My HTPC Build - Have Questions:

[AcuDefTechGuy]

The PLEX library will break out tv show episodes from one large file.

I've tried PLEX in the past, but it could not even read my ISO files.

Have you tried PLEX + XBMC to see if it would open a full disc TV show ISO file and show full disc menus?

 

[itschris]

I've tried PLEX in the past, but it could not even read my ISO files.

Have you tried PLEX + XBMC to see if it would open a full disc TV show ISO file and show full disc menus?

Im going to try. I just started reading about it a bit but it seems a bit complicated and requires some fiddling. That is why I liked PLEX so much... Just install it and everything works perfect.

Clearly XMBC is slicker interface-wise so I'm hoping its worth the trouble. I'm slowly settling on my build. A full blown HTPC just makes sense. Everything else so far has some compromise. My current PLEX/aptv3 setup was a good start, but it's time to step it up. Here's where I'm at so far:

CPU Amazon.com: Intel I3-4130T 2.90 3 LGA 1150 Processor BX80646I34130T: Computers & Accessories

MB Amazon.com: Gigabyte LGA 1150 Intel H87 HDMI SATA 6Gbps USB 3.0 Micro ATX DDR3 1600 Intel Motherboards GA-H87M-D3H: Computers & Accessories

Case SilverStone Technology Co., Ltd.- GD07

That's all for sure. I'm still deciding on a cooler, PSU, RAM, and drives. I'm going SSD for boot and probably 2- 3TB green drives to start. I can easily add two more when the time comes. I think I'll just put a DVD reader in this system and just rip BDs on my the other PC and move them over the network . That's where I'm at. I may buy two cases and just fill it with drives and build a NAS using FreeNAS.

I have to figure all that out later. I'm more concerned with backups than true NAS features at the moment. Plus having two of those boxes stacked would look pretty cool. That's another day however.

 

[aberkowitz]

Im going to try. I just started reading about it a bit but it seems a bit complicated and requires some fiddling. That is why I liked PLEX so much... Just install it and everything works perfect.

Clearly XMBC is slicker interface-wise so I'm hoping its worth the trouble. I'm slowly settling on my build. A full blown HTPC just makes sense. Everything else so far has some compromise. My current PLEX/aptv3 setup was a good start, but it's time to step it up. Here's where I'm at so far:

CPU Amazon.com: Intel I3-4130T 2.90 3 LGA 1150 Processor BX80646I34130T: Computers & Accessories

MB Amazon.com: Gigabyte LGA 1150 Intel H87 HDMI SATA 6Gbps USB 3.0 Micro ATX DDR3 1600 Intel Motherboards GA-H87M-D3H: Computers & Accessories

Case SilverStone Technology Co., Ltd.- GD07

That's all for sure. I'm still deciding on a cooler, PSU, RAM, and drives. I'm going SSD for boot and probably 2- 3TB green drives to start. I can easily add two more when the time comes. I think I'll just put a DVD reader in this system and just rip BDs on my the other PC and move them over the network . That's where I'm at. I may buy two cases and just fill it with drives and build a NAS using FreeNAS.

I have to figure all that out later. I'm more concerned with backups than true NAS features at the moment. Plus having two of those boxes stacked would look pretty cool. That's another day however.

Chris- looks like a great start. I love SilverStone and I actually went with the GD08 because it can support up to 8 hard drives as is, up to 12 with modifications, and was similarly priced and sized. I also hated the fact that the drives/front ports are hidden on the 07 behind the aluminum door- although in your case that's not as much of an issue b/c you want to use another PC to rip (with the constant in/out of discs when ripping my collection, I would've broken the damn thing off).

 

[itschris]

I went with the case for the looks since I don't envision going in and out. I got a a bit of a buy-in from the wife on the 75" SAMSUNG we checked out at SAMS. That'll change things for my setup since the tv will be on the wall. I may get rid of the BDI cabinet and have some sort of built-in built which will show the equipment off a bit. That case will look great with my stuff...two will look really cool. I miss the days of having my a/v hardware on display. We'll see how this all turns out. I gotta get this part done first though. I settled on a few more things:

SSD Amazon.com: Samsung Electronics 840 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Single Unit Version Internal Solid State Drive MZ-7TE120BW: Computers & Accessories

I think I'm going to stick with the stock fans. They seem to do the job and don't created significant noise. I can always swap them if they don't. I think I'm going to go with Windows 8. It has really fast startup and you can easily block the splash screens and boot right to XMBC like it was made to. I think 4 gigs of RAM is enough though maybe I should go with 8. This is module I'm looking at:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006WAGG14?tag=thtebusgu-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B006WAGG14&adid=171NNDAV2AQQFT7WPTX6&&ref-refURL=http://techbuyersguru.com/HTPCbuild.php

Im still researching the PSU and the CPU cooler. I think both of these are important choices with the case and the height limitations. I'm going to with a modular PSU but I just don't know which one yet.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Yes, XBMC is more flexible , that also means it requires more tweaking to get it just right
Good choice on the CPU - The "T" models really shine in silent builds - stick with stock/box cooler - it's fine
Don't over-think the PSU - 300W should be more than enough

I assume you are planning to use Ivy Bridge onchip video - I think it's a bold plan, but it just might work.

Do keep in mind intel video driver haven't been known for nor their features nor the polish - what I am trying to say that HD audio codecs HDMI pass-thru may or may not work

 

[aberkowitz]

+1 for stock fans, as well as modular power supply. I didn't go modular, and while everything worked fine I wish I had. Keep in mind that Seasonic makes a lot of product that's sold under 3rd party brands- can be another way to find a deal.

4 GB RAM should be more than sufficient for your system. That's what I have, and I've never felt my system was completely taxed- even when streaming plex on multiple devices at the same time. If the deal is there then more is never worse, but I don't believe you need it for double the price. I used G.SKILL, but I've had past positive experience with crucial.

 

[itschris]

Yes, XBMC is more flexible , that also means it requires more tweaking to get it just right
Good choice on the CPU - The "T" models really shine in silent builds - stick with stock/box cooler - it's fine
Don't over-think the PSU - 300W should be more than enough

I assume you are planning to use Ivy Bridge onchip video - I think it's a bold plan, but it just might work.

Do keep in mind intel video driver haven't been known for nor their features nor the polish - what I am trying to say that HD audio codecs HDMI pass-thru may or may not work

Its actually the new Haswell deal. As far as bit streaming the hi def codecs... It better... That's the whole purpose. I thought you no longer need a separate video card to do that and that the i3 manages that. Stock/box cooler? Are you talking about the fans? The CPU cooler has to be kinda short...not super short...but not too tall. With the PSU it's more about making sure the plugs and the fan work well with the box. Seems some have issues from what I've read and I just figured I'd put the time on the front end.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Its actually the new Haswell deal. As far as bit streaming the hi def codecs... It better... That's the whole purpose. I thought you no longer need a separate video card to do that and that the i3 manages that. Stock/box cooler? Are you talking about the fans? The CPU cooler has to be kinda short...not super short...but not too tall. With the PSU it's more about making sure the plugs and the fan work well with the box. Seems some have issues from what I've read and I just figured I'd put the time on the front end.

Yea, I know it's haswell and the gpu part is certainly improved significantly, but even now-a-days intel is more than capable to mess-up drivers
I think it's worth a shot and don't get me wrong - I think Haswell is mature enough to support hd audio pass-through in worst case scenario just get a silent nvidia/amd pcie card

I understand about height limitations, but before you place an order for aftermarket cpu fan - if you are buying boxed cpu - it already includes a cooler (heatsink+fan) - see if it fits before spending extra money on it

 

[itschris]

Yea, I know it's haswell and the gpu part is certainly improved significantly, but even now-a-days intel is more than capable to mess-up drivers
I think it's worth a shot and don't get me wrong - I think Haswell is mature enough to support hd audio pass-through in worst case scenario just get a silent nvidia/amd pcie card

I understand about height limitations, but before you place an order for aftermarket cpu fan - if you are buying boxed cpu - it already includes a cooler (heatsink+fan) - see if it fits before spending extra money on it

Okay gotcha.. I didn't realize the CPU came with anything. How do you measure temps effectively? I guess that's what determines if I go with an upgraded cooler. If I have heat problems, is it better to upgrade case fans or add additional case fans or get the better CPU cooler?

 

[itschris]

This is the article I sort of based this whole i3 build off of:
Bitstreaming Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD with the Intel Core i3 | Do it yourself HTPC

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Okay gotcha.. I didn't realize the CPU came with anything. How do you measure temps effectively? I guess that's what determines if I go with an upgraded cooler. If I have heat problems, is it better to upgrade case fans or add additional case fans or get the better CPU cooler?

I like to use a little windows app - speedfan - SpeedFan - Access temperature sensor in your computer
Imo only If you are going to do overclocking you'd need to worry about temperature of cpu (granted the case is ventilated sufficiently) Just make sure all fans installed correctly with intended air flow - remember physics - hot air goes up

This is the article I sort of based this whole i3 build off of:
Bitstreaming Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD with the Intel Core i3 | Do it yourself HTPC

It's a bit old (over 3 years), but basics are similar. Imo installing and configuring OpenElec/XBMC is SIGNIFICANTLY easier that all the steps in this article, but I don't think you'd need them anyways. XBMC could take tare of most of these settings, just connect hdmi cord and tell xbmc to use it for BOTH video and audio and set up which codes to decode or pass-thru

 

[aberkowitz]

It's a bit old (over 3 years), but basics are similar. Imo installing and configuring OpenElec/XBMC is SIGNIFICANTLY easier that all the steps in this article, but I don't think you'd need them anyways. XBMC could take tare of most of these settings, just connect hdmi cord and tell xbmc to use it for BOTH video and audio and set up which codes to decode or pass-thru

Another helpful guide is the Assassin HTPC blog. I found it very helpful as a resource when configuring my system and Plex. Here's the XMBC page- XBMC Setup - Assassin HTPC Blog

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Another helpful guide is the Assassin HTPC blog. I found it very helpful as a resource when configuring my system and Plex. Here's the XMBC page- XBMC Setup - Assassin HTPC Blog

Thank !! I found it quite useful even after using xbmc for almost a year

 

[aberkowitz]

Thank !! I found it quite useful even after using xbmc for almost a year

You're welcome. Assassin's entire site is fantastic- definitely worth a read, particularly the hardware buying and config guides. I used it as a supplement to this board to build my own machine.

Best thing is that the site is now free- used to cost $25 to access but enough people donated (myself included) that they're able to support without additional funds.

 

[itschris]

You're welcome. Assassin's entire site is fantastic- definitely worth a read, particularly the hardware buying and config guides. I used it as a supplement to this board to build my own machine.

Best thing is that the site is now free- used to cost $25 to access but enough people donated (myself included) that they're able to support without additional funds.

Thats a great site. Thanks for putting that out.

 

[itschris]

You're welcome. Assassin's entire site is fantastic- definitely worth a read, particularly the hardware buying and config guides. I used it as a supplement to this board to build my own machine.

Best thing is that the site is now free- used to cost $25 to access but enough people donated (myself included) that they're able to support without additional funds.

I've literally been reading this site nonstop for the past few hours. I've learned so much. It's also nice to confirm I've made good choices. Thanks again for the link.

i red the ripping section and think the MKV option with MKVmaker might be the way to goober ISO. I don't know though I'm still on the fence.

 

[aberkowitz]

I've literally been reading this site nonstop for the past few hours. I've learned so much. It's also nice to confirm I've made good choices. Thanks again for the link.

i red the ripping section and think the MKV option with MKVmaker might be the way to goober ISO. I don't know though I'm still on the fence.

Not sure which HDD you're looking at, but newegg has a promotion this weekend on WD green drives. It's only 2 TB (I personally would go with 3 TB drives for the relative price), but it's still a good price. Newegg.com - 48Hrs ONLY: 53% OFF WD 1TB USB 3.0 Ext. HDD, 75% OFF Netgear N900 4-Port Wi-Fi Adapter...

 

[itschris]

Not sure which HDD you're looking at, but newegg has a promotion this weekend on WD green drives. It's only 2 TB (I personally would go with 3 TB drives for the relative price), but it's still a good price. Newegg.com - 48Hrs ONLY: 53% OFF WD 1TB USB 3.0 Ext. HDD, 75% OFF Netgear N900 4-Port Wi-Fi Adapter...

Good deals for sure. I think I'm going to stick with one 3tb drive and the SSD boot drive to start. I'm only going to have video files on the HTPC for now. My music setup is perfect so I'll just leave it. With drives still rapidly changing and 4tb drives becoming more reliable, by the time I fill up the the first drive, perhaps there will be a whole new sweet spot in a few months or so. At that point I'll ramp up the whole deal with a RAID server..

 

[itschris]

I think I have my parts list complete and will start ordering stuff this week... Though I may wait a week to see if I change my mind on anything. I've learned a ton this past week or so. A week ago the only thing I knew about an i3 was that BMW made it. Now I have a pretty good grasp on MBs, chipsets, sockets, bridges, etc.

do you guys think it's worth creating a new thread about the build or is it just more redundant info that no one really cares about ay this point?

 

[aberkowitz]

I think I have my parts list complete and will start ordering stuff this week... Though I may wait a week to see if I change my mind on anything. I've learned a ton this past week or so. A week ago the only thing I knew about an i3 was that BMW made it. Now I have a pretty good grasp on MBs, chipsets, sockets, bridges, etc.

do you guys think it's worth creating a new thread about the build or is it just more redundant info that no one really cares about ay this point?

Id love to see what the final parts list is. Plus, you never know what you may have forgotten (e.g. My initial list left out a keyboard!) Please post!