[Patch22]

First I would just like to say hello, I have been browsing these forums for some time trying to decide if XBMC was the solution I would pursue for my home entertainment. I was previously looking at a SageTV setup, but since their buyout I have had to research other options.

I am looking at building a budget, very small form factory HTPC that will run XBMC on Windows 7 or XBMC LIVE. I would like to have full streaming 1080p playback, minimal menu lag (probably a less resource intensive skin), and of course a high WAF. All media will be streamed from a separate Windows 7 media server over 100mb LAN. Future upgrades I will be pursuing are Gig LAN, whole house audio (probably Squeezebox or Sonos), and minor home automation (some lights etc). One of my goals with this build is to have a HTPC that can be hidden easily (VESA mount?), as I will be wall-mounting my TV and will not have a convenient stand or cabinet to place components in.

On to my component list and the questions! All these parts are from Newegg.ca, but if there are better deals out there please let me know.

Option 1: AMD Zacate build (Total w/ shipping & tax: $338.49)

- ASRock E350M1/USB3 Mini ITX Motherboard/CPU Combo $129.99
- G.SKILL NS (2x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) $28.99
- WD Scorpio Black WD1600BEKT 160GB 7200 RPM 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s $44.99
- Habey EMC-600B w/ DC power supply 120W (Currently OOS, it was $75 or so)

Option 2: G620 Sandy Bridge (Total w/ shipping & tax: $369.44)

- Pentium G620 Sandy Bridge 2.6GHz LGA 1155 65W Dual-Core CPU $71.99
- ASUS P8H61-I (REV 3.0) H61 HDMI USB 3.0 Mini ITX $84.99
- G.SKILL NS (2x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) $28.99
- WD Scorpio Black WD1600BEKT 160GB 7200 RPM 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s $44.99
- Habey EMC-600B w/ DC power supply 120W (Currently OOS, it was $75 or so)

Option 3: Zotac AD-02 (Total w/ shipping & tax: $372.62)

- Zotac ZBOX-AD02-U AMD E-350 AMD Radeon 6310 $234.99
- Kingston ValueRAM 4GB (2 x 2GB) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1066 $35.99
- WD Scorpio Black WD1600BEKT 160GB 7200 RPM 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s $44.99

And some questions:

1. Will I require dedicated graphics with the G620 and a H61 board? I know the CPU has the HD2000 onboard, but do I require a H67 board?

2. Will these CPUs/boards fit in the Habey EMC-600? It is very low profile case, but I'm having a hard time finding specifications on CPU cooler height.

3. Is the 120w PSU in the Habey case enough for these builds?

I'm sure I'll have many more questions, but that should do for now. Thanks in advance for the help!

[eskro]

wait up,,,

you said you want to VESA mount!?

Like, you want your HTPC on the back of your HDTV or on WALL next to it its ok!?

[Patch22]

wait up,,,

you said you want to VESA mount!?

Like, you want your HTPC on the back of your HDTV or on WALL next to it its ok!?Habey EMC-600

I was contemplating this, if it doesn't work out to mount it on the TV it's not a big deal, just trying to achieve a clean look on the install. I would like to maintain a small form factor though.

[eskro]

Here's the thing, to go cheap,
you could save $44.99 that the Hard Drive costs
by using XBMC on USB Flash Drive!!
Hop on http://www.openelec.tv for more info!!

Now if you plan on using the ZACATE AMD platform and OpenELEC,
OpenELEC team is working hard to release a full stable XBMC version for the ZACATE platform,,

So it works ok but u need to fiddle in a bit to get everthing in place,,,

If you dont like headaches,
best to stick with Nvidia for now if u plan on going the OpenELEC route,,

So what i suggest to you is this,
simply get a Zotac ZBOX HD-ND02-U

oh yeah and, for OpenELEC, 1GB of RAM is enough for 1080P playback!
But since RAM is cheap, just get this 2GB RAM Stick Here

Grand Total ==> $241 Shipped - $25 MiR = $216!!

[Patch22]

Here's the thing, to go cheap,
you could save $44.99 that the Hard Drive costs
by using XBMC on USB Flash Drive!!
Hop on http://www.openelec.tv for more info!!

Now if you plan on using the ZACATE AMD platform and OpenELEC,
OpenELEC team is working hard to release a full stable XBMC version for the ZACATE platform,,

So it works ok but u need to fiddle in a bit to get everthing in place,,,

If you dont like headaches,
best to stick with Nvidia for now if u plan on going the OpenELEC route,,

So what i suggest to you is this,
simply get a Zotac ZBOX HD-ND02-U $200 + $13 Shipping - $25 MiR = $188

oh yeah and, for OpenELEC, 1GB of RAM is enough for 1080P playback

Sorry, I probably caused a bit of confusion with my use of the word budget. As opposed to the absolute lowest cost I am looking for the best prices and to verify hardware compatibility while still being able to run W7 and have reasonable performance while browsing XBMC, streaming video, etc.

Would the Zotac have any performance issues (lag, etc...) when browsing through XBMC? I understand you can only get so much performance on budget hardware which is why I was investigating the e350 (still slow, but should be capable) options as opposed to the Atom. I do already have a copy of Windows 7 so that is not part of my costs. I'm really not much of a Linux guru, and I do want to ensure compatibility with future expansions and software on my media server, so I'd like to maintain the Windows capabilities.

[eskro]

take a look at my guide, and from there,
you'll be able to choose the right platform for you!

[avpap]

Sorry, I probably caused a bit of confusion with my use of the word budget. As opposed to the absolute lowest cost I am looking for the best prices and to verify hardware compatibility while still being able to run W7 and have reasonable performance while browsing XBMC, streaming video, etc.

Would the Zotac have any performance issues (lag, etc...) when browsing through XBMC? I understand you can only get so much performance on budget hardware which is why I was investigating the e350 (still slow, but should be capable) options as opposed to the Atom. I do already have a copy of Windows 7 so that is not part of my costs. I'm really not much of a Linux guru, and I do want to ensure compatibility with future expansions and software on my media server, so I'd like to maintain the Windows capabilities.

Option 2 then with a dedicated Nvidia card, such as a GT 430 For Full Capabilities or a cheap GT 210 - ATI 6450 (GT 210 doesn't support HD Audio Bitstreaming). Of course you must change your case too to add an external low profile graphic card. An Antec ISK 300-150W woulb be great.

No chance for Perfect Playback with an Intel Sandy Bridge (24p Bug).