Gaming HTPC Build

[Bibble]

1. What YOUR PC will be used for.
Gaming, Streaming, Movies (blu-ray)

2. What YOUR budget is.
$1100-1200

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
USA

5. IF YOU have a brand preference.
Intel CPU

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
Will be hooked up to my TV and I have an old wireless mouse/keyboard

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
Would overclocking provide any noticeable advantages over running at stock?

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?
1920X1080

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
I'm not in a rush, I just figured now is probably when the best deals will be

10. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?
Windows and yes probably blu ray software eventually, but no rush on that front

I'm looking to construct an HTPC for my living room to use for gaming, movie/music streaming, and the occasional blu-ray. I am pretty set on using the Fractal Design Node 605 as my case because it will fit into my entertainment center without standing out. The use of this case pretty much mandates a mATX build, modular PS, slim BDD, and a graphics card no longer than 11.4" (290mm). Additionally, reviews indicate this case is not very good at keeping components cool, so coupled with the fact that this is going to be mostly surrounded by wooden furniture tells me temperatures will not be great. Would this matter should I choose to OC? I'd rather have this a little quieter than a little faster.

Additionally, I intend to run the HDMI from the video card to my Yamaha receiver. Would I run into any problems with this vs going straight to my TV?

I am fortunate enough to live near a Micro Center and my state does not charge tax for Newegg or Amazon so I am pretty flexible when it comes to stores.

Here's what I have in mind:

CPU: i5 4570 - $169 from Micro Center after tax
Mobo: ASRock H87M Pro4 Micro ATX - $73 from Newegg
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 (will run at 1600mhz for H87) - $50 at Newegg
SSD: Seagate 600 240GB - $130 at Newegg
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB - $10 AR+Amex at TigerDirect
GPU: EVGA GTX760 SC - $229 open box from Micro Center after tax
PS: Rosewill Hive 550w semi-modular - $40 AR at Newegg
Case: Fractal Node 605 - $148 at Micro Center after tax
BDD: Panasonic UJ240 slim BDD - $54 off Ebay
OS: Windows 8.1 - $105
Total: $1008

 

[Termie]

A few thoughts for you. It seems you're trying to build a high end gaming htpc. There must always be compromise, and I think you need to step down the video card. First of all, I'm not convinced it will fit due to its extra-tall cooler, but even if it did, that case will simply overheat with that card inside. It has insufficient airflow. You seemed worried about a cpu overclock, but honestly that's not your main issue. Also keep in mind that you'll get very little overclock with a stock cooler anyway.

Consider a gtx670 for $250 or an hd 7870 for $130.

 

[Bibble]

A few thoughts for you. It seems you're trying to build a high end gaming htpc. There must always be compromise, and I think you need to step down the video card. First of all, I'm not convinced it will fit due to its extra-tall cooler, but even if it did, that case will simply overheat with that card inside. It has insufficient airflow. You seemed worried about a cpu overclock, but honestly that's not your main issue. Also keep in mind that you'll get very little overclock with a stock cooler anyway.

Consider a gtx670 for $250 or an hd 7870 for $130.

Thanks for the quick response. I'm certainly open to stepping down on the graphics a bit if it means avoid my computer overheating. Do you have experience with this case?

I forgot to mention a CPU cooler since I am very much on the fence about OCing anyway, but yes I'm aware I would need one should I go that route.

I didn't notice how tall the cooler was on that XFX card, so thanks for pointing that out. Fractal's website doesn't comment on PCI card height restrictions, but it does say it will take CPU coolers with heights up to 125mm. This Sapphire 280x is only 112mm tall so it should fit fine. In looking at benchmarks, the 280x has a lower load temp than the gtx670 by about 8 degrees Celsius. Idle temps are comparable.

I'm also not against adding another 120mm fan if need be.

 

[mfenn]

temperatures will not be great. Would this matter should I choose to OC? I'd rather have this a little quieter than a little faster.

Like Termie said, building a high-end PC in a HTPC case and this stuffing it into an entertainment center is always going to involve compromise. I think that overclocking is definitely out of the question here.

Additionally, I intend to run the HDMI from the video card to my Yamaha receiver. Would I run into any problems with this vs going straight to my TV?

The receiver will introduce some additional latency if does anything more than simple switching. How much and whether or not this will bother you depends on your exact setup and preferences. I'd try it at first, but be prepared to go straight to the TV if necessary.

 

[mfenn]

I didn't notice how tall the cooler was on that XFX card, so thanks for pointing that out. Fractal's website doesn't comment on PCI card height restrictions, but it does say it will take CPU coolers with heights up to 125mm. This Sapphire 280x is only 112mm tall so it should fit fine. In looking at benchmarks, the 280x has a lower load temp than the gtx670 by about 8 degrees Celsius. Idle temps are comparable.

It's not really the temperature of the card that's the problem, its how much heat the card produces which then spills over onto other components. ASICs are nearly 100% efficient converters of electricity to heat, so you can use power as a proxy for heat.

Anyway, the 280X does produce more heat than the GTX 760 but it's honestly not that much more (~15W). The style of cooler (fully-exhausting versus partially-exhausting) will make much more of a difference in terms of the amount of heat the case has to deal with. Unfortunately, fully-exhausting coolers are hard to find on an R9 280X since it's a fully custom launch.

If you're willing to spend $14 more (I realize you're already over budget), then this MSI GTX 770 at $300 would work. Otherwise check out this EVGA GTX 760 at $250.

 

[Termie]

mfenn explained it perfectly above.

By the way, if you're over-budget and want a very good 1080p gaming experience, go for the deal of the year: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814131510

That's an externally-exhausting HD7870 for $115AR. Never been a better deal on a video card, and it will work great in your situation.

 

[Bibble]

It's not really the temperature of the card that's the problem, its how much heat the card produces which then spills over onto other components. ASICs are nearly 100% efficient converters of electricity to heat, so you can use power as a proxy for heat.

Anyway, the 280X does produce more heat than the GTX 760 but it's honestly not that much more (~15W). The style of cooler (fully-exhausting versus partially-exhausting) will make much more of a difference in terms of the amount of heat the case has to deal with. Unfortunately, fully-exhausting coolers are hard to find on an R9 280X since it's a fully custom launch.

If you're willing to spend $14 more (I realize you're already over budget), then this MSI GTX 770 at $300 would work. Otherwise check out this EVGA GTX 760 at $250.

Thanks for the explanation! I've adjusted the parts list in the OP accordingly. I'm going to try my luck with deals this week for the GPU, SSD, CPU, and PS. I may jump to the gtx770 since it looks like I may wind up below $1100.

Thanks to Termie as well!

 

[mfenn]

Glad to help. The 7870 deal that Termie posted is definitely worth considering. It's a very small amount slower than the GTX 760 on average, but it's also less than half the price!

 

[Balforth]

Your limitation will be your case. I went with a larger case and was able to build a completely silent gaming HTPC. The build is a couple years old, but at the time it was pretty kick-ass. The link in my sig details every step of my build, including all of my fan choices and cable placement to maximize airflow.

 

[piasabird]

Case looks like it is designed to suck in air from the sides. Cant see putting that in a cabinet unless you drill holes in the sides of the cabinet and putting some grills on the outside to make it look nice. Holes in the back for the same reason. You need to pass at least power and HDMI through the back.

This is always the problem of putting anything in a cabinet. I wonder if a water cooler would work?

 

[Bibble]

Updated the OP to reflect final components. I stepped down the CPU to a 4570 because benchmarks said it was only about a 5% loss from the 4670 and it was $31 cheaper. I'll be keeping an eye out for deals on BF as I can always return the CPU to Micro Center if something better comes up. I also stepped down on the PSU as online calculators/EVGA says 550w is enough to run the system. Overall I was able to knock off $100.

I also picked up a logitech k400 keyboard for $16 which will be handy. Now I just need to get an Xbox controller for windows.

I agree the case is the limiting factor here but I really didn't want a mid or mini tower as it would stick out like a sore thumb in my setup. The 605 looks beautiful and complements my stereo receiver very well. There will be about 1.25" between sides of the case and the shelf, about 4" above it, and there is a hole in the back to run cables. Certainly not ideal thermally but I will monitor temps and add another fan if necessary.

I appreciate the feedback from the very helpful members who replied with suggestions.

 

[Charlie98]

Just FYI... you spec'ed a 1TB HHD. If you plan on storing a bunch of media (movies and music) you might consider bumping that up to a 2TB. 1TB sounds big... but I blew through that storage in about a month in my HTPC... Because size is a limitation, and any additional component introduces heat and airflow restrictions, what you don't want is to try to add more drives later on when you run out of room on your storage drive.

 

[mfenn]

Looks good to me, but I agree with Charlie that you might want to look for a bigger HDD if you plan to keep a lot of media locally. It's not necessary if you plan to get most of your media from Blu-Ray and/or streaming.