[DrNip]

After 3 weeks of delay I can finally say the o' ladies HTPC is complete. This build was the hardest build I have ever encountered. The hardest in that it tested my patience beyond all believe. I have never received so many DOA and non working hardware. Here is a list of hardware RMAed:

2 - EVGA Micro Mobo's. 1st would not post and the 2nd would not run RAID no matter what I did. Ended up going with a MSI mobo and is running like a champ.
2 - Western Digital Green Edition 500 GB HDD's. One was DOA and also realized they were only 5400RPM so RMAed them both.
1 - Western Digital Black Edition 500 GB HDD. I replaced the Green Edition HDD's with the Black Edition just for one of them to have write error after write error and so forth.
1 - 4GB GeIL Black Edition RAM - RAM sucked a fat one. Wouldn't even factory cas specs at 1333 even though it was rated at 1600. Error after error on Memtest.

So 6, count them, 6 RMA's just on this little HTPC. None of the RMA's could have been at the same time either to save me on shipping and time. So during all the RMA's I sat around too long and started upgraded parts of it. I ended up upgrading:

CPU - Started out with a Core i3 950 and ended up with a Core I5 655k
CPU Cooler - Started out with a Cooler Master and ended up with a Scythe
HDD - Started out with a Western Digital Black Edition RAID 0 and ended up with a Mushkin Enchanced Callisto Deluxe RAID 0

The budget on this build at 1st was around $600 at 1st but as usual I'm an addict and can't stick to the master plan. I know I went well over $1,000 on this but it is worth it. Enough of the chit chat and time for the goods.

Hardware

RAM - A-DATA Gaming Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
GPU - XFX HD-545X-ZAF2 Radeon HD 5450 (Cedar) 1GB
CPU Cooler - Scythe Big Shuriken SCBSK-1000 120mm CPU Cooler
CPU - Intel Core i5-655K Clarkdale 3.2GHz
Mobo - MSI P55M-GD41 LGA 1156 Intel P55 Micro ATX
SSD RAID 0 Setup- Mushkin Enhanced Callisto Deluxe MKNSSDCL60GB-DX 2.5" 60GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive
SSD 3.5" to 2 x 2.5" Converter - SilverStone SDP08 3.5" to 2 x 2.5" Bay Converter
HHD Backup- Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB
PSU - Antec NeoPower 380W
DVD Burner - LITE-ON DVD Writer LightScribe
Case - LIAN LI Black Aluminum PC-C37B Micro ATX Media Center
Bluetooth USB - AZiO USB 2.0 Micro Bluetooth Adapter
Keyboard - Sony Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard
Mouse - VAIO Bluetooth Laser Mouse
OS - Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit OS

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I will try to get some benches in today and post them up. Also pics above are with the GeIL RAM I RMAed so nevermind them.

Thinking of getting 4 of these Muhkin SSD's for my rig as they rock!

[GFDuke]

nice setup man.

[Neuromancer]

Damn you are insane!

SSDs in an HTPC???

(Okay my bedroom HTPC currently has a vertex2 in it LOL, but that will change after I get a second and it goes into the gaymer).

Are you going with an external tuner or waiting for ceton and comcast to adopt the m-cards?

Also the 5400RPM drives would be a better choice for the HTPC, less heat and energy, same 70+MB/s transfer rates (At least mine pull 70+ over gigabit... my 2TB drives are 5400 RPM I think as well. no problems streaming HD from them )

[DrNip]

Originally Posted by Neuromancer

Damn you are insane!

SSDs in an HTPC???

(Okay my bedroom HTPC currently has a vertex2 in it LOL, but that will change after I get a second and it goes into the gaymer).

Are you going with an external tuner or waiting for ceton and comcast to adopt the m-cards?

Also the 5400RPM drives would be a better choice for the HTPC, less heat and energy, same 70+MB/s transfer rates (At least mine pull 70+ over gigabit... my 2TB drives are 5400 RPM I think as well. no problems streaming HD from them )

The Western Digital Cavier Black is mainly just for backup, storage of pics and what not. Got to stay with the SSD's. No if ands or buts on that. I about bought one of these Mushkin's for my laptop but decided just to get a 7200RPM drive for it. Like I said I started out conservative on this build but just wasn't satisfied. Starting to kinda get off on this little rigs. Next one I will build even more small and more powerful.

Using the Samsung 40" TV for the monitor/TV. Wife and I canceled the cable a month ago as we were tired of paying $100 for nothing. We can watch all our cable shows on the internet for free. And I mean free as I don't pay for the internet!!! Job pays for it.

Can you believe I crammed a 120mm fan in this thing?

[Witchdoctor]

Nice HT set up ...

Time to enjoy a good movie ..................

[Kal-EL]

Man thats a lil rig. Nice work Travis

[Kal-EL]

So are movies and music going on this thing?

[DrNip]

Movies, music, skype to in-laws in Tulsa, pics, internet tv, web cruising, the occasional bench or two, porno, whatever and whenever. This is the wifes computer to do what she wants and when she wants. No more hoggin my computer. I kinda had to make it fast too because she was use to mine. Anything less and she might have confiscated mine.

[FACE]

Originally Posted by DrNip

Movies, music, skype to in-laws in Tulsa, pics, internet tv, web cruising, the occasional bench or two, super awesome HD porno, whatever and whenever.

Fixed.... schmexy rig for room homie. How hard was it to do all the cabling?

[DrNip]

Pretty easy. It is a 380W modular PSU! Don't think I could have done it any other way or else it would have looked like crap and ventilated like crap.