2012-11-07, 06:47
I'm getting ready to piece together a HTPC and would appreciate any feedback on ways to improve price point or alert me to potential incompatibilities. Thanks to all of you that already gave me tips indirectly as I read through other's posts.
I'm targeting a $2,000 price point.
Price Item
326.37 Samsung HT-E5500W HTIB 5.1 Channel 3D Blu-ray 1000-Watt Home Theater System
999.99 VIZIO E601i-A3 60-inch 1080p 120Hz Razor LED Smart FHDTV
177.98 SquareTrade 5-Year TV Warranty ($900-1000 LCD, Plasma, LED)
24.99 Rosewill RHRC-11002 MCE IR Remote Controller + Small USB Dongle Type
9.99 AmazonBasics 2-Pack, High-Speed HDMI Cables 6.5 feet -- Supports Ethernet, 3D, and Audio Return
9.99 AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Cable and Toslink Digital Audio Optical Cable, 2 Pack 6Ft
69.99 Vizio XCV100 Internet Apps TV Video Camera - Skype capable
79.99 Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1600 MHz (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory (CML16GX3M2A1600C10)
199.99 Intel Core i5-3570 Quad-Core Processor 3.4 GHz 6 MB Cache LGA 1155 - BX80637I53570
89.99 AS Rock PRO4-M LGA1155 Intel H77 Quad CrossFireX SATA3 USB3.0 A V GbE MATX Motherboard H77
129.99 Samsung 840 Series Solid State Drive (SSD) with Desktop Kit 120 sata 6gb 2.5-Inch MZ-7TD120KW
76.01 Apevia X-Master Desktop HTPC Case
Subtotal: 2,272.33 + WA sales tax 215.87 = $2,488.20
All items are available on Amazon with free shipping except the case. All items are priced almost identically on newegg.
I might hold off on the sound system to spread the cost over a few months. Black Friday sales could help on the final price too.
I'd be reusing my DVD drive, 3TB and multiple 1.5TB SATA drives from my old sagetv server.
I'm planning to set it up with Windows 8 Pro with MCE. MyMovies. XBMC.
Mostly for watching DVDs that are stored on the 3TB drive as Video_TS folder structure.
Also, wanting to pull the plug on monthly CableTV bill, so looking to get more content over internet.
I might setup a small computer monitor and keyboard in the corner of the livingroom so it could pull double duty as a workstation with the big screen off.
Thanks for any tips. Some I already gathered from other threads: The CPU and Memory must be carefully selected to ensure you can run 1600 speed. If you plan to use the "video card" embedded in the processor, make sure you pick the models that have the gpu. If you are not doing any over clocking, you can save money by checking part numbers on RAM and CPU and make sure you are getting the regular ones. I specifically picked a motherboard with 4 RAM slots so I could boost it later as RAM prices drop and if my needs demand. The motherboard and case might not fit depending on the power supply, drives, and CPU fan.
I'm targeting a $2,000 price point.
Price Item
326.37 Samsung HT-E5500W HTIB 5.1 Channel 3D Blu-ray 1000-Watt Home Theater System
999.99 VIZIO E601i-A3 60-inch 1080p 120Hz Razor LED Smart FHDTV
177.98 SquareTrade 5-Year TV Warranty ($900-1000 LCD, Plasma, LED)
24.99 Rosewill RHRC-11002 MCE IR Remote Controller + Small USB Dongle Type
9.99 AmazonBasics 2-Pack, High-Speed HDMI Cables 6.5 feet -- Supports Ethernet, 3D, and Audio Return
9.99 AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Cable and Toslink Digital Audio Optical Cable, 2 Pack 6Ft
69.99 Vizio XCV100 Internet Apps TV Video Camera - Skype capable
79.99 Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1600 MHz (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory (CML16GX3M2A1600C10)
199.99 Intel Core i5-3570 Quad-Core Processor 3.4 GHz 6 MB Cache LGA 1155 - BX80637I53570
89.99 AS Rock PRO4-M LGA1155 Intel H77 Quad CrossFireX SATA3 USB3.0 A V GbE MATX Motherboard H77
129.99 Samsung 840 Series Solid State Drive (SSD) with Desktop Kit 120 sata 6gb 2.5-Inch MZ-7TD120KW
76.01 Apevia X-Master Desktop HTPC Case
Subtotal: 2,272.33 + WA sales tax 215.87 = $2,488.20
All items are available on Amazon with free shipping except the case. All items are priced almost identically on newegg.
I might hold off on the sound system to spread the cost over a few months. Black Friday sales could help on the final price too.
I'd be reusing my DVD drive, 3TB and multiple 1.5TB SATA drives from my old sagetv server.
I'm planning to set it up with Windows 8 Pro with MCE. MyMovies. XBMC.
Mostly for watching DVDs that are stored on the 3TB drive as Video_TS folder structure.
Also, wanting to pull the plug on monthly CableTV bill, so looking to get more content over internet.
I might setup a small computer monitor and keyboard in the corner of the livingroom so it could pull double duty as a workstation with the big screen off.
Thanks for any tips. Some I already gathered from other threads: The CPU and Memory must be carefully selected to ensure you can run 1600 speed. If you plan to use the "video card" embedded in the processor, make sure you pick the models that have the gpu. If you are not doing any over clocking, you can save money by checking part numbers on RAM and CPU and make sure you are getting the regular ones. I specifically picked a motherboard with 4 RAM slots so I could boost it later as RAM prices drop and if my needs demand. The motherboard and case might not fit depending on the power supply, drives, and CPU fan.
