Can someone look at my HTPC shopping list.

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jeremy524
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Joined: Sat Dec 26, 2009 2:53 pm
Location: Tennessee

Can someone look at my HTPC shopping list.

Post by jeremy524 » Sat Dec 26, 2009 9:40 pm

Hello everyone,

I am a complete Newb but have spent about 20 or so hours pouring over the internet trying to get a point of reference for a nice HTPC system. The hardest part is selecting the right case :wink: .

Can someone please look over my shopping list below to ensure I am in the ball park for the proper components for both integration and function?

Purpose: Store and play movies, shows and music in HD and 5.1 surround. I want it to do this well. No gaming. I have a 52â€
Last edited by jeremy524 on Sun Dec 27, 2009 8:13 pm, edited 5 times in total.

bonestonne
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Post by bonestonne » Sat Dec 26, 2009 10:22 pm

Just being silly here...

What about a Dual core/DDR2 setup?

I just want to open a can of worms towards a lower cost. 2x2gb DDR2 that I've seen runs ~$40 cheaper.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813130237 - $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820231144 - $60

as far as i would know, the rest would be compatible with that...

I'm not necessarily saying that those are a better choice, I'll leave that to the people who know AMD much better than I do, but even I realize that AMD setups can be much cheaper than Intel with seemingly more power.

Could even drop to one of the locked Dual core AMDs and unlock it to a quad (MSI likes to advertise that feature in many of their AMD motherboards).

Seeing that setup climb up to $1k kind of surprises me, but i'm very picky about my budget, so I look at what's available in my price range first.

just my $0.02, but from running 8gb of DDR2, I don't feel the need to jump to a DDR3 motherboard anytime soon.

RoGuE
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Post by RoGuE » Sat Dec 26, 2009 10:38 pm

getting a ddr3 platform for this task is complete overkill, and quite frankly, a waste of your money. You will not notice a single performance gain in using the more expensive memory. If you want my advice, pick out a modest ddr2 platform and don't look back.

AMD does offer a nicer price/performance ratio than intel. However, if you consider intel, I can vouch that a core 2 duo can tackle HD video with both hands tied behind its back. The beauty of the HTPC, is you don't need any state-of-the-art components to tackle the simple task of media playback. The fact is, all high power components released in the last year are simply far, far more powerful than you need. In light of all this, I would recommend reducing your budget to around $600 TOPS. For a gaming, video editing, or number crunching PC, I would not be saying this...but media playback is to computers, as a Sunday trip to grandma's is to your car. Yes, HD video is more processor intensive, but it's nothing even a cheap C2D can't handle.

jeremy524
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Location: Tennessee

Post by jeremy524 » Sun Dec 27, 2009 5:35 am

Thank you for the replies.

How does this memory look?
Kingston 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model KVR800D2N6K2/2G - Retail

Also, can you recommend a CPU fromt this link (AMD dual core)?

I am not sure what else I can reduce here, but I am open to suggestions and again thank you very much for the help.[/url]

jeremy524
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Location: Tennessee

Post by jeremy524 » Sun Dec 27, 2009 6:26 am

I also need to pick out a wireless card. Is a N card necessary for HTPC? I am getting one. I just need to post once more before I can post a link.

jeremy524
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Location: Tennessee

Post by jeremy524 » Sun Dec 27, 2009 6:30 am


bonestonne
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Post by bonestonne » Sun Dec 27, 2009 8:49 am

just for kicks, what's this sort of system look like for you?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813128396 - $65
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115206 - $118
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820231207 - $82 (strange, i bought two of these for $45 each)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822145287 - $90
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811129034 - $110
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6815116037 - $130
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6823166079 - $70
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6880111029 - $150

I'm not sure if that suits your whole needs, but that's only around $815 before shipping, and doesn't include a Windows 7 license. The RAM threw me off, I have two sets of 2x2gb RAM in my system, and I paid roughly $97 for the two, seeing one set going for $82 confused me, but it's the exact same stuff I have.

But I have to say, DDR3 is a waste, as well as realistically anything more than a dual core. I would simply ask, is the Logic Harmony really necessary? From my perspective, you've got the wireless keyboard with trackball, so why not just push the power button before sitting down? Maybe it's because I don't have a HTPC here, but $150 for a remote?

The TV tuner is inescapable, as is the Blu-Ray. I went with a 1TB drive, but you could use whatever drive you wanted. I just went with 7200RPM instead of the 5400RPM Green Power series. I also went Intel, however, the Intel CPU and motherboard seemed to run for about the same price as what you have, the difference is really the RAM and HDD.

In theory, you could even go with an older AM2+ EE CPU...and drop into a DDR2 based motherboard for AMD.

It's not that your build looks bad, but to me it resembles a HTPC that's oriented more for some gaming as well, which you haven't mentioned as being a task, so the X3 series and DDR3 is completely unwarranted.

jeremy524
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Location: Tennessee

Post by jeremy524 » Sun Dec 27, 2009 12:33 pm

I edited/changed quite a few things on my list at the top and got the price just under $600 dollars.

I am not sure about the TV card though. I want it to pick up local channels and any HD channels that are sent over the air. I want to be able to watch a channel and record another.

I also removed the remote. I will find a cheaper one without a screen.

Now the question is if I am going too cheap :lol:

fpsrandy
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Post by fpsrandy » Sun Dec 27, 2009 3:33 pm

I might be wrong, but I don;t think that board will support ddr2 ram.

look for an am2 motherboard if you are wanting to go with ddr2 ram.

also, for an htpc, I would use a western digital green drive; much quieter :)

RoGuE
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Post by RoGuE » Sun Dec 27, 2009 3:46 pm

yeah..deffinately don't get a 7200 rpm drive for an HTPC.

bonestonne
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Post by bonestonne » Sun Dec 27, 2009 4:18 pm

I only suggested 7200RPM because he mentioned recording one channel while watching another one...

but yeah, mobo needs changing.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813128408
^maybe?

RoGuE
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Post by RoGuE » Sun Dec 27, 2009 4:44 pm

bone, that's a nice board. It seems perfect for his needs.

Yeah, even though he may be recording and playing at the same time, even a 5400 RPM drive's seek/transfer rates are more than enough to handle that. That's where the system memory takes over..when the drive is busy, his 4gb of memory will start to fill while his drive catches up. That is also where the drive's memory comes into play.

Something like this for your HDD is what I would recommend for this build:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822136317

It's a 5400 RPM, power sipping, 1TB drive

jeremy524
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Location: Tennessee

Post by jeremy524 » Sun Dec 27, 2009 6:47 pm

Bonestonne and Rogue,

Thank you for the help. I chose the mobo because it seems to be the latest greatest for HTPC. Like I said I do not mind spending the money for my needs, but as you guys have seen, I will be doing no gaming on this system. Therefore, if I do not need the higher-end stuff, there is no need in blowing money.

With that being said, I updated the mobo and hd to reflect your recommendations. As soon as I get this nailed down I am pulling the trigger.

This system will be better than using the Dell Zino HD will it not?

Also, note that I only have 2GB of memory, if I need to up that with this hd, let me know.

RoGuE
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Post by RoGuE » Sun Dec 27, 2009 7:12 pm

now THATS more like it. Just enough power to get the job done well, but not so much extra that you're throwing money out the window.

With all the money savings you can route some more money into making this thing more quiet. Like how about some soft mounts for your fans?

Image

oh and btw: your decision to go with 2gb is a good one. Right now, I'm fully loaded into win7 x64 with several applications, AVG, and firefox loaded, and I'm sitting at 1gb of mem usage. When I play video, that goes up only very slightly. In my opinion, you will never break 2gb of usage with this computer..especially if you buy the 32-bit OS. (are you?)
Last edited by RoGuE on Sun Dec 27, 2009 7:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

bonestonne
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Post by bonestonne » Sun Dec 27, 2009 7:14 pm

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820231207
^go with 4gb

as for the Dell Zino HD, this will undoubtedly last longer, be more upgradeable, and give you a better experience than the Zino. If the graphics onboard aren't enough (unlikely) you can hop over to a dedicated card. with the Zino, what you get is it.

that looks pretty solid i would think.

jeremy524
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Post by jeremy524 » Sun Dec 27, 2009 7:43 pm

Ok, you guys are great.

Rogue- Yes, I am planning ot go with the 32 bit OS, that is unless 64 adds significant advantages.

Bonestonne- Do you think I will over-tax 2GB of memory?

I believe we about have this thing configured.

I want to make sure the TV card is okay. I have also looked at this one and it is about $40 dollors cheaper: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6815306006

Additionally, I have to select a N wireless card or should I go USB? In fact, is N even necessary. I think I have a Linksys G USB adapter laying around.

Finally, if I use the rubber mounts for the fans that come with the Antek NSK2480, will they be fine? Can you think of any other such purchases I should make which will make the build and end result better?

I hope to order everything tomorrow.

Thanks again.

RoGuE
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Post by RoGuE » Sun Dec 27, 2009 8:48 pm

If you choose a 32-bit OS (a fine choice for this application), than I would recommend 2gb of ram. In this application, you won't overfill the 2gb if you try. You can certainly buy 2x2gb, but when you load up the OS and media, you will see it will be sitting at around 1gb of usage. Just tryin to save you some money. And remember, if you don't use over 2gb, the extra 2gb will literally do nothing. It will offer no performance gain. With that, you can make an informed decision.

As for the wireless, do you have a wireless N router? I've had much better experiances with internal cards than with USB cards. They just seem to work better. Plus, good ones come with nice antenna. Do you even need it to be wireless? The beauty of the HTPC is it's just going to sit in one place..much easier to plug it into the router if it's nearby. But I don't know what your situation is.

Yes, those rubber fan mounts are meant to be universal. You simply replace the screws with the rubber pins, and you got a soft mounted fan. They act to dampen the vibrations coming from the fans, so that they don't cause the case to vibrate. This cuts down on noise in a lot of cases, in some, it wont make a difference. They are cheap enough, and you already saved so much money from your original plan..so I figured, why not?

Secondly, if you want to go all out, you can chose to invest in some high quality fans. The beauty of this case is it has 120mm fans, of which there are MANY great fans to choose from which are typically much quieter, and more efficient (at moving air) than the stock 3 speed fans.

I typically recommend 800 - 1200 RPM scythe slipstreams for horizontal axis HTPC mounting.
800 RPM Slipstream1200rpm Slipstream

It's also not a bad idea to pair this fan with a Zalman fanmate. It offers you the ability to "set it and forget it", without fussing with OS utilitys like speedfan which require you to be fully loaded into windows before they dial down the fans. This may be un-necissary however, depending on the BIOS settings of gigabyte boards.

I can garentee these fans are quieter than the stock fans in the antec case, however if they're actually quieter enough to justify spending the money, I dont know. If I were to go "all out" on an HTPC build, I would make sure I get good fans. Maybe its worth getting the case, and testing out the stock ones first.

RoGuE
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Post by RoGuE » Sun Dec 27, 2009 8:48 pm

please ignore: server had issues when I was submitting.
Last edited by RoGuE on Sun Dec 27, 2009 10:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

RoGuE
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Post by RoGuE » Sun Dec 27, 2009 8:50 pm

please ignore: server had issues when I was submitting.
Last edited by RoGuE on Sun Dec 27, 2009 10:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.

RoGuE
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Post by RoGuE » Sun Dec 27, 2009 8:51 pm

please ignore: server had issues when I was submitting.

fpsrandy
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Post by fpsrandy » Sun Dec 27, 2009 10:49 pm

I had a bit of trouble playing back bluray with only 2x1gb of ram, using 32bit Vista Home Premium.

However, I have not tried it with Windows 7.

A few other factors may include my htpc was using an atom/ion board (by Zotac), and the bluray program I used for playback has had several updates since my initial build (so software may now be able to use less ram). Also the ion chipset was sharing system memory to run the graphics output.

I would look at the memory kits, if a 2x2gb kit was only 10-20 dollars more than the 2x1gb kit, i would totally go for 4gb. Even with a 32bit os, you may not be able to take advantage of all 4gb, but windows should be able to use 3.5gb of it.

Another side note, if you are buying a new license of windows, I would recommend going to 64bit anyways. 64bit is gaining in popularity, and 64bit will run 32bit apps, but there is no way a 32bit os can run 64bit apps.

Of course, all of the above I said is strictly opinionated, do what you feel is right.

Another thing I saw you asked was about was about a wireless NIC. I would not recommend using a wireless connection if you can run a wired connection to your tv. Also, if you have a wireless g router, there is no reason to get a wireless N NIC unless you were wanting to future proof.

If you do decide to go wireless N, look out for "N draft" networking gear. I totally support future proofing ;)

boost
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Post by boost » Mon Dec 28, 2009 5:16 am

Your original setup looks good.
I would choose a mainboard with AMD's latest chipset, the 785. I hear good things about MSI's fan control, so I suggest this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813130237
You probably want a more quiet CPU cooler:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6835185131
You might not want to go with a 64 Bit OS just yet. Are you sure there are 64Bit drivers for your TV card?
If you don't do a lot of multitasking 2GB of Ram are ok, if you can afford it go for 4GB, even if a 32Bit OS can only use ~3.2GB.

jeremy524
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Post by jeremy524 » Mon Dec 28, 2009 8:30 am

Thank you Boost,

I orginally had a 785 chip, but the advise was it is overkill for what I am doing.

I think I will go wired on internet (not sure what I was thinking with wireless).
Last edited by jeremy524 on Mon Dec 28, 2009 9:54 am, edited 1 time in total.

jeremy524
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Location: Tennessee

Post by jeremy524 » Mon Dec 28, 2009 9:42 am

I made a mistake and began looking at cases again. I have thought of changing to the GD04. This will require a separate psu and cooler and ir unit. I also thought about the Antec micro fusion, but reviews appear to be bad. Any advise?

Will this one work with an optical drive installed?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817610002

What do you think about this IR/VFD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... -_-Product

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