2013-01-08, 10:40
I thought I would post this build as a lot of people either say it can't be done or its not viable / worth it. Firstly I'll discuss why I built an all in one. I rent an apartment with a loft, so I cannot install ethernet cables and due to the loft I can't just run cables around the edges of the walls. This means most of my computers are on wireless, so I had 2 options either build 2 PC's and put them where the TV is or build an all in one. A quick note, this build is actually around 8months old hence some of the older hardware ie llano
Hardware
A6-3500
Not much to say on this that hasn't been said. Low power, decent CPU and full DXVA2 support on one chip. More than you could ever want for a HTPC and it lets me play indie games on steam big picture. Running a coolermaster cooler with a slow 120mm fan. Annoyingly I only found out after the install that I couldn't install this pointing the way I wanted... but it still works.
Asrock A75-HVS
I have come to love Asrock boards and use them in all my PC's. The are great value for money, important for this build is it has 6 x Sata6 ports.
4GB of DDR3 1600 Memory (GSkill)
Was good value for money at time of purchase and meets all my needs.
Seasonic M12 520w
This was basically the lowest power Modular PSU I could get my hands on at the time. The modular aspect was important as I want to keep the noise down I need good airflow in the case. Also this runs a single 120mm fan for low noise.
Logitech 525 Remote
With MCE standard IR receiver
Netgear a6200 wireless adaptor
For all my wireless needs
5 x 3.5" HDD's (2 & 3TB mix)
Running a mix of WD Greens and Samsung F4s. All low power / low heat drives which is important to keep the temps / noise down. These are set to spin down when not in use.
OCZ Agility 3 60gb SSD for OSS
SSD for the speed but this is also the drive that will never spin down so SSD means low power and no extra heat added.
Fractal Define Mini w/ Nexus Silent Fans
This was probably the hardest part of the choice, spent a fair bit of time researching to come up with the right case. Main reasons I picked this;
Noise dampening on the side panels to cut down... well noise
And finally I am running the case as a positive air pressure case, something I stole from the Silverstone FT02. The advantages to this are that all the air comes in through the front fans so via the dust filter. When you have negative air pressure air will be getting sucked in from any spot it can. Also with positive air pressure I only need to run 2 fans on the front so less fans to make noise. The thing to note with the fans you run is they need to be able to push through some pressure, generally any fan that is OK for water cooling (ie blowing through a radiator) is OK to handle some back pressure and won't drop in performance. This generally means avoiding slim fans. For my choice I went for Nexus silent fans as they do a great job for not much noise.
Software
Windows 8 - The modern UI is handy for switching between apps.
FlexRaid - Many advantages but main for me are,
XBMC / Sabnzbd / Steam to Me (for ipad)
Power Consumption
As measured at the wall
Idle ~50watts
1080p playback ~61watts
Bootup ~89watts
Temps
Ambient was approx 27c, HTPC temps where measured using speedfan
Idle
CPU - 35c HDD - 33c
1080p Playback
CPU - 37c HDD - 35c
Playing Game - Deadlight @ 720p
CPU - 45c HDD - 33c
And finally some pics
Hardware
A6-3500
Not much to say on this that hasn't been said. Low power, decent CPU and full DXVA2 support on one chip. More than you could ever want for a HTPC and it lets me play indie games on steam big picture. Running a coolermaster cooler with a slow 120mm fan. Annoyingly I only found out after the install that I couldn't install this pointing the way I wanted... but it still works.
Asrock A75-HVS
I have come to love Asrock boards and use them in all my PC's. The are great value for money, important for this build is it has 6 x Sata6 ports.
4GB of DDR3 1600 Memory (GSkill)
Was good value for money at time of purchase and meets all my needs.
Seasonic M12 520w
This was basically the lowest power Modular PSU I could get my hands on at the time. The modular aspect was important as I want to keep the noise down I need good airflow in the case. Also this runs a single 120mm fan for low noise.
Logitech 525 Remote
With MCE standard IR receiver
Netgear a6200 wireless adaptor
For all my wireless needs
5 x 3.5" HDD's (2 & 3TB mix)
Running a mix of WD Greens and Samsung F4s. All low power / low heat drives which is important to keep the temps / noise down. These are set to spin down when not in use.
OCZ Agility 3 60gb SSD for OSS
SSD for the speed but this is also the drive that will never spin down so SSD means low power and no extra heat added.
Fractal Define Mini w/ Nexus Silent Fans
This was probably the hardest part of the choice, spent a fair bit of time researching to come up with the right case. Main reasons I picked this;
Noise dampening on the side panels to cut down... well noise
- HDD cages sit directly in front of the fans, its important to keep the HDD temps down.
- PSU has its own air intake, so its not sucking in any warm air from the case.
- Dust filters for the fans, keeps all the unwanted out the case and a dust free case is an efficient case
- Dust filters are easily cleanable. I have a case that requires you to remove the side panels to clean the filter as you hardly ever end up doing it. By opening the front I can give the filters a quick vacuum while I am doing my
- weekly clean of the unit. This while simple is important as you don't get degraded performance over time.
And finally I am running the case as a positive air pressure case, something I stole from the Silverstone FT02. The advantages to this are that all the air comes in through the front fans so via the dust filter. When you have negative air pressure air will be getting sucked in from any spot it can. Also with positive air pressure I only need to run 2 fans on the front so less fans to make noise. The thing to note with the fans you run is they need to be able to push through some pressure, generally any fan that is OK for water cooling (ie blowing through a radiator) is OK to handle some back pressure and won't drop in performance. This generally means avoiding slim fans. For my choice I went for Nexus silent fans as they do a great job for not much noise.
Software
Windows 8 - The modern UI is handy for switching between apps.
FlexRaid - Many advantages but main for me are,
- HDD's can spin down for less noise and heat.
- When in use only a single HDD spins up so I am only ever seeing 1 HDD in use.
- No loss of performance with parity overhead using snapshot mode.
XBMC / Sabnzbd / Steam to Me (for ipad)
Power Consumption
As measured at the wall
Idle ~50watts
1080p playback ~61watts
Bootup ~89watts
Temps
Ambient was approx 27c, HTPC temps where measured using speedfan
Idle
CPU - 35c HDD - 33c
1080p Playback
CPU - 37c HDD - 35c
Playing Game - Deadlight @ 720p
CPU - 45c HDD - 33c
And finally some pics
