Silent HTPC build i5-2100 or A8-3850?

sink

Looking to build a HTPC to play music and 1080p video. I will be using an Antec Fusion 430 case which I have already. It has to be silent so passively cooled components are a big plus. Good sound is important to me so I'm thinking of buying a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD. To store lots of HD video I want 2 3TB hard drives. I will not be playing games on it as I have a dedicated games machine.

What CPU/GPU combination has the best combinations of performance/cost and ability to be passively cooled?

Burgo

Total build cost: €613.44 + €30 shipping
ASRock Z68 Pro3-M (B3), Sockel 1155, mATX €91.79
8GB-Kit G.Skill RipJaws PC3-10667U CL9 €36.71
2 x WD AV-GP 3TB, 64MB Cache, SATA II (WD30EURS) €129.14
ASUS Xonar D2X, PCIe x1 (90-YAA055-1UAN00Z) €109.17
Intel Core i3-2100 Box, LGA1155 €93.27
Scythe Kozuti, für alle Sockel geeignet €24.22

I reckon the onboard should be enough for just playing hd vids.
I'd have a look at the xonar or azuen ranges of sound cards as an alternative to creative. The xonar d2x and the auzen prelude seem to be quite popular.

marco_polo

sink wrote: »

Looking to build a HTPC to play music and 1080p video. I will be using an Antec Fusion 430 case which I have already. It has to be silent so passively cooled components are a big plus. Good sound is important to me so I'm thinking of buying a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD. To store lots of HD video I want 2 3TB hard drives. I will not be playing games on it as I have a dedicated games machine.

What CPU/GPU combination has the best combinations of performance/cost and ability to be passively cooled?

The i3-2100 (title is typo?) is a dual core so would be much easier to passively cool than the quad core A8-3850, and use less power both idle and under load. As Burgo says the integrated GPU would be fine for HD playback, and a dual core is the sweet spot for a HTPC build IMO.

Rsaeire

OP, you might want to have a look at a quiet PSU too. I have the Nexus Value 430 and it's one of the quietest PSUs available, thought it doesn't seem to be available from many retailers, or for that good a price, at the moment; I found it on QuietPC for €83.88. Alternatively, a passive option would be the more expensive Seasonic SS-460FL from Scan for £122.27/€140.

Also, if you don't need quite as much storage space, you could go for some quiet Samsung EcoGreen HD204UI 2 TB HDDs from Scan for £54.83/€63 each.

Finally, I've just bought the following, which I'll be putting together with some other components this weekend, so I can let you know how I find it as I'm going for a quiet HTPC build too.

• ASUS F1A75-M PRO
• AMD A8-3850

Rsaeire

I finished off my HTPC build over the weekend and it's very quiet. The A8-3850 idles at 34c and goes up to 38c during HD video playback with a Scythe Shuriken Rev. B; according to ASUS FAN Xpert. It'll most likely lower once the TIM has had a chance to settle.

OP, have you made a decision yet on your build?

deejer

Rsaeire wrote: »

I finished off my HTPC build over the weekend and it's very quiet. The A8-3850 idles at 34c and goes up to 38c during HD video playback with a Scythe Shuriken Rev. B; according to ASUS FAN Xpert. It'll most likely lower once the TIM has had a chance to settle.

OP, have you made a decision yet on your build?

Interested in this too. Temps look good. What sort of case do you have this in?

I am more leaning towards the A8-3850 also

Rsaeire

deejer wrote: »

Interested in this too. Temps look good. What sort of case do you have this in?

I am more leaning towards the A8-3850 also

Silverstone Grandia GD06B. I have three Scythe S-FLEX 120 mm (800 RPM) case fans as intake, but I might change the fan nearest the CPU to exhaust.

M00lers

Rsaeire wrote: »

Silverstone Grandia GD06B. I have three Scythe S-FLEX 120 mm (800 RPM) case fans as intake, but I might change the fan nearest the CPU to exhaust.

Any chance of a few pics?

Rsaeire

moolers2000 wrote: »

Any chance of a few pics?

See below. The lights on the front of the case aren't as bright as it seems in the last image.

Morpork

Do you guys put Windows media center on these HTPCs or something else?

M00lers

Morpork wrote: »

Do you guys put Windows media center on these HTPCs or something else?

Windows Media Centre is one option as is XBMC and also MediaPortal.

M00lers

Rsaeire wrote: »

See below. The lights on the front of the case aren't as bright as it seems in the last image.

Thanks for the pics but you need to get to top off so we can see its guts.:D

I must post up some pics of my own build soon.

Rsaeire

I tend to use MPC HC as I need to sort out files and folders within Windows, so switching back and forth between the desktop and XBMC can get tiresome.