New HTPC build advice
#1
Hi everyone,

I've been reading this great forum for a while and now my plans on building a HTPC with XBMC get more concrete. Currently a PS3 acts as my main media player. Content is streamend from my PC or NAS-server using PS3 Mediaserver. This solution worked quite well so far, but there are some limitations I want to overcome with the new HTPC
- PS3 can get quite noisy when on for longer and has a relatively high power consumption
- often I need to let mediaserver transcode a movie in order to get it playing properly on the PS3
- unstable forward/backward skipping in movies and uncomfortable audio language switching
- no real library with metadata for comfortable browsing
- PS3 mediaserver has some problems handling large itunes libraries

So when looking form the other side the new HTPC should satisfy following criteria
- Noiseless or at least very silent
- Power efficient
- Play SD and HD content in various formats (avi, xvid, x264, DVD)
- 3D playback is not required yet as my plasma TV has no 3D support
- Upscale content to 1080p in a quality similar to the PS3 or better
- Play web content from youtube etc.
- Bitstream HD audio over HDMI

I put together some possible builds.

Build 1:
- CPU: Intel i3 2120 or Intel i3 3220 or Pentium G620
- Mainboard: Intel DQ77KB (with integrated power supply)
- RAM: 4 GB DDR3 SO-DIMM
- SSD: 64 GB crucial m4 or Samsumg 830
- Case: Streacom FC8 Evo black
- external 19 V power adaptor

Build 2:
- Mainboard: Asrock H77M-ITX or B75M-ITX
- RAM: 4GB DDR 3
- Streacom 150W PicoPSU
rest is the same as in build 1

Build 3:
- CPU: AMD Llano A6-3500
- Mainboard: Asrock A75M-ITX or Gigabyte GA-A75N
- RAM: 4 GB DDR3 1600
- SSD: 64 GB crucial m4 or Samsumg 830
- Case: Streacom FC8 Evo black
- Streacom 150W PicoPSU

Of course I still got some open questions regarding those builds and I hope you can give me some advice which would be the right for me.
1. Which CPU to choose? AMD or Intel? When Intel which one of the listed?
2. Do the mentioned Mainboards fit in the FC8 evo? Streacom doesn't have a compatibility list on their page yet.
3. Go with the cheaper, non-passive FC7 instead?
4. Other build alternatives or ready-to-use boxes (Zotac, Acer, Lenovo etc.)

Thanks
Michael
Reply
#2
The new i3 Ivy Bridge CPUs came out yesterday. Might want to consider changing your CPU to the "latest and greatest".

And since you don't need or want 3D you can even use the Intel Pentium/Celerons for cheaper.
Reply
#3
Yes I know that the Ivys have been released. I thought the i3 3220 I listed in my builds is one of them. Or did I get that wrong?

Will the new graphics core of the Ivy's have advantages for HTPC usage (playback, xbmc ui etc.)? The price difference to the sandy i3 2120 is not that big, but of course it is much more expensive than the G620 for instance.
Reply
#4
Sorry, missed that. Just saw the 2120.

Big advantages imo over sandy are HDMI 1.4 support, CPU boost, and likely even more efficient energy. Improved graphics benchmarks and supposedly better 24p are important to some but much less important to me. I think the PQ for 1080p will be indistinguishable to Sandy (just like comparing Sandy to Clarkdale). With all that being said I would definitely choose the Ivy i3 over the Sandy i3. If you care choosing the Pentium or Celeron (the Ivy versions which aren't widely available if at all right now, fwiw) then it becomes a different argument.
Reply
#5
my suggestion would be have a dedicated GPU either ATI 6450, 6570 or nvidia gt 630 or gt 620.

if your mother board has UEFI bios then you should go for nvidia gpu because, ATI doesn't boot into bios with uefi bios on certain LED and Plasma displays.
Reply
#6
(2012-09-03, 21:48)Musicmaya Wrote: my suggestion would be have a dedicated GPU either ATI 6450, 6570 or nvidia gt 630 or gt 620.
The iGPU in all the CPU's in his list should be able to playback blu-ray in 1080P video and bistreaming HD audio without discrete GPU....for silent HTPC, Intel get my vote.....

>Alienware X51- do it all HTPC
>Simplify XBMC configurations
>HOW-TO Bitstreaming using XBMC
I refused to watch movie without bitstreaming HD audio!
Reply
#7
(2012-09-03, 20:56)assassin Wrote: Sorry, missed that. Just saw the 2120.

Big advantages imo over sandy are HDMI 1.4 support, CPU boost, and likely even more efficient energy. Improved graphics benchmarks and supposedly better 24p are important to some but much less important to me. I think the PQ for 1080p will be indistinguishable to Sandy (just like comparing Sandy to Clarkdale). With all that being said I would definitely choose the Ivy i3 over the Sandy i3. If you care choosing the Pentium or Celeron (the Ivy versions which aren't widely available if at all right now, fwiw) then it becomes a different argument.

NewEgg has the G2120 available for $99 with Free Shipping.

Hopefully Microcenter will bring back their i3/mobo combo deals with the release of Ivy Bridge.
Reply
#8
My gut feeling currently lets me lean towards one of the ivy bridge builds. But should I rather go with the i3 3220 or 3225 - HD 2500 vs. HD 4000. Price difference between those two is about 20 €.

Concerning the mainboards - should I go with the normal Mini-ITX versions or rather consider that Thin-Mini-ITX DQ77?
When looking at the layout of the Asrock H77 this might be problematic inside the FC8 case (power connector/pico psu might be in the way of the heatpipes), I think the Asus P8H77-I would be better suited.

This ivy build will be a bit more expensive than I had expected initially, but ok Wink
Reply
#9
So here's an update concerning my HTPC project. After a lot of reflection about all those different builds I had put up, I decided to go with the following one:
Intel i3 3225
Asus P8H77-I Mini-ITX Mainboard
4 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 Kit
Samsung SSD 830 128 GB (this was only about 25€ more than the 64GB version, so I decided for the bigger one Wink )
Streacom FC8S Evo with Streacom 150W PicoPSU

I should have received all parts by this evening and will then start assembling. I can also make some pictures if you like Smile
Reply
#10
I did prefer an AMD very close to your "Build 3" cause of the better GPU inside. I should be usable to play some games, too, and in this configuration it is. See details here: http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=139045

Mike
Reply
#11
(2012-09-17, 13:20)multimike Wrote: So here's an update concerning my HTPC project. After a lot of reflection about all those different builds I had put up, I decided to go with the following one:
Intel i3 3225
Asus P8H77-I Mini-ITX Mainboard
4 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 Kit
Samsung SSD 830 128 GB (this was only about 25€ more than the 64GB version, so I decided for the bigger one Wink )
Streacom FC8S Evo with Streacom 150W PicoPSU

I should have received all parts by this evening and will then start assembling. I can also make some pictures if you like Smile

Yes, please post pictures and let me know how it goes. I'm looking to build something very similar for my first htpc Smile thanks
Reply
#12
I assembled my great new HTPC over the last two evenings Smile As promised I also took some pictures.

Image Image Image
Image Image

Mounting the CPU cooler with the heatpipes is a bit tricky with this case, but managable. Depending on the mainboard you could run into trouble if there is something in the way of the heatpipes. Regarding the ASUS P8H77-I which I used in my build, the layout of the components is more or less ok for the FC8 Evo. However if you want to use more than one SATA port it might get more problematic. Currently I only use one, but an optical drive will probably come later. So I hope I can fiddle another SATA plug somewhere in below the heatpipes. Otherwise I might need to bend some of them a bit to make more room for straight SATA plugs.
Reply

Logout Mark Read Team Forum Stats Members Help
New HTPC build advice0