Due to limitations with forum software as of 5/01/12 I am moving the updated version of my guide over the my blog located at assassinhtpcblog.com. The guide at my blog will remain free and as time allows I will update my guide here when possible. Due to the size of my guide I am getting multiple timeouts which makes updating the guide incredibly time consuming and the forum software is very cumbersome for these guides. Thanks for the continued support.
For $600+, I would rather spend the money on a name brand PC and save the hassles. Maybe swapping the DVD-R with a BR-R if necessary. But then it is just me.
Hmm that is god points. i dont have the 3d tv or receiver so sound slike Sb is more or less a moot point for me. Least in the reviews ive read the i3-540 and SB i3 seem pretty comparable other than those features. Plus if i understand correctly if i wanted to upgrade to 3d in the future i could just toss in a GPU card correct?
Quote:
Originally Posted by pixelation /forum/post/19764117
For $600+, I would rather spend the money on a name brand PC and save the hassles. Maybe swapping the DVD-R with a BR-R if necessary. But then it is just me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bonscott87 /forum/post/19763922
Personally if it were me building right now, I'd try to wait 2-3 months for SB to mature just a bit, in particular Mobo's but I think SB is the way to go and not really any more expensive then current Clarkdale builds.
From what I have read the current chipsets don't support the onboard gpu meaning that you may need to wait until quarter 2 for a motherboard/chipset that is fully capable.
That 2-3 months may turn into 4-6 months which is fine if you need what SB is offering.
Quote:
Originally Posted by assassin /forum/post/19764245
From what I have read the current chipsets don't support the onboard gpu meaning that you may need to wait until quarter 2 for a motherboard/chipset that is fully capable.
That 2-3 months may turn into 4-6 months which is fine if you need what SB is offering.
Well, it seems that is only the case if you want a clock unlocked K CPU which for HTPC needs is unnecessary. Still, I would wait until the Q2 boards start to hit the market as while I think the initial set of boards will be good, they do seem a bit "half baked" when compared to the rock solid boards at the Clarkdale launch a year ago. So it would be worth it to wait.
In the meantime if you need to build an HTPC a Clarkdale system is plenty fine and should last many years since it does everything needed today as it is.
Sorry in advance if my questions sound dumb. I've been using a Seagate Freeagent Theater+ to stream/play my media files to my theater and after reading more on HTPC's feel that the Freeagent is a bit of a cheap waste of money. I'd like to build a budget HTPC and this guide is great, but I was wondering if I could cut corners here and there.
Does the motherboard have to be Asus or Gigabyte? Are there other brands or previous generations with HDMI out's that are still very capable of playing 1080p content? I know its only 59.99 for the cheapest one on your list, but 20-30 here and there adds up quick. Also, can the chipset be non-dual core? This would never be doing anything other than movie playback..no gaming, nothing.
I have a bunch of harddrives already around the house and work. They're probably generic, off brand ones, maybe a WD or two but would any one work?
My biggest concern regarding a HTPC is noise. This will be going into a dedicated home theater, onto a rack, exposed to the room on the side wall. Will I be able to hear the PC going? I know my PC right now is quite loud with the fans spinning and what not. It would drive me nuts to hear anything even half as loud constantly humming in the background. Would the noise be comparable to a laptop? ps3?...or just silent?
Finally, this may sound dumb, but I can plug this directly into the back of my AVR and it should work like a charm without any special setup or hacks, right?
As an idea for a sample build to add to this post.. how about a budget HTPC? The processor price is killing my budget. I'm looking for a motherboard around 100 and a processer in the 50-60 range. I'm an AMD fan, but will do Intel. The processor you have is listed as 114 now, and that's what's killing me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tapiozona /forum/post/19765757
Sorry in advance if my questions sound dumb. I've been using a Seagate Freeagent Theater+ to stream/play my media files to my theater and after reading more on HTPC's feel that the Freeagent is a bit of a cheap waste of money. I'd like to build a budget HTPC and this guide is great, but I was wondering if I could cut corners here and there.
Does the motherboard have to be Asus or Gigabyte? Are there other brands or previous generations with HDMI out's that are still very capable of playing 1080p content? I know its only 59.99 for the cheapest one on your list, but 20-30 here and there adds up quick. Also, can the chipset be non-dual core? This would never be doing anything other than movie playback..no gaming, nothing.
I have a bunch of harddrives already around the house and work. They're probably generic, off brand ones, maybe a WD or two but would any one work?
My biggest concern regarding a HTPC is noise. This will be going into a dedicated home theater, onto a rack, exposed to the room on the side wall. Will I be able to hear the PC going? I know my PC right now is quite loud with the fans spinning and what not. It would drive me nuts to hear anything even half as loud constantly humming in the background. Would the noise be comparable to a laptop? ps3?...or just silent?
Finally, this may sound dumb, but I can plug this directly into the back of my AVR and it should work like a charm without any special setup or hacks, right?
No, it doesn't have to be ASUS or Gigabyte. Those are just my 2 favorites and 2 of the best, imo.
You can use a non-dual core CPU but the whole point of the i3 is you can use the integrated GPU for your 1080p HD video and HD audio. If you go this route you will likely need to get a discrete video card which will likely offset the money saved by going with a cheaper CPU.
Yes, any hard drive may work although older drives may be louder which matters a lot with a HTPC.
Yes, you may have to do a few minor tweaks to get the picture just right but for the most part you should be able to plug this into your AV receiver or TV much like a stand alone bluray player.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cp59 /forum/post/19766267
As an idea for a sample build to add to this post.. how about a budget HTPC? The processor price is killing my budget. I'm looking for a motherboard around 100 and a processer in the 50-60 range. I'm an AMD fan, but will do Intel. The processor you have is listed as 114 now, and that's what's killing me.
To go the AMD route to get all the identical benefits of the i3 CPU you will need to add a discrete video card which will offset any money saved. The i3 is the way to go for multiple reasons.
Originally Posted by assassin
To go the AMD route to get all the identical benefits of the i3 CPU you will need to add a discrete video card which will offset any money saved. The i3 is the way to go for multiple reasons.
Intel has issues with open source decoders like ffdshow DXVA, the MPC-HC ones and XBMC, especially VC-1 playback. Also, no 24p playback.
A HD5xxx series card or a Nvidia GT430 (which also supports 3D Blu Ray with HDMI 1.4) are a better solution IMO.
Originally Posted by assassin
I definitely think you can get a card for gaming given that budget. What is your remaining budget for the video card given your other choices?
Edit: Also, I would probably go with the larger Corsair PSU if you are adding a video card.
I'll have to get back to you on that, i'm at work trying to multi-task haha!
Will give you an update of all the items including links.
thanks for the tip on the PSU!
Off Topic:
I actually just got a laptop a couple of days ago.
It's got an i3-370M @2.4Ghz w/ a dedicated ATI HD5650 and 4GB DD3 Ram.
Unfortunately there's EM interference coming from the left side of the speaker and its already my 3rd unit! (Returned twice for the exact same problem
Originally Posted by assassin
To go the AMD route to get all the identical benefits of the i3 CPU you will need to add a discrete video card which will offset any money saved. The i3 is the way to go for multiple reasons.
that's true only if you want HD audio, correct?
otherwise you can just do the cheaper AMD route and not get a discrete vid card.
Originally Posted by Tapiozona
Sorry in advance if my questions sound dumb. I've been using a Seagate Freeagent Theater+ to stream/play my media files to my theater and after reading more on HTPC's feel that the Freeagent is a bit of a cheap waste of money. I'd like to build a budget HTPC and this guide is great, but I was wondering if I could cut corners here and there.
Does the motherboard have to be Asus or Gigabyte? Are there other brands or previous generations with HDMI out's that are still very capable of playing 1080p content? I know its only 59.99 for the cheapest one on your list, but 20-30 here and there adds up quick. Also, can the chipset be non-dual core? This would never be doing anything other than movie playback..no gaming, nothing.
I have a bunch of harddrives already around the house and work. They're probably generic, off brand ones, maybe a WD or two but would any one work?
My biggest concern regarding a HTPC is noise. This will be going into a dedicated home theater, onto a rack, exposed to the room on the side wall. Will I be able to hear the PC going? I know my PC right now is quite loud with the fans spinning and what not. It would drive me nuts to hear anything even half as loud constantly humming in the background. Would the noise be comparable to a laptop? ps3?...or just silent?
Finally, this may sound dumb, but I can plug this directly into the back of my AVR and it should work like a charm without any special setup or hacks, right?
Thanks a lot and sorry for all the questions.
Here is a sample budget build for ~300 not including OS and controllers:
Dynapower ATX Mini Tower with 430W PSU 22.99
Hitachi Deskstar 1TB 3.5" 54.99
Sony DVD-ROM 16.99
G SKill 2 x 1 GB DDR3 27.99
Foxconn H55MX 74.99
Intel i3-540 114.99
Its really difficult to go much lower on a new 1156 CPU. You could go for that Pentium dual core 1156 chip for 15 dollars less, but I really don't recommend it.
2GB may not be future proof but it will get you by right now.
Forget the blu ray if you are looking to save money.
I do have a caveat about the above build. Skimping on the PSU can ultimately lead to problems. Experienced builders should have less problems with the case and MB selection. However if this is your first build, a nicer MB and a well thought out case will make your life much easier. It would be quite a shame to save $100 up front and end up frustrated with a non functional computer.
Any of your hard drives will probably perform adequately. However capacity will become an issue at some point.
With regards to noise, there are many factors that go into this equation. By going with a cheaper case and PSU, you may end up with a louder system. Nicer PSUs have quieter fans or no fans. If loudness and budget are a big concern, I would go with a large cheap case which will make ventilation and component heat less of an issue. With decent ventilation and space the stock cpu fan should not be very loud. Unfortunately, you generally can't get a whisper quiet system and spend an absolute minimum.
Originally Posted by k2lounge
that's true only if you want HD audio, correct?
otherwise you can just do the cheaper AMD route and not get a discrete vid card.
Sure.
not all of us have fancy AVR's that do HD audio
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