[denz13]

Hi Guys,

OK, I'm stumped on what to do, need some advice - of any kind!

Here's my current setup:
HTPC
MOBO: ASUS M2N68
CPU: AMD Phenom 9550 - Quad Core 2.2Ghz
RAM: 4GB
GPU: Nvidia 210 (fanless)
HDD: 1 x 150GB (System), 1 x 1TB (Media Storage), 1 x 500GB (Backup Drive)
OS: Win 7 x64
XBMC: Eden & Aeon MQ4

The PC is currently situated behind a single seater sofa, connected via HDMI to my Samsung HT-C5900 A/V Receiver & Samsung 50" TV. Wired ethernet connection to router/modem.

Problems with current setup (ordered in severity):
* Old hardware - This setup is over 5 years old (maybe more). I think the CPU is causing the system to crash as there're errors relating to the CPU in the event log.
* Fan/Drive noise - The HTPC can still be heard despite being hidden behind a sofa (No, the fan's aren't running max due to this positioning, there's more than enough air flow and tempretures don't fluctuate when in the open or behind the sofa). I like to have it on all the time so it's instantly available, but due to fan noise it's noticeable. I've already replaced the GPU with a fanless version & replaced PSU with one with a quieter fan. I'm just reluctant to spend more money if I can achieve my ultimate goals on an alternative system, see further down.
* Location - I'd actually prefer for the HTPC to be visible either within my TV unit or alongside, it's much cooler to be able to see a HTPC!


So, below are my ideal goals, however at this present moment I'm currently restricted to a tight budget of just £200 + any cash I can get for selling the current setup. Despite this restraint I'm not ruling out buying parts over a period of time and building a HTPC to eventually meet my goals.


Ideal goals:
* Silent HTPC
* Fast availability - either resuming from sleep/hibernation or always on.
* Capable of running full 1080p content of any kind, full artwork/info scraping, smooth XBMC interface.
* Fit either into my TV unit alongside my XBOX 360. The space it needs to fit into is: W:350mm x D: 700mm x H: 87mm (Yes, that's an insanely tight fit for even an ITX build!) OR Freestanding beside my TV Unit
* Runs Windows 7/8

I'm 99% certain one if not all of these goals are going to fall short somewhere, almost certainly caused by lack of budget.

In addition to this, I've nearly filled my 1TB drive with music and Blu-ray rips. i'd like to ensure this isn't lost due to drive failure, would getting a RAID NAS be the best solution here, then stream it the the HTPC?

Any thoughts on this?


Alternatively, I've got an iPad 3, how well does this run XBMC and is it capable of achieving my above goals (other than running Win 7 obviously)? If so, this would ultimately be the cheaper option.


Apologies in advance if you've read this post and thought "what a f'in douche", I'm still pretty new to HTPC builds/costs involved & limitations

[Rick P.]

My suggestion: pick up a nice Silverstone HTPC case with an 80+ power supply and small SSD, then transplant what you've got minus your boot drive into it. Load something other than Win 7 on the SSD as a new boot drive. I use Ubuntu and Windows 8 is supposed to load a lot faster than Win 7 as well but you'll blow your budget if you have to buy it too. The Silverstone cases aren't dead silent but are very quiet. My system's running XBMC in maybe 15 seconds from power off and much less from suspend. If you're like most of us your ipad 3 won't play most of your stuff without transcoding so it's not likely to be of much use without Plex or something.

[denz13]

Thanks for your response!

I have considered doing this however, I'm not sure how much life is left in the current hardware I have. In addition to this I'd have liked to have downsized to itx or matx sized case, however the motherboard I currently have is full atx.

I've been looking at some a6-3500 itx bundle deals on the Bay which seem quite cosy effective, approx £150, then the itx cases are around 50-100, so it's not impossible on this budget. In order to make this a silent setup may cost a bit more though. I'm going to do some research into how well these Android based tv boxes handle 1080p too as an alternative