HTPC Build - Need Advice/Help

[ewok69103]

First and foremost I want to truly thank everyone who posts here for sharing so much knowledge and information. As someone who has very limited knowledge base of computer hardware, this forum has been invaluable to me over the past several days of trying to learn and take in as much information in as possible.

Having said that, I am going to try and build my own HTPC, something I have never done before. Assuming I can do this, I am going to be relying on the recommendations of anyone who would like to help me. I have gained so much knowledge and done so much research, but at the end of the day I would prefer to defer to the experts (especially when it comes to everything fitting into a case and making sure all parts are compatible - that scares me).

I have answered the questions below and hope I have provided enough information. Thank you all again and I look forward to any responses.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Watching movies stored on internal hard drive (DVD Rips, 720p & 1080p files made from original Blu-Ray discs), playing original Blu-Ray discs, Netflix, Hulu Plus, XBMC, Web Browsing, recording OTA HD Broadcast channels (if overall cost is too much this can wait for a few months until I get more money).

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
<=$400 USD before taxes and shipping

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
US, Danbury, CT

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, Motherboard, CPU, RAM, Network Card (I Assume I will need this?), remote control. I do not have a preference between amd or intel

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
SAMSUNG USB 2.0 External Slim Portable Blu-ray Writer Model SE-506AB/TSBD I would like to use this until I get more money to but an internal drive.
Samsung Spinpoint F4EG 2 TB SATA2 5400rpm 32 MB Hard Drive HD204UI/Z4 In an ideal world I wouldn't have both the operating system and my media on this drive, but I don't think I can afford a SSD at this point. If there is room in my budget to do so, I would love to.

6) Will you be overclocking?
No

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
TV - 60 Inch Sharp - 1080p

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Within the next month (The sooner the better)

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video? etc.
Im not 100% sure. Definitely HDMI. An optical out would be great so I can plug it directly into my receiver, but that is not 100% necessary.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Yes. Windows 7 Ultimate; 64bit

 

[jsteinm1]

I am in the process of building my first HTPC which is right around $400 before adding my InfiniTV card ($200 retail). Here's the stuff I'm getting

Silverstone ML03B http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GGUAUE/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

AMD A6-3500 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103951
I think this is the best budget CPU available for an HTPC. i3-2105 is better, but quite a bit more.
AMD A8-3650 for $20 more than A6-3500. Note it has a higher TDW so it will run hotter. http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1675505

Gigabyte A75 mobo http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128517
Great price for all the features. $10 MIR expires Wednesday.

Corsair 2x2GB RAM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145339
$10 MIR expires Wednesday, unbeatable price

WD 2TB Green Drive $129 http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digit...J9MK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330381092&sr=8-1
WD 1TB refurb Green Drive $89 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136758
Seagate 1.5TB Green Drive $99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148725
Good prices IMO for HDDs depending on what size you need. I am not sure which one I am going with, although I also picked up a 60GB OCZ SSD for $60 today (newegg shell shocker)


EDIT: seeing as you mentioned SSD here is the shell shocker deal for today http://www.newegg.com/Special/ShellShocker.aspx?cm_sp=ShellShocker-_-20-227-725-_-02272012_1

EDIT2: cross check Amazon/Newegg before you order. I tried to list the best prices but often Amazon has free shipping at the same price, the Seagate harddrive is one of those.

 

[ewok69103]

This is awesome...thank you for taking the time to post and I cant wait to hear about how it turns out.

A few questions for you. For $20 more, do you feel as though the AMD A8-3650 will give me any added benefit over the AMD A6-3500, given what I plan on using it for? Also, the same for the i3-2105....money aside, what can this do for my HTPC that the AMD A6-3500 cannot?

Will you also be purchasing a PSU, and if so, which one?

Will you be using your HTPC for any gaming or can this setup as it is not handle it?

Thanks again!

 

[Rogue71]

This is awesome...thank you for taking the time to post and I cant wait to hear about how it turns out.

A few questions for you. For $20 more, do you feel as though the AMD A8-3650 will give me any added benefit over the AMD A6-3500, given what I plan on using it for? Also, the same for the i3-2105....money aside, what can this do for my HTPC that the AMD A6-3500 cannot?

Will you also be purchasing a PSU, and if so, which one?

Will you be using your HTPC for any gaming or can this setup as it is not handle it?

Thanks again!

anytime you're going to be ripping moves the extra cores and speed make a huge difference. when i went from an Athlon2 x2 250 to an athlon 2 x4 640 my ripping time was cut in half. most people forget how little power it takes to run a normal pc, even if it is on alot.
and defintely get an ssd for the boot drive. something as small as a 60 or an 80 will do just fine.

 

[jsteinm1]

This is awesome...thank you for taking the time to post and I cant wait to hear about how it turns out.

A few questions for you. For $20 more, do you feel as though the AMD A8-3650 will give me any added benefit over the AMD A6-3500, given what I plan on using it for? Also, the same for the i3-2105....money aside, what can this do for my HTPC that the AMD A6-3500 cannot?

Will you also be purchasing a PSU, and if so, which one?

Will you be using your HTPC for any gaming or can this setup as it is not handle it?

Thanks again!

Almost forgot the PSU. Here is the Corsair CX430 I am getting, $35 after MIR (expires Wednesday also). I have a Corsair TX750 and have 2 friends that got the same, very reliable PSUs even at that price. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139026

For CPU, I really can't say for sure because my experience is with Intel so this is new to me. From what I've gathered, the A6-3500 is plenty enough for HTPC functions, but will leave more to be desired for gaming. Also from what I've read (sadly no solid benchmarks to back up with) the i3 will win in CPU processing, but an A6/A8 will win out in GPU processing if you don't buy a discreet graphics card. The A6 makes for an incredible budget CPU at the $80 price tag, but once you start getting into A8 prices you have to really consider the i3s.

I was able to find this benchmark comparison between the A8-3850 and i3-2100 http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/399?vs=289

Judging by that if you get into the $130 price point I would go for the i3-2105 (5 denotes the Intel Graphics HD3000 which you'll probably want unless you are getting a discreet graphics card). If that is too expensive then I would look into the AMD APU that fits your budget.

 

[jsteinm1]

That Corsair CX430 is now $17 after MIR on sale. I wish I hadn't ordered yet

http://promotions.newegg.com/NEemai...022812-_-EMC-022812-Index-_-E0-_-MoreAllStars

 

[JohnDC]

The built-in graphics on the new AMD's are quite a bit better than Intel's, but the Intel is a more powerful CPU. For HTPC use the CPU doesnt matter much unless you are encoding video. Straight ripping is dependent on the speed of your optical drive rather than CPU, but if you are re-encoding or shrinking that could change.

 

[BRAB]

If you are looking for an upgrade over an integrated video card you should definitely have a look at this deal...

Saphire Radeon HD 6450 for $24.99 after rebate.

It's a decent low-profile card for HD playback. Just be aware that with this card is not sufficient enough for gaming, let alone mid-end gaming,

 

[Nettwerk]

So if I go with a AMD A8-3650 build, does the cpu have HD audio out using the HDMI or do you have to get a discrete gpu to do all that?

 

[ewok69103]

For CPU, I really can't say for sure because my experience is with Intel so this is new to me. From what I've gathered, the A6-3500 is plenty enough for HTPC functions, but will leave more to be desired for gaming. Also from what I've read (sadly no solid benchmarks to back up with) the i3 will win in CPU processing, but an A6/A8 will win out in GPU processing if you don't buy a discreet graphics card. The A6 makes for an incredible budget CPU at the $80 price tag, but once you start getting into A8 prices you have to really consider the i3s.

I was able to find this benchmark comparison between the A8-3850 and i3-2100 http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/399?vs=289

Judging by that if you get into the $130 price point I would go for the i3-2105 (5 denotes the Intel Graphics HD3000 which you'll probably want unless you are getting a discreet graphics card). If that is too expensive then I would look into the AMD APU that fits your budget.

Great input thank you.

From the reading I have done, I was leaning towards the A8-3850 but you just made me rethink that. I was thinking of doing encoding blu-rays and possibly running some game emulators (PSX, N64, etc.) in addition to what I originally typed above, and I have a few questions.

1. If I'm going to be encoding blu-ray discs and running emulators, would the A6-3500 @ $80 be capable of doing this well or should I step it up to either the A6-3650, the A8-3850, or the i3-2105.

2. If I should step it up, there is a $20 price difference between the A6-3650 and the A8-3850 and a $25 difference between the A6-3650 and the i3-2105. Is it worth the extra $20-$25 or will it essentially be a waste of money given what the system will be doing?

3. What are the major differences performance wise between the A6-3650 and the A8-3850?

4. Video wise, how does the i3-2105 compare to the A6-3500/A6-3650/A8-3850?

 

[ewok69103]

Case:

I was looking at the SILVERSTONE GD05B. What do you think of this? Its not as small as the ML03B and I actually think I like the ML03B better, but here is my concern (you cant laugh ).

1. The ML03B doesn't come with any fans. The GD05B comes with 3. I have never put a computer together so I don't know if this is a big deal or not. I figured that with the fans included, that's one less thing I have to worry about.

2. Also, given the size of the ML03B, I read that its a lot tougher to get all of the parts in the case, especially the PSU. Is this truly a concern? Because this is my very first build of any kind, modding the case is out of the question.

 

[JohnDC]

Case:

I was looking at the SILVERSTONE GD05B. What do you think of this? Its not as small as the ML03B and I actually think I like the ML03B better, but here is my concern (you cant laugh ).

1. The ML03B doesn't come with any fans. The GD05B comes with 3. I have never put a computer together so I don't know if this is a big deal or not. I figured that with the fans included, that's one less thing I have to worry about.

2. Also, given the size of the ML03B, I read that its a lot tougher to get all of the parts in the case, especially the PSU. Is this truly a concern? Because this is my very first build of any kind, modding the case is out of the question.

The GD05 and GD04 (the same case except the optical drive is "stealthed") are really nice cases. I have the 05 and really couldnt imagine wanting something smaller. Plus it is shallow enough that it fits readily in an entertainment rack.

 

[jsteinm1]

The ml03b should have one rear case fan... Or I'm gonna be making an emergency trip to the store for one haha. I like the ml03b cause its narrow depth, full depth cases are too big for my tastes. Heat shouldn't be an issue unless you plan to overclock, which most don't do with an htpc. If noise level is a concern then having 3fans may be a disadvantage.

 

[jsteinm1]

OK no case fans I see. Here's a coupon for 20% off fans through tonight I think

http://promotions.newegg.com/NEemai...IGNEFL030112-_-EMC-030112-Index-_-E0-_-SeeAll

 

[ewok69103]

So after about a week of research and back and forth and back and forth, I have made a few decisions. I have chosen a case and I have chosen a CPU (I think…man I’m really having a tough time choosing between the A6-3500, A6-3650, and the A8-3850). I am 90% for the A6-3500 because Im not sure if I really need more than this….persuade me if you think otherwise.

Case: SilverStone Grandia GD04
CPU: AMD A6-3500

Now I would like to choose a Motherboard. The recommendation above (Gigabyte A75) seems to be a very good choice from everything I have read. Honestly though, I really can’t tell one motherboard from another. This is making me crazy. Does anyone have any other suggestions that they can compare to the Gigabyte A75 and tell me why it is better/worse. Maybe it has a little less but costs a lot less. Maybe it costs a little more but offers a lot more.

Also, I figure at some point I am going to have to add WLAN 802.11n and Bluetooth. Any motherboards out there that have these built in that would be worth the price?

 

[mattchapman]

The ml03b should have one rear case fan... Or I'm gonna be making an emergency trip to the store for one haha. I like the ml03b cause its narrow depth, full depth cases are too big for my tastes. Heat shouldn't be an issue unless you plan to overclock, which most don't do with an htpc. If noise level is a concern then having 3fans may be a disadvantage.

I have the ML03b and don't use any case fans. I only have the CPU fan. Seems OK to me and CPU temps rarely go above 50.

 

[jsteinm1]

So after about a week of research and back and forth and back and forth, I have made a few decisions. I have chosen a case and I have chosen a CPU (I think…man I’m really having a tough time choosing between the A6-3500, A6-3650, and the A8-3850). I am 90% for the A6-3500 because Im not sure if I really need more than this….persuade me if you think otherwise.

Case: SilverStone Grandia GD04
CPU: AMD A6-3500

Now I would like to choose a Motherboard. The recommendation above (Gigabyte A75) seems to be a very good choice from everything I have read. Honestly though, I really can’t tell one motherboard from another. This is making me crazy. Does anyone have any other suggestions that they can compare to the Gigabyte A75 and tell me why it is better/worse. Maybe it has a little less but costs a lot less. Maybe it costs a little more but offers a lot more.

Also, I figure at some point I am going to have to add WLAN 802.11n and Bluetooth. Any motherboards out there that have these built in that would be worth the price?

I have my HTPC in and built and its great. I got most of the parts I listed above. For the ML03B case and fan issue you mentioned, you won't need them with the A6-3500. Its a 65W core, which is relatively low for desktop CPUs. The included stock cooler is fantastic for the job and does it well. With no case fans, I wasn't able to push it over 50C with Prime95 which is well below what the processor can run at. I did buy 4 80mm fans cause I got a great deal on them, but ended up only installing 2. If you get that case and want 2 fans with it, these are what I got. They're quite and do great (and $2.71ea when you get 2+) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835228007

Now for motherboards. I ended up getting the GA-A75M-D2H and its a great board. The features I compared when shopping were chipsets (A75 northbridge, Realtek Audio and LAN), connections (internal and external), and price. The Gigabyte board delivered a good feature set at the lowest price ($70). Here are some boards I liked and pros/cons:

Gigabyte GA-A75M-D2H
+Price ($70 after MIR)
+Good External connections (HDMI, Optical, USBs, DVI/VGA)
+Internal USB 3 headers
+3 PCIe slots
-2 RAM slots
-3 analog audio ports

ASRock A75 PRO4-M
+Very good (best ive seen) externals (HDMI, Optical, USBs, DVI/VGA, eSATA, 5 audio ports)
+4 RAM slots
=Price ($80)
-2 PCIe slots
-No internal USB 3 headers

ASUS F1A75-M Pro
+Very good (best ive seen) externals (HDMI, Optical, USBs, DVI/VGA, 5 audio ports)
+4 RAM slots
+3 PCIe slots
+Internal USB 3 header
-Price ($95 after MIR)

For the built in WLAN and BT, I didn't see that on even the most expensive boards (mATX A75 boards that is). I bought a Rosewill Wireless N PCIe card for $15 on sale at newegg that does great. Different ones come on sale often for $15-20, I'd recommend that. And PCI (non e) would be fine for one as well if cheaper.

I still think the Gigabyte offers the best value. The ASUS would be my pick with money no object, because I love their boards. A lot of that added cost comes from their great OCing abilities, but you won't want to be doing that on an A6-3500. The added cooling to OC would add to cost, and you'd soon just be better off buying a faster chip to begin with.

As far as the A6-3500 goes, its plenty fast enough to me. Windows Media Center is responsive with minimal lag, and is able to record 4 HD channels at a time just fine with it. Two things that I ended up going with based on forum recommendations is getting 1600MHz low latency ram (Corsair XMS 1.5V for me), and a SSD (OCZ Agility 3 60GB on shell shocker). The RAM was dirt cheap so its well worth it. The SSD is added cost that can be added later if you are unsatisfied.

Happy shopping! Let me know if you have any questions

 

[jsteinm1]

Oh also! I mentioned this to another user building a similar rig. This will save you a little cash if you grab the Gigabyte board.

Also, not sure what your audio set up will be but that Biostar board lacks optical out on it. I went with the Gigabyte A75M-D2H at the same price after MIR. If you are using analog out to your audio, the ASRock A75 PRO4-M was my second choice and has 5.1 analog out and a good Realtek chip. I ditched it because it lacks internal USB3.0 headers for the front case ports and only has 2 PCI-e slots.

Also, I think its well worth the extra $10 to get the A6-3500. Also if you decide to go with the Gigabyte board there is a combo for $135 after MIR w/ the A6 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.858293

 

[BRAB]

If you are still looking to purchase a PSU, Newegg has the Antec NEO ECO 620W psu for $34.99 after rebate with promo code EMCYTZT1291. I definitely think you can't go wrong with it at that price.

 

[ewok69103]

If you are still looking to purchase a PSU, Newegg has the Antec NEO ECO 620W psu for $34.99 after rebate with promo code EMCYTZT1291. I definitely think you can't go wrong with it at that price.

Thank you. I will begin to make my purchases this Saturday.....Im getting so excited to build this!! If you see any other promos, please let me know. I have been tracking Newegg and Amazon pretty regularly.

 

[ewok69103]

Case: SilverStone Grandia GD04

CPU: AMD A6-3500 OR A6-3650 (If I get the 3650, would you suggest going for the OEM and purchasing a separate CPU Cooler?) Also, would you suggest the 3650 over the 3500 if I want to run a Wii emulator. I figure I already have all of my Wii games on a hard drive, why not play them in 1080p (Something my Wii cannot do).

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-A75M-D2H FM1 AMD A75 (Hudson D3) HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

RAM: Still need this...looking for 4GB. I was thinking one 4GB instead of 2X2GB because there are 2 RAM slots and if I ever want to upgrade I could just add. Is that stupid logic?

PSU: I have no idea here. Please help me. What will fit my case and be reasonably priced? Is a modular PSU worth it?

Any help or suggestions regarding my build would be greatly appreciated...I haven't ordered anything yet so I'm definitely looking for input. I cannot wait to start ordering this and getting everything next week.

Thanks!!

 

[jsteinm1]

Case: SilverStone Grandia GD04

CPU: AMD A6-3500 OR A6-3650 (If I get the 3650, would you suggest going for the OEM and purchasing a separate CPU Cooler?) Also, would you suggest the 3650 over the 3500 if I want to run a Wii emulator. I figure I already have all of my Wii games on a hard drive, why not play them in 1080p (Something my Wii cannot do).

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-A75M-D2H FM1 AMD A75 (Hudson D3) HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

RAM: Still need this...looking for 4GB. I was thinking one 4GB instead of 2X2GB because there are 2 RAM slots and if I ever want to upgrade I could just add. Is that stupid logic?

PSU: I have no idea here. Please help me. What will fit my case and be reasonably priced? Is a modular PSU worth it?

Any help or suggestions regarding my build would be greatly appreciated...I haven't ordered anything yet so I'm definitely looking for input. I cannot wait to start ordering this and getting everything next week.

Thanks!!

I think the OEM cooler does pretty good, although the 3650 has a higher TDW so it will run a little hotter. I don't think my 3500 has seen 50C yet.

One regret that I have from my build is only going with 4GB (2x2). You could do the single 4GB stick, but you will lose performance from not being in dual channel mode. If it fits your budget and you find a good deal, I'd say get 8, otherwise go 4. Ram is very cheap right now and getting cheaper, so you can always swap out in the future too. Check Corsair and G.Skill. They usually have good prices/rebates, and look for 1600MHz low latency ram

PSU: I still stay Corsair CX430 if it has any rebates available still. Great value. I don't know if it affects the GD04 since its bigger, but a modular PSU will NOT fit in the ML03B (they are longer). I only had one left over cable after I was done anyway.

 

[ewok69103]

I think the OEM cooler does pretty good, although the 3650 has a higher TDW so it will run a little hotter. I don't think my 3500 has seen 50C yet.

One regret that I have from my build is only going with 4GB (2x2). You could do the single 4GB stick, but you will lose performance from not being in dual channel mode. If it fits your budget and you find a good deal, I'd say get 8, otherwise go 4. Ram is very cheap right now and getting cheaper, so you can always swap out in the future too. Check Corsair and G.Skill. They usually have good prices/rebates, and look for 1600MHz low latency ram

PSU: I still stay Corsair CX430 if it has any rebates available still. Great value. I don't know if it affects the GD04 since its bigger, but a modular PSU will NOT fit in the ML03B (they are longer). I only had one left over cable after I was done anyway.

Your advice and suggestions have been extremely valuable...thank you. I will be posting my final build below. I would love some feedback as many of the items purchased were based on your recommendations.

 

[ewok69103]

Case: SilverStone Grandia GD04 $99.60

CPU: AMD A6-3650 $107.98

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-A75M-D2H FM1 AMD A75 (Hudson D3) HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard $79.99 ($69.99 after rebate)

RAM: CORSAIR XMS 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMX4GX3M2B1600C9 $29.99 ($19.99 after rebate)

PSU: CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 V2 (CMPSU-430CXV2) 430W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply $46.98 ($36.98 after rebate)

Total: $364.54 ($334.64 after rebates)

***I have not ordered anything yet, so if you see something that conflicts or I should rethink, please let me know.

One regret that I have from my build is only going with 4GB (2x2). You could do the single 4GB stick, but you will lose performance from not being in dual channel mode. If it fits your budget and you find a good deal, I'd say get 8, otherwise go 4. Ram is very cheap right now and getting cheaper, so you can always swap out in the future too. Check Corsair and G.Skill. They usually have good prices/rebates, and look for 1600MHz low latency ram

Before I purchase 8GB Ram, I want to know if it will be worth it. From everything I have read, 4GB should be fine. Why would you get 8 instead of 4? I will definitely do it if its worth it, I just want to make sure it is. Thanks!

 

[Dangman]

RAM: CORSAIR XMS 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMX4GX3M2B1600C9 $29.99 ($19.99 after rebate)

Don't bother with this RAM for two reasons:
1) Limits you to a max of 4GB of RAM.
2) Overpriced at $30 since you can get a single 4GB DDR3 1600 RAM for $20 straight up:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148473

Or a 8GB DDR3 1600 set for $40:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226191

Either way, no good reason to get the Corsair RAM you listed.

Before I purchase 8GB Ram, I want to know if it will be worth it. From everything I have read, 4GB should be fine. Why would you get 8 instead of 4? I will definitely do it if its worth it, I just want to make sure it is. Thanks!

4GB will be fine. However, if you think there's a chance that you may end up doing a lot more with your HTPC (i.e gaming, photoshop, video work, audio work, etc), then 8GB would be a good idea. In addition, RAM prices are actually going up slowly, not down. So if you can afford to spend the extra $20, then do so as that extra 4GB of RAM might be needed later on (i.e due to increased usage scenarios or that another PC in your home might need it)and you're getting it now for a low price.

 

[E4g1e]

Case: SilverStone Grandia GD04 $99.60

CPU: AMD A6-3650 $107.98

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-A75M-D2H FM1 AMD A75 (Hudson D3) HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard $79.99 ($69.99 after rebate)

RAM: CORSAIR XMS 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMX4GX3M2B1600C9 $29.99 ($19.99 after rebate)

PSU: CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 V2 (CMPSU-430CXV2) 430W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply $46.98 ($36.98 after rebate)

Total: $364.54 ($334.64 after rebates)

***I have not ordered anything yet, so if you see something that conflicts or I should rethink, please let me know.



Before I purchase 8GB Ram, I want to know if it will be worth it. From everything I have read, 4GB should be fine. Why would you get 8 instead of 4? I will definitely do it if its worth it, I just want to make sure it is. Thanks!

In addition to what Danny stated about the RAM, keep in mind that AMD is no longer supporting the BEMP profile in that particular RAM kit for its CPUs that are newer than the first batch of AM3 Phenom II CPUs. As a result, on such newer AMD platforms, the auto-detected operation of BEMP or XMP RAM will be limited to JEDEC spec (which will be 9-9-9-24 at DDR3-1333 speed, in the case of this particular kit). You will have to set all of the values manually if you want this RAM to run anywhere close to its advertised spec.

 

[ewok69103]

Don't bother with this RAM for two reasons:
1) Limits you to a max of 4GB of RAM.
2) Overpriced at $30 since you can get a single 4GB DDR3 1600 RAM for $20 straight up:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148473

Or a 8GB DDR3 1600 set for $40:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226191

Either way, no good reason to get the Corsair RAM you listed.

Thank you. I like the route of starting with a single 4GB RAM and see how that goes. If I need to get another 4, I will do that after I test it out.

I do have a question for you. For $5 more, how does the G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9S-4GBRL compare to the one you mention above and would it be compatable. It has really good reviews on Newegg and since I know very little about RAM, would I see any added benefit or should I just keep the 5 bucks in my pocket?

In addition to what Danny stated about the RAM, keep in mind that AMD is no longer supporting the BEMP profile in that particular RAM kit for its CPUs that are newer than the first batch of AM3 Phenom II CPUs. As a result, on such newer AMD platforms, the auto-detected operation of BEMP or XMP RAM will be limited to JEDEC spec (which will be 9-9-9-24 at DDR3-1333 speed, in the case of this particular kit). You will have to set all of the values manually if you want this RAM to run anywhere close to its advertised spec.

As someone who knows very little about RAM (and I mean very little) this post had about as many acronyms as I have seen. After looking each one up and reading about them, I know why I posted here...because you know a TON about stuff I do not. I would have never known the above information, and I appreciate you taking the time to explain it to me. Thank you very much.

 

[Dangman]

I do have a question for you. For $5 more, how does the G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9S-4GBRL compare to the one you mention above and would it be compatable. It has really good reviews on Newegg and since I know very little about RAM, would I see any added benefit or should I just keep the 5 bucks in my pocket?

Besides a fancy heatsink, really no performance or quality difference between the two RAM. So save the $5 and pay for a gallon of gas with it.

 

[ewok69103]

Besides a fancy heatsink, really no performance or quality difference between the two RAM. So save the $5 and pay for a gallon of gas with it.

I can definitely use that extra gallon of gas. I'm ordering your suggestion now. Thank you very much for such a quick reply and all of the information you have provided, not only on my thread but many others that I have read.

 

[Nettwerk]

Ewok, did you build this machine? Do you like it?

 

[pwrusr]

I personally just finished a build with the following:
ASUS F1A75-M PRO
AMD A6-3500
Corsair 2x4GB DDR3 1600 ram
Antec 380d PSU
Silverstone ML03B (needed it to be shorter then 5" since the opening that it goes in is only 5" tall)
No optical drive yet
300GB WD VelociRaptor

Overall I'm impressed, it only uses ~35watts at idle. It has alot of punch behind it as well for being what it is. no problems with 1080p content at all

 

[ewok69103]

Ewok, did you build this machine? Do you like it?

Hi...yes I did. I received all of the parts at the middle of last week and finally had a chance to build it (my 1st computer build....YES!! Easy as could be) and add XBMC to it. I absolutely love it. I have had no problems running any of the video files I have thrown at it (up to 1080p .mkv's). I dont have a bluray drive yet so I haven't tested that out, but I have no doubt it will look amazing.

I am still trying to figure out XBMC and haven't had a ton of time to really dedicate to learn it. I plan on running some emulators (including trying out a wii emulator so I can move my wii to another TV). I really struggled between the 3500 and the 3650, but I went with the 3650 hoping it would help when using handbrake and maybe the wii emulator. If it doesnt, oh well. I haven't tried either yet though.

This is what I got:

• SilverStone Grandia GD04
• AMD A6-3650
• GIGABYTE GA-A75M-D2H FM1 AMD A75 (Hudson D3) HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
• Crucial 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CT51264BD160B
• CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 V2 (CMPSU-430CXV2) 430W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply