daemox Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 Hello! First off, here is my wish list: https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedW...spx?ID=12765387. There are various comments on the list itself. But basically I'm attempting to design a system that's as OSx86 compatible as possible. At bare minimum I would like 6 SATA ports and the system needs to be able to display at 1080p and run any and all high def content that I might throw at it. Seeing as I've been unable to determine whether or not ATI gfx cards support hardware decoding (I've read Nvidia's don't) I'm hedging my bets and going with a dual 3GHz 45nm core 2 duo. Ram's so cheap that I went ahead and threw in 2x2GB with room to upgrade to 8 or 12 in the future if it drops further, or I feel like expanding. I stuck with the ALC889a sound chip as that seems to be the most compatible for on board sound (and since this is going to be an Home Theater setup, the audio is VERY important to me). Anyway, on my list I also have a few components that I already own just to round it out and give everyone exactly what I'll be using. If you have any questions, or comments, suggestions or better ideas don't hesitate to post them! Thank you! Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/121984-hackintosh-htpc-build-commentssuggestions-welcome/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synaesthesia Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 Unfortunately we can't see that wishlist - it's for your account only, so can't comment on that! Regarding HD playback - the Core Duo 1.6ghz decodes 1080p HD just fine - so a Core 2 Duo 3.0ghz is gonna do it no sweat ATI + nVidia both support Hardware decoding of video - under windows, not OS X. But like I said, your CPU is more than beefy enough to handle it. Of course, you won't be able to play Blu-ray movies in Mac OS X without somehow ripping or cracking them first - OS X lacks HDCP. Just FYI. Also many motherboards lack multichannel sound in OS X. Some do have it working though. Of course all will still work in Windows. Yeah, that's about it Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/121984-hackintosh-htpc-build-commentssuggestions-welcome/#findComment-863357 Share on other sites More sharing options...
daemox Posted August 21, 2008 Author Share Posted August 21, 2008 Thanks for the feedback Synaesthesia! As far as the wishlist goes, everyone that has a NewEgg account should be able to view it as I've marked it as "public" (I've had a few of my buddies check it out already so it should be working). I'll be posting up a list on the forum after I get home from work though, so that should make it easier for those who don't frequent their site. Good to know about the CPU, I may have to consider dropping down a notch on that one. Thanks for clearing up the hardware decoding on the graphic cards! The hd content will likely be snagged through alternative means, so that's not a big concern at present. I figured it would be something like that, long term I might try to find something like AnyDVD HD for the Mac and rip Bluray discs, but short term that's nothing I'm looking to do. Can you suggest a good (and easily obtainable) motherboard (or even dedicated sound card) that will guarantee me at least 5.1 via analogs or S/PDIF (ideally 7.1 via analogs)? Thanks again for the feedback! And just as a side note, I plan on documenting everything I do to get the HTPC up and running as this seems to be an area of little to no mention around the forum (at least from what I could find in my digging). So hopefully once this is all said and done, and I've got Plex running and figured out all my HD stuff I'll be able to help a few other lost souls along the rode toward a Hackintosh HTPC. Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/121984-hackintosh-htpc-build-commentssuggestions-welcome/#findComment-863436 Share on other sites More sharing options...
daemox Posted August 21, 2008 Author Share Posted August 21, 2008 Planned Core Components: CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz MOBO:GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3R RAM:CORSAIR DOMINATOR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 GFX:MSI RX2600XT-T2D256EZ Radeon HD 2600XT 256MB GDDR3 PSU:SeaSonic M12II SS-500GM 500W ATX12V 2.2 /EPS12V 2.91 I'll be installing onto a Western Digital Raptor WD740ADFD 74GB 10000 RPM SATA 1.5Gb/s which I've had for a couple years or so. And will be getting a Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s to expand my archival space. My display is a Samsung LN46A750 which I'll be connecting the computer to via a DVI to HDMI cable. I'll also be getting a wireless keyboard/touch pad combination, but haven't decided yet which one I'll get. Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/121984-hackintosh-htpc-build-commentssuggestions-welcome/#findComment-863489 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synaesthesia Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Yes, the P45-DS3R supports multichannel digital sound output. Read these threads. http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?sho...amp;mode=linear http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?sho...amp;mode=linear http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=115121 - a GA-EP45-DQ6 page but the same as EP45-DSR Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/121984-hackintosh-htpc-build-commentssuggestions-welcome/#findComment-863604 Share on other sites More sharing options...
daemox Posted August 21, 2008 Author Share Posted August 21, 2008 Yes, the P45-DS3R supports multichannel digital sound output. Read these threads. http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?sho...amp;mode=linear http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?sho...amp;mode=linear http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=115121 - a GA-EP45-DQ6 page but the same as EP45-DSR Excellent, thanks! Anyone else have any words of wisdom to impart before I go forward with the purchase? Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/121984-hackintosh-htpc-build-commentssuggestions-welcome/#findComment-864010 Share on other sites More sharing options...
daemox Posted August 21, 2008 Author Share Posted August 21, 2008 I revised my ram and cpu to reduce the price by about a hundred dollars. CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 Wolfdale 2.53GHz On the CPU I loose 3MB of L2 cache, about 480MHz per core and virtualization tech. On the Ram I step down on bus speed. The rest of the parts I cannot think how to revise any futher without major sacrifices or upgrades. I may bump up the ram, or the cpu again, but not likely both. Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/121984-hackintosh-htpc-build-commentssuggestions-welcome/#findComment-864510 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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