[Yokozuna]

Hi All,

I request the forums help. I am ready to buy but don't know what to purchase at this current time (Aug 2012) ?

I am looking to upgrade my Apple TV2 to something with more ‘grunt’ !
Money is not too much of a constraint however, nobody wants to waste money right?

My storage is a QNAP 439 NAS with 4 x WD 3TB RED HDD - RAID 5 << = I am extremely happy with this storage solution.
The house is hard wired with Cat 6 to all rooms from the NAS.


Requirements

• Capability - Group #6 - wants to play DVD, 720P, 1080P movies, wants to Bistream HD-Audio (3D, Hulu, Netflix and gaming is not required)

http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?pid...3pid843683

• Performance - Video playback and menu navigation must be continuous without staggering, lag and dropped frames

• Low to no heat - Must not run hot

• Low power consumption - Must not be power hungry

• Low noise - No noisy fans

• Fast boot time - Openelec may be good option as it provides quick boot time (this requirement is not critical). I have extra Windows 7 licences so this is okay and possibly easier for me to manage

I really don't want to build my own but purchase a ready-built however, barebones is okay as I can then select SSD & RAM of my own choice.



I have been looking at the following hardware :

ZOTAC ZBOX AD04 (AMD E-450) - Heat, CPU performance and other hardware issues reported by end users
http://www.zotac.com/index.php?page=shop...94&lang=en
ZOTAC ZBOX ID82 (Intel Core i3 2330M)<<= Looks best option. No idea about heat or if the spec. is overkill
http://www.zotac.com/index.php?page=shop...95&lang=en
ZOTAC ZBOX ID81 (Intel Celeron 857)
http://www.zotac.com/index.php?page=shop...95&lang=en
Asrock CORE HT 252B (Intel Core i5 2520M) – Performance looks great but overpriced !
http://www.asrock.com/nettop/Intel/CoreH...ifications
Xtreamer Ultra 2 (Intel Atom D2700) - Relatively expensive option accompanied with end user concerns about vendor customer support levels
http://www.xtreamer.net/ultra2/


Pros / Cons

ZOTAC ZBOX AD04

• Many users have complained about the heat

• Users have commented that running this unit on an Openelec platform is awesome and super smooth

• Users report unit is quiet

• Users have commented that it is not real ‘grunty’. Weak CPU

• OS not included

• The graphic performance is superior to ION and ION2

Users have reported many issues on Zotac forum

ZOTAC ZBOX ID82

• Users report unit is quiet

• Not sure if the 24p bug is still an issue, and if so, is it really noticable? (Intel 24Hz bug ) http://www.anandtech.com/show/4142/intel...ins-recall

User: Assassin has provided a lot of useful feedback on this issue on a number of different forums

• Some users report getting dropped frames (blu-ray, uncompressed) 1080p videos. Particularly when playing action movies

• Unsure if Bitstreaming HD-Audio supported?

• Does not support directx11 (Not sure what that means)

Asrock CORE HT 252B

• Excellent performance and features

• Overpriced. Also, OS is not included

• Excessive heat

• Can be noisy

See Review

Xtreamer Ultra 2

• Users have complained about the after sales service and support offered by the vendor

• This option appears expensive

• Users have reported that they believe the Atom processes video better (Not sure about this one. Better than what?)

Performance benchmarks :
http://forums.vr-zone.com/hardware-depot...0-a-2.html
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=AMD+E-450+APU
http://www.techspot.com/review/421-asroc...page7.html
http://compare-processors.com/intel-hd-g...6310/1266/

Reviews
http://tech2.in.com/reviews/htpcs/zotac-...iew/298132
http://www.mobil-edge.com/intel-core-i3-...-frequecy/
http://openelec.tv/forum/64-installation...80-or-id82
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/...cleContent
http://www.techspot.com/review/421-asrock-coreht-htpc/
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/nett...036-3.html

[Ilia]

I am in the same situation, basically it all depends on the OS you are planing to use, if you going Linux/openelec then fusion is a no go since no HD audio. Windows has its bag of hurt.

Ion2 can handle hd audio (I have tested this with revo 3700) but hard to find now, as it's been super seeded by new platform.

Good luck,

[mogodon]

I'd be really interested to know what people suggest. I have a pretty similar set up with a qnap ts410, and my only extra requirement would be the ability to handle menus for a large mp3 collection.

Ideally I'd like to run openelec from startup and purely use the machine for xbmc.

[Dougie Fresh]

It seems like you like some of the SandyBridge based options. I would agree they are great for HTPC. Check out these SandyBridge barebones:

http://www.ecosmartpc.com/ei5g530.html
http://www.ecosmartpc.com/ht80intel.html

There are also AMD Llano options like:

http://www.ecosmartpc.com/ei5a63500.html

[michael713]

Hi

I am also in exactly the same situation. I like the barebones ID82 and i know for a fact that with a good SSD and maxed out RAM it will be fine for a win7, XBMC, Netflix etc.

My only worry is that knowing me, I will be tinkering and asking too much of it. I am already thinking Plex Servers etc as I want to give my existing iMac/Plex Server a quiet retirement :-)

Considering a custom build at pcspecialist.co.uk but then the budget explodes if you start talking i5s and dedicated GPUs fancy cases etc. Most people in this forum will tell you (and they are right) that the ID82 is perfectly capable for an XBMC install.

In my opinion, it depends on your requirements. If XBMC is the only use then ID82 is more than enough. If server transcoding gets involved, you might struggle. But then realistically speaking, are you really going to require transcoding and full 1080p playback at the same time all the time...?

Looking forward to suggestions!

[OldManCan]

I just bought an Xtreamer 2 deluxe. I've been looking for a while and this was the clear winner after balancing it all. I had hoped the Sony nsz-gs7 was the answer and it may well with future updates to bring ndk and dts support.

Check out this forum for some real user feedback.

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1939463

I can't wait to get mine, and if you're looking to get a plex server server running. Plexbmc is getting code updates again for full Eden support.

[Yokozuna]

I noticed that Asrock have launched some new 3rd Generation Intel i3 & i5 Mobile Ivy Bridge processor products into their Mini PC Series offering:
see http://www.asrock.com/nettop/index.asp

The IVY Bridge Intel CPU's looks good.
- Lower Power - Run cooler / more energy efficient
- HD Graphics 4000 - I have read that the graphic performance is about 60% more than Sandy Bridge
- USB 3.0 - Integrated into the processor.
- PCIe 3.0 - Faster PCI bus. Not sure if I will take advantage of this.

I am particularly interested in the reduced power consumption and reduced heat produced by the chip !
- 22 nm die shrink
Tri-gate transistor ("3-D") technology (up to 50% less power consumption at the same performance level as 2-D planar transistors)
This allows up to 37% higher speed, or a power consumption at under 50% of the previous type of transistors used by Intel
see
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2gDMj42s...re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8jQB4qS2...re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEn-JulHn0U


Prices are very expensive at the moment for this newer technology.
I cannot understand why there is such a big cost difference between the US and Aussie markets. - $670 US versus $1000 AUD (as per below)

Australia
http://www.skycomp.com.au/item/ASROCK-VI...-WiFi.aspx
http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/203453/SYSTE...T_321B.asp

USA
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcom...2D031%2DTS
http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=MB-VST321B


Review
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/visi...231-2.html

[Yokozuna]

I think I will wait for the IVY Bridge offerings to become more affordable and upgrade then.

[KILLERNADS]

As you can see from my thread i am also after a similar player - although i require 3D support aswell!

Just yesterday i came across these players, which are cheap compared to the competition and seem to handle everything successfully plus have good reviews! I am trying to find out though how they are in real life user tests and also if it can support XBMC successfully as standalone players! So still need to find more feedback from users on this!

HiMedia HD900B
http://www.amazon.co.uk/HiMedia-HD900B-P...854&sr=8-2

HiMedia HD910A
http://www.amazon.co.uk/HiMedia-HD910A-A...p_rec-ht_1

Micca EP950
http://www.amazon.com/Micca-EP950-Digita...A0EP600+G2

I think these are all realtek devices, however in terms of price and spec they seem ideal! Unless im missing something and theres a big disadvantage to them hidden somewhere!!

Thanks

[Yokozuna]

Thanks for providing the links.

I hope the information I provided above was useful for you.

I have learnt over time, its a good idea to look at the hardware vendor forums prior to purchase e.g. Zotac. They are a good indicator of any issues/problems that end users are experiencing with the hardware. You are spending a lot of money so you want to be in a position where you can make informed decisions.

It is also very easy to overspec and pay more money than you actually need to arrive at the desired result. Also, it is technology right? So, you are going to update again in a few years. So why buy top of the line unless you have plenty of cash on hand.

I am fairly excited by the new Ivy Bridge CPUs. I have been reading up a lot on the technology and looking forward to getting my hands on this technology when more Ivy Bridge options become available in the market place at affordable prices over time.

[KILLERNADS]

Looks like im back to square one as ive just learned that the realtek devices can not support xbmc! (damn as they were cheap at £100)

I understand what your saying about buying one now and then upgrading later is a waste of money - but i wouldn't need to upgrade if i can find the perfect device now which is why ive been searching for soo long! Technology is not going to change that much anytime soon in that i would need a new device! That is the reason why im going for a 3D ready device so I'm future proof also!

To be honest its good that you can wait a few months for the IVY CPUs to go cheap but i actually need a device now, hence dont really want to wait.

Thanks

[Yokozuna]

Ok. So having a requirement for 3D will place you in Group #7.
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?pid...3pid843683

Next, set yourself a budget of how much you are prepared to spend.

Document your requirements. Solution based on your requirements.

- Product evaluation and selection -
Compare the various product offerings and create a shortlist with products selected for further evaluation.

Your final solution may be to build your own to satisfy all of your requirements and to meet your budget.

Also consider supportability. What platform do you want to build on which will make it easy for you to support and manage.

[KILLERNADS]

Thanks for that I had a look. It seems like the Asrock units are really the only option i have for ready made, as my initial research discovered!

I dont really want to have to go through the pain to build my own htpc and then start worrying about compatibility and driver updating and issues surrounding that! Just too much hassle, would rather just put in a small amount of extra cash and get it all ready for me to just install software.

Thanks

[Yokozuna]

Have you looked at Assassin's website? This guy has contributed so much to the HTPC community.

http://assassinhtpcblog.com/?page_id=160

[Dougie Fresh]

Thanks for that I had a look. It seems like the Asrock units are really the only option i have for ready made, as my initial research discovered!

I dont really want to have to go through the pain to build my own htpc and then start worrying about compatibility and driver updating and issues surrounding that! Just too much hassle, would rather just put in a small amount of extra cash and get it all ready for me to just install software.

Thanks

Custom-built HTPC barebones can be very affordable, certainly more affordable than those ASRock units.