PC for HTPC and Programming + Virtual Machines

[techbob]

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
I am building this for a friend. HTPC - to watch movies, and for programming/development with several virtual machines running simulatneously.
The built in sound and video should be fine for his needs. He wants a small case.


2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$1000


3) Where do you live?
Northern NJ


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.

1. Case
Thermaltake Black SECC Japanese steel LANBOX Lite VF6000BWS Micro ATX Media Center / HTPC Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Page=2#scrollFullInfo
$89.99

2. GIGABYTE GA-880GMA-USB3 AM3+ AMD 880G HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128490
*USB 3, 6 USB ports, video on board. Works great with Ubuntu
$92.99
3. G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 16GB (total of 4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...14&cm_sp=Cat_Memory-_-Daily_Deal-_-20-231-314
$64.99 x 2
4. CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...9004&cm_re=corsair_psu-_-17-139-004-_-Product
$89.99
Suggestions for a modular PSU?

5. ZALMAN CNPS 8700 NT 110mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118034&Tpk=cpu cooler
$39.99
or Cooler master Geminii S about the same price

6. AMD Phenom II X6 1100T Black Edition Thuban 3.3GHz, 3.7GHz Turbo 6 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor HDE00ZFBGRBOX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103913
$189.99
*6 core

or four core processor:
AMD Phenom II X4 975 Black Edition Deneb 3.6GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Desktop Processor HDZ975FBGMBOX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...cm_re=amd_phenom_ii_x4-_-19-103-923-_-Product
$179.99

7. AS5 CPU compound
$5

8. Hard drives

500 GB 7200RPM for primary drive
$55

2TB “green” drive for data (may use in USB 3.0 enclosure as opposed to internal)
$70

9.Logitec keyboard/mouse $20

10. Optical Drive
$20 for DVD burner
$100 for blueray burner

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
No


6) Will you be overclocking?
No


7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
22" and 54" LCD TV 1080p


8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
ASAP will order hopefully this week


9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? etc.
USB 3.0, must be compatible with Ubuntu. On board video and sound Linux/Ubuntu friendly.


10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Ubuntu 64bit lts release and Win7 for virtual machine. I own a copy of Win7 Professional 64 bit.


I'll order from Amazon whenever possible for sales tax and ease of RMA.

Thank you!

 

[Dangman]

Here's a prelim build:
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Intel-i5-2400-Processor-3-10GHz-LGA1155/dp/B004EBUXIA/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1308698293&sr=1-1"]Amazon.com: Intel Core i5-2400 Processor 3.10GHz 6 MB Cache Socket LGA1155: Electronics@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51T6Cp9Pr5L.@@AMEPARAM@@51T6Cp9Pr5L[/ame] - Intel Core i5-2400 CPU
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/P8H67-M-PRO-CSM-REV-3-0/dp/B004Q7LGZG/ref=sr_1_8?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1308697793&sr=1-8"]Amazon.com: ASUS P8H67-M PRO/CSM <REV 3.0> LGA 1155 Corporate Stable Model Intel H67 DDR3 1333 Micro ATX Motherboard: Electronics@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41PlXWs-odL.@@AMEPARAM@@41PlXWs-odL[/ame] - Asus P8H67 Pro/CSM Intel H67 mATX Motherboard Combo
$130 - 2 x G.Skill Ripjaw Series F3-12800CL9S-8GBRL 2 x 4GB DDR3 1600 RAM
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Spinpoint-Cache-Desktop-HD103SJ/dp/B001U3S5S0/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1301946920&sr=1-1"]Amazon.com: Samsung 1 TB Spinpoint 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.5 inch Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive HD103SJ: Electronics@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ZPq%2BIaQ2L.@@AMEPARAM@@41ZPq%2BIaQ2L[/ame] - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Spinpoint-SATA2-5400rpm-HD204UI/dp/B0042SGDVG/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1308698533&sr=1-1"]Amazon.com: Samsung Spinpoint F4EG 2 TB SATA2 5400rpm 32 MB Hard Drive HD204UI/Z4: Electronics@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41fe7Tloq4L.@@AMEPARAM@@41fe7Tloq4L[/ame] - Samsung Spinpoint F4 HD204UI 2TB 5400 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Seasonic-80Plus-M12II-620-BRONZE/dp/B003HE260I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1308698456&sr=1-1"]Amazon.com: Seasonic 80Plus Power Supply M12II 620 BRONZE: Electronics@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41bRoceIxRL.@@AMEPARAM@@41bRoceIxRL[/ame] - Seasonic M12II 620 BRONZE 620W Modular PSU
---
Total: $680 plus tax and shipping

Notes:
- The above Intel build will outperform that AMD setup while running significantly cooler and using less power.
- The above Samsung 1TB drive is actually faster than most 500GB drives out there.
- Case wise, I do not recommend that Thermaltake case on account of its less than satisfactory cooling performance these days. I'd recommend any of these cases instead:
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Vulcan-Enthusiast-M-ATX-Handle-VULCAN/dp/B003IPOYGK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1308697473&sr=8-1"]Amazon.com: NZXT Vulcan Enthusiast M-ATX Case with Handle VULCAN M-ATX (Black): Electronics@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5146i48KFlL.@@AMEPARAM@@5146i48KFlL[/ame]
$110 - Lian Li PC-V351A Silver mATX Case
$110 - Lian Li PC-V351B Black mATX Case
$130 - Lian Li PC-A04B Black mATX Case
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/SilverStone-Aluminum-Front-Computer-SG03B-F/dp/B00336EFBI/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1308697620&sr=1-1"]Amazon.com: SilverStone Aluminum Front SECC Body Micro ATX Mid Tower Computer Case SG03B-F (Black): Electronics@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41TDWKukoYL.@@AMEPARAM@@41TDWKukoYL[/ame]
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/SilverStone-Aluminum-Structure-Computer-SG04B-F/dp/B002TLST2Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1308697614&sr=1-1"]Amazon.com: SilverStone Aluminum Front Panel/SECC Structure Micro ATX Mid Tower Computer Case SG04B-F (Black): Electronics@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31EsWUhiQ2L.@@AMEPARAM@@31EsWUhiQ2L[/ame]

 

[techbob]

Like I mentioned the primary OS will be Linux/Ubuntu. I'm concerned about Ubuntu support for Sandy Bridge as of right now. I'm confident that within a matter of months incompatibility issues will be resolved. Is anyone using Sandy Bridge with a Debian distro?

 

[Dangman]

Like I mentioned the primary OS will be Linux/Ubuntu. I'm concerned about Ubuntu support for Sandy Bridge as of right now. I'm confident that within a matter of months incompatibility issues will be resolved. Is anyone using Sandy Bridge with a Debian distro?

Never knew about the compatibility issues with a Debian based OS TBH .

If you still want to stick with AMD, then swap out the CPU I chose and you chose for this AMD Phenom II 955:
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/AMD-HDZ955FBGMBOX-Phenom-3-2GHz-Retail/dp/B002TQYUAE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308705128&sr=8-1"]Amazon.com: AMD CPU HDZ955FBGMBOX Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition 3.2GHz AM3 125W Retail: Electronics@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21YIVN9-YAL.@@AMEPARAM@@21YIVN9-YAL[/ame]

Way better value than any of the AMD CPUs posted in this thread so far. If you really want six cores and don't care about the loss of value, than I recommend this:
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/AMD-Phenom-Thuban-Six-Core-Processor/dp/B003FVNC0Q/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1308705155&sr=1-3"]Amazon.com: AMD Phenom II X6 1055T Thuban 2.8 GHz 6x512 KB L2 Cache Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Processor - Retail HDT55TFBGRBOX: Electronics@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31xDI7BL5aL.@@AMEPARAM@@31xDI7BL5aL[/ame]

 

[techbob]

Danny, I have nothing against Intel, and if the current release of Ubuntu supported Sandy Brige, I'd recommend to my friend that he consider it. Linux is always a bit behind. So for new hardware we have to wait.

Some specific questions:

1. Low profile CPU cooler for Phenom X4? This is for a cramped micro-ATX case. Ease of installation is a big plus. Any other suggestions?
ZALMAN CNPS 8700 NT 110mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...k=cpu cooler
$39.99 or Cooler master Geminii S about the same price

2. Modular PSU - Watts ~500 and energy efficient - better than bronze
We need something really good don't want to scrimp on cost here.

Thanks!

 

[Dangman]

1. Low profile CPU cooler for Phenom X4? This is for a cramped micro-ATX case. Ease of installation is a big plus. Any other suggestions?
ZALMAN CNPS 8700 NT 110mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...k=cpu cooler
$39.99 or Cooler master Geminii S about the same price

Solid enough choice.

2. Modular PSU - Watts ~500 and energy efficient - better than bronze
We need something really good don't want to scrimp on cost here.

Probably these are your best bet:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151098
$146 - Seasonic X650 Gold 650W Modular PSU

 

[tonytnnt]

I guess I'm not up to date on my VM performance info, but HTPC + VMs sounds like mismatched performance goals, unless your VMs aren't running while using it as an HTPC. This is mostly because with an HTPC, you generally want it quiet, which means low CPU utilization and quiet fans, or no fans at all. However if you load the VM for an extended period of time, you'll end up with quite a bit of fan noise. Just something to take into consideration. Personally I'd look at having a low power front end HTPC or media extender and then a higher powered server for your files and VMs.

A Microcenter AMD CPU+Motherboard combo might also be a good deal for your needs.

If Intel would get their Linux driver working, I would definitely suggest going Sandy Bridge, but as of May it appears the driver in Ubuntu still isn't 100% and I haven't seen any news updates since then.

Alternatively, just have the server and then get something like a WDTV to stream files from a folder on your network.

For the other parts, I agree with Danny's suggestions.

 

[techbob]

I guess I'm not up to date on my VM performance info, but HTPC + VMs sounds like mismatched performance goals, unless your VMs aren't running while using it as an HTPC. This is mostly because with an HTPC, you generally want it quiet, which means low CPU utilization and quiet fans, or no fans at all. However if you load the VM for an extended period of time, you'll end up with quite a bit of fan noise. Just something to take into consideration. Personally I'd look at having a low power front end HTPC or media extender and then a higher powered server for your files and VMs.

A Microcenter AMD CPU+Motherboard combo might also be a good deal for your needs.

If Intel would get their Linux driver working, I would definitely suggest going Sandy Bridge, but as of May it appears the driver in Ubuntu still isn't 100% and I haven't seen any news updates since then.

Alternatively, just have the server and then get something like a WDTV to stream files from a folder on your network.

For the other parts, I agree with Danny's suggestions.

I agree, HTPC and VMs are mismatched performance goals. The PC will be used either to play media *or* for development/programming with virtual machines. Never at the same time. Also, it will be powered down at night and will be powered up only when in use.

There are no Microcenters in these parts, but will definitely check them out for web ordering. Thanks for the good reminder and feedback. The video built into the Sandy Bridge should be absolutely fine, this is not a gaming machine. It seems like it's a bit too early so don't feel like treading new ground. This PC is for my friend. If it was for me I'd probably go for it with the assumption that solid drivers will be available sometime later this year.

 

[tonytnnt]

I agree, HTPC and VMs are mismatched performance goals. The PC will be used either to play media *or* for development/programming with virtual machines. Never at the same time. Also, it will be powered down at night and will be powered up only when in use.

There are no Microcenters in these parts, but will definitely check them out for web ordering. Thanks for the good reminder and feedback. The video built into the Sandy Bridge should be absolutely fine, this is not a gaming machine. It seems like it's a bit too early so don't feel like treading new ground. This PC is for my friend. If it was for me I'd probably go for it with the assumption that solid drivers will be available sometime later this year.

Sounds good. Microcenter generally doesn't allow for shipping on their cheap CPUs. You can purchase online, but then you have to go into the store for pickup.