I was recently researching something on Amazon when I can across a review that said, "I love this computer case and I use it for a HTPC running XBMC". I was puzzled as to why, (even though I'm into computers) I had never come across this before. Well, after further research I found that XBMC stands for X-Box Media Center and HTPC stands for Home Theater Personal Computer.
That discovery opened a Pandora's Box (or Rabbit's Hole) and eventually led me to building my own HTPC running XBMC. All I can say is, Boy I am glad I did some researching because this stuff is amazing!!!
Not only can XBMC run on just about operating system, but it allows you to play your DVD movies, View you pictures, Play your music, and with additional Add-Ons,..a whole boat-load of other things.
This build allows you to play movies in 1080p,..as well as in 3D, if you have the properly equipped HDTV. Here is my build list and I'd highly recommend these parts if you're thinking of building one.
Computer Case:
SilverStone Aluminum/Steel Micro ATX Media Center/HTPC Case ML03B (Black) $59.99
SilverStone Strider 400W, 80 PLUS, Active PFC Power Supply ST40F-ES (Black) $48.99
CPU:
AMD A6-3500 APU with AMD Radeon 6530 HD Graphics 2.1/2.4GHz Socket FM1 65W Triple-Core Processor - Retail AD3500OJGXBOX $74.99
CPU Cooler:
Scythe BIG SHURIKEN 2 Rev B. 5-Heatpipe Universal Low Profile CPU Cooler (SCBSK-2100) $47.95
Motherboard:
ASRock MB-A75M Socket FM1/ AMD A75 FCH/ SATA3&USB3.0/ A&GbE/ Micro ATX Motherboard $74.99
RAM
Kingston HyperX Genesis 4 GB Kit (2x2 GB Modules) 1866MHz DDR3 PC3-15000 240-Pin Non-ECC CL9 1.65V DIMM XMP Desktop Memory KHX1866C9D3K2/4GX $35.74
Solid State Hard Drive:
Crucial 64 GB m4 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive SATA 6Gb/s CT064M4SSD2 $80.99
BD-ROM:
LG UH12LS28K LightScribe 12x SATA Blu-Ray Combo Internal Drive, Bulk (Black) $57.39
Operating System:
Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit (Full) System Builder DVD 1 Pack $99.99
Wireless Keyboard:
IOGEAR Multimedia Keyboard with Laser Trackball and Scroll Wheel, 2.4GHz Wireless GKM561R (Black) $39.08
Remote:
Windows 7 Vista XP Media Center MCE PC Remote Control and Infrared Receiver for Home, Premium and Ultimate Edition $15.41
I didn't buy an internal HD, since I already have a 2TB and a 1TB just laying around.
My next post will show pictures of the completed build, and then in additional posts, I'll discuss an unRaid Server. "A what???", you say...don't worry,..I'll explain,...so Stay tuned!
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