Sandy Bridge and Antec ISK 300-65 HTPC
Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 9:43 am
Hi there, first time poster/long time reader.
Here's a build I'm looking at for a Home Theatre PC that will occasionally work as a x264 encoder:
Antec ISK 300-65 Case
Asus P8H66-i ITX MOBO
Intel I3-2100T
GSkill 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 RAM
Sony BC-5640H Slim Slot Load Bluray
Crucial M4 64GB SSD
I'm open to any suggestions for any of the parts. Here is my reasoning for parts I've chosen.
Case: The ISK 300-65 has a form factor I like, and I prefer the external AC power brick to the internal of the 150W version. (I think an internal would create too much heat, meaning I'd need more noisy coolers).
MOBO: I want wireless and Gbit LAN, and the Asus comes with both. I haven't found anything equivalent but I'm open to suggestions. I understand it doesn't have the best idle power performance, so shoot me any advice.
CPU: I want some muscle while keeping heat down. Sandy bridge integrated graphics should handle any video playback. I think I could get equivalent full load wattage from a 2100 by underclocking/undervolting, but the T version should be binned for better power efficiency? It's only a few bucks more for the T version. I guess my main concern is if I load a regular 2100 to 100% I will cook the 65W power supply. Or do I have more headroom than I imagined? Could i even run a quad core part? Remember I want it to be safe to take it to full load, I don't want to have to be concerned at keeping CPU load below a certain percentage. Perhaps I should get a better external power supply? Or another case altogether?
Bluray: This is the only Slim slot loading drive I can find (darn thing might be the noisiest component in the case, are there any bluray drives that are quieter than others? slot loading is not a must)
SSD: I want quick booting and silent operation. The Crucial M4 seems like good bang for buck. Media will be streaming from a NAS or directly from the Bluray.
What I haven't chosen: heatsinks and fans. I have no idea what heatsink to choose, whether I will need a CPU fan. Also what case fans to buy. Cool and quiet is the name of the game.
Thank-you for this great site!
Here's a build I'm looking at for a Home Theatre PC that will occasionally work as a x264 encoder:
Antec ISK 300-65 Case
Asus P8H66-i ITX MOBO
Intel I3-2100T
GSkill 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 RAM
Sony BC-5640H Slim Slot Load Bluray
Crucial M4 64GB SSD
I'm open to any suggestions for any of the parts. Here is my reasoning for parts I've chosen.
Case: The ISK 300-65 has a form factor I like, and I prefer the external AC power brick to the internal of the 150W version. (I think an internal would create too much heat, meaning I'd need more noisy coolers).
MOBO: I want wireless and Gbit LAN, and the Asus comes with both. I haven't found anything equivalent but I'm open to suggestions. I understand it doesn't have the best idle power performance, so shoot me any advice.
CPU: I want some muscle while keeping heat down. Sandy bridge integrated graphics should handle any video playback. I think I could get equivalent full load wattage from a 2100 by underclocking/undervolting, but the T version should be binned for better power efficiency? It's only a few bucks more for the T version. I guess my main concern is if I load a regular 2100 to 100% I will cook the 65W power supply. Or do I have more headroom than I imagined? Could i even run a quad core part? Remember I want it to be safe to take it to full load, I don't want to have to be concerned at keeping CPU load below a certain percentage. Perhaps I should get a better external power supply? Or another case altogether?
Bluray: This is the only Slim slot loading drive I can find (darn thing might be the noisiest component in the case, are there any bluray drives that are quieter than others? slot loading is not a must)
SSD: I want quick booting and silent operation. The Crucial M4 seems like good bang for buck. Media will be streaming from a NAS or directly from the Bluray.
What I haven't chosen: heatsinks and fans. I have no idea what heatsink to choose, whether I will need a CPU fan. Also what case fans to buy. Cool and quiet is the name of the game.
Thank-you for this great site!