First HTPC Build

The_Seal

Hi all,

Gonna attempt to build my first HTPC since my second boxee died the other day. I was going to follow this guide which doesn't look too difficult.( I hope).

http://m.lifehacker.com/5936546/how-i-built-the-media-center-of-my-dreams-for-under-500

I have sorced all the components and can put it together pretty cheap buying from Komplett.ie. Not sure about the case though.

I'll be using it for just my own ripped collection so my external drives will be attached and maybe some light gaming.

Anyone tried a build similar to this and like to offer some advice.

Much appreciated

Will

Knasher

One of my main considerations when building a HTPC is noise, HTPC cases can be a little bit pricey but if you are willing to put down the money it is possible to build a completely fan less computer. In any case I'd recommend you look at http://www.silentpcreview.com/ they review hardware specifically with noise in mind.

Secondly, I consider putting some sort of tuner into your HTPC. The XBMC PVR stuff is really nice and I'd highly recommend it.

The_Seal

Had not really considered the tuner. It being Ireland and all i assumed the options wouldn’t be as wealthy as the stuff over in the states. Saying that i don’t know too much about it it is mostly for my own collection of TV and film.

If i choose to go fanless would i be sacrificing the lifespan of the system. I was thinking of installing a small SSD drive instead of a 3.5 as most of my storage will be from external drives.

From what I’m reading and the advice people are getting the right case seems to be the most important component

Knasher

I wouldn't say you would be sacrificing the lifetime of the system, but you will have a lower tdp window, so they wouldn't be able to handle the heat generated by the higher end CPU's, though generally you wouldn't be putting a high end cpu in a HTPC anyway, so it's not much of a sacrifice. The newer Intel chips have really good tdp's so I'd probably look at those if I were you. This applies to both fan and fanless cases, as generally HTPC's use smaller fans so they have a lower ability to dissipate heat.

SSDs are probably a good choice, they really aren't that expensive at the moment and being able to boot quickly on a HTPC is a pretty nice feature.

As for tuners, there are a number of satellites that broadcast without encryption that you could receive. You can get all the uk freesat channels, and if you speak other languages there are other satellites that you could look at. http://www.freesat.co.uk/. But you are right about the case being the most important component, generally being so small they tend to dictate exactly what other components you are going to be able to fit. Especially if you are looking to fit multiple tuning cards or hard drive as some people might.

HLF

I would go with a SSD over a fan-less case, HDDs make a lot of noise even the 2.5inch ones. With the right chipset you can have the fans running very slow.

The below setup (build late 2011) runs at 40watts idle and about 60watts recording and playing.
The temps are 22deg with case fan speeds of about 400rpm and the cpu fan at 800rpm.

ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3, Sockel 1155, ATX, DDR3
Intel Core i5-2500K Box, LGA1155 , There is an i3 which would use less power.
ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 13 CO

You should defiantly put in a tuner card preferably a Dual for both Satellite and Terrestrial. Blackgold or TBS.

A good ref for build spec when I was building was

custompcguide.com

Also:
Good place to get hardware is http://www4.hardwareversand.de, they will assemble the system for 20e and you can also configure it on the site to make sure it all fits.