Need Advice Low Power HTPC Build

ErikVinoya

Honorable
May 11, 2014
202
0
10,710
Hi guys, I'm planning to build a low-power, budget HTPC. It would be used for playing 1080p HD movies, and some general use like browsing, and productivity tasks. Light gaming on low settings would be welcome but not really required.
I want it to use the least power as possible, make the lowest possible noise, within the smallest possible case, on a $400 budget. (Feel free to knock some sense out of me if all this sounds ridiculous).

For the parts, here's what I've been planning so far:
CPU: Intel Celeron G1820 2.7GHz Dual-Core
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H87N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600
Storage: Western Digital WD Green 750GB 2.5" 5400RPM

For the case, I'm torn between the SilverStone ML05 and Cooler Master Elite 120.
The ML05 gives the sleek and small form factor I'm looking for, but the CM120 seems to be a lot better at cooling and gives more room for upgrades (graphics card, extra drives) at the expense of the extra bulk.

I also considered going for a micro ATX build, since it that route seems to be cheaper, and the parts are easier to find, but that form factor is a little too big for me. Is the size worth it?

Any advice/tips regarding the case and the overall build will be greatly appreciated.
 
Maybe consider the GA-H97N-WIFI instead. Rebates have it costing less than the GA-H87N-WIFI and it'll give you more upgrade options down the line since it'll be able to accept the next gen Intel chips.

Also look at the Crucial Ballistix BLT4G3D1608DT1TX0 instead of the Sport, prices are the same but the Ballistix has slightly better timings at the same voltage.

First, why are you even bothering with a sub 1TB drive? I couldn't even find a Green 750GB 2.5" on newegg or amazon and WD doesn't list a sub 1.5TB Green 2.5" drive in their current listings. For an HTPC you're going to want as much storage as you if you intend on 1080P movies and shows, 1080P jumps the file sizes up considerably. If your going to end up with the Cooler Master case, consider switching to a 3.5" instead of the 2.5". Since you'll be able to use a full size PSU, power is going to be considerably less of an issue and you get much higher capacity drives (and higher ceilings) for much less of a price tag. If you go with the Silverstone, it looks like you'll likely want that 2.5" size (3.5 is possible but you lose the ability to have an optical drive). The difference between Green and Blue is 2-4watt max but the 2.5" Green can get higher than 1TB where the 2.5" Blue maxes out at 1TB.

For the cases, that Cooler Master is obviously going to give you way more options and will make your life easier for building. So much easier. My HTPC case in a similar form factor to the silverstone and while I love it, wiring that bastard took forever and its a pain in the ass to work on. So really its a matter of choosing form or function. Both will do what you want, but what do you want to be able to do in a years time? Mull that over and go with what suits you best.
 

ErikVinoya

Honorable
May 11, 2014
202
0
10,710
I actually completed this build 2 weeks ago.

I ended up building with the ML05 case and almost the same parts as planned, except for the hard drive.

Apparently, the only 2.5 inch drives that exist here in the Philippines are the Seagate Momentus (SSHD), Hitachi Travelstar, and WD Black/Blue. The WD Blues that were available are 500 GB and 1TB ones, so I chose the 1TB version (the blacks were a little over my budget).

As for the motherboard, as it is still a relatively new board (here, at least), it doesn't seem to be available in any store here too. An MSI gaming Z97 ITX board is available, but it costs more than double the Gigabyte H87, so it's out of my options.

Too bad with the RAM though, I could have gotten that one instead if I knew earlier.

And I completely agree with the ML05 being such a pain when it comes to wiring. I even unknowingly given myself more trouble when I opted for the modular Silverstone Strider SFX PSU. The space between it and the drive cage is uncomfortably tight, and I had to actually remove the drive cage and just let the hdd lay comfortably in the bottom of the case. Until someone tells me it's a horrible idea and assures me that its ok for the psu wires to be bent like that, that drive stays there lol.
I also have a problem with the multi-purpose bracket, because it's side with the metal strip pointing downwards is directly above the USB 3.0 header in the motherboard. Though, even with all those problems, seeing the pc complete with that sleek and sexy case is enough for me to say "Totally worth it" haha!

Anyways, thanks a lot for the answers guys! Cheers!
 

Neodinium

Honorable
Jul 31, 2013
5
0
10,510
Amazon has the Fire TV for $79 right now. Look here on how to root it:

http://www.aftvnews.com/

Then, install XBMC.

Get a powered USB hub to add additional storage.

Look on YouTube and Ebay for all the AFTV's that have been converted to XBMC HTPC machines. People selling modded AFTV's on Ebay for $200-300. But, if hacking doesn't scare you, you can do it yourself.

AFTV uses 2W of power at idle and 3W on full load. It has no fan. It is dead quiet. It's small enough to hide anywhere.

It comes with an awesome remote. You can use XBMC Android remotes or the AFTV Android remote as well.