[willburstyle06]

I'm trying to build an HTPC and was thinking about purchasing
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007YWM...PDKIKX0DER
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004MME...PDKIKX0DER ( internal hd)
I also want to purchase more RAM but I need help finding the right one ( zotac lists the ad12 as having max 4gb of ram ddr3) please provide me a link

A few things are bothering me about going with the ZBOX nano XS AD11 PLUS and there are a few questions i have
- it appears that it only has space for a 2.5 inch internal hd. The biggest internal hd i can find is 1tb at that size but i have over 1.2 tb of mkv blu ray files. First of all would the internal drive i put in the link on amazon fit in the zbox and is it the best quality 2.5 drive or is there another one out there. Secondly is there a similar product out there that can fit the 3.5 inch internal hd drives that have much more space.

The second issue im having trouble understanding is how and what OS to install. Can the xbmc unbuntu act as my actual OS and can it be intergrated fully with my 64gb ssd and 750gb internal hd. Should i install windows 7 then run xbmc off a usb or cd? I also want to be able to boot directly to xbmc on startup which i think would be easier if i had xbmc unbuntu installed.

[willburstyle06]

http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=830
this seems to be a good fit but i realize now that the zbox nano can not fit two internal hd's into the system. Is there another htpc out there where i can have both a ssd for the os and an internal hd like the wd green 2tb for media storage but with the 1080p video playback, controller and setup as the zbox nano.

[Arkitket]

You could build your own for roughly the same price. Alot of us here have been making builds with the Silverstone ML03B case (it's roughly the size of a BD player only a bit thicker). Here is a build that would do everything the Zbox could do (and possibly more) for the same combined price of the HDD and Zbox you have above :

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/h9E8

You can get 6 out of the 7 parts from Amazon, and then just get the ram from Newegg, or pick a ram that Amazon carries for equivalent price, free s/h on all parts.

[Dougie Fresh]

Reviews are mixed for E-450 as a Windows HTPC. The G540/H77 build Arkitket suggests is a better value and more powerful for HTPC (or really anything). There is quite a performance gap between Atom/Zacate and SandyBridge/IvyBridge/Llano but not necessarily a price gap.

For the ML03 I'd like to suggest looking at this PSU: FSP Group FSP300-60GHS-R 300W SFX12V 80 PLUS Certified Power Supply. It's an SFX PSU but with an ATX adapter. Using this kind of setup there's no worries about optical drive depth or crowding in the case. FSP makes great PSUs and I tend to favor them for small cases that take ATX PSUs (ML03, Lian-Li PC-Q08/07/etc.)

[Arkitket]

Dougie, the link you posted seems to be deactivated. But I agree, a FSP SFX PSU would be beneficial. I didn't included an ODD in the above build simply because the Zbox he posted didn't include one, although it is simple enough to throw one in.

[willburstyle06]

ok thank you guys. I still have a few questions I'm in uncharted waters building this thing.

What GPU Should I get? In the link you provided me it appeared to have all the parts except for the GPU. Im slightly confused about your statement 6/7 parts with the RAM being the part that was missing. Did you mean the GPU?
Will it have an integrated IR Receiver and remote capabilities( would i have to go buy a separate controller) and wifi capabilities (need internet for xbmc) like the z box
How should I go about installing the OS. I want to be able to boot to XBMC but am not sure if i want to install windows 7 or XBMC Ubuntu.
Finally is this everything I need and how hard would this be to properly put together?

[Dougie Fresh]

Dougie, the link you posted seems to be deactivated. But I agree, a FSP SFX PSU would be beneficial. I didn't included an ODD in the above build simply because the Zbox he posted didn't include one, although it is simple enough to throw one in.

Thanks. Fixed.

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If you wanted a barebones based on the G540 or AMD A6-3500 I can suggest a couple (or look at this recent thread looking for something similar: http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=139749). It sounds like you'd be more comfortable just having to stick in the drives and install the software?

For either of these CPUs, the GPU is integrated into the CPU itself (an APU in AMD terminology). The integrated GPUs are meant to handle 1080p video no problem.

[Arkitket]

As Dougie said,no need for GPU as the CPU has a iGPU that will suit your needs. The build I posted does not have WiFi, but many here recommend Wired over WiFi, although if you need WiFi simply to keep the machine up to date then a USB dongle would suffice and they are relatively inexpensive. There is no IR receiver or remote, however you have multiple options in this area. the HP IR Receiver seems to be a popular choice if you are going to use something like a Harmony remote, and can be found on eBay for cheap. If you already have a multi device remote you would like to use, you can purchase a Flirc from Flirc.tv. Another option is to purchase a remote that comes with a USB dongle, such as this one: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.asp...6880101002

I agree with Dougie, it seems that perhaps a barebones or pre-made HTPC would make things easier for you. I know a few members around here provide those services, like Dougie.