[mikegc]

Hi all,

I'm looking a building a htpc, but not sure what case to get. I like the idea of a slimline, however I'm planning on keeping all my storage local (1x2tb drive to start plus small SSD for OS).

I'd like to have the option of putting in:
1 x optical drive
2 x 3.5inch HD
1 x 2.5 SSD

I guess if I need more storage I should get some NAS solution. Any recommendations?

Thanks!

[dmgash]

from looking a ton of cases recently you should be able to get 2x3.5" and 1x2.5" and 1x5.25" in "most" micro-atx cases. Looking at dimensions, even if it doesn't have the bay for it you prob could jerry-rig it. That said if you want any more than that it prob would be pretty difficult. This case has 4x 3.5" and 2x5.25" so you with 1 optical drive you should be able to get 4x3.5" and 2x 2.5"(2 in the second optical cage) easilly

[eskro]

silverstone ml03b

[SavellM]

If you have the cash, I would suggest you look at the Moneual 312.
Beautiful looking case, but quite pricey

[Kirky99]

The silverstone mentioned above would fit the bill. There are a ton of mounting locations, and I built one PC that's as you describe. Fitting PSU wires becomes a little bit of a challenge, but it's all possible.

[mikegc]

The Moneual 312 sure looks awesome, but is probably out of my price range. Then again, maybe its worth waiting and getting the best case :p

The Silverstone ml03b looks good too and suits my needs.

Thanks

[mikegc]

Right, here goes, I think these are all the components I need. Is there anything else I need (or don't). I'll be running Sickbeard and sabnzbdb in the background. I'm hoping for HD audio too. Is it ok to mix AM3 CPU with an AM3+ MB? Probably need to add some cooling fans too.

Thanks for any advice!

LiteOn IHOS104-06 4xBlu-ray, 8x DVD Reader OEM inc Power DVD 10 BD Software

AMD Athlon II X2 265, Regor Dual Core, S AM3, 3.3GHz, 2MB Cache, HT 4000MHz, 65W, OEM

2TB Seagate ST2000DM001 Barracuda 7200.14 SATA 3 6GB/s 7200rpm 64MB Cache 8ms OEM NCQ

60GB OCZ Agility 3 SSD, 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s, SandForce 2281, Read 525MB/s, Write 475MB/s, 80K IOPS

4GB (2x2GB) Corsair DDR3 XMS3 Classic, PC3-10666 (1333), Non-ECC Unbuffered, CAS 9-9-9-24, 1.50V

430W PSU, Corsair Builder Series CMPSU-430CXV2UK, 80% Eff', Uncertified, Quiet Fan, ATX v2.3

Silverstone GD05B Grandia Black HTPC / SFF, microATX Case w/o PSU (Takes ATX PSU)

Gigabyte GA-880GM-USB3 AMD 880G (Socket AM3+) DDR3 MicroATX Motherboard

[Mick1152]

I'd recommend the AMD A6-3500 APU (and appropriate motherboard) which has a higher CPU mark than the Athlon II X2 265 you're considering, plus has better graphics than the on board graphics of that mother board while still consuming 65 watts.

[mikegc]

Thanks, looks like this now:

AMD A6 3500, S FM1, Lynx Core, Triple Core 2.4GHz, GPU AMD Radeon HD 6530D 443MHz, 65W, Retail
Asus F1A75-M, AMD A75, S FM1, DDR3, SATA III - 6Gb/s, RAID SATA, PCIe 2.0 (x16), Graphics On Board, mATX
4GB (2x2GB) Corsair DDR3 XMS3 Classic, PC3-12800 (1600), Non-ECC Unbuffered, CAS 9-9-9-24, 1.50V

A little more expensive, but not much.