HTPC Build for your review... (1 Viewer)

[GamingDaemon]

Hello Everyone, New to this forum. I just pulled the trigger on a HTPC build. Please review, pick apart and debate. But let's start with my requirements for this build. Here’s what I want in a HTPC:

• Play all of the 1080p Blu Ray movies I have ripped to my Home Server PC
• Play any other personal videos I have taken that are stored on my Home Server PC
• Access the internet to round out my ability to see movies and TV online (I have DirecTV and Vudu, but I know there are other options open to me like Hulu and YouTube)
• Future-proof to some degree, as much as is possible

And here's my current list of components (just purchased):

• GIGABYTE GA-Z68M-D2H LGA 1155 Intel Z68 $104.99
• SILVERSTONE Black Aluminum skin ML03B Micro ATX Media Center $59.99
• ASUS ENGT430 DC SL/DI/1GD3 GeForce GT 430 (Fermi) (out of stock, $69.99)
• SILVERSTONE SST-ST40F-ES 400W $48.99 or Antec Neo ECO 400C
• Intel Celeron G530 Sandy Bridge 2.4GHz LGA 1155 65W $51.99
• G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL $30
• SAMSUNG Black Blu-ray Combo SATA Model SH-B123L $59.99

Have at it! And thank you.

 

[mattCR]

You're selections are good. I'd be a bit more tempted to go with an ATI video solution instead of Nvidia, but the 430 is a good bang for the buck. Spend some money and get a decent gigabit switch to go with this for transporting heavy content across a home network. Some cheap realtek based gigabit switch is not going to help you much, but a really good (and surprisingly affordable) switch will.

 

[GamingDaemon]

You're selections are good.  I'd be a bit more tempted to go with an ATI video solution instead of Nvidia, but the 430 is a good bang for the buck.  Spend some money and get a decent gigabit switch to go with this for transporting heavy content across a home network.   Some cheap realtek based gigabit switch is not going to help you much, but a really good (and surprisingly affordable) switch will.

I have a 16 port gigabit switch for the home network, but do you mean a PCI NIC? I was going to buy this netowrk card, but folks on another board talked me out of it. I have that NIC in my Home Server PC and it really improves the data rates streaming a .mp4 file by 7 or 8 times. So, if I have it in my Home Server PC, which supplies my ripped Blu Ray movies, do I need it in my HTPC too?

 

[mattCR]

No, actually, you're onboard NIC in most newer boards is fairly decent (as long as it's not a realtek whatever).. but the switch is what kills most people.. they throw a cheap no-name switch into the network, and that's the killer.

Originally Posted by GamingDaemon


I have a 16 port gigabit switch for the home network, but do you mean a PCI NIC? I was going to buy [url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833106033]this netowrk card, but folks on another board talked me out of it. I have that NIC in my Home Server PC and it really improves the data rates streaming a .mp4 file by 7 or 8 times.
So, if I have it in my Home Server PC, which supplies my ripped Blu Ray movies, do I need it in my HTPC too?