Build me a budget blu-ray/HDTV computer

so what is your maximum budget?? and will you be gaming with it,if you will be gaming what kind of games will u play?,and what resolution is your monitor?

Maximum Budget: $500
Overclocking Plan: No experience with it and probably not going to do it.
Monitor: Samsung T260 (1920 x 1200)
Game: Same quality to PS3 games.

AMD Athlon X2 4850e 2.5GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 45W Dual-Core Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... $55.99

GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-US2H AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... $79.99 - $10.00 MIR

G.SKILL HK 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... $40.99

WESTERN DIGITAL WD3200AAKS 320GB SATA 7200 RPM 16MB Hard Drive
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?Product... $51.99

IN WIN Black Steel IW-BT566T.300BL Micro ATX Media Center / HTPC Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... $54.99

LG Black LG Blu-ray/HD DVD-ROM & 16X DVD±R DVD Burner SATA Model GGC-H20LK - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... $99.99

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... $99.99

Total - $483.93 - $10 MIR

nice build

That looks like a good build if the motherboard can handle blu-ray at 1080p. I did a quick look and found some reviews saying it could, others said that it couldn't (at least at full resolution).

The motherboard and CPU will easily handle 1080p Blu-Ray. You would have to have a pretty slow CPU for a 780G chipset motherboard to not play 1080p.

I am always buying Intel. Would it be possible to have Intel processor and motherboard for the same price? The set up looks neat, even it doesn't have a video card.

Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
$160 Antec Steel Fusion (with remote)
PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
$40 Thermaltake 430W
MB: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
$40 Foxconn G31-MV-K
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
$120 C2D E7400
RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
$37 G.Skill 2x2GB DDR2 800
HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
$50 WD3200AAJS 320GB
BRD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
$90 Lite-On
OS: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
$90 Vista Home Basic 32bit
Vid: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
$60 Gigabyte GV-R465OC-1GI 4650

Total: $687 + S&H (not counting MIR, specials/combo deals)
This is just to be equal to the AMD system listed (with a better case of course) The reason the AMD system has no video card is it has a good one integrated into it, so it uses less power, runs cooler, and can still play whatever BRD you throw at it (taking PowerDVD into account).

HTPC is actually one of the few segments of the market AMD actually has the advantage over Intel. Why support Walmart when you can get better parts from the small mom and pop shop round the corner?

But if you insist, you can knock off $50 bucks on IH8U's otherwise good list by switching the e7400 with a e5200. No point in having a e7400 when your other slower components won't even get maxed out.

There is no reason to go with a 32-bit OS on a new build. Especially not Vista Basic. This is for a HTPC so you'll definitely want Vista Home Premium for the built-in Media Center functionality. IH8U's build has pretty low-quality components (so-so PSU, motherboard, and HD) and comes in almost $200 over budget.

Is there any reason you're stuck on an Intel build? Like P00p00head said, AMD is actually a better choice for a HTPC. The integrated GPU in my build above is more than enough for 1080p Blu-Ray playback. There is no reason for a separate GPU. I would really try to ditch your Intel bias. Do some research and you'll see that most HTPC's use an AMD platform.

I guess if you really won't consider an AMD build, here's a comparable Intel build that only comes in just over budget:

Intel Pentium E5200 Wolfdale 2.5GHz 2MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... $69.99

GIGABYTE GA-G41M-ES2L LGA 775 Intel G41 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... $64.99

G.SKILL HK 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... $40.99

WESTERN DIGITAL WD3200AAKS 320GB SATA 7200 RPM 16MB Hard Drive
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?Product... $51.99

LG Black LG Blu-ray/HD DVD-ROM & 16X DVD±R DVD Burner SATA Model GGC-H20LK - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... $99.99

SAPPHIRE 100253HDMI Radeon HD 4650 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Low Profile Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... $54.99

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit English for System Builders 1pk DSP OEI DVD - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... $99.99

IN WIN Black Steel IW-BT566T.300BL Micro ATX Media Center / HTPC Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... $54.99

Total - $537.92

Now, I've learned a new lesson about AMD supporting HTPC. Wow, this is future and I have to admit a lot of things changed. So, I guess the final build for me would be this one:



shortstuff_mt wrote :


AMD Athlon X2 4850e 2.5GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 45W Dual-Core Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819103255 $55.99

GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-US2H AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813128379 $79.99 - $10.00 MIR

G.SKILL HK 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231219 $40.99

WESTERN DIGITAL WD3200AAKS 320GB SATA 7200 RPM 16MB Hard Drive
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Prod [...] t=celebros $51.99

IN WIN Black Steel IW-BT566T.300BL Micro ATX Media Center / HTPC Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811108058 $54.99

LG Black LG Blu-ray/HD DVD-ROM & 16X DVD±R DVD Burner SATA Model GGC-H20LK - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827136154 $99.99

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6832116488 $99.99


However, I am still considering to increase my budget to $500-600 range. What is the most important to upgrade if I want to throw in extra $100?