Linux HTPC Tips

[Alir]

I am considering building a Linux HTPC purely for work, no gaming, though I might consider buying a graphics card eventually. Hence I will buy a case with adequate room for a small GPU (If the GPU needs to be really good I could always go with something that has an AIO cooler attached, though that will be really expensive) (I might try some game development in the future on Windows or even Linux).

The OS will be Linux though I might dual boot with Windows to ensure compatibility with other software. Alternatively, I will run Windows in a virtual machine on Linux. To ensure a smooth experience while running games, would I need a CPU more powerful than an i7?

The HTPC will also include a dvd burner (to burn linux distros to DVDs)

I do have a Desktop PC which runs Windows, for gaming, but it has an R9 390 GPU which most often crashes after an abundance of artifacts.

 

If anyone knows a solution to this problem, please tell. Otherwise I will need to build a HTPC to run Linux.

 

As for the HTPC, does anyone have any advice for me or things to consider in such a small case?

My last case was a mid tower ATX case, so I had loads of room while building. This will be my first real challenge.

 

The only problems I can think of are:
Small room for cables

Small PSU (Which type would you all recommend? I'm pretty sure an ATX wouldn't fit)

 

Would a 3rd party CPU cooler be necessary? What form factor of case would I need to accommodate a GPU?

 

I will also want to put 2 or maybe 3 2.5" drives. Though 2 will probably be enough.

[Nathat23]

Do you have a budget?

 

 

[Alir]

4 minutes ago, Nathat23 said:

Do you have a budget?

 

 

Around £1000. Though I'll be wanting to keep this as cheap as possible and yet not compromise on performance.

 

Hence unless an i7 will be necessary to run a Windows machine, I'll probably want to keep an i5 and upgrade at a later date, if that update is necessary.

 

What about a Xeon processor? From what I understand they're the next big thing after an i7. Though don't they also have a different socket type?

[alfie_fogg1502]

Firstly, the i7 will be more than powerful enough depending on which model you get. If your going with something pretty new like a Haswell/Skylake chip you will be running smooth as. 

 

Secondly, I probably could diagnose your PC but I would need more info about the system and then I would be happy to help.

 

Finally, building in a HTPC may be a bit more tricky than an ATX just because there is less space to lay things and route cables. Cable management is definitely your worst problem but as long as you take good use of some good old zip ties, you will be find, may take a bit longer than your last build. Also if you give me the case you are using and a budget i can give you directions on a Power Supply that would do you fine.

 

Again, for the hard drives, it depends on the case you are going to use.

 

[Alir]

This one is probably slightly outside my budget range though https://www.amazon.co.uk/Intel-E5-2697V2-2-7GHz-Threads-LGA2011/dp/B00F35MTNS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1465153690&sr=8-2&keywords=xeon+processor

[Alir]

As for storage, I'll probably just get 1 SSD for less than £50. Won't need a particularly fancy motherboard (maybe less than £50, I'm pretty sure I won't consider overclocking).

Around £50 slim DVD burner. £30 16GB RAM (VMs are RAM-killers)

Hence the only other real place to spend money would be the CPU.

 

I'm not sure about the PSU.

 

I already have a Monitor.

 

I probably might build it for £500, depending on which CPU I go for.

[alfie_fogg1502]

For just watching films and casual web-browsing etc this build will do you fine for £500:

 

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/Lz4rxY

 

[Alir]

3 hours ago, alfie_fogg1502 said:

For just watching films and casual web-browsing etc this build will do you fine for £500:

 

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/Lz4rxY

 

 

I would prefer a case with a slimmer form factor, a bit like a console, if possible.

 

If you want to diagnose my old PC:

 

Linux runs fine without the R9 390 in the system. But when the GPU is rendering, everything crashes. Sometimes Linux is usable, but it requires having to restart several times.

 

Professionally coding and running VMs would be impossible on this machine, and taking out the GPU every time I want to run Linux is too much of an inconvenience.

 

Everything else in my system runs fine, except the GPU. On Linux that is. The GPU is fine under Windows. This is no doubt because the GPU is new and hence the drivers are crap.

 

The only distributions that work are those that run in software rendering mode, but I would rather not overtax my CPU when I have a GPU that should be rendering everything with ease.

[alfie_fogg1502]

Firstly, I would recommend benchmarking/stress testing the GPU with some software to see if it crashes when it gets hot or just under load. Then if it crashes but the GPU is running stable a.k.a. stable temps, clock speeds, no excessive fan sounds. If it continues to crash and you are sure that it is only a problem with Linux, not windows, then it sounds like a driver problem. Obviously there is nothing I can do about the driver issue. How long have you had the graphics card for? Also I would check to make sure you are running the latest stable version of Linux, not an experimental version. What version are you using now?

[Alir]

I have used several distributions:

Debian

Mint (all flavours)

Ubuntu

Elementary OS

Apricity

 

In all distros, this happens. The only time Linux runs is when it is running in software rendering mode.

Also, I only ever use the LTS versions