HTPC for a tiny house

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cApNhOwDy

Weaksauce
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Call me crazy, but this 120sq ft house (to be built on a trailer for mobility) is what I plan on buying and living in for at least through my 20's and 30's. Parked in a friend's backyard, mortgage-free and utility-free living mooching off of their water and electricity for a modest monthly fee. Bedroom is the loft upstairs. Screen will go mounted on the wall across from the couch. Don't worry about where the fireplace is gonna go, instead of using a bulky one like that I'm just going to use a tiny propane fireplace like they use on boat homes.

I'm a simple man with simple needs. To handle all of my media entertainment/gaming/home office needs, I plan on putting together the following build to go in the "living room":

ASUS 27" monitor
AMD Phenom II X6
GeForce GTX 460
4GB RAM
2TB Harddrive
MSI AM3 880G motherboard
HT Omega eClaro soundcard
Sony Blu-Ray Burner
APEVIA X-QPACK MicroATX Case
Seasonic X650 Gold modular PSU

Logitech X-540 70 watts 5.1 Speakers

Canon PIXMA MX870 All-in-one printer
Wired Illuminated Keyboard
Logitech G500 Mouse
Remote Control

I would like a small couch or loveseat of some sort to be the captain's seat, with enough room for the captain's female co-pilot(s).

Now I do enjoy my FPS gaming, so I'm trying to figure out the best way to use a keyboard and mouse from the couch without it being awkward and making me look like a dork in the process.

I'd also like a universal remote control that's flexible enough that I could program it to control the lights in my house. I want to be able to control the "mood" while in the comfort of the couch or, hopefully, the upstairs loft w/ a queen-sized bed and plenty of "headroom" if need be :cool:

Thanks for your input on my bachelor pad/HTPC. Fridge guaranteed to be stocked with cold beers if any of my HF crew wants to visit sometime.
 
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I love those mini houses and i think it would be awesome living in one by yourself.




However i'm married :( and i love to cook, which ain't gonna happen in that kitchen. You better post pics of it when it's built and you move in!!!!!
 
I lived in an RV for 3 years. It wasn't too bad, but man was I ready to get out of there. You can put up with a lot when you're in college. Married now with a house with more room than I know what to do with. :)

Your specs are great for a htpc/gaming rig. Overkill if it was just for htpc.

For casual browsing I use a lenovo N5901. But in the drawer of the coffee table I keep a MX500 keyboard and mouse and a mouse pad. Works just fine from the couch. If I'm gaming I'll put a pillow in my lap for the keyboard and prop my legs up. No keyboard/mouse holding fixture or anything, but I still probably look like a dork. ;)

As far as the remote, I'd recomment the Harmony 1100 touch screen remote. It's extremely versatile and I believe you can now add icons to it. I have the older 1000 (silver aluminum as opposed to the new black one) that is pretty set the way it is from the factory available icons.
 
if you're serious about doing this, I'd set up some home automation using Home Seer or similar
 
yo i'm loving this "simple living / life mod" concept and i hope everything comes together for you! i do have a suggestion for your couch though...

http://www.lovesac.com/sactionals/5-series-sactionals.html

i own about 8 bases, 10 sides of the 6 series sactionals. the 5 series are 20% smaller. the furniture is extremely modular and versatile, allowing you to maximize your space.

and definitely post some pics b/c this seems like an awesome project. good luck!
 
Verge said:
However i'm married :( and i love to cook, which ain't gonna happen in that kitchen. You better post pics of it when it's built and you move in!!!!!
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Can definitely see how this wouldn't be the house for everyone, especially for those who love to cook! It'll work for me since I've conditioned myself to be happy with beans, rice, and water for my meals =D This place still has enough room for a minifridge, double-burner stove, the basic amenities I would need to manage my hunger levels but I'd obviously be keeping some extra food around for guests who required a little more "taste".

cmadki said:
If I'm gaming I'll put a pillow in my lap for the keyboard and prop my legs up. No keyboard/mouse holding fixture or anything, but I still probably look like a dork.
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Yeah I could see myself doing that, but where do you put your mouse then?

The N5901, I just checked it out, it looks like quite a nice little device. I love all Lenovo products, infact I was considering not even building an HTPC and simply using one of their higher-end workstation laptops such as the W520 as my primary PC, but it just doesn't have the juice I need for high-end gaming on a 27" monitor. Maybe by the time I have the scratch together to build this house, they'll have come out with a better one.

Yeah I had my eyes on the Harmony 1100 as well, it looks like it's very nice and robust with alot of features. Still, I figured I'd better ask here first before I made a purchase I would regret. If anyone has any better suggestions for Universal Remotes, please let me know, or give a +1 on the Harmony 1100 recommendation!

J-Will said:
if you're serious about doing this, I'd set up some home automation using Home Seer or similar
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Yes, yes, and HELL YES. That's exactly what I'm looking for :cool:

Because NOTHING is unsexier than when I have to go fiddle with my computer to get a moody playlist going =P
 
9guns said:
yo i'm loving this "simple living / life mod" concept and i hope everything comes together for you! i do have a suggestion for your couch though...

http://www.lovesac.com/sactionals/5-series-sactionals.html

i own about 8 bases, 10 sides of the 6 series sactionals. the 5 series are 20% smaller. the furniture is extremely modular and versatile, allowing you to maximize your space.

and definitely post some pics b/c this seems like an awesome project. good luck!
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Oh HELL yeah! This is furniture done smart. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY8TXnA8gUg&feature=player_embedded

Thanks for the suggestion :D
 
Verge said:
How much does one of those cost anyway?
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For a tiny house in general, it can be as cheap as it is to find the materials and building it yourself.

Pre-fab, it all depends on how many bells and whistles you want. So anywhere from $30,000 to $54,000.
 
Ooof, I'd avoid spending anything near $54k on it if you can. I bought my first house right after college, a foreclosure for $58k. And I'm sure you'd hold on to it for awhile, but it would be hard to turn around and sell something so specialized and still recoup some of your cost. You might be saving money in the short term with no mortage, but it might bite you in the on the wallet in the long term.
 
cApNhOwDy said:
For a tiny house in general, it can be as cheap as it is to find the materials and building it yourself.

Pre-fab, it all depends on how many bells and whistles you want. So anywhere from $30,000 to $54,000.
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I know you can build cabins under 120 square foot here without being subject to all the regulations. Pretty cheap to build a cabin in that fashion, you can find people on the internet who have done it for under 2k.
 
cmadki4 said:
Ooof, I'd avoid spending anything near $54k on it if you can. I bought my first house right after college, a foreclosure for $58k. And I'm sure you'd hold on to it for awhile, but it would be hard to turn around and sell something so specialized and still recoup some of your cost. You might be saving money in the short term with no mortage, but it might bite you in the on the wallet in the long term.
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The model I showed starts at $33,000, which is what I plan on getting. I don't plan on selling it, having a mobile apartment on a trailer like this will always be extremely useful if I ever want to just get away from it all, I mean I'll already be using it as my entertainment setup and home office. And, since it'll largely be self-sufficient, I'll be spending less of my income on bills and have more money and time to do things that I want to do, aka gaming and watching movies and being Quagmire.

I really hope that I don't end up wanting to move into a bigger house because that would mean that I'm moving away from my dream of a minimalist lifestyle where I'm reducing my ecological impact as much as I can. Every human life has such a significant impact on the environment that, if I really wanted to help the earth's environment, my best option would be to not be alive. And since I like being alive, my best option is to not waste energy on heating empty space in a house that's larger than what I need.

And if I get a wife, which hopefully won't be anytime soon since I'm only 21, she would have to be as environmentally aware and as much of a geek as I am that she'd like my idea of living small and simple, mobile and somewhat off-the-grid and spending my spare time enjoying my HTPC and the great outdoors.
 
Screw the heater, just put a 580 in the computer. Instead.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
So now you should look into solar power or turbine power for this place? I'm sure a couple panels would power the entire place easily. Ride a bike? Oh and what about a bathroom? What will you do for plumbing and or showering? I'm very curious about this little house, but know I'd never live in anything like that.
 
bastage said:
Screw the heater, just put a 580 in the computer. Instead.
Posted via Mobile Device
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Sadly, this is a very real possibility, but I don't plan on leaving it on 24/7

ShepsCrook said:
So now you should look into solar power or turbine power for this place? I'm sure a couple panels would power the entire place easily. Ride a bike?
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That's the plan! Mostly solar. If that's insufficient for my energy needs, I'll just suck it up and use an extension cord. But preferably I'd like to live self-sufficient. Computer will be the most draining thing electronically speaking, but you can invest in solar panels that are good enough nowadays and you can have enough batteries to last you at least a week of overcast. That might set me back a couple grand for the whole electronics of it, but if I don't have to pay a monthly energy bill, then that'll be worth it for me. I went with the Seasonic X650, which is a gold-certified PSU, but @ 650W I'm wondering if I'd be better off using a lower-wattage PSU that may not be gold-certified.

Oh and what about a bathroom? What will you do for plumbing and or showering? I'm very curious about this little house, but know I'd never live in anything like that.
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Shower's in the bathroom :D Hopefully I'll have figured out some sort of rainwater collection system, but that most likely won't be enough for all my water needs, so I'll probably have to pump fresh water into a gravity-feed tank that I have stored somewhere, maybe in the loft.


Oh yeah, plus I'd like to have one of these http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/29Z2a...ssibly-the-coolest-hot-tub-you-have-ever-seen

And a combo washer/dryer, so I've got some nice amenities, despite technically being "homeless". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB4FUxSHK3w&feature=channel_video_title
 
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Lately I've been bitching and moaning that I cannot afford a decent house and yet I have $1M to spend. Posts like this really bring me back down to earth!

Enjoy your new house and most of all your HTPC!
 
mattchapman said:
Lately I've been bitching and moaning that I cannot afford a decent house and yet I have $1M to spend. Posts like this really bring me back down to earth!

Enjoy your new house and most of all your HTPC!
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Thanks man, I appreciate all the positive feedback. I don't have the scratch yet to buy my mobile apartment and renewable energy systems, but that's why I'm planning on moving back in with the parents, living frugally, and working hard for 2 years to get this plan rolling. In the meantime, I'm open to all constructive criticism, I figure I'd better be safe by getting input from others now than to be sorry when my plan doesn't work out. Of course, I don't expect it to be all bread and butter. I'm keeping a realistic output on things and just trying to keep it simple. I'd hate to let "the man" win by forcing me to have a house that's way bigger than I need, or to be wired into a grid that costs me more than what the energy I use is worth to me. Sure, it might be more convenient that way, but I can't see how it would be economically feasible. I'm lazy, I can't imagine being forced to work 40+ hours a week to pay for the roof that goes over my head that I can only use to entertain myself for a few hours before I have to get to sleep to slave away for a boss again. I'd hate to have to wake up early in the morning for anyone else other than me. I'd rather work independently doing computer repairs on my own watch and living a simple, healthy, somewhat frugal lifestyle.and have more time to game :)
 
cApNhOwDy said:
Sadly, this is a very real possibility, but I don't plan on leaving it on 24/7



That's the plan! Mostly solar. If that's insufficient for my energy needs, I'll just suck it up and use an extension cord. But preferably I'd like to live self-sufficient. Computer will be the most draining thing electronically speaking, but you can invest in solar panels that are good enough nowadays and you can have enough batteries to last you at least a week of overcast. That might set me back a couple grand for the whole electronics of it, but if I don't have to pay a monthly energy bill, then that'll be worth it for me. I went with the Seasonic X650, which is a gold-certified PSU, but @ 650W I'm wondering if I'd be better off using a lower-wattage PSU that may not be gold-certified.



Shower's in the bathroom :D Hopefully I'll have figured out some sort of rainwater collection system, but that most likely won't be enough for all my water needs, so I'll probably have to pump fresh water into a gravity-feed tank that I have stored somewhere, maybe in the loft.


Oh yeah, plus I'd like to have one of these http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/29Z2a...ssibly-the-coolest-hot-tub-you-have-ever-seen

And a combo washer/dryer, so I've got some nice amenities, despite technically being "homeless". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB4FUxSHK3w&feature=channel_video_title
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Good luck running a dryer with solar. Good luck running a 650 watt computer with an air conditioner at the same time. Your array would need to be twice as big as your house.

You might live in a much better climate than me though, where AC isn't a necessity.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
I lived in a 24' square (200sqft) building with my wife and 2 kids for a reasonable length of time. It was interesting to say the least.

There are some obvious issues:

I think you have a waste water problem to address.

I don't think your friend will tolerate you for 20 years.

----

All new materials, energy efficient, code compliant: About $100/sqft. $12,000 total. You are about $20K over charged.
 
Verge said:
You might live in a much better climate than me though, where AC isn't a necessity.
Posted via Mobile Device
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The dryer I posted uses 110v as opposed to most dryers. AC isn't a necessity. And if need be, I'll simply create a more energy efficient PC. I can turn off my PC for a few hours to run a dryer once a week, it wouldn't kill me to go outside more anyways. Plus, I planned on having 12 batteries to store all that solar energy, enough to last a few days overcast.

GeorgeHR said:
I think you have a waste water problem to address.

I don't think your friend will tolerate you for 20 years.
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Grey water can be reused, and I'm going to be using a composting toilet.

I wasn't planning on living there forever, hence why it'll be built on a travel trailer, giving me the freedom to move.

I'm probably going to just build my own home on a trailer using scrap material salvaged from McMansion construction sites, would give me some good practice.
 
hey man I've been following your post and it seems like there are definitely going to be some haters. stick w/ it and keep your focus b/c this project has potential to be so fuckin' awesome! I love the simplicity of a minimalistic lifestyle. :D
 
9guns said:
hey man I've been following your post and it seems like there are definitely going to be some haters. stick w/ it and keep your focus b/c this project has potential to be so fuckin' awesome! I love the simplicity of a minimalistic lifestyle. :D
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Thanks! I haven't experienced any haters thusfar, most people seem to agree that this is a smart, economically and somewhat environmentally friendly way to live.
 
I guess there might not even be room for a dryer, can always air dry, works just as good.
 
I have a HTPC i built w/ a Thermaltake Lanbox Lite. It sits on a coffee table next to the tv. I then have a 15ft thin usb cable that connects to a powered 7 port USB hub i mounted to a small piece of cabinet wood that slides under the couch...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817196067
it's a cables to go 7 port powered w/ aluminum mounting plate.
Into this hub i plug in my Logitech g9 and my g15 keyboard...The Keyboard is mounted on a finished piece of wood 3ft by 1.5ft. This allows me to slide that wood under the couch and put it on my lap for gaming/using the mouse...
Then i also have a laptop i can remote desktop to the HTPC when i want..
 
Verge said:
I guess there might not even be room for a dryer, can always air dry, works just as good.
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Nah, combo washer/dryer. The only issue is finding a reliable one... I'm hoping that by the time I get the funds together to do this, that this product will be a reality.

treefortrichard said:
I have a HTPC i built w/ a Thermaltake Lanbox Lite. It sits on a coffee table next to the tv. I then have a 15ft thin usb cable that connects to a powered 7 port USB hub i mounted to a small piece of cabinet wood that slides under the couch...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817196067
it's a cables to go 7 port powered w/ aluminum mounting plate.
Into this hub i plug in my Logitech g9 and my g15 keyboard...The Keyboard is mounted on a finished piece of wood 3ft by 1.5ft. This allows me to slide that wood under the couch and put it on my lap for gaming/using the mouse...
Then i also have a laptop i can remote desktop to the HTPC when i want..
Click to expand...

Oh please post pictures, I'd love to physically see how your setup works, especially controlling the keyboard/mouse from the couch!
 
cApNhOwDy said:
AMD Phenom II X6
MSI AM3 880G motherboard
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Are you doing anything with that PC where six cores is needed far more than significantly faster cores? I ask because it seems that the heaviest thing you're doing with that PC is gaming and for not that much more than the Phenom II X6 CPU, you can get the significantly faster Core i5 2500 or Core i5 2500K if you're planning on overclocking. Not to mention that the Core i5 2500/2500K uses significantly less power than a Phenom II X6 CPU to the point that a 2500K OC'd to 4.2Ghz uses almost the same amount of power and less heat than a Phenom II X6 CPU at stock speeds.

So any chance of switching to Intel?
cApNhOwDy said:
GeForce GTX 460
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Biggest issue I have with this video card is that it's $207 shipped which puts it pretty close to the significantly faster $230 HD 6870 1GB:
$230 - XFX HD-687A-ZNFC Radeon HD 6870 1GB PCI-E Video Card

cApNhOwDy said:
4GB RAM
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If you go the Intel route, then I recommend getting these RAM instead since that A-Data RAM is rated for 1.75V, which far exceeds the max RAM voltage for Intel Core i3/i5/i7 CPUs which is 1.65V:
$41 - G.Skill Ripjaw Series F3-10666CL9S-4GBRL 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$80 - G.Skill Value Series F3-10600CL9D-8GBNT 2 x 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM

And before you ask, outside of synthetic benchmarks, DDR3 1600 RAM offers little to no real world performance increase over DDR3 1333 RAM. In addition, when overclocking the Core i5 2500K, you do not touch RAM at all.

cApNhOwDy said:
APEVIA X-QPACK MicroATX Case
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Here's my issue with that case: it costs $95 shipped. At that price, it's simply not worth it especially since that cost is due to the spectacularly shitty included PSU that's only worth using if you hate computers.

If you really like that case style, then I recommend getting this case:
$60 - Black Chiefmax FC-DV21M mATX Case

Alternative mATX cases to look at:
$50 - Cooler Master Elite 341 RC-341C-KKN1-GP mATX Tower Case
$85 - Silverstone SUGO SG02B-F Black mATX Case
$110 - Lian Li PC-V351A Silver mATX Case
$110 - Lian Li PC-V351B Black mATX Case
$110 - Lian Li PC-A04A Silver mATX Case
$110 - Lian Li PC-A04B Black mATX Case
 
Danny Bui said:
So any chance of switching to Intel?
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As a matter of fact, most of the computer is already built, I just wanted to get hypothetical opinions about some of the future upgrades to this machine as well, so I just included my ideal final-product PC.

For example, parts that I need now are to switch out my bulky and beautiful, but inefficient and spacious FW900 with a 27" LCD. Other parts I would like to have is to switch out my X-Fi XtremeMusic with the HT Omega eClaro soundcard, eventually get a Blu-Ray burner (not really necessary at the moment, I've got 380GB's worth of digital entertainment that needs to be watched), 5.1 speakers (not even sure if it's completely worth doing in a room of that size), a new mouse, and a Universal Remote control. And, well, the house too.

Speaking of the house, I've decided instead of a pre-fab design to custom-build my own based off of that and to give it a much more spacious loft. One that will allow me to install a mirror on the ceiling in the sleeping area, aaaawww yeah, intimate reflections! Hopefully allowing more space for solar panels to line the rooftop as well, and to allow for some extra windows for greater passive solar lighting during the daytime, with curtains for privacy when we want it.

Speaking of the house and the HTPC, been trying to figure out this controlling the PC easily from the couch scenario. Doing a bit of furniture shopping, I stumbled upon these two lovely seating arrangements for the living room/HTPC area.

MLA12931831.jpg


But still, I haven't completely ruled out the possibility of going this route with the arms in between, which I can see how it would assist me in being able to control the PC from the comforts of my chair using a conveniently placed keyboard and mouse stabilizers.

MLB1139090b.jpg


What I might do, since I'm going to have a universal remote control anyways, is use the armchair model for the social area, where the 360 will be as well, but also install a 2nd 27" monitor in the loft area, giving me my cuddle-area for when I want to have the lady(ies) over, while allowing for a comfortable non-space-violating game-time area downstairs for when the guy friends are over.

One thing's for sure, I doubt that satisfying my juice-requirement needs will be sustained with solar panels alone. I do believe that I could use solar panels to comfortably power the rest of my electronics, and I could make it a hybrid system that could run off of your standard household extension cord as well.

I also plan on having a security system set up, and I plan on having that activated and recording 24/7. In a tiny home scenario such as this one, like hell if you think I'm going to allow myself to go unprotected with so much money going into this project. Anyone who wants to mess with me will have another thing coming to 'em. Bullets in the face, specifically.
 
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Have you thought about going with a wind turbine setup also. It can produce more energy than solar and if you really wanted, you could design your house with the ability to mount a couple on the roof.
 
ShepsCrook said:
Have you thought about going with a wind turbine setup also. It can produce more energy than solar and if you really wanted, you could design your house with the ability to mount a couple on the roof.
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I have considered it, there are pro's and con's to a wind-turbine setup. It almost seems more worth-while to invest in more solar panels. But I haven't completely eliminated the possibility, I would have to do more research before I made a final decision =)
 
cApNhOwDy said:
I have considered it, there are pro's and con's to a wind-turbine setup. It almost seems more worth-while to invest in more solar panels. But I haven't completely eliminated the possibility, I would have to do more research before I made a final decision =)
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A minimalistic lifestyle has it's audience but I'm not one of them. :p
That aside, I'm really liking your overall idea - efficient and simple. :cool:

I've been researching the alternative energy market recently, so these may come in handy if you're considering that move:
http://www.wepower.us/
http://www.solarcraft.net/

I definitely want to see how this turns out though, so keep us updated!
 
Good luck man!

Keep us posted on your progress. You mentioned how you were doing the toilet situation, GOOD LUCK with that! That would drive me crazy. How much do you plan on spending with this whole project?

Also with your TV/Monitor choice, I think you should just get an LED tv, around a 37" would be cool IMO. Just build it into the wall and run the inputs by the couch. I would also put the computer under the couch if possible.

Looking at your plans I can't tell how you get from the downstairs to the top, can you explain or show me?

I have to speak about the Lovesac's, REALLY REALLY High quality furniture and although I only have a sac and not a sectional I would recommend at least looking at them.

3 other small things

Look at the g700 mouse, I have been a wired mouse guy forever but if there was any wireless mouse worth looking at its the g700. Rechargeable and really accurate.

I would recommend going with In Wall speakers with a small amp or installing those logitech speakers in the wall. Less wires and would give you more free feeling space.

The logitech dinovo mini might work really well in your situation as well, more so when you have a romantic situation. It doesn't look like a mouse and keyboard but works very well.
 
Morphes said:
How much do you plan on spending with this whole project?
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As of now, I'm saving. In a year's time, every spare dollar I have is going into making the mobile apartment as best as possible.

Also with your TV/Monitor choice, I think you should just get an LED tv, around a 37" would be cool IMO. Just build it into the wall and run the inputs by the couch. I would also put the computer under the couch if possible.
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I've considered it, but I'm a bit worried about the response time for gaming, from what I can tell my money is better spent investing in a nice monitor. What are the pro's/con's of using a TV instead of a monitor?

Looking at your plans I can't tell how you get from the downstairs to the top, can you explain or show me?
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A ladder =)
 
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