AVS Forum banner

Guide to Building a HTPC, Workstation and Server

Tags
computers
6M views 20K replies 2K participants last post by  Kenshiro 26 
#1 ·
 Guide to Building a Home Theater PC




Buyer's Guide to Building a Home Theater PC - October/November 2011

Announcement (updated on October 1, 2011)


Here is the basic plan for "Buyer's Guide to Building a Home Theater PC" (formerly "Recommended HTPC Systems"):

1. Issues and Editions. The guide will be issued every month, on around the 20th day of the month, in the PDF format (a PDF reader is required to read it, such as Adobe Reader [ free download ] or Adobe Acrobat).

2. Asking a Donation! I am asking a donation for the latest issue ( why ). There are two choices:
  • Single issue ($4 USD or more): You can download the current latest issue.

     
  • 4 issues ($10 USD or more): You are eligible to download 4 consecutive issues. For example if you send a donation on April 1st, you can download March (during 4/1-4/20), April (during 4/20-5/20), May (during 5/20-6/20) and June (during 6/20-7/13) issues. How this works: Each donator will be provided with a download link to the issue file, which is valid for 2500 hours = 104 days = 3 months and 2 weeks (for example, April 1 to July 13 if you donate on April 1). I will update the file in the server on around the 20th day of each month and will announce it in this thread. Then you can download the new issue at the link provided. You will use the link repeatedly during the subscription period. So please keep the download link.

At this time only a donation by PayPal is accepted. Click the button

then select either one described above, click the PayPal icon and follow the instruction in the loaded page to send a donation. If you don't have a PayPal account, don't worry, click the link "Continue" following "Don't have a PayPal account?" in the page to create an account (it's free) and send money using your credit card or bank account. You will receive a download link instantly. Note that
  • The price field is editable; please change it and donate as much as you can.


     
  • Please add your User Name at AVS Forum in "Add special instructions to merchant" if you want to get my support via PM or posts in the thread. Otherwise I can't identify you with an AVS Forum member unless your user name is the same as your PayPal account holder name.

3. Older Issues will be released free. Older issues will be released for free, either in this thread like the previous "Recommended Systems" or in PDF for download or both. I am planning on releasing a couple of months old issue every couple of months.

4. Have a Question? If you have a question (how to build, how to configure or whatever), please either post it in the thread (yes, please post any question in the thread, hoping that invoke interest in the latest guide
), PM me or email me. I will try to answer it; if I can't, somebody else may be able to help you.

Why do I ask a donation? Maintaining the guide consists of
  • Research latest hardware components;
  • Acquire key hardware components and do lots of experiments;
  • Write the information obtained in a readable form, that requires lots of time, meditation and inspiration (not kidding).

Among them the most difficult part is the second part because it involves lots of money ($1000 or more per month, not kidding, I consider $1000 is the minimum amount to maintain and keep the guide up to date) and currently it relies heavily on the donations. So please consider making a donation, as much as you can afford, if you think the guide is helpful and want to see it updated for some time to come.


BTW the amount of donations in 2010 is
  • October 16 2010 - November 15 2010: $60
  • September 16 2010 - October 15 2010: $85
  • August 16 2010 - September 15 2010: $145

This is good enough to buy a motherboard per month, but nothing more.
This guide is going to die sooner or later if this continues.

Release Notes
  • October/November 2011 Issue: Released on December 11, 2011.


    - Sandy Bridge-E LGA 2011 systems took the place of 3-year-old Bloomfield LGA 1366 systems.

    - All systems were reexamined and nearly half of the systems were updated or completely changed because of new hardware components and price change of many components.

    Sample (21 pages):
  • August/September 2011 Issue: Released on October 1, 2011.


    - The low-end and mid-range systems are restructured.

    - Nearly half of the systems were updated or completely changed because of new hardware components and price change of many components.

     
  • June/July 2011 Issue: Released on July 14, 2011. The June issue has been delayed because of the delay of the May issue. So I decided to combine the June and July issues.


    - AMD A-Series APU (Llano) systems took place of all the Socket AM3 systems in the low-end and mid-range AMD systems.

    - Nearly half of the systems were updated because of new hardware components (new AMD 990FX/990X/SB950 chipset motherboards, new X58/ICH10R chipset motherboards etc.) and price change of many components.

     
  • May 2011 Issue: Released on June 3, 2011.


    - All LGA 775 systems were replaced by LGA 1155 systems finally.

    - Intel Z68 chipset motherboards are used in place of P67 in many systems.

    - Standard Mini-ITX and Budget/Low-End microATX/ATX systems were completely re-organized reflecting the recent release of Pentium Sandy Bridge processor.

    - 15-bay server systems are now using an Intel processor and Intel-brand motherboard (one reason for that is Intel Gb LAN).

    - 20-24 bay server systems have more processor/motherboard options.

     
  • April 2011 Issue ( free download ): Released on April 23, 2011.


    - All Radeon HD 5xxx cards were replaced by the latest Radeon HD 6xxx.

    - Several older motherboards and SSDs were replaced by new ones.

    - A Xeon LGA 1155 workstation was added.

    - Server systems were streamlined and divided into two categories: Server I (12 and 15-drive systems) and Server II (20 and 24-drive systems).

     
  • March 2011 Issue ( free download ): Released on March 21, 2011.


    - Every Intel LGA 1156 (Clarkdale and Lynnfield) system was replaced by a LGA 1155 (Sandy Bridge) system.

    - "Intel for 3D" (Clarkdale + a discrete graphics) systems were removed because Sandy Bridge supports 3D.

    - A LGA 1366 workstation was added.

    - Rocket 620 SATA controller card in a couple of server systems was replaced by Rosewill RC-211 because Rocket 620 BIOS disables other controller's BIOS.

     
  • February 2011 Issue ( free download ): The initial version released on February 23, 2011, the final version released on March 4, 2011.


    - An AMD E-350 APU system was added in the mini-ITX system ("Budge Mini-ITX System").

    - Intel High-End/Premium/Ultimate Systems and Workstation were all updated (i.e. Lynnfield systems were revived) because Intel recalled Intel 6 Series chipsets .

    - Minor changes in the server systems (new motherboards, a new SATA 6.0Gbps controller card) for better cost/performance.

    - Every single system was reviewed and components were replaced if necessary.

     
  • January 2011 Issue ( free download ): Issued on January 20, 2011. As Intel Sandy Bridge quad-core processors were released on January 9, mainly Intel High-End/Premium/Ultimate Systems were updated.

     
  • December 2010 Issue ( free download ): Issued on January 5, 2011. This is the first PDF version of the Buyer's Guide. 80 pages in US letter. Almost every section of the June 2010 issue was updated. This issue is also posted here .


Past Guides in This Thread



_____________________________
Preface to the Guide - May 11, 2008
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯


This is a guide to building a HTPC (Home Theater PC), a revised, enlarged version of Core 2 Motherboard Complete List - With Hardware Recommendations for a HD HTPC . In general emphasis is on the aspect of smooth playback of HD contents (including Blu-ray Disc, HD DVD and 1080p H.264 files), hence I added "HD (High Definition)" in the title. The main parts are:
  • Part I. Hardware Guide
  • Part II. Assembling Guide (under construction)
  • Part III. Software Guide (under construction)

"Hardware Guide" includes a practical selection guide of various hardware components as well as theoretical aspects of hardware if necessary. This part should be helpful to select right components quickly when building a HTPC. "Assembling Guide" is a practical guide to assembling a HTPC. I will choose one of the recommended systems in Part I and give a step-by-step instruction of assembling components. The content of "Software Guide" is still undecided (I welcome suggestions).


There are six appendices:
  • Appendix I. Overview of Intel CPU
  • Appendix II. Overview of AMD CPU
  • Appendix III. Complete List of Core 2 Motherboards
  • Appendix IV. Complete List of AM2 Motherboards
  • Appendix V. Motherboard Naming Rules
  • Appendix VI. List of Bandwidth

These are for reference only.


Then follow
__________________
Contents of the Guide
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

Main Part
  1. Hardware Guide (Page 1)
    1. Introduction (under construction)
    2. Recommended Systems
      • Peripheral Components
      • MicroATX System
      • ATX System
      • Home Media Server
    3. CPU and CPU Cooler
    4. Motherboard
      • Intel Platform
      • AMD Platform
    5. Memory
    6. Graphics Device
    7. Sound Device
    8. HDD
    9. Optical Drive
    10. TV Tuner
    11. PSU
    12. Case
    13. Input Devices
  2. Assembling Guide (Page 2) (under construction)
  3. Software Guide (Page 3) (under construction)

Appendix
  1. Intel Processors – An Overview (Page 4)
    • Contents
    • Preface
    1. History
    2. P6 Microarchitecture
    3. NetBurst Microarchitecture
    4. Mobile Microarchitecture
    5. Core Microarchitecture
    6. Atom Microarchitecture
    7. Nehalem Microarchitecture
  2. AMD Processors – An Overview (Page 5)
    • Contents
    • Preface
    1. History
    2. K5 Processor
    3. K6 Processor
    4. K7 Processor
    5. K8 Processor
    6. K10 Processor
  3. Core 2 Motherboards – A Complete List of (Page 6)
    • Contents
    • Preface
    1. Overview of Recent Chipsets for the Intel Platform
    2. Intel 865 Chipset Motherboards
    3. Intel 945/946 Express Chipset Motherboards
    4. Intel 975X Express Chipset Motherboards
    5. Intel 965 Express Chipset Motherboards
    6. Intel 3 Series Chipset Motherboards
    7. Intel 4 Series Chipset Motherboards
    8. Intel Tylersburg & Ibexpeak Chipset Motherboards
    9. NVIDIA nForce4 Series for Intel Chipset Motherboards
    10. NVIDIA nForce 500 Series for Intel Chipset Motherboards
    11. NVIDIA nForce 600i Series Chipset Motherboards
    12. NVIDIA nForce 700i Series Chipset Motherboards
    13. NVIDIA GeForce 7-Series GPU and nForce 6-Series MCP Motherboards
    14. NVIDIA GeForce 8-Series mGPU Motherboards
    15. ATI Chipset Motherboards
    16. SiS Chipset Motherboards
    17. VIA Chipset Motherboards
    18. Mobile Intel 945 Express Chipset Motherboards
    19. Mobile Intel 965 Express Chipset Motherboards
  4. AM2 Motherboards – A Complete List of (Page 7)
    • Contents
    • Preface
    1. Overview of Recent Chipsets for the AMD Platform
    2. AMD 480 Series Chipset Motherboards
    3. AMD 580 Series Chipset Motherboards
    4. AMD 690 Series Chipset Motherboards
    5. AMD 7-Series Chipset Motherboards
    6. AMD 8-Series Chipset Motherboards
    7. NVIDIA nForce3 Series Chipset Motherboards
    8. NVIDIA nForce4 Series for AMD Chipset Motherboards
    9. NVIDIA nForce 500 Series for AMD Chipset Motherboards
    10. NVIDIA nForce 600a Series Chipset Motherboards
    11. NVIDIA nForce 700a Series Chipset Motherboards
    12. NVIDIA GeForce 6-Series GPU and nForce4 Series MCP Motherboards
    13. NVIDIA GeForce 7-Series GPU and nForce 6-Series MCP Motherboards
    14. NVIDIA GeForce 8-Series mGPU Motherboards
    15. SiS Chipset Motherboards
    16. ULi Chipset Motherboards
    17. VIA Chipset Motherboards
  5. Naming Rules of Motherboards (Page 8)
  6. List of Bandwidth (Page 8)
  7. MSI K8NGM2-FID: The Definitive Guide (page 9)

Discussion Posts (Click Here)
 
See less See more
5
#19,141 ·
As an alternative resource to supplement this excellent thread, check out the mediabrowser3 community. MB3 is a good server platform. Folks there can offer practical experiences.
+1. You can get all your info here you need but MB server and it's clients would be a good solution for you.
 
#19,142 · (Edited)
Hello AVSForum!

First time poster to this forum. I hope I found the right thread.

I am currently building a new Home Media Server to replace my gaming rig which is currently doing both duties. This new server will house my Movie/TV Collection (8TB) and Family Photos mostly.

My needs are to stream to 3 TVs in my house and 2-3 tablets. I currently have new Roku boxes at each TV. Wireless will not be needed on this server, my house is networked with Cat5e.

I have some ideas to what I want but would like input from you pros here. I need to at least stream 3 high quality streams at once to each TV (Just in-case they are all being used at once). I currently use a i7 3820, to just one TV, but I notice that when streaming, say a 50gb LoTR movie, it uses like 50-70% of my processor. I believe because it is trans-coding it and trans-coding is highly CPU intensive?.. (Correct me if I'm wrong please). So, I need to know what Hardware to use for this new Server. Maybe some CPU ideas? Or motherboard? Maybe I should Raid0 my drives for faster read?

Any thoughts would be great, thank you for your help guys.
What server software are you using? Right now Plex Media Server is recommended for the use with Roku. If you select "Direct Play" mode in the Plex channel in Roku, then you can avoid transcoding, at least for AVC=H.264 video codec. If the video codec is MPEG-2 or VC-1, transcoding is unavoidable, but even in such a case Core i7-3820 should be fast enough to transcode three video streams simultaneously. Plex Media Server transcodes the single video stream under full load (or ~50% load when HyperThreading is on), saves the transcoded file(s) in a temporary folder and stays near idle when transcoding finishes, the time required to transcode the entire movie being only a fraction of the movie duration. Transcoding three video streams simultaneously requires a longer time, but it should be still fast enough to send all transcoded streams to Roku without dropped frames.

Another option is Media Browser Server, but it looks like transcoding always occurs whatever the video codec is.

You'd better try yourself to see if Core i7-3820 is fast enough. If you want to upgrade the processor, Core i7-4790K LGA1150 is a good choice, ~1.5 times faster than Core i7-3820.
 
#19,143 ·
What server software are you using? Right now Plex Media Server is recommended for the use with Roku. If you select "Direct Play" mode in the Plex channel in Roku, then you can avoid transcoding, at least for AVC=H.264 video codec. If the video codec is MPEG-2 or VC-1, transcoding is unavoidable, but even in such a case Core i7-3820 should be fast enough to transcode three video streams simultaneously. Plex Media Server transcodes the single video stream under full load (or ~50% load when HyperThreading is on), save the transcoded file(s) in a temporary folder and stay near idle when transcoding finishes, the time required to transcode the entire movie being only a fraction of the movie duration. Transcoding three video streams simultaneously requires a longer time, but it should be still fast enough to send all transcoded streams to Roku without dropped frames.

Another option is Media Browser Server, but it looks like transcoding always occurs whatever the video codec is.

You'd better try yourself to see if Core i7-3820 is fast enough. If you want to upgrade the processor, Core i7-4790K LGA1150 is a good choice, ~1.5 times faster than Core i7-3820.
I am using Plex media Server. I have it on "Direct Play" but yes, id say about half of my movies are not in the correct format and transcoding is a must.

Oh so your saying that I must have looked at my CPU usage when it was transcoding the movie vs just streaming it? Ahh I see now, thank you. I am still planning on building a media server anyways since my collection is getting to big for my gaming rig and I would like to separate the duties. I will probably go with a 4790k just to make sure I have headroom for future stuff.

Can you recommend any motherboard? I think I want to go with something with at least 6, Sata III (6GB) connections for my HDDs. Also, stick with something very reliable like a server/workstation grade MoBo from ASUS or something similar.

Thank you very much for your help thus far.
 
#19,144 · (Edited)
A couple of good mb for Core i7-4790K, released within a month, are

ASRock Z97 Extreme6
ASUS Z97-PRO
ASUS Z97-WS

The last one is for a workstation, but good for a server as well.

CPU cooler: Noctua NH-L12
Memory: F3-1600C9D-8GAB 4GB x 2
PSU: Seasonic S12G-550/650/750 or Platinum-660/760.
Case: Depends on the number of HDDs you would like to have. Norco RPC-4224 has 24 hot-swap bays.
HBA: Supermicro AOC-SAS2LP-MV8 x 1 or 2.
 
#19,145 ·
A couple of good mb for Core i7-4790K, released within a month, are

ASRock Z97 Extreme6
ASUS Z97-PRO
ASUS Z97-WS

The last one is for a workstation, but good for a server as well.

CPU cooler: Noctua NH-L12
Memory: F3-1600C9D-8GAB 4GB x 2
PSU: Seasonic S12G-550/650/750 or Platinum-660/760.
Case: Depends on the number of HDDs you would like to have. Norco RPC-4224 has 24 hot-swap bays.
HBA: Supermicro AOC-SAS2LP-MV8 x 1 or 2.
Thank you Renethx,

Yes, I have been looking at the ASUS WS boards. I currently have 4, 4TB WD black drives and that will be enough for a while I think for my needs. I was looking at cases like the Node 804, unfortunately, the ASUS WS boards wont fit. I also looked at the Gryphon Z97 one. That seems reliable and could fit a Node 804 or a smaller tower with about 6-8 HDD bays. I don't have a rack in my house yet to hold such a large case as the Norco RPC-4224.

I have a few Noctua fans and coolers and would definitely go with them again, the added cost is nothing when thinking of peace of mind, quality and just performance. I have never owned a Seasonic myself but have heard and read that they are great products and will probably go with a gold or platinum for the power savings when in idle. This machine will probably be running 24/7.

I do have to ask though, what are those Supermicro AOC-SAS2LP-MV8 add-in cards for? Are they faster than the on board Sata ports?
 
#19,146 ·
As for microATX, ASUS Gryphon Z97 comes into my mind first. Gryphon Z97 has only 6 SATA ports, while Node 804 can hold 10 x 3.5" HDD and 2 x 2.5" HDD/SSD. So you would want to add a host bus adapter, like AOC-SAS2LP-MV8. There is no speed difference, both are SATA 6Gbps.
 
#19,149 ·
Avoiding any holy war and just talking pure technical details, what are the differentiating factors between amd and nvidia cards for a htpc thinking about playback with powerdvd and madvr?

Like any differentiating factors with regards to:
- 24hz output
- sleep/wake up hdmi stability
- limited vs full black range or rgb vs ycbcr output
- hd audio bitstreaming stability
- edid issues
- and so on

I'd looking at a higher end card most likely. 290x vs 780 ti or possibly just holding out until the next gen comes soon. That'd be an 880 for nvidia. Not sure for amd.

Thanks!
 
#19,150 ·
Avoiding any holy war and just talking pure technical details, what are the differentiating factors between amd and nvidia cards for a htpc thinking about playback with powerdvd and madvr?

Like any differentiating factors with regards to:
- 24hz output
- sleep/wake up hdmi stability
- limited vs full black range or rgb vs ycbcr output
- hd audio bitstreaming stability
- edid issues
- and so on

I'd looking at a higher end card most likely. 290x vs 780 ti or possibly just holding out until the next gen comes soon. That'd be an 880 for nvidia. Not sure for amd.
- 23Hz output (not 24Hz output): In most systems AMD is near perfect. NVIDIA always requires a custom refresh rate.
- limited vs full black range or rgb vs ycbcr output: AMD supports all of them fine. NVIDIA requires a tweak to get full range RGB.
- NNEDI3 performance in madVR: AMD is roughly 1.5 times better than NVIDIA.
- HDMI audio problem: NVIDIA does not support 88.2kHz/176.4kHz (this matters only for high resolution audio).

For the rest I don't see any problem with either one. Others may have different experience, of course.
 
#19,152 ·
Sounds like AMD is more turnkey. What about 3D playback for Bluray? I'd be using powerdvd and/or stereoscopic player. Any logistical difference?

Thanks for the info.
AMD supports 3D right out of the box. As usual NVIDIA requires a stupid "3D Test", then will work. But you will have to switch back and forth between 2D 23Hz and 3D 23Hz manually if you create a custom 2D 23Hz.

As for Stereoscopic Player, AMD just doesn't work right: AMD HD3D broken. NVIDIA works with the $40 3DTV Play software suite.
 
#19,153 ·
I think it's time to rebuild my HTPC. The networking port on the motherboard went out, which tells me it's starting to bite the dust. I have a case (Silverstone GD04 or 5) a new Blue ray player, a 2250 tuner card and a 2 TB hard drive for data. I only use it for OTA broadcast TV and playing back MKV container h264 video, maybe the occasional DVD. Would this be able to do what I need?


BIOSTAR Hi-Fi A85S3 FM2 AMD A85X (Hudson D4) SATA 6Gb/s USB3.0 HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard


SilverStone SDP08 2 x 2.5" to 3.5" BayConverterModel #:SDP08


AMD A6-6400K Richland Dual-Core 3.9GHz Socket FM2 65WDesktop Processor - Black Edition AMD


Radeon HD AD640KOKHLBOXModel #:AD640KOKHLBOX


G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAMDDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model F3-14900CL9D-4GBXMModel#:F3-14900CL9D-4GBXM


Plextor M5S Series PX-128M5S 2.5" 128GB SATA IIIInternal Solid State Drive (SSD)Model #:pX-128M5S


ARCTIC Alpine 64 GT Rev. 2 CPU Cooler - AMD, SupportsMultiple Sockets, 80mm PWM Fan at 22dBAModel #:ACALP64-GT
Not so sure I need the heatsink, maybe the AMD one will do fine. And yes, I want to stay with AMD if I can.
 
#19,154 ·
I think it's time to rebuild my HTPC. The networking port on the motherboard went out, which tells me it's starting to bite the dust. I have a case (Silverstone GD04 or 5) a new Blue ray player, a 2250 tuner card and a 2 TB hard drive for data. I only use it for OTA broadcast TV and playing back MKV container h264 video, maybe the occasional DVD. Would this be able to do what I need?
Yes. SDP08 converts 3.5" to 2 x 2.5". You'd better add a third-party cooler, A6-6400K could consume as much as 90W even at video playback. Another good cooler is Cooler Master Geminii M4.
 
#19,156 ·
The highest power consumption I saw was 92W when I played back 1080i60 contents with madVR. I usually disable "Turbo Boost" for the maximum performance. "Turbo Boost" actually lowers clocks so that TDP 65W is retained.
 
#19,158 ·
Perhaps the only reason to use A6-6400K is BR 3D support. Otherwise Celeron G1840 with an Intel 8 or 9 series chipset mb is a better choice.
 
#19,159 ·
Perhaps the only reason to use A6-6400K is BR 3D support. Otherwise Celeron G1840 with an Intel 8 or 9 series chipset mb is a better choice.
Probably be a better choice as I don't have a 3-d TV, but I like to support AMD. I remember when the Athlon came out and shock up Intel. Then X64, and Intel claimed nobody needed it, and the same with dual core. That is till Intel had a dual core 64 bit chip. I bet we would still be on Pentium 3's without the original Athlon! LOL
 
#19,160 ·
@renethx. A quick question.
From your many years experience on HTPC, can you please tell me if an Intel i3/ i5 CPU with iGPU is good enought to provide great picture quality on 65' TV or I have to buy a discrete amd/ nvidia card to improve PQ?
FYI, I've never messed up with madVR or something like that to upscalling/downscalling. All my movies are played either full HD 1080p .mkv files that I ripped from bluray disc or physical bluray disc/ bluray 3D iso by TMT/ PowerDVD.
In other words, to play bluray movies the picture quality is the same doesn't matter if integrated GPU or a discrete card is used? If not, why?

Thank you for your prompt reply.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top