Media Center PC Advice

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moogleslam

moogleslam

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May 17, 2010
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I could build a standard ATX gaming rig with my eyes closed, but when it comes to a Mini ITX build dedicated for media only, I'm entirely lost. I had a quick look over some threads here, including the stickied ones, but the recommended builds link is gone, so I'll start from scratch with a new thread and see what recommendations you guys come up with.

The plan is to build something that would be sufficient to play Netflix, YouTube, internet broadcasts, and other video files downloaded from torrent sites, to a 1080p TV. Smooth playback of said files/formats is all I'm looking for, and don't want to spend more than what's required for that.

From what I've read, onboard graphics would be capable of this. I do have two TV's I'd like to output to, so should I consider a motherboard with 2 x HDMI, or get a splitter?

Does this list of components cover everything I'd need? I already have a wireless keyboard and mouse I can use with this.

Case
PSU
Motherboard
CPU
Memory
Hard Drive (I'll get a HDD rather than a SSD to maximize storage capacity)
Remote? Or should I use a phone app? Would a physical remote work from a room other than the one which the PC is in?

Any specific recommendations that I can add to my amazon/newegg cart?

Thanks
 
Solution
logainofhades
For a media center PC, I would go with an AMD APU. The A8 7600 would be a good choice, as it has a 45w mode, and superior graphics, to an i3. Something like this. The motherboard also has dual HDMI. Not sure I fully trust the PSU, in the case, so I added a better quality one, that was modular, for maximum airflow.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD A8-7600 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($78.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A88XN-WIFI Mini ITX FM2+ Motherboard ($89.24 @ Amazon)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 Low Profile Red 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($51.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard...
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J

Joseph DeGarmo

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This will make a nice HTPC. It includes a Blu-ray drive for movies. Please note that you'll need a DVD playback program, such as CyberLink PowerDVD, to play movies from Blu-ray discs. Windows Media Center can play DVDs just fine, though.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($113.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus H81I-PLUS Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($76.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($32.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.49 @ OutletPC)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec EarthWatts Green 380W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($38.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($49.89 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 OEM (64-bit) ($86.75 @ OutletPC)
Total: $487.08
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-22 10:51 EDT-0400
 
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Dan414

Dan414

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In addition to what Mr. DeGarmo suggested, a few ideas:
- Consider a silverstone case like ML03B {$60 at http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7246660&SRCCODE=WEBGOOPA&scid=scplp1526146&gclid=Cj0KEQjw_rytBRDVhZeQrbzn_q0BEiQAjnbSHNSFyaGw_MAI6Iuoer7w2men9Rf3-vnl4SUey579vL0aAmUe8P8HAQ) or others depending on where you want it. I have the GD09 as a second computer for my kids, and it fits under their desk nicely.
- Consider a passive CPU heatsink and good airflow through the case with a few low powered fans (noctua fans with the low noise adapter are good). You don't want to have a noisy fan to interrupt a quiet/tense moment in your zombie flicks.
- Don't get anything with built in lights - but if you do make sure they can be unplugged separately from other functions so blinky lights don't distract either.
- Position your power supply to draw air out of the case - that way you get extra air movement with no additional sound.

Have fun!
 
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moogleslam

moogleslam

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Thanks guys.

Joseph - I should have mentioned I won't need a Blu-ray player or OS, which drops the price to an attractive $350 based on your recommendations.

Das - with Plex, can my media still be on my PC, or does it have to exist on the cloud?

Dan - I'm a bit unfamiliar with steaming devices, but it seems that to play my own video files on Roku, I'm required to put them on a USB stick, and plug that into the Roku?
 
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Dan414

Dan414

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You would need to stream your files from somewhere. Your other computer, or a dedicated file server that is running the Plex software. Then you can use the Plex app on the Roku. I'm not sure if you can actually run them off a stick - never tried.
 
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logainofhades

logainofhades

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For a media center PC, I would go with an AMD APU. The A8 7600 would be a good choice, as it has a 45w mode, and superior graphics, to an i3. Something like this. The motherboard also has dual HDMI. Not sure I fully trust the PSU, in the case, so I added a better quality one, that was modular, for maximum airflow.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD A8-7600 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($78.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A88XN-WIFI Mini ITX FM2+ Motherboard ($89.24 @ Amazon)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 Low Profile Red 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($51.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($86.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Thermaltake VL520B1N2U Mini ITX Tower Case w/220W Power Supply ($52.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Silverstone Strider Gold 450W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($88.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($49.89 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 OEM (64-bit) ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $589.07
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-22 12:10 EDT-0400

 
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Solution
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Joseph DeGarmo

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Here's a decent build at a much lower cost.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($64.98 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus H81I-PLUS Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($76.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($32.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.49 @ OutletPC)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec EarthWatts Green 380W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($38.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $301.43
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-22 16:46 EDT-0400
 
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jsmithepa

jsmithepa

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There is a guy at the avsforum.com who's been doing this for a while and has a guide online, Assassin's Guide to HTPC. Check it out.

Is this just something for you, or for the whole family? If the later then you need a friendly FRONT-END, again refer to Assassin's.

You can control the PC in another room via an IR blaster, or for noise sake, have your media HD in some sort of NAS away from the media room, but this is for serious, long-term entertainment center build.

For HTPC, is 10% hardware, 90% software.
 
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