Need help building a HTPC for a 47" TV

[kuro89]

My friend needs help building a HTPC for a 47" TV strictly for 1080p video playback via HDMI. I know how to pick parts for desktops but I don't know what is needed for a HTPC. Which components are more important? Graphics card or CPU? Please recommend some parts. I haven't asked him about his budget but I'm sure he doesn't want anything overkill. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[Perineum]

A low end PC is all you need. You might need a video card that has dedicated HDMI and the ATI video cards seem to be your best bet for that. A remote control would probably be desirable as well.

[kuro89]

Thanks for your reply. I've put together some random parts and is wondering if it will work nicely / smoothly. Here's the list:
- Intel Celeron G530 Dual Core Sandy Bridge Processor 2.4GHZ LGA1155 2MB Cache
- ASUS GeForce GT 430 700MHZ 1GB 1.6GHZ GDDR3 PCI-E DVI VGA HDMI Low Profile Video Card
- Kingston ValueRAM KVR1333D3N9/4G 4GB 1X4GB DDR3-1333 240PIN CL9 DIMM Memory
- Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200RPM SATA3 64MB Cache 3.5IN Internal Hard Drive

I still need a motherboard and power supply. Can anyone recommend me some? Also, I don't know whether to choose mATX or Mini-ITX. Thanks guys

[Arinoth]

Depending on what video playback software you go with the G530 may have issues doing 1080p playback.

[Squeetard]

Get a core i3 with onboard video, the mobo will have hdmi out. That's what I use, for 1080p it flies.

[Arinoth]

Well that or an E350/450 ITX system.

[kirbster]

I am using a G630 and a z68 mobo with the onboard video out over HDMI. It works extremely well and is very energy efficient. Go that route or perhaps with an FM1 setup. Either will work just fine. CPU requirements are not very high.
This setup does full HD recording from my antenna without so much as a hiccup.

[igot6strings]

Hey. I think I saw your post on the NCIX site.

Hows your system setup going?
Have you decided on anything yet?

Btw, since this isn't NCIX forums i can now recommend the foxconn boxes that Newegg sells. They are dirt cheap and can be bought for as little as $105 when on sale. The e350 box is a good place to start. Reviews are pretty good too. Its a bit ugly but for the price its tolerable.

[kuro89]

Hey thanks for the help guys! Small world eh igot6strings. Haven't really finalized on anything yet. I've been getting mixed reactions on the G530. Some say it's good enough and some say I should go with i3 because the G530 might not cut it... I'm kind of lost

[Ravenor]

I'll throw in my 2 cents here as I just recently rebuilt my htpc. I think that the Celeron is a bit underpowered myself. It might be fine with the 430 but I would still say better to go with something with a bit more power. I personally went with an Intel 840 sandy bridge and a Gigabytes h77 moon and it has no problems with anything I throw at it..........but I also have a gt440 as my video card which is overkill for an htpc(it was just a spare I had hanging around).

I would go with a beefier proc, just to be on the safe side.