New HTPC/Emulation machine

[joe_H]

I was toying around with the idea of building a small form-factor emulation machine and HTPC. By building it, I'm thinking I'll eliminate the PS3 (which I basically only use for blu-rays anymore), my WD Live streamer (which would be moved to the bedroom), and my current mid-tower emulation box, freeing up space and connections.

I need something beefy to play all the emulators (Taito X2, NullDC, PCSX2, etc) I throw at it, and of course be able to stream all my rips from the server.

Thinking of the following:

Shuttle SH67H3 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856101117
i3-2105 at 3.1Ghz http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115090
8Gb DDR3 1333 Ram http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231311
LG 12X Blu-ray Player http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136246

Already obtained or taken from current system:

1TB 7200 RPM HDD
NVidia GTX 460 Card
Windows 7 Ultimate
Cyberlink PowerDVD11

Any ideas on better components? Anybody else build something similar lately? The i3 I think should be enough to run all the emulaotrs, but I could bump it to an i5 if necessary.

 

[Slugbait]

Any ideas on better components? Anybody else build something similar lately?

Yeah, I assembled a mini-ITX for a friend on Wednesday with the same proc, and almost the same RAM.

The thing I'm concerned about is your PSU. Just 300W for a GTX460? It's teetering on the minimum needed, although the more important factor is the quality and amount of amperage of the +12V rail...and with a quick search, I cannot find the make/model of that PSU. You're taking a chance with this one.

I'm also concerned if there is even enough room in the case for the GTX460. And no active cooling?

Primarily because of the high cost of a slim Blu-ray, this config will cost almost $100 more...but you're getting the highest quality mini-ITX case with a beefy PSU, and a super-solid mobo. It's the config my friend bought:

Silverstone SG05BB-450: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811163171
Intel BOXDH67CFB3: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813121507
Core i3-2105: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115090
Ripjaws 1066: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231308

He didn't opt for optical. I would recommend the Sony BD-R: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827118069. You could save $10 going with a BD-ROM, but at this price, the question is: why?

 

[joe_H]

Thanks for the reply. I initially had the same concerns as you. I ran the PSU wattage calculator on Shuttle's site, and they had a max load listed of 223W for everything. The unit does have the optional 500W PSU available, but I don't know that it's very cost effective.

I was concerned about the graphics card as well. I've found a couple un-boxing videos on Youtube which illustrate enough room for the card to fit easily (the case is fairly long). I've also seen a few posts from people running 460's in the case at about 80C under load.

I appreciate the links...part of this post was to try and get an idea if there were other products out there that I may have not considered.

 

[mfenn]

I'd probably go the route of a standard form factor like mini-ITX rather than the proprietary Shuttle. Shuttle systems are nice enough, but they become a huge headache as they get older and you want to upgrade or replace a broken part.

Also, what's your current emulation box got in it and how well does it perform in your emulators of choice?

 

[joe_H]

I'd probably go the route of a standard form factor like mini-ITX rather than the proprietary Shuttle. Shuttle systems are nice enough, but they become a huge headache as they get older and you want to upgrade or replace a broken part.

Also, what's your current emulation box got in it and how well does it perform in your emulators of choice?

I've built every system I've had. The Shuttle seemed to get good reviews, and I like the look of the case.

The current emulation machine is a E8400. It runs about 85% of what I throw at it. It's not only the speed of the chip, but that I want to cut down the footprint size of the case too.

Last nite I started playing around with XBMC. I have to say, it's a pretty slick interface when compared to something like my WD HD Live streamer.

 

[mfenn]

I've built every system I've had. The Shuttle seemed to get good reviews, and I like the look of the case.

That's all well and good, but it doesn't say anything about how easy/inexpensive it will be to keep going compared with a standard form factor.

The current emulation machine is a E8400. It runs about 85% of what I throw at it. It's not only the speed of the chip, but that I want to cut down the footprint size of the case too.

I asked because I wanted to get an idea of your performance requirements. A dual-core i3 is a good bit faster than the E8400, so you should be happy with one.

 

[joe_H]

Final pieces purchased and awaiting arrival:

Case: Silverstone GD05B http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811163166

Mobo: Asrock H77 Pro4-M http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157301

CPU: i5-3570k http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504&Tpk=i5-3570

Ram: 8Gb G-Skill Ripjaws http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231311

Optical: LG Bluray http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827136246

I'm reusing:

80Gb Boot Disk
1 TB Data Drive
Corsair 520W PSU

Definitely overkill for a HTPC, but it should run any emulator I throw at it.

 

[mfenn]

Looks nice to me, however you could have saved some money on the CPU. You pay a $30 premium over the i5 3550 to get the unlocked processor, but the H77 chipset can't overclock.

 

[joe_H]

Looks nice to me, however you could have saved some money on the CPU. You pay a $30 premium over the i5 3550 to get the unlocked processor, but the H77 chipset can't overclock.

Yep, but I typically have a habit of moving chips to other systems after upgrades. So, I'm gambling that for $30 more, I'll be moving this to a system which can overclock a few years down the road.

Plus it's insurance if my trusty 2500k were to fail for some reason down the road.