media pc build recommendations
Howdy, don't often make threads but my brother is chasing some suggestions on building a media machine to sit plugged into his tele for storage and streaming and I haven't really been following the game.
The guy is a massive mac fanboy (iMac, Macbook, Apple TV, iPad, iPhone, iPod ETC) and I think because of it has set an equally (seemingly) massive budget for his spend $1500-$3000. He already has a NAS that he plans on using for his backups but rather than buying additional NAS-units he said he would rather go this route. My personal thoughts were to build a "does the job" system (below his budget) and allow for the future addition of more storage (as hdd's decrease in price over time). Looking for suggestions / opinions - here's a basic list I chucked together: Intel Core i3 2120 3.30Ghz 3MB Cache LGA1155 CPU Internet Price: $122.00 Asus P8B75-M B75,4DDR3,4+1+1PP,HDMI,DVI,DSUB,GBLAN,LLC MVP,mATX Internet Price: $79.00 G Skill 8G(2x4G)DDR3 1333Mhz PC3-10666 CL7(F3-10666-8GBXH) Internet Price: $55.00 Liteon IHBS312(BLACK) BLURAY BURNER/12X BDWRITE/16XDVDRW/48XCDRW Internet Price: $82.00 Western Digital 3TB Green 64MB SATA 3 WD30EZRX [x2] Internet Price: $169.00 OCZ Agility 3 60G SATA3 SSD Internet Price: $62.00 Gigabyte GF GT610 Silent PCI-E 2.0 1GB 64-bit DDR3,810/1200 MHz,DVI,HDMI,VGA,Fan,LOW PRO Internet Price: $44.00 Corsair HX-650 ATX Power Supply, 120mm fan Internet Price: $131.50 [is this plenty enough even running say.. 8 drives?] Silverstone Fortress FT01 Black $189 Logitech diNovo Edge $145 TOTAL COST: $1247.50 [2x 3TB TOTAL] +x2 WD GREEN 3TB = $1585.50 [4x 3TB TOTAL] +x4 WD GREEN 3TB = $1923.50 [6x 3TB TOTAL] Couple of specific things: a) Any suggestions on a case? He said he'd possibly prefer a media (HTPC) style case but the priority is having room for expansion regarding the storage capabilities. The Silverstone FT01 seemed like a good design to me with lots of bays so I chucked it in before he suggested a preference. b) is the graphics card a complete waste being that there is onboard HDMI? c) he has a 55" Samsung LED 3D TV. He will never play games using this machine. Cheers aye |
07:29pm 09/08/12 Permalink
I'm going to have to rebuild soon due to a mobo slowly dying. Thinking of a Silverstone ATX LC17B (HTPC style) since its got 6x hd capacity and 2x external plus it will fit in my tv stand.
I'm going with a cheaper cpu since all it needs to be able to do is decode 1080p and since the cpu can handle the decoding I'll just use onboard video. The rest I can't comment on since I have all the parts already. |
07:49pm 09/08/12 Permalink
Asus P8B75-M B75,4DDR3,4+1+1PP,HDMI,DVI,DSUB,GBLAN,LLC MVP,mATX Ditch the ASUS and go ASRock as they are generally more reliable. G Skill 8G(2x4G)DDR3 1333Mhz PC3-10666 CL7(F3-10666-8GBXH) A bit overkill for streaming. 4GB will suffice if you want to save a few dollars. Western Digital 3TB Green 64MB SATA 3 WD30EZRX [x2] This is currently one of the most failure-prone big drives on the market. Avoid. OCZ Agility 3 60G SATA3 SSD While the low price attracts people, don't be fooled: another known failure-prone drive. OCZ should not be making SSDs full-stop. Corsair HX-650 ATX Power Supply, 120mm fan I think that's a bit overkill even for 8 drives. Take into account you won't have a high end video card in there running BF3, so you've already produced heaps of breathing space in terms of available power. I'd go the OCZ Fatal1ty 550W as it's much cheaper ($70-ish) but is still modular. (For the record I hate the Fatal1ty "brand" but this PSU is actually good). b) is the graphics card a complete waste being that there is onboard HDMI? This may very well be the case. I didn't get a graphics card for my latest build. Try the build without one and see if it works well. If not, add a card later. Though I bought a CPU that had Intel Graphics 3000 (not 2000 which is what your CPU will have) - have a read on forums as to whether others have used 2000 for media PCs. Overall you're on the right track, just need a bit of tweaking to jump to better models/brands if you want the build to be stable. last edited by parabol at 20:08:18 09/Aug/12 |
08:02pm 09/08/12 Permalink
I would advise against not having networked storage, I was surprised to discover how much of the noise from my PC was the platter drive spinning when I got an SSD. I reckon noise has got to be a key issue with a media PC, make sure the case is quite, the PSU is quite and have as little extraneous components as possible to cut down on the noise. On his budget you could easily get a NAS for media as well as a HTPC.
If you don't want to use it as a games machine as well as a media PC then there probably isn't really a need for the GFX card. You might want to consider getting a tablet and using Unified Remote instead of getting the expensive logitech keyboard, not sure if it's available on Apple but if he already has an ipad being an Apple fanboy you might want to check. You could also possibly get a samsung remote app for the TV on the tablet as well if it's a wifi TV. |
08:50pm 09/08/12 Permalink
*Quiet !
Agree with leaving the video card out and trying the onboard first. |
08:59pm 09/08/12 Permalink
if he has a NAS why not just buy a WD or a PVR and stream?
http://www.itopfield.com.au/product-detail.asp?idx=249 http://www.wdc.com/en/products/homeentertainment/ |
09:10pm 09/08/12 Permalink
Even one of those super cheap android HDMI dongles would be fine, don't need a stream then, just wireless.
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09:12pm 09/08/12 Permalink
Ditch the ASUS and go ASRock as they are generally more reliable. S***loads of research (user reviews from multiple major sellers and trawling manufacturer's forums to learn about common problems) prior to purchasing motherboards over the last couple of generations. Then backed up by: http://www.behardware.com/articles/862-2/components-returns-rates-6.html (In their favour, ASUS did a bit better than before with their Z77 range) |
09:37pm 09/08/12 Permalink
ocz is alright id bet 50 that the reason most people whinge about them is because they have nfi how to get them running correctly. i have a vertex 2 & 4 with no problems
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09:44pm 09/08/12 Permalink
That's a big call parabol. I remember back about 8 years ago when I worked for Global we had the Asus rep come in and tell us all about their new AsRock budget-arm range and how essentially the boards are manufactured in the same way, but they didn't have after-build Quality Control checking to anywhere near the level that the Asus boards did.
But that was 8 years ago and I have no idea whether their ethos/methods are still the same. |
09:47pm 09/08/12 Permalink
ocz is alright id bet 50 that the reason most people whinge about them is because they have nfi how to get them running correctly. ... and you would have lost your 50 instantly. People whinge about OCZ because their quality control is s***, which has caused them to have many, many firmware issues on their drives spanning several generations and models of their hardware. In contrast Intel picked up Sandforce and released stable firmware on their own while OCZ was still struggling to solve their endless issues. And lol @ "because they have nfi how to get them running correctly". I've never had to do anything for the three Crucials I bought and installed. Not a single firmware or special driver or patch required. Just installed Windows 7 and done. But that was 8 years ago and I have no idea whether their ethos/methods are still the same. Yep the 8 years thing is probably the issue there. I didn't touch ASRock when their first models started shipping. Even a couple of years ago I still wouldn't touch them with a 10 foot pole. But over the last few generations they've been better than both ASUS and Gigabyte on average. You can rest assured that if they push a couple of generations of bad hardware I will just as quickly warn people against them. Also I'm not sure what's "bold" about my claim. Just read up the user-reviews/issues of the common boards from the three manufacturers over the last couple of gens of hardware for yourself like I did before I came to that conclusion. My only goal is to narrow down and buy the most stable hardware possible as I hate having to troubleshoot random crashes, etc - I just don't have time for it! last edited by parabol at 22:00:46 09/Aug/12 |
09:52pm 09/08/12 Permalink
if he has a NAS why not just buy a WD or a PVR and stream? Or even better just jailbreak the Apple TV that he already has. |
10:20pm 09/08/12 Permalink
Ok my question is does he want a Turner Card and record TV? If he doesnt I would recommend buying a cheap pc even mini itx (that is what i have done) and store all your movies on NAS drive. System is quiet and all your storage is somewhere else and you run your torrents etc on ya NAS drive and you also save on power etc. Also if he has NAS drive you buy several Apple TV and jailbreak them and run plex on XBMC and run your movies anywhere. just buy nice Powerful NAS!!!
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10:30pm 09/08/12 Permalink
Such fanboyism parabol..
firmware issues for cruical I also just installed win 7 and ubuntu on my drives with no dramas but as with ANY SSD they must be maintained and setup correctly or dont expect them to last. OCZ is fine as is any other brand no one brand is clearly better than others at the moment as SSD's are still young and just getting mainstream. |
06:49am 10/08/12 Permalink
haha, no way rdizz
CRUCIAL ARE PERFECT AND NEVER HAVE ANY ISSUES, lulz at parabol id go asus over asrock as well ive always built machines for myself and my customers with asus, never had any issues, will continue to use asus i too have an ocz drive, hasnt skipped a beat (i have had issues with other sandforce drives, they've all be resolved now with a few firmware updates, no biggie) |
06:55am 10/08/12 Permalink
id go asus over asrock as well Asus has a name but from my personal experience, I believe the failure rates on Asus were higher then Asrock. Even with all solid state caps and extra copper Asus use in their boards. Return rates on Asrock are much lower for quantities sold within Australia. Though that being said Asus warranty is now very fast within Australia compaired to Asrock. SSD's I would go Intel/Corsair Both have awesome return polices. Intel have lowest return rate Aus wide but be prepaired to pay a little more. I believe everything parabol has said, has pretty much been spot on. If your looking for fast warranty within Australia go Gigabyte/Asus. (Tip if you have problems with these items call Asus or Gigabyte direct they will be more then helpful). Both have contact numbers within Australia for support and I know they have a less then a 2 day turn around policy from the distributor. this mean a repaired or new board within a couple of days. |
09:55am 10/08/12 Permalink
firmware issues for cruical CRUCIAL ARE PERFECT AND NEVER HAVE ANY ISSUES Oh wow, almost all those threads in your google search link are about the one bug that was insta-fixed on first attempt (compared to how many bugs and fixed for OCZ that they're still struggling with?) Must be conclusive evidence that Crucial is so s*** and OCZ is way better. Har Har, very mature guys. Such fanboyism parabol.. Yeah totally, I must have some definite bias and hate OCZ. It's not like I recommended the OP to buy an OCZ PSU earlier in the thread... I'd go the OCZ Fatal1ty 550W Oh wait, I did! But you wouldn't know because you don't read posts properly before flapping at the keyboard. |
10:14am 10/08/12 Permalink
ok, let me be more accurate, SSD fanboyism.
I am not sure where you are getting this info from (provide a link?) but I never did a firmware update on my Vertex 2 until I got my vertex 4 a month ago and never had a problem and its still got 89% life left. I think people just read more about OCZ having problems because they are the best selling. Also please point out to me where I said crutial is s***? If you read my post correctly you would notice I said most ssd's brands are equal (not including performance) and in saying that I mean all have their fair share of bugs or hardware issues. |
07:36pm 10/08/12 Permalink
ok, let me be more accurate, SSD fanboyism. Yes my recommendation of either of two manufacturers (Intel or Crucial) each widely known for their stability and good quality control, over a manufacturer (OCZ) that's notorious in the industry for generations of buggy SSDs is total fanboism and does not in any way take into account any actual facts. You got me. *rolls eyes* /exit_thread last edited by parabol at 19:55:57 10/Aug/12 |
07:50pm 10/08/12 Permalink
see all the crap you have to deal with deeper.
just go a pvr for recording TV, hell grab a Tivo, or WD for streaming from your NAS |
07:51pm 10/08/12 Permalink
see all the crap you have to deal with deeper. or just buy a samsung tele and do it all via the tele, like i do (note, i dont watch any free to air, or record free to air, even though i can) i do watch all my downloaded tv straight through my samsung tv, which is wired to my pc (i could do it wirelessly, but wireless is s***) |
08:14pm 10/08/12 Permalink
I bought a WD TV Live thingo recently, it does the job really well. ~$130
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08:52pm 10/08/12 Permalink
You can get a media PC for pretty cheap. You don't need a discreet video card if you're not playing video games, any decent on-board video and modern CPU will be able to decode high-bitrate 1080p videos just fine.
As for the SSD stuff, by god, avoid OCZ. Their failure rates are absurdly high and for good reason. Not only is their firmware buggy as hell but the actual flash chips they use are of low quality too. Basically, you get what you pay for. The only good thing OCZ SSDs do is drive down the market price of more reliable SSD brands. Intel is the recommended and most expensive option but as mentioned, Crucial is good too. I have a couple of Corsair Force 3 drives that work great (Corsair SSDs had some issues initially too, but they were sorted pretty quickly and Corsair has a good returns policy). |
12:24am 12/08/12 Permalink
I might also add that these keyboards are awesome for media center use.
http://i.imgur.com/jZZJ6.jpg They're a bit big and are useless for gaming, but they make typing a lot easier than using an OSK and a remote and have a built in trackball, negating the need for a mouse. |
12:43am 12/08/12 Permalink
My last mobo was an Asus, it will be the last Asus mobo I buy.
It needs to have wake from PCIE enabled or it boots up everytime saying overclocking failed (even when not overclocking). That was the "official" Asus solution to the bug. |
12:42pm 12/08/12 Permalink
I might also add that these keyboards are awesome for media center use. that's massive and in my opinion a bit too big for home use. i prefer using this - rechargeable and easy to type with. http://media.kogan.com/tcache/aa/2f/aa2fb2b16405f08ed7fd53fa35f39e5c.jpg $34.00 kogan |
04:16pm 12/08/12 Permalink
Cheers everyone for the suggestions so far. He seems set on getting an actual PC - I suppose because he doesn't have one to use currently and our old place had an actual media PC with a few drives whacked into it (as well as two NAS units).
As an update, the case has been ordered and this is what he decided on: http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=25_1290_608&products_id=20105 Silverstone Grandia GD08 The rest is still undecided at this stage but will let yas know! |
05:35pm 12/08/12 Permalink
that's massive and in my opinion a bit too big for home use. i prefer using this - rechargeable and easy to type with. I have one of those as well. It's... okay. Typing with it is a lot slower and the trackpad is terrible. Not being able to turn off "tap to click" makes it nigh-unusable. The laser pointer is fun though. My cats love it. |
05:17am 13/08/12 Permalink
