Would you buy this htpc setup ?
#1
Hi
Im looking for a little advice here from some of you experienced HTPC folks.

My main aim is a windows 8 htpc which will be the main entertainment center in my lounge mainly running XBMC but my sons thirteen and may want to try a little steam gaming in the near future.

Will this do the job or am I missing something?

Case MS Tech cl-70
http://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B006P3OG...1Y5UQCLZEA

Cpu Intel core i5-4570
http://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B00CV3E3...7YVPFBWXBL

Ram Kingston Hyper x Genesis 4gb ddr3
http://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B004JO3L...7YVPFBWXBL

SSD Samsung 840 Evo
http://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B00E391K...7YVPFBWXBL

Motherboard Gigabytes H879 wifi and bluetooth
http://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B00D8WH6...7YVPFBWXBL


Any advice greatly appreciated
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#2
How does cost of this compare with D54250WYK + 60GB mSATA SSD + Wireless AC 7260 WiFi/Bluetooth combo card + 4GB 1.35v DDR3 SODIMM ?

This will have faster graphics and use less power than your build.

You may also need to add the cost of a power supply to your build.
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#3
The gaming part is a little scary, the intel HD should be good enough for some stuff, but any serious PC gaming might require dedicated video. The MB you picked at least has a slot you could use for a card down the road, assuming the power supply is good enough. But, it'll never fit in that case.

Do you have to use it on wifi?

Where are you getting media from? Local server/NAS, or are you planning on doing mostly online plugins?
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#4
Thanks for both of your replies.

The total cost is €462

I was first looking to buy the yet to be released NUC with built in ir but am worried that this may overheat, Im on the southern Spanish coast so summers are hot.

I am also worried that the NUC may be more limited than a home built HTPC in terms of upgrades and features.


I honestly dont think the gaming will be used much my son rarely comes out of his games room where he´s already got his xbox one etc, I was hoping to coax him into the living room with a media center but he does look pretty much entrenched.

I can run a cable for connection but would prefer wifi if I can to keep the lounge tidy

My media consumption is from both NAS and online content,.

Although my main use will be XBMC I am looking for windows 8 setup to give me more choice.
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#5
(2014-01-13, 19:52)Duquesa Wrote: The total cost is €462
This probably not including Windows, PSU and gaming GPU yet, right?
>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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#6
(2014-01-13, 20:20)bluray Wrote:
(2014-01-13, 19:52)Duquesa Wrote: The total cost is €462
This probably not including Windows, PSU and gaming GPU yet, right?

The psu is included in the case, I was going to see how good the onboard graphics are, do you think these will be lacking ?
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#7
(2014-01-13, 21:06)Duquesa Wrote:
(2014-01-13, 20:20)bluray Wrote:
(2014-01-13, 19:52)Duquesa Wrote: The total cost is €462
This probably not including Windows, PSU and gaming GPU yet, right?

The psu is included in the case, I was going to see how good the onboard graphics are, do you think these will be lacking ?
I cannot read your case description, but it said 60W. If it is true, I doubt that it is enough to support a powerful Intel core i5-4570. For sure you cannot play any serious game with Intel iGPU. You might need a dedicated GPU (AMD or Nvidia) for that. Since you are planning to upgrade in the near future, you might want to consider getting a bigger Micro ATX case instead. It will give you more room to upgrade GPU, CPU cooler, PSU, etc.....
>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
Here´s a review of the case by another member http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=119351

It was a while ago and I am now worried that the powers not going to do the job, because its going to be right in the centre of my lounge I was hoping it would blend in which is why I am looking at smaller cases.
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#9
(2014-01-13, 19:52)Duquesa Wrote: this may overheat, Im on the southern Spanish coast so summers are hot.

Does it fall to 34C (93 Fahrenheit) at midnight in Spain? Here's where I live:

"The temperature in Perth 40.6C (105 Fahrenheit) at 9.30am this morning, continuing the sizzle started yesterday when the mercury hit 42.7C (109Fahrenheit) at 4pm. There was little relief during the night. It was 34C at midnight and hit a minimum of 30.1C at 3am before starting the climb back to 35C by 8am."

Near the bottom of this page - http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/20708...rkerville/
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#10
It can and does get to those temperatures but these are the extremes only lasting a few days, normally early 30´s during the day dropping to late 20´s at night.

I've been thinking about the case and my expected use, I really want the htpc to look smart and fit in to my tv setup which is why I am looking at a small form factor.

I am pretty sure that the set up will be 99% for media consumption rather than gaming so I am now thinking that the box on my list will be more than ok for running windows 8 along with XBMC without overheating.

I've just gone over the NUC option again but am struggling to see the benefit of this type of box when compared to a hand built htpc especial given the htpc will come with Bluetooth wifi and optical output all built in.
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#11
> XBMC without overheating.

If you are concerned about heat, don't get the i5-4570 with an 84W TDP (Thermal Design Point).

Look for a chip with a low "TDP". The lower this number, the less heat the chip gives off.
You can look up the number on google or the intel website.

Check out i3-4130 (54W TDP) , or i3-4130T (35W TDP)

XBMC doesn't require an i5.
The i5-4250u (15W TDP) is used in the i5 Nuc and has better on-board graphics (HD5000) than the i5-4570 (HD4600).
Basically a cooler running processor than any of the ones listed above.

To save on heat even more, then don't use a Wireless/Bluetooth card, and instead rely on wired ethernet.
The Intel 7260HMW is a card you could use.

Any equipment in the wrong environment can overheat. You could have a massive box, with huge fans, and it would still overheat if the room it was in was too hot, because the fans would be blowing in warm air from the room into the computer.
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#12
Thanks for the reply

I will look up the TDP numbers and see if I can reduce this, I just added Intel Core i5-4670 thinking that this would be better , doh

The reason for the i5 is running windows 8, I can save a lot of € by going for an i3 but am worried this may struggle with windows 8 ?

The case I want can take a 120w fan so I feel better now about that and apparently its had a few updates since it originally came out allowing more effective cooling.

My main question now is should I go for the i5 or will the i3 run windows 8 and xbmc without any problems?
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#13
(2014-01-14, 17:43)Duquesa Wrote: The reason for the i5 is running windows 8, I can save a lot of € by going for an i3 but am worried this may struggle with windows 8 ?

My main question now is should I go for the i5 or will the i3 run windows 8 and xbmc without any problems?
Since you want your PC to be able to play game for your kid, i5 is the better choice for game....
>Alienware X51- do it all HTPC
>Simplify XBMC configurations
>HOW-TO Bitstreaming using XBMC
I refused to watch movie without bitstreaming HD audio!
Reply
#14
After much searching I've changed and ordered my new case to build my htpc here she is http://www.streacom.com/products/f1cws-evo-chassis/ ordered in silver to match my setup, very pleased with the sleek looks.

I am NOW about to place my order for the internals, everything else is the same except the processor which I was going to upgrade to the Intel Core i5-4670 but as pointed out by joelbaby this would run at 84w which is more than ideal, Ive been trying to read up but there are so many i5 chips Im getting a little lost so need some advice?

I know aN i3 would be sufficient FOR XBMC and windows 8 but really want to get the best I can now in terms of speed, temperature and longevity.

Can anyone suggest the best bet for a socket 1150 board that runs at a lower TDP?
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#15
(2014-01-15, 17:09)Duquesa Wrote: Can anyone suggest the best bet for a socket 1150 board that runs at a lower TDP?
How about these 65w- i5-4440S and i5-4570S....
>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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Would you buy this htpc setup ?0