Htpc

[jEnkinsX]

hey guys! im 19 years old and building computers is my hobby. This summer i was suppose to build my 3rd computer. My signature shows what i have now. i wanted to build a S775 Pentium computer. Rig1 is now my family comp and Rig2 is for my personal use. Then i came to think, why build a 3rd computer? yes its an intel and it would be different experience for me. then i came across the thermaltake site.. i saw the Tenor and i clicked on it. and i saw an HTPC setup! i then began thinking.. why not build an HTPC... ill sell my superlanboy and get a soprano/tsunami and also get a tenor for my HTPC (i just like having same brand names for my stuff) so anyways, im just curious... what's SUPPOSE be in an HTPC? i just need help. this summer ill be working alot and ill be buying all my hardware then. thanks for the help in advance

[(Bean)]

Look here - great site - lots of suggestions. Forums are good.

http://htpcnews.com/forums/index.php

[Mr Nobody]

You don't know what's supposed to go into a HTPC but you want to build one anyways?! It must be nice to be rich. :)

[akwok]

Brand name? Soprano? ThermalTake? WTF?

Look into SilverStone & Coolermaster's HTPC chassis, and more specifically take a gander at the Antec Aria if you want silence. If you want a much more compact HTPC then I would suggest looking at the new LGA775 Shuttles.

Don't buy Thermaltake! Biggest piece of **** COMPANY to ever go into the computer enthusiast realm! Refer to : http://forums.redflagdeals.com/showpost.php?p=1470166&postcount=22

Ehh, to stay back on topic:

For an HTPC, you will want (in essense)

Basically any CPU chip, (although I would steer clear of buying LGA775 for an HTPC, I would prefer an A64 or a Northwood myself). If you're gaming more than anything else, a nice A64 chip will suit you fine. Keep in mind that the LGA775 prescotts are extremely hot, with a Zalman CNPS7000 on my 3.2E I was running at 49C idle, 70+C full load. Changing it to an XP-120 I was able to run 41C idle, 55C full load (but not many small form factor cases can fit an XP-120, if any!)
Silent cooling, if you're going with a self build microATX HTPC, the one silent HSF that fits almost all chassis is the Zalman CNPS7000B-AlCu (Or Cu, your call). For case fans (again, if you're going with a non-barebones kit), I highly suggest purchasing Nexus fans (80mm-120mm), or SilenX (if you ONLY have 60mm holes)
A bare minimum of 512mb of memory, running in dual channel.
A passive video card. One to consider (and would fit in a mATX case for sure, AND a barebones Shuttle) would be a fanless 9600Pro. If you are going to build a mATX from scratch, then you will have to consider how much room you have; if you have ample space for cooling your video card, I suggest purchasing an Arctic Silencer Rev. 4, or a Zalman ZM80D to slap on a high end video card (for gaming).
Hard drives, it doesn't really matter. The bigger the better, I guess. If you're going for a silent HTPC, I suggest purchasing the new Seagate Barracudas, manufacturered after Dec '04, for supposedly they are dead silent! If you don't mind a performance hit, the 5400RPM Samsung Spinpoint drives are dead silent as well. Do -not- purchase a Western Digital or a Maxtor hard drive, for they tend to get exponentially louder over time (I have a bunch of them. :().
Case/chassis : Nothing by Thermaltake. HIGHLY suggest the Antec Aria, I've done 2 builds with it and it's been nothing but sweet. The PSU fan is a 120mm'er, which is extremely rare in HTPC chassis. However, if you fancy a flat, desktop-style case, then I suggest the Silverstone Lascala series, or the new Coolermaster HTPC cases. If you want something like the Aria but you want it a bit smaller, the new Shuttle XPCs are pretty good, although not dead silent as they utilize 60mm fans.
Power supply : IF your case allows for the mounting of your own power supply, I can only recommend one PSU : the Seasonic S12-430. I have one and it totally blows any other power supply I've used in the past; I've owned Enermax, OCZ, and Antec and they don't lay a finger on this beast. It's the QUIETEST fanned-PSU on the MARKET, and has a higher efficiency than most (80%+)


And there's my little guide, I guess. If you have any more questions feel free to ask.

[jollyeskimo]

Brand name? Soprano? ThermalTake? WTF?

Look into SilverStone & Coolermaster's HTPC chassis, and more specifically take a gander at the Antec Aria if you want silence. If you want a much more compact HTPC then I would suggest looking at the new LGA775 Shuttles.

Definitely look into Silverstone....simply marvelous cases with awesome build quality. Ahanix makes very nice cases as well, but are a bit more pricey.

[jEnkinsX]

Definitely look into Silverstone....simply marvelous cases with awesome build quality. Ahanix makes very nice cases as well, but are a bit more pricey.

silver what? ahanix who? never heard of those companies sorry! hehe... but im willing to change my mind.. i really thought THERMALTAKE have good products. i like their cases.. right now i have a super lanboy.. but i want to siwtch to a case that has a matching HTPC case.... Cavalier is my only option?

[akwok]

Thermaltake rips off other companies.

Uhh. Silverstone was founded by a few of the original members of Coolermaster. Ahanix I am unsure, but they both make the best HTPC cases.

Ehh. Not many things match the lanboy.. lol. Why do you need it to match?

[jEnkinsX]

so it looks cool? hehehe well im planning to sell this lanboy anyways.. so might as well plan on getting something that matches right?

[jollyeskimo]

I've got a Coolermaster Cavalier 2 as my PVR/htpc machine, and a Silverstone LC01 as my main machine. The Coolermaster doesn't even come close, even when you consider the $50 difference in price tags and the fact that the LC01 doesn't come bundled with a PSU. In fact I wouldn't hesitate a second to replace my Cavalier with another Silverstone case...something like the 04, 11, or the 13.

If you have a chance take a look at silverstone rigs in person.... it's like comparing a european luxury car to any old budget car (I'm talking about the cavalier). The almost utter absence of plastic trim makes a huge difference. I mean yes it's a bit unfair comparing a completely aluminum case to a steel chassis case with an half aluminum/tacky plastic bezel, but the difference is worlds apart......it's a very sutble elegance that just gives the whole case so much more asthetic appeal.

And let's not get started with the whole Thermaltake topic....it's been beaten to death. Suffice to say, akwok is giving you some solid advice there.

[jEnkinsX]

how's the cooling in silverstone and coolermaster cases? i kinda hated cooler master coz i bought a jet 7 for my axp 2500.. and it was bad.. i guess cases are their main products huh? not cooling solutions?

[akwok]

Although Coolermaster does not make superb cooling solutions, they are the best out of the companies we've listed. (Thermalright and Zalman is #1!). They are the midrange company for high quality cases, with Silverstone and Lian-Li at the top. (Oh my god, if only the Silverstone Temjin TJ06 wasn't so damned expensive).

With any HTPC, cooling may be an issue depending on the components you use. As I said in my previous post, not many people would jam a prescott in a cramped mATX case.

[luthair]

Silent cooling, if you're going with a self build microATX HTPC, the one silent HSF that fits almost all chassis is the Zalman CNPS7000B-AlCu (Or Cu, your call). For case fans (again, if you're going with a non-barebones kit), I highly suggest purchasing Nexus fans (80mm-120mm), or SilenX (if you ONLY have 60mm holes)

I'm going to have to disagree with the Zalman fitting almost any chassis, I don't believe it will fit any microATX case+board.