[billotronic]

First off, I know this is overkill for just a HTPC, but I have extra plans for said box which includes (but not limited to)
1. ripping dvd's
2. running a wide array of linux apps
3. running virtual machine(s)
4. mounting and playing console games

So my build is more geared to those than just simple hd playback. With that in mind, this is what I am looking at:

nMEDIAPC Red Wood Wood/Steel HTPC 8000 ATX Media Center / HTPC Case

ASRock M3A770DE AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard

EVGA 01G-P3-1430-LR GeForce GT 430 (Fermi) 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card

CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply

AMD Athlon II X2 250 Regor 3.0GHz Socket AM3 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor ADX250OCGMBOX

G.SKILL PI 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL6D-4GBPI

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST31000528AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

XIGMATEK Cooling System XLF XLF-F1453 140mm LED Orange Case Fan PSU Molex Adapter/extender included

Now, my biggest concern is going to be heat, but as of right now my plan is for to store the hd content locally on the 1tb and stream sd content from my network (About another 1tb). Once I have this set up and working, depending on my wifi performance, I might swap out the 1tb drive for a smaller 10k rpm drive and stream everything. I have a 140mm fan for the case and aftermarket coolers for the cpu if needed plus hd fans if needed. And hell, the case is wood and I am a carpenter... i can put some more fans in the case if need be.

What I do need some major help with is picking out some input devices. I plan on installing some flavor of ubuntu for the primary os, but it seems that there is a shortage of good htpc gear that has working multimedia keys. Can anyone recommend a good wireless keyboard (preferable with built in pointing device) and a good remote? I am pretty good with command line so if said devices require some work to get them up and running in a linux environment, I am not afraid. Also my working distance from couch to box is no more than 20 feet.

I appreciate any input and thanks in advance!
-billotronic.

[bmcclure937]

The build looks decent to start. I do not particularly like Apex PSUs. I would highly recommend an Antec EarthWatts or Corsair. These will cost you a tad more, but will be worth it in the long run. Having a cheap PSU can lead to long-term problems and can damage other hardware. Stick with something of better quality!

Secondly, if you are already planning to stream media from a remote location then why not increase the storage of whatever that source may be and continue to use it as your dedicated media source. Then you can throw a smaller drive in the HTPC (using SSD or small laptop drive will help with heat and noise). Purchasing a large enough SSD (64Gb) will allow for plenty of room for the OS and ripping a DVD before transferring to your permanent network storage.

Finally, what motivated you to choose the Radeon GPU?

[billotronic]

Honestly, for personal builds, I have not really found a brand that I have fallen in love with so I just looked for something in that wattage and with decent reviews on newegg. In hindsight, you are right though. I am getting a ups system for the tv and this box, it couldn't hurt go higher on the psu.

I am weary of the wireless performance in my house where this box will live. Between the materials of my house and the proximity to other RF interference in my neighborhood, wifi performance is not ideal to say the least. I figured I would pop the 1tb in and upgrade the hd at a later point if the streaming works well. Kinda better safe than sorry (and if i start buying ssd's i might get divorced!)

and whats wrong with ati?

[numb7rs]

If you have wifi problems, and don't want to cable, try the powerline networking stuff. I've heard good things about it.

[bmcclure937]

I am not as knowledgeable about the ATI GPU support for XBMC, so I will not act like I know what I am talking about... I just know that nVidia has much better support and hardware acceleration.

The GT430 seems like the defacto standard at this time (and it can be had for only about $5.00 more)

As for network... go wired if possible

[billotronic]

numb7rs- thanks, i will look into that.

bmcclure937- well i came here for advice so i will see if i can do some research to see if the ati chipset is going to give me trouble. on my personal box i run all ati chipsets in linux and it purs like a kitten, though i would assume 3d rendering and hd playback requirements are a little different for the gpu. something definitely worth looking into a little deeper.

thanks for the responses folks!

-b

[numb7rs]

I can also recommend Corsair PSUs. I've had one working hard for about 3 years now. Rock solid.

On the GPU front, bmcclure937 is right about the hardware support. People have had all sorts of problems trying to get hardware acceleration with ATI + linux. Sometimes it just doesn't work at all. For playback of HD content, you'll be much better off with an nVidia card.

[billotronic]

well then. Had some time to do some digging on these wonderful forums, and yes, it appears that my beloved ati is not the way to go. I must say that is heart breaking!

So I am going to roll with this card instead:

EVGA 01G-P3-1430-LR GeForce GT 430 (Fermi) 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card

Now I have another question. Is there just one standard hdmi connector? When I was comparing cards I noticed some had different spec's for the port.

This one is listed as an HDMI 1.4a Connector and the tv i have picked out has HDMI/HDCP Input (V.1.3 w/Deep Color). I first went to wikipedia for what I was hoping for an easy answer, but before I commit money to this project it would be nice to know if these items will jive together when they show up.

Still looking for a new psu.

Thanks again for the help!

-b

[numb7rs]

That card looks good.

Newer HDMI ports are backwards compatible, but include certain new features. The 1.4a spec includes support for 3D viewing. Not something to worry about.

[billotronic]

Spectacular. I fancy myself as a nerd but this hdtv stuff is all greek to me. (Guess I came to the right place)

looking at this psu:

CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply

Well rated on newegg and wont get me divorced over the price difference from the one I previously picked out.

[bmcclure937]

That EVGA GT430 looks good. I would honestly wait to find a deal. I got the ASUS GT430 for $53 FS AR from NewEgg. Watch SlickDeals

The HDMI versions are backward and forward compatible. HDMI 1.4a provides extra bandwidth over top of HDMI 1.3 but it is not needed unless you are planning to play 3D content (which the GT 430 is capable of), play 4K resolution video (not available ATM commercially), use Ethernet over HDMI (not common yet), or use the Audio Return Channel (ARC).

*EDIT*: so HDMI 1.3 will work with HDMI 1.4 (and vise versa) but you will be limited to the functionality of HDMI 1.3 (not an issue unless you want to use features I listed above).

[billotronic]

I will most likely take another look at my shopping list at time of purchase for that exact same reason! I've been dealing with newegg long enough to know that the buggers love to throw things on sale right after I bought a similar item for 20% more. gotta love them.

Those fancy bells and whistles are not a concern at all. 3d would be cool, but I am getting a low end(ish) 720p plasma and don't really have the money for a 3d set up. It is nice to know that in the future I could upgrade and only have to worry about the tv and not the hardware in this box.

[billotronic]

One thing I am still lacking is a means of controlling this beast.

Anyone have any picks for wireless keyboards? I might some day cough up the money for a nice mce remote, but something with a qwerty setup is a going to be a must in the beginning.

[numb7rs]

For the PSU, 650W is total overkill. I have a heavy gaming rig which uses a Corsair 520W PSU. Corsair do a nice 430W that should suit you.

Sorry, no suggestions for input devs.

[bmcclure937]

I will most likely take another look at my shopping list at time of purchase for that exact same reason! I've been dealing with newegg long enough to know that the buggers love to throw things on sale right after I bought a similar item for 20% more. gotta love them.

The good thing is that Newegg does a great job about helping you out if you buy something and then it drops in price the next day.