AMD A8 HTPC, is this OK?

thetoffeepop

Honorable
Aug 23, 2012
10
0
10,510
Hi all,

Long time lurker, first time poster!

This will be my first build - I'm looking for something to replace my old Dell laptop which I've been using as a media player, music centre, photo storage and web browsing device. But now its time to upgrade...

I'm in Ireland so unfortunately can't use sites like newegg but I'm planning on using pixmania.ie (I've some gift vouchers from them) and scan.co.uk for the rest.

My budget is around €800 ($1000) and I plan to start buying asap.

This is what I'm thinking:

I have a case already - its a Silverstone Lascala SST-LC01(ATX)

CPU AMD A8 3850
Mobo Gigabyte A75m UD4H
RAM Corsair 2 X 4gb 1600
SSD OCZ vertex 3 60GB
HDD WD 1TB intellipower

Im thinking a 500w PSU should do the trick, silence is preferable though - any ideas?
I don't think I'll opt for watercooling - any recommendations for a silent CPU cooler?
I've decided to install a Blackgold 3630 tv tuner http://shop.blackgold.tv/BGT3630
I'll also need wifi, dvd player(dont think I'd use blueray) wireless keyboard/mouse and a 22" monitor down the line.

Ill be running Windows 7, not sure whether to use Media center or XBMC.

Am I choosing the right gear for my needs? Will it all work together?

Thanks guys for reading this - any advice will be appreciated.
 
that looks OK so far. Check the 3870K -- if its within 10 Euros, its higher stock clock and easy overclock will be useful.

on the 3850 you should be fine on the stock cooler (a 92mm fan and an aluminum block), but if you want to overclock and still fit in an HTPC case, Scythe makes many nice low profile sinks that are fairly quiet.

with only onboard video, you can get away with a lot less than 500W. an Antec EarthWatts 380W Green PSU should be plenty, even if you want to add a 6670 later for dual graphics.
 

Wolfshadw

Titan
Moderator
I'd ask what are the specs of the Dell laptop you're currently using and why do you feel it's necessary to upgrade? You certainly do not need a quad-core processor and 8 GB of RAM for a strictly media device.

-Wolf sends
 

thetoffeepop

Honorable
Aug 23, 2012
10
0
10,510
Hi guys,

Thanks for the replies.

Screwysqrl, didnt consider the 3870k coz I know nothing about overclocking but for the extra €10 it might be worth having that functionality. Will look into Scythe heatsinks and thanks for the recommendation for the PSU, its a runner I'd say!

Lordofdeath24, the board will support up to 1866 but having 2 kids leaves me no time for gaming so didnt think it was worth the extra money.

Wolfshadw, I've a Dell Vostro 1700 thats 5 years old - its a great laptop and has served me well but it really struggles with HD media. Also, I'm not sure how long more its going to last before components start failing! I'm looking at futureproofing this build at this stage so I dont have to upgrade components in the near future.

Please keep the comments coming if you have any as I'd like to be sure of my spec before I go ahead and order.