[GortWillSaveUs]

Thanks Beer,..I'll be looking into the UPS.
Arggghhh,...so much technology,...so little money.

[GortWillSaveUs]

Until I pick up my own UPS,..a neighbor is going to let me borrow an extra one he owns. Cool!

On another note,..the same neighbor loved my setup and when I went over the cost,..he wants me to build one for him.
Gave him the parts list and he'll be ordering parts today.

Essentially the same,..but he's going to get a bigger SSD.
He wants to try to put it together himself,..and I'll be looking over his shoulder if he needs help.
He's going to postpone thinking about an unRaid server for now.

[GortWillSaveUs]

Finished helping my neighbor assemble his new HTPC.
While he was hesitant,...I made him put it together.
The only time I needed to jump in was when the tiny connectors for the case needed to be plugged onto the motherboard.
And that was only because he has poor eyesight, and I think I might need help in a few years myself if these connectors ever get smaller.

We powered it on, installed OS, installed XBMC, and made a few other customizations.
Not only was he pleased that he has a really cool HTPC,...but he can boast that he built it himself.

Another happy A6-Pack customer!

[Beer40oz]

Finished helping my neighbor assemble his new HTPC.
While he was hesitant,...I made him put it together.
The only time I needed to jump in was when the tiny connectors for the case needed to be plugged onto the motherboard.
And that was only because he has poor eyesight, and I think I might need help in a few years myself if these connectors ever get smaller.

We powered it on, installed OS, installed XBMC, and made a few other customizations.
Not only was he pleased that he has a really cool HTPC,...but he can boast that he built it himself.

Another happy A6-Pack customer!

Glad.... it's nice of you helping people out. So what parts did you use for his build?
Is he going to need a server too?

Cheers mate!

[GortWillSaveUs]

Glad.... it's nice of you helping people out. So what parts did you use for his build?
Is he going to need a server too?

Cheers mate!

Thanks for asking,....basically we used almost the same parts that I originally used. Since he's not a power user, and won't have TB of movies,..I opted to install a 3TB HDD and no SSD. I did tell him that we could always purchase another 3TB HDD if he ever needs it. I had some spare cables so I didn't need to order any additional. I showed him how to put it into sleep mode using the remote, and that when he pushes a button on the remote or the keyboard,..the system is instantly on. Well, he's the parts list:

[CASE]
SilverStone Aluminum/Steel Micro ATX Media Center/HTPC Case ML03B (Black) $59.98
[Power Supply]
SilverStone Strider 400W, 80 PLUS, Active PFC Power Supply ST40F-ES (Black) $49.99
[CPU]
AMD A6-3500 APU with AMD Radeon 6530 HD Graphics 2.1/2.4GHz Socket FM1 65W Triple-Core Processor - Retail AD3500OJGXBOX $69.99
[CPU Cooler]
Scythe BIG SHURIKEN 2 Rev B. 5-Heatpipe Universal Low Profile CPU Cooler (SCBSK-2100) $45.95
[MOBO]
ASRock MB-A75M Socket FM1/ AMD A75 FCH/ SATA3&USB3.0/ A&GbE/ Micro ATX Motherboard $74.99
[RAM]
Kingston HyperX Genesis 4 GB Kit (2x2 GB Modules) 1866MHz DDR3 PC3-15000 240-Pin Non-ECC CL9 1.65V DIMM XMP Desktop Memory KHX1866C9D3K2/4GX $33.74
[BD-ROM]
LG UH12LS28K LightScribe 12x SATA Blu-Ray Combo Internal Drive, Bulk (Black) $58.79
[OS]
Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit (Full) System Builder DVD 1 Pack $99.99
[Keyboard]
IOGEAR Multimedia Keyboard with Laser Trackball and Scroll Wheel, 2.4GHz Wireless GKM561R (Black) $39.32
[Remote]
Windows 7 Vista XP Media Center MCE PC Remote Control and Infrared Receiver for Home, Premium and Ultimate Edition $15.41
[HDD]
Seagate Barracuda 7200 3 TB 7200RPM SATA 6 Gb/s NCQ 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive ST3000DM001 $149.99

[Bleikur]

Dear GortWillSaveUs, Beer40oz and Eskro,

thank you very much for the generous contribution to the HTPC community.

I, like probably many others, am going to put together this build as you so praise it.
I was a little concerned that the Kingston HyperX (KHX1866C9D3K2/4GX) RAM would not be compatible with the ASRock A75M mainboard as it is not listed in the ASRock compatibility list. But obviously my concerns are not necessary as the build runs smoothly with you guys.

Now some time has passed and components have become more affordable which is why I thought I'd go for the ASRock A75 Pro4-M mainboard as it has four RAM slots (in case I need more RAM in the future) and an AMD A8-3870K (with HD 6550D) processor as it has more juice.
By the way I aim to build a Group#7 HTPC that should be able to play EVERYTHING (3D, HD, 3D HD, Netflix HD etc.). I will not be using it to play games, but I might want to record TV on it sometime.
Wouldn't you agree that these two "upgrades" would be a wise move for the future usage of the HTPC or do you think that they are absolutely not necessary?

One other uncertainty of mine. Why do you install a third party cooler like the Scythe Big Shuriken? Isn't the cooler that comes with the CPU sufficient for cooling? Or do you do it merely for acoustic reasons as the stock cooler is (probably) louder than the Scythe Big Shuriken?

Thankfully yours,
Bleikur

[GortWillSaveUs]

Dear GortWillSaveUs, Beer40oz and Eskro,

thank you very much for the generous contribution to the HTPC community.

I, like probably many others, am going to put together this build as you so praise it.
I was a little concerned that the Kingston HyperX (KHX1866C9D3K2/4GX) RAM would not be compatible with the ASRock A75M mainboard as it is not listed in the ASRock compatibility list. But obviously my concerns are not necessary as the build runs smoothly with you guys.

Now some time has passed and components have become more affordable which is why I thought I'd go for the ASRock A75 Pro4-M mainboard as it has four RAM slots (in case I need more RAM in the future) and an AMD A8-3870K (with HD 6550D) processor as it has more juice.
By the way I aim to build a Group#7 HTPC that should be able to play EVERYTHING (3D, HD, 3D HD, Netflix HD etc.). I will not be using it to play games, but I might want to record TV on it sometime.
Wouldn't you agree that these two "upgrades" would be a wise move for the future usage of the HTPC or do you think that they are absolutely not necessary?

One other uncertainty of mine. Why do you install a third party cooler like the Scythe Big Shuriken? Isn't the cooler that comes with the CPU sufficient for cooling? Or do you do it merely for acoustic reasons as the stock cooler is (probably) louder than the Scythe Big Shuriken?

Thankfully yours,
Bleikur

I'm glad you were helped by my pictures and experiences.
What you've built sounds awesome,....as for me,..if I were to build another right now,..I'd still build with an A6.
Why? Well for one thing,..my current A6 is Rock Solid and showing me that it'll be that way for a long time.
So far it has been more than capable of everything I've used it for, and then some. Plus, I saved a little bit of money by going down this path.
Plus, the ultimate test,.....My family loves it and uses it every day.
I've built a few systems now for friends/relatives,...and all have been pleased. While I lay out the different options to them, more than half go with the A6 build.
For them,..it's also cost savings. You don't need to drive a Ferrari to get to work,..when a Mustang will do. and the A6 is a Mustang in my opinion.

As for the Scythe Big Shuriken cpu cooler,.....and why I chose to use it.
I suppose,..one of the reasons was that it looks really awesome! The other was that I wanted the fan to run on it's lowest setting if at all.
This cooler has been awesome in that you never hear the fan.
Plus, it was my way of adding a little "bling bling" to my build.

[Bleikur]

Dear GortWillSaveUs,

thank you very much for the prompt reply.
I get what you mean by comparing Ferraris and Mustangs. I understand that an A6 is enough for the time being and that an A8 is currently overkill.
Don't get me wrong. I think the A6 build is great. But when comparing the two wouldn't you agree that when the time comes that multimedia tasks become to heavy for an A6 to deal with a system with an A8 and more RAM slots is still usable for a few additional years? One could say that the price difference between the A6 and A8 builds is what you pay for those additional years of operation, right?

Best regards,
Bleikur

[GortWillSaveUs]

Dear GortWillSaveUs,

thank you very much for the prompt reply.
I get what you mean by comparing Ferraris and Mustangs. I understand that an A6 is enough for the time being and that an A8 is currently overkill.
Don't get me wrong. I think the A6 build is great. But when comparing the two wouldn't you agree that when the time comes that multimedia tasks become to heavy for an A6 to deal with a system with an A8 and more RAM slots is still usable for a few additional years? One could say that the price difference between the A6 and A8 builds is what you pay for those additional years of operation, right?

Best regards,
Bleikur

Yes,...and I very much agree with everything you said.
Let me restate that,...the A6 is a Mustang,...and the A8 is this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuDN2bCIyus

[GortWillSaveUs]

BTW,..I don't think A8 is overkill.
But I would love to be able to drive like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuDN2bCIyus

[Bleikur]

Yes,...and I very much agree with everything you said.
Let me restate that,...the A6 is a Mustang,...and the A8 is this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuDN2bCIyus

Thank you very much.
It's settled then. This is what I will build:

Antec New Solution NSK1480-EC (incl. 350W PSU)
ASRock A75 Pro4-M FM1 mATX
AMD A8-3870K Boxed
Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev. B

What I still have to pick out is an SSD and RAM. As I wouldn't know how to pick an SSD I will probably go for the same as you (Crucial 64 GB m4 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive SATA 6Gb/s CT064M4SSD2).
Regarding RAM. According to an answer I got from ASRock support all of the following modules (which are available at my favorite dealer) should be compatible with the ASRock A75 Pro4-M FM1 mATX:

Crucial Ballistix Tactical, 4GB (2x2GB), 1.5V, CL9 (9-9-9-24), 1866 MHz (PC3-14900), BLT2CP2G3D1869DT1TX0CEU
Crucial Ballistix Elite, 4GB (2x2GB), 1.65V, CL9 (9-9-9-24), 1866 MHz (PC3-14900), BLE2CP2G3D1869CE1TX0CEU
Kingston HyperX T1, 4GB (2x2GB), 1.65V, CL9 (9-11-9-27), 1866 MHz (PC3-14900), KHX1866C9D3T1K2/4GX
Kingston HyperX, 4GB (2x2GB), 1.65V, CL9 ( 9-11-9-27), 1866 MHz (PC3-14900), KHX1866C9D3K2/4GX (your choice)
G.Skill Ripjaws-X, 4GB (2x2GB), 1.5V, CL9 (9-10-9-28), 1866 MHz (PC3-14900), F3-14900CL9D-4GBXM
GeIL DDR3 EVO CORSA, 4GB (2x2GB), 1.5V, CL9 (9-10-9-28), 1866 MHz (PC3-14900), GOC34GB1866C9DC

I guess if one only looks at timings (9-9-9-24) is probably faster than both (9-11-9-27) and (9-10-9-28).
How about the voltage? Does it make a difference if it's 1.5V or 1.65V?
Then there is the question of overclocking. According to an article I read @ Anandtech the G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB, 1.5V, 8-9-9-24, not the same as above) users have reported that it overclocks effortlessly to 2133MHz. Are you familiar with if any of the above can be overclocked to the same extent?

Best regards,
Bleikur

[GortWillSaveUs]

Just a suggestion but, I'd recommend getting a Crucial 128 GB m4 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive SATA 6Gb/s CT128M4SSD2 since it's not much more than than the 64G
While I have plenty of room left on mine,..I find that I have to be extremely diligent about where something new is installed.
I've especially warned my family to NOT install anything on the system.
It's so easy to install something and forget to do the custom install so you can choose another drive.
However,...if you wanted to save the extra money, 64G is just fine.

On the overclocking question,...I suppose I'd have to do the same extensive research it looks like you're doing.
So, while I don't have an answer for you, I'd say it looks like you may have already found the answer.
I'd say go with the ram mentioned in the article.

[Bleikur]

On the overclocking question,...I suppose I'd have to do the same extensive research it looks like you're doing.
So, while I don't have an answer for you, I'd say it looks like you may have already found the answer.
I'd say go with the ram mentioned in the article.

Thanks again. Much appreciated.
How about the RAM voltage? Does it matter whether it's 1.5V or 1.65V?

[GortWillSaveUs]

On the overclocking question,...I suppose I'd have to do the same extensive research it looks like you're doing.
So, while I don't have an answer for you, I'd say it looks like you may have already found the answer.
I'd say go with the ram mentioned in the article.

Thanks again. Much appreciated.
How about the RAM voltage? Does it matter whether it's 1.5V or 1.65V?

Since it seems that you want to overclock, just to get a broader opinion,...post a new thread asking that very question.

[Bleikur]

I will. Thank you very much for the input.