Spec me a mini htpc build

jonneymendoza · 28 Dec 2010 at 23:03

Hi, can anybody help me spec a cheap intel gaming htpc?

i already have a old seasonic PSU i will use as well as a case, OS and graphics card. i mainly just need a cpu, mobo and ram to start me off.

i want it to be fast enough to play and record 720p and 1080p videos without any lag. will a dual core do? i want a mobo where it offers me a bit of an upgrade path to upgrade from a dual to quad core if i need the extra cores later on.

trying to keep it all under £200 for now. Will my old seasonic PSU which is around 400w work fine on a dual core? it currently poweres my pentium 4 lol.

if not, might need to toss in a PSU on that £200 budget. The GPU im going to install on it is a 260gtx. ALso will be attaching 3 hdd's as well and around 2-3 case fans if that helps narrow the psu spec down.

fed up with my pentium 4. struggling to play 720p let alone 1080p. i just need something to get me going. Need it to be a reliable brand so not too cheap stuff.

cheers again

RJC · 28 Dec 2010 at 23:08

Quad core already:

Your basketProduct Name Qty Price Line Total
AMD Athlon II X4 Quad Core 630 2.80GHz (Socket AM3) - Retail £75.19
(£63.99) £75.19
(£63.99)
Gigabyte GA-880GM-UD2H AMD 880G (Socket AM3) microATX DDR3 Motherboard £69.98
(£59.56) £69.98
(£59.56)
Corsair XMS3 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (CMX4GX3M2A1600C9) £38.76
(£32.99) £38.76
(£32.99)
Sub Total : £156.54
Shipping cost assumes delivery to UK Mainland with:
DPD Next Day Parcel
(This can be changed during checkout) Shipping : £9.00
VAT is being charged at 17.50% VAT : £28.97
Total : £194.51

jonneymendoza · 29 Dec 2010 at 00:56

looks like a good system. thanks. will consider those specs

jonneymendoza · 29 Dec 2010 at 11:23

Any other comments?

Cookeh · 29 Dec 2010 at 12:00

RJC's is as good as it gets.

If, however, you want to save some money, an X3 445 would do the job just as well, and let you squeeze in a cheap aftermarket cooler, like the Hyper 101
OR, if you feel like splashing out another £5 for a Freezer 7 Pro.