[runner1715]

I'm debating about building an htpc because I will be moving into a new apartment next year and most likely will not have cable. I am in college right now and I don't have a huge budget to be spending on this potential build. I would like to have my movie, music, and photo collection on the htpc and it will be connected directly to the tv, preferably through HDMI. I have been looking at some components to accomplish this, but I don't know if I am missing anything or if this will even work. Here is what I have come up with so far:


Motherboard: Gigabyte MA785GM-US2H

CPU: AMD Athlon II X2 240 Dual Core 2.8 GHz

Sound and Graphics are integrated into the motherboard so I'm postponing buying these if possible.

Memory: Not sure of the brand yet but I think I would like 2 Gigs of DDR2 800MHz

Harddrives: 1st - WD Caviar Blue 320GB (OS, Music, Photos, and probably a few movies)

2nd - WD Caviar Green 1TB (Movies)

Case - Antec Two Hundred (not going for style here just for it to function)

Power Supply - Corsair or OCZ 400 Watts

Blu Ray rom - Lite-On IHOS104

I have another DVD burner at my house that I will use for burning CDs or DVDs when needed


I am going to get Windows 7 through the school and use Media Center for everything (I can get it through my school for a discount).


Is this set up enough to rip and play blu ray's? Is this going to be enough HDD space for 50 - 70 DVDs, about 25 Blu Rays, and probably only 150 GBs for music and photos? Also I don't mind using a wireless keyboard and mouse for this since I already have one. I priced all of this (minus the OS and Shipping and any other software needed) on tigerdirect for about 450 - 500 if my math is right. By the way I would love to keep this under $500 if possible. Any help is greatly appreciated and I apologize in advance if these are newb questions.

 

[justinm0424]

1TB should be good for around 125 dvds as they're max 8gb each. I'd suggest buying an ATI 5450 videocard for ($50). That'll give you HDMI video and audio. If you're trying to keep on low budget i'd just makesure you have a pcie 2.0 slot on the motherboard to upgrade later. Also check win741.com if you're a student. You might get better prices than through your school. I'm also a college student an you'll be suprised how many times friends will hop on youtube to watch videos and music and everything so HTPC's are awesome. I would go with AM3 though, 4gb pc3 ram ($100) and a cheap proc ($50). This will give you the option to add ram/ upgrade proc if you need more power. Win 7 is a ram hog and 2gb might not be enough.

 

[justinm0424]

Also download mymovies.dk once everythings setup. Most of its features are free and it does a great job categorizing movies. Also there's media browser which is pretty good but i've never tried it.

 

[hirent]

The Gigabyte board has HDMI/DVI out with audio.

OP doesn't have a HD receiver, its going straight from the HTPC to the TV.

1TB isn't enough for 25 BDs and DVDs on top. Each BD is 40 gigs (on average), 25 BDs will take up nearly all the space.

Antec 200 is $50; you can get decent cases for as low as $20 from Newegg.


I would also like to suggest an alternative: Buy a refurb PC.

We get ours from Tigerdirect. They have really great deals on quality refurbs. We have been using 2 Gateway Dual-Cores for over 3 years now with nary a problem. Check out their selection and specs; you can be done within $300 for a dual-core and less than $400 for a Quad-Core. Load your student copy of Win 7 when you get it and you are set.

Also, check this PC .

Its a Core i7 920 Desktop which comes up for sale now and then every few months. And its for only $467.32 + shipping.

It would be an overkill as an HTPC but a great way to spend $500.

I got one for work and it flies.

IMO, Refurb PCs are the best value you can get.

 

[runner1715]

The motherboard does have a pci 2.0 slot on it. I think that I am going to stick with using this style instead of the AM3 and DDR3. I figure that I can use this for a couple of years and then turn this into a home server and then build a new htpc. I found a deal on Patriot Low Latency Memory 4GB. Thanks for the quick replies though.