Need help with component selection

[marcscrookedfinger]

After loading Leopard on my MacBook I've fallen in love with frontrow and think LEOPARD could make a great Home Theater PC (htpc). But I don't want to buy a mac mini or appleTV because of storage limitations and with the AppleTV there's limitations with the software and codec (let alone supporting 1080p), and with a hacintosh I could also use it as a NAS.

 

So I need help. I'm looking for PC components that would be easy to install OS X 10.5 on and run quiet in the front room. I'd especially love a motherboard that has HDMI out on it.

 

Please help (as this would be my first PC to build).

[letsgo]

I use my Hackintosh for music and movies using front row all the time. see my signature for the parts I used. I think I spent less than $400 on the whole computer and you could probably do even better now. It runs fairly quiet with the stock fans and would probably be more quiet if i replaced them with better fans. Having a silent graphics card is great and you can actually make one using a product like the Arctic Cooling ACCELS1 and the card of your choice.

[HipToBeSquare]

I've been pondering this myself.

 

I want an HTPC... and a good one. But MacMini is a compromised solution. A good computer, but a Hackintosh could be better. As background, this would be the keystone between my Cambridge Audio toslink-connected AV receiver and NHT speakers, and a nice HD LCD monitor, of 37-42 inches, with cable or air TV input, and internet-based iTMS and Hulu-type media viewing, and a central iTunes master library. I would also use it as my DVD playback device, or BluRay, if that can be made to play back through such a system, considering all the HDCP protectionism.

 

This is what I am thinking so far. Keep in mind that this is subjective, and pretty much pie-in-the-sky at this point. I have just started reading up on all of this stuff, I am an IT worker, but I am not a modder/over-clocker, and I deal almost exclusively with laptops for my work. I have been out of the desktop hardware and custom build game for quite some time. Mostly I want to build a machine that will do everything I want it to do, and do that reliably for a significant amount of time without being handled other than interface use, and scheduled software restarts/updates.

 

I am sure there are better ways of doing this, and I am doubly-sure that there are much cheaper ways. This isn't particularly specific, because I am still reading background materials to learn about this topic, not specific specs yet.

 

Any further input will help, and hopefully it will help the original poster, as well.

 

Here we go so far... Plan for HTPC-Hackintosh edition. "MacHackTPC"

 

Case considerations...

Lian-Li PC-V800 Perforated aluminum case (looks like a horizontal MacPro without handles, and more drive bays.)

Zalman 135 or 160 HTPC cases

OrigenAE HTPC cases (smaller models considered)

Thermaltake HTPC cases

SilverStone HTPC cases

 

Special Consideration:

EFIX EFI emulation to allow seamless working with Mac OS X and it's updates, as well as Windows or Linux. (separate drives required)

 

Main board

Review EFI-X Hardware Compatibility List.

Gigabyte ATX, MicroATX, or upcoming i7 compatible board. Air-cooled with copper syncs.

DDR3 Dual-channel RAM, if possible.

Optical SPDIF audio output required, which most Gigabyte models have.

 

Processor:

Intel Core 2 Quad, or i7 compatible processor

Zalman centrifugal cooler.

 

Video

Nvidia 8800- or 9800-series, also refer to EFI-X HCL for compatibility.

Either Gigabyte fanless variants of graphics card, or one with Zalman centrifugal cooler installed.

Display port, HDMI, or DVI->adapter compatible, 512MB Vram.

 

PSU

Ultra-quiet modular PSU, or Silverstone Fanless PSU. SLI compatible. 400-600 watt, depending on final hardware choices.

 

TV Tuner... ?

El Gato EyeTV for Mac, or simiar and software-compatible internal PCI TV Tuner card, HDTV compatible, with software DVR capability. Possible dual-tuner capable.

Future CableCARD compatibility?

 

IR Remote management?

IR input for computer case, compatible with MacOS imbedded IR drivers, programmed to existing Kameleon Universal Remote, or other HTPC remote system.

 

Storage

1x OS drive, either modest HDD, or SSD for Mac OS X. Possibly 2.5" drive for space consideration.

1x OS drive, same configuration, for Windows or Linux (optional dual-boot configuration, fitted 2x2.5" drives into single 3.5" or 5.25" bay, if 3.5" drive bays are scarce.)

2x Data storage drive, 10,000 RPM, large buffer size, preferable ~500+ GB each. Duplicating RAID for redundancy.

OR

1x internal, and one external (e-sata or gigabit ethernet NAS) data storage, for redundancy.

 

Optical

DVD-RW, or BluRay, if BluRay playback is possible. Compatible with case design (drawer or slot-load), and as close to OE-Apple optical drives as possible, for seamless OSX driver integration.

 

Extras:

Quiet considerations for fan isolation and operation, rubber mounting of most moving parts and PSU. Sound absorption foam materials inside case to dampen sound output.

Drive mechanism dampening and cooling considerations for quiet, vibration-free, and thermally stable drive operation.

Internal or external bay fan controllers, to manage fan speeds and noise, but still provide cooling.

MacOS compatible multi-format reader, if case has room. Case will likely have front USB and FW facilities, as well.

Bluetooth dongle, possible PCI airport-compatible 802.11x NIC (but would be preferably ethernet connected, primarily.)

Apple Bluetooth keyboard, and perhaps bluetooth gyroscopic mouse control, with Wii-mote, or other non-surface-bound mouse control.

Would also be screen-sharing controllable, as well.