AMD HTPC build.

[Gurusev]

Hey guys,
Long time lurker but posting for the first time so please be nice 😉 Before I start, I did search the forums however unable to find relevant information.

I am planning on building a HTPC styled box to run Kodi and other media files plus the usual youtube, Netflix etc for the lounge room. I’m kinda getting sick of plugging the laptop and transferring files between 3 external drives so I’ve started looking into building. I’m new to PC building however do have bit of clue what I’m after.

So, let’s get started with the parts I’m thinking of getting. I should also add I’m from Australia and will try to buy majority of the parts locally however giving the prices for certain parts (below CPU/MOBO/RAM combo), I may end up buying from NewEgg unless someone can suggest a better/cheaper website. Parts will be shipped to US based virtual address and then to Australia.

-CPU: AMD A8 7600( 65 TDP) or any other option?
-MOBO: Asrock FM2A88X ITX+
-RAM: G.Skill 8GB(2x4GB) DDR3 2400 ----- All three for around USD $180 at newegg
-SSD: 240gb Sandisk Ultra 2 or V300(locally around aud $100)
-CPU COOLER: Got way too many options! Initially, I was looking into water coolers such as Seidon 120V Plus or H60 due to local weather and also wanted to keep it as cool as possible however from bit of research it seems like air cooler such as Hyper 212 evo cools way better than low end liquid cooler.
-PSU: CX 430m, prefer the modular/Semi modular or something along the lines of this.

-CASE: Now this is where I cant make my mind. Initially, I wanted to go with m-Itx case however it seems like m-atx would be better/cheaper option and will provide better expandability in future and not to mention better airflow as the case will be in confined space. I was thinking about Node 804, Silverstonetek Razen series etc.
- OS & others: Will be using either Mint or windows as OS and also require a remote control and keyboard for surfing purposes.

Thanks in advance and any kind of assistance will be much appreciated.

 

[ComputerSecurityGuy]

Some advice:
1. Get a better PSU, the CX series is not very good.
2. True, the 212 EVO is much better but it is also a lot louder. For a 65W CPU your best bet might be one of those quiet low profile Noctua fans.
3. Consider going up to an A10-7800 or A8-7670K but it isn't necessary.
4. If you have a lot of money to throw around get an Athlon X4 860K + GTX 950. You get good CPU performance, great graphics, and best of all HDMI 2.0 and HEVC decode/encode, good features for a HTPC.

 

[nikoli707]

you can get an amazon fire stick and it runs kodi fine, can play mp4/mkv/etc. files pulled from your local network, and play youtube fine.

otherwise you would be best off just getting the amd 5350 soc or an intel atom setup in a tiny box. anything higher tier than those would be overkill. considering the low 35w total system power that those setups would draw under heavy load, any basic case that has an included 100w-150w power supply would work fine.

with that money saved you can just get a wireless router that will accept an external hard drive plugged into it and have all media seamlessly shared over your home network.

i have a haswell based pentium htpc, 8gb of ram, ssd, hdd, 450w psu, slick silverstone htpc case, etc etc etc, that i basically dont really use since my amazon firestick does kodi, youtube, local media just as good and easier with the included remote. your welcome to buy it lol.

 

[Gurusev]

Thanks @computersecurityguy & @nikoli707 for the suggestions and definitely taken on board. I should clarify couple of things.

CPU: The reason I chose a apu over cpu is basically cause of simplicity. I did looked into getting a CPU + graphics card but it will be too expensive and definitely an overkill. Secondly, temperature are around 30 on average in Australia so had to keep that mind. A10 was my first choice but TDP of 95w vs 65w of 7600 was of one deciding factor.

In terms of psu, what would be a good alternative keeping budget in mind. Also, the reason I'm going for a setup like this is total compatibility due to windows.I can definitely surf internet and do all other similar to a computer. I'm not sure how that works with Amazon fire stick.

Haha, I would like to buy if you are in Australia. Lol

Love to hear more suggestions. Keep them coming

 

[Outlander_04]

The Seasonic 350 watt psu is a very good choice for HTPC builds

Tower coolers tend to conflict with the HTPC style cases so they will not be an option . Use the stock cooler or a low profile model .
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/low-profile-heat-sink-mini-itx,3639.html
I have used the scythe Shuriken and it is good , but I like the Noctua with the top fan removed more .
The Zalman coolers are quite old models, perform well and are probably cheaper.

I too have a haswell based pentium htpc, 8gb of ram, ssd, hdd, 350w psu, slick silverstone htpc case [GD05]
and I have to say the graphics processor on the pentium is a dog . Sure it works but the drivers are rubbish because they have been dumbed down so much only an idiot would be happy with them . In the end I added a radeon 6450 .
If I was rebuilding it today I would be using an APU . Your choice is more than good enough for the kind of workloads you can expect

 

[Gurusev]

Thanks guys! Just bit of an update. After doing further research, I'm getting more confused about the processor, mobo and now case aswell

 

[nikoli707]

the denon av receiver will have a superior dac... the computer is just sending the original digital signal out through hdmi. you wont need a nice onboard audio if you will be using hdmi out to an amp. as far as a8 vs a10, that really depends on if you are trying to play video games. you wont be playing anything modern like grand theft auto 5 or similar on those processors anyways. both are capable of lower end games but not games you would see benchmarked for $100 graphics cards.