[vox] Good quiet hardware for Myth TV

[Aaron Brayton]

I really wanted to attend the Myth TV talk, but sadly I missed it.

I've been considering an HTPC for over a year now, and finally last 
month I broke down and bought all the components, and have since 
assembled the monster.  It took me this long, because I couldn't decide 
on a dual or quad core processor (need for computing power? vs heat and 
noise).  But I also wanted to get a case that would blend in with the 
rest of the TV components and still be able to control the PC without 
wires or dongles.  Also, although I really dislike microsoft and 
windows, I went with win 7 home premium 64 bit for the media center and 
netflix capability.  Unless I'm mistaken, Myth TV doesn't yet support 
Netflix.

I know the question is limited to cases and fans, but it's easier for 
me, I think, to share the build.  Now with that being said, it's not 
perfect, and in fact I'll start another thread once I complete this 
message asking for help about an issue I'll mention below.

Here is my build (1 month old):

ASUS E35M1-I Deluxe Motherboard
Crucial 2GB DDR3 SDRAM X2
Kingston SSDNow 30GB SSD (For OS)
Western Digital 320GB Scorpio Black notebook drive (For media)
Silverstone SOD01 slim slot loading SATA DVD RW drive
Silverstone ML02B case
HDHomerun dual tuner

The MB has a fan-less dual core processor, combined with a case that has 
an external 120 Watt power supply.  The case itself has a single 50mm 
fan that I've plugged into the CPU control for fan speed.  The two 
notebook drives are very quiet.  According to the Kill-A-Watt meter, 
I've maxed at 35 Watts.

I could easily go on, but I don't want to over do it.  The two problems 
I have so far:

1.  Each RAM module works fine on it's own, but when used together, the 
computer boots less than 25% of the time.

2.  It may be my TV, but the image provided by the HDMI isn't centered.  
I've read the forums and I've used the ATI utility to change the 
under/over scan, but the image is not symmetrical.  I've adjusted the 
image for the top left and bottom, but the right side has a 2" black bar 
(or green depending on the pixel resolution selection).

I'll ask for help on those in a new thread under vox-tech.

At the moment, I'm a little disappointed in my build for the two reasons 
mentioned above, combined with some of the channels I want are encrypted 
and require a cable box and Media Center having less content than I 
remember (What happened to movie trailers and all the Internet TV channels?)

That's what I've got to share.

Aaron






On 04/21/2011 11:39 AM, Brian Lavender wrote:
> Wes' presentation Monday night got me thinking that I should
> build a Myth TV box. I guess the biggest thing I am thinking about is
> noise and size, similar to my existing Tivo box. It is very quiet.
> Any recommendations on cases and fans?
>
> I thought there was a page of hardware setups, but I can't find it.
> Is there a page on suggested hardware setups?
>
> brian