Going to HTPC

B

BAC4D00R SP1D0R

Limp Gawd
Joined
Mar 24, 2007
Messages
392
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc

Pure Media Streaming and some movies stored on HTPC depending how much is filled up

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?

Under 1000


3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.

United States, Elkton, MD

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.

I plan to buy an AMD Brazos platform: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131697

NMedia PC: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811204035

8 gigs of G-Skill Ram

Blu Ray Reader

TV Tuner- For the guide features so I know what will be on and possibly TiVo it too.

PSU- Not sure what to get since I heard that the Brazos doesn't use up alot of power so recommendations are needed.


5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.

Seagate 320 gig Sata 3 hard drive

6) Will you be overclocking?
No

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?

32 Panasonic Viera 720p TV

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Soon as possible


9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video? etc.

no preference onboard would be nice but stand alone gpu would be helpful to offload some work.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?

Yes, Win 7 64 bit

Basically this will be my first time doing a HTPC even tho I build countless systems and I've always been interested in doing a complete media solution. I read alot of AVS HTPC section and I've been sold on Mediabrowser skins. I'm also deaf so TV tuner must support Closed Captions.

Thanks for your help
 
Media Center will do closed captions on live tv or recordings by either hitting the default mute button and just switching it on by hitting the right or left arrow and moving to the captions heading. Any broadcast, cable or ATSC whether through a capture type card(Colossus or HD-PVR) or a standard tuner should pick them up.

One possible issue you might find using an AMD board is the 29/59 issue, which will cause a noticeable flicker on filmed content. Turning off the dynamic contrast and flesh tone in the Catalyst control will usually fix it. If it doesn't, I would add a cheap Nvidia card. We've fought this battle with M$ and they know what it is, and how to show you its happening(info-4-1-1 and right scroll through menus) but can't fix it.

Looks like you won't need that much power. I'm using an A4-3300, InfiniTV4, 2x Avermedia Duets, 4x 2G Seagate Barracuda greens, 1x60 SSD and a VFD display, and 400watts has been plenty of power.
 
I have the exact same mobo for my file server. I dont think it has enough power for streaming. It should be okay with mkv playback with hardware decoding, but streaming is such a gray area.

I would get the AMD llano platform, much more well rounded system with currently the best integrated graphics solution.
 
I've been hearing that the Brazos platform is pretty solid 720p playbacks but 1080p is is a crapshoot. I'm also planning to build a new Ivy Bridge system for myself and I thought about using my old computer parts for HTPC (see sig) only concern for myself is the amount of electricity it will use.

But that's good to hear media center can do closed captions. I'm just trying to figure out the best solution since I have movies stored on a external hard drive and currently streaming to PS3 Media Server on the newest Apple Airport Extreme Base Station.

In a nutshell I would prefer to have movies stored on the HTPC for smooth playback without having to worry about streaming issues. Eventually during spring my newer ivy bridge build will double as a gaming pc/ data storage streaming.
 
BAC4D00R SP1D0R said:
NMedia PC: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811204035
Click to expand...
Not really worth it IMO due to the high shipping charges. It comes out to $85 shipped. Kind of a bad when this higher quality, better cooling, and possibly quieter HTPC case is cheaper:
$74 - Silverstone GD04B mATX HTPC Case
BAC4D00R SP1D0R said:
PSU- Not sure what to get since I heard that the Brazos doesn't use up alot of power so recommendations are needed.
Click to expand...
This PSU is currently on sale so I highly recommend getting it ASAP:
$35 - Antec NEO ECO 400C 400W PSU

It's definitely overkill for your platform but it's cheaper and has roughly the same quality as the lower wattage PSUs. Even if you went with the desktop platforms, that PSU will more than enough to power them.
 
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I'm def ordering that Antec Neo Eco for 35 that's a deal!! As for the silverstone that def looks better and at a price point its more likely I'll buy that.

As for the Llano platform will I face that 29/59 issue? Also most of my movies will be stored on the HTPC as opposed to my main RIG until the drives are full and use the additional storage from my externals to stream the rest of the movies.

Should I buy a tv tuner and use that for my HTPC for the possibility of recording some shows. I currently have comcast basic channels which my tv can decode some of the channels from the wall. I would like to try to put on XMBC (steep learning curve?) and Mediabrowser on it.
 
Are you really looking to spend up to a grand on this?
If you're just going to be streaming media and no gaming that is a shitload of money for this application.

Are you going to keep a separate file server or will all media be stored on the machine?
 
Let me clear up a few things. I know I said up to one grand for HTPC. I just wanted to see whats good out there. Realistically my entire HTPC build will only be at least 400 bucks or under.

Case: Silverstone GD04B mATX HTPC Case
PSU: Antec NEO ECO 400C 400W PSU
CPU: AMD Llano A6 chip
Mobo: Asus m-ATX mobo
Memory: 8 gigs of G-skill RAM
TV Tuner: ???
Hard Drive: Seagate 320 gig (leftover from my main rig which I can pull out for HTPC) with future 3 tb drive inside.
CD Drive: Samsung Blu Ray Reader

Once that HTPC is settled and situated I plan to overhaul my main rig with Ivy Bridge and sell off all my older components. Down the road possible NAS or WHS if I feel like it's necessary but not at this time.
 
That build looks solid. My HTPC is 3 years old now, and it's still working strong with an Phenon X3 710. I used the onboard crappy gpu for 2 years and finally got a GT 520 this year. It can handle any type of video I throw at it.
 
Are you married to the AMD line?

IMO Intel currently has a significant lead.
 
Zangmonkey said:
Are you married to the AMD line?

IMO Intel currently has a significant lead.
Click to expand...

But using Intel is quite a bit more expensive. You're just not going to see the difference in an HTPC application. If all he's got to work with is $400, then Intel just isn't in his budget.
 
I have that nmedia case and like it, but it won't fit the larger video cards without modification. I had to do some massaging to get my gtx480 to fit. Personally, I went with a discrete card as they're just much more powerful, even for a low end one (my system originally had an 8800gt and it was fine until I wanted to do stereoscopic 3d gaming). However, since you're only at 720p right now, the llano will be fine and you can always add a discrete card later if you run into content it can't handle and/or get a 1080p screen.

Also, 8 gigs is overkill for an htpc. I only have 4 gigs and haven't run into anything that will use all of that and I do some gaming on the system. If you're looking to save some, that's another area where you can just buy 2 2gb sticks and add more later if/when it becomes necessary.
 
PolygonGTC said:
But using Intel is quite a bit more expensive. You're just not going to see the difference in an HTPC application. If all he's got to work with is $400, then Intel just isn't in his budget.
Click to expand...

Not by much.

A sandy bridge i3 can be made in that price range. I have one priced out right now.
 
Kelvarr said:
Care to share?
Click to expand...

This is not the build I'm considering but it's definitely a capable i3 build under $400... upgrade options at buyer's discretion... RAM upgrades are cheap so I've only put 4GB in here (pure htpc use shouldn't require more)

CASE (OP's choice): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811204035
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115077
MOBO: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138308
RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820139659
PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151077
CD-ROM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135247

$390.94

I didn't even look for the best prices or rebates.
There are probably better options too as we approach $400 (or maybe go a *little* above it)
 
I have an i3 2100 setup as one of my HTPC's. It is extremely strong.. I'm at 1080p so 720p would be no problem..

Processor: Intel i3 2100 - $115 (but you can probably find it cheaper if you just shop around)
Motherboard: ASRock Pro3-M Z68 1155 mobo - $110 (decent 1155 mobo's can be found all day long around $70 dollars).
HTPC case of your choice - $ ???
Power Supply - $ ??? (I went with a Corsair unit but any decent quality one will work)
Samsung Bluray 12x cd/dvd rom - $55
Gskill DDR3 1600 8GB's of ram (2 x 4GB) - $29.99 (it would be $5 cheaper if you went with only 4GB's (2 x 2GB's).
Dedicated video card that supports up to 1080p easily: GT 520 (fermi) - $35 (after mail in rebate) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814134133


Heck, Intel setups aren't THAT much more expensive compared to AMD. If really wanted, to could even swap out the i3 2100 for a G620 Pentium 1155 processor. Those cost about $64 dollars at Superbiiz (free shipping). It helps that you have Win 7 already but I would say regardless of which platform you choose, hard drive prices are still a tad high. It's good that you have a 320GB hard drive laying around. When you decide to buy a bigger drive, that's gonna cost a pretty penny.
 
Zangmonkey said:
This is not the build I'm considering but it's definitely a capable i3 build under $400... upgrade options at buyer's discretion... RAM upgrades are cheap so I've only put 4GB in here (pure htpc use shouldn't require more)
Click to expand...

My point was that I can get an AMD processor for half the price and it will do just fine in an HTPC. Also, an HTPC doesn't really need more than 2GB of RAM.
 
A Celeron G530 for $51 and a 5450 card for $15 AR is a pretty good deal and more than sufficient for HTPC use.
 
PolygonGTC said:
My point was that I can get an AMD processor for half the price and it will do just fine in an HTPC. Also, an HTPC doesn't really need more than 2GB of RAM.
Click to expand...

you can setup an AMD system for half the price?

RAM is cheap, on all platforms, no point in arguing about that.

The i3 2120 is a damned fine CPU for almost every use. If OP has to repurpose the machine for anything or do any multitasking it will be plenty capable.
 
Zangmonkey said:
you can setup an AMD system for half the price?

RAM is cheap, on all platforms, no point in arguing about that.

The i3 2120 is a damned fine CPU for almost every use. If OP has to repurpose the machine for anything or do any multitasking it will be plenty capable.
Click to expand...

Are you not reading?

I didn't say you could build an AMD system for half the price. I was talking about the processor itself. Next, you don't need 4GB. You'll never see a difference. So why spend extra money on it? When you have a tight budget, every little bit helps. And why waste money on things that aren't going to make a perceivable difference? And lastly, I'm not knocking the i3. I know it's a damn fine processor. However, we're not here to speculate if someone will re-purpose a computer. They want recommendations on building HTPCs. And if you really want to get into it, AMDs processors aren't bad either. It's not like it couldn't be re-purposed into another computer.
 
PolygonGTC said:
Are you not reading?

I didn't say you could build an AMD system for half the price. I was talking about the processor itself. Next, you don't need 4GB. You'll never see a difference. So why spend extra money on it? When you have a tight budget, every little bit helps. And why waste money on things that aren't going to make a perceivable difference? And lastly, I'm not knocking the i3. I know it's a damn fine processor. However, we're not here to speculate if someone will re-purpose a computer. They want recommendations on building HTPCs. And if you really want to get into it, AMDs processors aren't bad either. It's not like it couldn't be re-purposed into another computer.
Click to expand...

Homeboy started out with $1000 as his number, then dropped it down to $400... an HTPC can use 2GB without a doubt. Do some browsing and some streaming, voila.

But he said $400, and a $400 i3 machine will smoke a $350 AMD machine any day of the week.... it's all about marginal returns here.
 
Zangmonkey said:
Homeboy started out with $1000 as his number, then dropped it down to $400... an HTPC can use 2GB without a doubt. Do some browsing and some streaming, voila.

But he said $400, and a $400 i3 machine will smoke a $350 AMD machine any day of the week.... it's all about marginal returns here.
Click to expand...

Well, that's obvious. I'm not going to argue that the build you worked up isn't good for the money, because it is. And I certainly wouldn't argue that it will smoke the AMD. I'm just giving suggestions to help him save some money. Perhaps give him a little more to get a decent looking case. Especially when he's not going to see a difference between an i3 and an AMD X2 in an HTPC. Unless he's doing his encoding on the HTPC.

That's all I'm saying.
 
Is there a big difference between the i3 and the Llano A8 chip? Build in graphics wise on both chips too? My HTPC will be used for movie playback, TIVO some TV shows and rip some blu rays to store on the hard drive. It would be nice to figure out if I can make the HTPC do encoding that is automated without much user input. I just have to decide what would be a good format to use such as MKV or MP4. I know my brother uses MP4 on his collections which he is more apple centric using an iTunes server. For myself I like support of multiple file formats.

Edit: I don't plan to put a dedicated video card in the HTPC.
 
BAC4D00R SP1D0R said:
Is there a big difference between the i3 and the Llano A8 chip? Build in graphics wise on both chips too? My HTPC will be used for movie playback, TIVO some TV shows and rip some blu rays to store on the hard drive. It would be nice to figure out if I can make the HTPC do encoding that is automated without much user input. I just have to decide what would be a good format to use such as MKV or MP4. I know my brother uses MP4 on his collections which he is more apple centric using an iTunes server. For myself I like support of multiple file formats.

Edit: I don't plan to put a dedicated video card in the HTPC.
Click to expand...

Yes there is a big difference.

The Llano will suffice for the task, but the i3 is very superior.

Yes, built in graphics (make sure you get a motherboard with the right chipset!)

Encoding will be much better on the i3.

What you need to decide is if you want to spend $300 (probably more) for an AMD setup that will suffice, or $400 on an i3 setup which will easily handle your needs and more without breaking a sweat.

If it were me I would go i3 without considering the AMD. But maybe your budget predicament is different. $100 isn't that much of a difference to me for the more capable setup.
 
Use your extra money for an SSD.

Also future proof yourself with an HTPC case that will handle whatever, you may decide you want a video card later or various other upgrades and without space it will be a pain. I have a silverstone that can handle full atx mobos and it is still tight in there with a microatx mobo.

Go with an intel i3 on your budget.
 
Last edited:
Guess what! I just build a new HTPC and it's up and running. I also used Assassin's website and his paid guide and it really helps albeit a few issues with audio and folder naming on Mediabrowser.

i3-2125
8 gb ddr3-1600 ram
gigabyte GA-Z68MX-UD2H-B3
64 gb crucial m4 ssd
nMedia 5000B
Antec NEO ECO 400C 400W PSU
320 gig seagate (movies)
2 tb external (more movies)

Here is my thread on AVS:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1387684
 
nmanley said:
While your at it make the setup of your new HTPC EASY. Spend the $20 here. http://assassinhtpcblog.com/
Also read this thread. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1302559
My system is at the bottom of page 277.

Good info from Zangmonkey. ;)
Click to expand...

officermartinez said:
Agreed. I've built plenty of HTPC's. assassin's website breaks it all down, step by step. I can vouch for his website!
Click to expand...

BAC4D00R SP1D0R said:
Guess what! I just build a new HTPC and it's up and running. I also used Assassin's website and his paid guide and it really helps albeit a few issues with audio and folder naming on Mediabrowser.

i3-2125
8 gb ddr3-1600 ram
gigabyte GA-Z68MX-UD2H-B3
64 gb crucial m4 ssd
nMedia 5000B
Antec NEO ECO 400C 400W PSU
320 gig seagate (movies)
2 tb external (more movies)

Here is my thread on AVS:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1387684
Click to expand...

Thanks for the support guys. Glad you like what I do.
 
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