Building HTPC to play MKV files - please review

[fooit]

I want to build an HTPC that will play 720p and 1080p MKV files.
Below is my list of components - kindly review and comment.
The prices are from DirectCanada.com

Case - Nmedia HTPC-1000B Desktop Media Centre Case mATX Black 1X5.25 4X3.5INT Card Reader No PS
$124.20

PS - Coolermaster Extreme Power 500W ATX 12V V2.01 Silent Power Supply 20/24PIN 120MM Fan
$39.96

Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H AMD 780G mATX AM2+ PCI-EX SATA RAID Video Sound GLAN 1394 HDMI Motherboard
$83.91

CPU - AMD Athlon 64 X2 4850E Dual Core Processor Socket AM2 2.5GHZ 2X512KB 65NM 45W Retail Box
$80.41

CPU Cooler - Scythe Mini Ninja Heatpipe Fanless Heatsink AM2 LGA775 S478 S754 S939 80MM 2300RPM 32.2CFM 24.2DBA
$36.99

RAM - Corsair XMS2 TWIN2X2048-6400C4 2GB 2X1GB PC2-6400 DDR2-800 Cl 4-4-4-12 240PIN Dual Channel Memory
$63.00 ($30.00 CAD Mail in Rebate for this item)

HDD - Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 3.5IN 500GB SATA2 8.5MS 7200RPM 32MB Cache Ncq Hard Drive Oem
$69.88

I haven't decided yet how do control it using my Harmony 880.
Ideas are very welcome!

Thanks in advance!

[zod]

that processor is it a dualcore or a dual dualcore?

If its only a dualcore @ 2.5ghz you might be pushing it to do 1080p mkv's. If its got two dualcores on the board, then you'd be ok. I couldn't really tell from the description.

[lindmar]

Just buy a popcorn hour

[fooit]

Just buy a popcorn hour
Well, it's not really available and I really doubt it can outperform an HTPC.
I am also quite sure when it hits the market we'll know more of its limitations...

[terrybear]

looks like you've picked all the right parts

gj !!

[willy]

that processor is it a dualcore or a dual dualcore?

If its only a dualcore @ 2.5ghz you might be pushing it to do 1080p mkv's. If its got two dualcores on the board, then you'd be ok. I couldn't really tell from the description.
I think you are a little confused :)

[ppl4golf]

This is the best budget all-in-one mobo that performs pretty well.

I won't waste any money on 3rd party heatsink...I pulled a stock HSF for my Black 5000+ and it runs absolutely fine - cool and quiet.

[Amar]

hey where are you purchasing these parts from. im looking to build something similar to connect to my tv. thanks for your help.

[yao416]

I got a HTPC and only have 500GB, which isn't enough! :|

I would suggest putting another 500GB :D

[infamouskid]

I got a HTPC and only have 500GB, which isn't enough! :|

I would suggest putting another 500GB :D

yup. raid those suckers.

[fooit]

hey where are you purchasing these parts from. im looking to build something similar to connect to my tv. thanks for your help.
The prices are from DirectCanada.com.

[fooit]

I got a HTPC and only have 500GB, which isn't enough! :|

I would suggest putting another 500GB :D

No need for more HDDs, I missed SSD HDD sale today, Patriot 32GB SATA2 SSD HDD was for $99 at NCIX.
All media files are stored in the basement on loud ugly server with 1.5TB of space, there will be no problem playing them over Gigabit network.

[pitz]

2.5GHz is plenty fast for full 1080p playback....

No problems there, whatsoever..

[xwar]

looks good to me.

[ShadowVlican]

I got a HTPC and only have 500GB, which isn't enough! :|

I would suggest putting another 500GB :D
No need for more HDDs, I missed SSD HDD sale today, Patriot 32GB SATA2 SSD HDD was for $99 at NCIX.
All media files are stored in the basement on loud ugly server with 1.5TB of space, there will be no problem playing them over Gigabit network.
:arrowu: then you can use a super quiet HDD for your HTPC (maybe a 2.5" drive in a 3.5" bracket)

i believe that SSD isn't very reliable yet...

2.5GHz is plenty fast for full 1080p playback....

No problems there, whatsoever..
are you sure? you can always test it with apple's 1080P h264 trailers

[fooit]

:arrowu: then you can use a super quiet HDD for your HTPC (maybe a 2.5" drive in a 3.5" bracket)

i believe that SSD isn't very reliable yet...


are you sure? you can always test it with apple's 1080P h264 trailers

Can you please recommend something I should replace the HDD in my list?
Thanks in advance!

[Silver Bullet]

My Recommendations ...

Case - Antec Fusion 430 (better layout and cooling)
PSU - Seasonic or Enermax - 430W
MOBO - GA-MA78GM-S2H (is fine I guess)
CPU - AMD Athlon 64 X2 4850 (should be ok)
CPU COOLER - Thermalright SI-128 (much better than Mini (it's worthless) and in reality the stock cooler for such a low speed CPU is probably just fine.
GFX - Asus EAH 3450 (with HDMI) (replaces on-board, takes pressure off CPU
RAM - Fine or go with OCZ PC2-6400 Rev2 Kit
HDD - 640GB Western Digital (personal preference, otherwise seagate is fine)

--

You will need video card backup if you plan to run 1080p content on this machine. You really do needed a dedicated card to get good smooth video playback. Trust me the extra $40 is worth it.

--

As always check out pricecanada.com for the best prices and price-match at your favorite store.

[MercenaryForHire]

GFX - Asus EAH 3450 (with HDMI) (replaces on-board, takes pressure off CPU

--

You will need video card backup if you plan to run 1080p content on this machine. You really do needed a dedicated card to get good smooth video playback. Trust me the extra $40 is worth it.

If it was any other chipset I'd agree, but the motherboard he picked is using the AMD 780G (ATI HD3200) - he'll be fine for video playback with that.

[mr_raider]

If it was any other chipset I'd agree, but the motherboard he picked is using the AMD 780G (ATI HD3200) - he'll be fine for video playback with that.

Indeed. You can start with onboard and get a separate card later if needed.

How will the videos be streamed? Ethernet or wireless?

[fooit]

Indeed. You can start with onboard and get a separate card later if needed.

How will the videos be streamed? Ethernet or wireless?
Gigabit Ethernet.

[fooit]

Thank you for your comments! Much appreciated!

Case - Antec Fusion 430 (better layout and cooling)
I looked at this case and I like the looks of nMedia case better, plus it has a small window in the case where I can hide IR receiver.

PSU - Seasonic or Enermax - 430W
Sure, I will replace the PS with Enermax.

CPU COOLER - Thermalright SI-128 (much better than Mini (it's worthless) and in reality the stock cooler for such a low speed CPU is probably just fine.
I am running stock AMD cooler on my server and it's not as quiet as I wish it would be, thus I will install something quieter before I mount the board into the case.
How about this - Scythe Zipang (http://www.scythe-usa.com/product/cpu/035/sczp1000_detail.html)?
Will it fit into nMedia case?

GFX - Asus EAH 3450 (with HDMI) (replaces on-board, takes pressure off CPU
I don't want to install GFX - onboard one should do the job and paired with CoreAVC decoder it should work. If it won't I will be looking into GFX cards.

HDD - 640GB Western Digital (personal preference, otherwise seagate is fine)
Why do you like it? I buy Seagate/Maxtor for 5 years warranty.
I had WD and IBM( aka Hitachi now) died within 3 years of service.

[Amourek]

Graphics aren't even an issue. Most MKV's are not encoded to take advantage of hardware decoding. You could use a Radeon 7000 and the performance will be the same. For everything else (H.264/VC-1), 780G is more than capable.

As for the CPU cooler, the Mini is fine. I've have run it in a Fusion case passively with only one exhaust fan cooling a Q6600. The Zipang is too tall to fit in the nMedia case.

[kenyu28]

Ram is a lil too expensive for me. The extra cpu cooler is not necessary (unless you OC). This PC can last quite a while which is good. I think you can up the HDD size or through in a low-end ATI HD series card for HDTV & HDCP resolutions

[fooit]

Several people here advised going with a separate video card, in such a case I don't need it onboard - what's recommended mobo with optical out and without onboard video?

[Amourek]

Several people here advised going with a separate video card, in such a case I don't need it onboard - what's recommended mobo with optical out and without onboard video?

Almost all mATX have onboard video - use it or don't use, you're still gonna end up paying for it.

I would recommend against getting a video card - it won't help you play MKVs and the 780G video is already fairly strong unless you're going to be using it as a gaming machine.

[fooit]

Almost all mATX have onboard video - use it or don't use, you're still gonna end up paying for it.

I would recommend against getting a video card - it won't help you play MKVs and the 780G video is already fairly strong unless you're going to be using it as a gaming machine.

Thank you!

[kenyu28]

http://www.directcanada.com/category/?minorcatid=1711&vendorid=1183

These gigabyte babies around $80 without onboard video has excellent support for everything else. These are comparable with more expensive ($100+) BFG or Asus ones.

[ppl4golf]

Several people here advised going with a separate video card, in such a case I don't need it onboard - what's recommended mobo with optical out and without onboard video?

A few full ATX mobos come with onboard video as well...best bang for buck is the 780G and use it as is...getting a newer ATI video card on it is not a total loss because the onboard can still run 'Hybrid' together.

[fooit]

I ended up ordering this -

Case - Antec VERIS Fusion Black - Desktop - micro ATX - power supply 430 Watt ( ATX12V 2.01 ) - black - USB/FireWire/Audio (FUSION BLACK)
$170

PS - included with the case

Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H AMD 780G mATX AM2+ PCI-EX SATA RAID Video Sound GLAN 1394 HDMI Motherboard
$84

CPU - AMD Athlon 64 X2 4850E Dual Core Processor Socket AM2 2.5GHZ 2X512KB 65NM 45W Retail Box
$75

CPU Cooler - Scythe Mini Ninja Heatpipe Fanless Heatsink AM2 LGA775 S478 S754 S939 80MM 2300RPM 32.2CFM 24.2DBA
$37

RAM - Corsair XMS2 TWIN2X2048-6400C4 2GB 2X1GB PC2-6400 DDR2-800 Cl 4-4-4-12 240PIN Dual Channel Memory
$63 ($30 CAD Mail in Rebate for this item)

HDD - Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 3.5IN 500GB SATA2 8.5MS 7200RPM 32MB Cache Ncq Hard Drive Oem
$66


Question: If I add this Bluray/HDDVD drive -
LG GGC-H20L Blu-ray HD-DVD, DVD+-RW, DL, Lightscribe, Black - Retail (GGC-H20L)
$130

Can I play BD and HDDVDs using the onboard ATi HD3200?
If not, what inexpensive and passive video card would you recommend?
Thanks in advance!

[willy]

Can I play BD and HDDVDs using the onboard ATi HD3200?
The RS780 onboard video has UVD built-in and will do just fine ... provided you are using the supported applications.

[fooit]

The RS780 onboard video has UVD built-in and will do just fine ... provided you are using the supported applications.

What do you mean by supported applications?
Are PowerDVD or Vista Media Center supported apps?

[willy]

If I remember correctly, PowerDVD 7 Ultra (and up) and Corel WinDVD 9 ...

[VanillaPep]

I will be building almost the exact same HTPC, however, i was going for the Phenom.. is it a waste to have the Phenom since i won't play games.

I'm also looking to play 1080p video.

BTW, what kind of audio does the Gigabyte support? I don't think it supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD/MA right?

[fooit]

I will be building almost the exact same HTPC, however, i was going for the Phenom.. is it a waste to have the Phenom since i won't play games.

I'm also looking to play 1080p video.

BTW, what kind of audio does the Gigabyte support? I don't think it supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD/MA right?

Phenom is overkill and it may run hot - that why I chose 45W CPU.
I haven't seen MKV file with this kind of audio and my receiver supports 5.1 only anyway.

[i6s1]

I have an AMD X2 4200 and a Geforce 8600, and they play MKVs fine. It doesn't take much.