# HTPC build



## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

I have not built a PC in about 10 years so I am a little out of touch with the products, so maybe some of you can help me out.

I am considering building a HTPC, have for some time, but now may finally be the time. I have wanted to upgrade to BR also, so I am thinking of doing both in the same project. I don't need the most powerful machine, but do like to build with an eye on future upgrades. Now may be a good time to be shopping, so I am looking for deals.

One question that comes up is whether SLI is very important. Any opinions?

Any favorites for MBs? ASUS,MSI, and Gigabyte keep coming up. They all seem to have pros and cons.

Any opinions on processors would be appreciated as well.

Thanks, Leonard.


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## Harpmaker (Oct 28, 2007)

The last PC I built is several years old now, and things in the computer world move so fast that is ancient history now so I can't be of much help to you in recommending specific equipment.

I think SLI only applies to games.

For HTPC purposes I don't think CPU type or brand makes a huge difference anymore, but the choice of chipset might since this determines on-board audio and video capabilities.

I'll be watching this thread with interest. :T


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## eugovector (Sep 4, 2006)

Yep, SLI is only for those who need insane (no, that's not a poor choice of words) graphics power for games.

Look to the upcoming ATI 5600 series to do bitstreaming over HDMI, likely with a passive cooler for well under $100.


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## eugovector (Sep 4, 2006)

Also, here's a slightly older video I did whose principles still hold true:


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## nova (Apr 30, 2006)

SLI important? Much like just about everything else,... it depends  For a HTPC, no, not important.

I have used MB's from all of those manufacturers and more. All are pretty good. I have had the best luck with DFI motherboards.

Processors,... AMD fan :T Unfortunately Intel has had the upper hand for the last few years.


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## mechman (Feb 8, 2007)

My last three builds have all been Gigabyte motherboards and Intel Quad core CPUs. If you stay a generation behind on the processor they can be had for a reasonable price. The three I built had the Q9550, a Q8200 and a Q8300. Shockingly, I can get the Q9550 locally much cheaper than Newegg offers it - $249 vs $169. All three were put into a Gigabyte P45 UD3P motherboards. I chose that board because of the customer satisfaction ratings and because it had firewire ports.

My past system, which is now my home server, was a DFI LanParty motherboard with an AMD chip. I was pretty happy with that at the time and it continues to work well as my Windows Home Server. 

I should probably note that none of these are HTPCs. I have to admit that I've never seen the need for one. :huh:


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

Thanks guys. I will post what I find as I research it and learn more.


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## wbassett (Feb 8, 2007)

I am gearing up to build a media storage server, not quite the same thing as an HTPC.

Last year I put together an HTPC and just the other week I threw together a system for my brother to use the Hauppauge PVR1212 with. His system is connected to his HDTV/HT system so I would call it an HTPC as well! 

I also agree that SLI isn't important, what is majorly important though is your power supply. Do not skimp on this. As the others have stated there are many mother boards out there that will fit your needs just fine. When it comes to CPU's I personally like Intel processors. I know other's swear by AMD, and they are fine- I just had a bad personal experience with an AMD build a couple years back and haven't gotten that bad taste out of my mouth yet! Whatever your preference is should be fine though.

The min CPU specs that you will need will be at least a dual core running 2.66GHz, or at min a Quad Core running 2.33GHz. It's not for SDVD playback, but for HD content. I know some will tell you that your video card should handle the hardware decoding, but from experience I can tell you that a single core 3.33Ghz processor will start to stutter and choke when it comes to HD playback even with a decent video card. I am running the ATI 4650 HD card with 1GB of memory. As eugovector said, I'd wait for the new 56XX series that's coming out first quarter of 2010. 

Unless you have a need or burning desire for analog sound, the 4650 and up will support HDMI audio. The 56XX series will do True HD, which is why we are recommending waiting for it! Back to the comment on power supplies. Technically a 450W should work, but with these new graphic cards, that's not enough. I recommend at least a 550W PS. That way you have enough juice to do everything you need and even some future updates if needed.

After that the big item is a player. Right now I have PowerDVD only because it came with my LG drive and it plays both Blu-ray and HD DVD. However I have to mention since the most recent update the Bluray playback has some issues. Periodically it will 'stick' and the only way to get back to viewing is to stop and restart the player... definitely NOT a good thing. I am currently looking into Media Player Classic HT. I've read some good reviews on it and... it's free!


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

Thanks, Bill. Looks like this is going to back-burnered for at least a week. The service business went from stone dead to overload in a matter of days.


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## lsiberian (Mar 24, 2009)

The easiest way would be to get an entertainment PC with a blu-ray player.

Motherboard: ASUS
Hard Drive: Maxtor
CPU: AMD 
memory 4 GB+
Case: Antec
don't for get a mouse and keyboard

I typically use maxtor hard drives. Though with solid state drives out there I'd be tempted to put one of those in the machine. Nothing like the seek time of ram in a hard drive. 

For chipsets I always prefer AMD. Just brand preference, but I will go with AMD every chance I get. 

Putting together a system should be pretty cheap.


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## wbassett (Feb 8, 2007)

lsiberian said:


> The easiest way would be to get an entertainment PC with a blu-ray player.
> 
> Motherboard: ASUS
> Hard Drive: Maxtor
> ...


Great advice lsiberian, I'd like to add this though for those out there that may not know... to get the benefit of 4GB of ram and up a person needs a 64bit OS (at least with Windows). Not everyone realizes that and then are stumped when they have XP or Vista 32 and only see 3GB of ram available.


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## jeltok (Dec 30, 2009)

Another option would be to wait a couple of weeks until Intel Clarkdale processors become available.

The new parts will combine CPU and HD playback capable video circuits on the same chip. It is expected to support HD sound too.

I personally is pretty much satisfied with my AMD based HTPC:

-Asus 780G based motherboard (using onboard graphics with no problem for now, waiting for ATI 56XX card)
-Athlon X2 5000+ processor 
-2 GB of memory
-Corsair 520W power supply
-Asus Xonar D2X sound card (love it!) 
-74 GB WD Raptor as OS drive (Windows 7 64-bit)
-1.5 TB WD Green for media

I am using Boxee to play movies and Foobar to play music (mostly FLAC files)

I am running analog cables from sound card into my Audio Refinement pre/pro (5.1 analog input), and HDMI cable from the board into my DLP Samsung TV.

All in all I just needed to add Xonar D2X sound card to my old PC to turn it into an above average HTPC. Adding ATI 5XXX video card will make it into an excellent HTPC.

I hope it helps,
Sergey


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