My first HTPC build. What do you think about my components?

[krmanuel]

For the last couple years I've been using an old Dell Inspiron 531S as my HTPC and it finally died. I could probably fix it, but this is a good excuse to build a new computers, so why not? This is my second computer build (but first HTPC), so I'm not completely green. I've done a lot of research, but I just wanted to see if you guys think it's solid, or if there is something I'm forgetting or if something doesn't make sense.

I use it for recording TV (Windows Media Center of course), Plex Media server, ripping my Blurays/DVDs, streaming stuff from the Internet...that kind of stuff. I don't play games on this box and I'm not overclocking, so that's why I went with an H81 motherboard vs H87/Z87, plus it was much cheaper.

I'd like to put the box inside my entertainment center, but it has doors and I'm concerned with overheating. I can store it outside if I need to. I'm not completely sure if I need the CPU cooler or not...and if I do, I don't know which one to get. The Cooler Master seemed popular so that's why I picked it.

I chose the i3-4130 for future proofing and so I wouldn't need a video card. I considered the Pentium G3220 and the i3-4130T. I didn't get the G3220 because I wanted the better graphics. I didn't get the i3-4130T because the specs were better on the non T version. I realize the 4130T uses less wattage which makes it run cooler and more quite, but that's not a huge concern. I'd rather it be faster I guess...is that correct thinking or am I making the wrong assumptions?

I went with 1 stick of RAM so I can upgrade in the future. I read that I'll lose about 5% of speed since I'm not taking advantage of the dual channels, but I'm thinking that's not a big deal. Thoughts?

The only things I'm buying new are the i3-4130, maybe CPU cooler, motherboard, memory, SSD, case, and power supply. Everything else is being repurposed from my old Dell. I'm not concerned about overall price, but I don't want to waste money on something I don't need.

I appreciate everyone's feedback!

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($109.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H81M-HD3 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($69.49 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($40.11 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive
Case: Silverstone ML04B HTPC Case ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair CSM 450W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer
Hauppauge TV Tuner - WinTV-HVR-2250
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)

[barnabas1969]

Spend the extra couple of bucks and get a dual channel RAM kit. The RAM will be shared with your video, so speed is important.

That cooler won't fit in that case. If you don't want to use the cooler that comes with the CPU, then you'll need a low-profile cooler. Buy some good case fans. Two of them blowing out the side vents will be fine, but make sure to block the other two side fan locations with some cardboard or something to prevent the warm air from being drawn right back into the side vents. I recommend these fans because they're very quiet:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811999199

Everything else looks fine (except that I would go with Win7 instead of Win8.1).

[krmanuel]

I really appreciate you taking the time for your feedback. The only thing I did different was get a different fan. There's a good deal going on at Newegg for $15 off $50 or more if you use the iPhone Newegg app and pay with Google wallet. One stick of RAM was $42.99 and the ENERMAX fan brought my total just below $50. So I got one a few dollars more (SilenX EFX-08-12) to bring my total over $50 and it looks comparable. You can only use this promo once per account so I did it once with my account and once with my wife's. Got 2 sticks of 4GB (Crucial Ballistix Sport) and 2 SilenX fans for a grand total of $73.96 (including tax and free shipping) with 2 separate orders. I was originally planning on only using 4GB of RAM. 8GB may be overkill, but I figured I'd spend the money now and future proof it since the deal was so good. Anyhow, I'll plan on using the stock CPU fan for now and see how that goes. Do you think I'll be able to store it inside a cabinet, or do you think it will get too hot? I tried doing this with my Dell and the next morning the fans were spinning really fast and the entire case was hot! I have a spot for it outside the cabinet if I need to, but I think it would look really sharp inside (glass door), but it's solid wood and not a lot of ventilation. Oh, I also happen to have a copy of Windows 7 I'm not using so I'll do that instead of Windows 8.1 Any particular reason you like Windows 7? I had to pay extra for media center to use on windows 8.1 on my old Dell, so I already have the license. But I know it comes with windows 7 so that's an option too. Thanks!

[barnabas1969]

I wouldn't recommend putting it inside a cabinet without adequate ventilation. I've used Silenx products before, but never their fans. The reason I like those Enermax fans so much is because they have maglev bearings. I've used them in 5 of my last 6 builds. The only one I didn't use them in was a gaming rig that needed more air flow than those quiet fans can provide. In the gaming rig, I installed a fan controller so that my son can turn down the fans when he's not gaming.

Don't forget to block the two empty fan slots on the side of that case with some cardboard. If you can find some black cardboard, like an old shoe box, that works well and looks black from the outside of the case. Just use tape to hold it in place. I use Gorilla tape because it's so sticky and I know it will never fall off, but you could use packing tape.

Just make sure there is plenty of room on the right side of the case (where the exhaust fans will be) and on the top (where the air inlet is) so that it can move air freely.

If you plan to rip DVD's or Blurays on that machine, you'll appreciate having the extra RAM.

I prefer Win7 because Media Center comes with it for free, and also because in Win8 they took away some things. For example, the setting to start Media Center when Windows starts was taken out. This can be overcome, but it's just easier to use the built-in feature in Win7. Also, Win8 has been reported to have some strange video memory problems... but I can't remember right now which iGPU it was with... either Ivy or Haswell chips.

[krmanuel]

I understand. I appreciate the additional info. Looking forward to getting all the parts in so I can start building!

[krmanuel]

Sorry to bug you again. I try doing my own research before asking questions, but you seem very knowledgeable so I wanted to run this past you and get your opinion. Since you recommend keeping it outside my cabinet, I'd like to make it somewhat quite. I'm planning to replace the stock CPU cooler and you mentioned the one I picked out wouldn't fit. So I researched low profile coolers and found the ARCTIC Freezer 11 LP (http://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-Freezer-Su ... roduct_top). It gets good reviews and isn't expensive. It looks like it will fit the case, but some people complain about it being too wide and covering the RAM slots. Is there a way to measure if it will fit my motherboard before I buy it? I have measurements of the cooler, but no measurements of the motherboard. Not sure if this is possible. I'm not asking anyone to do the work for me, I'm just not sure how.

I'm also consider purchasing a sound card so I can take advantage of my surround sound. I'm looking at the ASUS Xonar DG 5.1 (http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-XONAR-Headph ... nar+DG+5.1). Again because it's a good price and gets good reviews. My question is, do you have any experience using the onboard sound for surround sound 5.1? It says it will do it, but not sure if it's good quality or not. Plus, I'm planning on using onboard video, so don't want to push it too much.

Speaking of video, I had a EVGA GeForce 8400 GS video card in my Dell because I needed HDMI. So it's a spare now and not being used. Would you recommend installing it in my new build, or would you recommend going with the onboard video since my motherboard has HDMI?

Thanks again for you time. Hopefully I can return the favor to someone one day after all this research I'm doing!

[barnabas1969]

Don't worry about covering the RAM slots unless you're using RAM sticks with heat sinks on them. Those heat sinks, by the way, are a gimmick unless you are going to seriously overclock the RAM. The RAM sticks you chose should be fine.

You need a CPU cooler that is no more than 70mm tall, including the heatsink and fan. Get one with the largest diameter fan you can find, because larger fans are usually quieter. Make sure it will fit a Socket 1150 CPU.

Why do you need a sound card? The motherboard you chose has an optical audio output, and the HDMI output can handle surround sound too. So, if you have an AVR with HDMI inputs... you're covered. If you have an AVR with optical audio inputs, you're still covered. No need for a sound card.

[barnabas1969]

Oh, and just stick with the integrated graphics. It will work fine. You'll want to disable Dynamic Contrast in the advanced settings in the Intel video settings.

[krmanuel]

Great info! Thanks again. I read on some website that the motherboard surround sound wasn't worth using. I didn't know if it would run better with a dedicated sound card or not and it wasn't expensive. but if I can save the money by not getting one I'm all for it. My expectations aren't that high and if the onboard stuff sounds decent then I'm happy. Thanks for the tips. I should start getting parts soon and I'm looking forward to building it!

[barnabas1969]

The optical and HDMI surround sound is pure digital. Digital is digital. It doesn't matter what sound card you use. However, if you plan to use he analog outputs (the 3.5mm audio connectors), that's an entirely different story. As long as you are going to use the optical or HDMI outputs for your audio... you're fine using the motherboard's outputs.

EDIT: I guess I should clarify. The analog outputs are susceptible to electrical noise which is generated by other components on the motherboard. The digital outputs are not susceptible.

[CyberSimian]

The analog outputs are susceptible to electrical noise which is generated by other components on the motherboard.

This echoes my experience with a Dell XPS420 HTPC.

The Dell has two analogue audio-out sockets: one on the back, and a headphone-out socket on the front. I use the HTPC with an analogue hi-fi amplifier, in one of two configurations:

(1) Max audio output from WMC, and adjust volume on the audio amplifier.
(2) Max gain on the audio amplifier, and adjust volume using WMC.

Configuration (1) gives the same audio quality from both the front and rear audio sockets. But configuration (2) does not -- the front socket quality is the same, but the rear socket quality is noticeably worse at low (i.e. normal) volume levels. I assume that it is picking up interference within the system unit, but the puzzle is why the front headphone socket does not suffer from the same problem (especially as it is fed by a cable from a socket on the motherboard, so one might expect it to be more susceptible!). My guess would be that it is something to do with impedances, but I could not explain the mechanism that causes this result.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

[barnabas1969]

If you choose to use the analog outputs, you should always set the Windows and Media Center volume to maximum in order to maximize the SNR, and control the volume on the receiver.

[krmanuel]

Perfect. That saves me some money on a sound card. I have an older receiver (still sounds great) so no HDMI, but I do have optical so that's what I plan to use. I've started ordering parts and should start putting it together next week.

[barnabas1969]

OK, good. People are here to help, so don't hesitate to ask questions. The stock cooler will come with heat conducting tape on it. If you buy a different cooler, you'll also need to buy some heat sink compound unless it comes with the cooler. Something like what I linked below would work fine, and it's cheap:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... -_-Product

When applying heat sink compound to a CPU, squeeze a round glob of compound about the size of a pea in the center of the CPU. Don't spread it around... just push the CPU cooler in place and fasten it to the motherboard.

Oh... and clean off any old heat sink compound (with a paper towel - while the CPU is still in the socket) before applying it.

[krmanuel]

Thanks for the additional info and I really do appreciate the help. I'm sure I'll have more questions once I start putting it together. I'm watching youtube videos today and trying to research as much as possible before I get started. I want to make sure it has good airflow. I purchased 2 fans like you suggested and will put them on one side and block out the other side. It looks like there are 4 different places to install the fans on that one side. Does it matter where you orient the 2 fans...side by side...space them out, etc.? I may be limited once I start putting it hardware inside and figure it out on my own. I also read it helped airflow to cut out the honeycomb where you end up putting the fans. Do you recommend that as well? Thanks again!

[barnabas1969]

If the fans will fit right next to the CPU cooler, put them both there in the two spaces closest to the back of the case. This depends on how big your CPU cooler is. If they won't fit there with the motherboard and CPU cooler installed, put them in two adjacent spots as close to the CPU as possible.

The airflow in that case will be just fine with the two fans. You won't need to cut anything. Doing so would only make it look ugly.

For an HTPC, a little air flow goes a long way... as long as the cool air is being drawn over the components that need it. Mostly, that's the CPU, voltage regulators (which are located right around the CPU), and to a lesser extent the north bridge. People obsess too much about hard drive cooling.

Mount your PSU so that the fan draws air from the vent on the bottom of the case. I think that case comes with a filter for the PSU air inlet. You don't really need the filter, but if you use it... make certain to clean it occasionally. You'll also want to occasionally wipe dust off of the top vent with a damp cloth... and maybe once every 3-6 months, open the case and blow out the dust with a can of air or an air compressor if you have one.

[krmanuel]

Will do. Thanks again!

[barnabas1969]

Disclaimer: I'm only adding this advice in case someone comes along in the future, reads this thread, and builds a PC with the intent to use it for gaming in addition to HTPC duty (which is not something I recommend doing).

Just to clarify, I gave the advice above based on the fact that you don't plan to play hardcore games on that PC. Using it as an HTPC, even if you do some occasional gaming with simple games, doesn't require a lot of cooling. But if you want to play the latest games at full resolution and frame rate... then you need to consider other cooling options and a beefy video adapter.

Honestly, I've only built one hard-core gaming rig in my life. That was last Christmas, for my son. It was a learning experience for me. Most PC's I've built (and there have been many) were general-purpose, HTPC's, or servers for OLTP applications. I didn't realize how CPU/GPU/RAM intensive the latest games were, until I built the machine and had my son play for a while --- while I had some performance monitoring going on the background. Holy cow!

Initially, I bought a very high-end GPU for his system (thinking that high-end games would only need GPU power)... and there was a CPU bottleneck! So, I upgraded the CPU to a (very expensive) very high-end CPU. And then, cooling became an issue. The CPU was being throttled to keep it under the max temperature spec. I ended up buying a new case for him. It's basically a perforated box with fans all over it and a handle on top so he can carry it to LAN parties.

After I spent all that money, I decided to add a fan controller (so he could make it quiet when not gaming) and RGB LED's (and an LED controller) for some bling. He took it even further. He saved his own money and bought a ginormous monitor and a headset that will blow your ears out.

[christoph86]

Great disclaimer though. Miles of difference between an HTPC and a gaming unit. The good graphics cards for gaming are enormous and power hungry as well, but are actually more efficient than they were a few years back. With 4k/UHD coming into gaming it's going to get even more intense going forward. This creates a new market for better GPUs, CPUs and cooling. The prices for top of the line gaming cards are pretty crazy right now though. NVIDIA released or announced a new Titan card a few months back, gonna be around 3000 bucks. Crazy stuff.

[luminousd]

I'm also consider purchasing a sound card so I can take advantage of my surround sound. I'm looking at the ASUS Xonar DG 5.1 (http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-XONAR-Headph ... nar+DG+5.1). Again because it's a good price and gets good reviews. My question is, do you have any experience using the onboard sound for surround sound 5.1? It says it will do it, but not sure if it's good quality or not. Plus, I'm planning on using onboard video, so don't want to push it too much.

Speaking of video, I had a EVGA GeForce 8400 GS video card in my Dell because I needed HDMI. So it's a spare now and not being used. Would you recommend installing it in my new build, or would you recommend going with the onboard video since my motherboard has HDMI?

Thanks again for you time. Hopefully I can return the favor to someone one day after all this research I'm doing!

I would recommend using your GeForce.

I tried using integrated graphics for my Windows 7 64bit HTPC.., (Intel Core i3-3225) but that proved to be inadequate. The biggest problem I had was when going from a window to full screen.., the computer would crash.

I tried updating all software from Intel and Microsoft including all .NET framework. The problem persisted.

I finally decided to install a GTX 650. My windows experience benchmark went from a 4.8 to a 7.2! The computer responds quicker now and seems to be more stable, Has not crashed since graphics card was installed. The picture quality appears to be sharper as well.

You really don't need a sound card, you will get 8-channel high quality audio all through the HDMI cable.

I hope this helps!

Dave