Please help me with my hardware selection

[rowle1jt]

I'm not sure what "GeForce 6150 IGP" is, I tried to search in newegg and came across everything from mobos to cases.

IGP stands for "Integrated Graphics Port". The Geforce 6150 IGP is a video card built onto the motherboard, there fore you don't have to have an additional graphics card. You might spend a little more money on the motherboard, but you won't spend any money on the graphics card. This might let you save money, and give you a cooler and quieter system if you decide to go that route.

The 6150 IGP has VGA (blue connector) as well as the high end HD capable DVI (white connector) built onto the motherboard. Most boards that have the 6150 IGP also have a header that plugs into the board, and goes into a PCI slot opening with an S-Video connector (for TV-Out) and sometimes a component video connection as well. I ordered an "MSI K8NGM2-FID Socket 939 NVIDIA GeForce 6150 Motherboard" which has all of the above features. (Should be here today...woohoo!! ) It is a Micro ATX board though, not a full ATX board if that matters to you. Newegg is currently out of stock, but it is a pretty new board (less than 6 months) so I am sure that they will get it back. By going to this board, I can eliminate my video card. This allows air to flow through my case better (less obstructions) as well as removing a very large heat source. Removing another heat source lets fans spin slower, making my system quieter.

Link to Newegg from the Google Cache (Newegg won't let a product come up if it isn't in stock sometimes): MSI Board

The first and the fifth picture show quite well what I am trying to describe: Pictures

**AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Venice 2000MHz HT Socket 939 Processor Model ADA3200BPBOX - Retail -$76

AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Socket 939 Processor $91
Less than $20 price difference and you can get another 200MHz out of it. Food for thought.

AMD Athlon 64 3700+ Socket 939 Processor $99
$23 more and you get another 200MHz and another 512K of cache. To me, it would be worth to spend the $23 for another half meg of cache alone. More food for thought.

[bone]

rowle1jt thanks for the input and about the AMD chips being a little bit more and a lot more powerful. I'll consider them as well.
As far as video card on board, I always thought that the onboard video cards were horrible. I've always used the onboard soundcards and never had any complaints, even though people go on and on about how great soundblaster cards are. I've always used the integrated built in audio card for ASUS and I honestly think the sound quality is great for my ears. I guess if you are that picky.
You know I have a 32 inch television that's supposed to be HDTV, as I was told, I got it from a friend. I don't think there's a DVI connector on it though. I'm using a coax cable right now, but there's a component for S-video and also composite connectors (if that's what it's called).

The truth is that I always get a board thinking I'll upgrade, but the truth is that I never upgrade ever. I think in all the years I might have just put in an extra ram, but that's all I can think of. It does seem getting video card integrated would cut back a lot of money that I could put towards the better AMD, but I guess I'm kind of nervous about building a computer with video card integrated.

[bone]

I looked very hard at the motherboard and other motherboards with build in video and I couldn't find any with at least 3 PCI slots. I'm already going to use 1 for 802.11g card and 1 for the TV tuner, so I'd like to have at least one spare PCI slot avaible, which the mobo that was mentioned and others I searched that had built in video only had 2 PCI slots.

[rowle1jt]

I'm not. My main pc has FX5700 AGP card in it, so my new htpc with on-board graphics will be the best video card I own. Kinda sad! LoL

Most onboard graphics DO suck, but the higher end ones like the 6150 are pretty good. Like you, I don't game much so I know that I will be fine. My HTPC runs great on an FX5200, so going to a 6150 is even better for me!

It comes down to what you want, remember this is "your baby". I don't want to push you in a direction that you don't want to go, or try and change your mind or anything. I just want you to be able to have all options possible when you make your choice.

[rowle1jt]

I'm already going to use 1 for 802.11g card and 1 for the TV tuner, so I'd like to have at least one spare PCI slot avaible ...

I didn't use an 802.11G PCI card for 1 reason; wireless signal.

I bought an 802.11G USB 2.0 adapter and a 6ft USB extension. I hooked the extension into a USB slot and the WiFi adapter on the other end. Now my WiFi card can be 6ft away from the pc which is buried in my entertainment center. The actual adapter is secured to the back of my entertainment center at the top. I can't see it from the front, but it gets a 75% signal, just to try it one day I laid it at the back of the pc and the wireless would connect with about a 30% signal.

I also did the same thing with a USB extension for the receiver to my ATI remote. The remote is RF (not line of site like IR) so it to is hidden, albeit in a different spot than the WiFi card. With this setup, I used only 1 of my PCI slots for a tuner card and the rest are open for more tuners down the road.

I hope that makes sense, and doesn't confuse you more.

[bone]

Thanks so much, do you mean like using these two products?:
http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/p...121-01.JPG
http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/p...020-02.JPG

I always thought that the usb key signals don't work too well. If this works good then I'll get it for sure as I have an entertainment center that's hard to explain, but built in the wall so it has a lot to go through and if I could mount it on top of it everything with an extention that I'm sure would really help the signal and it would spare up a PCI slot and I can take another look at the mobo.

Sorry for being a pain in the butt with all the questions also

[rowle1jt]

Thanks so much, do you mean like using these two products?:
http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/p...121-01.JPG
http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/p...020-02.JPG

Yeah that's pretty much the same thing that I used. I don't have any issues with it, depends a lot on the WiFi adapter you get. You get what you pay for.

The setup I ended up going with, it was cheaper to buy the USB WiFi adapter and an extension cable then it was to a get a GOOD PCI 802.11G adapter.

Ask away, that's what forums are for; information exchange. The more you learn, the more you can share with others.

[bone]

Sorry to keep dragging this, but I can't get a built in video card or use that video card, because the only connection I have to my current television would be S-video and searching around the PCI-expresss video cards that supported S-video were very expensive, so looks like I'm going to have to go with an 8x AGP video card, thus I need to change my mobo to one that supports AGP, so I'm right back to Asrock. Anyway I think here's what the final product is going to be, if you see any problems let me know.

**Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 (Perpendicular Recording) 320GB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s $99.99

**AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Venice 2000MHz HT Socket 939 Processor $91.00
ASRock 939Dual-SATA2 Socket 939 ULi M1695 ATX AMD $64.99

**CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel Kit System Memory - Retail $104.99

**eVGA 256-A8-N313-LX Geforce FX5500 256MB 128-bit DDR AGP 4X/8X Video Card $39.00

**Logitech Cordless Internet Pro Desktop 967461-0403 Black 104 Normal Keys 8 Function Keys USB RF Wireless Slim Desktop Mouse Included - OEM $25.00

**ZALMAN CNPS7000B-ALCU 92mm 2 Ball Cooling Fan - Retail $29.99

**NEC Black 16X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 16X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2M Cache IDE/ATAPI DVD Burner - OEM $28.99

**Hauppauge 1062 WinTV-PVR-150 MCE Kit Tuner Card - Retail at Newegg.com $89.99

**Encore ENUWI-SG IEEE 802.11b/g USB 2.0 Super-G Wireless Adapter up to 108Mbps Data Rates 64/128-bits WEP Encryption/Decryption WPA-PSK (Wi-Fi Protected Access Pre-Shared Key) WPA - Retail $0.00

Thermaltake TR2 W0070 ATX 430W Power Supply 115/230 V $39.99

Total after rebates and shipping:$631.96

[rowle1jt]

Looks good to me, as long as you are happy with it.

Here are a few PCI-e x16 graphics cards with S-Video out:
BIOSTAR V7302EL16 Geforce 7300LE
XFX PVT44FRAMG Geforce 6500
BIOSTAR V6202EL16 Geforce 6200 LE

All of the above cards are a higher spec GPU video card than the FX5500 you have listed, but they are a 128MB card and not 256. I run 128 cards, and they seem to work fine for me. All of them are in the same price bracket as yours listed above as well as being passively cooled unlike the FX5500 that your looking at.

I believe you said this will be in your entertainment center and your not a gamer... so silence is the key. At least to me it is...

[csy]

I support rowle1jt in his recommendations.

1) AGP is becoming legacy and driver support is now more "focused" on PCI-E support at the expence of AGP support. All the problems with Nvidia Forceware drivers on AGP being a classic example. Do a forum search for the VMR and DXVA Forceware issues on AGP, highlighted by ShiningDragon.
2) Nvidia FX series cards do not support the Purevideo feature set, therefore has limited hardware de-interlacing capabilities. This will affect picture quality. If you want to use Nvidia, then minimum recommendation of 6150, and 128bit memory interface (on all video cards).