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#113384 27-Feb-2008 18:21

mcraenz: Heads up HTPC builders......Nexus Real silent fans going cheap on trademe:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=142996551

That is so misleading!

They are not Nexus Real Silent fans, just made by the same company, simular model (so the guy says)...so one has to question the quality of the components used and actual silence results...

If they are not the legitimate Nexus Real Silent fans, they should not be titled and sold as such!

I think I would much rather pay the extra $20 for the legit version, that has been independantly reviewed with rave reviews.

Satch

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#113387 27-Feb-2008 18:35

TheBartender:
Satch: Are you intending on running Vista Media Centre?

Yup, why do you ask, is there something incompatiable in my list?

Just noticed that your TV Tuner card choice is a DVB-T card. If you are intending on using Freeview HD with that card, were you aware that VMC currently does not support HD broadcasts using H.264? This is what NZ HD Freeview will be using.

I'm no expert on the subject BTW. Just regurgitating what I've read elsewhere. I too intend on using that same card to pick up Freeview HD, but will have to wait until MS release the new VMC towards the end of this year. That is, if H.264 broadcast is going to be supported - everything is very secretive at the moment...

mcraenz

1140 posts

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#113388 27-Feb-2008 18:38

TheBartender:
I think I would much rather pay the extra $20 for the legit version, that has been independantly reviewed with rave reviews.

I'd like to know where to buy a Nexus branded 120mm fan for $20 in NZ? The best I've seen is $39.

The fans on TM are Yate Loon fans and Yate Loon make the Nexus D12SL-12 fans. I think the Nexus ones are just a couple hundred RPM slower which is irrelevant if you use speed controller hardware/software. And yes the reviews are just as good under the Yate Loon name.

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euanandrews

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#113392 27-Feb-2008 19:14

mcraenz:
TheBartender:
I think I would much rather pay the extra $20 for the legit version, that has been independantly reviewed with rave reviews.

I'd like to know where to buy a Nexus branded 120mm fan for $20 in NZ? The best I've seen is $39.

So would I...

I said an 'extra $20', hence $20 + $14 stated on TM is almost the $40 that they sell for on average.

For the sake of only saving a few dollars, I think I stick with my original statement, pay the $25 extra and buy the legitimate branded fans.

Each to their own.

euanandrews

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#113398 27-Feb-2008 19:31

Satch:
TheBartender:
Satch: Are you intending on running Vista Media Centre?

Yup, why do you ask, is there something incompatiable in my list?

Just noticed that your TV Tuner card choice is a DVB-T card. If you are intending on using Freeview HD with that card, were you aware that VMC currently does not support HD broadcasts using H.264? This is what NZ HD Freeview will be using.

I'm no expert on the subject BTW. Just regurgitating what I've read elsewhere. I too intend on using that same card to pick up Freeview HD, but will have to wait until MS release the new VMC towards the end of this year. That is, if H.264 broadcast is going to be supported - everything is very secretive at the moment...

That I did know yes...

It would be nice to keep everything 'in house', within VMC, but as a short term fix, I may have to install another app to use DVB-T, until these upgrades take place...

I am also guessing my build time-frame will be of help here...
I plan to start my purchases in aprox 1 month, 1 component at a time as I have the spare money, and my planned build totals approx $3000 so will be a drawn out process...
And the OS will proberly be one of the last purchases made...so by then hopefully Microsoft will have made these updates...

mcraenz

1140 posts

Uber Geek

#113400 27-Feb-2008 19:38

TheBartender:
mcraenz:
TheBartender:
I think I would much rather pay the extra $20 for the legit version, that has been independantly reviewed with rave reviews.

I'd like to know where to buy a Nexus branded 120mm fan for $20 in NZ? The best I've seen is $39.

So would I...

I said an 'extra $20', hence $20 + $14 stated on TM is almost the $40 that they sell for on average.

Oops Sorry; I didn't read you post properly!

In any case I reckon it's a pretty sharp price

Help me build a better way of doing politics in Aotearoa New Zealand

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ajst2duk

170 posts

Master Geek

#113410 27-Feb-2008 20:19

TheBartender:
ajst2duk: so I'm looking for a minimal approach to the HTPC - two primary reasons, 1st one being that in my long and torrid experience with PC's I've never had a hard drive go bad - must have been through around 50+ I reckon. Second big reason is noise & heat, which I'm trying to cut to a minimum.

The noise and heat reasoning I can understand, very valid...

And of course everyone has different experiences...but I ask you, are you maybe pushing your luck?
All ya need is 1 HDD failure to loss all your valuable data...it only needs to happen once.

I have had a HP USB portable HDD fail...lost 350GB of movies at the time...was guttered.
My mate has had a USB portable HDD fail, as well as the HDD in his desktop...he lost everything...movies, school diploma work, cv's...everything.

Its not a problem...until something goes wrong...thats being reactive, rather than proactive.

Your choice.

Yep - good advice, for this machine however I was thinking of noise & heat - both of which I want as little as possible. Also I'm treating this as a pure entertainment box as I might be a geek but the beer police is wary of anything geeky! We have another fully backed up machine that is the family pc with all the important stuff & I'm thinking of a nas drive to sit as a server. I don't currently back up my sony HD recorder, so I'm thinking this is the same gig.

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Satch

1985 posts

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#113466 28-Feb-2008 08:16

TheBartender:I plan to start my purchases in aprox 1 month, 1 component at a time as I have the spare money, and my planned build totals approx $3000 so will be a drawn out process...
And the OS will proberly be one of the last purchases made...so by then hopefully Microsoft will have made these updates...

Rather than buy piece by piece, why don't you save all the money up and then go out and buy everything at once? If it is going to be a drawn out process, you are probably better to wait and that way you will get a lot more for your money.

Plus if anything is faulty, it will be a lot harder to RMA it months down the track when you discover it for the first time.

Just my 2 cents.

euanandrews

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#113488 28-Feb-2008 10:22

Satch:
TheBartender:I plan to start my purchases in aprox 1 month, 1 component at a time as I have the spare money, and my planned build totals approx $3000 so will be a drawn out process...
And the OS will proberly be one of the last purchases made...so by then hopefully Microsoft will have made these updates...

Rather than buy piece by piece, why don't you save all the money up and then go out and buy everything at once? If it is going to be a drawn out process, you are probably better to wait and that way you will get a lot more for your money.

Plus if anything is faulty, it will be a lot harder to RMA it months down the track when you discover it for the first time.

Just my 2 cents.

Good call.

Saving...this will be a new concept for me!

Nety

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#113492 28-Feb-2008 10:38

TheBartender: Here is my likey final HTPC configuration:

- PSU: Corsair 520HX, 520W ATX (SLI Ready, Modular)
- Fans: 2 x Nexus 80mm Real Silent Case Fan & 2 x Nexus 92mm Real Silent Case Fan

Had a look at these compairing with what I am getting found both sites a bit misleading.

The power supply has a graph for noise which has noise levels vs load. What is does not tell you is what is the ambiant temperature? Unless they are different to all the other power supply people I know they control the fan according to temp not load so the graph is meaningless.

With the fan they go on about it being the quietest fan they could find... well the (Edit) Acousti fans that I am getting a quite a bit quieter (also quite a bit more expensive unfortunalty) I guess you can put that down to sales hype but still.

Media centre PC - Case Silverstone LC16M with 2 X 80mm AcoustiFan DustPROOF, MOBO Gigabyte MA785GT-UD3H, CPU AMD X2 240 under volted, RAM 4 Gig DDR3 1033, HDD 120Gig System/512Gig data, Tuners 2 X Hauppauge HVR-3000, 1 X HVR-2200, Video Palit GT 220, Sound Realtek 886A HD (onboard), Optical LiteOn DH-401S Blue-ray using TotalMedia Theatre Power Corsair VX Series, 450W ATX PSU OS Windows 7 x64

Satch

1985 posts

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#113493 28-Feb-2008 10:40

TheBartender: Good call.

Saving...this will be a new concept for me!

Mate, don't get me wrong. Saving up for something is a bugger, and buying it piecemeal alleviates the feeling that you are getting nowhere :)

For me, I saw a mates HTPC one Saturday night and less than 1 month later I had my own built and operating in my lounge. I'm the worst at waiting for something...

But it would be sensible to wait and purchase everything at once. Technology is always improving, and although prices may not necessarily decrease greatly, you are often able to buy the new version of a component for a similar price to what today's newest costs (if that makes sense).

Plus like I said earlier, unless you are able to test each component as you receive it, returning them months later (after you actually use them for the first time) will be harder. If a brand new component fails immediately, you more often than not have it replaced by a new one. But if a component fails after you bought it in say 3 months (even though you may only be using it for the first time, the supplier will probably want to fix it rather than replace it. That equates to more time waiting to get your system up and running.

Have fun with whatever you do!

euanandrews

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#113565 28-Feb-2008 15:18

Nety:
TheBartender: Here is my likey final HTPC configuration:

- PSU: Corsair 520HX, 520W ATX (SLI Ready, Modular)
- Fans: 2 x Nexus 80mm Real Silent Case Fan & 2 x Nexus 92mm Real Silent Case Fan

Had a look at these compairing with what I am getting found both sites a bit misleading.

The power supply has a graph for noise which has noise levels vs load. What is does not tell you is what is the ambiant temperature? Unless they are different to all the other power supply people I know they control the fan according to temp not load so the graph is meaningless.

With the fan they go on about it being the quietest fan they could find... well the (Edit) Acousti fans that I am getting a quite a bit quieter (also quite a bit more expensive unfortunalty) I guess you can put that down to sales hype but still.

Are you reading just what is on their website, or are reading independant review websites?

An excellent site I highly recommend:
www.silentpcreview.com
A quick look through this site will give you their recommendations for the quietest fans and power supplies...both my above chosen components rate the highest for quality and silence. These results have been repeated on several other review websites, running their own tests, thus backing up the claims of their superior silence.

Nety

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#113650 28-Feb-2008 21:38

TheBartender:
Are you reading just what is on their website, or are reading independant review websites?

An excellent site I highly recommend:
www.silentpcreview.com
A quick look through this site will give you their recommendations for the quietest fans and power supplies...both my above chosen components rate the highest for quality and silence. These results have been repeated on several other review websites, running their own tests, thus backing up the claims of their superior silence.

That was just off their web sites and interestingly even on Silent pc review they say that the graph is a bit strange for the power supply.

However you have now swayed me for the power supply and may get the smaller brother to what you are getting. Still have to check out the fans. Unfortunately they have not compared with the fans I am looking at.

euanandrews

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#113838 29-Feb-2008 19:10

Nety: Still have to check out the fans. Unfortunately they have not compared with the fans I am looking at.

Yup its a great site...you will find a list of fans there too, the ones I have above highly recommended.

May I recommended some other great HTPC sites/forums
- AV Science Forum - the forums provided here are HUGE, this link is to the HTPC specific forum, but the forums cover everything to do with audio/video
- QuietPC - small but good site
- silentpcreview - excellent site A++ for forums and review sections
- xpmediacentre - Oz MCE site

Nety

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#113841 29-Feb-2008 19:27

Yeah it is although as I said does not include the fans I am looking at but they are on some other sites and look like they are VERY quiet.. still leaning towards them at the moment.

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