Relative HTPC Noob – Component Advice

[psg190]

I’ve always had a dedicated computer hooked up to my TV, but the reviews on this site have inspired me to go a little more classy and grab some power savings while I’m at it. I mainly store all of my content on my WHS and stream to my HTPC. MediaBrowser is where I spend most of my time while using the computer although in the near future I’ll probably pick up a CableCard Tuner. 

I’ve got a 50gb OCZ Vertex 2 SSD that I’ll be using in the system. I’m now trying to decide between the i3-2120T and the i5-2390T for the processor. I want something that will last me for a few years and I’m wondering if the extra $70 or so for the 2390T is worth it. 

I’m completely up in the air as far as the motherboard goes, but have been strongly considering the Intel DH61AG due to the low power nature and no need to buy a PSU.

For the case, I think I have my heart set on the Wesena ITX7-B.

Any help is appreciated and I look forward to getting more involved in this forum! 

[mikinho]

For a primary HTPC I would recommend going with a Core i5 myself.  Though you may want to look at the Core i5-2400S as the Core i5-2390T isn’t available retail AFAIK.

I’m a big fan of the DH61AG and use it for my primary system but do you plan to have an optical drive?  If so, you may consider a different board or replacing your SSD w/ a mSATA SSD.  The DH61AG only has two SATA ports.  You’ll want one for a dedicated data drive.  If you use the other for your SSD then you are limited to USB optical drives.  If you use an Intel mSATA SSD then you free up one of the SATA ports.  Just some other things to think about.

Note: Mentioning the data driver being a requirement since you mentioned a CableCARD tuner.  You do NOT want to record to your SSD, even if a few people do it, it is not recommended.

[psg190]

Thanks so much for the reply Michael. The 2400S is rated at 65W. Will I see much of a difference in power draw using that over the 2390T? 

As of right now I don’t have plans for an optical drive. If I did get one, would I be able to record shows straight to a data store on my WHS and forgo the addition of a storage drive?  I’ve seen some registry edits that may be done to allow recordings to a network share, but I’m not sure that they still work in W7. 

[mikinho]

Real world usage I think I saw 5W-10W difference between a Core i3-2100T and Core i5-2400S in a DH61AG.

Btw, I would go with the Intel Core i5-2405S, I had forgotten about that SKU 🙂

In terms of recording directly to your WHS.  No, I don’t recommend it.  You can setup your Recorded TV path in the registry to use UNC paths and grant the appropriate services rights but SBE was not designed to use over a LAN.  Any packet loss or latency will result in video glitches, MPEG corruption and possibly truncated recordings.

[psg190]

Now I’m torn! 🙂 So many great processors and so little time. Any performance issues with a non-internal CableCARD tuner? Thinking about the SiliconDust HDHomeRun Prime.

[mikinho]

[quote=psg190]

Now I’m torn! 🙂 So many great processors and so little time. 

[/quote]

You also have the option to wait for Ivy Bridge

[quote=psg190]

Any performance issues with a non-internal CableCARD tuner? Thinking about the SiliconDust HDHomeRun Prime.

[/quote]

I’m not the best guy to ask considering I work for Ceton 🙂

[psg190]

[quote=mikinho]

You also have the option to wait for Ivy Bridge

[/quote]

Hmm. Good point. I could just keep using my current setup until then. I do get obsolescence anxiety. 

[quote=mikinho]

I’m not the best guy to ask considering I work for Ceton 🙂

[/quote]

Didn’t I say Ceton? 🙂

You’ve successfully created more internal struggle on what/when to build. 

[millpub]

If I were building right now I would be tempted by the i5, but my current system is sporting an i3-2100t and I’ve been more than happy with it performance-wise. As Michael pointed out, there isn’t much of a wattage difference, but unless you are planning on doing a fair amount of transcoding or want some gaming headroom, the i3 processors will probably be fine. Also, just to echo Michael, it is not a good idea to record TV to a SSD or a network share. I have yet to move to an SSD in my HTPC, but I already now that my solution will be throw in a random little laptop hard drive and let the WHS TV manager transfer the video over to the server at its leisure. The recording drive doesn’t need to be especially high capacity, just enough to record an evening’s worth of television.

[psg190]

Which i5 would you go with and do you have any alternative motherboard suggestions? MacMall does carry the 2390T. I really like the DH61AG for a motherboard, but I guess it does leave a little to be desired in the way of expansion. What are you using? I’m now wondering if any current motherboards will be compatible with Ivy Bridge chipsets. 

[babgvant]

[quote=psg190]

Which i5 would you go with and do you have any alternative motherboard suggestions? MacMall does carry the 2390T. I really like the DH61AG for a motherboard, but I guess it does leave a little to be desired in the way of expansion. What are you using? I’m now wondering if any current motherboards will be compatible with Ivy Bridge chipsets. 

[/quote]

H67 boards will be compatible with IVB, I’m not sure if H61 (what the DH61AG uses) will be.

The main benefit of IVB will be advances in GPU performance, with a little bit of clock and power efficiency gain on the CPU side.  If you’re not playing games there shouldn’t be a huge difference in performance b/w the platforms.

[babgvant]

[quote=psg190]

Now I’m torn! 🙂 So many great processors and so little time. Any performance issues with a non-internal CableCARD tuner? Thinking about the SiliconDust HDHomeRun Prime.

[/quote]

No.  FWIW, I’ve been using the PRIME exclusively for a few months.  Preferring the flexibility that an external, network attached DCT provides to an additional tuner. 

Unless you need the extra tuner or can get the USB model for a great price (e.g. Newegg was selling it for $239 over the weekend) its hard to go wrong with the HDHR.

[babgvant]

[quote=babgvant]

 

Newegg was selling it for $239 over the weekend

[/quote]

Looks like that price is still good.

[millpub]

If you can find the 2390T, that should be a pretty solid HTPC processor. At 35W TDP and 2.7 GHz, with up to 3.5 GHz under turbo, it sips power and still offers plenty of performance, and would probably be my pick if I were building simply because I would like the extra gaming horsepower in my HTPC. If you are transcoding and your software takes advantages for four cores, I would probably hold out for the 2500T. Its four cores are a little slower, but a properly multi-threaded transcoder will definitely benefit.

[psg190]

[quote=babgvant]

No.  FWIW, I’ve been using the PRIME exclusively for a few months.  Preferring the flexibility that an external, network attached DCT provides to an additional tuner. 

Unless you need the extra tuner or can get the USB model for a great price (e.g. Newegg was selling it for $239 over the weekend) its hard to go wrong with the HDHR.

[/quote]

Yeah, I love that I could leave the prime on the network. I do have a WHS 2011 box that’s always on. I could throw a VM on it and use that to schedule/record shows. I guess by the same reasoning though I could just as easily throw the Ceton on it :).

[psg190]

[quote=millpub]

If you can find the 2390T, that should be a pretty solid HTPC processor. At 35W TDP and 2.7 GHz, with up to 3.5 GHz under turbo, it sips power and still offers plenty of performance, and would probably be my pick if I were building simply because I would like the extra gaming horsepower in my HTPC. If you are transcoding and your software takes advantages for four cores, I would probably hold out for the 2500T. Its four cores are a little slower, but a properly multi-threaded transcoder will definitely benefit.

[/quote]

Looks like MacMall has the OEM chip in stock:

http://www.macmall.com/p/product~dpno~8853067~pdp.gihjgde;jsessionid=552A4E94972865F9CAB435CFAC257DD3?emOmni=null&source=MWBGOOGLEBASE

I don’t do a terribly large amount of transcoding, but who knows what the future has in store.

[Author]

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