Jul 17, 2007, 12:07 AM
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#1 of 5
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I know almost nothing but HTPCs, but I can answer some of your questions:
Intel vs AMD: C2D is better than AMDs current offerings because they are not only faster, but much more efficient. This means they use less power and run cooler, allowing for quieter CPU cooling (you can even get away with passive). Less power consumption also means less powerful PSU, which generally means less heat output. Less net heat in system = especially good for HTPCs since it means less noise.
RAID: There won't be much point in RAID 0 for you in my opinion. I would think you would want RAID 1 since it would be a pain in the ass to download all of your media again. If you get a motherboard with Matrix RAID (only available on Intel chipsets), you can split up your drives into RAID 0 and RAID1.
Sound: On-board sucks. You should at least get a cheap card such as the Chaintech AV-710, or if you have good speakers or are more discerning, an even better card. I can't recommend any better cards, though, because I don't know anything about them.
Jam it back in, in the dark.
Last edited by Radical; Jul 17, 2007 at 12:11 AM.
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Radical