Low-cost Streaming HTPC
If all you need your HTPC to do is stream
videos and music over your network, you don't need a lot of horsepower to
achieve great results. You also don't need a large case - the smallest of
mini-ITX boxes will do just fine. The Zotac Ion ITX S-E combined motherboard
and processor is the ideal starting point, then all that needs to be added is
the case, power supply and storage.
Zotac
Launches Atom D525 ION Mini-ITX Board
If you use XBMCbuntu, you don't even need
to factor Windows 7 into your shopping list, although some of the hardware
functionality provided by the Zotac board may not work properly. The Zotac
motherboard is entirely passively cooled as well, so you don't need to invest
in pricey low noise coolers.
Shopping List
·
Zotac Ion ITX S-E motherboard and CPU
·
4GB of RAM
·
60GB Corsair SSD
·
CIT S003B Black Mini ITX case
·
Windows 7 Home Premium
Total cost:
$560 inc VAT
General Purpose HTPC
Asus
P8H61-M LE/USB3 Basic Micro ATX Motherboard
If you plan to use your HTPC as a general
computer as well as just a media playback box, a full-fat processor will give
you many times the performance of an Intel Atom-based alternative. For this
spec, we've chosen a low-cost Asus motherboard with USB 3.0 support, 4GB of
memory, an i3 chip and nice quiet PSU. The overall cost of this system is well
under $630. If you want to have the space to store your multimedia collection
locally, the Silverstone case also accommodates up to two 3.5" desktop
hard drives - impressive for such a slim form factor.
Shopping List
·
P8H61-M LE Micro ATX motherboard
·
Arctic Cooling Freezer 11
·
Intel Core i3 2100 processor
·
4GB of DDR3 RAM
·
Silverstone Milo ML03 case
·
24x DVD-RW drive
·
BeQuiet 530W power supply
·
120GB Corsair solid-state drive
·
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Total cost:
$720 inc VAT
High-End HTPC
ASUS
P8Z77-M PRO - Motherboard - micro ATX
If you feel the need for speed, then a
quad-core chip will provide huge amounts of performance. This kind of processor
will need to be kept nice and cool, so a bigger case than the ML03 we used
previously is recommended in order to accommodate the larger cooler needed to
keep temperatures in check without generating too much noise. We've also
splashed out on a top-notch motherboard here so that you can get the best out
of the 6Gbps solid-state drive and integrated video of the Intel chip. The case
is also large enough to accommodate a video card with real gaming credentials.
Just remember to choose one with a quiet cooler (or go for a passive model)
otherwise it will undermine your other efforts to keep the noise level down.
Shopping List
·
Asus P8Z77-M Pro micro-ATX motherboard
·
Scythe Shuriken Rev.B quiet, low-profile CPU
cooler
·
Intel Core i5 3570K processor
·
8GB of DDR3 RAM
·
Silverstone Grandia GD04 case
·
Samsung Blu-ray combo drive
·
BeQuiet 530W power supply
·
120GB Corsair solid-state drive
·
2TB Seagate 7200rpm HDD
·
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Total cost:
$1280 inc VAT
Powerful Gaming HTPC Tower
Fractal
Design Define mini case
Moving to a tower-based case rather than an
HTPC-specific model gives you a lot more flexibility when it comes to what
hardware you can put inside. The following spec, for example, will allow you to
enjoy any current game at ultra-high levels of detail. The case is smaller than
a normal midi tower, but it's still bulky compared to the options we've looked
at previously. Making the system quiet is much easier thanks to the extra
space, however. A system like this can be made to generate as little as 12
decibels - difficult to hear even in the dead of night!
Shopping List
·
Fractal Design Define mini case
·
Intel Core i5 2500K
·
Gelid Tranquillo ultra low noise CPU cooler
·
Asus P8Z77-M REV 3.0 Micro ATX motherboard
·
Gainward GeForce GTX 560 Ti 'Phantom' 1.0GB
·
8GB Corsair RAM (2 x 4GB)
·
120GB Corsair solid-state drive
·
1TB Seagate 7200rpm HDD
·
Samsung Blu-ray
·
680W BeQuiet Straight Power cable-managed PSU
Total cost:
$1568 inc VAT
