HTPC Build - Small Form Factor

[tripnotics]

Hello all,

I was hoping to get some opinions on this HTPC build I will be doing shortly. A couple of notes: This HTPC is mainly for playback. Gaming and DVR are not a requirement and won't be considered. The actual media is stored on a NAS over 1000Gb Ethernet. I choose the Mobo/CPU/VGA combo because of the price and I'll get all 3 out of the way in 1 shot. Also, the mobo has Wireless N built in, which was a plus. I couldn't find many in a MiniITX form factor.

Some concerns I did have were, this motherboard only supports a maxium of 4GB. Do you think that is too little? Also, it supports SATA 3Gb, will that be fine with the SSD I have picked? The overall price seems a bit high for what I want it for. This price doesn't take into consideration the OS (if I got with Win 7 and the Remote).

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1ldwc

An important aspect of this HTPC build is that I would like to operate it solely with a remote. Do I need to take into account any hardware for that? Or is that strictly a software issue? Does anyone have any remote recommendation? Also, OS recommendations too. Windows 7 MC seems like overkill?

 

[Sangeet Khatri]

This is the build I have planned for you.

Advantages :
1. Much More Powerful
2. Much More Upgradable
3. Case has a lot more room to work in.
4. It can fit in a full sized PSU as well as most graphics cards.
5. It has good cooling for a Miini ITX system.
6. The graphics of Pentium G2020 are better than that of Atom
7. Has Dual Channel Memory
8. Is 100 dollar cheaper

I hope you like this build.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Pentium G2020 2.9GHz Dual-Core Processor ($61.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: ASRock B75M-ITX Mini ITX LGA1155 Motherboard ($89.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Hitachi 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 120 Advanced (Black) Mini ITX Tower Case ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $314.92
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-27 11:07 EDT-0400)

Also, you can just Install get Ubuntu 12.04 and run XBMC in it. You really do not need a Windows for Media Center. The Ubuntu 12.04 should do just fine. And it is also free.