Hey Guys,
So, I finally built the HTPC. Now that the build is done and I have a little time, I'll share with you my experience.
First, here is a description of the parts and some basic rationale.
This was to be my first HTPC build, designed largely to replace a 7-year old Tivo. We wanted a new LCD TV to fit into our current entertainment center, and we had room to put a 15" deep PC below it. Neither my wife nor I are too picky about sound quality, visual quality, nor aesthetics. We also wanted to minimize our cost, but at the same time, I don't have a ton of time to monkey around with things and we have a low tolerance for failure, but I really wanted something with more flexibility and capability than a stand-alone system (like Tivo). The HTPC was to go in our main level, and our computers and network are located on the lower level. More on the networking issues later.
I purchased most of the parts from Newegg. I took about a month to purchase them, during which time I would opportunistically buy when the price seemed relatively low. I also used combo deals when it saved me money. Prices listed below reflex the discounts, and shipping was almost always free.
Parts:
Chip: Athlon II X4 640 (4 cores, 3 GHz, 95W) – I wanted 4 cores for the times when I would want to transcode video. I was hoping that the 95W TDP would be acceptable in my build. $99.
RAM: 4 GB from Kingston, using a set that both MSI and Kingston said would work with the motherboard (I've learned to be picky about memory). $57
Motherboard: MSI 890GXM-G65 – I wanted a micro ATX board that had USB 3 and SATA 6. I was torn between an 880 board with the ATI 4250 integrated card (exemplified by this Gigabyte board
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128445) or the more powerful 890 board with the ATI 4290 integrated card. When this MSI board (
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1681313026) went on sale for the same price as the lowest price I had seen for the Gigabyte board ($99), I decided to go for it. Will I ever see the benefit of the slightly more powerful 4290? Only time (the 4th dimension, not our esteemed member) will tell. $99.
TV Tuner - Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 - dual tuners that support both digital and analog signals, came with remote. I also wanted to steer clear of the less-known boards, and this one seemed to have pretty good reviews at Newegg and some phone support if needed (
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116036). $125.
Case - HEC micro ATX case with 300W power supply. I needed a case <=15" deep to fit within my TV stand, and I wanted to spend as little as possible on the case thinking that it would usually not be noticed. More on that later ... (
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811121100). $50.
Hard Drive - 2 TB WD Caviar Green (20EARS (
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136514). $80.
Optical - LITE-ON iHOS104-06 Blu ray/DVD reader. If I do any burning, it would likely be from my desktop PC. (
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106325). $36.
OS - Windows 7 Professional (wanted to run Remote Desktop so I could access the HTPC from my desktop computer without having to resort to hacking my registry) $119.
HDMI cable - I decided that this was a good deal at only $10,000 new (
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ils?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1291080509&sr=1-1&seller=). Just kidding, $4 at Newegg.
Wireless keyboard/mouse - mostly going for cheat as I didn't expect to use the keyboard all that much. (
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002H0BOBA/ref=oss_product). $40
TV - Samsung 46" LN46C630 (
http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-...2_7-33985355.html?tag=contentMain;contentBody). Primary atributes of interest were size (we wanted it to fit into our current TV stand, and by our calculations, 46" was the sweet spot for our room), and price. We found this on sale and were able to purchase it with the help of a discount. $800.
Total cost of the HTPC - $709, plus $800 for the TV.