HTPC blu-ray 1080 question.

[kruuth]

Hi all. I've decided to stop lurking here and figured now was a good enough time since my sis and I are building a nice HTPC for the folks.

We'd like to go fanless if at all possible, and we need something that can play 1080i. I'd hope someone could chime in here and help me out. The best I could find that could do this would be a mini-itx board that used the 780G chipset. I'd like it to be as small as possible. I was kind of sad that the atom couldn't do it.

Suggestions?

[tehcrazybob]

I'd suggest abandoning the idea of a totally fanless computer. A single high-quality 120mm fan spinning at 500-800 RPM is essentially silent at one meter in most rooms, to say nothing of 2-3 meter TV-watching distances. Adding this single fan, though, makes the difference between a nigh-impossible, holy-grail, hilariously-expensive computer and a fairly straightforward build not unlike many hundreds of other systems on these forums.

You'll also have an easier time if you're willing to use mATX parts instead of mini-ITX, just because the larger cases allow better airflow. Get an Antec NSK 2400/Fusion case, an AMD 780g motherboard, a 45-watt dual-core processor, a Mini Ninja, an 800RPM Scythe Slipstream, and an Enermax Modu82+. Remove the Tricool fans, install a 5400 RPM desktop drive, suspended laptop drive, or SSD of some sort, and you should be totally inaudible.

[kruuth]

Thanks Bob. I've pretty much abandoned the idea of going with mITX and using mATX at this point. You hit it right on with the mobo. I posted a little about the case in another post. I'd prefer to use some kind of HTPC type case. I looked but I didn't see a recommended one. Can you elaborate please? My goal here isn't really fanless its to have something that's inaudible that can sit in my room and be used to play blu-ray disks as well as other media.

[mark314]

I still maintain that mini-itx with a slim, slot loading bdrom is the way to go. Who wants a big HTPC these days?

Jetway and MSI both make a mean 780g AMD mini-itx that plays 1080p flawlessly. If you look in the right place, you can get a slot-loading slim blu-ray drive for <$300.

Do what I have considered and use a 90w PicoPSU and a CF/USB boot drive installed right on the motherboard. Then you get little to no airflow impedance and you might be able to make do with fanless/near fanless. Remember that the hard drive noise is more noticeable (in my opinion) due to its variations then a constant hum/drone of a fan.

As for someone arguing that noise is not a factor in HTPC because of the noise level of movies/TV, that's not the case for music playback - especially if you have more delicate music tastes, like classical.

[tehcrazybob]

This is the case I was suggesting, and it's reviewed here. Finally, here's the style of build I'm suggesting.

I agree with Mark that small computers are awfully fancy, but I don't think it's entirely necessary considering that most home theaters are connected to fairly large receivers.

[kruuth]

That's a really nice case, but I was hoping to use something the size of the minuet. I'd like something a little less tall.