HTPC build

[trick0502]

I am looking to build a new HTPC. I found someone to buy mine for more then what I paid for it so I had to let it go. I am looking for a smaller case (M-ATX or M-ITX) to go in the entertainment center.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? This PC will be used for a HTPC, mainly BD-ROM movies, Netflix and Hulu.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included? I am really not sure. I would hope under $500?

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible. USA, MA. I could make a Microcenter drive if it would save me some money.

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. CPU, MB, RAM, case, PSU, BD-ROM drive and wireless keyboard/mouse.

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model. AnIntel X-25 40GB SSD, a 640GB 2.5 HDD and a Rosewell HTPC remote.

6) Will you be overclocking? No.

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it? 1080p (Sony 46in HDTV)

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Within the next two weeks.

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)? The only things I really need are HDMI out. If the MB had usb3.0 it wouldn’t kill me.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit? I have Win7 64 Pro.

 

[Dangman]

$80 - AMD A6-3500 CPU
$75 - Gigabtye GA-A75M-D2H AMD A75 mATX Motherboard
$20 - G.Skill F3-10666CL9S-2GBNT 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$58 - Asus BD-ROM Blu-Ray Drive
$50 - Antec NEO ECO 400C 400W PSU
$84 - Silverstone GD04B mATX HTPC Case
-----
Total: $367 plus tax and shipping.

 

[trick0502]

do you think a6-3500 is a better pick then at i3 2100? i am really torn between getting an i3 and fm1 cpu. i was even thinking maybe a e-350.

 

[Dangman]

do you think a6-3500 is a better pick then at i3 2100? i am really torn between getting an i3 and fm1 cpu. i was even thinking maybe a e-350.

For what you're planning on doing, either CPU will be fine.

 

[trick0502]

i am really torn on what platform to build on. 1155 or fm1? there isnt that much of a price difference between the two.

fm1
pros
better gpu performance

cons
slower cpu performance
uses more power
runs hot

1155
pros
faster cpu performance
uses less power
run cool

cons
slower gpu performance

if im missing something please fill it in.

 

[Dangman]

1155 also has that 24p bug I believe. Google it.

 

[trick0502]

so after a lot of consideration i think i am going to go i3 2100. so with that said i am planning on using a dedicated gpu. what would be the best htpc gpu?

 

[Dangman]

so after a lot of consideration i think i am going to go i3 2100. so with that said i am planning on using a dedicated gpu. what would be the best htpc gpu?

You really don't need something as powerful as the Core i3 2100 for a HTPC. Not when you have other options available like the Pentium G620 or the Pentium G840. The $70 G620 is more than enough for HTPC duties. With that said, even if you go for the Core i3 2100 for whatever reason, it's still not a good buy when the slightly faster Core i3 2120 costs $3 more.

As for the video card, the $50 HD 6450 will be enough for HTPC duties and such. With that said, the onboard video of any of the four Intel CPUs mentioned should be enough for HTPC duties.

 

[fullvietFX]

I'd wait until April and get the i3 3225 or go for the i3 2105 now.

 

[trick0502]

after doing a lot of back and forth, i think i know what i want. what do you think?

$90 ASRock A75M-ITX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157273

$80 AMD A6-3500
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103951

$22 Mushkin 4GB (2 x 2GB)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146748

$58 ASUS Black 12X BD-ROM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135247

$50 Rosewill RS-MI-01
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147131


I am not 100% sold on the case (and i know i need to upgrade the stock psu). if you have a better mini-itx please share.

 

[Dangman]

Not a good setup. Judging from the Newegg reviews and current/past AsRock motherboards, that AsRock ITX motherboard isn't all that good. Not to mention the short 1 year warranty too. The only GOOD AMD FM1 mITX motherboard is barely in stock and is fairly pricey at $140:
http://www.amazon.com/Asus-F1A75-I-...1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1330561703&sr=1-1

Unless you're willing to settle for low quality, I don't recommend an AMD mITX build at the moment. I recommend this ITX setup instead:
http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-3-0-SATA...1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1330561687&sr=1-1
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116398

As for the case, you're right you would need to upgrade the PSU. The problem here is that unless you absolutely need that small of a case and don't mind the extremely tight fit, from a price to performance standpoint, you're better off with the Silverstone SG05B:
$105 - Silverstone SG05-B mITX Case with FSP SFX 300W PSU

The total cost of the Rosewill + upgrading to a better PSU + the shipping costs of that Rosewill case and PSU comes out to $110, $5 more than the roomier SG05. So not a good buy from a price to performance perspective. But if you really really want that small of a case, I recommend this PSU replacement:
$55 - SeaSonic SS-350SFE 350W SFX12V PSU

That RAM isn't a good buy either since it's a 2x2GB set which means that you're alraedy maxed out on the RAM. You can get a single 4GB set for $2 less which leaves you upgrade room in the future:
$20 - G.Skill F3-10666CL9S-2GBNT 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM

And before you ask, the difference between dual channel and single channel is at best 5% under the most ideal of conditions.

 

[trick0502]

that is a nice case, but it uses slim drives. a slim bd-rom drive is like 130 and a std size one is 60.

now i need to rethink everything!!!

 

[Deathwish238]

If you're on a budget or simply like AMD, I'ld get an A8-3850. You wouldn't need a video card.
If you're not on a budget, I'ld build an i3-21xx/22xx. You would need a video card, a 5450 or 240 will do well.

My current HTPC is:
Athlon 64 X2 3800+ ($25 ebay)
2GB RAM ($20 ebay)
Radeon 5450 ($20 after MIR)
Asus A8NSLI Deluxe ($200 back in the day haha)
Windows XP
SPIDF to my Denon AVR-3805

It's able to play 1080p well once I enabled DXVA in ffdshow.

So as you see, the processor doesn't really matter as long as it's at least dual core. The video card will be doing the work. During 1080p playback my cpu stays under 20%. A higher end card than the 240 or 5450 isn't needed, but will let the system feel better.

 

[Pylor]

I'd personally go with the AMD APU if it were up to me. Unless you plan on running linux at some point in time on it, then I'd go with an I3 and a gt 430. I bought two of them and threw one in my HTPC that I was building and the other in my main machine to offload an extra monitor onto and they both work fantastically, are dead quiet, and can more than handle 1080p without a problem. And they're super cool and low power at idle (though that's probably true of all the cards mentioned so far). You can usually get one for between 30-35 dollars at newegg with MIR. Just try to get one with a 128-bit memory bus, some of them try to use a 64 bit and it really kills the memory.

 

[trick0502]

ok, i think i got the core components locked in now.

$119 AMD A8-3850
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103942

$109 ASUS F1A75-M PRO/CSM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131782

$41 Patriot Signature 8GB 1600
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220570

$52 ASUS Black 12X BD-ROM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135247

$325 with shipping.

i have been thinking about playing some light games on this system (dods, csgo. etc), so i decided to go with the 3850 over the 3500 cpu.

i am a asus guy (my last 4 system have had asus boards), so i chose this one. it has everything i need, good reviews and free shipping.

i went with 8gb 1600 because memory bandwidth does affect (effect?) on the gpu performance.


so now i need a case and psu. i only have 15.25 inches (width) of space so that is really limiting my choices. i will re-measure, but i might be better off with a m atx tower (it is behind a door).