Soldato
- Joined
- 29 Aug 2010
- Posts
- 8,263
- Location
- Cornwall
Hi all,
I'm thinking of putting together an HTPC. Well sort of, it's probably not truely considered an HTPC in that it probably wont be that small, but it will be a PC used mostly for web surfing, e-mail and watching DVD/Blu-rays and video files.
I'm thinking of using this case:
Cooler Master Elite 360 Mini Tower Case
Because it looks like it can nicely be laid on its side and it seems like you can use fairly standard components in it rather than requiring low profile this and a short one of that. Plus it's cheap.
Has anyone used one of these cases before? Are they any good? Can anyone suggest anything better for similar money?
Now I've got an old AM3 motherboard (GA-880GM-UD2H), 4GB DDR3 RAM, 750W XClio PSU (overkill I suspect, but I've got it lying around), DVD drive, SSD & HDD.
What I need is a CPU, a CPU cooler and an OS.
Phenom II chips seem quite hard to get hold of these days. The 960T seems to be a good chip, but seems a little overkill for a HTPC? Would an Athlon II X3 be ok? Is that a little pricey compared to the 960T?
I'm also not sure what to do about the CPU cooler. I doubt I'll be overclocking the PC, but I would like it running quiet. The Antec Kuhler 620 seems to be a decent enough price, but is it quiet? Also is it adding unnecessary complication? If I go air cooling I imagine I'll need a cooler where the fan is parallel to the motherboard. Any suggestions?
I'm assuming the onboard graphics will be good enough for HTPC duties?
As far as an OS goes, how viable is Linux as a HTPC OS? Do all linux flavours support TRIM? I'm guessing 64-bit Win7 would be best?
What about WiFi cards? Will I be ok with a nice cheap OcUK or TP-Link PCI-e card?
Any suggestions for a wireless keyboard and mouse? (I think keyboard and mouse might be better than keyboard with built in trackpad as I hate trackpads. Although a trackpad would be nice if I had a mouse as well.)
Is there a better option than getting a cpu for the AM3 board? I imagine I'd struggle to get a decent cpu and motherboard for the price of the 960T?
Also, if connecting to the TV via HDMI do I need any special connectors to get the sound from the onboard sound to the HDMI port? Also interested if this would be different if I bought a dedicated graphics card with HDMI.
Thanks for any help and advice.
I'm thinking of putting together an HTPC. Well sort of, it's probably not truely considered an HTPC in that it probably wont be that small, but it will be a PC used mostly for web surfing, e-mail and watching DVD/Blu-rays and video files.
I'm thinking of using this case:
Cooler Master Elite 360 Mini Tower Case
Because it looks like it can nicely be laid on its side and it seems like you can use fairly standard components in it rather than requiring low profile this and a short one of that. Plus it's cheap.
Has anyone used one of these cases before? Are they any good? Can anyone suggest anything better for similar money?
Now I've got an old AM3 motherboard (GA-880GM-UD2H), 4GB DDR3 RAM, 750W XClio PSU (overkill I suspect, but I've got it lying around), DVD drive, SSD & HDD.
What I need is a CPU, a CPU cooler and an OS.
Phenom II chips seem quite hard to get hold of these days. The 960T seems to be a good chip, but seems a little overkill for a HTPC? Would an Athlon II X3 be ok? Is that a little pricey compared to the 960T?
I'm also not sure what to do about the CPU cooler. I doubt I'll be overclocking the PC, but I would like it running quiet. The Antec Kuhler 620 seems to be a decent enough price, but is it quiet? Also is it adding unnecessary complication? If I go air cooling I imagine I'll need a cooler where the fan is parallel to the motherboard. Any suggestions?
I'm assuming the onboard graphics will be good enough for HTPC duties?
As far as an OS goes, how viable is Linux as a HTPC OS? Do all linux flavours support TRIM? I'm guessing 64-bit Win7 would be best?
What about WiFi cards? Will I be ok with a nice cheap OcUK or TP-Link PCI-e card?
Any suggestions for a wireless keyboard and mouse? (I think keyboard and mouse might be better than keyboard with built in trackpad as I hate trackpads. Although a trackpad would be nice if I had a mouse as well.)
Is there a better option than getting a cpu for the AM3 board? I imagine I'd struggle to get a decent cpu and motherboard for the price of the 960T?
Also, if connecting to the TV via HDMI do I need any special connectors to get the sound from the onboard sound to the HDMI port? Also interested if this would be different if I bought a dedicated graphics card with HDMI.
Thanks for any help and advice.