My build - Advice please!
#1
I've been using XBMC ever since the original xbox days. Best software EVER.

Anyways, lately I've been running it on a revo. I think it's got hardware issues, crashes constantly. Working on a new build. Wanted to get some tips from the experts!

I've decided on the Asrock a75m series of motherboards because they seem to be the most highly recommended as far as XBMC.

Question 1: Micro-atx or Mini-itx. I don't care about the size. I like the micro-atx because I'd like to have the room for expansion in the future. But will I be sacrificing power consumption? I don't want a power hog. Will I see a big difference in power consumption between a mini-itx sized power supply and a micro-atx size?

Question 2: Processor. I'm really liking what I've read about the AMD APU. I'm debating between these two:

AMD A8-3850 Llano 2.9GHz Socket FM1 100W Quad-Core Desktop APU

AMD A6-3500 Llano 2.1GHz (2.4GHz Max Turbo) Socket FM1 65W Triple-Core Desktop APU

I noticed a substantial wattage difference between these two, but I'm not certain how that translates to actual power usage in the real world. Any tips? And assuming I'm using this only for XBMC (no gaming or anything), will I notice any difference between these two?

Thank you guys for any help you can offer. This thing will probably be on just about 24/7, which is why I liked the Revo...tiny power usage. I'd like to get as low as I can on this build as well.
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#2
You can have the latest AMD FM2 socket with the combination below. It is about the same price as A6-3500, but better spec....

-A6-5400K
-MSI FM2-A75MA-E35 Socket FM2 Motherboard
-Apex DM-387 Computer Case
>Alienware X51- do it all HTPC
>Simplify XBMC configurations
>HOW-TO Bitstreaming using XBMC
I refused to watch movie without bitstreaming HD audio!
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#3
(2012-10-18, 22:11)bluray Wrote: You can have the latest AMD FM2 socket with the combination below. It is about the same price as A6-3500, but better spec....

-A6-5400K
-MSI FM2-A75MA-E35 Socket FM2 Motherboard
-Apex DM-387 Computer Case

Wow, you're right. Those are much better specs. One quick question - how do I know if there will be any compatibility issues with a motherboard? I've read about people having issues with HDMI and such, so I went with a board that had been used by others. Are there certain chipsets you watch for or something?
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#4
this is almost my exact same build

I have the A6-5400k...and that case

but my motherboard is the asus f2a55m-csm.... (needed hdmi and optical audio out) and everything works great
i had trouble with an asrock board (actually two of them had trouble) but the asus has been great for me so far...

definitely worth it in a price/performance ratio
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#5
Thanks for all the input, guys.

Any comments on power efficiency? I'm sold on the 65W A6-5400k. Do motherboards make much difference in power usage? Are there certain power supplies that are better for this?

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#6
hey bluray any reason he shouldn't go for the a8 5500 or a10 5700, both are 65wats,

cant decide on which one for my next build.

what would u recommend
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#7
(2012-10-20, 01:30)ibramadhan Wrote: hey bluray any reason he shouldn't go for the a8 5500 or a10 5700, both are 65wats,

cant decide on which one for my next build.

what would u recommend
There is no reason other than price, and A6-5400K can do everything as the A8/A10 can with less heat too.....


(2012-10-18, 23:30)truthlesshero Wrote: i had trouble with an asrock board (actually two of them had trouble) but the asus has been great for me so far...

definitely worth it in a price/performance ratio
AsRock seemd to have a lot of troubles with their quality lately.....a lot of users have problems with their barebone/prebuilt HTPC too.....

>Alienware X51- do it all HTPC
>Simplify XBMC configurations
>HOW-TO Bitstreaming using XBMC
I refused to watch movie without bitstreaming HD audio!
Reply
#8
(2012-10-20, 03:15)bluray Wrote: AsRock seemd to have a lot of troubles with their quality lately.....a lot of users have problems with their barebone/prebuilt HTPC too.....

I've been having the opposite experience lately. ASRock has been rock solid for me. When I first tried them (E350M1 and H67M-ITX) nothing worked. For the E-i5/E-i7 "A6-PACK" though, the A75M-ITX has been very, very good. But, I have a bad Gigabyte and a bad ASUS, my two favorites. Go figure.




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#9
(2012-10-20, 04:09)Dougie Fresh Wrote:
(2012-10-20, 03:15)bluray Wrote: AsRock seemd to have a lot of troubles with their quality lately.....a lot of users have problems with their barebone/prebuilt HTPC too.....

I've been having the opposite experience lately. ASRock has been rock solid for me. When I first tried them (E350M1 and H67M-ITX) nothing worked. For the E-i5/E-i7 "A6-PACK" though, the A75M-ITX has been very, very good. But, I have a bad Gigabyte and a bad ASUS, my two favorites. Go figure.
I thought that you will not buy another AsRock in "post #122".....

Check out these reviews-

Customer Reviews of the ASRock Vision HT 311D

Customer Reviews of the ASRock VISION HT 321B


>Alienware X51- do it all HTPC
>Simplify XBMC configurations
>HOW-TO Bitstreaming using XBMC
I refused to watch movie without bitstreaming HD audio!
Reply
#10
(2012-10-20, 05:01)bluray Wrote: I thought that you will not buy another AsRock in "post #122".....

Hey, no one is more suprised than me. But, when it came to building with the A6-3500 at the time I started there was little choice in FM1 mini-ITX motherboards so I took a chance. I've had very good luck and have been pleasantly surprised. I still would not touch the H67M-ITX if you gave it to me for free though.

It seems a lot of off-the-shelf barebones have issues. Those ASRock ones are not cheap either. It's too bad. They have some really good specs. i5-3210M with HD4000 should be the best, right?


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#11
(2012-10-20, 06:29)Dougie Fresh Wrote: Those ASRock ones are not cheap either. It's too bad. They have some really good specs. i5-3210M with HD4000 should be the best, right?
Intel i5-3210M with HD4000 is an excellent low power (35w) CPU, but AsRock other components in their barebone system are causing problems....

>Alienware X51- do it all HTPC
>Simplify XBMC configurations
>HOW-TO Bitstreaming using XBMC
I refused to watch movie without bitstreaming HD audio!
Reply

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My build - Advice please!0