HTPC for dad

[realdrx]

Me and my dad have had are up and downs but for the most part its been good. His B day is coming up and I have been planing to build him a pc for a couple of months as a b day gift. Well last night funny enough, when I went over to visit him he expressed the want for a Htpc. So here is what came up with:

Case:
SilverStone GD04B

GPU:
ASUS gtx 460
(I know its over the top for a normal htpc but he expressed the want to go 3d sometime)

Cpu: AMD Phenom II X2 560
Mobo: ASUS M4A88T-M AM3
RAM: G.SKILL NS 4GB (2 x 2GB)
HDD: Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB
bundle
(Was going to go with difrent RAM and HDD but saw this bundle.)

PSU:
CORSAIR Builder Series CX500 V2 500W

OR

OCZ ModXStream Pro 500W
(Was thinking about this one solely because its Modular and the less wires in this tiny case the better)

Wireless card:
Linksys WMP600N

Replacement fans:
Yate Loon 120mm x 20mm Slim Fan - Low Speed
(Reviews said the stock fans are loud. The mobo doesn't have any fan headers and I dont trust my day with a fan controller)

Keyboard:
Logitech Wireless Touch Keyboard K400

Grand total of about $800. But I haven't shopped around for best prices yet. Please give it a look over to make sure I didn't miss anything and feel free to make suggestions.

 

[jsc]

Have you thought about one of the AMD Fusion chips. GPU performance should be a lot better.

(Yes, people. I know Trinity is coming, but it will not be here in time.)

 

[realdrx]

correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the point of AMD Fusion chips for the built in Gpu? The reason I have a 460 in the build is he wants to go 3d some time soon.

 

[vx53c]

llano will be fine for all his needs. Get one of those nice HEC cases with included psu, a llano and a decent mobo (afaik there are bundles for that)

 

[cutebeans]

Yeah. +1 on the above.

 

[tsnor]

If we ignore "(I know its over the top for a normal htpc but he expressed the want to go 3d sometime" then the AMD fusion HTPC is the right answer, especially if you are using AMD CPU anyway. Should 3D become an issue in a year or two then that might be the time to add then then-current 3D card. The 460 is a nice card, but adds a lot of power/cooling requirements to an HTPC build.

re: Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB. It's a really bad time to be buying HDDs, but if he plans to record HD or a bunch of movies than you'll want a 2TB or larger drive.

What tuner/video capture card were you planning? A HTPC that cannot attach to cable would be a waste. You'll definitely want to set up and use media center with remote control not keyboard/mouse. Does the case have in infrared port or will you need the less attractive dongle ?

What optical drive? A blue-ray disk or DVD -- you'll want to play moves...

 

[realdrx]

ops didn't add the optical drive in. ASUS Black 12X BD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM 48X

I agree that the fusion would be the way to go if it weren't for the 3d. the way hes talking about it I wouldn't be surprised if he went 3d before the end of the year if not the start of next year.

Especial since I will be given this to him. Also it would be nice to go here this is everything we talked about.

He has a good tv tuner card in his current PC that he never has used so I was going to jack that one out. It also came with an external IR. The way his entertainment center is you wont be able to see the IR but it will still have a clear path.

He has a harmony remote so that's not a problem. Was thinking of doingthis mod but not sure yet.

The keyboard is for him doing Ebay as he buys and sells a lot on there. I can probably pick up an hdd for cheap on black Friday from micro center. I also know a guy that works there that will let me use his discounts. The links aren't where I'm going to buy from just place holds as I still need to shop for best price.

 

[rwpritchett]

When you say "go 3D", do you mean 3D blu-ray?? If so, the AMD fusion does that. If you are referring to 3D gaming, then yes a discreet card is needed.

 

[realdrx]

I know the fusion dose that but how well some reviews said there's a big difference in quality between the on board and a gtx 460. then some reviews say it perfectly fine.

 

[vx53c]

The A6 and A8 with the better gpu play 3d for sure. Well, anyway, do what you think is best.

 

[realdrx]

Best answer selected by realdrx.

 

[tsnor]

Aside: since the GTX 460 is going in, look on Steam, get him one of the large game collections. You never know, your Dad may get into building railroads or shooting tanks, or building civilizations....