A hardware roundup – The Entry Level Build!

I have seen different sites put together a list of potential HTPC hardware for budgets under $1000 USD.  While many of these sites are showcasing some nice systems, I think there are multiple ways to approach this project.  As such, I put together my own list for a potential HTPC build while offering some options to hit different price points — entry level, mainstream/mid level and higher end systems — each less than $1000 USD. So here’s the first part of the series: The Entry Level Build.

For me, there are two things that drive my decision process when making a component selection for an HTPC; product performance/features and cost. I want technology that will offer good performance, aimed at the HTPC space, yet will not “break the bank”.  As I outlined in my previous blogs, the HTPC does not require the absolute highest performance products, nor should it be about buying the cheapest products. What the HTPC needs is a combination of more balanced products that offer good performance and low power draw — all within a reasonable budget. I have seen too many individuals less that satisfied with their HTPCs because they bought the absolute highest performance products on the market and their HTPC was just too loud.  Similarly, I have seen many others buy the cheapest products they could find only to realize their HTPC could not handle the tasks they desired.

So what can you expect from an entry level HTPC build?  An entry level system can handle many of your standard HTPC duties. It should be able to offer smooth HD playback without dropping frames. It should handle most streamed online content (think Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, etc.).  It should be able to drive HD resolutions (1080p, 720p) and do a decent job of upscaling standard DVDs.  It should be able to play most mainstream games at lower resolutions (1024 x 768, 800 x 600, etc.) and still look good.  However, check with the game manufacturer for complete system requirements. 

Motherboard
At the heart of any HTPC platform is the motherboard and critical to the motherboard is the chipset. For this entry level budget HTPC build, I opted for the Gigabyte GA-MA785GPMT-UD2H. This board has a host of features that make for a good HTPC system.  Being uATX, it can be put into a reasonably sized chassis (think ~VCR size). It is based upon the AMD RS785 chipset so it has great video performance and supports HD Resolutions (including Blu-ray), when combined with an HD monitor. The UVD-2 support is really useful for hardware acceleration of video related content.  The powerful integrated graphics eliminates the need for a discrete card (saving power and money). The HDMI output offers easy connectivity to your HD TV. All-in-all, this makes for a good solution for the HTPC. 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-MA785GPMT-UD2H $94.99 USD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128399&Tpk=GA-MA785GPMT-UD2H

CPU
Processing power plays an important role in an HTPC. Depending on what it is you want to do with your HTPC, you may need more speed in your CPU or you may need more cores in your CPU. For example, if you will be using your HTPC to do a lot of transcoding, a CPU with more cores will offer you better performance. However, some applications may benefit from higher frequencies. You should really look at all the applications you are going to be using with your HTPC and determine if those applications would benefit from more cores or higher frequencies. In any case, you will still want low power CPUs for their superior thermal performance.  The processor I selected for this entry build is the AMD Athlon^TM II X2 240 dual-core processor.  It is a dual core, low power processor that offers a great performance for the price. 

CPU: AMD Athlon^TM II X2 240 dual-core processor $60.99 USD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103688

CPU Cooler
This one can be a little harder to address. When buying an AMD Processor In a Box (PIB) product, the heatsink will generally come with the CPU purchase in a nice box. These can be very effective and quiet coolers for most HTPC tasks.

Memory
Now for memory. There are not a lot of optimizations a memory vendor can do for an HTPC type scenario. Unlike video games applications or other mainstream desktop applications, HTPCs don’t need the fastest memory available. Likewise, they don’t necessarily need huge amounts of memory to provide great performance. I have found that 2GB is a pretty good amount of memory to start with for an HTPC. Rule of thumb is to get as much of the fastest memory that fits within your budget.  For cost effectiveness, brand recognition and performance, I chose to go with memory from Kingston for this build.

Memory: Kingston 2GB Kit (2x1GB) of DDR3 1066 $43.99 USD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134492

Note: if you are using a 32 bit operating system, anything over 4GBs will not be recognized by the system (actually about 3.5GB will be seen by the OS).

HDD
Vendors like Seagate, Western Digital, and Hitachi also offer a variety of products for the PC space. Like AMD, they have some products that target this lower power environment.  Seagate’s Pipeline HD series, Western Digital’s Green series, and Hitachi’s Cinemastar series drives are optimized for low power and quiet operation.  These drives typically have fluid bearings, improved firmware and thermals that make them more suited for HTPC applications.  Like memory, more storage is usually a good thing for an HTPC.  If you plan on doing a lot of recording of TV, storing movies, music, etc. then again, purchasing as much storage as your budget allows is probably a good thing.  For this build I chose the Western Digital 500GB Green drive.

HDD: Western Digital 500GB Green HDD $54.99 USD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136358

Optical Disk Drive (ODD)
Selecting an optical drive can be a little challenging because it is often hard to tell the advantages of one over another. I have used a variety of drives over the years — some more reliable than others and some quieter than others. However, for me when it comes to the HTPC discussion, it boils down to DVD vs. Blu-ray. With the HD DVD / Blu-ray format war over, it does make the decision a little easier, but you still really need to look at what you are planning to do and how much you want to budget for the ODD. Upscaled DVD content can look very good on an HDTV. In my opinion, the clarity of Blu-ray really starts to show up at screen sizes larger than 50 inches. At 50 inches and below, upscaled DVD can look very nice and can save the consumer some money.  Therefore, to keep costs within an entry level price point, I opted for a standard DVD. 

ODD: Lite-On DVD ROM $17.99 USD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106274

Chassis
In an earlier blog, I covered some of the different chassis solutions on the market. Selecting a chassis really depends on personal tastes, budget, room decor, etc. The criteria I used below included a combination of price and functionality, yet still fitting the overall HTPC look and feel. However, adjust your budget based upon your own goals.

Chassis: HEC SECC 7K09 $54.99 USD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811121027

Power Supply
Included in Chassis for this build.  PSU selection is an important topic and we will talk more about this in upcoming blog.

Remote Control
The Remote Control is another important piece of your HTPC. I have already posted part 1 of the 2 part series on remote controls and I am currently working on the second part of that series. Microsoft’s Media Center product that is included with some versions of their operating system does a very nice job of bringing the “10-foot experience” to the PC. They make it very easy to access things like live and recorded TV (assuming you have a TV tuner installed), music, photos and more with just a remote. In fact, I have my HTPC set up so that I rarely (if ever) need to pick up a keyboard. As such, I think every HTPC user should add a remote to their configuration. Some higher-end remotes can be very expensive while offering more functionality, but may not be required for many of the basic functions of the HTPC. For a budget solution, I opted for the basic IR-based Media Center remote from Anywhere.

Remote: Anywhere Media Center Remote with IR receiver $22.99 USD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16880121001

Keyboard/Mouse
Similar to remotes, keyboards are another important part of your HTPC solution. See part 1 of the Remote Control series for more info on keyboard options. For this budget build, I chose the Logitech keyboard/mouse Bluetooth solution for both range and functionality. Having both keyboard and mouse functionality out of the same device makes it easy to use.  You could buy a separate keyboard and mouse as an option, but you would probably be close to this same price anyway.

Keyboard: Logitech Mediaboard Pro $69.99 USD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16879212011

Operating System
There are many different options here and many people will have their own opinion of what operating system to use.  For simplicity, I am suggesting Microsoft’s Windows Vista® Home Premium solution.  However, with Microsoft® Windows® 7 just around the corner, it may be worthwhile to wait and use that instead.  Everything I have seen with Windows 7 looks to be very impressive for both general PC duties in addition to HTPC duties.  (A Windows 7 capable PC configuration will be required.)   Linux® is another very viable option and very cost effective. However, you might need more experience with setting up and configuring a Linux based system to get everything working to your liking.

OS: Windows Vista® Home Premium $99.99 USD (or wait for Windows® 7 Home Premium)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116485

OK, that covers most of the components you will need.  The total cost of the hardware listed above comes to $420.92 USD + $99.99 USD for the operating system.  Not a bad price for everything you are getting.  Prices do not reflect any rebates or discounts that might be available nor does it include shipping costs.  Sometimes you can get bundle deals, free shipping, etc. So do your research to get the best deals when you purchase and you may be able to get even better prices than what’s listed here. 

Note, I am listing prices in US dollars found on Newegg as of the day this was written. They are not the only source and there are plenty of choices on where to purchase.

For those that would rather purchase a pre configured HTPC, see my “Build or Buy?” blog posting.

So, as you can see, building a budget HTPC is not all that expensive plus you can get very robust functionality.  In the next part of this series, we will look at a mainstream, mid level build and bump up some of the functions and features to get a more robust HTPC experience.

Till next time, Happy Trails!
Jay Taylor is a Senior Developer Relations Engineer at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.