Help! HDMI PC needed, very small budget!

[freecar]

Hi all

It's been about five years since I looked at buying a new PC and that was a laptop so I'm hopelessly out of touch.

My bedroom PC just expired, the sound has been getting dicky for a while and now it has disappeared completely. Before anyone suggest repair I destroyed it so that is not an option!

Right, I have a couple of external hard drives where I store all my media, I use a 1080p projector as my display and a seperates system to do the sound. Ideally I would have a new base unit that has an HDMI output that I can send straight to the amp (Denon AVR2310) which will then output the image to the projector and play the sound. The amp can take and upscale a number of inputs but I thought HDMI would have the best quality and also carry sound. Unless there is a substantially cheaper alternative that can give the same overal image and sound experience.

All I do with the PC is download torrents and play videos along with the obligatory internet surfing, I don't plan on editing video or anything like that nor play games as I have a PS3.

My problem is I have literally no money, so am looking at the cheapest possible solution, I'd even entertain ebay! Problem is that a lot of places don't list whether a PC has an HDMI or not.

Edited by freecar on Sunday 24th October 20:42

[TazR6]

I cant help on your quest, but I would ask that if you manage to find somewhere to get a PC for literally no money, will you let me know so I can get one too please?

[va1o]

Need some idea of budget really, but you could just buy any cheap old PC and stick in a graphics card with a HDMI output?

[freecar]

To be a touch clearer. I have 0 income, nada, no pounds. I haven't worked in over two years and I am not receiving benefits, so if I can do it for £6 I would! I was hoping for someone with the knowledge to look at what I need and advise me on the cheapest possible way to acheive what I am after.

If that doesn't help I have beween £500-£600 to last me until I can find employment. The more I can retain of this the better.

[Burrow01]

freecar said:

To be a touch clearer. I have 0 income, nada, no pounds. I haven't worked in over two years and I am not receiving benefits, so if I can do it for £6 I would! I was hoping for someone with the knowledge to look at what I need and advise me on the cheapest possible way to acheive what I am after.

If that doesn't help I have beween £500-£600 to last me until I can find employment. The more I can retain of this the better.

Personally I think you have a bigger problem than a dead PC....

[freecar]

Yeah I don't really want to go into it right now but look for my entry in the sobering moments thread and you might understand why I haven't worked in a while.

[TheD]

Try something like Gumtree as there is sometimes people giving away their old pc. Then buy a card with hdmi onboard for around £35. Make sure the pc has Pcie.

[freecar]

TheD said:

Try something like Gumtree as there is sometimes people giving away their old pc. Then buy a card with hdmi onboard for around £35. Make sure the pc has Pcie.

Thanks, so is PCI-E the minimum I need for a PC to be able to support an HDMI capable graphics card? I'll be willing to try that as I've managed to get the laptop onto the projector but text is unreadable and I've tried all settings to try to improve it. Video is OK so I can watch stuff from my hard drive but internet surfing is just on the lappy now.

My old PC was a 9 yr old dell so I don't need massive spec for anything. I'd just like the graphics to be a little better as I had to do a reset of my projector settings every time I switched to PC using the VGA on the projector. Also the image was not good, it took ages of tinkering to get an acceptable image. I'd like to avoid these sorts of issues if I have to get another PC. Plus with HDMI I wouldn't have to switch from HDMI to PC all the time, I could let my amp do all the switching.

[peterperkins]

Answer

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/225754

Next question please.

I use one of these to drive my 720p epson projector and seperate amp. works great.
Plenty of people use them to drive 1080P stuff.

Use linux or load a cut down version of XP on it.

In fact I have two now and even use one as my main desktop PC.
If you fit an SSD they work even better!

Edited by peterperkins on Monday 25th October 05:37

[theboyfold]

DVI is the same as HDMI, it just doesn't carry audio. So if you can get a DVI to HDMI converter and a method of passing auido to the amp you could look for cheaper PCs.

[ZesPak]

I'm taking the bait here, I've read your post in the sobering moments thread and I'm really sorry for your loss, but let me get this straight:

1) You haven't worked for years
2) You haven't got any money
3) You have a HD Projector
4) You find it stupid you can't "browse" on your projector, and have to use the laptop

Personally, I think your biggest problem is a luxury one. I'd say you need to try and get your priorities straight, if you have a little budget (say £600), you can easily buy a HTPC that will suit your needs more than perfectly.

[freecar]

ZesPak said:

I'm taking the bait here, I've read your post in the sobering moments thread and I'm really sorry for your loss, but let me get this straight:

1) You haven't worked for years
2) You haven't got any money
3) You have a HD Projector
4) You find it stupid you can't "browse" on your projector, and have to use the laptop

Personally, I think your biggest problem is a luxury one. I'd say you need to try and get your priorities straight, if you have a little budget (say £600), you can easily buy a HTPC that will suit your needs more than perfectly.

I didn't really eant to get into this but I know pistonheads is a judgemental place.

Right the laptop is not mine so I cannot use it constantly.

I have less than £600 to survive until (if) I can start earning again.

I'm not working currently and am one of about 20,000 unemployed in the area competing for less than 1,000 jobs. I was caring for my mother for 18 months, I may be caring for my father yet as he was diagnosed with cancer the day after my Mum's funeral. I wasn't particularly employable before, I've got the sum total of fk all chance now.

As I have now finished paying for my projector I could sell it and everything I own but why would I do that? I know poor people like me shouldn't own things but its tough I do. I'm not going to live in a box room just because people don't think I deserve it.

peterperkins said:

Answer

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/225754

Next question please.

I use one of these to drive my 720p epson projector and seperate amp. works great.
Plenty of people use them to drive 1080P stuff.

Use linux or load a cut down version of XP on it.

In fact I have two now and even use one as my main desktop PC.
If you fit an SSD they work even better!

Edited by peterperkins on Monday 25th October 05:37

Thanks, I take it that one doesn't have an operating system then? Other than that it looks like it'll do the job well.

theboyfold said:

DVI is the same as HDMI, it just doesn't carry audio. So if you can get a DVI to HDMI converter and a method of passing auido to the amp you could look for cheaper PCs.

Thanks, although I don't remember seeing DVI mentioned on many websites. Why don't they list the spec properly anywhere?

[Lostprophet]

I am sorry to hear of your struggles.

I have no solution to your initial help post.

I just hope things improve for you. It is tough to be where you are and I can only say I have no idea how it feels.


Best of luck anyway.

[steedy27]

peterperkins said:

Answer

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/225754

Next question please.

I use one of these to drive my 720p epson projector and seperate amp. works great.
Plenty of people use them to drive 1080P stuff.

Use linux or load a cut down version of XP on it.

In fact I have two now and even use one as my main desktop PC.
If you fit an SSD they work even better!

Edited by peterperkins on Monday 25th October 05:37

This - Not going to get much better than this for the price, It has linux which is a os like windows but if you really need windows and your in the know you can get windows from anywhere on the net

[freecar]

steedy27 said:

peterperkins said:

Answer

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/225754

Next question please.

I use one of these to drive my 720p epson projector and seperate amp. works great.
Plenty of people use them to drive 1080P stuff.

Use linux or load a cut down version of XP on it.

In fact I have two now and even use one as my main desktop PC.
If you fit an SSD they work even better!

Edited by peterperkins on Monday 25th October 05:37

This - Not going to get much better than this for the price, It has linux which is a os like windows but if you really need windows and your in the know you can get windows from anywhere on the net

I've never used linux before but would be willing to learn. All I do is download torrents, surf the internet for porn and timewasting purposes, listen to music and watch movies and tv shows that I've downloaded on to my external hard drive. So I hardly have a raft of PC specific software that I use. Would it be difficult to pick up?

Re: being in the know.
This is the thing, I am the one people come to when they have problems, but all they ever need is a laptop or new desktop, or they've cocked up their system in a really noobish fashion! Never anything complicated. I last figured out how to connect PC to projector 7 or 8 years ago and before I had an HD projector. I've never felt so out of my depth in my life and not having the funds to make a mistake adds additional pressure. That coupled with the fact that websites don't like listing the socket on the back of a computer they're selling!

[freecar]

Lostprophet said:

I am sorry to hear of your struggles.

I have no solution to your initial help post.

I just hope things improve for you. It is tough to be where you are and I can only say I have no idea how it feels.


Best of luck anyway.

Thanks, I don't like listing all the things going/gone wrong in my life as it depresses me a tad. Although I have got used to a certain gobsmacked look I get when people ask how things are going now, it's strange. You also feel a little guilty giving yet another helping of bad news to somebody who just wants to see things improve for you, women can get especially emotional! This is why I've kept my troubles off of the forum to a degree, I've had so many concerned shoulders from friends and acquaintainces of my mum and myself that having somewhere where people don't know your worries was useful.

[Meoricin]

...the sound stopped working, so you destroyed the entire PC, even though you don't have any money to replace it?

[freecar]

Meoricin said:

...the sound stopped working, so you destroyed the entire PC, even though you don't have any money to replace it?

Yes, although I don't think you'll find me recommending this course of action. I do have a few things on my mind.

[Mattt]

http://www.cclonline.com/product-info.asp?product_...

+HDD+Memory