http://www.cwhdallas.com/dual-socket/
Dual Socket
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Dual core AMD Socket 939 Motherboard, 4G memory, 1G LAN, Sata 3G, Gforce Video |  |
9 Bids | US $33.00 | 16h 44m |
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Dual Socket Splitter Car Cigarette Lighter Charger Adapter | |
1 Bid | US $3.84 | 7h 14m |
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300x NEW Jalco Phono Socket Connector Dual PCB Mounted 3 x3 Range Vertical | |
0 Bid | US $9.99 | 12h 43m |
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Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 2.8GHz Dual Core Processor Socket 775 CPU SLGW3 C2D 1066 | |
12 Bids | US $41.02 | 14h 52m |
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ASUS KGPE-D16 SSI EEB 3.61 Server Motherboard Dual Socket G34 AMD SR5690 DDR3 | |
1 Bid | US $99.99 | 18h 23m |
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1 x New Dual DC 12V 24V Car Charger Power Socket Adapter Splitter Black | |
0 Bid | US $.99 | 8h 22m |
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AMD Opteron 170 - 2 GHz Dual-Core (OSA170DAA6CD) Processor Socket 939 | |
8 Bids | US $25.00 | 16h 34m |
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INTEL Pentium D SL88T 2.8GHz 2MB 800Mhz Dual Core Socket PLGA775 Processor CPU | |
1 Bid | US $8.95 | 17h 1m |
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300x NEW Jalco Phono Socket Connector Dual PCB Mounted 3 x3 Range Vertical | |
0 Bid | US $9.99 | 17h 22m |
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IC Socket Adapter 24 PIN Round DIP Dual in Line GOLD for Arduino USA SELLER! | |
0 Bid | US $4.99 | 20h 47m |
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Intel E5500 Dual Core Desktop Processor/CPU 2.8Ghz NR! Socket 775 Pentium | |
8 Bids | US $20.50 | 22h 22m |
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Dual Socket Splitter Car Cigarette Lighter Charger Adapter | |
0 Bid | US $3.84 | 17h 10m |
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Two-Way Dual Socket 12 24V Power DC Car Cigarette Lighter Charger Splitter Y Jh8 | |
0 Bid | US $.99 | 15h 53m |
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New Dual Port USB 2.0 Car Charger for iPhone iPod MP3/4/5 Player With 12V Socket | |
11 Bids | US $2.70 | 19h 20m |
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Intel E4600 Core 2 Duo Desktop Processor / CPU 2.4Ghz NR! Socket 775 / Dual Core | |
4 Bids | US $16.50 | 1d 10h 22m |
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10 Intel Processor Lot - Pentium D, P4 660, Dual Cores - all socket 775 | |
4 Bids | US $78.00 | 1d 10h 8m |
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AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600+ 2.8 GHz Dual Core socket AM2+ CPU - ADA5600IAA6CZ | |
0 Bid | US $34.99 | 1d 12h 37m |
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AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ 2.2 GHz Dual Core socket AM2+ CPU - ADA4200IAA5CU | |
0 Bid | US $29.99 | 1d 12h 44m |
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Bell and Howell Power Pod w/ Dual Swivel Socket Lights - New In Package | |
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US $15.00 | 1d 11h 27m |
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Intel Celeron Dual-Core 1.60GHz/512K/800 Socket LGA775 CPU E1200 SLAQW | |
0 Bid | US $14.99 | 1d 14h 23m |
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Lot of 12 Dual Core Intel Xeon Socket 771 Server/Workstation CPUs | |
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US $50.00 | 1d 15h 1m |
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AMD Turion 64 X2 Mobile RM-70 TMRM70DAM22GG 2.0GHz CPU Socket S1 dual core CPU | |
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US $10.00 | 1d 19h 40m |
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Intel Celeron E3300 2.5 GHz Dual-Core Socket 775 SLGU4 CPU | |
0 Bid | US $10.00 | 1d 18h 38m |
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AMD Opteron 180 2.4GHz 2MB socket 939 (Same as Athlon x2 4800 939) Dual Core | |
8 Bids | US $20.50 | 1d 19h 58m |
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New Dual Port USB 2.0 Car Charger for iPhone iPod MP3/4/5 Player With 12V Socket | |
3 Bids | US $1.36 | 1d 18h 11m |
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Two-Way Dual Socket 12 24V Power DC Car Cigarette Lighter Charger Splitter Z Jh8 | |
0 Bid | US $.99 | 1d 16h 22m |
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New Dual Port USB 2.0 Car Charger for iPhone iPod MP3/4/5 Player With 12V Socket | |
9 Bids | US $.74 | 19h 11m |
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INTEL CORE 2 DUO SL8QV 1.83GHz DUAL CORE SOCKET A (QTY: 4) #5904 | |
0 Bid | US $9.99 | 2d 7h 17m |
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INTEL CORE 2 DUO SL8QV 1.83GHz DUAL CORE SOCKET A (QTY: 4) #5903 | |
0 Bid | US $9.99 | 2d 7h 17m |
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INTEL CORE 2 DUO SL8QV 1.83GHz DUAL CORE SOCKET A (QTY: 4) #5902 | |
0 Bid | US $9.99 | 2d 7h 18m |
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INTEL CORE 2 DUO SL8QV 1.83GHz DUAL CORE SOCKET A (QTY: 4) #5901 | |
0 Bid | US $9.99 | 2d 7h 19m |
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INTEL XEON SL9YL 2.33GHz DUAL CORE SOCKET 771 (QTY: 1) #5963 | |
0 Bid | US $14.99 | 2d 7h 20m |
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INTEL CORE 2 DUO SLA8W 3.00GHz DUAL CORE SOCKET 775 (QTY: 1) #5941 | |
0 Bid | US $24.99 | 2d 7h 25m |
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Intel D945GTP LGA775 Socket Motherboard + Intel Pentium D 3.0 dual core | |
0 Bid | US $19.99 | 2d 19h 35m |
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AMD Opteron 175 2.2 GHz Dual-Core CPU Socket 939 CCBBE 2MB L2 | |
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US $46.45 | 2d 18h 16m |
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AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ 2.0 GHz Dual-Core ADA3800IAA5CU NDBBF CPU Socket AM2+ | |
0 Bid | US $13.99 | 2d 19h 27m |
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Dual USB 2-Port Car Charger Adaptor for iPhone 4 4g iPod Touch Iphone + Socket | |
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US $3.75 | 14d 11h 28m |
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PENTIUM DUAL CORE 1.6GHZ SOCKET 775 | |
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US $29.99 | 2d 20h 16m |
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1 AMD Opteron 265 Dual Core 64 Bit Socket 940 CPU OSA265FAA6CB Free Shipping | |
0 Bid | US $9.69 | 2d 20h 38m |
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Intel Core Duo T2500 2 GHz Dual Core LF80539 T2500 SL8VP Processor SOCKET M T60 | |
0 Bid | US $10.99 | 2d 22h 25m |
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(QTY. 2) Tyan S2735-8M dual socket 604 intel xeon motherboard | |
0 Bid | US $75.00 | 3d 7h 21m |
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Two-Way Dual Socket 12 24V Power DC Car Cigarette Lighter Charger Splitter A Jh8 | |
0 Bid | US $.99 | 2d 17h 56m |
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12V Car Cigarette Lighter Dual Socket DC Adapter 2 Way | |
0 Bid | US $.01 | 1d 21h |
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12V Car Cigarette Lighter Dual Socket DC Adapter 2 Way | |
0 Bid | US $.01 | 1d 21h 20m |
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New Dual Universal Socket Splitter Car Cigarette Lighter Charger Adapter | |
0 Bid | US $.01 | 2d 20h 57m |
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New Retail Boxed INTEL S5000PSLSAS Dual Socket 771 Server Motherboard | |
0 Bid | US $69.99 | 3d 9h 46m |
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CPU, Intel Xeon 5110 Dual-Core 1.60GHZ/4M/1066 SL9RZ Socket 771 LGA771 | |
0 Bid | US $7.99 | 3d 11h 53m |
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CPU, Intel Xeon 5120 Dual-Core 1.86GHZ/4M/1066 SL9RY Socket 771 LGA771 | |
0 Bid | US $8.99 | 3d 11h 53m |
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Intel Xeon S5520SC Dual Socket 1366 Motherboard 5520 DDR3 S5520HC LGA1366 96GB | |
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US $266.49 | 3d 16h 9m |
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Intel Xeon SE7320VP2 Dual Socket 604 Server Motherboard 800Mhz E7320 *BONUS CPU* | |
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US $37.93 | 3d 16h 9m |
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Westinghouse T00448 2-Outlet Indoor Mechanical Timer, White Sale Price: $5.00  |
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Travel Water Heater Kettle for Car Sale Price: $50.00 |
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Travel Car Kettle features an adapter plug that fits in your cigarette lighter allowing you the freedom to have tea or coffee any time and anywhere |
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Belkin Mini Surge Protector Dual USB Charger List Price: $21.99 Sale Price: $12.99 |
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Protect your electronic devices while traveling. |
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First Alert CO615 Carbon Monoxide Plug-In Alarm with Battery Backup and Digital Display List Price: $59.99 Sale Price: $27.95 |
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Carbon monoxide (CO) is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America, yet many people don't know they are suffering from CO poisoning until its too late. Since symptoms of CO poisoning are like the flu, you might not even know you're in danger at first. That's why a carbon monoxide alarm is an excellent way to protect your family. It can detect the CO you can't see, smell or taste in the air. The First Alert CO615 carbon monoxide alarm uses an electrochemical carbon monoxide sensor-the most accurate technology available. Installation is as simple as plugging it in to any wall outlet. Its easy-to-read backlit digital LED display gives you a clear read-out of current CO concentrations in parts per million. The alarm includes a battery back-up giving you peace of mind in a power outage. The test/silence button both silences a non-threatening alarm or low battery warning and allows you to test the unit's functionality. The unit monitors and re-alarms if carbon monoxide levels persist sounding a loud 85-decibel horn. An audible and visual low battery signal alerts you to replace the battery and an indicator alerts you when a battery has been removed. An end-of-life alarm of three chirps alerts you to replace the unit. Two AA batteries are included. 5-year limited warranty. UL listed. --Bree NorlanderWhat's in the Box One carbon monoxide alarm, two AA batteries, and user's manual |
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Black & Decker ASI300 Air Station Inflator List Price: $92.31 Sale Price: $44.88 |
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Powerful and portable, the Black & Decker ASI300 Air Station Inflator is the portable solution to household and on-the-go inflation needs. An illuminated pressure gauge gives you precise control, with an automatic shut off feature to make inflation easy. The ASI300 draws power from any home outlet or your vehicle's lighter socket, so you can set it up where you need it.ul.indent {list-style: inside disc;text-indent: 20px;}img.withlink {border:1px black solid;}a.nodecoration {text-decoration: none}Plugs into wall sockets or vehicle lighter sockets for versatility. View larger.Powerful Inflator Meets a Range of NeedsWith inflation power up to 160 PSI, the ASI300 can take care of a range of inflation tasks. Pump up an air mattress for an impromptu guest room, top off your bike tires for a long, worry-free trail ride, or just tuck it in a corner of your trunk for added peace of mind.Convenient, Easy-to-Use Integrated GaugeThe ASI300's integrated gauge keeps tabs on air pressure, so you don't have to remove the hose to take readings. And you won't ever have to worry about over inflation--dial in the pressure you want and the ASI300 automatically shuts off once it's reached. The red-faced gauge is illuminated, perfect for use when setting up camp after sundown or inflating a tire along a dark road.A Portable Package That Goes Where You Need ItThe ASI300 is ideal for small tasks around your home or garage, and its compact size makes it a handy tool to have in your vehicle, RV, or watercraft. Store it in your car or truck to keep your tires at optimal pressure for on or off road use, or stow it on your boat to quickly inflate rafts, inner tubes, and towables. At just 6 pounds, it's light enough to carry from home to car to boat. And because it conveniently powers from any electrical outlet or your vehicle's lighter socket, this inflator is easy to use in a variety of situations.The ASI300 Air Station Inflator is covered by a two-year warranty.What's in the Box:ASI300 Air Station Inflator, standard nozzle, needle inflator, extension nozzle, 120-volt cord and plug, 12-volt cord and plugThis portable air station inflator is easy to store in your car, boat, or garage--which means it will always on hand when and where you need it. |
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6- PACK of Halogen Light Bulbs, JC Type G4 Base (2-Pin), Low Voltage, 12 Volts, 20 Watt Sale Price: $0.01 |
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This sale includes 6 bulbs! Halogen Bulb; Base: G-4 Base (2-Pin); Voltage: 12 Volt; Wattage: 20 Watt |
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Eiko 49315 FML27/65 27 Quad Tube Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb, 6500K List Price: $0.00 Sale Price: $4.29 |
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27 watt T4 4-Pin (GX10q-4) Base FML 6,500K Double Tube Compact Fluorescent Eiko Light Bulb |
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TCP 32030 - 32030 30W T9 CIRCLINE 2850K Circular T9 Fluorescent Tube Light Bulb Sale Price: $7.99 |
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30 watt 120 volt T9 4-Pin Base 2,850K Circline Compact Fluorescent Replacement TCP Light Bulb |
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Belkin 6 Outlet Surge Protector with USB List Price: $19.99 Sale Price: $14.90 |
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Voltage fluctuations, surges, and spikes can damage your computer and peripherals and degrade overall performance. The Belkin BV106050-CW Surge Protector safeguards your personal computer, printer, hard drives, modems, and other hard-to-replace equipment against damage, data loss, file corruption, and system crashes. |
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Cosmos ® 4-Port Wall to USB Travel A/C Power Adapter Charger for iPad 2 iPhone 3G 3GS 4 4G ipod shuffle nano classic touch List Price: $35.99 Sale Price: $11.95 |
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This 4 Port AC to USB Wall Charger is Light Weight and compact. This is a must have for Home or Travel chargers when needing to charge multiple USB powered Devices. It's easy to carry and free you from worrying about having to charge one device at a time, perfect for the whole family at home or in the hotel room. If you travel to other countries, you need a different plug for your destination. ASIN: B005CTH3ZY Australia plug, B005CTGWKQ European round plug, B005CTG61G UK plug. |
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Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler, RR-B10-212P-G1 List Price: $29.99 Sale Price: $23.41 |
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Succeeding the popular Hyper 212, the Hyper 212 Plus carries on the legacy of providing a great balance of performance and noise level during high and low speed operations. Hyper 212 Plus is Cooler Master's first cooler to be equipped with an all-in-one mounting solution. |
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Griffin Technology 1 Amp PowerJolt Dual for iPhone and iPod (Black) List Price: $19.99 Sale Price: $6.98 |
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Original Griffin iPhone iPod 1 AMP PowerJolt Dual-USB Car Charger GC23110 for Ipod apple . Original Griffin iPhone iPod 1 AMP PowerJolt Dual-USB Car Charger GC23110Charge your iPhone or iPod with the Griffin 1 AMP PowerJolt Dual-USB Car Charger. This car charger plugs to your car's 12 volt outlet and provides you with two powerful 5 watt charing circuits or 1 AMP per USB slot. This charger includes a dock cable for the iPhone or iPod that you can use separately to connect your mac or pc. You can also use another USB cable to charge a second device so you can charge two devices at the same time.Specifications:Input Voltage: 12 V DCOutput Voltage: 5 V DCMaximum Output Power: 5 WMaximum Output Current: 1 ACable Length: 3.5 ft.Part Number: GC23110Compatible with the Apple iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3G S, iPhone 4, Verizon iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod Touch, iPod Touch 2nd generation, iPod Touch 3rd generation, iPod Touch 4th generation, 1st 2nd 3rd generation iPod, iPod Photo 4th generation, 5th generation iPod Video, iPod Classic (6th generation), 1st and 2nd generation iPod Mini and 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th generation iPod Nano devices. Compatible With Ipod Touch 4th Generation Nano 6th Generation Touch 2nd Generation Touch 3rd Generation Nano 5th Generation Nano 4th Generation Nano 3rd Generation Nano 2nd Generation with scroll wheel Nano mini with touch wheel 5th Generation with Video |
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Travel Accessories Samsonite Dual Socket Travel Adapter Kit |
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• Engineered for Global Travel• Now you can plug in multiple electronics at once• Four adaptable plugs corresponding to top foreign destinations: the UK, Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, the Middle East, and North and South America• Weight 2 lbs |
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Grounded Adapter Plug America to United Kingdom GUD CE Certified Sale Price: $8.25 |
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Grounded, British 3 pin adapter plug accepts European 2 prong adapters and converts them to the UK style electrical plug. |
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Hard Cube Carrying Case for E-Book Barnes and Nobles Nook + eLight + Car Charger |
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"This Package includes: . Hard Cube Carrying Case for E-Book Barnes and Nobles Nook . Rapid Car Chargerr . Pink eLight" |
How to Build a Silent Pc or Home Theater Pc
Step 1 – Choose your case.
While the availability of small form factor PC cases are becoming increasingly widespread, as is the availability of small form factor motherboards and components, the choices aren’t as varied as standard size cases and components. Also you’ll find that small form factor components tend to be more expensive.
The next thing you’d have to contend with is the problem of heat. Cramming the latest technology into a tiny case inevitably puts components that generate a huge amount of heat (CPUs, graphics cards, northbridge, etc) closer together which then puts a greater emphasis on cooling. While you could cool the tiny rig with large fans you then encounter another problem, sound. Sure your teeny weeny home theatre PC is smaller than a poodle puppy and looks good near your TV but it generates the equivalent sound of a 747 during takeoff. Defeats the object I think you’ll agree.
Ditch the dreams of an ultra small HTPC because it’ll just cause you headaches. Me personally, I value functionality over aesthetics, with that in mind I went for a huge full tower PC case which was built for quiet operation and has the bonus of looking good too. I went for the Thermaltake Armor case in black. After a while you do get used to it in the front room and it becomes part of everyday life. Don’t forget that you don’t have to place your HTPC case near your TV, you could tuck it away behind the sofa. If your case is going to be on show it’s a good idea to choose your components so that they match colour-wise.
Step 2 – Choose Your Processor.
There are only 2 manufacturers of processor that you should consider; Intel and AMD. There are other manufacturers of processors but they are relatively uncommon and you will have a hard time trying to find components that are compatible. Personally I have always gone for AMD processors with self build projects, they perform on par with Intel processors and are generally cheaper when compared like for like with the Intel chips. Your choice of speed of processor is entirely up to you, some people like to go for the fastest they can afford, while it is true that you need a fairly fast processor you don’t need to go overboard if you’re just using the your media center PC in the living room to watch TV and listen to music. If you plan to use your media center PC for anything else such as games or video editing then you ought to really focus on buying an upper range model of processor. Don’t forget though that generally the faster the processor the more heat it will produce, and heat is the one thing that we’re trying to keep to a minimum due to the cooling. In my HTPC I opted for an AMD Athlon XP 2400+. This processor is by no means fast by today’s standards but it performs the job well using Windows Media Center 2005 (and Windows Vista) and even copes fairly well with the games that I run occasionally. This processor is really cheap now as it has been superseded; a quick search on ebay sees some XP 2400+ processors selling for less than £40. If I were to build one again right now I would probably be opting for a processor that would fit a socket 940 motherboard as this would ensure that the PC is upgradeable in the future should I need to.
Step 3 – Choose your motherboard (or mainboard).
The motherboard will be your key purchase, it might not be the most expensive component but choosing a motherboard wisely can maximise the performance of all the other components that are going to attach to it. You don’t want to be spending £200 on a processor which isn’t performing to its capabilities due to a wrong choice in your £50 motherboard do you? Your choice of motherboard will be primarily determined by your choice of processor. If you have chosen a AMD XP 2400+ processor like the one I have then you will need to choose a socket A motherboard. If you have chosen a newer AMD processor like the AMD Sempron 3600+ for instance, then you will most likely need a socket 940 motherboard. If you’ve chosen a newer Intel processor like the Pentium D 930 then you will most likely need a socket 775 motherboard. Look at the manufacturer’s documentation that accompanies the processor and it will tell you which socket of motherboard that it will fit into. Please note that you must buy the right motherboard that will fit your processor, otherwise the two will not fit together in anyway and they will be entirely incompatible.
Now you have determined which ‘socket’ of motherboard you need it’s time to shop around. Make sure you buy a motherboard with a decent chipset manufacturer such as Nvidia (nforce chipset), Intel, or VIA (the chipset of the motherboard is handles data traffic between your processor, memory, and any peripherals you may have installed). If you plan to use your Media Center PC primarily for watching TV and listening to music then you might want to consider opting for a motherboard with on board graphics (graphics card built on to the motherboard), on board sound card, and on board LAN/wireless card. This would pretty much take care of most of the components you would need all on one board. If you’re going to use your Media Center for games at any point then my advice would be to choose a motherboard that doesn’t incorporate on board graphics as the on board graphics built in to motherboards, though they will perform the job of displaying video adequately, don’t tend to be that powerful when it comes to gaming. You could also opt to have a separate sound card that provides higher quality sound it all depends on how serious you are about the sound that’s going to be coming from your HTPC, for most I think the onboard sound would do (tip: whether going for onboard sound or a separate sound card, make sure it’s capable of at least 5.1 surround sound for use when watching DVDs. Even if you only plan on using 2 speakers, these cards can be configured for 2 speaker output). In my HTPC I opted for the MSI K7N2 Delta-L socket A motherboard. It came with onboard LAN and onboard 5.1 sound but I chose to add a separate sound card for reasons I shall divulge later.
Step 4 – Choose your hard drive (HDD).
This should be quite an easy one. Basically bigger is definitely better. You want as much space as you possibly can if you plan to record a lot of films and programs. Don’t be tempted to go for the 10,000 rpm models of hard drive though as they are louder and generate a lot of heat, you probably won’t notice much of a performance gain by using this type of hard drive in a Media Center environment anyhow. In my setup I went for the Maxtor Diamondmax 10 300gb 7200rpm IDE hard drive which is plenty space for all my film recordings and music, I also use my Media Center PC as a file server for my other PC and laptop, so my suggestion is that around 300gb of hard drive space will suffice. Be sure to choose the type of hard drive interface connection that suits your motherboard, i.e. if your motherboard supports the SATA interface choose a hard drive that also uses the SATA interface. Note that the two interfaces (SATA and IDE) are not interchangeable. The most recent motherboards usually come with both interfaces integrated into the board so you shouldn’t have a problem.
Hard drives are also a big contributor to the noise and heat problem, it might be a wise idea to invest in a hard drive silencer/cooler, I want my HTPC to be as quiet as possible so I went for the Scythe Quiet Drive which is a HDD silencer and cooler all in one.
Step 5 – Choose your memory (RAM).
The main thing to look for when buying RAM (Random Access Memory) is making sure it is compatible with the motherboard you have purchased. If your motherboard says it supports DDR400 then this means that it only supports RAM which is Double Data Rate (DDR) and will only support speeds of RAM up to 400MHz (yes RAM has a speed it operates at too). In some cases if a motherboard says it supports up to DDR400 it also means that it will support the formats below it, for example; a DDR400 motherboard may also support DDR333, DDR266, and DDR200 RAM modules. It has to be noted that you cannot use SDRAM in a DDR interface and vice versa. Another thing to look out for is if your motherboard supports Dual Channel RAM. The idea behind Dual Channel RAM is that you install 2 identical RAM modules on you motherboard in the banks that are designated for Dual Channel operation. The data that comes from your processor is then effectively split into 2 parts, the 1st part is sent to the first RAM module and the 2nd part is sent to the other RAM module. Because the data is split into 2 in an interleaving way this has the theoretical effect of doubling the read/write performance of data that is sent to and from the processor. If this is the way you want to go with your HTPC then you should be looking for a Dual Channel kit of RAM. It has to be noted that just because your motherboard states it has Dual Channel capabilities it doesn’t mean you have to use a Dual Channel kit of RAM, you can just use 1 module of RAM if you wish and it will still do the job, just not as quick as it could be. Once you have determined the speed and type of RAM you need it’s time to look at how much RAM you actually need. Again my advice is bigger is better but don’t go over the top. I have used a Corsair 1gb DDR 400 Dual Channel kit (2 identical 512mb modules of RAM) in my setup and it manages perfectly well.
Step – 6 Choose your DVD Drive.
This is quite straight forward as you will need a DVD drive that can read all available formats of disc and also able to write to all formats of disc for when you need to backup films or music, pick a DVD that writes Dual Layer +R and –R formats. The speed at which it writes is totally up to you, generally the faster it can write to a disc the more expensive it will be. Be sure to pick one with a colour that is going to match your case though or it’ll stick out like a sore thumb. Generally a good make of DVD burner that will write all formats costs around £30. The make of DVD writer that I chose was a LiteOn. I’ve had a lot of experience with this manufacturer of DVD drives and I can tell you that they are good value for money.
Step – 7 Choose your graphics card.
If you have gone for the motherboard with on the on board graphics then you can skip this part as it doesn’t apply. If you have chosen to go for a separate graphics card then I assume it’s because you also intend to use your Media Center PC for games. With this option the sky’s the limit with graphics cards, some top end cards can cost you more than all the other components of the PC combined. I have found from previous experience that cards that cost around the £120 mark usually perform really well with games and they won’t break the bank. Don’t forget though that the more powerful the graphics card then generally the hotter it gets and the more cooling that has to be applied to it. Graphics cards are renowned for have the worst sounding cooling fans that whine at just the right pitch that it drives you mad. If you have chosen to go for a separate graphics card then it might be worth spending that bit extra and buying a fanless heatsink to go with it. This is the option I have gone for and you will really appreciate it in the long run. Also worth noting is the different sorts of output present on the card such as S-Video etc, as this will determine if the card is compatible with the inputs on your current TV.
Step – 8 Choose your power supply.
Power supplies generally put out quite a lot of noise due the amount of power they have to cope with while running all the components in your system. Remember generally speaking power = heat = noise due to cooling. If you have an unlimited budget then I’d tell you to go for a fanless power supply as these are ideal, they generally have large heatsinks and use heat pipe technology to dissipate the heat. The downside to this is that they cost a small fortune for one that’s any good. My recommendation would be to go for a power supply with a fairly large power rating that is billed as ‘silent’ and contains a 120mm fan. Remember that you need a power supply that can provide more power than the sum of the maximum power ratings of all the components that make up your system. My general experience with power supplies is that you can’t really trust what it says on the box. If it says it’s silent and costs £10 then what you’ll find is that it’s silent for about a minute before you turn it on, once you turn it on it sounds like a small hovercraft! In order to achieve a near silent power supply using a large fan it really is a case of you get what you pay for. In my opinion you need to spend between £30 and £40 to get a decent power supply that you could call silent, unless you’re feeling brave then you can do what I have done. I’m quite reluctant to spend money where I think I’m being ripped off. In the case of so called decent ‘silent’ power supplies I think people are being charged over the odds for what is basically a bog standard power supply with a slightly better fan (no doubt someone will point out to me the other factors which justify power supplies costing more). With this in mind I took my 500W Qtec ‘silent’ power supply with 120mm fan which cost £15 (this power supply is about as far from silent as possible!) and exchanged the fan for a truly silent Zalman Silenx Vario 120mm fan from Puresilence. Hey presto, a very very quiet power supply and all it cost was £25 in total and a bit of screwdriver action!
*DISCLAIMER* If you choose to swap out the fan in your power supply to one other than the manufacturers’ specifications then you do so at your own risk. It could cause a fire and will certainly invalidate your warranty. I won’t be held responsible for any damages that may occur due to malfunction of your power supply.
Step 9 – Choose your Cooling.
Now this is a biggy, what you want is as much cooling as possible i.e. a number of case fans. While also being as quiet as possible i.e. the bigger the fans the better, bigger fans = slower rotation (while still providing the same throughput of air) = less noise. You also might want to think about swapping the standard heatsinks, that come with your processor, northbridge chipset, and graphics cards to fanless ones. I already chose a graphics card that came with a fanless heatsink so it was just a case of finding a suitable fanless heatsink for my processor and northbridge. There were many options to choose from but I opted for the Thermaltake SilentTower which cost £20 from DCS Doncaster for my processor because it will run perfectly well fanless but also allows you to add 2 large 90mm fans for extra cooling should you want to. For my northbridge I opted for the Zalman ZM-NB47J Silent Motherboard Heatsink which was £6.00 from QuietPC. Of course if you’re going to use fanless heatsinks in your setup then this puts even more emphasis on the need for case fans, if you don’t have adequate heat exhaustion in your case then the heat from your heatsinks will warm up all the components in your system and thus compromises performance, or worst case scenario a component fails. This is the main reason why I chose the Thermaltake Armor case, it has shed loads of ventilation and is provided with 2 x 120mm and 2 x 90mm quiet fans. If you need to buy quiet fans I recommend the Pure Silence website. I bought one of the 120mm silent fans from their site to replace the one in my power supply and I can confirm that they are deathly silent.
I also recommend that you buy a fan speed controller, this is a device that usually fits into one of the 5.25” drive bays on the front of your PC, it allows you to control the exact speed of all your fans, i.e. you can make you PC as quiet as you like but also be able to ramp up all the fan speeds should you need that little bit of extra cooling.
I opted for the Thermaltake Hardcano13 which cost £36.75 from DCS Doncaster as it matched my case and also came with a built in card reader to boot.
Step 10 – Choose your TV tuner card.
There are many different options you can go for when choosing a TV tuner card. Some cards have just a single analogue tuner, some have digital HDTV capabilities, some have 2 tuners on the same board so you can watch 1 channel while recording another, and some are combinations of the previous. You have to think to yourself what you’re going to use your PC for, is it just to watch TV or are you planning to download any home videos from your camcorder any time soon, if the answer is yes then you want some sort of AV input.
Bearing in mind that all TV is due to switch to digital transmission in the UK, and the advent of digital HDTV, I opted for the Dvico Fusion dual HDTV DVB-T tuner which cost £114.95 from theglowlounge. This card comes with a well built remote, works brilliantly, and also has AV input, you can read a detailed review of this card at johnsreviews.
Step 11 – Choose your control device.
Now that you have chosen all the necessary components it’s time to choose your control devices. You have the option of the classic TV style remote or you can be really flashy and go for a full media centre keyboard, or both!
Microsoft produces good quality products for Windows Media Center, which of course are 100% compatible and require little in the way of setting up. There are many other third party products that are well worth looking at though; I chose to go for the Logitech Cordless Desktop S 510 with Media Remote which cost £49.99 from what used to be Dixons, the remote requires a little bit of setting up due to the customizable keys but nothing too difficult even if you have little experience with PCs. What I liked about this remote is that it is smaller than most of the other media center remotes and it has a unique scroll wheel in the centre which allows you to fly through menus and TV guides at lightning speeds! Most media center remotes will do the job, it’s all down to a matter of personal taste.
Step 12 – Assembly.
So that’s it you’ve chosen all your components, laid them all out in front of you, but haven’t the faintest idea where to start. Well I could spend another month writing pages and pages of instructions on how to install every component and configure the PC for optimal performance but I think the following videos can explain it just as well and in less time!
Please note that the instructional videos apply to the general building of PCs but exactly the same principles apply to building a Home Theatre PC.
About the Author
You can find more reviews and how to's by visiting John's Reviews
Is there any such thing as a dual processor, 775 socket mainboard?
My boss is pushing me to build a dual quad core server, but I'm wondering if there is even a motherboard that supports dual 775 chips?
*** I'm trying to build a DUAL QUAD CORE, as in 2 quad core processors on one board... To clarify.. =)
That would be tough to find on the LGA775 format. Seems none from TYAN and Supermicro. All dual sockets are in LGA771 format.
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