Please help me build my first PC!

[quote=”schreibman”]
o I use NAS storage, and need the HTPCs SSD to record a days’ worth of content.(will copy to NAS ‘afterhours’).
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I would recommend not doing this unless you limit your TV recordingviewing to less than an hour or possible two depending on your SSD size.  Here is the reviewreference on why I suggest that: [url=http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1233/1/]http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1233/1/[/url].  Even at 256GB drives ~42GB/day isn’t a lot for a primary DVR.

The data is based on the WD SiliconEdge Blue which isn’t the highest rated SSD but it gives you a good idea for comparable drives.

[quote]The operational lifespan on the drive is unlimited when it comes to read, but the write lifespan varies depending on the size drive you have as the larger the capacity the more writes you can do as there are more MLC NAND Flash chips. WD used LifeEst methodology to figure out how many writes per day a drive can do in a typical five year service span, which is interesting as our readers are always interested in how long an SSD will last.

Write Operational Lifespans:
256GB – 42.1GB/Day
128GB – 21.0GB/Day
64GB – 10.5GB/Day

These aren’t bad figures and most consumers today are not writing that much data to their drives on a daily basis even with all your browser caching! Let’s take a look inside the drive and see what makes it tick.[/quote]

[quote=”schreibman”]
o   Installing 8 gigs ram via 2 4 gig modules – eliminate page file & keep 2 open slots “just in case”
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Since you mention this being your first PC, make sure to insert the modules in the proper pairing (I’m assuming you will be purchasing dual channel DDR3).

I also would recommend not eliminating your page file.  Whats the point?  It will only be used if needed and for crash dumps so why not leave it there?  SSD are great for page files as well.

[quote=”schreibman”]
o   SSD for performance, noise and heat considerations.
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Make sure to set AHCI mode in the BIOS before installing Windows to fully benefit from the SSD speed.

[quote=”schreibman”]
• CPU –  [url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115068/]Intel Core i3-560 Clarkdale 3.33GHz $149.99[/url]
• Tuner- [url=https://www.fluiddigitalmedia.com/orders/new/]Ceton InfinitTV 4  $399.00[/url]
• Case – [url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811204040/]nMEDIAPC Black  HTPC 1080P Micro ATX Case $79.99[/url]
• Power Supply -[url=http://www.mini-box.com/picoPSU-150-XT-102-power-kit%20/]picoPSU-150-XT + 102W Adapter Power Kit $69.50[/url]
• Motherboard -[url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121394/]Intel XDH55TC H55 HDMI Micro ATX  Motherboard  $89.99[/url]
• Drive -[url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167031/]Intel X25-M 2.5″ 80GB SATA II MLC Solid State Drive (SSD) $214.99[/url]
• Memory –  [url=http://www.crucial.com/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=F04A1727A5CA7304/]Crucial  8GB (2 * 4GB) DDR3 PC3-10600 memory modules$219.99[/url]
• Blu-ray Drive – [url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136181/]LG Black 10X Blu-ray Burner -SATA WH10LS30 LightScribe $99.99[/url]

All in I am looking at about $1,400 after shipping and miscellaneous.
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All your component look great.  My only recommendation would be a different SSD.  I have several X25-M and they served me well but there are newer, faster drivers available now that also support TRIM.

I would look at the [url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148358]Crucial RealSSD[/url] or [url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233124]Corsair Force[/url] myself.  Their read and write speeds exceed the Intel X25-M.  The Intel Solid State Toolbox is a nice utility but the price saving and performance benefit of new drivers win  ;D

You may run into an issue with power.  With the i3 proc running at full load, the motherboard, two sticks of ram and just one 2.5″ drive, you will be running at the full load of your power brick and you haven’t even added the Ceton tuner or the blu-ray drive.
You could opt for the larger 150W power brick (http://www.mini-box.com/12v-12-5A-AC-DC-Power-Adapter) but you still may come up short on power.

You could also try going with either a quiet ATX power supply, lower power CPU or both.  I built up (on paper) a system similar to yours with a quad-core 45W AMD proc, 880G based MB, a seasonic S12II power supply, and the Corsair SSD Mikinho suggested for about $825 no tincluding the Ceton.  Dunno if this link will work, but here is the wishlist I saved it to: https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=14087725

-Aaron

It’s true about the power supply.  I have a Seasonic in my HTPC and an Antec in my main PC; I have to get right up beside them to hear them running.