[Drazzilb]

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/Public...r=10702989

Tell me what you think
Over kill on the Processor?
To little memory.

I do love the case I'm very partial to Lian Li cases it goes with the rest of the equipment in my cabinet right now as well as has the expandability in the future.

The 2TB HDD is just a start the case has storage for 5 extra HDDs with 1 Blu-ray player for movies not stored on the HDD

The TV tuner card could be taken off to save A bit however there are many different PVR branches out there to experiment with so its nice to have the hardware to test and see what I like.

Oh and please tell me if I'm forgetting something.

Comments?

Thanks

[poofyhairguy]

Thoughts:

1. Overkill on the CPU for a non-gaming/encoding rig. Dual core is fine.

2. Where is your GPU? The GPU on that mobo sucks I have recently confirmed if you where planning on using that.

3. Where is you OS SSD?

4. I guess you picked that 2TB drive because you read its better for media, but that is a scam. A normal WD Green for less money will provide the same experience. The difference needs to go towards that OS SSD, putting your OS on your storage drive is the single worst HTPC mistake you can make.

[Drazzilb]

Thoughts:

1. Overkill on the CPU for a non-gaming/encoding rig. Dual core is fine.

2. Where is your GPU? The GPU on that mobo sucks I have recently confirmed if you where planning on using that.

3. Where is you OS SSD?

4. I guess you picked that 2TB drive because you read its better for media, but that is a scam. A normal WD Green for less money will provide the same experience. The difference needs to go towards that OS SSD, putting your OS on your storage drive is the single worst HTPC mistake you can make.

1. Ok my thoughts on the CPU was a bit much however didn't know with HD playback

2. The GPU was the one on the MOBO however from your experience what should I be looking for with the GPU? I'm partial to ATI had much better experience with them.

3. I'm good on the OS.

4. Good to know on the HDD that is basically what i read on the drive is that its a "Media" drive I plan on this machine to run 24/7 basically shutdowns from time to time but runs most of the time. I'm not to concerned with saving power or anything like that i want it to be ready all day every day.

Is there a recommendation on what I should put the OS on. I'm planning on having Windows 7.

But honestly don't care if its Windows 7 or XP. I plan on not ever seeing Windows so IDK honestly.

[EDIT]: Updated the list. Cut some cost of some of the items you listed. Added a SSD. Figured a 32Gb drive would be enough. Went with this MB seeing as hit supports 7 SATA Drives as the case has support for 7 Drives its self I figured giving me the most expandability. I do realize that, that damn remote is chewing up a lot of the price. However, I absolutely hate having to switch remotes to change volume, to change the TV to control the HTPC. ect. ect. Switching the main HDD saved me about 30 bucks or so.

Oh forgot the GPU but awaiting thoughts on a GPU to get not really concerned about the MFG.

[bmcclure937]

I would say cut back on the PSU (that one is very expensive). You can still get great quality for much less. Also, any specific reason you chose that mobo? You can also save some money there. Finally, for the price you are paying for your RAM you can find 4Gb (2x2Gb) for only slightly more.

When I built my HTPC I kind of went overboard and got a quad-core CPU (AMD). This set me back $99 and I am still trying to determine if it was worth the price. I could have easily went for a dual-core... but I figure 5 years down the road my quad-core will be a good investment for only $30 more than the dual-core AMD I was looking to get. Plus, my quad-core was still $15 cheaper than the Core i3 I was looking at in the VERY beginning.

[poofyhairguy]

2. The GPU was the one on the MOBO however from your experience what should I be looking for with the GPU? I'm partial to ATI had much better experience with them.

Any AMD 5xxx card is great in Windows 7. You can try the onboard GPU first, and if it has problems like the kind I have heard, put in a discrete GPU.

3. I'm good on the OS.

I was asking which SSD you were gonna get for a OS drive. The one you ended up picking is great.

4. Good to know on the HDD that is basically what i read on the drive is that its a "Media" drive I plan on this machine to run 24/7 basically shutdowns from time to time but runs most of the time. I'm not to concerned with saving power or anything like that i want it to be ready all day every day.

That is the only way I roll. I never use sleep.

Is there a recommendation on what I should put the OS on. I'm planning on having Windows 7.

That is best.

[eskro]

i think there's wrong choices in your list....
have a look at these...


[SSD] Mushkin Callisto 40GB 2.5" 40GB SATAII ($100 + $0 - $10 MIR) http://fwd4.me/uCY
[HDD] Seagate Barracuda LP 2TB 5900RPM SATA 32MB 3.5" ($80 + $0) http://fwd4.me/uCZ
[PSU] CORSAIR CX430 430W ATX12V ($45 + $0 - $20 MIR) http://fwd4.me/uC8
[RAM] G.SKILL Ripjaws 2 x 2GB DDR3 1333Mhz CL7 240-Pin ($55 + $0) http://ow.ly/1rYuzC
[MOBO] ASRock AM3 USB3 eSata MicroATX ($85 + $3) http://fwd4.me/u3R
[GFX] ASUS Radeon HD5450 1GB 64-bit DDR3 Low Profile ($50 + $3 - $10 MIR) http://fwd4.me/uC4
[BD-ROM] LITE-ON 8X Combo SATA ($64 + $4) http://fwd4.me/uC7
[CASE] nMEDIAPC 6000B ($80 + $15) http://fwd4.me/uCh
[WIFI] Rosewill 802.11b/g/n2 PCI-Express 300Mbps WPA2 ($20 + $3) http://fwd4.me/uCl
[REMOTE] Logitech Harmony 900 ($250 + $0) http://fwd4.me/uCo

the ASUS motherboard you selected doesn't even have 1 x USB 3.0 port!!
the SSD i chose costs $10 more but Reads up to 280MB/s & writes up to 270MB/s!!
the CORSAIR power supply is reviewed 1000 times and loved and recommended!!
the ASUS Radeon HD5450 handles any 1080P true HD video & audio files!!
the G.SKILL ram sticks are Fast!! case latency 7!!
why did you select the LITE-ON Light-scribe version? you really need that?
nMEDIAPC Case is cheaper, has front eSata/Card Reader ports + possible front LCD panel ($30)..
that Rosewill WiFi card saves you another $5...
Logitech Harmony remote is $30 cheaper on ebay,,,, (still think its an hardcore price to pay)

Bottom line,
that build i suggest you costs --> $877 if you go with the AMD Athlon X2 (you save $275)
could cost you --> $917 if you go with the AMD Athlon X4 (you save $235)

[Drazzilb]

I know this post is kind of old I've been w/o any kind of computer access but I'm back to asking questions and looking at different builds for my HTPC.

The system I have here is similar to the one listed above however I'm still looking for more thoughts and comments. This System is to play Blu-ray.
Now i know the case is a bit pricey however I'm very loyal to lian-li I've loved their cases for years and I doubt I'll find any mfg with the same quality of product. IMO i get what i pay for.

However one of my concerns is NOISE. If this isnt something i should worry about with this build then let me know wish i could build it and see and if i didnt like it return the whole rig lol.

Thanks

The build.
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/Public...r=19836027

[eskro]

i would get a ASUS GT210 GPU if u dont need to BitStream HD Audio & play 3D....
i would get a ASUS GT430 GPU if u need to BitStream HD Audio & play 3D....

i would get a CORSAIR NOVA 32GB SSD....

i would get a CORSAIR CMPSU-430CX PSU....

i would get at least a AMD Athlon II X2 250 3.0GHz CPU...
or
i would get a AMD Athlon II X3 435 2.9GHz CPU for $10 more only...

i would get a ASUS PCE-N13 WiFi Adapter...

Still not sure about your motherboard + why u want to put 7 hdd in your case..
i would be concerned for heat and noise...
all in one HTPC's are the worst thing one can do here...

why not this case Here?
add your 2TB drive in it for now and once it fills up to a point where
you'll need more space, then, you'll think of something like a NAS....

[wsume99]

Went with this MB seeing as hit supports 7 SATA Drives as the case has support for 7 Drives its self I figured giving me the most expandability.

HOLY CRAP! Are you seriously thinking about putting 7 HDDs in that case? If you need that much storage then you should be looking into building a media server. Also, according to the Newegg page that case supports 4 internal 3.5" and 2 external 5.25" bays so I don't think that is even possible.

I do realize that, that damn remote is chewing up a lot of the price. However, I absolutely hate having to switch remotes to change volume, to change the TV to control the HTPC. ect. ect.

If you are not going to control more than 5 devices you could swap the Harmony 900 for a Harmony 650. I have the Harmony 650 and it controls all my devices (TV, Cable Box, BluRay, & HTPC) perfectly. I believe (but I'm sure someone will say otherwise) that from a functionality standpoint the 650 provides nearly the exact same functionality as the more expensive Harmonies. The main caveat is the limitation on the number of devices you can control.

[Drazzilb]

i would get a ASUS GT210 GPU if u dont need to BitStream HD Audio & play 3D....
i would get a ASUS GT430 GPU if u need to BitStream HD Audio & play 3D....

OK I'm very new to all this and a lot of the stuff i post might not seem the most technically sound that's why I'm asking lol.. However What is "BitStream HD Audio & play 3D?? I don't plan on playing any video games on this thing at all.

i would get a CORSAIR NOVA 32GB SSD....

Ok the one you posted before
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6820226168
Had a read of 280 MB/s
and a write of 270 MB/s

the Corair Nova 32gb SSD is only
195 MB/s read
70 MB/s Write

Correct me if there is something else I should be looking at but isn't a bigger number better??

i would get a CORSAIR CMPSU-430CX PSU....

430 be enough I highly doubt I'll ever fit more than 2 maybe 3 2tb HDDs in this case. I love the idea of having the Option.

i would get at least a AMD Athlon II X2 250 3.0GHz CPU...
or
i would get a AMD Athlon II X3 435 2.9GHz CPU for $10 more only...

I do like the 2.9 3 core Gonna go with that one.

i would get a ASUS PCE-N13 WiFi Adapter...

Whats the deal with the 2 antenna?

Still not sure about your motherboard + why u want to put 7 hdd in your case..
i would be concerned for heat and noise...
all in one HTPC's are the worst thing one can do here...

Doubt I'll ever buy 7 HDDs in my life however the Mobo is partialy due to a post you wrote earlier stating about USB 3.0. I've also had a lot of luck in the past with ASUS boards and support. However, I'm not opposed to something else if its cheaper, better, and faster.

why not this case Here?

I'll have to consider this case. It looks really nice and might just be what I'm looking for. However, all my cases in my house are Lian-Li cases and I've loved them all and never have had a problem with them.

add your 2TB drive in it for now and once it fills up to a point where
you'll need more space, then, you'll think of something like a NAS....

In all actuality I was wondering about streaming 1080p over a wireless network. I really understand the idea of noise and heat with having several HDDs in one system. Is this an issue I should even worry about?

What NAS would you recommend?

Or how about using an old desktop computer that I have laying around 6 SATA slot Motherboard, AMD Athlon 4500+ processor. 2 Gig memory. Just not sure. The case has more than enough room and cooling to support multiple HDDs.

HOLY CRAP! Are you seriously thinking about putting 7 HDDs in that case? If you need that much storage then you should be looking into building a media server. Also, according to the Newegg page that case supports 4 internal 3.5" and 2 external 5.25" bays so I don't think that is even possible.

Your absolutely right I realize this I don't know what i was thinking.

If you are not going to control more than 5 devices you could swap the Harmony 900 for a Harmony 650. I have the Harmony 650 and it controls all my devices (TV, Cable Box, BluRay, & HTPC) perfectly. I believe (but I'm sure someone will say otherwise) that from a functionality standpoint the 650 provides nearly the exact same functionality as the more expensive Harmonies. The main caveat is the limitation on the number of devices you can control.

Hmmm. Good to know. I think that's something I'll look into.

TYVM

[wsume99]

In all actuality I was wondering about streaming 1080p over a wireless network. I really understand the idea of noise and heat with having several HDDs in one system. Is this an issue I should even worry about?

If you want hassle free 1080p streaming then use a wired network. I'm not saying it can't be done over wireless but if you want zero hassle then use a wired network.

What NAS would you recommend?

unRAID

Or how about using an old desktop computer that I have laying around 6 SATA slot Motherboard, AMD Athlon 4500+ processor. 2 Gig memory. Just not sure. The case has more than enough room and cooling to support multiple HDDs.

If you have a spare machine lying around go download a copy of unraid and see if you can get it working. All you need is a spare USB flash drive. You can setup a 3 drive server for free. That's what I did.

[Drazzilb]

If you want hassle free 1080p streaming then use a wired network. I'm not saying it can't be done over wireless but if you want zero hassle then use a wired network.

unRAID

If you have a spare machine lying around go download a copy of unraid and see if you can get it working. All you need is a spare USB flash drive. You can setup a 3 drive server for free. That's what I did.

So i assume that unraid is the GUI software to access the computer. So that in theory I could stuff the Media Server in a closet somewhere and access the computer from another system. Is it accessible from mac computers as well?
Oh, and the software only supports 3 drives? How would you go about it supporting more?

[wsume99]

So i assume that unraid is the GUI software to access the computer. So that in theory I could stuff the Media Server in a closet somewhere and access the computer from another system.

That's exactly how I use it. I have my server tucked away in the basement but you can put it anywhere you want.

Is it accessible from mac computers as well?

Yes. I don't have a mac but I see lots of mac users over on the unRAID forms. You'll need to go the forums to get more details on using unRAID with a mac.

Oh, and the software only supports 3 drives? How would you go about it supporting more?

You can use it for free with up to 3 drives. If you want to add more drives you buy a license key and it'll unlock your system so that you can add more drives. There's a plus and a pro version. I think they're $69 and $99, respectively. Basically I was suggesting that you could try it out using the free version and determine if it'll suit your needs. Click the unraid 4.7 link in my signature and it'll take you the the unraid forum where you can download the latest version of unraid.

[Drazzilb]

Sounds great. I'll definetly try it out when I get that far into storing my media. I just know that all the TV Shows that I have is going to eat up a lot of room. However back to the system its self. Whatcha think? I know you've still had questions about the MOBO what thoughts do you have on that... i guess i go back to the post I had at the end of the last page.

I'm kind of wanting the system to be one that i build and wont have to upgrade. Well atleast wont have to upgrade for many years I tend to keep my computers till they are beyond obsolete. How about this card?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6814121397

[wsume99]

Case: Way too big for my taste but if this is what you want then it's a very good case. Lian Li cases are top notch.

MB: If you get that case you'll have plenty of room for an ATX MB and if you want to get an ATX MB I suppose there is nothing wrong with the one you selected. You could probably find one a little cheaper and more future proof. Perhaps this one. It has SATA III and USB 3.0 and it's a little cheaper than the one you selected. You could probably save a little money by getting a mATX board instead but that would limit your future expandability. Most mATX boards have two PCI express slots - one x1 and one x16. So if you got a mATX board then your graphics card and tuner would fill those slots and you'd only have regular pci slots left. Getting an ATX board will definitely give you more options for expandability. Personally I would not want that much h/w in my htpc due to noise and heat concerns but that's just me. This is your machine so get what makes you happy.

CPU: Good.

RAM: Good.

GPU: The GT430 is probably the best card you can get right now for a HTPC.

PSU: Overkill. Your machine will probably idle somewhere around 65-70 watts. Your PSU is quite efficient but that efficiency drops off FAST once you go below 20% load on your PSU. Since you went with a 600w PSU that means the further you go below 120w the less efficient your PSU will be. I'd say that at 70w the efficiency is probably under 60%, maybe even less than 50%. Only under the most severe conditions (like 100% CPU and GPU load) would your machine (in its current configuration) go much over 120-140w. If you are going to be leaving this pc on 24/7 that might get expensive. I'd recommend getting a 350-400w PSU if you are at all concerned about operating cost. The only reason to get a larger PSU is if you think that you might get a super duper kick ass graphics card in the future.

Tuner: Good choice - I have that exact card in my HTPC right now. Works great in Win 7 w/ WMC. One caution, if you ever decide to try mythtv(linux) the driver support is limited. The card will work ATSC(digital OTA) but not NTSC(analog) because the driver support is lacking - but I think it's being worked. It works fine in both modes in a windows environment though.

SDD: 32GB should be OK so long as you don't want to add many games or applications to this machine. If you run out of space you could always us your HDD for apps/games.

HDD: Good. I have four EARS drives and they work fine, unless you get one DOA. Really getting a HDD nowadays from any OEM is a gamble. All OEMs seem to have a high DOA rate. Also consider a Hitachi 5k3000.

ODD: No comment, I don't have a BR drive.

Remote: see my previous post.

Wifi: No idea/tired of typing. Be careful with streaming, especially 1080p, over wifi.