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sashogolowin
By sashogolowin
in New Builds and Planning
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Hello all
I am new to this community but have been fan of Linus Tech Tips videos for a good few years. I finally decided to build myself an HTPC, and I would appreciate your feedback or ideas of how to (or even should I) improve my concept :)

The PC will serve as a Plex server, from which I will be playing/streaming my files to a TV or a Tablet. I have a large DVD collection which I intend to access from this machine. At the most intensive scenario, I am looking at 2 simultaneous 720p streams with transcoding. I am running a tight budget of no more than 300 EU for all components, this machine is not conceived to be particularly upgradable, with the exception of adding 1 additional HDD. I am currently living in Germany, so the prices are taken from 2 local PC part websites. I will also add a quick info on why I have chosen these parts, after the model and price. 

The part list is as follows:

CPU: Intel Celeron G1840 - 32EU (Mindfactory) / Cheap CPU with a Passmark of 3003 - which would be sufficient for my uses (as described above) and fairly low-powered as well.
RAM: Kingston HyperX FURY 4GB (black @1333mhz) - 17 EU (Mindfactory) / 4GB seems to be OK for an Windows with only a few background programmes, though I have been told that for FreeNAS I should get 8GB.
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H81M-HD3 - 50 EU (Mindfactory) / Chosen for its 6 audio inputs and reliability of the brand. 
HDD: WD Blue 2TB - 70 EU (3TB - 90EU) (MIndfactory) / This will not be a NAS solution (though it will contain all the movie files), nor will it run all the time, so a budget Blue drive would suffice, over a more expensive Black/Red ones. Plan to add a second one later to use as a backup.
SSD: ADATA Premier SP550 120GB - 40EU (Mindfactory) / For this money, the extra speed for boot etc. is a no-brainer to me. After checking build logs and HTPC suggestions, I decided to go for a larger SSD, as the Plex media folder could potentially need a lot of space, and 60GB may get tight real quick. 
Case: Between 21-40 EU (Mindfactory/Caseking) / Not picked a case yet, though I am looking for something small (Midi Tower/Cube case), (reasonably) elegant and clean looking, and not particularly expensive. 2 options within this range caught my eye:  Silverstone Precision PS08; and BitFenix Nova.
PSU: Corsair VS350 350W - 34EU / According to Pc Part Picker, this build will draw from 35-160W (that includes the 2nd HDD), I am leaning towards a known brand with a good 150W buffer.
Total: 263-303 EU
 

I do have some specific questions, though as mentioned - any feedback would be appreciated:
1. CPU - the Pentium G3260 is only 20 EU more, though the Passmark improvement is only to a 3689. Is it worth the extra pennies? Also - no AMD even comes close to these scores within that price range.

2. Motherboard - I am planning to hook up a 5.1 system to this guy (say the Logitech z506) though I am unsure whether I actually need the extra audio-jack inputs...
3. HDD - For this build, are there any actual benefits from a WD Red/Black drive?
4. SSD - There is a Kingston option for a few EU more, any thoughts on ADATA in general?
5. PSU - There are cheaper options of brands that such as LC Power, Xilence and Inter-Tech, though almost none have an 80+ certification. Any thoughts?
6. RAM - The Intel page for the CPU suggests that the top RAM speed is 1333mhz, unless I misunderstand - hence the chosen speed. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong on this!
http://ark.intel.com/products/80800/Intel-Celeron-Processor-G1840-2M-Cache-2_80-GHz

Cheers!

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2 minutes ago, sashogolowin said:

Hello all
I am new to this community but have been fan of Linus Tech Tips videos for a good few years. I finally decided to build myself an HTPC, and I would appreciate your feedback or ideas of how to (or even should I) improve my concept :)

The PC will serve as a Plex server, from which I will be playing/streaming my files to a TV or a Tablet. I have a large DVD collection which I intend to access from this machine. At the most intensive scenario, I am looking at 2 simultaneous 720p streams with transcoding. I am running a tight budget of no more than 300 EU for all components, this machine is not conceived to be particularly upgradable, with the exception of adding 1 additional HDD. I am currently living in Germany, so the prices are taken from 2 local PC part websites. I will also add a quick info on why I have chosen these parts, after the model and price. 

The part list is as follows:

CPU: Intel Celeron G1840 - 32EU (Mindfactory) / Cheap CPU with a Passmark of 3003 - which would be sufficient for my uses (as described above) and fairly low-powered as well.
RAM: Kingston HyperX FURY 4GB (black) - 17 EU (Mindfactory) / 4GB seems to be OK for an Windows with only a few background programmes, though I have been told that for FreeNAS I should get 8GB.
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H81M-HD3 - 50 EU (Mindfactory) / Chosen for its 6 audio inputs and reliability of the brand. 
HDD: WD Blue 2TB - 70 EU (3TB - 90EU) (MIndfactory) / This will not be a NAS solution (though it will contain all the movie files), nor will it run all the time, so a budget Blue drive would suffice, over a more expensive Black/Red ones. Plan to add a second one later to use as a backup.
SSD: ADATA Premier SP550 120GB - 40EU (Mindfactory) / For this money, the extra speed for boot etc. is a no-brainer to me. After checking build logs and HTPC suggestions, I decided to go for a larger SSD, as the Plex media folder could potentially need a lot of space, and 60GB may get tight real quick. 
Case: Between 21-40 EU (Mindfactory/Caseking) / Not picked a case yet, though I am looking for something small (Midi Tower/Cube case), (reasonably) elegant and clean looking, and not particularly expensive. 2 options within this range caught my eye:  Silverstone Precision PS08; and BitFenix Nova.
PSU: Corsair VS350 350W - 34EU / According to Pc Part Picker, this build will draw from 35-160W (that includes the 2nd HDD), I am leaning towards a known brand with a good 150W buffer.
Total: 263-303 EU
 

I do have some specific questions, though as mentioned - any feedback would be appreciated:
1. CPU - the Pentium G3260 is only 20 EU more, though the Passmark improvement is only to a 3689. Is it worth the extra pennies? Also - no AMD even comes close to these scores within that price range.

2. Motherboard - I am planning to hook up a 5.1 system to this guy (say the Logitech z506) though I am unsure whether I actually need the extra audio-jack inputs...
3. HDD - For this build, are there any actual benefits from a WD Red/Black drive?
4. SSD - There is a Kingston option for a few EU more, any thoughts on ADATA in general?
5. PSU - There are cheaper options of brands that such as LC Power, Xilence and Inter-Tech, though almost none have an 80+ certification. Any thoughts?

Cheers!

Get the get the be quiet! System Power 7 instead, much better than the Corsair VS series.

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29 minutes ago, sashogolowin said:

Thanks for the info mate - much better how? More efficient, quieter, etc.- also still go for 350W?

It's more efficient, uses slightly better components and should be quieter. Are you german? Here's a review in case you are.

 

http://www.computerbase.de/2013-06/be-quiet-system-power-7-350-watt-test/9/

 

I also think that the Adata SSD is a fine choice for a small HTPC, definitely snappier than the Kingston. You might also consider the Sandisk SSD Plus.

 

https://geizhals.de/sandisk-plus-120gb-sdssda-120g-g25-a1218323.html?hloc=at&hloc=de

 

 

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31 minutes ago, tataklee said:

It's more efficient, uses slightly better components and should be quieter. Are you german? Here's a review in case you are.

 

http://www.computerbase.de/2013-06/be-quiet-system-power-7-350-watt-test/9/

 

I also think that the Adata SSD is a fine choice for a small HTPC, definitely snappier than the Kingston. You might also consider the Sandisk SSD Plus.

 

https://geizhals.de/sandisk-plus-120gb-sdssda-120g-g25-a1218323.html?hloc=at&hloc=de

 

 

Thanks for the clarification, mate :)

The Sandisk SSD has a better lifespan, though a significant lower write speed. In all honesty I've yet to use an SSD, so for a system like this, I doubt that the double write speeds that ADATA offers, will make that much of a difference. I will look at warranties etc. before setting on the particular SSD.

The 'be quiet!' PSU - I take your word for the build quality, especially for 3-4 EU more. This unit does seem to be about 0.5 db louder at 50% load (though no review mentions at what range they measured the db levels) - so I assume it makes no audible difference at all... 

That's brilliant stuff though - I appreciate the feedback :)

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