HTPC shopping list. Can you please doublecheck?

[lakis]

Hi,
During last week I have been finalizing on my new HTPC configuration. I have not
build a PC in years. After a lot of reading I came up with the following "shopping list" and would like
to ask of your opinions prior going and getting everything. I'll be using this PC as my main
music/file server. In addition to that I'll be having it connected to an 1080p monitor
(my 24'' gateway which is HDCP compatible) and plan to use it for viewing HD content (and not)
usually downloaded from Bittorrent (in a variety of formats).

I still have some concerns/questions
- How big the PSU should be? Is a 500W enough? Also I am worried of power consumption. I really
do not want to get a huge PSU that all it will do is consume useless power. Is there a way to measure power consumption
and what is "safe" to use?
- As you see I have chosen a fanless video card Does it make sense or should I prefer one with a fan
to keep temperature as low as possible. Also I found this card in newegg and is pretty cheap for a card with
an hdmi port and to be hdcp compatible. Has anyone heard of that card before?
- Do I have to get a fan for the CPU as well? Any suggestions?
- My overall aim is to keep the HTPC as quite as possible. Do you have anything additionally that I should be aware of?
- Also I am still not sure whether I should stick with Intel or AMD?


HTPC Shopping list:

1. Motherboard:
GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3 LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $132.99 - $10 = $122.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128012

2. Processor
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 Conroe 2.13GHz 2M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor - Retail $222
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115004

3. Video Card:
GIGABYTE GV-NX76T256HI-RH GeForce 7600GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDMI HDCP Video Card - Retail $159
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16814125058

4. Memory:
Corsair TWIN2X2048-6400 2GB Kit DDR2-800 XMS2-6400 Xtreme Performance Memory Retail $169.90 - $40 Rebate = $129.90
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...t=pricegrabber

5. Disks:
2 x SAMSUNG SpinPoint T Series HD501LJ 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM = $129.99x2 = $250
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16822152052

6. Case
OrigenAE X11 $250
http://www.pcalchemy.com/product_inf...ame/htpc-cases

7. PSU:
Seasonic S12-500 500W, Silent Power Supply, ATX $116
http://www.pcalchemy.com/product_inf...wer-supply-atx

8. Optical Drive:
20x Internal DVD Dual RW - LH-20A1H-186 ~ $45

Thanks!!!!!

[Stuey]

Looks ok but wait for more opinions to be certain.

If you have a 500W PSU in a system and then swap it out for a 1000W PSU, they'll have similar power consumptions - they draw only as much as they need.

Yes you need a CPU fan, although an adequate unit comes with retail CPUs. I have a Zalman unit in my system and turned its speed down with a "fanmate". If there wasn't an LED on my case, I'd never know the HTPC was on.

[lakis]

Sorry for the stupid question but what does it mean "retain CPU"? And a "fanmate"??? And which Zalman fan do you have? Sorry for all these questions
Thanks!

[Stuey]

Sorry, it's supposed to say "retail CPUs". OEM CPUs don't come with heatsinks but retail versions do. In any case, the retail version is all most people should even consider. You could/should try the stock (included) cooler and then upgrade later on if you wish.

I have a previous generation (92mm fan version) of this Zalman cooler. This is a fanmate - it comes with several types of Zalman fans. Basically, you plug the fan into this and then this into the motherboard. It allows you to control the speed of the fan and find a balance between noise and cooling performance.

Also, there's no such thing as a stupid question.

[glc]

Wait till the end of April when the Core 2 Duos are being upgraded and the prices are being reduced.

I would not recommend Samsung drives - go with Seagate or WD.

I would also recommend an Asus P5B or Intel DP965LT.

That power supply is ideal for your use.