Buying components for HTPC/gaming rig TONIGHT, help!

#1 Posted by PercyChuggs (1086 posts) - 2 years, 7 months ago

So you may recall I posted a topic a couple months ago asking for PC building advice. Well, I have finally been able to line up some funds, and I am buying the components for my HTPC/gaming combo rig tonight, on Amazon, and I would like an opinion on what I have my eyes on.

This system is built to do the following: record HDTV from my cable box, rip my dozens of TV show DVD's at great speeds, and play all modern PC games at above average settings.

Components:

Core i5 750 Lynnfield

MSI LGA 1156 H55 Motherboard with HDMI (needs to be plugged into my HDTV for use as monitor)

EVGA GeForce GTS 450 1GB GPU

AverTV HD Duet Tuner Card (Can record one channel while watching another, perfect for Dexter/Boardwalk Empire/Family Guy!)

Cooler Master 460W ATX Power Supply (I worry this may not be enough voltage?)

G.Skill Ripjaws 4GB DDR3 RAM (This I may need help with, should be more than compatible with mobo, right?)

Antec VSK-2000 Case (Don't care how it looks, just how it houses all my components. Adequate enough?)

Seagate Barracuda 500GB 7200 RPM Internal HDD (Don't need 1TB right now, I have an external 1TB drive that can hold my media for now)

LG DVD Burner (Can upgrade to Blu Ray later; don't mind using my PS3 as Blu Ray player for time being)

Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit OEM (Would this setup be able to run 64 Bit? What is the difference between 32 and 64?)

Total: $853.99

Concerns:

Is my case too bargain basement? I worry about not having enough room to install all the components. This will be my first home build, so I don't have any expertise with jamming stuff in incredibly small spaces (that's what he said).

Is everything compatible? I would hate to buy everything, and find my GPU can't fit into my mobo. I have done my best to read up on this stuff and make sure I know what PCI-Express and stuff mean, but it never hurts to have an expert assure me!

Is my power supply too puny? Am I going to need something closer to 500-600 watts?

Also, cooling. Will I need some kind of case fan or other cooling solution? I am willing to keep my case open, and blow out dust every single day, but if I also need alternative cooling solutions, then I will have to do that.

Important: I plan on using my LG 42LH30 HDTV as my monitor. Do you forsee a problem with this? If my mobo has an HDMI port, I can hook the mobo up to my TV right? My TV also has a VGA port, if that needs to be used.

What kind of build tools do I need? I already have an anti-static wrist strap in my Amazon cart. Are there some weird, PC-builder type tools I am going to need, like special screwdrivers?

Any help from the Giant Bomb community would be GREATLY appreciated. I cannot wait to get all the pieces sent to me and build this baby myself.

#2 Edited by ReefTrigger (91 posts) - 2 years, 7 months ago

I have several comments
- Why amazon? Did you look around at Newegg etc.?
- I would be wary of hooking up a TV as a primary monitor. We have a a HDTV hooked up to a computer, and reading text (i.e. while web surfing) is kind of a pain. It does look good for netflix instant though.
- You may want to get a 600W PSU, if only for upgrade reasons
- You could probably find a cooler case for the money
- 1TB is cheap, I would go for it

Good luck with your build

#3 Posted by SeriouslyNow (8532 posts) - 2 years, 7 months ago

@PercyChuggs: Are you planning to game on this machine? Are you hooking it up to a 5.1/7.1 Amplifier via TOSLink (Optical) or HDMI? If the answer to these questions is yes then go for a different motherboard which has a Dolby Home Theater sound chipset, such as the GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD4P. This is important because the Dolby Home Theater audio will allow games to use your speakers in proper discrete 5.1/7.1 and it will properly select the appropriate audio settings for different video and audio sources (HDTV, MP3s, AVIs/MKVs/DVDs/ Bluray) too depending on what sound track is part of the file being played. Otherwise, on boards that don't have Dolby Home Theater support there are issues when switching between stereo and 5.1 and back. I use my PC exclusively from the TV as a Media Center in Windows 7 and I can't recommend this motherboard highly enough. It's a little more expensive than the MSI board you listed but it's a much better board and a lot more appropriate for your needs.

#4 Edited by HitmanAgent47 (8577 posts) - 2 years, 7 months ago

I hope a worthless poster doesn't bottomfeed on my post just because i'm posting in the same thread. With that being said, LG hdtvs have really big pixels, however it will work with your pc. I myself use a hdtv as a monitor through hdmi. I would suggest you spend a bit more and get a gtx460 756mb videocard. If your worried about the case, look into a cooler master elite 430 or haf 912 and you still have to buy your own fan for the exhaust since it only comes with one cheap fan. I don't trust seagate, most of the time they usually break easily, just so you know. Psu is kind of weak of course.

Honestly, why the gts 450?

#5 Posted by fentonalpha (811 posts) - 2 years, 7 months ago

@HitmanAgent47 said:

"
I hope a worthless poster doesn't bottomfeed on my post just because i'm posting in the same thread.
"

I'm dead curious as to what that means.... though i don't want this to go off-topic.

#6 Edited by HitmanAgent47 (8577 posts) - 2 years, 7 months ago

@fentonalpha: you'll see, if not i'll let you know later on, it's not the op.

#7 Posted by colin_066 (34 posts) - 2 years, 7 months ago

So I recently built a desktop myself and for one it is working great,

Now you did state you're building these for "ripping dvds at great speeds," and also watching on a decently large tv, so that being said the i5 750 is not terrible but if youre really considering speeds of processing power then you should probably go for the i7 930 or something.

PSU should never be a compromise, always get a little more than you need because its what powers your system and if you skimp out on that you're asking for trouble when you run a lot of things at once and you can't provide enough juice to your system.

If you only want to do some light gaming then the gt450 is more than adequate, but seeing how you're mostly concerned with recording, ripping then the 450 is fine
- cooling you're probably fine with what you have so doesn't really matter,

32 vs 64 bit ,  from my perspective, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong
the main difference is how the ram is treated, so for a lot of processing you should get 64 bit , -> not entirely sure
well that's what I think , take what you will from this

#8 Posted by duder123 (54 posts) - 2 years, 6 months ago

Get another motherboard, you don't need integrated video, get a gpu that had hdmi interface. As for 64 vs 32 bit. Get 64 bit, the only bad thing is that you won't be able to run 16-bit software natively.

#9 Posted by PercyChuggs (1086 posts) - 2 years, 6 months ago

So I bought all the stuff, and it should be coming to me in shipments this week through Amazon. Made a couple changes to above. Went with a Cooler Master 690 II Advance mid tower case, and 650 W power supply. Will post video and pictures of build when I built it (hopefully Friday, Thursday at the earliest)

#10 Posted by Zurv (315 posts) - 2 years, 6 months ago

I'd look into getting an ATI video card for a HTPC. The audio hdmi audio out options are a different class than nvidia's. ie, nvidia's audio out via hdmi is gimpy (gts 450 is kinda crappy too)
i'd look @ the new ati 6000s
6850 seems like a nice cost/perf (still kinda weak imo.. but you are looking @ the crappy 450.. it is better than that.)

You'll kick youself if you ever plan on connecting that to a receiver (right now it is just a pc connected to your tv vs a htpc)...

don't get a mobo with hdmi.. that is a waste. your video card should be going video and audio via hdmi.

best htpc keyboard:
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/keyboards/keyboard/devices/192

i'd also suggest getting the wireless 360 controller for the computer too. no, just have a wireless 360 controller won't work. you need to get the pc adpator for it.
http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-Wireless-Gaming-Receiver-Windows-Pc/dp/B000HZFCT2


get a bluray reader - most can drive dvds and they are cheap

get everything SATA. not ghetto EIDE cables.
i'd also throw in a 60gig SSD for the boot drive.

also, as suggeste above use newegg and don't skimp out on the PS.

feel free to pm me if you like.. htpc is serious bizness :) (and there is nothing worse than spending money just to undershoot and limit your future options)

#11 Posted by PercyChuggs (1086 posts) - 2 years, 6 months ago

@Zurv said:

"
I'd look into getting an ATI video card for a HTPC. The audio hdmi audio out options are a different class than nvidia's. ie, nvidia's audio out via hdmi is gimpy (gts 450 is kinda crappy too)
i'd look @ the new ati 6000s
6850 seems like a nice cost/perf (still kinda weak imo.. but you are looking @ the crappy 450.. it is better than that.)

You'll kick youself if you ever plan on connecting that to a receiver (right now it is just a pc connected to your tv vs a htpc)...

don't get a mobo with hdmi.. that is a waste. your video card should be going video and audio via hdmi.

best htpc keyboard:
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/keyboards/keyboard/devices/192

i'd also suggest getting the wireless 360 controller for the computer too. no, just have a wireless 360 controller won't work. you need to get the pc adpator for it.
http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-Wireless-Gaming-Receiver-Windows-Pc/dp/B000HZFCT2
   get a bluray reader - most can drive dvds and they are cheap  get everything SATA. not ghetto EIDE cables.  i'd also throw in a 60gig SSD for the boot drive.also, as suggeste above use newegg and don't skimp out on the PS.  feel free to pm me if you like.. htpc is serious bizness :) (and there is nothing worse than spending money just to undershoot and limit your future options) "

And why don't I magically get an extra $500 for the stuff you say I should get.

#12 Posted by PercyChuggs (1086 posts) - 2 years, 6 months ago

Just an update. I got all my components on Tuesday, and stayed up all night trying to build, only to have it not work.

Various problems and fixes later, and it's finally all up and running at full speed tonight. It truly is awesome.

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The PC (Personal Computer) is a highly configurable and upgradable gaming platform that, among home systems, sports the widest variety of control methods, largest library of games, and cutting edge graphics and sound capabilities.

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