[mythtv-users] Building a FrontEnd Box (please help)

[Brian Schott]

What's the price you can get to building a FE box these days?  I  
priced out a mini-ATX solution about a year ago and by the time I got  
a cool case, quiet power supply, etc. it was approaching $500.  In  
the end, I punted. I've got a couple of Mac minis acting as front- 
ends and they're working quite well (even with HD as long as the  
network is not wireless).  The remote is my only complaint.  It has  
basic navigation functions, but no number pad.  It does wake-up the  
mini, however, which is nice.

It won't be long and AppleTV will be hacked for MythTV, so the price  
target will soon be $299.

On Apr 13, 2007, at 9:36 AM, raphael wrote:

> Brian Foddy wrote:
>> On Thursday 12 April 2007 08:34 pm, Raphael wrote:
>>> clemens at dwf.com wrote:
>>>> There was a thread on this list back the beginning of March  
>>>> discussing
>>>> a FE Box (FrontEnd Box) that Shane Hickey wanted to build to  
>>>> replace a
>>>> box that died.  I would like to get some similar comments on a  
>>>> box that I
>>>> want to build.
>>>>
>>>> The difference here is that everything I have is Intel, and I  
>>>> would hate
>>>> to have this one box be AMD unless there are really good reasons  
>>>> to go
>>>> that way.
>>> Well there are always good reasons for both sides. Intel has the
>>> performance crown right now; and I like AMD because I'm always  
>>> rooting
>>> for the underdog. Not going to try and convert anyone though, to  
>>> buy an
>>> A64X2 over a C2D for the same price wouldn't be too prudent right  
>>> now,
>>> unless you had AMD mobos lying around - which you obviously don't  
>>> from
>>> your post.
>>> <snip>
>>>
>>>> **CPU**
>>>> I cant see any advantage to using a dual core processor in this  
>>>> machine.
>>>> It would
>>>> be *nice* to have two processors working from the same memory  
>>>> image, but
>>>> thats not
>>>> going to be the case.   So, I would suggest
>>>>
>>>>     Intel P4 631 (3.2GHz 60nm)  at about $75
>>> Comment about not needing dual core understood, except that maybe  
>>> you
>>> might want to try a C2D because of other reasons, like heat and  
>>> noise. I
>>> think those lower clocked C2Ds only pull something like 70W of  
>>> power. A
>>> 3.2GHz P4, must be a Prescott(?); isn't that going to be a  
>>> scorcher? I
>>> really don't like hearing cpu or power supply fans kick in.
>>>
>>>> ---
>>>>
>>>> **Memory**
>>>> Either 1 or 2GB of memory
>>>>
>>>> 	2x 512kB        at $94
>>>>   or    2x 1GB          at $272 (faster)
>>> For the price/perf ratio 1GB looks good there to me. That's what  
>>> I use.
>>> Actually in my other frontend there's only 512MB and it's doing  
>>> fine.
>>>
>>>> ---
>>>>
>>>> **Sound**
>>>> Either the onboard or a SoundBlaster Live!, I think I have an extra
>>>> around the house
>>> My SB live works well for output (I used it for capture a while back
>>> with mixed results). In general I found the SB was better than the
>>> onboard sound on two of my boards; they're older boards though.
>>> Good luck.
>>> Raphael
>>>
>> Not sure how it would have compared to an Intel duo-core, but my  
>> recently
>> built X2-3800EE for my parents has some real nice cpu slowdown and
>> fan quieting features.  Most of the time (even while playing HD  
>> tv) the
>> cpu runs at only 1000Mhz (1/2 speed).  When the machine is totally  
>> idle,
>> the cpu fan completely STOPS, with the core temp stable about 30C.
>> That's sweet.
>>
>
> Good lord that's what I want.
> I have a 939 X2 3800+ that idles around 40C with the fan going at  
> 850rpm.
> I guess mine is the 89W model though since it's 939; they never  
> made the
> EEs for that socket I think.
> Did you do anything special like mill the bottom of the heatsink? I'm
> thinking that might help in my case.
> Raphael
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