Buying components for HPTC/gaming tonight, help!

October 18, 2010 9:45:35 PM

This system is built to do the following: record HDTV from my cable box, rip my dozens of TV show DVD's at great speeds, and play all modern PC games at above average settings.

Components:

Core i5 750 Lynnfield

MSI LGA 1156 H55 Motherboard with HDMI (needs to be plugged into my HDTV for use as monitor)

EVGA GeForce GTS 450 1GB GPU

AverTV HD Duet Tuner Card (Can record one channel while watching another, perfect for Dexter/Boardwalk Empire/Family Guy!)

Cooler Master 460W ATX Power Supply (I worry this may not be enough voltage?)

G.Skill Ripjaws 4GB DDR3 RAM (This I may need help with, should be more than compatible with mobo, right?)

Antec VSK-2000 Case (Don't care how it looks, just how it houses all my components. Adequate enough?)

Seagate Barracuda 500GB 7200 RPM Internal HDD (Don't need 1TB right now, I have an external 1TB drive that can hold my media for now)

LG DVD Burner (Can upgrade to Blu Ray later; don't mind using my PS3 as Blu Ray player for time being)

Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit OEM (Would this setup be able to run 64 Bit? What is the difference between 32 and 64?)

Total:
$853.99

Concerns:

Is my case too bargain basement? I worry about not having enough room to install all the components. This will be my first home build, so I don't have any expertise with jamming stuff in incredibly small spaces (that's what he said).

Is everything compatible? I would hate to buy everything, and find my GPU can't fit into my mobo. I have done my best to read up on this stuff and make sure I know what PCI-Express and stuff mean, but it never hurts to have an expert assure me!

Is my power supply too puny? Am I going to need something closer to 500-600 watts?

Also, cooling. Will I need some kind of case fan or other cooling solution? I am willing to keep my case open, and blow out dust every single day, but if I also need alternative cooling solutions, then I will have to do that.

Important: I plan on using my LG 42LH30 HDTV as my monitor. Do you forsee a problem with this? If my mobo has an HDMI port, I can hook the mobo up to my TV right? My TV also has a VGA port, if that needs to be used.

What kind of build tools do I need? I already have an anti-static wrist strap in my Amazon cart. Are there some weird, PC-builder type tools I am going to need, like special screwdrivers?

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mosox

October 18, 2010 10:42:48 PM

The video card is way too weak for most modern games, in your budget I'll get an AMD rig - can you buy your stuff from newegg?

ASUS M4A87TD/USB3 + AMD Phenom II X4 955
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?Ite...
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB + LIAN LI Lancool PC-K58W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?Ite...
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB + OCZ Fatal1ty OCZ550FTY 550W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?Ite...
MSI N460GTX CYCLONE 1GD5/OC GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
AVerMedia AVerTVHD Duet PCTV tuner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
LITE-ON Black 24X
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

$884.90 but you have $40 mail-in rebates

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/274745-13-step-step...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y8T8QAsDZs

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truprecht

October 19, 2010 3:52:48 AM

I also have an HTPC/gaming machine and I just upgraded from a Core i3-530 to an i5-750, and honestly I don't think it was worth the extra $85. The i3 uses less energy, runs significantly cooler and scored a 6.9 on the Windows Experience Index compared to 7.3 for the i5. In my limited-airflow HTPC case I could run the i3 with the stock heatsink, but the i5 was running 10c higher until I got a Zalman 9500 cooler ($39 at Frys), which basically lowered the i5 back down to i3 temps.

If I were doing it over, I'd go with the i3 and spend the extra $$ on a better graphics card, like a GTX 460 or better.

Your graphics card will have an HDMI port, so it's not important for your MB to have one too. When I got my first MB I was all worried about having an HDMI port and found I didn't use it at all. In fact, it was disabled when I put the GPU in. I'd look for a MB with USB3 and SATA3.

Oh, and I use my 42" LCD TV has a monitor also. Works great for games and video, but you have to increase the font sizes to 150% to read anything from more than about 3 feet away.

Also, with the right combo deal on NewEgg you can get a decent 600W PSU for about $25 after discounts and rebates. I got an OCZ ModExteme 600W that is quiet and modular so you can remove the extra cables you don't need and keep the clutter out of your case.

mosox didn't say much, but his shopping list was great advice... take it.

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cmcghee358

October 19, 2010 7:01:19 AM

Also bear in mind if you want to record from your Cable BOX you need a PVR. If you want to record OTA HD and NTSC from Cable you can use the PCI card you have there.

Reference this link for more info on how to select the right TV Tuner for an HTPC.

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