Need case & PSU suggestions for HTPC build

g-unit1111

August 3, 2011 5:29:48 AM

I want to build an HTPC but the idea is that I want a low profile, low power-consuming unit that can sit in a home theater cabinet without generating a lot of heat in the process (that part is inevitable, I know). And for the longest time I couldn't make this system work until AMD's new APU came about, and not having to utilize a central graphics card makes a huge, huge, huge difference. So with that in mind these are the requirements:

- Low profile
- Low wattage PSU (no more than 400 or 500 watts)
- Micro ATX form factor

This is the hardware I'm getting:

- CPU: AMD A8-3850
- Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-A75M-UD2H
- RAM: Kingston Hyper-X 8GB PC 1600 MHz
- my spare Pioneer BDR-204
- Hard Drive: 2 x 750GB Western Digital Caviar Black in RAID 0
- OS: Windows 7 Home Premium

More about : case psu suggestions htpc build

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gkay09

August 3, 2011 5:51:25 AM

Some suggestions - I would suggest a SSD instead of going RAID,
Reason - Noise of 2 HDDs,...
So get a small SSD for boot and a single large slower, silent HDD for data...

How much are you willing to spend for the case + PSU??

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Lenymo

August 3, 2011 6:39:27 AM

Lol ill sell you my slimline shell for $5 doesnt get much more low profile then that xD

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Outlander_04

August 3, 2011 7:11:16 AM

Silverstone GD 05 .
Fans set to low

what are you planning on using 8 gig of ram for in a HTPC?

Second the SSD opinion ... and make the other drive a WD green

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rwpritchett

August 3, 2011 1:24:27 PM

I'll third the SSD + Green drive suggestion.

Here's a nice setup from Silverstone that is low profile you may want to consider with the other suggestions. It helps to get the matching strider PSU which is short, but still standard ATX and modular. The optional cable kit is designed by Silvertone specifically for their small micro-ATX cases.

Case: Silverstone ML03B
PSU: Silverstone Strider
Cable Kit: Silverstone PP05 Short Cable Kit

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g-unit1111

August 10, 2011 12:14:08 AM

gkay09 said:

Some suggestions - I would suggest a SSD instead of going RAID,
Reason - Noise of 2 HDDs,...
So get a small SSD for boot and a single large slower, silent HDD for data...

How much are you willing to spend for the case + PSU??

So instead of RAID 0 I should go with like a 32GB SSD for boot and then a 2TB for programs / DVR etc? I'll keep that in mind and try to work it into my budget.

As far as budget goes - I'm trying to keep this as low as possible - under $700 if I can. I'm trying to tweak it a bit - the AMD APU is really helping the case for it since it doesn't make use of a central graphics card and drops the price by like $200 - $300.

As far as using 8GB of RAM goes - I figure I can get 8GB of RAM for $50 or 4GB of RAM for $40 I might as well max it out.

Also is it really hard to turn sync your PC with your DVR or use it as the main DVR?

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gkay09

August 10, 2011 4:46:41 AM

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g-unit1111

August 10, 2011 4:16:12 PM

Wow, I really like that first case. If it's an ATX form factor I think I'll go with a Corsair PSU - I seem to have really good luck with those. I have a Samsung Spinpoint that I got off a Newegg sale a couple weeks ago, not a bad drive at all.

And I have a 4GB G.Skill kit - it's PC 10666 that I was using in my AMD system - the RAM is still good so I think if that's enough I'll just use that and save the money off it.

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