2012-05-23, 21:17
I built my first XBMC machine last winter after retireing an Athlon 64 3200+ as my main desktop and replacing it with an i5 2500k. I set out to build the old Athlon 64 into an HTPC that I thought 'Would last five years'. But the hardware I used had it's caveats.
Original config:
CPU: Athlon 64 3200+
RAM: 2GB DDR333
Graphics: AGP Radeon HD 4650 1GB (Yes, AGP. Really.)
Mobo: Asus K8V-X
Audio: SoundBlaster Audigy
Drive Controller: Syba 3114 SATA1 Controller Card
Picture: http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh100...G_3423.jpg
The machine had it's issues. The ethernet thinks it's MAC address is all zeroes, the AGP card does HDMI but not HDMI Audio, the sound card is iffy under Windows 7, the onboard SATA1 controller doesn't support autonegotiate so it has trouble with SATA2 or SATA3 drives and had to be negated by the Syba 3114, and the system uses the PCI bus for both Ethernet and SATA so there's a serious I/O shortage. Basically, it's a pain in the butt. It also has no upgrade path, so for h.264 10bit or HEVC/h.265 it would never have enough CPU power. Also, the Diamond GRC100 MCE remote I got for the first build and didn't work with the eHome driver, so I got a replacement from MediaGate. The 2x2TB and 1x3TB drives in it though, we're pretty super.
I caved and decided to gut the thing in favor of an Llano, which would hopefully have enough power even for h.265/HEVC when it comes out or at least offer the oppertunity to put in an even faster Llano or a PCI-E graphics card that'd offer next gen hardware acceleration. I also wanted additional PCI-E slots to add in a SATA Controller card or any other hardware expansions.
For me, this machine serves several purposes. It's an XBMC based HTPC, but it also runs CouchPotato and SickBeard to download stuff. It also uses DriveBender to mash my disks together like a JBOD but then offer the oppertunity to set certian folders to be stored redundantly across multiple physical drives. This is where I back up projects, since I'm a film student. I'm not quite so worried about losing those 400+ episodes of ER that I torrented. In addition to this, since it has so much storage for media, it's also acting as network attached storage for a Zotac AD02 AMD E-350 based XBMC machine in the living room. And, hey, the Llano is pretty powerful for its class so why not get some emulation and gaming on the machine if possible too? Crazy Taxi anyone?
New Config
CPU: AMD A6-3500 2.1ghz Tri-Core
RAM: 8GB (2x4GB) Patriot Sector 5 PGV38G1333ELK DDR3-1333 (I actually just had it in a drawer after pulling this 2x4GB from my desktop and replacing it with 2x8GB)
Graphics: Radeon HD 6530D (Built into the CPU, obviously)
Mobo: Gigabyte A75-D3H
I also replaced the cheap Orion PSU with a better and much more quiet Corsair Builders Series CX600.
Tada, Finished Product: http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh100...G_3444.jpg
I realize that people have built much more attractive machines but this one has a certian utility in it's purpose too. My aim is to just keep putting HDDs into it until it's full and allow my media collection to grow. So the full, ugly ATX case gives me pretty easily. The Zotac AD02 E-350 in the living room manages to be a lot cuter.
Original config:
CPU: Athlon 64 3200+
RAM: 2GB DDR333
Graphics: AGP Radeon HD 4650 1GB (Yes, AGP. Really.)
Mobo: Asus K8V-X
Audio: SoundBlaster Audigy
Drive Controller: Syba 3114 SATA1 Controller Card
Picture: http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh100...G_3423.jpg
The machine had it's issues. The ethernet thinks it's MAC address is all zeroes, the AGP card does HDMI but not HDMI Audio, the sound card is iffy under Windows 7, the onboard SATA1 controller doesn't support autonegotiate so it has trouble with SATA2 or SATA3 drives and had to be negated by the Syba 3114, and the system uses the PCI bus for both Ethernet and SATA so there's a serious I/O shortage. Basically, it's a pain in the butt. It also has no upgrade path, so for h.264 10bit or HEVC/h.265 it would never have enough CPU power. Also, the Diamond GRC100 MCE remote I got for the first build and didn't work with the eHome driver, so I got a replacement from MediaGate. The 2x2TB and 1x3TB drives in it though, we're pretty super.
I caved and decided to gut the thing in favor of an Llano, which would hopefully have enough power even for h.265/HEVC when it comes out or at least offer the oppertunity to put in an even faster Llano or a PCI-E graphics card that'd offer next gen hardware acceleration. I also wanted additional PCI-E slots to add in a SATA Controller card or any other hardware expansions.
For me, this machine serves several purposes. It's an XBMC based HTPC, but it also runs CouchPotato and SickBeard to download stuff. It also uses DriveBender to mash my disks together like a JBOD but then offer the oppertunity to set certian folders to be stored redundantly across multiple physical drives. This is where I back up projects, since I'm a film student. I'm not quite so worried about losing those 400+ episodes of ER that I torrented. In addition to this, since it has so much storage for media, it's also acting as network attached storage for a Zotac AD02 AMD E-350 based XBMC machine in the living room. And, hey, the Llano is pretty powerful for its class so why not get some emulation and gaming on the machine if possible too? Crazy Taxi anyone?
New Config
CPU: AMD A6-3500 2.1ghz Tri-Core
RAM: 8GB (2x4GB) Patriot Sector 5 PGV38G1333ELK DDR3-1333 (I actually just had it in a drawer after pulling this 2x4GB from my desktop and replacing it with 2x8GB)
Graphics: Radeon HD 6530D (Built into the CPU, obviously)
Mobo: Gigabyte A75-D3H
I also replaced the cheap Orion PSU with a better and much more quiet Corsair Builders Series CX600.
Tada, Finished Product: http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh100...G_3444.jpg
I realize that people have built much more attractive machines but this one has a certian utility in it's purpose too. My aim is to just keep putting HDDs into it until it's full and allow my media collection to grow. So the full, ugly ATX case gives me pretty easily. The Zotac AD02 E-350 in the living room manages to be a lot cuter.