Your Very First HTPC? But Where do You Start?

(2012-05-29 10:50)Matov Wrote:  eskro, really great information in your threads. Thank you very much!

I've been reading this forum for a few months now, and I was going to build one for the living room with spare parts from my old desktop.
But I'm going for a complete different now, small and silent.
As soon as I get my list, I'll post for some feedback.

Nice! new hardware is always nice!

Hi,

I am a hardware noob so bear with me. I was trying to build the suggested htpc but the shop in my country (Singapore) do not sell the A75M + A8-3850. The guy in the shop suggested this to me:

i3-2120 + ASRock H77M

As for the RAM,

He said he suggested take the 1333Mhz CL9 Cosair or G.Skill 2x2GB pair and use total of 8GB instead.

I also can't find Scythe SCBSK-2100 cooler and SilenX EFX-08-12 80mm Case Fan.

Are there alternative that i can find?

Reference:

http://assets.hardwarezone.com/retailer_...es_115.pdf
http://tradepac.com.sg/front1040612.pdf
http://tradepac.com.sg/front2040612.pdf
http://www.bizgram.com/index.php?option=...15&catid=5

Thanks alot

(2012-06-06 10:46)padlee Wrote:  i3-2120

I'm suggesting Intel i3-2105 instead. You'll get better HD3000 iGPU......

This case fan "ENERMAX UC-8EB 80mm Case Fan" and this CPU cooler "Thermalright AXP-140 RT"......

Thanks for ur input but can't find i3-2105 anymore here. Any other cous + mobo?

(2012-06-06 19:11)padlee Wrote:  Thanks for ur input but can't find i3-2105 anymore here. Any other cous + mobo?

Here are HD3000 CPU's and Socket 1155 motherboards.....

Intel HD 3000

Socket 1155 motherboards

Hi all, a quick thanks to Beer40oz and eskro for all there input.
I'm a PC noob when it comes to technical side of PCs so please forgive my noobness.
I'm putting a rough list together of PC components that will make up my HTPC.

My question is would there be any reason to get a MOBO with USB3.0 ports vs a cheaper MOBO with only USB2.0?
Eg: H61M-DS2 vs H67MA-USB3.

Thanks.

(2012-06-07 12:11)Goiki7 Wrote:  Hi all, a quick thanks to Beer40oz and eskro for all there input.
I'm a PC noob when it comes to technical side of PCs so please forgive my noobness.
I'm putting a rough list together of PC components that will make up my HTPC.

My question is would there be any reason to get a MOBO with USB3.0 ports vs a cheaper MOBO with only USB2.0?
Eg: H61M-DS2 vs H67MA-USB3.

Thanks.

If you're going to use any external hard drives which have USB 3.0 then yes! USB 3.0 is much faster than USB 2 and will transfer your files and data much faster. If that isn't a concern, then no real reason except to make sure you have that feature should you ever want to use it in the future. Keep in mind, many of the external USB hard drives on the market currently are only USB 2, you are unlikely to already have a USB 3 hard drive so you would need to also buy a new external drive to even take advantage of the speed.

I don't have a single USB 3 device myself but, my HTPC and desktop PC's both have USB 3 ports in case I ever do end up with one.

(2012-06-07 13:25)Mick1152 Wrote:  If you're going to use any external hard drives which have USB 3.0 then yes! USB 3.0 is much faster than USB 2 and will transfer your files and data much faster. If that isn't a concern, then no real reason except to make sure you have that feature should you ever want to use it in the future. Keep in mind, many of the external USB hard drives on the market currently are only USB 2, you are unlikely to already have a USB 3 hard drive so you would need to also buy a new external drive to even take advantage of the speed.

I don't have a single USB 3 device myself but, my HTPC and desktop PC's both have USB 3 ports in case I ever do end up with one.

Well in my case i do have 3 HDDs with usb3.0 (http://www.buy.com/prod/hp-simplesave-de...90620.html x2 + http://us.toshiba.com/computers/storage/...TB110XK3BA x1)

However if I get a Silverstone ML03B or GD06B with 2x USB 3.0 will they give me usb 3.0 speeds on the H61M-DS2 MOBO

(2012-06-07 13:39)Goiki7 Wrote:  Well in my case i do have 3 HDDs with usb3.0 (http://www.buy.com/prod/hp-simplesave-de...90620.html x2 + http://us.toshiba.com/computers/storage/...TB110XK3BA x1)

However if I get a Silverstone ML03B or GD06B with 2x USB 3.0 will they give me usb 3.0 speeds on the H61M-DS2 MOBO

If you have USB 3.0 drives, you'll benefit from USB 3.0 motherboard. It's up to 10x faster than USB 2.0....

Regardless of the case, to have USB 3.0 capability you have to have motherboard with USB 3.0 option......the H61M-DS2 mobo you selected don't have USB 3.0......here are your options- Micro-ATX mobo with USB 3.0!

(2012-06-07 16:35)bluray Wrote:  If you have USB 3.0 drives, you'll benefit from USB 3.0 motherboard. It's up to 10x faster than USB 2.0....

Regardless of the case, to have USB 3.0 capability you have to have motherboard with USB 3.0 option......the H61M-DS2 mobo you selected don't have USB 3.0......here are your options- Micro-ATX mobo with USB 3.0!

Thanks a bunch that helps a lot.