[Micro-ATX] A6-3500 (3x2.1Ghz/2.4Ghz) + HD6530D

This thread is so helpful. Many thanks!

The suggested Mobo is not available on Amazon for "2-5 weeks." How well would the MB-A75-HVS work, in your opinion?

The difference seems to be fewer audio ports and an extra SATA slot on the HVS according to this comparison. I am not sure which audio ports are missing

I plan to be connecting the HTPC to my Onkyo TX-SR805 receiver through HDMI only, so it needs to pass both 1080p video & bitstream audio. Under the "Features" list the HVS seems to be missing "1 x HDMI_SPDIF header." Does this mean I will not get sound through HDMI on this Mobo?

Appreciate any feedback.

EDIT: I found the answer here. As suspected the HVS does not support "Premium Blu ray audio." I found the suggested mb on Newegg so will order there.

@skifiend-

If you are looking for a Micro ATX mobo, I'm suggesting this "ASRock MB-A75M" instead.....

Thanks, bluray.

I think that's the same mobo suggested at the beginning of the thread. The issue is that Amazon does not have it in stock for "2-5 weeks." Problem solved - I ordered it from Newegg.

Thanks for your help. I plan to use the threads linked in your signature when I'm setting up bitstreaming audio!

(2012-05-03 17:46)skifiend Wrote:  Thanks, bluray.

I think that's the same mobo suggested at the beginning of the thread. The issue is that Amazon does not have it in stock for "2-5 weeks." Problem solved - I ordered it from Newegg.

Thanks for your help. I plan to use the threads linked in your signature when I'm setting up bitstreaming audio!

Newegg is one of the trusted site too....

Ok, so here is my build:

[CPU+iGPU] AMD A6-3500 3x2.1Ghz/2.4Ghz HD6530D FM1 65W ($75 + $0)
[MOBO] ASRock A75M FM1 (Hudson D3) HDMI USB3.0 SATAIII UEFI μATX ($75 + $0)
[CASE] SILVERSTONE GD05B μATX ($88 + $0)
[PSU] Antec EarthWatts EA-380D Green 380W 80+ Bronze ($45 + $0)
TOTAL: ($283)

[RAM: (4GB) 2x2GB DDR3 1600 CL9 1.5V] KINGSTON HyperX Plug n Play ($39+$0)
[SSD: 64GB] Crucial M4 SATAIII 2.5" CT064M4SSD2 ($81+$0)
[HDD] WD Caviar Green 3TB SATAIII ($170 + $0)
[Remote] Win7 MCE PC Remote & Receiver ($15+$0)
[OS] Win7 64-bit Home Premium OEM ($100+$0)
TOTAL: ($405)

I do not plan to game on this box (have the PS3 and XBox360 for that) or watch BRs or DVDs on it (have the Oppo BDP-93 for that). The plan is to use it purely for XBMC to watch stored movies/shows on the HDD.

I realize that the 64Gb SSD is probably overkill but it was just another $20 compared to the 32Gb. The 3TB HDD is to store my ripped shows. I was originally thinking of getting the 2TB but got another TB with an additional $60 (over the $120 for the 2TB). As for the remote, I plan to just use the receiver on the remote paired with my Harmony 890. For the CPU I thought about the A8-3850 but it has a higher power consumption and I don't believe that I need the additional Hz for what I want to do.

I have a few questions before I start to put it together:

1) Does this seem like a reasonable setup? Hopefully, I have not violated any important constraints with my customizations.

2) Given the parts and my use case (primarily for HDD-stored movies), should I get a 3rd party CPU cooler?

3) How about additional Case Fans? The GD05B does come with three 120mm intake fans.

4) Even though I do not plan to watch BRs on this, should I get a BR-ROM anyway? Otherwise, how would I install the OS on it?

5) Do I need any additional cables, like SATA or for power, or will all the above parts add up to what I need?

This is my first build and I very much appreciate the help! Thanks!

1) if you like the bulkiness of the case, then, yes, its a good htpc build

2) depends on you and your tolerance of noise. u can start with stock cooler and see.

3) no more fans, please. those are enough lol

4) dont need a BR-Rom then dont buy one. install O/S from USB Pen Drive.

5) you need 3 Sata cables. motherboard come's with 2.


and as power supply, i'd use the silvertstone strider.
http://www.amazon.com/SilverStone-Stride...B0034XRDUK

Thanks for the feedback, eskro.

1) What would be a smaller case that would work with my components? BTW, the GD05B dimensions (12.8" x 17.3" x 5.9") are actually a bit smaller than the recommended ML03B (20" x 17" x 7").

Correction: the ML03B is 4" tall and is only slightly deeper. So the main difference is the height (6" vs 4"). And it is $28 cheaper.

2) I will start with the stock cooler as you suggest as I prefer a quieter HTPC.

3) Thanks for the suggestion. Worst case, I will borrow a drive from one of my existing PCs.

4) Great info - thanks. I will get another one or two.

I take your suggestions seriously, so would you mind sharing why you consider the Silverstone Strider 400W ST40F-ES to be better than the Antec EarthWatts EA-380D? Power is very expensive where I live (NY) and this is what convinced me.

well, the Silverstone Strider is made deom ground up for the silverstone cases...
thats the main point and.

but if your afraid of power,
and feel safe with the antec green,
i mean, its up to you.

but the silverstone is still 80 PLUS certified just like the antec is..

First, I just want to say thanks you for putting together these guidelines and builds!

I'm currently looking to put together this build with a few modifications.

CPU/GPU - AMD A6-3670K Unlocked Llano 2.7GHz Socket FM1 100W Quad-Core Desktop APU (CPU + GPU) with DirectX 11 Graphic AMD Radeon HD 6530D (For $15 more is this a worthy upgrade, and will this work with the other items?)

PSU - CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 V2 (CMPSU-430CXV2) 430W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply (The depth of this is 5.5'', from what I've read I'm thinking this should fit.)

Any feedback would be helpful, thanks in advance!

(2012-05-03 19:14)skifiend Wrote:  The plan is to use it purely for XBMC to watch stored movies/shows on the HDD.

The 3TB HDD is to store my ripped shows. I was originally thinking of getting the 2TB but got another TB with an additional $60

4) Even though I do not plan to watch BRs on this, should I get a BR-ROM anyway? Otherwise, how would I install the OS on it?

How did you plan on getting your ripped movies/shows on to the HDD without a BR-ROM? I'm just curious as I plan on using my HTPC for ripping blu-ray movies as well.