Building my first HTPC - suggestions needed

[RMCWS]

Thanks hydra. I am also thinking of getting Elite 361 as it matches my budget (2-2.5k) and can be placed horizontally with rotating logo. And the best part I came to know from you is the stick on rubber footers.

@MODS :By the way, why the second page of this thread is not visible to me?

 

[sam9s]

^^ lol same here second page gives be database error ......... I mailed to support and, I got a reply that its working on their browser, so I thought may be its just me ...

I posted my reply there ...

 

[RMCWS]

I wont go with those cases personally, neither would recommend, reason, Vertical cases (usual ones) that can be kept horizontal will have most of the inside component placing as vertical (and Versa) (except optical drive and logo maybe) so when kept horizontal every thing would be oddly placed inside it (except the optical drive again).

If you want to have an Horizontal case, go with a case that is made that way to have all components installed in it in proper horizontal fashion ........

Just my 2 cents here .....

You have really got a valid point. But anyways, I am finding it very difficult to get a dedicated horizontal cabinet or get a cabinet which can be kept horizontally. (searched a lot but CM elite 361 is not available in Kolkata).

What are the practical problems one may face if a vertical cabinet is placed horizontally?

 

[haisaikat]

According to me finding a cabinet at the right price point is the most difficult part in assembling an htpc.
Cooler Master 110 Slim Mini-iTX Cabinets (MIN-110-KKA200) price in india Rs.4700. Buy Cooler Master 110 Slim Mini-iTX Cabinets (MIN-110-KKA200) online : Theitdepot.com
If I were in the market today, this cabinet would have ticked all my requirements except for the price. BTW I am using a zebronics cabinet and I am not dissatisfied with it.

This will be one real cramped case and will limit the component design capability to a large extent. Nevertheless I would not recommend ordering cabinets online since
1. High shipping charge
2. Delivery issues (This happended for with me for ITDepot who uses Indian post only, at least in Kolkata these folks are very moody and asked me to collect the parcel in person from post office, i rejected and claimed back the refund)
3. Potential to get damaged in transit since they are empty boxes with not so rigid walls and hence may get bent (my personal experience of ordering a mini itx cabinet from ebay.in.

@RMCWS, Did you talk to the CM Kolkata office on procuring this? If this is the case you have zeroed in email the hell out of these worthless local officials, if they do not respond email their head office and tell them that local office is unable to value CM brand availability. 99% this strategy works

 

[Naturelover]

The Elite 361 seems to be available on theitdepot (Rs 2130 + Rs 400 to 800 shipping depending upon the courier) and theitwares (Rs 2550 + Rs 300 shipping).

 

[haisaikat]

The Elite 361 seems to be available on theitdepot (Rs 2130 + Rs 400 to 800 shipping depending upon the courier) and theitwares (Rs 2550 + Rs 300 shipping).

I would prefer theitwares over itdepot. Former has very fast shipping comparable to flipkart priority.

 

[gobble]

I use the elite 120 as my NAS box. I put in a mini itx. Move in it. It can accommodate 3hdds. And a horizontal CA tray.

Not recommended for audiophile quality but great as a backend network server.

G

 

[sam9s]

You have really got a valid point. But anyways, I am finding it very difficult to get a dedicated horizontal cabinet or get a cabinet which can be kept horizontally. (searched a lot but CM elite 361 is not available in Kolkata).

What are the practical problems one may face if a vertical cabinet is placed horizontally?

Technically there would/should not be any problem (however if I have to be very critical I would say, if the cooling around HDD isnt sufficient, you should always have it horizontal, since heat rises away from the disk surface more efficiently than if the disk was mounted vertically).

BTW if you cannt find the case locally, ebay it, or search online stores, I am sure you will find something according to your taste and budget ....

I will give a brisk look at ebay and see if I can find something

 

[ch@ts]

I've got the CM 361 I mentioned.
The feet are nice solid rubber-foam stick ons, and you can place them on any side you wish. All the sides except the rear are coated black, so you can place it anyway you like.
There's enough space inside, and it's easy to assemble, got provision for 3 3.5" HDD's + 2 more with trays. If you don't have an optical drive then cable management will be good. If not, then it'll be a tad messy, unless you have a modular PSU.
The only thing wrong with the case is that it's 22" inches deep, which is about 4-6" longer than most entertainment units. But you can find ones that'll accommodate it, but you'll just have to look. Or you can let it extend out a bit.

I've used regular DVD-RW drives in placed both horizontally and vertically, and the ones I used didn't have a problem with dropping the CD, but I suppose that depends on the drive.

I ordered mine from the itdepot, and they'd packed it so well that there was practically no chance of it getting damaged.


But, if you are buying an entire system, then I really don't see the logic in going for such a big case. You'll get something like the Intel NUC for about Rs.9000, and you'll only need to add RAM and a HDD to it.
Or just get a dirt cheap mini-itx case, and hide it behind the AVR. Power on through LAN.

 

[RMCWS]

Update: I was busy with work and finally got the opportunity to shoot a mail to the Regional sales of Coolermaster. I got a phone call within 6 hrs of my mail but they said the fresh shipment for 361 is yet to arrive and it will take 15-30 days. Let's see what happens next...

 

[RMCWS]

Though I am yet to start purchasing any component for my HTPC but set up and tested xbmc remote (android) with my existing desktop. Feeling ... :yahoo:

 

[RMCWS]

After a bit of research and help from my friends, finally have decided on this combo mother board - Gigabyte E350N It is available for 4.7K in flikpkart. It has a hdmi out and is capable of playing 1080 videos without any issues, as per the review.

Apart from that I plan to get a 4 GB RAM and a 1/2 TB HDD. What do you guys think of this motherboard?

 

[gobble]

I use this mono for my NAS now. Earlier it was my audio PC. Too much emi causing cloudy sound or muddy - But only when you hear a better source. Until then you will like it.
PS: 1/2TB is too less for htpc. Get at least 1TB

 

[ch@ts]

Consider the Biostar also.
Biostar A68I-350 Deluxe Combo Motherboard - Biostar : Flipkart.com

It's cheaper and has USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s.
But on the flipside, Gigabyte has a better reputation.

 

[RMCWS]

PS: 1/2TB is too less for htpc. Get at least 1TB

What I meant was either 1 or 2 TB hdd. :yahoo:

 

[RMCWS]

Can a Mini-ITX motherboard (ie. Gigabyte-E350N) will fit only in a Mini-ITX cabinet? Or is it possible to fit mini-itx motherboard in a bigger cabinet?

 

[mgdelhi]

Can a Mini-ITX motherboard (ie. Gigabyte-E350N) will fit only in a Mini-ITX cabinet? Or is it possible to fit mini-itx motherboard in a bigger cabinet?

You can fit a Mini-ITX motherboard on a normal bigger cabinet. No issues.

 

[RMCWS]

Finally made the purchase for my entry level HTPC.

Combo Motherboard - Gigabyte GA E350N - Rs. 4567
DDR 3 2GB Ram Strontium - Rs1470
WD 2 GB HDD - Rs. 5197
PowerOn Cabinet with 450w SMPS - Rs.1050.

Will buy a tplink wireless 300 adapter soon for 700 bucks.

I bought it from the Chandni area which is local hub of computer accessories. The sellers price was 200-300 bucks less than what flipkart was offering. Moreover, flipkart was selling the 2 TB HDD for almost 6K.

Total damage: Rs,12284.

I will set up the HTPC within this week with a help of a friend.

As I am primarily planning to use it exclusively for movies and music (XBMC), what operating system should I go for...

I will not install any software other than which is necessary to play videos and music.

Images of my new cabinet

 

[haisaikat]

congrats RMCWS, to start with why not try XBMC Ubuntu which will run from any pen drive and does not require any separate OS.

Otherwise you can get windows 7 or windows 8.1 whichever suits you better and even the basic versions will do. Once done you can add XBMC and that should do it. If you need custom upscaling then MadVR with MPC might be required but let us take one at step at a time.

 

[RMCWS]

Finally I had the time to assemble (obviously with assistance of a friend) and get it started.

So here is my humble setup -

Combo Motherboard - Gigabyte GA E350N - Rs. 4567








DDR 3 2GB Ram Strontium - Rs1470
WD 2 GB HDD - Rs. 5197



PowerOn Cabinet with 450w SMPS - Rs.1050.







TPLink wireless adapter 300mbps - Rs.780

Total cost: 13,064

I have installed Windows 7 ultimate. Apart from the driver cd, no other software has been installed.

The motherboard has a hdmi out which is connected to the AVR and then AVR to TV. (HTPC --->AVR --->TV). The mother board is very silent. I have just installed it, and yet to use it in order to give more feedback.

However, the cabinet is very stupidly designed. In order to just screw a hdd, had to remove the entire front cover and the metal casing and even removing them wasn't that easy either.

I have installed XMBC. Using the Aeon MQ5 theme. Also have installed the xmbc app in my android phone, so it is a kind of remote now.

Right now I am exploring the xmbc with various add ons and utilities and also arranging the library and transferring files from other pcs to this one.

Can any one tell me which is the best way to set up a direct boot for xbmc?