Spec me a games machine

[khushy]

The Mrs & I are NOT serial gamers but we want to be able to dabble now and then in the comfort of our living room and we have been contemplating our options.

Currrently we have a 42" LCD HD 1080i Samsung on the wall with 1 x HDMI, 2 x SCART etc etc and its wired into Sky + and a DVD Recorder - no worries!

We mainly use PC for internet, work etc

Our thoughts so far are NOT to go for XBOX/PS3 etc because we do like to play around on the internet and we love iTunes music - so this is what I am thinking . . .

We build ourselves a Media Type PC for the living room with . . .

2 x 750Gb WD HDD's in Mirror Raid Config - using it as a media fileserver - I already have these
Utilise an old cube case that we have and install a new MB & Processor (Core 2) + new RAM
Add a good quality Video/Graphics card with a HDMI output
link it to a HDMI Splitter and connect it with *** Sky + to the tv

then we will have internet, media and gaming (to some extent) on the TV with just ONE EXTRA BOX

I would like to know what micro ATX Board to go for + the best matched RAM and the best processor to go for
I would also like a good rec on a decent graphics card with HDMI

Also can we use 2 x game pads (USB) at the same time and is there a wireless option at all for this

Blue Ray/HD DVD ROM?

IS there anything else anyone can think of please that would help us with this build?

Khushy

[big_treacle]

I guess you should get a sound card as well

[_dobbo_]

Bear in mind that your HD TV will probably be best running at 1024x768 (or thereabouts) so a big beefcake GFX card will be overkill. You only need a super card when running at high resolutions which that certainly isn't. Unless you plan to rig it up to a normal monitor at all for gaming, you should find a middle of the range GFX card will run max detail in all games thanks to the low resolution. Should shave a couple of hundred notes of the price of a top spec GFX card.

[Mattt]

Why not just keep your current PC? Maybe a couple of cheap upgrades, then buy a 360? Media streaming is easy then to the TV.

A few of my friends were committed PC gamers, had good machines etc, bought a 360 and haven't looked back really.

[khushy]

My main PC (MidiTower) is in my office and we are not committed gamers!!!!

Its an occassional gaming machine + mutimedia, music, videos etc that we are after.

Must be unobtrusive too.

Khushy

[ajg31]

_dobbo_ said:

Bear in mind that your HD TV will probably be best running at 1024x768 (or thereabouts) so a big beefcake GFX card will be overkill. You only need a super card when running at high resolutions which that certainly isn't. Unless you plan to rig it up to a normal monitor at all for gaming, you should find a middle of the range GFX card will run max detail in all games thanks to the low resolution. Should shave a couple of hundred notes of the price of a top spec GFX card.

He has a 1080 panel so it will be running at 1920 x 1080 so could do with a powerful card. That means heat and noise tho.. Not good for a micro atx box

[_dobbo_]

He says it's a 1080i panel so it wont be running 1080, it will almost certainly be 768 pixels - and either 1024 or 1280 wide. If he'd said 1080p you'd be right - but 1080i support just means the panel is downscaling the picture.