Thinking of building a low cost htpc

[zougou]

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Real Soon
BUDGET RANGE: $300-400

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: (watching movies, videos) I don't know if it could serve as a media server as well or not.

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Monitor/TV Samsung 260HD

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg.com, amazon.com

PARTS PREFERENCES: itx size with ION video thingy

OVERCLOCKING: No
SLI OR CROSSFIRE: No
MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1080

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I would like to put this together for as little money as possible and have it run as quietly as possible.

Parts I'm considering:

Zotac IONITX-D-E Atom N330 Dual Core WiFi ITX Intel Motherboard
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B002BA5IHM/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

Corsair XMS2 4 GB (2 X 2 GB) PC2-6400 800 MHz 240-PIN DDR2 Dual-Channel Memory Kit - not sure I need that much memory or not
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000TPXULC/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

Western Digital Caviar Green 1 TB Bulk/OEM Hard Drive 3.5 Inch, 32 MB Cache, 7200 RPM SATA II
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B001IEZX3G/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

Not sure on the case, but something small would be nice. Something like the Antec ISK 300-65.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129068

I'm not sure it's worth having a DVD/Blu-Ray drive or not. The choice sort of depends on the case I come up with.

For the OS, I was thinking of some flavor of Unix with which I could use to play videos.

On the other hand, I do have a laptop with an HDMI plug on it -- I haven't actually tried playing videos on my monitor with it, but I wonder if it would work just as well?

I also have one of those WD media players attached to my monitor. For the most part, it works very well, although there are some mkv files that it seems to have trouble playing -- the audio portion is silent.

I suppose this is just an excuse to build a PC... maybe...

What says the hive?

Thanks!

 

[batuchka]

One of the drones from Hive reporting in ....buzzz.... Well if you willing to compromise from ITX to mATX form factor i'd say you get a far better system which uses mainstream parts and though slightly bigger wouldn't exactly be any less stylish at the living room for me

 

[zougou]

One of the drones from Hive reporting in ....buzzz.... Well if you willing to compromise from ITX to mATX form factor i'd say you get a far better system which uses mainstream parts and though slightly bigger wouldn't exactly be any less stylish at the living room for me
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q205/batuchka/BioRegorHTPC.jpg

Thank you very much, that looks very reasonable. Unfortunatley, I bought a dual core atom board with the ION video thingy already. I also bought a Lian Li mini ITX tower that uses a full sized ATX powersupply. It is going to be a very tight fit (assuming I can get it to work at all).

 

[batuchka]

Ah well may benefit others then - wish u sucess for your upcoming project hehe

 

[zougou]

Thanks! I should post pictures.

The case has only room for one optical drive, and I plan to put a bluray/dvd player driver (no burner) in there.

I also hope to add a lcd display/ ir receiver into it even though there isn't an extra 5.25 bay. I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to do that.

I really should have gotten a modular PSU, but that would bump the cost up plus I don't need a whole lot of watts.

I might do the unforgivable and snip some of the PSU cables...

I also would like to add a carrying handle to the top, although I don't know if the aluminum case would buckle or not if I did that. I'm surprised it didn't come with one, considering the size.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112227

 

[zougou]

Well, I used that Zotac DE board and put it in that Lian Li case. I tried installing Ubuntu 9 something or other, but I could not get sound through the HDMI plug. I also couldn't get it up to the native resolution of the monitor.

I spent many hours trying to get sound, but all the things I found did not seem to work.

So I gave up on Ubuntu and returned to the sweaty embrace of Microsoft. I installed Windows 7 RC (32 bit) and surprise, surprise, was able to get sound through the HDMI port as well as get the correct resolution.

However, at one point late last night the sound stopped working. I finally called it a night (early morning?!?) and haven't tried it agin to see what happened to the sound.