Looking to build an HTPC/guest comp.

[QES]

As title says pretty much. Been contemplating building an HTPC. This will mostly be used for playing Bluray rips and some light gaming. Games most likely to be played are dota2, payday 2, l4d. Pretty much just co-op games. we are always short a good comp for when my roommates bros are over. They rotate using a shitty laptop haha.


1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
gaming, movie streaming
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
Id LIke ~$500. Up to $700 if worthy
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Appleton, WI USA
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.

case, psu, mobo/ram/cpu, hd, gpu

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
no
6) Will you be overclocking?
maybe
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
1920x1080
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Next week or so
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? UEFI? etc.
nothing specific
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Yes Windows 7 64

 

[Dangman]

Did you want a HTPC style case or would a regular ATX case be fine?

 

[QES]

Sorry got a little busy for awhile there. I would prefer an HTPC style I think. Regular ATX would probably work though honestly.

 

[Dangman]

Here's a prelim build for you:


$130 - Intel Core i3-4130 CPU
$80 - MSI B85M-G43 Intel B85 mATX Motherboard
$59 - Corsair CMV8GX3M1A1600C11 8GB DDR3 1600 RAM
$105 - Sapphire 100358L Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB PCI-E Video Card
$70 - Western Digital Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$80 - Seasonic G Series SSR-550RM 550W Modular PSU
$95 - Silverstone GD05B mATX HTPC Case
---
Total: $619 shipped

 

[QES]

Mostly looks good. Does the CPU OC at much at all? I only would when we would be gaming of course. I'm thinking 1.5-2 TB Hard Drive space would be better. I'll probably create a 500GB partition for a guest account and want at least 1 TB for my movies and music side. Does that change the hard drive suggestion? Lastly, what are your thoughts on $152 Asus card. Is the performance difference worth the extra 50?

 

[Dangman]

Mostly looks good. Does the CPU OC at much at all?

Doesn't OC at all due to the motherboard and CPU limitations.

I only would when we would be gaming of course. I'm thinking 1.5-2 TB Hard Drive space would be better. I'll probably create a 500GB partition for a guest account and want at least 1 TB for my movies and music side. Does that change the hard drive suggestion?

Yes it does. I recommend this drive if you can swing the extra cash for it:
$118 - Seagate Barracuda ST3000DM001 3TB 7200RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s Hard Drive

Lastly, what are your thoughts on $152 Asus card. Is the performance difference worth the extra 50?

That particular card isn't worth it IMO due to its 1GB of VRAM. If you're going to buy a HD 7850, get the 2GB model:
$160 - PowerColor AX7850 2GBD5-DH Radeon HD 7850 2GB PCI-E Video Card

Now, honestly, for the games you've mentioned so far, the HD 7850 isn't worth the extra $55. However, if you were going to play higher-end games like BF3, Skyrim, Crysis 3, Bioshock Infinite, Metro Last Light, Far Cry 3, Arma 2/3, etc, the HD 7850 2GB would absolutely be worth the extra $55.

EDIT: Payday 2 might see a noticeable and justifiable performance increase with the HD 7850 though.