XBMC DIY Build
#1
Hi All
I've decided that its time to replace my xbox with a windows based HTPC.
After looking at whats available in the market I decided to go with my own build. This is my first attempt at building a HTPC and I am looking for your feedback on my proposed build.

The Brief is as follows
  • Build a small, quite HTCP to replace my X-box. Needs to be able to run Windows 64Bit, XBMC and MC360 skin.
  • Audio and Video will be passed via HDMI to my AV Receiver.
  • Needs to be able to output 1080P. I plan to add a Blu-Ray player later on when the prices drop.
  • No need for on-board media storage. I host all my media on another PC in my office.
  • Needs to be very quiet.
  • Would like to keep the cost under $400 (US)

Here are the components I am currently considering.
Note: I haven't included a DVDROM as I plan on recycling an old one until I add the Blu-ray.
Case
Antec Aluminum Veris Fusion Black 430 Micro ATX Media Center
PSU
430W Included in case
Case Fan
VANTEC SF8025L 80mm Case Fan - Retail
MOBO
ASUS M3A78-EM AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
Processor
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400+ Brisbane 2.8GHz Socket AM2 65W Dual-Core
Heatsink
ZALMAN CNPS7000B-AlCu LED 2 Ball Cooling Fan
Memory
Kingston HyperX 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500)
Video
On Board (via HDMI)
Sound
on Board (via HDMI)
HardDrive
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250310AS 250GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s

NewEgg Wishlist - Net price $328
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/Public...r=14026887


I have a few concerns that I would like to address.
  1. Am I over/under spec'ed? I'm not very technical but have done a lot of research and would like a true tech opinion.
  2. Will that heatsink fit in the case? It seems pretty big.
  3. Anything else glaringly wrong or stupid with the build?
Feel free to be as harsh as you like. If this is a totaly crap built I'd rather find out now before I spen the cash...


Thanks in Advance
Declan
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#2
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400+ won't run high bitrate 1080p content, i had 5600 had to rip it out of the system.

it might play some poor highly compressed junk from p2p sites, but good quality blu-ray rips forget about it
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#3
nekrosoft13 Wrote:AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400+ won't run high bitrate 1080p content, i had 5600 had to rip it out of the system.

it might play some poor highly compressed junk from p2p sites, but good quality blu-ray rips forget about it

What would you recommend as a minimum spec for an AMD processor if I want to play blu-ray?
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#4
in XBMC 9550+, triple cores should be able to

in other program that use hardware acceleration, decent dual core.
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#5
I though ffmpeg, and thus XBMC, doesn't utilize anymore than 2 cores? That would mean anything more than 2 for xbmc would be a waste.
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#6
xeonicxpression Wrote:I though ffmpeg, and thus XBMC, doesn't utilize anymore than 2 cores? That would mean anything more than 2 for xbmc would be a waste.

for video decoding and playback: yes.

for the rest of your system: no.
cheers,azido :;):
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#7
xeonicxpression Wrote:I though ffmpeg, and thus XBMC, doesn't utilize anymore than 2 cores? That would mean anything more than 2 for xbmc would be a waste.

technically it might not, but system spreads out the load almost equally on all cores.

usually core 1, 3 and 4 hover around 70-80% and core 2 around 30% when playing 1080p content.
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