Spec: Mini-ITX HTPC

[gee3000]

Hey

Building a HTPC for multimedia needs, playback on a 1080p 37" tv. Considering a few of the following. Please advise..

• Case: Compucase 8K01 comes with 120w psu - £40 (from elsewhere)
• Mobo: Zotac GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi Mini-ITX - £113.99
• CPU Cooler: Akasa AK-CC044B Low Profile CPU Cooler (Socket LGA775) - £11.99
• Hard Drive: using an existing samsung f1 1tb 3.5" sata-ii ~ £0

I need spec on the following:

• CPU: cheap but decent ~ budget £50
• RAM: cheap but decent ~ budget £50
• DVD Drive: must be slimline, prefer slot loading ~ budget £40
• Sound card: Was recommended this but not sure if I need it? - £34.99 - will be outputting to a 5.1 system with built in amp..

Want to keep the cost low as possible. And of course I'm completely open to any suggestions as this is my first htpc build.

Thanks!

 

[bigsharn]

For a HTPC you'd be better off getting the Zotac ION ITX-B board, it's not as powerful but it should work at 120W, and save you a good £60 on the CPU and cooler

Just so you know, DDR2 RAM has practically doubled in price, so you won't get more than 2Gb for that price (though it IS a HTPC, so the most you would ever need is 2Gb)

 

[apilbeam]

my opinion:
CPU something like an E5200 ~£50
RAM: 2Gb of the cheapest 800Mhz branded memory (kingston, OCZ, corsair etc)
DVD: Samsung SN-S083C/BEBE is on OCUK shop for around £26, think you will struggle to find a slot loader slimline personally. also, with this, you will need a mini-sata power adapter for this.
Wouldnt bother with a sound card. the onboard is fine on the Zotac, also, you would have to get a PCI-E one as there are no PCI slots on the Zotac.
I think you have made the good choice on Motherboard, the 120W PSU will easily handle it all.

 

[gee3000]

Thanks guys. This is how the spec's now looking:

• Case: Compucase 8K01 comes with 120w psu - £40 (from elsewhere)
• Mobo: Zotac GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi Mini-ITX - £113.99
• CPU Cooler: Akasa AK-CC044B Low Profile CPU Cooler (Socket LGA775) - £11.99
• Hard Drive: using an existing samsung f1 1tb 3.5" sata-ii ~ £0
• CPU: Intel Dual Core E5400 2.7ghz - £56 (from elsewhere)
• RAM: 2GB OCZ or Corsair 800mhz- £30
• DVD Drive: Sony Slimline Slot loading DVDRW x8 - £40
• Extras: Mini sata power cable - £3

Total: £295 inc vat & postage

Anyone have any final suggestions or warnings?
Will I have any issues with cpu heat, power, etc?

Will post pics and my thoughts once I get built.

 

[cmndr_andi]

Howabout getting this deal (Q8200 + InWin BP655 case for £103)? All in, it will be about £10 more expensive, but for that you will get a quad core CPU and a great case(i'm not exactly knocking the compucase, but the InWin is better).

Also, the InWin case takes full-size DVD (or blu ray ) drives, so that should save you some money.

Edit: Unfortunately, it looks like that deal is over now. However, I would suggest having a look for the new E6300 Intel Pentium Dual core. Its about the same cost as the CPU you specified, but a decent chunk better. You may also want to give this case a look, as the cheaper normal-sized DVD drive will make up for the more expensive case.

 

[gee3000]

I've done a bit of googling on E5200/5300/5400 vs Q8200 and the E's are getting overwhelming favour mainly down to their "raw power"?.. Can anyone advise which CPU would be better for my HTPC build?

Btw it looks like the price is still £103 - Did I miss a lower price?

Thanks.

 

[cmndr_andi]

Apologies, please ignore that edit - I must have misread the product page. The Quad core + free case deal seems to be very much on.

As for E5x00 vs Q8200 - I will get back to you with some decent reviews. However, I do know that the Q8200 can decode 1080p video without any trouble. What other uses will you need the HTPC to do?

Edit: Check out this review. In games, the Q8200 is a bit faster than the 2.8GHz E6300. However, in multithreaded apps, the Q8200 is significantly faster. Also, bear in mind the E6300 is a good chunk faster than any of the E5000 series, so the difference will be even larger.

 

[gee3000]

Err nothing very demanding tbh. Mostly just the following;

• Play mkv/avi files output to 1080p 37" tv
• Occassionally output to my 24" @ 1920 x 1200
• Play music to sound system/av box
• Connect to my wifi network for file sharing
• Serve/Stream my files via internet (inc. iTunes library via Simplify Media)
• Accept my iPhone as a remote control for VLC, iTunes and other media players

I have an E8400 system for my main use, gaming, browsing etc.