Bluray HTPC

[eatadonut]

I'm iced in here in OKC, so it must be time to order parts for an HTPC!

Basically, the goal of this build is that I want a Blu-ray player with the ability to stream 720p over my wireless network, or watch hulu. It will be attached to my 720p TV, through HDMI, and hooked into my 5.1 surround sound.

I'm looking to spend as little as possible, while still being able to play 720p (of any of the common compressions) and blu-ray flawlessly.

Sort of a secondary goal is to keep it quiet. It's going to be in a little stand that should block most of the noise, but if I could passively cool the cpu, that would be an extra bonus. Willing to underclock, as long as it still plays flawlessly. Performance > Noise.

I've got a quiet seagate HD that I'm reusing, but everything else needs to be new. Also, I've had 5 unfortunate recent experiences with rebates in a row, so I'm refusing to mess with them this time around.

I've got access to Vista Enterprise (32 or 64), or I have a loose copy of XP 32-bit. I'm running Vista 64 on my machines right now, but whichever will give me the best performance (my guess is XP?) I'll install. I'm experienced with a couple linux flavors as well, enough so that I'm pretty sure I want to stick to Windows for this machine.

Here's what I have so far:

Foxconn A7GM-S AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
ARCTIC COOLING ACF64LP 60mm CPU Cooler for low profile PC
Rosewill R379-SM Black/ Silver 0.8mm SGCC Steel MicroATX Slim Case Computer Case PSU ATX12V Flex 300W Power Supply
Kingston 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Desktop Memory Model KVR800D2N6/2G
Logitech EX 110 Black USB + PS/2 Standard Cordless Desktop Keyboard & Mouse Kit
ENCORE ENLWI-N PCI 2.3 Wireless Adapter
LITE-ON Black 4X Blu-ray DVD-ROM SATA Model DH-4O1S-66
AMD Athlon X2 BE-2350 Brisbane 2.1GHz Socket AM2 45W Dual-Core Processor Model ADH2350IAA5DO
SUPER TALENT INTAIN1MCR All-in-one Card Reader


My worries are -
Will that Blu-ray drive having no cache be an issue? I plan on never reading a data Blu-ray disc, only movies.
Are there any better heatsinks out there for <$20 that could do the job quieter or passively?


Thanks in advance!

 

[Dangman]

What do you mean by "loose copy" of XP?

Oh and that Arctic Cooling HSF is OOS.

Anyway, the only major problem with your planned parts it that Rosewill PSU. If the case is being sold fo $35, that PSU has got to be a shitty one. Considering that there is no info about the amperage on the +12V rail of that PSU nor the manufacturer or quality of that PSU, I cannot recommend using that PSU. I recommned picking up this case/PSU combo instead due to the significantly better assurance of a high quality PSU:
Antec Minuet350 350W PSU - $92

Spend the extra $6 for better audio through the HDMI port: (That 780G mobo only has 2.1audio whereas the below mobo has 7.1audio LCPM):
Asus M3N78-VM Nvidia GeForce 8200 HDMI mATX Motherboard - $73

That drive does have a cache if you check the manufacturer web page:
http://us.liteonit.com/us/index.php...k=view&id=254&Itemid=191&limit=1&limitstart=1

Buffer Size 8 Mbytes

Don't know of any quiet $20 HSF that can fit inside that case. I recommend spending a little more and getting this better cooling HSF with free shipping:
Sycthe SCSK-1000 Shuriken HSF - $30

Oh and ask a mod to move this thread over to the HTPC subforum where it belongs

 

[eatadonut]

What do you mean by "loose copy" of XP?

Loose as in, sitting on my desk, leftover from upgrade to vista. No need to get all suspicious on me.

Oh and that Arctic Cooling HSF is OOS.

yeah, open box. Oh well. I'll see if I can scrounge something up for cheap, or drop $30 on the scythe.

Anyway, the only major problem with your planned parts it that Rosewill PSU. If the case is being sold fo $35, that PSU has got to be a shitty one. Considering that there is no info about the amperage on the +12V rail of that PSU nor the manufacturer or quality of that PSU, I cannot recommend using that PSU. I recommned picking up this case/PSU combo instead due to the significantly better assurance of a high quality PSU:
Antec Minuet350 350W PSU - $92

I'll have to think about whether $50 more is worth it on a machine that will probably draw less than 100W. I do like the minuet better.

Spend the extra $6 for better audio through the HDMI port: (That 780G mobo only has 2.1audio whereas the below mobo has 7.1audio LCPM):
Asus M3N78-VM Nvidia GeForce 8200 HDMI mATX Motherboard - $73

Good to know - thanks. Wasn't aware the 780g was crippled for HD audio.

Oh and ask a mod to move this thread over to the HTPC subforum where it belongs

If a mod thinks it belongs there, then by all means it should be moved. I was under the impression that General Hardware was where build advice went.

Thanks!

 

[Dangman]

Loose as in, sitting on my desk, leftover from upgrade to vista. No need to get all suspicious on me.

LOL! Just making sure.

I'll have to think about whether $50 more is worth it on a machine that will probably draw less than 100W. I do like the minuet better.

Just want to clear up something: It's not like you need more power (which the Minuet provides), you just need more QUALITY power. I'm honestly not sure if the included Rosewill PSU can actually provide 100W of power cleanly and safely. Also, just because a system doesn't draw that much power doesn't mean that you'll be in the clear with a cheap-o PSU.

Good to know - thanks. Wasn't aware the 780g was crippled for HD audio.

Well that Foxconn 780G mobo is crippled. The Gigabyte 780G mobos can do 5.1 audio.

If a mod thinks it belongs there, then by all means it should be moved. I was under the impression that General Hardware was where build advice went.

It is where build advice goes but for HTPCs, you'll get more knowledgeable answers there about HTPcs than here.

 

[eatadonut]

Just want to clear up something: It's not like you need more power (which the Minuet provides), you just need more QUALITY power. I'm honestly not sure if the included Rosewill PSU can actually provide 100W of power cleanly and safely. Also, just because a system doesn't draw that much power doesn't mean that you'll be in the clear with a cheap-o PSU.

Yeah, I scrounged up some change - literally. Hooray for coinstar! Now the WAF has gone much higher, and I think I'm going the Minuet route.

I'll post the final pre-purchase build to the HTPC forum when I get it done. Thanks for your help!

 

[eatadonut]

Will the wireless card I picked out (This one) fit into the Antec Minuet? Would I be better off going with a USB one like this instead?

 

[Dangman]

Will the wireless card I picked out (This one) fit into the Antec Minuet? Would I be better off going with a USB one like this instead?

If that wireless card comes with a low profile bracket, yes it will fit inside the Minuet. If it doesn't, then use the USB one.

 

[CrimandEvil]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833166037

I've got one of those that works rather well. Going to be picking up another soon.