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New htpc,gaming build.

4

455olds

Gawd
Joined
Dec 19, 2008
Messages
801
What I want mostly out of this build is to have it last long as possible. I will not be gaming on it often but I want it to be able to run games in a few years. Mainly using it for htpc and other general use.
I need this to work with my tv tuner. I did a build a couple of years ago and I couldn't get the tuner to work with it. I ended up giving it to my girlfriends son and went back to my old p4 rig for htpc. This was the build I was unsuccessful at getting tv tuner to work on. (tried different slots and a lot of messing around) http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1742837&highlight=
I am pretty set on the case and power supply. I want to keep this setup a long time so I want a good case and power supply.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming and htpc.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
About $600 total
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Boston MA
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,ram,motherboard,case,psu
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
I will be reusing my tv tuner "Hauppauge 1213 WinTV-HVR-2250 Media Center Kit Dual TV Tuner" http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-036-_-Product
I will eventually be using my evga gtx670 ftw video card when I upgrade my main rig.
6) Will you be overclocking?
Not anytime soon but may try it at some point
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
1080p
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Maybe this week
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)? UEFI? etc.
Basic features
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
I may use oc from old htpc.



PC Hound Part List

CPU: AMD FX-8350 Black Edition ($168.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-78LMT-USB3 (rev. 4.1) ($44.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.SKILL 8GB Ripjaws X Series ($56.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 220-G2-0750-XR ($126.81 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate 2TB Video ST2000VM003 ($61.8 @ Amazon)
Case: Antec P280 ($114.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: SAMSUNG SH-224DB/BEBE ($12.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $587.56
Price may include shipping, rebates, promotions, and tax
Generated by PC Hound
Case is cheaper at this link for whatever reason. http://www.ncixus.com/products/?usa...65170&vpn=P280&manufacture=Antec&promoid=1278
 
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After looking through build again it doesn't look like I can fit tv tuner and video card on that micro atx board. Thinking of going with this combo deal. http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.2253491

This is what build would look like. PC Hound Part List

CPU: AMD FX-8350 Black Edition ($174.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-990FXA-UD3 ($76.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.SKILL 8GB Ripjaws X Series ($56.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 220-G2-0750-XR ($126.81 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate 2TB Video ST2000VM003 ($60.69 @ Amazon)
Case: Antec P280 ($114.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: SAMSUNG SH-224DB/BEBE ($12.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $624.45
Price may include shipping, rebates, promotions, and tax
Generated by PC Hound
 
I know you said you were set on that case and psu but both are way overpriced and overkill for your setup. You could probably trim a $100 give or take off that total price if you were willing to be flexible on those choices.
 
Climber said:
I know you said you were set on that case and psu but both are way overpriced and overkill for your setup. You could probably trim a $100 give or take off that total price if you were willing to be flexible on those choices.
Click to expand...

I know but ill like the build more with the nice case and psu. I'll be enjoying the sleek looking case and smooth voltage regulation while watching tv.
Any opinion on the rest of the build or what motherboard looks better?
 
Not too up to date on Amd and the fx series for htpc so I'll let someone else more familiar with them chime in.
 
Climber said:
Not too up to date on Amd and the fx series for htpc so I'll let someone else more familiar with them chime in.
Click to expand...

Ok, thanks for replies. I went to microcenter and picked up the Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5 and the fx 8350 cpu. This one.http://www.microcenter.com/product/366424/GA-990FXA-UD5_Socket_AM3_990FX_ATX_AMD_Motherboard
Got motherboard for $96 open box and got cpu for $150
The stock cpu cooler is a coolermaster,nicer than I expected. Board looks nice too. Would like to hear more input on build.
 
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I just ordered everything. Let me know if it looks like I messed anything up. I had to change hard drive from one above because it was for security systems. I am also unsure if memory is ok for this system.

Motherboard $95
open box Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5 http://www.microcenter.com/product/366424/GA-990FXA-UD5_Socket_AM3_990FX_ATX_AMD_Motherboard

AMD FX 8350 cpu $150 http://www.microcenter.com/product/401795/FX_8350_4GHz_AM3_Black_Edition_Boxed_Processor

Antec p280 case $120 ($95 after rebate)
http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku...e=Antec&promoid=1278&usaffiliateid=1000031510

Samsung SH-224DB 24X SATA DVD Writer Black $16
http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=76258&vpn=SH-224DB/BEBE&manufacture=Samsung

EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G2 power supply $120 ($105 after rebate)
http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=94405&vpn=220-G2-0750-XR&manufacture=eVGA&promoid=1428

Western Digital Caviar Green WD20EADS 2TB refurb $65
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236401

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9S-8GBXL $58
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231485

This should come out to about $623 after rebates tax and shipping. Still want to get a couple nice case fans.

*edit* I canceled out on the memory. Not sure if that will run full stock speed or if it would bottleneck. Going to do more research. Would appreciate memory advice.
 
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Get the cheapest 8GB DDR3 1600 RAM you can find. Don't need higher than that. At $58, that DDR3 133 set you had selected is stupidly overpriced.

As for your setup, IMO it already fails your goal for the following reasons:
1) HTPC duties aren't generally heavily mukti-threaded. So the higher power consumption of the old FX-8350 isn't justified. You would have lasted longer with an Intel setup.
2) The motherboard is open-box meaning that its useful life is far more questionable than a new mobo. More than likely it wasn't properly tested and there's no info what the previous owner did with the motherboard.
3) That motherboard lacks onboard video. So you have to get a video card for it now.
4) As a storage drive, the WD Green is more or less fine. As an OS drive, it's pretty damn slow. It's going to make the system feel and react slower than a normal drive let alone a SSD.
 
Is this ram ok? G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-1600C9S-8GXM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231567

What should I do for a hard drive? Is there a good 2 tb drive for os anyone could recommend?
*Edit* I don't mind spending a little more for the ssd if that is the way to go. I have one on my main rig and it takes forever for the storage drive to spool up. That is why I wanted one drive.
 
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Dangman said:
Get the cheapest 8GB DDR3 1600 RAM you can find. Don't need higher than that. At $58, that DDR3 133 set you had selected is stupidly overpriced.

As for your setup, IMO it already fails your goal for the following reasons:
1) HTPC duties aren't generally heavily mukti-threaded. So the higher power consumption of the old FX-8350 isn't justified. You would have lasted longer with an Intel setup.
2) The motherboard is open-box meaning that its useful life is far more questionable than a new mobo. More than likely it wasn't properly tested and there's no info what the previous owner did with the motherboard.
3) That motherboard lacks onboard video. So you have to get a video card for it now.
4) As a storage drive, the WD Green is more or less fine. As an OS drive, it's pretty damn slow. It's going to make the system feel and react slower than a normal drive let alone a SSD.
Click to expand...

I thought the 8 core might last longer in terms of meeting game requirements in future? Xbox is 8 core so I thought future games might start going that way. I am only going to use this on occasion for gaming and I just mainly want games to work in future. When I looked up benchmarks I thought fx 8350 was pretty close to the intels in same price range.
I didn't realize about the power consumption and overlooked the onboard video. I do have a old video card I can use in mean time. I also didn't realize that hard drive is only 5400 rpm.

I did some research and this ram kit is listed as compatible with my board. $60 CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233144

I am thinking about getting this ssd and using the wd greed as storage. $110 Looking at this ssd.Crucial MX100 CT256MX100SSD1 2.5" 256GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148820
 
The G.Skill DDR3 1600 RAM you linked earlier is a better choice than the Corsair due to the G.Skill's shorter heatsinks. Which means greater compatibility with future 3rd party HSF additions. Yes you should be considering a quiet 3rd party HSf like Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo if you want the system to be quiet. Especially considering your unfortunate choice of CPU.

No, an eight core CPU won't last longer if the IPC is relatively low. You forget that PC games will still be IPC dependent since its cheaper that way then heavy multi-threaded coding. Not to mention the different architectures involved. To further compound the inefficiency of your choice, with Micro center pricing, a new Intel setup would not have costed that much more and would not involve open-box parts at all.

What old video card do you have now?

As for storage, the SSD you chose is fine. As for the hard drive itself, stick with Seagate 2TB or the WD Red 2TB.
 
Dangman said:
The G.Skill DDR3 1600 RAM you linked earlier is a better choice than the Corsair due to the G.Skill's shorter heatsinks. Which means greater compatibility with future 3rd party HSF additions. Yes you should be considering a quiet 3rd party HSf like Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo if you want the system to be quiet. Especially considering your unfortunate choice of CPU.

No, an eight core CPU won't last longer if the IPC is relatively low. You forget that PC games will still be IPC dependent since its cheaper that way then heavy multi-threaded coding. Not to mention the different architectures involved. To further compound the inefficiency of your choice, with Micro center pricing, a new Intel setup would not have costed that much more and would not involve open-box parts at all.

What old video card do you have now?

As for storage, the SSD you chose is fine. As for the hard drive itself, stick with Seagate 2TB or the WD Red 2TB.
Click to expand...
I should have waited longer for thread replies and did more research. Thread was up a couple days with a lot of views and no one disapproved.
I am going to use a 4670 for now. I need s-video until I replace my trinitron with a flatscreen.
 
455olds said:
I should have waited longer for thread replies and did more research. Thread was up a couple days with a lot of views and no one disapproved.
I am going to use a 4670 for now. I need s-video until I replace my trinitron with a flatscreen.
Click to expand...
I had no home internet so couldn't reply in time.

Too late to return the parts?
 
I was able to return motherboard today and get that combo. I am going to return that 5400rpm hard drive.
Does this build look ok? I plan on using stock cpu cooler so I might stay with that ram I already ordered. ( I can still send ram back with hdd if cpu cooler is a good choice)
This is what I bought so far. (except for hdd at bottom)

$250 - Intel Core i5 4690K CPU + MSI Z97 PC Mate motherboard combo

$95 Antec p280 case
http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=...eid=1000031510

$16 Samsung SH-224DB 24X SATA DVD Writer Black
http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=...acture=Samsung

$105 EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G2 power supply ($105 after rebate)
http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=...A&promoid=1428

$60 CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820233144

$110 Looking at this ssd.Crucial MX100 CT256MX100SSD1 2.5" 256GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820148820

Does this hard drive look ok to order?
$60 Seagate 2TB 64MB Cache 7200RPM SATA2 (3.0Gbps) 3.5" (Heavy Duty) Internal Hard Drive NAS, RAID, CCTV DVR, PC/Mac - New OEM w/ 1 Year Warranty http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA5AD2KK2061
 
455olds said:
I was able to return motherboard today and get that combo. I am going to return that 5400rpm hard drive.
Does this build look ok? I plan on using stock cpu cooler so I might stay with that ram I already ordered. ( I can still send ram back with hdd if cpu cooler is a good choice)
Click to expand...
The RAM is still a viable choice as long as you don't ever plan on upgrading to a total of four RAM sticks. COnsidering that you're choosing a quiet case, it seems a tad odd to go with the stock HSF which isn't exactly known for being quiet. Sorta like buying a nice piece of ribeye steak and cooking it well done. I recommend this quiet HSF:
$40 - Scythe SCKTT-1000 HSF

455olds said:
$105 EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G2 power supply ($105 after rebate)
http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=...A&promoid=1428
Click to expand...
There's no free shipping on that PSU. As such, it's kinda hard to recommend that PSU at its $120+ price tag (I don't factor in MIR until I actually receive them), since your power needs are rather low. I highly highly highly recommend jumping in on this PSU deal ASAP since it's not only cheaper but its quality is similar to the eVGA:
$110 - Seasonic X650 Gold 650W Modular PSU
455olds said:
Does this hard drive look ok to order?
$60 Seagate 2TB 64MB Cache 7200RPM SATA2 (3.0Gbps) 3.5" (Heavy Duty) Internal Hard Drive NAS, RAID, CCTV DVR, PC/Mac - New OEM w/ 1 Year Warranty http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA5AD2KK2061
Click to expand...
No. Something's fishy about this drive. I recommend this Seagate:
$80 - Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 2TB 7200RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s Hard Drive
 
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I am going to add a new monitor and tv to this build. I like to run them in clone mode because monitor and computer are in the kitchen and tv is on other side of wall in bedroom. If i get up to get a snack I can still watch in kitchin without missing anything. Want to get a monitor and tv with same native 1080 resolution.
This is a man cave type setup so I am ok with open box stuff. I don't have a set budget for these,whatever I need to spend. If I can get out of it cheap then great.
This is what I am looking at. I don't know anything about tvs or monitors so let me know if these are bad choices.

*edit* Changed monitor (want a monitor with usb ports)
This monitor $99 Dell P2214 22" (Factory-Recertified) 1920x1080 Articulating Widescreen LED Monitor http://www.microcenter.com/product/...1920x1080_Articulating_Widescreen_LED_Monitor
This tv $200
HiSense 40" (REFURBISHED) 1080p 60Hz LED HDTV - 40H3e http://www.microcenter.com/product/441244/40_(REFURBISHED)_1080p_60Hz_LED_HDTV_-_40H3e
 
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I haven't had positive experiences with refurb monitors so I can't really recommend them. But I've generally have had good experiences with Dell monitors (new ones of course).

As for the TV, never heard of that brand. I generally stick with LG, Samsung, or Visio (if on a strict budget) for TVs.
 
I received the case today and its broken. The whole front is broke off and one of the feet. I sent ncixus a message explaining the case is broke but no damage to box. The case is on backorder too.
What usually happens with something like this? Will I get a refund or will they say it broke during shipping?
 
455olds said:
I received the case today and its broken. The whole front is broke off and one of the feet. I sent ncixus a message explaining the case is broke but no damage to box. The case is on backorder too.
What usually happens with something like this? Will I get a refund or will they say it broke during shipping?
Click to expand...
Depends on the site. Some will just say "Sorry but shipping damage is out of our control." and refer you to the manufacturer to get help. Some will have you send back the case (usually at their own cost) and then ship you out a new case. Or some will have you send back the case at your own cost and then ship you out a new case. For the latter two actions, instead of shipping out a new case, they may issue a refund.

I've never ordered from NCIX so I can't really comment on they'll really do.
 
There is 3 old shipping labels on the box. I hope they can help me out with this,it didn't say that it was a open box item. After looking at it closer bottom of case is dented and both case fan props are loose in case. I can't get anyone on the phone but someone replied to my email and said to send pics of damage and they will get back to me in 3 or 4 days. We'll see how it goes.
I think I am going to order another case from somewhere else in mean time.
 
455olds said:
I ordered a antec p100 $80 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FGHHQO0/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Click to expand...
I generally don't recommend that particular case on account of the fact that SilentPCReview hasn't done a review of it yet. Generally when a case is marketed as a quiet case, I trust the reviewers over at SPCR to determine whether or not a case is truly quiet.

At around that $80 price point, I would have gone with the confirmed very quiet Fractal Design R4:
$84 - Fractal Design Define R4 Black ATX Case

In fact, the R4 and it's successor the R5, managed to do better in the low noise department than the Antec P280. Otherwise, neither case would have been chosen for SPCR's quiet case series.
 
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Ok, I finally have this together,posting from it now. Pretty happy with this build. A huge step up from the old analog tv and p4 I was running. Thanks again for help. First pics are of tv in bedroom the rest are on other side of wall in kitchen. there is a closet in between,where the old tv was actually set in the closet.
This is a man cave type setup so I hope I don't get nominated for worst computer setups in news section.

 
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