[JoeWild]

Hey guys,

Stumbled on this forum a couple days ago and have spent alot of time going through the material. Great job by all, especially eskro who it is obvious has put in alot of effort.

I'm looking for an HTPC to stream websites (among other things) as my PS3 isn't cutting it. Many of the sites I want to watch are incompatible with the PS3 browser and I've had enough. Mainly will be HD streaming of sports using sites like tsn.ca, rogers on demand, mlb.com, nhl.com, etc.

I've worked through the options and material provided and I'm specifically looking at putting together something based on eskro's build of [Micro-ATX] A8-3850: http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=114890

My build will look something like this (with prices based on Canadian sites I've found):
[CPU+iGPU] AMD A8-3850 4x2.9GHz HD6550D FM1 100W - $140
[MOBO] ASRock A75M FM1 CIR USB3.0 SATAIII UEFI microATX - $80 + $10
[CASE] Silverstone ML03B microATX - $65
[PSU] Seasonic SS-400ET 80+ Bronze 400W ATX12V - $50
[SSD] Patriot Torqx-2 2.5" 32GB - $45
[RAM] Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB DDR3 1600 - $55 -$10 rebate
[REMOTE] Lenovo Enhanced Multimedia Remote - $32 after coupon
[OS] Probably Windows 7
[FAN/Cooler] ?
[HDD] 3.5" 250GB - already have it - will replace to 2TB+ later in the year when prices come down
[WIRELESS] May add later if needed
[OPTICAL] May add later if needed

Questions/Concerns I have:
1) What should I be looking at in terms of a fan/cooler combination?
2) Is there a problem with going 2x4GB RAM instead of 2x2GB? Looks like the difference is less than $20 so I thought it might be worth it (to help future-proof the system).
3) Will 32GB SSD be big enough (running Windows 7)? Will I be sorry I didn't drop the extra coin for 64GB? It is roughly $65 more from what I could tell.
4) Relating to the actual build of the system: I don't have any experience with this so I am wondering about the front USB3.0 ports on the Silverstone case: Will these be simple to connect? Do I need to buy extra cables or will the necessary connectors come with the motherboard/case?

Any other comments/suggestions are welcome. Thanks again..

[eskro]

1) you dont necessarely need a new CPU cooler.
but, if u find your stock one noisy, yes, u can replace it.
since the A8-3850 CPU has a 100W TDP,
u need a cooler that can support such power...
As listed in my HTPC GUIDE, the Scythe SCBSK-2000 handles up to 130W TDP.

2) 4GB (2x2GB) is more then enough for HTPC use... 8GB is totally truly un-needed....

3) 32GB is definitely enough for win7 + XBMC... thats what i have! see Here

4) easy as 1-2-3 nothing extra needed.. wires will come with your silverstone case.

that being said, i still suggest to get a A6-3500 instead of A8-3850.
the A6-3500 will just do it all for you and still at blazing speeds!!
3D playback + HD-NetFlix + HD-HULU + HD-Audio, it'll just play it all!
and you'll save some $$$ too!

since your in CANADA, buy all your stuff from NCIX.com CANADA.
if you found parts at a lower cost,
use NCIX's priceMatch feature to get them at the same price!!
works wonderfully!

and to find the best prices, for us Canucks, use SHOPBOT.CA

[JoeWild]

Thanks for the info about the sites. I was unaware of the NCIX price match.

I'll look into the A6-3500 as it is about $50 cheaper but I don't mind spending a little extra on the A8-3850 if it gives me more options down the line.

Same reasoning for the 8GB of RAM: I realize it is probably unnecessary but I am seeing only a difference of about $15-$20 so I will probably just get the 8GB. Just in case I want to do something else with this machine in the future.