First HTPC Build

[Noupoi]

Hey everyone, this is my first post on AnandTech. I'll be getting a new TV soon and plan to build a budget HPTC. While I've built a gaming PC before, this is my first SFF / HTPC build.

CPU: Intel Pentium G850 £65
Motherboard: MSI H67MA-E35 £60.00
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8 GB £40
Optical drive: LiteOn iHAS124 £15
Hard drive: WD 1TB Caviar Green £75
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 £30
PSU: Corsair Builder Series CX430 £35
Keyboard + Mouse: Logitech Wireless Touch Keyboard K400 £30


Here's the quiz from the sticked thread:
1. What YOUR PC will be used for.
As a HTPC
2. What YOUR budget is.
Around £400
3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
The UK
4. IF YOU have a brand preference.
I lean towards Intel CPU's, though I'm quite happy to go with an AMD cpu if it's a better deal.
5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts.
Nope, don't really have any spare parts.
7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
Stock speeds
8. What resolution will you be using?
1080P
9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Hopefully in the next two weeks

There are also a few other parts I am considering:
The Silverstone ML03B case (~£55)

I will be using the HTPC in this set up:

If I opt for the Fractal Design case, or any other micro ATX case, it'll probably go in the space to the left, but if I go for the Silverstone case, it'll go under the TV. Only problem is that it'll be competing for space with a Xbox 360, Sky HD box, and possibly a BT Vision box. Though if I do get the Silverstone case, I'll probably get 4 Fractal Design Silent Series 80mm fans (£5 x 4 = £20).

Also, I am considering an aftermarket heatsink that would run quieter, such as the Scythe Big Shuriken 2 (£40) or the Scythe Kozut (£30) , though this would bring me further above my budget. >.<'

Any comments or suggestions for better alternative parts would be appreciated .

 

[Zap]

Pretty decent looking parts list. I would personally go for the ML03B case, but that's because I want my HTPCs to look like home theater equipment, not a tower computer.

I'd say keep the stock cooling, because very likely the Corsair PSU will be noisier.

 

[mfenn]

Parts list looks decent. I have a few suggestions though:
- You won't notice the difference between the G850 you have picked out and a G620 at £46.
- No reason to get fancy RAM for an HTPC. This Corsair saves you a few quid at £36.
- I'd take those savings and put them towards a 7200RPM drive at £83. A 5400RPM can make the whole system feel pretty pokey.

 

[Noupoi]

Pretty decent looking parts list. I would personally go for the ML03B case, but that's because I want my HTPCs to look like home theater equipment, not a tower computer.

I'd say keep the stock cooling, because very likely the Corsair PSU will be noisier.

Parts list looks decent. I have a few suggestions though:
- You won't notice the difference between the G850 you have picked out and a G620 at £46.
- No reason to get fancy RAM for an HTPC. This Corsair saves you a few quid at £36.
- I'd take those savings and put them towards a 7200RPM drive at £83. A 5400RPM can make the whole system feel pretty pokey.

Thanks for the replies.

I've decided that I'm going to stretch the budget a bit, and keep the RAM and CPU in case I ever need to do any transcoding, but I'll switch to a Barracuda HDD.

Also, going with the HTPC cases, I've just measured the space where the system will be going, and as it happens, the space is about 44cm, which conveniently is the about same as the ML03B case, effectively blocking the side fan intakes. :| I am now considering Antec NSK1480 which comes with a 350W PSU, and is 39cm wide, though a drawback of this is that does not come with front-panel USB 3.0.

Any suggestions for cases that fit with the following dimensions would be welcomed : Width: 44cm, Height: 14 cm, Depth: 40cm

 

[ShaitanTheGreat]

You did not mention a TV tuner card. I have a Hauppauge 2250 which I would recommend to anybody building a HTPC.

 

[ShaitanTheGreat]

Also, let me second the mention for 7200 rpm drives. You're staring out small now, but I for one have expanded out to have multiple computers, iPhones, an iPad and an Xbox360 which all are used to watch my recorded TV shows. So what I'm saying is that if you hit the point when you're recording two shows, watching another and even sometimes having another person watch something all off the same HTPC (and this happens quite often for me), then you'll be happy to have the faster hard drive.

 

[Noupoi]

You did not mention a TV tuner card. I have a Hauppauge 2250 which I would recommend to anybody building a HTPC.

Also, let me second the mention for 7200 rpm drives. You're staring out small now, but I for one have expanded out to have multiple computers, iPhones, an iPad and an Xbox360 which all are used to watch my recorded TV shows. So what I'm saying is that if you hit the point when you're recording two shows, watching another and even sometimes having another person watch something all off the same HTPC (and this happens quite often for me), then you'll be happy to have the faster hard drive.

I've decided to go with a Seagate Barracuda 7200rpm drive.
As for the TV tuner, my TV (the Panasonic TX-P50G30B) supports recording to an external USB hard drive, which I already have, allowing me to record, pause and rewind live DVB-T2 tv, so I don't really think a seperate tuner is necessary. Also, I have a PCTV Nanostick T2 tuner plugged into my desktop that I can move if need be.

 

[mfenn]

I've decided that I'm going to stretch the budget a bit, and keep the RAM and CPU in case I ever need to do any transcoding, but I'll switch to a Barracuda HDD.

The fancy RAM won't make a difference unless you are trying to measure the difference between different RAM speeds by benchmarking. The differences between the two CPUs is also quite small, right around 10%.

 

[Noupoi]

The fancy RAM won't make a difference unless you are trying to measure the difference between different RAM speeds by benchmarking. The differences between the two CPUs is also quite small, right around 10%.

I appreciate what you mean about the RAM, but for a difference of less than £3, I'm prepared to stay with the RAM with the better specs.

With the CPU, 10% is a difference I am willing to pay for, when it comes to working with large archives and PAR2 files.

I have also found that I am within my budget, so these are the parts that I'll probably be sticking with:

Thanks everyone for their comments. I'll be ordering the parts soon.

 

[Binky]

That's a pretty tight space. Heat might be an issue. Is it enclosed, or it it the open bays on the stand?

I'd probably stick with a quieter and cooler 5400 rpm drive, then eventually drop an SSD in it.

 

[Noupoi]

That's a pretty tight space. Heat might be an issue. Is it enclosed, or it it the open bays on the stand?

I'd probably stick with a quieter and cooler 5400 rpm drive, then eventually drop an SSD in it.

The shelf does not reach all the way to the back of the cabinet, so I air can flow between both sections. Also, there's about 4-5cm of space above the case, and the same in terms of width, so I reckon the airflow should be acceptable.

 

[Charlie98]

- I'd take those savings and put them towards a 7200RPM drive... A 5400RPM can make the whole system feel pretty pokey.

That's good to know... I was considering a WD Green 5400RPM drive for my HTPC... :hmm:

 

[Noupoi]

Quick update for all, I've built my HTPC and have it set up. Again, thanks to all that helped!

Pictures below:

I ended up also getting a right-angled PSU cable and right angled HDMI cable to try and make the case fit better in the available space. While the case still sticks out a bit, it's much better than before.

 

[DesiPower]

congrats, job well done! make sure the box gets enough ventilation.

 

[mfenn]

Looks nice!