Media PC build

TheTrickster · 7 Jan 2013 at 16:34

Hey,

I currently have an overclockers Titan Decimator (TD) that I am going to strip out and build a PC for my front room, I will mostly be using for streaming video (SD & HD) to the TV, but will also use it for some light gaming (Steam Big Picture & an xbox controller FTW)

So I would really like to do this on the smallest possible budget and build it into the smallest possible case. No fluorecent lights,leds or any of the gaming PC razzamatazz (To quote my wife "it must be small, look grown up and subtle)
what do you recommend i replace from the TD,and what shall I salvage? I am happy to run onboard graphics and sound (but I may get a low powered cheap Gx card upgrade in the future)

The Decimator spec is as follows:

System Specification
- Case: Antec 300 Gaming case - Black
- Power Supply: Corsair Extreme 600W
- CPU: AMD Phenom II X6 Six Core 1055T 95W Edition 2.80GHz overclocked to 3.80GHz
- Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-880GM-UD2H 880G
- Cooler: Titan Fenrir CPU Cooler
- RAM: Corsair XMS3 (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit
- Hard Drive: Seagate Baracuda 7200.12 500GB 16MB Cache
- Graphics Card: Intergrated ATI Radeon HD 4250 with HDMI, DVI and VGA ports or a choice of latest DX11 cards.
- Sound: 7.1 Channel Sound (On-Board)
- Optical Drive: LG DVD+/-RW SATA Drive
- Cooling: 2x Xigmatek Crystal White LED Fans

Grimley · 7 Jan 2013 at 17:03

YOUR BASKET
1 x Silverstone Grandia GD05 Desktop HTPC Case - Black (SST-GD05B USB3.0) £79.99
1 x Noctua NH-L12 CPU Cooler (Socket 775 / 1155 / 1156 / 1366 / 2011 / AM2 / AM2+ / AM3 / FM1 / FM2) £44.99
Total : £138.48 (includes shipping : £11.25).

These 2 are your best bet.
The case is probably the smallest & cheapest case you can get that will take your existing power supply. The cooler is probably the best OCUK have right now for that case (it has to be 70mm max height & only one fan can be used)

AFAIK AMD 6 core CPU's can get a bit toasty too (especially when overclocked)

Dunno if any of the closed loop liquid CPU coolers would fit in that case either.

Alternative:

YOUR BASKET
1 x Silverstone LaScala LC10 HTPC Case - Black (SST-LC10B-E USB 3.0) £79.99
1 x Noctua NH-U9B SE2 CPU Cooler (Socket 775 / 1155 / 1156 / 1366 / 2011 / AM2 / AM2+ / AM3 / FM1 / FM2) £40.00
Total : £131.09 (includes shipping : £9.25).

Bit bigger case but the cooler would be more suitable. (I own 2 LC17 cases, same size as this one) & that cooler would fit, more air in the case for the cpu to breathe.

TheTrickster · 7 Jan 2013 at 17:43

Thanks Grimley,

I forgot to add i also have a Corsair H70? (maybe a 50) that was added to the old TD last year and an OZ SSD that i was going to use for the OS install. do you think the Corsair will fit the La Scarla case or would it be a fiddly job (tbh i struggles a bit to intall it in the huge Antec case i currently have, as i have fat fingers)

I just checked your website and will be sure to bookmark it and follow your build guide as best i can..keep up the good work

snips86x · 7 Jan 2013 at 18:34

TheTrickster said:
Thanks Grimley,

I forgot to add i also have a Corsair H70? (maybe a 50) that was added to the old TD last year and an OZ SSD that i was going to use for the OS install. do you think the Corsair will fit the La Scarla case or would it be a fiddly job (tbh i struggles a bit to intall it in the huge Antec case i currently have, as i have fat fingers)

I just checked your website and will be sure to bookmark it and follow your build guide as best i can..keep up the good work

Providing the case has space for a 120mm fan, the H70 (or50) should fit fine.

Grimley · 7 Jan 2013 at 18:45

TheTrickster said:
Thanks Grimley,

I forgot to add i also have a Corsair H70? (maybe a 50) that was added to the old TD last year and an OZ SSD that i was going to use for the OS install. do you think the Corsair will fit the La Scarla case or would it be a fiddly job (tbh i struggles a bit to intall it in the huge Antec case i currently have, as i have fat fingers)

I just checked your website and will be sure to bookmark it and follow your build guide as best i can..keep up the good work

Thanks. It may fit the GD05 but it wont fit the LC17.

TheTrickster · 8 Jan 2013 at 00:08

Grimley said:
Thanks. It may fit the GD05 but it wont fit the LC17.

But the GD05 is the smaller case overall?

GD5: - Dimensions: 440 mm (W) x 151 mm (H) x 325 mm (D)
LC17: - Dimensions: 430mm(W) x 170.2mm(H) x 425.5mm(D)

or is the problem the layout?

beejjacobs · 8 Jan 2013 at 00:37

snips86x said:
Providing the case has space for a 120mm fan, the H70 (or50) should fit fine.

TheTrickster said:
But the GD05 is the smaller case overall?

GD5: - Dimensions: 440 mm (W) x 151 mm (H) x 325 mm (D)
LC17: - Dimensions: 430mm(W) x 170.2mm(H) x 425.5mm(D)

or is the problem the layout?

As snips86x said it needs a 120mm fan mount to be fitted to, which the GD05 has:

- Rear Cooling: 2 x 80mm fan slots (optional mounting)
- Side Cooling: Right: 2 x 120mm intake fans, 1200rpm, 20dBA / Left: 1 x 120mm intake fan, 1200rpm, 20dBA

and the LaScala doesn't:

- Front Cooling: 2 x 92mm or 80mm fan slots
- Rear Cooling: 2 x 80mm exhaust, 2050rpm, 21dBA
- Side Cooling: 1 x 80mm fan slot & PSU vents

Though just having a fan mount isn't sufficient, the layout must allow it to and judging by the pictures I don't think it will due to the optical drive bay and motherboard positioning.