HTPC spec

aspirins · 16 Mar 2010 at 17:57

Looking to build a HTPC, will probably do nothing other than play media. I tried an ASRock ION thing a while ago and didn't get on with it, so trying a new approach... will this work? Any better suggestions? Budget is £350 ish. But I can go a little higher if it'll be realllly worth it. Don't need a hard drive/optical drive.

Asus M4A785TD-M Evo AMD 785G (Socket AM3) DDR3 microATX Motherboard £69.99

Corsair Value Select 2GB (1x2GB) DDR3 PC3-10666C9 1333MHz Memory Module (VS2GB1333D3 G) £49.98

AMD Athlon II X2 Dual Core 240 2.80GHz (Socket AM3) - Retail 46.99

Total so far...£166

So I need PSU and case (black one!), and I guess some sort of cooling?

I plan to control it with a harmony remote, so something with an IR sensor would be nice. I looked at the Lian-Li C33, but I'm not sure whether it has one or not!

Any suggestions greatly received!

Thanks

mrteabag · 16 Mar 2010 at 19:26

Have you thought about a dedicated gpu

cmndr_andi · 16 Mar 2010 at 19:31

mrteabag said:
Have you thought about a dedicated gpu

If it is just for playing media (as stated) the onboard HD 4200 IGP will be sufficient. It deals with 1080p just fine.

As for case and PSU, I quite like the look of this one.

aspirins · 16 Mar 2010 at 21:02

Thanks, think I've decided on the Antec Fusion Remote Case

Antec Fusion Remote HTPC Case - Black [0761345-00681-1] 122.99

and is this PSU ok?

OCZ StealthXStream 400w Silent Power Supply [OCZ400SXS-UK] 32.99

Will I need a CPU cooler or will it be ok?

The motherboard/CPU/memory all ok? Or is there better available for not much cost?

I'm at 322 with the above.. thanks.

cmndr_andi · 16 Mar 2010 at 21:07

Nice one, its a good case. However, if you want to keep costs down then the Micro fusion remote I linked to is worth a look - it will fit all the stuff you need, is £37 cheaper than the full size one and includes perfectly good PSU.

However, if you want to stick with the full size remote case, I would suggest spending a little more on this PSU - it is better quality.

The mobo/CPU/memory you picked are ideal for your uses.

aspirins · 17 Mar 2010 at 15:49

I've changed my mind again on the case, going with the Lian-Li PC-C37B.

Only thing I need to know is will the stock cpu cooler fit in the case?

Thanks again

spudbynight · 17 Mar 2010 at 16:52

Get an SSD if you can afford it. The clicks from the HD on my HTPC drive me crazy....

cmndr_andi · 17 Mar 2010 at 17:03

spudbynight said:
Get an SSD if you can afford it. The clicks from the HD on my HTPC drive me crazy....

SSD for an HTPC? Thats madness, storing 10 HD films will cost £200.

If the existing drive is too loud, I'd suggest going for a new 5400RPM drive like a samsung F2 or WD Green, they are nice and quiet.

aspirins · 17 Mar 2010 at 17:08

Any ideas on the cooler?

cmndr_andi · 17 Mar 2010 at 17:14

I think it will be fine.

This is a look inside the case, and this is the stock CPU cooler.

Looks like there will be plenty of clearance.

spudbynight · 17 Mar 2010 at 19:41

cmndr_andi said:
SSD for an HTPC? Thats madness, storing 10 HD films will cost £200.

If the existing drive is too loud, I'd suggest going for a new 5400RPM drive like a samsung F2 or WD Green, they are nice and quiet.

No, it is SPARTA!

My next HTPC will have an SSD to boot. You just stream the media from a home server. No need to store it locally.