Planning my first ever HTPC, advice appriciated
#1
So, as the title says I'm currently planning my first ever HTPC system and after trying out XBMC on my currently PC I'm convinced it's what I should be using on the HTPC also. Love the software.

The HTPC will be connected to an AV receiver (Onkyo TX-NR609) so HDMI connectivity is a must, and should also be 1.4 standard for 3D viewing (not sure if the current MOBO has that?). Plan is to install Windows 7 on a single small SSD and then install XBMC on top of that. Media would be streamed from a unRAID server (for which I have a similiar thread made on the Lime Tech forums here).

I want to be able to stream Full HD (1080p) video with HD audio bitstreams and FLAC music. Must also be able to handle 3D material.
Besides being a mediacenter the HTPC will also be frequently used to web browsing, watching youtube etc. I'd also like to be able to play (older) games at low/medium settings, and I think the case I've selected is spacious enough to fit atleast a low profile dedicated graphics card if needed, as I have no idea how much the Intels integrated systems can deal with.
Also planning of possibly adding an internal card for watching/capturing TV broadcasts.

And all this should be done while trying to keep the system as quiet as possible & max height for the case being 16cm.


Here's a planned setup which I've put together so far, would really appriciate if someone more experienced in these matters would look it through and point out any possible problems or incompatibility issues etc. (The links are for a finnish store, I apologize for the foreign language, but the important stuff should still be quite universal Smile )

Case: Antec Fusion Remote Black
MOBO: Gigabyte GA-Z77MX-D3H Intel Z77 LGA1155 MicroATX
CPU: Intel Core i5 2500K 3.3 GHz LGA1155
CPU Cooler: Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev. B SCBSK-2100
RAM: Kingston HyperX blu 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) 1600 MHz DDR3 CL9 XMP
PSU: Corsair TX550M TX-sarjan 550W ATX
HDD: Intel 330 60 GB SATA III SSD 2.5" (25nm)

Selections offered by this store:

MOBO's
Intel LGA1155 (microATX)

CPU's that match socket

Again, sorry for the store being a finnish one. Reason why I'm limiting myself to their selection is that I can get items for the buy-in price from there which allows me to save a considerable amount of money.


Misc questions

1. Does the remote that comes with the case work with XBMC or only with the provided mediasoftware (whatever that is) and can it be used to power on/off the HTPC without having to do it manually?
2. For full featured mediacenter do I need to install any codecs/players/whatever in addition to the basic XBMC installer for everything to play correctly?



Thanks in advance, would really appriciate any input and suggestions. Would hate to spend all that money just to notice that something isn't just right... Big Grin
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#2
XBMC does not require any codex
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#3
(2012-07-26, 12:51)Jetster Wrote: XBMC does not require any codex

That is probably what sold me on XBMC on Day1,..that and its ability to play just about any format.

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#4
As to the remote question, it seems that every remote and motherboard combination is different. Try searching this forum to see if anyone has used the hardware you are considering in the past.
HTPC: i5 3570K || Noctua NH-L12 || ASRock Z77E-ITX || 8GB Samsung Eco || Intel 330 120GB || Lian Li PC-Q09 ||
Main Desktop: i7 2600k @ 4.8Ghz || Epic 180 on Epic T1000 TIM || Asus Z68 Deluxe || 16GB Ripjaws @ 2133 ||
|| Maingear Shift || EVGA 8800GTS 640MB || OWC Mecury Electra 3G || 320GB, 2x500GB, 1.5Tb, 2x2TB ||
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#5
The LCD/IR receiver in that case can be used with any MCE remote. The power switch is run through the IR receiver and it's hooked into the +5VSB (standby) of the power supply so it always has power. Therefore, the PC can be turned on via the remote. To get the functionality to work, you need to install the iMon software.

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Planning my first ever HTPC, advice appriciated0