Recommend HTPC.

[Silenus]

Hey Everybody.

Need recommendations on a HTPC.

Right now I have these devices.

PS3
Wii
Android Tablet (HP Touchpad)
Smartphone (Galaxy Note)
Asus G50vt Laptop (Check Sig)
Toshiba 40" HDTV 240hz

Right now I'm using my Laptop connected to my HDTV to watch netflix, but I don't like that first because the laptop gets very hot, it's always plugged and sometimes it stays on for days.

I'm thinking of getting rid of 2 or 3 devices.

The Tablet ---> Not really using that much.
My Laptop ---> Get an ultrabook down the line
Wii ---> Aside from the latest Zelda, no more games.

The HTPC needs to have this qualities:

Stylish.
Quiet.
Bluetooth.
Wifi.

Uses will be for.
Netflix.
Playing music and videos from own hdd.
Browsing. I check the forums from my bed on my HDTV.

Budget is 600 tops.

Take in consideration I'm not gaming on my PC anymore.
So not really a fan of specs, just need it enough for 1080p video and to handle a lot of chrome tabs.

I've been actually thinking of the Mac Mini.
Looks great, has a full OS. Could install Windows if needed.

I already have a bluetooth mouse and keyboard.

Not sure I want to build a rig on my own, it would need to be quiet and really small.

I don't want a tower on top of my drawer.

Haven't really seen many htpc, so please recommend alternatives.

__________________

DELL XPS 13 ULTRABOOK

...Mis sueños son mentiras que algun día dejarán de serlo...

[runawayprisoner]

If you play games, forget Mac Mini.

But if you don't game, it's the absolute best package you can get in my opinions, and I have tried to build a similar HTPC for years without any success. The combination of that compact design, ultra efficient mobile chip, durable aluminum body, and best of all, almost silent operation, is a godsend.

[masta.g.86]

Buy any higher end AMD APU (CPU + GPU), a feature-rich motherboard, and a nice looking case.

Head over to newegg to check out some options. I don't know if they ship to you, but there's nothing wrong with looking just to get some ideas. Look particularly at mini-ITX and micro-ATX motherboards and try to find a matching case.

__________________

The truth is there for those who choose to see it.

Core i7 2600K 4.2GHz | 8GB DDR3 1600MHz
AMD Radeon HD6870 Vapor-X | Samsung 24" Widescreen 1920x1200
Realtek HD 7.1 | Klipsch 5.1 Surround Sound
Samsung 6X BD-ROM | WD 1TB + 2TB Black
Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit

Join the NGEmu Folding@Home Team! Info
Download the standard client here OR preferably download the GPU or SMP client here.
Set your team ID to: 161326

[SCHUMI_4EVER]

mATX H61 board + Intel Pentium G processor + some low-end graphics card in whatever smallish case you choose.

__________________

Intel Core2Quad Q9550 (2.83Ghz stock) | ASUS P5Q | 2x2GB Transcend JetRam DDR2-800 | ASUS ENGTX260\HDTP\896M | Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit SP1

The Champ has retired but may his Legacy live on FOREVER !!!!

No$GBA DS FAQ 2.0

Get it right fools! The glass is HALF-EMPTY, not half-full!!!

!!! WARNING: Emulation requires a brain !!! WARNING: Emulation =/= Piracy !!!

[@ruantec]

@ - Silenius

If you remember i built a HTPC myself a while ago that use a Intel i3 CPU that fits perfectly for any HTPC need. Even if it hurts me to admit it a mac mini may fit well too but those use mostly old core 2 duo CPU that eats way more power than a intel i3 CPU. They may have newer ones with better CPU but they will cost you way more than what you need to build a i3 HTPC. In my case i spent 250€ and right now am using it as my main PC since my old one died and am fully satisfied with it.

__________________

Current development tools:

Visual C++.net, Visual C#.net
Visual VB.net, Visual Webdeveloper.net
Bloodshed Dev C++, Borland C++
Visual Basic 6

[Silenus]

Problem is I don't want a tower or something noisy.

That Mac Mini I'm currently looking has:

Core i5 2.5 GHz Processor turbo to 3ghz+
4GB Memory
500 GB HDD
4 x USB
1 x HDMI
1 x FireWire
1 x Thunderbolt
Bluetooth
WiFi
AMD Radeon HD 6630M with 256MB dedicated RAM (Much better than Intel HD3000).

I can get that for 600 more or less.

How can I get those specs on such a small case.

I showed a youtube video to my wife and she liked it very much.

__________________

DELL XPS 13 ULTRABOOK

...Mis sueños son mentiras que algun día dejarán de serlo...

[@ruantec]

There are small HTPC cases where you can put those specs easily with almost no noise at all. In my case i just wanted to find a excuse to use my beloved G4-style case once again but i could've used a small case if i wanted to and also choose a smaller mainboard. The difference however is that you will end paying less for the same thing.

....but again is your choice after all.

__________________

Current development tools:

Visual C++.net, Visual C#.net
Visual VB.net, Visual Webdeveloper.net
Bloodshed Dev C++, Borland C++
Visual Basic 6

---

Last edited by @ruantec; April 14th, 2012 at 16:41..

[SCHUMI_4EVER]

Originally Posted by Silenus

Problem is I don't want a tower or something noisy.

That Mac Mini I'm currently looking has:

Core i5 2.5 GHz Processor turbo to 3ghz+
4GB Memory
500 GB HDD
4 x USB
1 x HDMI
1 x FireWire
1 x Thunderbolt
Bluetooth
WiFi
AMD Radeon HD 6630M with 256MB dedicated RAM (Much better than Intel HD3000).

I can get that for 600 more or less.

How can I get those specs on such a small case.

I showed a youtube video to my wife and she liked it very much.

Here's how. Granted the case is a fair bit bigger, but it's still small compared to your everyday tower. And you can go cheaper, I'm using more expensive parts than needed here and there just because I feel they offer far more quality whilst not costing that much more.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811163116
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115078
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136073
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145278
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833127219
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131716
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127583
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139026

Comes to about 568

Granted I left out the blue-tooth but you can fix that with another adapter.

Or you could build into this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16856101117

__________________

Intel Core2Quad Q9550 (2.83Ghz stock) | ASUS P5Q | 2x2GB Transcend JetRam DDR2-800 | ASUS ENGTX260\HDTP\896M | Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit SP1

The Champ has retired but may his Legacy live on FOREVER !!!!

No$GBA DS FAQ 2.0

Get it right fools! The glass is HALF-EMPTY, not half-full!!!

!!! WARNING: Emulation requires a brain !!! WARNING: Emulation =/= Piracy !!!

---

Last edited by SCHUMI_4EVER; April 14th, 2012 at 17:45..

[runawayprisoner]

Those cases are literally 3-4 times the size of the Mac Mini, Schumi.

In fact, if you have a XBox 360 controller, the Mac Mini is just about as tall, and only about 20% larger. It's that small.

But if size isn't that big a factor, then you are right in that one can put together nicer components.

Here's the best I can put together for a lower price... but obviously Bluetooth and WIFI are lacking. Nothing you can't layer another $50 on top to fix, though.

Intel Core i3 2120T 2.6GHz (35W) $134.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115094
Kingston 4GB DDR3 1600 $24.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820139659
ASUS P8H61-I $79.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131727
Rosewill RS-MI-01 $49.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811147131
Samsung Spinpoint F3 500GB 7200rpm $79.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822152181
Sapphire Radeon HD 6570 $59.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102934

That's $430 with a case that's only about 2.5x larger than the Mac Mini, which is acceptable in my opinions.

However, it won't beat Mac Mini in power consumption. Mac Mini under max load will go up to only about 30W or so. The machine I put together can easily hit 2-3 times that amount, and obviously it won't be as quiet since space is extremely constricted.

And if web browsing is a high priority, then Mac OSX Lion with Safari would be quite the handy combo. I wouldn't say it's better than Windows, but for a screen you sit so far away, it's definitely more convenient.

Oh, also. The Mac Mini doesn't come with keyboard or mouse or HDMI cable, so you'll have to pony up an extra $100 or so to get all of those from Apple.

---

Last edited by runawayprisoner; April 14th, 2012 at 18:56..

[Silenus]

Thanks for the recommendations guys.
I already have a bluetooth mouse + keyboard + hdtv as my monitor.

The Mac mini looks enticing because is all assembled very tight in such a small case.

But I will consider your input as I can get USB 3.0, Bluray and some better specs on a windows PC.
Hope I can build something quite and stylish.

__________________

DELL XPS 13 ULTRABOOK

...Mis sueños son mentiras que algun día dejarán de serlo...

[runawayprisoner]

Fitting a Blu-Ray drive into such a small enclosure is going to be a *****! Like... really.

I think USB Blu-Ray is your best friend.

USB 3.0 is also pretty useless since all you'll get is faster transfer speed for now, unless you do transfer gigs worth of data daily. I'd just watch movies directly off the USB drive if anything.

And better specs come with heat and noise. You gotta consider that you have significantly less space to exhaust heat with an enclosure that small, and you can almost forget about airflow to the GPU.

I think the specs I listed above is about the bottom line if you want power and silence. Beyond that, I think you'll have to stick to Intel HD or something will overheat.

Even if you don't care about heat or noise, you'll also have to do the math trade-off with the PSU. Most small enclosures have PSUs that are lower than 300W.

[SCHUMI_4EVER]

The Silverstone would fit a Blu-Ray drive just fine.

__________________

Intel Core2Quad Q9550 (2.83Ghz stock) | ASUS P5Q | 2x2GB Transcend JetRam DDR2-800 | ASUS ENGTX260\HDTP\896M | Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit SP1

The Champ has retired but may his Legacy live on FOREVER !!!!

No$GBA DS FAQ 2.0

Get it right fools! The glass is HALF-EMPTY, not half-full!!!

!!! WARNING: Emulation requires a brain !!! WARNING: Emulation =/= Piracy !!!

[@ruantec]

Having a external drive would make the whole thing pointless and its going to make it look ugly at the same time so i would take the bigger size in exchange for more capabilities.

__________________

Current development tools:

Visual C++.net, Visual C#.net
Visual VB.net, Visual Webdeveloper.net
Bloodshed Dev C++, Borland C++
Visual Basic 6

[runawayprisoner]

Well, it's only if you need Blu Ray capability.

The way I see it, it'll still be about 2-3 years before Blu Ray becomes mainstream enough for the drive to be warranted a space on my desk.

And of course, if you have the bucks to spare, there is no shortage of non-ugly stuffs built for Apple:


Before you go off and say it's big, do take note that the thing has USB 3.0 ports, a DVD-RW drive (which means you can also potentially throw a Blu-Ray in there), and has enough room for 4TB of 3.5" storage. That's 8x the Mac Mini's standard hard drive config.

I'd still agree that it's expensive. But hey, if you want the style, the convenience (not having to build and maintain everything), and you got the bucks to spare...

On a side note, if only power (CPU and GPU) wasn't a concern, I would have posted this...
http://www.instructables.com/id/Buil...ntendo-NES-PC/

Atom is still pretty capable, though it may... lag... well, quite often... in Windows... (it's all on the software side, I tell ya)

---

Last edited by runawayprisoner; April 16th, 2012 at 21:42..

[@ruantec]

That Mac mini stack is terribly ugly... totally loss its beauty in that form for me.

__________________

Current development tools:

Visual C++.net, Visual C#.net
Visual VB.net, Visual Webdeveloper.net
Bloodshed Dev C++, Borland C++
Visual Basic 6

[runawayprisoner]

Alternatively, you can buy the old Mac Mini and swap out the slot-loading drive if you feel so inclined. It still has a GeForce 320M as GPU and a pretty competent Core 2 Duo.

But sincerely, the only reason why I think the Mac Mini is "almost" worth the amount Apple is asking for this generation is because Intel has significantly boosted their mobile CPU performance while leaving desktop chips out to dry.

That basically means that whatever you put together to build an HTPC to match the Mac Mini, you'll just hit about the same price point and you still have to build it all yourself, but you'll never match the same power consumption or overall package size. It's like Intel is playing favorite to Apple this round, knowing that Apple mostly use mobile chips in their computers.

[SCHUMI_4EVER]

Originally Posted by runawayprisoner

That basically means that whatever you put together to build an HTPC to match the Mac Mini, you'll just hit about the same price point and you still have to build it all yourself, but you'll never match the same power consumption or overall package size. It's like Intel is playing favorite to Apple this round, knowing that Apple mostly use mobile chips in their computers.

Power!!! Apple may be able to match the price and offer decent specs in stylish little power-saving package. But for the same money you can get even more power if you choose to build yourself. So no your analysis is not quite correct.

__________________

Intel Core2Quad Q9550 (2.83Ghz stock) | ASUS P5Q | 2x2GB Transcend JetRam DDR2-800 | ASUS ENGTX260\HDTP\896M | Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit SP1

The Champ has retired but may his Legacy live on FOREVER !!!!

No$GBA DS FAQ 2.0

Get it right fools! The glass is HALF-EMPTY, not half-full!!!

!!! WARNING: Emulation requires a brain !!! WARNING: Emulation =/= Piracy !!!

[runawayprisoner]

Originally Posted by SCHUMI_4EVER

Power!!! Apple may be able to match the price and offer decent specs in stylish little power-saving package. But for the same money you can get even more power if you choose to build yourself. So no your analysis is not quite correct.

If it's performance (GHz and so on) then you are right. But if it's power consumption (Watt usage), then the Mac Mini is about the bottom line in terms of what you can get by balancing performance and power consumption in an enclosure that small.

And when you think about it, the Sandy Bridge Core i5 in the Mac Mini can Turbo Boost to over 3GHz, making it almost on par with some of the higher end desktop chips.

I don't know why it's that way. Intel obviously has a lot of headroom to expand their desktop chips' Turbo to 4GHz and beyond. The only explanation I have right now for this "performance fixing" scenario is that Intel and Apple are conspiring together to make it that way. But that's for another thread.

[rui-no-onna]

Originally Posted by runawayprisoner

And when you think about it, the Sandy Bridge Core i5 in the Mac Mini can Turbo Boost to over 3GHz, making it almost on par with some of the higher end desktop chips.

Still just dual-core, though. More than enough for video playback HTPC and most folks but it makes for noticeable performance drop if you use it often for 7-zip, etc. Granted, it's impossible to build something DIY with the MacMini's form factor and power envelope.

Originally Posted by runawayprisoner

I don't know why it's that way. Intel obviously has a lot of headroom to expand their desktop chips' Turbo to 4GHz and beyond. The only explanation I have right now for this "performance fixing" scenario is that Intel and Apple are conspiring together to make it that way. But that's for another thread.

Nah, they don't have to conspire with Apple. I think Intel's just copying Apple's example now and purposely limiting CPU performance. They don't really have to compete with AMD so much like Apple does with their products, they're releasing marginal improvements to convince people to upgrade. Not that it's working.

As for the 4GHz Turbo, perhaps the issue is excess heat that will be generated and noise. I think for Apple, keeping the Mac Mini near silent is more important than the marginal performance increase 4GHz will bring.

---

Last edited by rui-no-onna; April 17th, 2012 at 16:28..

[runawayprisoner]

Originally Posted by rui-no-onna

Still just dual-core, though. More than enough for video playback HTPC and most folks but it makes for noticeable performance drop if you use it often for 7-zip, etc. Granted, it's impossible to build something DIY with the MacMini's form factor and power envelope.

Don't underestimate the Mac Mini's Sandy dual-core. The mobile chip can give good ol' Core 2 Duo E8600 desktop a run for its money. Hell, it runs stuffs like SupCom without so much as a choke, and I remember discussing with Schumi about how horrible the game was when it was on dual-core CPUs.

If you'd consider it, you're getting stock E8600 in an enclosure that's about the size of a Wii, and it comes complete with a discreet GPU that would easily match or wipe the floor with the XBox 360. And all that with power consumption possibly matching or even lower than that of the Wii.

Nah, they don't have to conspire with Apple. I think Intel's just copying Apple's example now and purposely limiting CPU performance. They don't really have to compete with AMD so much like Apple does with their products, they're releasing marginal improvements to convince people to upgrade. Not that it's working.

As for the 4GHz Turbo, perhaps the issue is excess heat that will be generated and noise. I think for Apple, keeping the Mac Mini near silent is more important than the marginal performance increase 4GHz will bring.

I can open up a new thread and talk about the various things Intel has been doing since... 2 years ago that have helped elevating Apple to the height they are at now. It's been that long. I have always suspected it, but with the release of Ivy Bridge, I'm more certain that it's the case.

But that aside, I meant 4GHz Turbo for Sandy desktops. Obviously desktops are not so constrained in terms of thermal envelope or power consumption. Intel could easily bin Sandy processors at higher Turbo by increasing TDP. But it seems like they are purposefully lowering Turbo on desktops instead.

Meanwhile, high-end mobile Sandy can Turbo to beyond stock desktop Sandy chips, and they perform about the same clock-for-clock.

If that's not an advantage given to mobile, I don't know what is. With Ivy, the line between desktop and mobile chips is going to be blurred even further.