Core Server Idea

[Sparkie]

New here. But I hope I'm not treated like a baby 

I've switched over to Ubuntu and am getting more and more comfortable not using windows. I am now plunging into LinuxMCE. I have a current system I built around WindowsMCE. I'm waiting for LMCE 7.10 before I attempt an install.

The system I am using right now is made of this:

Intel 6600 dual Core CPU
Gigabyte P35 DQ6
2 GB RAM
Silverstone Grandia Case
Gigabyte 8600GT
BTC 9029URF Wireless Keyboard
Logitech MX revolution mouse
Onboard Realtek RTL 8168B/8111B Gigabit
Onboard Realtek HD Sound

I am thinking of using the above system for the Media Director PC.

I have looked through most posts on the web and the wiki. Here is the hardware I have picked for my Core Server.

Core:

Mobo:Gigabyte GA-P35-DS4
HD for O/S install:320 Gig Seagate (overkill I know, but it's lying around)
HD's for media:Seagate 500 gig (.10 series) X 4
CPU:Quad core 6600 LGA 775
Case:Antec P182
RAM:Corsair 8500C5 2GBDDR2-1066
DVD Drive
Power Supply:Corsair 620
RAID 5 Card:AMCC/3Ware 9650SE-4LPML

I need advice for the following items:
2nd Gigabit NIC card to serve the house
Graphics card
TV tuner Card (recording Digital TV)

What do you guys think so far?

And of course if I can get all this hardware working together, I will update the wiki Wink

[DeadPenguin]

First off - Welcome!!!

I have a couple questions about your current and planned setup.

My first question is this. I know you have read the wiki and forums but have you been here?
http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Category:Hardware
This will give you a pretty good idea what has been tested and what worked and what didn't. Also if there are any "tweaks" needed to get a certain piece of hardware to work with LMCE.

For you current setup -
I am not very familar with intel chips past P4's.
The Media director only needs 512MB Ram as far as I can tell and anything else would be overkill from the posts I have read.
I am not sure if the Nvidia driver works well with the 8xxx series cards.
I know Realtek is supported.

For your future setup-
I know you chose the intel  Gigabit board. Why not the one off the Hardware wiki that you know is supported? http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Gigabyte_GA-M61P-S3
I don't know intel cpu vs AMD but why not a AMD X2 6000? (to go with the mobo I mentioned above)
You can get away with 1GB ram.
DVD Burners are dirt cheap- LG 20x DVD/RW on Newegg is $25.00
I am not sure about the PSU.
3/ware cards are pretty heavily supported in Linux you should be fine. Make sure if is a hardware raid card. (many people here will debate you on whether or not you need a raid card)
Not sure on the gigabit card. I know I was using a broadcom card with my Ubuntu pc for a while.
Graphics card is not needed if you use the mobo I suggested above.
Tv card. Check Hardware page. - Hauppauge is heavily supported.

Please don't let sway you away from what you where thinking about. If you saw the wiki page already and you want to be the tester for new motherboards and hardware GREAT!!!! thank you!!!  Please let us know how it goes. I am operating on an extremely lean budget so I have to use "known working" hardware.

Best Regards,
Blair

[Sparkie]

Thank you Dead Penguin for your input.

I did browse through that link you provided before hand.I took another look at it and found out my iMon remote is compatible (bonus!).

The reason the Media Director is so beefy is because I want to be able to jump out of LinuxMCE from time to time and edit music and video.
The media director is Intel P35-LG775 CPU because I bought the system before I had LinuxMCE in mind. I want to buy the same architecture for my core incase I want to upgrate the media director, I can simply swap the quad core from the core server and save from upgrading the entire media director system.

The media director is also a workstation. I will have my TV and a large LCD monitor hooked up to it. I'll be popping out of the LinuxMCE interface on the media director to do movie/graphic/sound editing etc.

Another question. Should I put the T.V. tuner card in the core?

Thanks

[DeadPenguin]

I would put the TV card in the Core, but I believe it will work in either.

I just wanted to make sure you saw the Hardware wiki page. If you want to try other stuff great. Please let  us know ow it goes.

Thanks,
Blair

[totallymaxed]

The Media director only needs 512MB Ram as far as I can tell and anything else would be overkill from the posts I have read.
I am not sure if the Nvidia driver works well with the 8xxx series cards.
I know Realtek is supported.

Yep 512mb in an MD is all you need... unless you want to non lmce stuff with KDE apps for example.

Under lmce-0710 the nVidia 7xxx & 8xxx cards are supported by the nVidia driver ;-)