Low Powered $500 Gaming/HTPC

[nolegrl]

I'm looking for a light gaming HTPC for my living room. My requirements are very similar to this posters: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/355261-31-htpc-gaming-build-living-room

I would like to buy most of my parts from Amazon, since I frequently get giftcards. Does anyone have any suggestions? I like screwysqrl's build in post 3, but people complained about the noise of the stock cpu fan in the comments, so maybe a different cooling suggestion? I also prefer this case:

SilverStone-Front-Panel-Computer-GD04B

http://www.amazon.com/SilverStone-Front-Panel-Computer-GD04B/dp/B002QEBGQK/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nT1?ie=UTF8&colid=CZ4KHSRKUK48&coliid=I3RU9ZB2PPCSCU.

 

[tassietim]

something like a http://www.amazon.com/Arctic-Cooling-UCACO-A64D2-GBA01-Alpine-Pro/dp/B002CIDIPW/ref=sr_1_9?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1345394149&sr=1-9&keywords=artic+cooling
would go someways to making ur pc quieter then using the stock cooler
that case looks to be about the size of my htpc case ,a thermaltake Bach media lab which atm is using a scythe shuriken rev B on a Phenom II x4 945/ M3N-H/HDMI

 

[hella-d]

I'm looking for a light gaming HTPC for my living room. My requirements are very similar to this posters: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/355261-31-htpc-gaming-build-living-room

I would like to buy most of my parts from Amazon, since I frequently get giftcards. Does anyone have any suggestions? I like screwysqrl's build in post 3, but people complained about the noise of the stock cpu fan in the comments, so maybe a different cooling suggestion? I also prefer this case:

SilverStone-Front-Panel-Computer-GD04B

http://www.amazon.com/SilverStone-Front-Panel-Computer-GD04B/dp/B002QEBGQK/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nT1?ie=UTF8&colid=CZ4KHSRKUK48&coliid=I3RU9ZB2PPCSCU.

the upcoming A8s and A10s should do well in that respect they are likely to be released in october, if you cant wait a current A8 or A6 should do well.

 

[obsama1]

It's a few months off, so if you can wait a bit, you'll get a great CPU.

 

[nolegrl]

As another option, Lifehacker recently posted an article about a cheap media center PC, would this be good for a light gaming HTPC setup, or should I stick with the I5?

CPU: AMD A8-3870K 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($109.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Gelid Solutions CC-Siberian-01 51.9 CFM CPU Cooler ($12.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock A75M-ITX Mini ITX FM1 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($22.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Crucial M4 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($62.99 @ Microcenter)
Case: Apex MI-100BK Mini ITX Tower Case w/250W Power Supply ($46.75 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lite-On ihes112-04 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $400.68
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-08-24 18:59 EDT-0400)


Also, if going with this setup, should I swap out the built-in power supply for something else?