HTPC build question

[baiddeviant]

Down below you will find the items i will recieve for free at end of july. I need help with the case, blueray drive, ir remote, and other media related cards i might need to build HTPC with. I am leaning towards Fractal Design Node 605 for a case. Lastly will those parts i will be getting be enough to build a decent HTPC build? Also i don't know what media server i should go with PLEX, XMBC, WINDOWS media center etc? I definitely will be purchasing gtx770 card just because i have one on my gaming build.. Will buy exact same card and put it in this build so that if needed in the future i can take it from this and do sli config on my gaming rig. Should i consider replacing motherboard with mitx board? Also what should i get for cooler?


1
SAMSUNG 22X Half-Height DVD Writer Black IDE Model SH-S222A - OEM
Item #: N82E16827151175
Standard Return Policy
$22.99
1
Thermaltake TR2 W0388RU 600W ATX 12V v2.2 Power Supply
Item #: N82E16817153114
Standard Return Policy
$74.99
1
ASUS P8P67 LE (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813131706
Standard Return Policy
For Asus Tech Support, Please Call 502-995-0883 or http://helpdesk.asus.com/
$134.99
1
NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK Black Steel / Plastic Enthusiast ATX Full Tower Computer Case
Item #: N82E16811146068
Standard Return Policy
$139.99
1
Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
Item #: N82E16822148697
Standard Return Policy
This item is serviced by the SeaGate. Please call 800 -732-4283 for service.
$59.99
1
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL
Item #: N82E16820231311
Memory Standard Return Policy
$84.99
1
Intel Core i5-2400 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz (3.4GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000 ...
Item #: N82E16819115074
CPU Replacement Only Return Policy
$189.99

 

[Charlie98]

Down below you will find the items i will recieve for free at end of july. I need help with the case, blueray drive, ir remote, and other media related cards i might need to build HTPC with. I am leaning towards Fractal Design Node 605 for a case. Lastly will those parts i will be getting be enough to build a decent HTPC build? Also i don't know what media server i should go with PLEX, XMBC, WINDOWS media center etc? I definitely will be purchasing gtx770 card just because i have one on my gaming build.. Will buy exact same card and put it in this build so that if needed in the future i can take it from this and do sli config on my gaming rig. Should i consider replacing motherboard with mitx board? Also what should i get for cooler?

That i5-2400 should provide plenty of muscle for an HTPC, and if all you are doing with it is HTPC duty, you don't need a GPU let alone a GTX770. You'd be spending more on an unneeded GPU than what the rest of the rig is worth.

For HTPC duty the stock Intel cooler will work just fine, if it comes with your goodies; otherwise you will need to find some low-profile cooler that will fit in that Node case.

Your server is a matter of preference... I like W7/WMC with Media Browser. I tried XMBC and didn't care for it, and didn't fool with any of the others. YMMV.

Your DVD unit is IDE, not SATA... you may have to spring a whole $16 or so for a new one.

 

[pete6032]

The most common problem I see people do when building an HTPC is to build a gaming PC and put it in their living room. HTPC needs nothing more than an i3 or dual core athlon with integrated graphics to run 1080p video. Such a system can be much quieter, less costly, and more power efficient than what you've outlined above.

The minimum system requirements for HD playback for most software is Athlon X2 3800+ or above. Get a cheap, cool processor and put an SSD in there and call it a day.

 

[dclive]

Any reason not to just get a WDTV Live for $80 and call it a day?