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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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00b5
Senior Member
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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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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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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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> 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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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?