Hi
I'm planning a new system this is my initial spec any comments advice would be greatly appreciated.

Main board: Asus M2A-VM HDMi. AMD690G
Cpu: Amd AM2 not yet sure what cpu to get something like a 3000+
Ram: 2 * 512Mb dual channel ddr2-800mhz
Tuner: Hauppauge WinTV-PVR 150 MCE
HDD: 2 * 250Gb Sata, with a 40Gb PATA for boot.
WLAN: D-Link DWL-G550 AirPremierAG
DVD RW: LG GSA-H55N , 20x
Lan:gigabit wired
Sound: onboard
Graphics: Onboard ATi X1250 with dual output and tv-out and hdmi.


I'm planning to use this as a front and back-end.

If you're going to do HDTV, a bit more CPU would probably make sense.

The PVR150MCE doesn't come with a remote unless you get a "kit", at which point it loses it price advantage over the nonMCE model.

You might also find a single 500Gb drive cheaper, cooler, quieter, and easier to set up than the 2x250Gb. SATA installs are also working much better these days, so unless you've already got the 40gb drive just laying around it might not be worth the effort.

Don't know what the plan for the wireless LAN is but beware that trying to play video over one isn't generally a going proposition.

The ATI video may also give you some trouble. Some folks get it it work but lots seem to have trouble with it.

Right at this very moment, I have a very similar MSI 690 based board, splayed out across my desk, with everything attached. It's in a "computer without a case" configuration, if you can imagine that.

Lets just say I've got things working, with the latest AMD/ATI drivers, though not perfectly yet. I haven't gotten the screen to default to the right resolution and refresh rate. (I've got to clean up the kind of messy xorg.conf file the driver install left behind.)

I've seen h.264 video. Haven't tried .mpg video yet. I haven't heard sound yet. But I've only had myth running on it for an hour or so.

Also, I am only connected to a CRT monitor via the VGA connector and don't have an HDMI device with which to test that connection.

Basically I'm saying - check back late tonight, or tomorrow and I'll have more to report.

Thanks for the comments so far!

I am planing a second setup NVIDIA based so will compare the two once I got the BOM, figured out.

ChapmanI: looking forward to your report...