HTPC Build - Advice on Components chosen and to be decided

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RogerDune
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon May 28, 2007 8:10 pm

HTPC Build - Advice on Components chosen and to be decided

Post by RogerDune » Thu Sep 27, 2007 8:00 pm

Hi All,

I’m looking for some advice on a HTPC build. The main use will be for watching .avi and .mkv files on a 1080p LCD HDTV. It also needs to comfortably handle movies, music, photos and net surfing. I’m not a PC gamer apart from Grand Theft Auto.

I want it to be on the quiet side while still having amount grunt to handle HD content.

This is what I am thinking of;
Case: Silverstone LC20M
CPU: Core Duo E6750
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3
RAM: Corsair TWIN 2x2048-6400
Video: XFX 7600GS w/HDMI as I can’t find Gigabyte 7600GS w/HDMI in Oz
Fans: Nexus 120mm

This is what I am unsure of;
PSU: Corsair is the brand I am considering. How many watts should I be looking at?
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS8700LED, Scythe Ninja Mini CPU heatsink or ???
Drive: Samsung 500GB HD501LJ HDD - SATA II 7200rpm, 16MB Cache, NoiseGuard. Any other suggestions on quiet options greatly appreciated

Cheers!!

laguz1
Posts: 166
Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2007 12:52 pm
Location: United States

Post by laguz1 » Thu Sep 27, 2007 8:09 pm

good hard drive choice....if you really wanted other choices, the western digitals aren't that bad either.

for power supply, corsair only makes 450, 520, 550, and 620...and in your case, the 450 should be sufficient...

I have no idea on how the zalman 8700 performs, but it looks pretty decent. The ninja mini is probably a little short and not as well situated in the LC20, than a NSK2400 (which is fits godly). You could consider the Noctua NH-U9 - i have that (not in a HTPC though), and it works great. With a 92mm nexus, its pretty much silent. From the webpage, its like 130mm tall if i recall, and it should fit in that LC20M. The problem with Zalman (or at least that one) is the 110mm fan is sorta a rogue size, and you can't really fan mod it (unless you stick w/ a 92mm). Also, the stock fans can get noisy at higher speeds and over time.

otherwise...why the 965 not a p35?

RogerDune
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon May 28, 2007 8:10 pm

Post by RogerDune » Thu Sep 27, 2007 8:20 pm

Thanks for the watts. 450W makes life easier.

I am thinking the p965 because I get the impression that DDR3 is still early technology while DDR2 is optimised. Bit like how the last model of a car is better than the first of a new model. Should I re think that position?

Aris
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Joined: Mon Dec 15, 2003 10:29 am
Location: Bellevue, Nebraska
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Post by Aris » Thu Sep 27, 2007 9:34 pm

a core duo, with a 7600gs, and one hard drive will never consume more than 100w at load. so anything above 200w for a PSU is excessive. You can power that rig easily with a pico psu and an external AC/DC brick.

if it will fit, ninja mini is the best you can get for HTPC use.

laguz1
Posts: 166
Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2007 12:52 pm
Location: United States

Post by laguz1 » Fri Sep 28, 2007 3:24 pm

yeah...i would get a seasonic s12 380w in case you want to upgrade in the future - and its a silent, efficient, and cheap psu. its not modular though...but good quality stuff

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