HTPC Build

[Guest Philosophy]

I am building an HTPC for my bedroom/living area. It would sit on my dresser (So smaller and quieter is better) no gaming involved basically an HBO, Netflix, YouTube and Skype box. I also want as inexpensive as possible.  I need a TV included in the build. 

 

This is what what me an @STRMfrmXMN came up with. What are your thoughts?

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/j8kHsY

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/j8kHsY/by_merchant/

 

CPU: AMD A6-5400K 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($39.99 @ Amazon) 

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9a 57.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($43.50 @ Amazon) 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A88XN-WIFI Mini ITX FM2+ Motherboard  ($94.24 @ Amazon) 

Memory: Kingston 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($34.74 @ Amazon) 

Case: Silverstone RVZ01B Mini ITX Desktop Case  ($84.99 @ Amazon) 

Power Supply: SeaSonic 300W 80+ Certified SFX Power Supply  ($51.38 @ Amazon) 

Keyboard: Logitech Wireless Touch k400 Wireless Slim Keyboard w/Touchpad  ($34.99 @ Amazon) 

Other: Seiki SE40FY27 40-Inch 1080p 60Hz LED TV ($279.00)

Total: $662.83

[Starelementpoke]

You can get an HTPC alot more cheaper than that

[Guest Philosophy]

You can get an HTPC alot more cheaper than that

Care to link to the build than? You got me interested, now sell it  Note: It includes a TV in that. 

[Prastupok]

 

I am building an HTPC for my bedroom/living area. It would sit on my dresser (So smaller and quieter is better) no gaming involved basically an HBO, Netflix, YouTube and Skype box. I also want as inexpensive as possible. 

 

This is what what me an @STRMfrmXMN came up with. What are your thoughts?

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/j8kHsY

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/j8kHsY/by_merchant/

 

CPU: AMD A6-5400K 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($39.99 @ Amazon) 

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9a 57.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($43.50 @ Amazon) 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A88XN-WIFI Mini ITX FM2+ Motherboard  ($94.24 @ Amazon) 

Memory: Kingston 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($34.74 @ Amazon) 

Case: Silverstone RVZ01B Mini ITX Desktop Case  ($84.99 @ Amazon) 

Power Supply: SeaSonic 300W 80+ Certified SFX Power Supply  ($51.38 @ Amazon) 

Keyboard: Logitech Wireless Touch k400 Wireless Slim Keyboard w/Touchpad  ($34.99 @ Amazon) 

Other: Seiki SE40FY27 40-Inch 1080p 60Hz LED TV ($279.00)

Total: $662.83

 

 

I wouldn't use a 300w PSU regardless. I'd go at least 450, because of the bad experiences I've heard of with those low-power PSUs.

Keep in mind that if you ever want to play 4K content you will need to upgrade then.

[Guest Philosophy]

I wouldn't use a 300w PSU regardless. I'd go at least 450, because of the bad experiences I've heard of with those low-power PSUs.

Keep in mind that if you ever want to play 4K content you will need to upgrade then.

 I need a very specific power supply because of the case. Ill see what powers they come in, in that size. Edit: I found a 450 Watt in that size. 

[Theguywhobea]

CPU cooler seems like it might be a bit overkill

[Guest Philosophy]

CPU cooler seems like it might be a bit overkill

It is because I want it quiet. And it fits with the mobo and the case. 

[Starelementpoke]

Do you need a hard drive or will you be storing this all in your head?

[Lotus]

I noticed you didn't include storage. Also, if this is just an HTPC, then even the iGPU of a Core series CPU will be sufficient. As such, I'd recommend this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($100.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H81M-ITX/WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($66.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($26.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 120 Advanced (Black) Mini ITX Tower Case  ($37.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $272.41
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-09 17:53 EST-0500

 

and if you want gaming, just chuck in an R9 270 and be done with it. I don't like the RVZ01 case because it's expensive and is SUPER tall (or SUPER wide if you have it laying down). You could also go for an i5-4440, but that's overkill for just an HTPC.

[Starelementpoke]

forgot the tv

[Starelementpoke]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/6fZXWZ

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/6fZXWZ/by_merchant/

 

CPU: AMD A4-6300 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($31.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Motherboard: Asus A88XM-A Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard  ($47.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Memory: Crucial 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($26.49 @ SuperBiiz) 

Storage: Western Digital AV-GP 500GB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($36.99 @ Amazon) 

Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($34.88 @ OutletPC) 

Wireless Network Adapter: Asus PCE-N10 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($11.35 @ Newegg) 

Keyboard: Logitech K120 Wired Standard Keyboard  ($7.99 @ NCIX US) 

Mouse: Microsoft 3KJ-00001 Wireless Optical Mouse  ($4.99 @ NCIX US) 

Other: TV ($279.00)

Total: $511.66

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-09 18:02 EST-0500

 

572$ without rebates, makes it about 80$ cheaper

[Guest Philosophy]

Do you need a hard drive or will you be storing this all in your head?

I have a hard drive

[Starelementpoke]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Zt26xr

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Zt26xr/by_merchant/

 

CPU: AMD A4-6300 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($31.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Motherboard: Asus A88XM-A Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard  ($47.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Memory: Crucial 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($26.49 @ SuperBiiz) 

Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($34.88 @ OutletPC) 

Wireless Network Adapter: Asus PCE-N10 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($11.35 @ Newegg) 

Wireless Network Adapter: Asus PCE-N10 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($11.35 @ Newegg) 

Keyboard: Logitech K120 Wired Standard Keyboard  ($7.99 @ NCIX US) 

Mouse: Microsoft 3KJ-00001 Wireless Optical Mouse  ($4.99 @ NCIX US) 

Other: TV ($279.00)

Total: $486.02

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-09 18:15 EST-0500

There, even cheaper, pre discount price 560$. 100$ cheaper

[Starelementpoke]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/JMNYqs

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/JMNYqs/by_merchant/

 

CPU: AMD A4-6300 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($31.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Motherboard: Asus A88XM-A Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard  ($47.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Memory: Crucial 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($26.49 @ SuperBiiz) 

Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($34.88 @ OutletPC) 

Wireless Network Adapter: Asus PCE-N10 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($11.35 @ Newegg) 

Keyboard: Logitech K120 Wired Standard Keyboard  ($7.99 @ NCIX US) 

Mouse: Microsoft 3KJ-00001 Wireless Optical Mouse  ($4.99 @ NCIX US) 

Other: TV ($279.00)

Total: $474.67

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-09 18:19 EST-0500

Had an extra wireless connector by accident.

[Lotus]

@Starelementpoke I'm pretty sure he wants an iTX form factor with WiFi.

[Starelementpoke]

Whats the difference between it being built in and putting it in yourself?

[Lotus]

Whats the difference between it being built in and putting it in yourself?

ITX mobos only have 1 expansion slot because they're so small, so you can either choose between a GPU or built-in. I always have WiFi built into the board on ITX builds.

[Starelementpoke]

Is biostar Hifi built in wifi?

[Lotus]

Is biostar Hifi built in wifi?

No. HiFi usually stands for High Fidelity.

[Starelementpoke]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/YgMMrH

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/YgMMrH/by_merchant/

 

CPU: AMD A4-6300 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($31.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A88XN-WIFI Mini ITX FM2+ Motherboard  ($87.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Memory: Crucial 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($26.49 @ SuperBiiz) 

Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($34.88 @ OutletPC) 

Wireless Network Adapter: Asus PCE-N10 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($11.35 @ Newegg) 

Keyboard: Logitech K120 Wired Standard Keyboard  ($7.99 @ NCIX US) 

Mouse: Microsoft 3KJ-00001 Wireless Optical Mouse  ($4.99 @ NCIX US) 

Other: TV ($279.00)

Total: $514.67

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-09 18:41 EST-0500

 

There, saves about 95$ from original.

[Starelementpoke]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/7CRwK8

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/7CRwK8/by_merchant/

 

CPU: AMD A4-6300 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($31.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A88XN-WIFI Mini ITX FM2+ Motherboard  ($87.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Memory: Crucial 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($26.49 @ SuperBiiz) 

Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($34.88 @ OutletPC) 

Keyboard: Logitech K120 Wired Standard Keyboard  ($7.99 @ NCIX US) 

Mouse: Microsoft 3KJ-00001 Wireless Optical Mouse  ($4.99 @ NCIX US) 

Other: TV ($279.00)

Total: $503.32

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-09 18:41 EST-0500

 

Make that 100ish$

[STRMfrmXMN]

@Starelementpoke @Prastupok @Theguywhobea @Lotus

When I suggested this to him we kept the retailers to Newegg and Amazon for his convenience and that was what he preferred. Noctua air cooler was simply for silence. That keyboard and mouse combo keyboard was included rather than two seperate because it would be weird to sit on a bed or couch and have both handy rather than having an all-in-one unit.

Also, to @Prastupok, there's nothing wrong with having a 300W PSU in a build like this. It will never even exceed 100W... Seasonic is as good as it gets when it comes to PSU brands as well. Just letting you know - there's more to PSUs than wattage.

Also, that mobo was included because of onboard wireless in case anybody was interested. Don't worry; I thought everything out

[Prastupok]

@Starelementpoke @Prastupok @Theguywhobea @Lotus

When I suggested this to him we kept the retailers to Newegg and Amazon for his convenience and that was what he preferred. Noctua air cooler was simply for silence. That keyboard and mouse combo keyboard was included rather than two seperate because it would be weird to sit on a bed or couch and have both handy rather than having an all-in-one unit.

Also, to @Prastupok, there's nothing wrong with having a 300W PSU in a build like this. It will never even exceed 100W... Seasonic is as good as it gets when it comes to PSU brands as well. Just letting you know - there's more to PSUs than wattage.

Also, that mobo was included because of onboard wireless in case anybody was interested. Don't worry; I thought everything out

 

There are other quiet cooling solutions that would be better fit for this build.

 

I'm very aware of Seasonic's reputation. I'm also aware that there is more to a PSU than watts... I'm very well read on power management. (I have to be with the amount of electricity my studio uses)

 

However, I said a 450 because if they want to add a GPU to handle higher resolutions in the future (internal graphics can't handle 4K that well as far as I know), they would be ready for it to just plug in and go.

 

Also, that is a very expensive PSU for 300w, when 450 80+ Bronze can run even cheaper.

 

There are reasons for me saying what I did. I don't just jump in for the sake of it.

[STRMfrmXMN]

There are other quiet cooling solutions that would be better fit for this build.

 

I'm very aware of Seasonic's reputation. I'm also aware that there is more to a PSU than watts... I'm very well read on power management. (I have to be with the amount of electricity my studio uses)

 

However, I said a 450 because if they want to add a GPU to handle higher resolutions in the future (internal graphics can't handle 4K that well as far as I know), they would be ready for it to just plug in and go.

 

Also, that is a very expensive PSU for 300w, when 450 80+ Bronze can run even cheaper.

 

There are reasons for me saying what I did. I don't just jump in for the sake of it.

What sort of case are we using here (heat)? The chance of needing a high-power PSU just seems low to me. For what he wants to do with this, a GPU is just kinda useless. It's going to be used for Youtube and Netflix so I think onboard will be fine.

 

That said, @, if you need to add a GPU later then a 450W is probably a decent bet.

[Guest Philosophy]

What sort of case are we using here (heat)? The chance of needing a high-power PSU just seems low to me. For what he wants to do with this, a GPU is just kinda useless. It's going to be used for Youtube and Netflix so I think onboard will be fine.

 

That said, @, if you need to add a GPU later then a 450W is probably a decent bet.

I second that, I will never add a GPU...If I need one i'll build new. Cause it would be Major bottleneck by any CPU of this generation by that time.