself?where

Video Card: Same thing about video card. Do I really need a good card (since I will not do gaming on it) for my HTPC? Do I just need something that I can support my TV resolution?
How about viewing HD movies? Do I need good card for this?

Case: For the case, I been looking at some HTPC cases from SilverStone.. and some from Thermalmake... but what do you think would be good one for low noise?

Memory: I guess 2GB of Memory would be enough?

PSU: something around 400-500W

I have some DVD player and keyboard and mice that I can use for now (however I might buy some wireless keyboard for this). I also might buy Blu-ray drive in future. But not now, I don't even have any Blu-Ray dvds..

Anything else I would need?

 

[Kdar]

Hello?

PS. My budget is around 1000

 

[Hussein19891]

Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Computer Cases

Newegg.com - MSI R4850-512M Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards

Newegg.com - PC Power & Cooling S61EPS 610W Continuous @ 40°C EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Power Supplies

Newegg.com - G.SKILL 3GB (3 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory

Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD4P LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Intel Motherboards

Newegg.com - Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor - Processors - Desktops


Grand Total: $1,000.15

 

[Kdar]

What would I need for HDMI? Or how would I connect my cable box to this? So that I can watch TV channels on my HTPC?

 

[scrimstar]

I don't think you need an i7, or ATi 4850, if you're not gonna game.

 

[Peter.Cort]

if you want htpc, were talking 2gb ram, a pc power and cooling 400 w, a nice case, a couple big hdds, tv tuner card (philbar71 is selling his) hdmi out on a mobo, a sound card with good audio out options, and a e1200/2140... an i7 is rediculous for a htpc build...

 

[Nagasama]

i use an AMD x2 3600, 2gb ram, 500gb hdd, old dell sata dvd burner, an evga 7300gs, an athena power 470w psu (which was actually kind of expensive), an asus am2 micro atx mobo all stuffed into a micro atx case.
it was basically all my used stuff from previous builds, except for the psu and the asus mobo.
you can build a decent HTPC for like...500 bucks EASY.
to use your cable box on your htpc, you will need a tuner card. you dont need HDMI out on your card unless your TV has an HDMI input. if it doesnt, RGB or S-video will work just fine, but wont look quite as good. you dont need a sound card unless you are going to be hooking it up into an awesome home theater system. if you are going to be using your TV speakers or some rinky dink HT receiver, no need for a seperate audio card. you can always add it later if you dont have the equipment currently to take advantage of it. pretty much any card will support TV resolution. performance will depend on the TV. my 7300gs runs my 36" flatscreen TV just fine, but i wouldnt put it on a 42" 1080p, probably. actually, i would...just to see if it could do it.

 

[Kdar]

Thanks for ideas everyone. I will look over some part on newegg and post them here again.

Yes, Nagasamaa, you are right. I can save on sound card and buy if I need on in future.

Plan to use this HTPC for my 47" tv, it have HDMI so I probably will get some HDMI cables from NewEgg. Do you think those kind of builds would be ok to view HD channels?