Advice needed - HTPC / Gaming Build for a friend

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oakflesh

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Sep 5, 2014
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Building a htpc for a friend, I just want help checking compatibility of the following parts. He has limited the build to about £500. He wants the system for media streaming and dvd's. He also wants the grunt to be able to play modern games if he wants too.

CPU: AMD FX-4300 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor

CPU Cooler: Corsair H80

Motherboard: MSI 760GMA-P34(FX) Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive

Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card

Case: Silverstone Black Grandia GD09B HTPC Case

Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply

Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAP422-98 DVD/CD Writer

Feedback on parts and any recommendations on others parts are very welcome!
 
Solution
MeteorsRaining
Oh ok, since you want the build to be gaming capable and at the same time compact, here are some points to ponder upon:

-FX 4/6 is a good CPU but can't really defeat the i3 in gaming, atleast not the FX 4. That being said, i3 won't require an af cooler and the bucks saved there can be applied on other components. It also is better than FX 4 in single core performance, on which most games rely. Also, FX would require a cooler, but the case is pretty tiny, and so there definately won't be awesome air flow, and AMD CPUs tend to run hot, so going Intel makes sense.

-Same applies to GPU, 760 is better than 270X not only performance wise, but it runs a cooler and quieter too besides being more energy efficient. The case limitations drive me...
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MeteorsRaining

MeteorsRaining

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Jul 27, 2014
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That looks more like a gaming build. You don't need anything higher than A6 or A8 (A10 to be on the higher end) with 4GB memory and a cheap MoBo for a sole-purpose HTPC. Storage/ PSU/ DVD writer/ Case is alright. You don't need a cooler too, or a cheap low profile air cooler will do.
 
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oakflesh

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Sep 5, 2014
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4,510
I realise now I should have been more accurate in the description I gave, what he wants from the system is for it to be used as a DVD player / media hub for all his streaming services etc. He also wants it to have enough grunt to play modern games if he wants to. Sorry for the lack of information and thanks for the great anwser. He has limited this build to about £500.

I figured the above would best fit this budget and still meet his needs in such a small space.

Bearing this is mind, do you think that your advice still applies?
 
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MeteorsRaining

MeteorsRaining

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Jul 27, 2014
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50,565
Oh ok, since you want the build to be gaming capable and at the same time compact, here are some points to ponder upon:

-FX 4/6 is a good CPU but can't really defeat the i3 in gaming, atleast not the FX 4. That being said, i3 won't require an af cooler and the bucks saved there can be applied on other components. It also is better than FX 4 in single core performance, on which most games rely. Also, FX would require a cooler, but the case is pretty tiny, and so there definately won't be awesome air flow, and AMD CPUs tend to run hot, so going Intel makes sense.

-Same applies to GPU, 760 is better than 270X not only performance wise, but it runs a cooler and quieter too besides being more energy efficient. The case limitations drive me into including this point seeing the airflow isn't great.

So taking those into mind, I've built this:

CPU: Intel Core i3-4150 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor (£79.99 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: MSI H97M-E35 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£55.13 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (£60.87 @ Ebuyer)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£35.94 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card (£168.99 @ Aria PC)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (£46.93 @ CCL Computers)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer (£10.22 @ CCL Computers)
Total: £458.07
+ The case you mentioned at around 50 bucks.

So we're in budget besides getting a better, quieter, more energy efficient and cooler build :)
 
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Solution
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oakflesh

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Sep 5, 2014
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4,510
His friend has given him the exact motherboard today! So that throws out the CPU/mobo combo. Some sound advice on the GPU! Thanks for the info. Il feed back to him and hopefully he will make his mind up on the rest of the components! Il also let him know hes missed out on a good CPU possibility!

Thank you
 
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sora

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Oct 30, 2013
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The i3 is definitely a lot better than the AMD FX-4300.
 
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