HTPC Build

[asutke781]

I am trying to come up with a build to replace a failing laptop as a home theater pc. I am not looking to spend to much, somewhere around 300 dollars. But what I don't know is what do I need as far as specs on a system like this. No gaming at just music, movies, and streaming media. Any ideas?

 

[Ken g6]

streaming media

Alot depends on whether this means NetFlix. Every other media type can be handled with virtually any onboard graphics card. But NetFlix uses MS Silverlight in the CPU for decoding.

$300 is really low. Do you need a new Windows license too? If so, I'd just look at the bargain-basement Athlons at retail stores.

 

[asutke781]

No netflix, no windows, all I am looking for is the hardware. 300 dollars was a starting point to see where I can get for that and where I need to be.

 

[ElFenix]

if you have a fry's nearby they've got the sandy-celeron G520 with board for $80 after $20 rebate. throw in some ram (8 GB for $42 at newegg), a power supply (the various CX430 sales for under $30 AR shipped from newegg) a harddrive (under $50) and a case (under $50) and you've got a computer.

 

[mfenn]

Here's what I cooked up:

Gigabyte GA-E350N-USB3 $90 AR
Crucial DDR3 1333 4GB $23
Hitachi 7K1000.D $65
Samsung DVD Burner $19
APEX MI-008 $50
Total: $247

That's a decently competent (non-Netflix) ITX HTPC with 1TB of local storage.

 

[asutke781]

Unfortunately I am not near a frys I am military stationed in okinawa so all parts have to be ordered online.
mfenn thats a good price range and I built a pc a few months ago that I used mostly parts you told me and its working out exactly how I wanted it to so thanks on that one as well. what would make it netflix capable? I dont need it to be since legal issues with being in japan dont allow me to have netflix but I am curious as to why it cant run it?

 

[mfenn]

I should have said "not HD Netflix capable" Netflix uses Silverlight for their streaming program, which cannot currently be hardware accelerated. The E-350 has enough power to do SD Netflix, but not HD Netflix.

To make it HD Netflix capable, you would change the E-350 out for something like this:
Biostar TH61 ITX $56 AR
Pentium G620 $73

That's $40 more AR, so it's still right within your budget actually.

 

[asutke781]

I like the ideas mfenn now another question if I wanted to add extra storage and use it as a NAS as well as HTPC can I do that. Add roughly 200 dollars to the budget and where would that get me? What technical specs do I need to look for and also noise? Can it be quiet enough to be an HTPC/NAS or do I need to go seperate with them?

 

[Ken g6]

Mfenn gave you a nice 1TB HDD, which would work for basic NAS. Either CPU should be enough for NAS work too. There is another drive bay, so you could add a 3TB HDD for $130 (price varies) as well.

 

[mfenn]

I like the ideas mfenn now another question if I wanted to add extra storage and use it as a NAS as well as HTPC can I do that. Add roughly 200 dollars to the budget and where would that get me? What technical specs do I need to look for and also noise? Can it be quiet enough to be an HTPC/NAS or do I need to go seperate with them?

It could be quiet enough, but for $200, I would honestly just get a 3TB MyBook Live. That'll use much less power and be quieter than the HTPC (which doesn't have to be on all the time). The MyBook Live also runs Debian Linux, so it is rock solid stable and a decent performer to boot.