Advice needed for HTPC selection - Chieftec HM-03?

[Slaanesh]

I want to build an HTPC myself (finally!) but I'm a complete noob. I selected 3 HTPC cases that I like:

1. MS-Tech MC-1200 (http://www.ms-tech.de/eng/index.php/product/detail/pdcid/66/pdid/163 )
2. Ahanix MCE302S-V ( http://www.case4htpc.com/ahanix/ahanix-mce-302/ )
3. Chieftec Hi-Fi HM-03SL ( http://www.chieftec.eu/en/chassis/htpc.html )

The MS-Tech case is the cheapest, but can contain only 1 3,5" HDD so I guess it's less future proof than the other ones.
The Ahanix case looks interesting, but the company website is down, so I'm not sure the company exists anymore? This could be a problem for availability and support/warranty.

The Chieftec case looks the most promising, notwithstanding the higher price. Does anyone here have any experiences with this case? Doesn't the LED display distract too much in darkness? How silent is it? (There's 1 x 8mm fan so that should be ok).

Is it best to put a µ-ATX motherboard in this case, or has m-ITX any advantages over µ-ATX?

Should the cooler that comes with the AMD A4-3400 processor suffice, or is it recommended to buy a separate cooler (like the Scythe Shuriken)?

And finally: what kind of PSU should I put in this case? A regular ATX or a smaller size? Is a cheap 20$ PSU enough? I'll be using it only for watching 1080p movies / listening to music. No video encoding or 3D gaming.


This is the complete configuration I'm about to buy:

Chieftec Hi-Fi HM-03
ASRock A75M
AMD A4-3400
2 X 2GB 1600MHZ DDR3 Kingston HyperX
2000GB 64MB SATA300 WD20EARS CAVIAR GREEN
ANTEC Basiq VP350P (?)
LiteON iHOS104 BluRay reader


Thanks!!

 

[Zap]

Alternate cases to look at:

Silverstone Milo ML03B
Silverstone Grandia GD05 or GD06

The Milo can be had at Amazon for $60 shipped. All of these use normal ATX PSUs, can hold normal optical drives and can hold multiple HDDs. They all use mATX motherboards.

 

[mfenn]

All of those cases seemed reasonable to me. I'd pick the one that you like the looks of and fits your budget.

The rest of the parts look fine as well except for the HDD. The Antec isn't going to win any awards for incredible design or efficiency, but it is perfectly capable for this build. The HDD is a 5400 RPM drive, which will make the whole PC experience akin to being stuck in molasses. Swap that for a 7200 RPM drive and you're set.

 

[Slaanesh]

All of those cases seemed reasonable to me. I'd pick the one that you like the looks of and fits your budget.

The rest of the parts look fine as well except for the HDD. The Antec isn't going to win any awards for incredible design or efficiency, but it is perfectly capable for this build. The HDD is a 5400 RPM drive, which will make the whole PC experience akin to being stuck in molasses. Swap that for a 7200 RPM drive and you're set.

Thanks for the advice.


I already had my doubts about the PSU, so I exchanged it for this one: http://www.corsair.com/builder-series-cx430-v2-80plus-certified-power-supply.html/
I just hope it's pretty silent.

Are you sure about the HDD being only 5400 rpm? i couldn't find anything on the official website, but here they say it's up to 7200: http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=738

 

[mfenn]

I already had my doubts about the PSU, so I exchanged it for this one: http://www.corsair.com/builder-series-cx430-v2-80plus-certified-power-supply.html/
I just hope it's pretty silent.

Are you sure about the HDD being only 5400 rpm? i couldn't find anything on the official website, but here they say it's up to 7200: http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=738

A 430CX is fine in terms of price and power output. It's certainly not what I'd call "silent" though (not even "very quiet").

As for the drive, yes I am quite sure that the WD Green drives are 5200-5900 RPM (5400 RPM average).

 

[Slaanesh]

A 430CX is fine in terms of price and power output. It's certainly not what I'd call "silent" though (not even "very quiet").

I'm buying my components from Azerty.nl.

Edit:

Anyone familiar with this PSU: http://azerty.nl/8-1073-239782/be-quiet-pure-power-bqt-l7-30.html
Would this be a bit more quiet? (its name says so )

 

[mfenn]

Generally speaking, efficient designs like the XFX Core Edition 450W (same think as a Seasonic S12II will be the quietest. You will pay a little more than the cheaper (but still good) units, so it really comes down to how much it is worth it to you. I will note that unless you've taken specific steps to reduce the noise output of the other parts in the system, the PSU will rarely be the loudest component.