[m33e]

hi there,

hope you all had a nice christmas!
ive been thinking about getting a custom HTPC for a while now (~1 year). i finally came to the point where it wont go any further without

as the topic indicates, im going for the group #7 mode. for me, must-have features include:

• play heaviest 1080p mkv content
• play 1080p 3d content
• play hd audio
• play 1080p flash video
• will run linux
• content will mainly be streamed from NAS (32GB SSD will do i guess)

because hardware has evolved (so has xbmc) since the last time i checked in, i have some open questions. you guys probably understand that i am too afraid to go shopping for all the parts without knowing for sure its really what i want, its still my first HTPC

1. my HTPC will run linux - referring to the requirements listed above (especially 3d), seems like an intel i3-3225 would be best for CPU, right? (are there any(i am aware of the known popular manufacturers) specific mobos one could recommend for an i3-3225)?

2. speaking of motherboards, are current integrated graphics capable of handling all the above? back in the day it seemed to be all about nvidia or amd...

3. i would prefer a solution that still performs low on watt-usage in idle. anything to consider when choosing hardware?

4. is 4GB RAM all you need?

5. a more software-related question: i need some desktop support (e.g. nba,tv (=flash video=browser), spotify) - does XBMCbuntu still qualify, or would it be better to go with ubuntu 1st, then xbmc?


would really appreciate if you could help me out on this/point in the right direction

[binwiederda]

Not sure about the heavy 3D stuff, but I just finished my long quest in searching for the exact same thing.

Here are the threads:
- Build: http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=149312
- Mobo: http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=149615

They include some useful links to reviews and power consumption stuff.

[m33e]

hey thanks for the hint

a completely silent htpc would also be great, still im concerned if it is worth the trouble/the price. i understand you did some research in this matter, are you confident there wont be any heating problems with your build?

[binwiederda]

Fanless is a bit pricy, that's true. However, what you get is a fully capable HTPC that doesn't make a sound. If you want it to be running 24/7 as a home server that is a must. If you just want it on while you're watching movies/playing games, fanless is not really necessary.

The Streacom FC10 case supports processors up to 95W TDP and a couple of 3.5" HDDs. The i3-3225 (the one I chose) only has 55W TDP. So I don't really expect any heat problems. However, you never know.

[m33e]

fanless isnt mandatory for me, however i'm open to suggestions like your build. the htpc will only be running while playing content from my NAS/the web.

i found a machine that seems to be close to what im aiming for, on first look: http://www.sysprofile.de/id120888. the only thing thats still concerning me is the 24p issue and linux performance when it comes to the i3-3225 + suitable mainboard. AUS/Gigabyte/ASRock, i really cant decide...

[binwiederda]

I'm sure you've read this before, but in case you haven't -- this is a much-quoted article when it comes to Ivy Bridge & HD4000. They didn't use an i3, but i5 and i7:

As you can see from these initial results, even when factoring in the clock differences of the different Intel CPUs, the Ivy Bridge graphics technology delivers a huge boost over Sandy Bridge. The power efficiency of Ivy Bridge under Linux is also boosted. The Intel Sandy Bridge graphics were already quite compelling under Linux, especially with a first-rate open-source Mesa driver, but now the Intel Linux graphics situation is even more attractive. Ivy Bridge is a huge win for Linux users who are concerned with the best desktop/graphics experience while being on an open-source driver. Intel's Linux graphics driver is the most full-featured and optimized open-source driver available at this time. In some of the tests, the Intel Ivy Bridge graphics were even quite competitive with the AMD Fusion A8-3870K on AMD's highly-optimized Catalyst Linux driver.

But be aware that I cannot comment myself on any (possible) issues. I didn't build the system (yet). I'll post the results once I have them in my other thread.

[m33e]

yeah, thats one of the reasons for why i wont go with anything oder than IB. still there are so many variations you can come up with in terms of interaction between the different hardware components, which leads to the fact that there probably isnt any cookie cutter build per se one could always recommend, that negates all the (although possibly negligible) trouble that can occur

will watch the other threads closely & looking forward to your results!

[binwiederda]

Yep, even though you can try to avoid the bigger issues, there is no ultimate build And then again, people hardly ever write stuff like "My build XYZ works great with X, Y and Z". They only turn to the forums if stuff doesn't work...