First PC (and HTPC) build

leemc37

Honorable
Nov 5, 2013
2
0
10,510
Hi, I've never actually built a machine from scratch before, and I wanted to build a machine to act primarily as a HTPC.

I've started using Plex, but would like the flexibility to switch to XBMC or something else later. Also, I'm hoping to add a TV tuner to this build so that ultimately I can use it to watch and record live TV and get rid of my Tivo (my Tivo is tied to a cable account which is costing more than I'd like to spend, given that I watch relatively little live TV). Finally, I'm after something relatively small, that will fit in a cupboard beneath the TV, so I've gone for a Mini ITX case and tried to find suitable components.

I've already got a separate NAS, but again I'd like to build a HTPC with the scope to add more storage to this machine if needed later.

So basically, I've done a fair bit of research and come up with a set of components which I think give me the power I need, at the minimum cost, but I'd love some feedback from people who actually know what they're doing...

So here's the spec on Amazon:

Cooler Master Elite 120 case (mini ITX)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008M6THIU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_9?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

Celeron G1610 CPU
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00B4NZYRQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_8?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

ASRock H61MV-ITX motherboard
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00CAC8LJI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1V6Z2X9I7KSQG

WD 1TB Caviar Blue hard drive
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0088PUEPK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AH32YJP281GBN

PicoPSU 120
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005TWE3O8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AGV2U8ZXEX1PI

2x4GB Kingston DDR3 1333MHZ memory
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008CP5Q7M/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

I suppose my key questions are, are there any obvious incompatibilities between components that I've missed? I've done all the research I can, so I'm not asking people to do it for me, but pointing out any obvious gotcha's would be appreciated.

Also, are the motherboard and CPU basically good enough to play whatever video I throw at them? e.g. 1080p when available?

Thanks!
 
it is haswell version of your build

please modify it into your liking

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Pentium G3220 3.0GHz Dual-Core Processor (£42.60 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: Asus H81I-PLUS Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard (£61.37 @ Dabs)
Memory: PNY XLR8 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£37.88 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£46.74 @ Aria PC)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 120 Advanced (Black) Mini ITX Tower Case (£33.02 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 450W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply (£35.34 @ Scan.co.uk)
Total: £256.95
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-05 11:43 GMT+0000)
 
Thanks, I've taken a look through that list. Not sure what the pros and cons of it are versus mine other than a slightly better processor and motherboard, though they're almost double the cost of my board and CPU, which comes back to my original question, do I need this better setup for watching HD video or will the ones I've chosen do the job?