Worlds most powerful htpc?

overkill?

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wjturner78

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Sep 12, 2014
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Hi wanted to share my build and get thoughts / critisism

IM trying to build a very powerful all in one gaming store everything htpc and keep it as quiet as possible.

Having recently moving to AZ where the only 2 seasons are hot and hell i was having overheating issues with my servers being locate in the garage ( 1 file server 1 media server and a nas for backups). after lots of debating on what route to take i decided the best option was to keep them in the house but the constant noise would cause my wife to complain. so after much debate i decided to build 1 machine powerful enough to fill the role of the servers and the needs of everyone in the house but make it quiet enough to keep in the living room entertainment center. gaming came up a little into the build. i mostly wanted a good gpu for madvr but figured i might as well make it a decent gamer too.

i chose the gd07 because of its internal space and it has a locking front door (5 kids including 1 2 & 3 year olds). i also wanted to be able to easily transfer media from cameras phones hdd's thumb drives etc. i wanted to have 2 blueray drives so when certain dvds arrived in the mail i could pop both of them in at the same time. i also wanted to have hardware buttons on the front for the wife so that when the kids lost the remote she could still control the volume etc. i know that imon software is utter crap so i plan on using lcd writer along with various scripts and macros to make the imon ultra bay do as i wish.

i researched and trolled the web looking at images of liquid cooled gaming htp's but there wasnt alot of them out there and the few that were usually had external rads or resevoirs. my main goal of this build is to build a rig that looks great and performs flawlessly at multiple different roles simultaneously. i quickly found that this task was more of an undertaking than i originally thought. i have cut on the gd07 more than i wanted too but its starting to turn into what i pictured in my mind when i set out on the build originally

like i said earlier i have 3 very small children and i work so time is a luxury for me but as soon as i can i will post more details of the build and pics of the mods i will also post some benchmarks and stats once its firing on all 6 cylinders

case silverstone gd07
mobo= asus maximus iv black edition
cpu= i7 3970x extreme edition
ram- 64 gigs ripjawsz 2133
pcie ssd= asus raidr 240 gig
storage= 4 3tb seagate barracudas 7200rpm
2 240gb samsung ssd raid 10
2 1tb 2.5 hdssd
gpu= saphire r9-290x
creative sound blaster z
happauge 2250 tuner
happauge colloses hdmi capture card
imon ultra bay
aquaero 6
asus rog oc panel
hot swappable ssd bay
card reader w usb 3.0 esata and always on charge port
2 slim bluray drives
1 140mm noctua fan
2 120mmx12mm fans
2 120mm noctua fans
3 80mm fans
evga 1000w psu
1 240mm rad
1 120mm rad
1 80mm rad
swiftech mcp 355 pump
custom built pump silent box
sleeved led lighting
2 cold cathods
el wire and el tape
everything is mounted with rubber spacers for sound











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I like to keep HTPC simple. But I also just run a server and stream media off it to my smart tvs/bluray/ps3 etc. Less bulk in the HT array
 
i agree there are benefits to a simple htpc. i used to run mac minis due to their small form factor external power brick and optical drives. i kept everything on a nas and had a server for files backups etc in the garage. i decided to cut the cord and not pay for tv or sat and wanted to combine all my machines into one that would be powerful enough to do some gaming with my son and simultaneously serve media and anything else to everything in the house. the tricky part was making it quiet enough to be wife approved!
 
xCWolf said:
I like to keep HTPC simple. But I also just run a server and stream media off it to my smart tvs/bluray/ps3 etc. Less bulk in the HT array
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i agree there are benefits to a simple htpc. i used to run mac minis due to their small form factor external power brick and optical drives. i kept everything on a nas and had a server for files backups etc in the garage. i decided to cut the cord and not pay for tv or sat and wanted to combine all my machines into one that would be powerful enough to do some gaming with my son and simultaneously serve media and anything else to everything in the house. the tricky part was making it quiet enough to be wife approved!
 
Those specs are wayyyyy overkill, and no matter how badass your htpc is, someone else has a more badass one. For some reason. But seriously, I salute you. Good job sir. :)
 
Is 10800p video coming out soon?

But seriously now you just need a display for 4320p 8k video.
 
Like it has been said this is [H]ard after all.
Even if i was rich, I still wouldn't have build an htpc this powerful. Keeping it simple and working is what counts.
 
Poll is lacking.

Where is the choice for "Why the fuck not?"

You got money, spend it how you please. Since you got money, get a higher res camera and take some more pics of this thing. Just don't make the pics too monstrous if you share them here.:cool:
 
I'm just taken by surprise at the kink coils. They seem totally unnecessary because the bends aren't sharp at all; but the whole build is really nice. Must have been a little like doing a Chinese Puzzle box with your feet.
 
I would say it is just about right for proper HTPC gaming and madVR use. Great job!

Is it quiet?
 
CaptNumbNutz said:
Poll is lacking.

Where is the choice for "Why the fuck not?"

You got money, spend it how you please. Since you got money, get a higher res camera and take some more pics of this thing. Just don't make the pics too monstrous if you share them here.:cool:
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This is [H]. Where fully loaded SR-2s with OC'd hexen are used for NAS. :D
 
timta2 said:
Those specs are wayyyyy overkill, and no matter how badass your htpc is, someone else has a more badass one. For some reason. But seriously, I salute you. Good job sir. :)
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Depends on what you are doing. I'm running a 4690k, and a R9-280 in mines, and it's barely is enough for 1080p madvr+smooth video.
 
Alot depends on the tasks. If its an HTPC that serves as a gaming box and media server. Then I wouldn't say its overkill.
 
Meeho said:
I would say it is just about right for proper HTPC gaming and madVR use. Great job!

Is it quiet?
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How much do you get paid for mentioning MadVR in your posts?

This post brought to you by Carl's Jr.
 
Loads, especially since it's free. It being THE standard for Windows HTPC use, it must be really strange when I, amongst others, mention it in a HTPC topic. Even more so when it is the only thing besides gaming that can benefit from high end GPUs such as this. Shocking, I know.
 
I have to ask, how much of a difference does MadVr/LAV really make for HD content playback? I can understand it making SD content look slightly better though.

I've read reports on avsforum/xbmc etc that it doesn't really matter that much.
 
MrCrispy said:
I have to ask, how much of a difference does MadVr/LAV really make for HD content playback? I can understand it making SD content look slightly better though.

I've read reports on avsforum/xbmc etc that it doesn't really matter that much.
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That is subjective. Some notice it, some don't, some like to know they are watching the best possible picture even if they can't see it, some see it but couldn't care less.

1080>1080 needs the least processing, but there are still benefits to be had.
720->1080 is more noticable.
SD->1080 sees big gains, especially with NNEDI.

Then there is smooth motion for 24 FPS on 60 Hz, 3dlut, profiles...
 
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Yeah, it largely depends on what you are watching. I know personally, with some 720p videos, I have, just using SVP alone I'll have occasional artifacts on a 60hz TV I'm using. adding MadVR to the mix eliminates them. MadVR also is great for resizing old SD content for a HD screen. For most people it's overkill, but I can't watch old content without it. It's the first thing I install on any computer, and I've been using it since 0.5
 
SRTie4k said:
I have a hard time believing any system with 8 fans is the least bit quiet.
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Entirely doable with quiet or low RPM fans. I've got four 120's and a GTX660 (2x fans and not the squirrel cage blower) and you basically can't hear it unless i'm running a game then the PSU and GPU fans kick up.
 
CaptNumbNutz said:
Poll is lacking.

Where is the choice for "Why the fuck not?"

You got money, spend it how you please. Since you got money, get a higher res camera and take some more pics of this thing. Just don't make the pics too monstrous if you share them here.:cool:
Click to expand...

This, stat.

Beastly rig man. Hope it'll be enough... :D
 
FnordMan said:
Entirely doable with quiet or low RPM fans. I've got four 120's and a GTX660 (2x fans and not the squirrel cage blower) and you basically can't hear it unless i'm running a game then the PSU and GPU fans kick up.
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That's the point. As soon as you use an application that starts to heat up the GPU/CPU, 8 fans humming together are going to compound to make a racket. Fan noise isn't all about what it sounds like at idle, it's also about what it sounds like at full blast and collectively. That's not what I want to hear during the lulls in my movies/games.

Don't get me wrong, that's a badass system, but I have a feeling it'd be too loud for my tastes for movie watching and gaming.
 
Bluesun311 said:
I'm just taken by surprise at the kink coils. They seem totally unnecessary because the bends aren't sharp at all; but the whole build is really nice. Must have been a little like doing a Chinese Puzzle box with your feet.
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thanks for the compliment.

a chinese puzzle box is the perfect way to describe it. there is so much stuff in there it all has to go in (or come out) in a very specific order or it simply will not fit!

the kink coils are there for 2 reasons 1 is just to keep up the red and black theme and the second is if you look close enough there is el wire and a koolance leak sensing wireunder the coils....
 
I don't know about him, but I don't experience any real significant noise issues unless I'm playing games. Even then, it's no different than a old 360. You just can't go with what's on sale, you need to do some research on buying items that are known to be quiet, or has better than average cooling solutions that makes it quieter.
 
SRTie4k said:
That's the point. As soon as you use an application that starts to heat up the GPU/CPU, 8 fans humming together are going to compound to make a racket. Fan noise isn't all about what it sounds like at idle, it's also about what it sounds like at full blast and collectively. That's not what I want to hear during the lulls in my movies/games.

Don't get me wrong, that's a badass system, but I have a feeling it'd be too loud for my tastes for movie watching and gaming.
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its possible that your right but i sure hope your wrong lol. i replaced the psu fan with a ultra quiet 140 noctua and used noctuas as much as i could there were 2 120mm fans that needed to be 12mm thick an the 80's needed to be slim as well. according to manufacter specs the loudest fan will be under 22 db
 
Ryokurin said:
I don't know about him, but I don't experience any real significant noise issues unless I'm playing games. Even then, it's no different than a old 360. You just can't go with what's on sale, you need to do some research on buying items that are known to be quiet, or has better than average cooling solutions that makes it quieter.
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its not yet finished but ill post db reaings here when it is.

im assuming that watching video rips or streaming content itll be super quiet. while gaming i hope its quiet but can live with playing my games louer if it isnt! ;D
 
SRTie4k said:
I have a hard time believing any system with 8 fans is the least bit quiet.
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Sure, he will get bonus points if its quiet, but if it isn't quiet that won't ruin the machine. Its a home theater pc, media is its forte. Just crank the volume, rock out, and you never have to worry about hearing fans. :p Besides, if it is loud during quiet movie scenes, he could put the thing in a well ventilated closet or cabinet to muffle it a little.

wjturner78 said:
thanks,

ill post more details of it as soon as its up and running on all 6 cyliners!!!
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Please. I also want to see how the heck you crammed that iMon in there with all the other wires. That isn't an easy feat.:cool:

Don't let the naysayers deter you. I don't care if its overkill and all you do is watch youtube on this thing. It may or may not be the most powerful HTPC out there, but it is a well built machine.
 
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I would have ditched the sound card in favor of a high end receiver and just use HDMI from the video card.

My HTPC specs are below, my Logitech Z5500 speakers died recently so I got a Yamaha RX-A2040 and a nice speaker package to replace them and ditched my sound card. The sound is infinitely better and the DAC on the Yamaha is superior to the X-Fi.

Conventional hard disks are pretty noisy too, like others have said, get a storage server or NAS and then you can ditch the traditional hard disks.
 
CaptNumbNutz said:
Sure, he will get bonus points if its quiet, but if it isn't quiet that won't ruin the machine. Its a home theater pc, media is its forte. Just crank the volume, rock out, and you never have to worry about hearing fans. :p Besides, if it is loud during quiet movie scenes, he could put the thing in a well ventilated closet or cabinet to muffle it a little.
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The only issue with this is if you have a small house with young children, if you have to turn up the volume to drown out the PC you run the risk of waking the kids.

There is one thing you can do to over come this though, get a complete set of PWM fans and let the CPU fan header control them, that way it only gets loud when you are putting the system under stress, and media is not that demanding. It's important that you connect all the PWM fans to the CPU fan header as that is the only header that throttle the fans lower than 60% on Asus boards. Its pretty easy to jimmy up a connector that will pass the PWM signal while powering the fans off the PSU.

I recently did this to my X58 system and my HTPC and they are barely audible while idling.

Also, why get an evga PSU? wouldn't you be better served by a Seasonic? did you check the PSU recommendations thread?
 
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Whats the point of the Imon Ultra bay when you are most likely to use a remote with an HTPC? Just to have an info display?
 
The Lurker said:
Whats the point of the Imon Ultra bay when you are most likely to use a remote with an HTPC? Just to have an info display?
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The imon serves a couple of roles.

first it allows the pc to be powered on and off along with suspend resume functions using the ir remote.

Secondly with so many kids in the house the remote is frequently mispl@misplaced so hardware buttons for volume ffast forward rewind etc are a plus

third I needed 2 devices capable of ir so I could control the rig while the door was open or cosed
 
how are you doing "2 240gb samsung ssd raid 10"

(doesnt raid10 need 4 drives?)
 
Deimos said:
The only issue with this is if you have a small house with young children, if you have to turn up the volume to drown out the PC you run the risk of waking the kids.

There is one thing you can do to over come this though, get a complete set of PWM fans and let the CPU fan header control them, that way it only gets loud when you are putting the system under stress, and media is not that demanding. It's important that you connect all the PWM fans to the CPU fan header as that is the only header that throttle the fans lower than 60% on Asus boards. Its pretty easy to jimmy up a connector that will pass the PWM signal while powering the fans off the PSU.

I recently did this to my X58 system and my HTPC and they are barely audible while idling.

Also, why get an evga PSU? wouldn't you be better served by a Seasonic? did you check the PSU recommendations thread?
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all of the fans except the 140mm noctua thats in the psu are pwm. the aquaero will control fan speed/voltage depending upon specific preconfigured profiles and temp readings.

the mechanical drives are only for storing dvd isos so they should spin up very infrequently except during burning or playback.

unfortunately i didnt check the psu thread. i purchased it because i knew i could replace its fan with a noctua and have no issue mounting my res to it.
 
wjturner78 said:
The imon serves a couple of roles.

first it allows the pc to be powered on and off along with suspend resume functions using the ir remote.

Secondly with so many kids in the house the remote is frequently mispl@misplaced so hardware buttons for volume ffast forward rewind etc are a plus

third I needed 2 devices capable of ir so I could control the rig while the door was open or cosed
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First. You can do that with a 15 EHOME IR receiver.

Second. You need to beat your kids :rolleyes:

Third. With an external IR receiver it wont matter.
 
The Lurker said:
First. You can do that with a 15 EHOME IR receiver.

Second. You need to beat your kids :rolleyes:

Third. With an external IR receiver it wont matter.
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I actually suggested beating the kids but my wife says she is pretty sure there are laws against it ; D
 
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