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Darth_Penguin
Limp Gawd
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2009
- Messages
- 174
So, I am in the market to build a small htpc. My requirements are not very high but I am not sure which setup would be better. Size is important to me so I am looking to stay with the mini itx platform.
What will I be using said HTPC for?
Watch movies off a hard drive (SD and 1080p)
Backing up content off my other 2 systems in the house
Web surfing, some unraring, etc.
I will not be doing any gaming.
I don't need DVR or TV Tuner playback
The 2 different setups I price out were based on the Atom and the I3 processor. I am not including items that both systems share like ram, hard drives, case. All I am interested in is what system is the better route to go based on what I want to use it for.
Atom System:
-ASUS AT3IONT-I Deluxe Motherboard/CPU Combo $199.99 (I have found it as cheap as $175 shipped)
i3 System:
Intel BOXDH57JG Mini ITX Intel Motherboard $109.99
Intel Core i3-530 $119.99
Premium picoPSU-150-XT/12.5A 150W AC-DC $80.00
OR
Antec EarthWatts Green EA-380D Green 380W $40.00
Assuming everything else is identical in the system, the difference between the atom setup and the i3 setup is $95-135 (depending on the psu i go with)
Some general concerns:
The Asus motherboard has a built in power supply which is a nice feature to have but is probably not upgradeable (I could be wrong). I like the fanless design of the atom system and its low profile will allow me to use a smaller case. It has Wifi, Bluetooth, IR Remote as added bonuses.
The i3 setup is definitely more powerful but I am unhappy with needing a full size psu. If I got the Pico psu the system is a fair amount more than the atom setup. I can more easily upgrade the i3 system as it will have a power supply that can handle a video card allowing for greater versatility.
After writing all this out it seems it might just be better to build an i3 system but there is something about that atom board that is so damn intriguing. What do you guys think?
What will I be using said HTPC for?
Watch movies off a hard drive (SD and 1080p)
Backing up content off my other 2 systems in the house
Web surfing, some unraring, etc.
I will not be doing any gaming.
I don't need DVR or TV Tuner playback
The 2 different setups I price out were based on the Atom and the I3 processor. I am not including items that both systems share like ram, hard drives, case. All I am interested in is what system is the better route to go based on what I want to use it for.
Atom System:
-ASUS AT3IONT-I Deluxe Motherboard/CPU Combo $199.99 (I have found it as cheap as $175 shipped)
i3 System:
Intel BOXDH57JG Mini ITX Intel Motherboard $109.99
Intel Core i3-530 $119.99
Premium picoPSU-150-XT/12.5A 150W AC-DC $80.00
OR
Antec EarthWatts Green EA-380D Green 380W $40.00
Assuming everything else is identical in the system, the difference between the atom setup and the i3 setup is $95-135 (depending on the psu i go with)
Some general concerns:
The Asus motherboard has a built in power supply which is a nice feature to have but is probably not upgradeable (I could be wrong). I like the fanless design of the atom system and its low profile will allow me to use a smaller case. It has Wifi, Bluetooth, IR Remote as added bonuses.
The i3 setup is definitely more powerful but I am unhappy with needing a full size psu. If I got the Pico psu the system is a fair amount more than the atom setup. I can more easily upgrade the i3 system as it will have a power supply that can handle a video card allowing for greater versatility.
After writing all this out it seems it might just be better to build an i3 system but there is something about that atom board that is so damn intriguing. What do you guys think?
