System Buyers Guide: PCs for Under $1000

AMD HTPC

Everyone asks for HTPC component recommendations, and then when we publish them readers can't wait to throw rocks at our recommendations. Perhaps this is because the HTPC, more than any other computer class, is a very personal machine. It needs to meet the specific needs and demands of the end-users, who vary widely in what they plan to do with their new HTPC.

So let's first talk about our concept in these two HTPC configurations. We are assuming the user already has the HDTV (likely) or monitor he plans to feed, along with a sound system for that HDTV. The motherboards we recommend can reasonably feed audio signals for your Blu-Ray movies, but they are not integrated audio amplifiers. Since most end-users are on cable or satellite, and analog tuners become officially obsolete in the US in February 2009, we will make no recommendations at all for a TV tuner. Of the many possible uses of an HTPC, the great majority of end-users store, play, and stream movies with their HTPC computers. (Where these movies come from is a different topic that we'll avoid discussing for now.) That is mostly what their HTPC systems are used for and that is where we have concentrated our recommendations.

The CPU chosen for the AMD HTPC computer is the tri-core Phenom 8650 based on the Toliman core. The three CPUs each run at 2.3GHz with a 512KB cache. The total power requirement of 95W works fine with our motherboard, but you can choose a lower power CPU if that is a large concern. We hesitate to call a Phenom CPU with three cores a low-end chip, but this is certainly one of the most reasonable Phenoms you can buy. It has plenty of power to take your AMD HTPC to most anywhere you chose to go.

With DDR2-800 so reasonable these days we equipped the HTPC with 4GB of G.Skill memory. We aren't really interested in overclocking this HTPC (though it's technically still possible), and spending additional money on even higher performance RAM just doesn't make sense. 4GB of memory, however, does make perfect sense in an HTPC box, as that will keep the UI snappy even when streaming large movies.

The $90 ASUS M3N78-EM is based on the NVIDIA GeForce 8300 chipset. The board features one PCI-E x16 slot, one PCI-E x1 slot, two PCI slots, 8GB memory support, NVIDIA Gigabit LAN, 7.1 HD audio, 12 USB ports, five 3Gb/s SATA ports with RAID support, IEEE 1394a, one eSATA port, HDMI/DVI/VGA output, and full support for the Phenom 140W processors. This board offers overclocking capabilities along with being a top-notch HTPC capable board. We highly recommend the GF8200/8300 series for the HTPC market due to hardware accelerated BD playback, multi-channel LPCM output, and very good application performance.

As we discussed in the HTPC introduction, we did not include a TV tuner in the configuration since most end-users are now distributing their cable and satellite feeds. Few users, therefore, have any real need for a TV tuner card. There's something else to consider in this, and that is the US government mandated February 19, 2009 deadline to end analog broadcasts. If you truly need a Digital TV tuner, one option that is pretty unique on the TV tuner side is the HD HomeRun from Silicondust USA. This is a dual HDTV tuner/recorder that functions over a network and provides ATSC/QAM support. The price of $169 is more than many other options, but this is arguably a more flexible overall solution - particularly with the mandated move to digital in just a few weeks.

What's the point of having an HTPC if you don't have a lot of storage space? To that end, we selected a newly affordable 1TB (1000GB) Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EACS SATA hard drive at just $105 - an astonishing 10.5 cents per GB! The WD Green is a variable speed energy saving design that we found to be among the quietest drives we have ever evaluated. For an HTPC, quiet operation is paramount, and this WD Green will not disappoint. The WD Green is a bit slower than true 7200RPM 1TB drives, but the real performance difference is very minor.

Another excellent HD option is the Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31000333AS 7200RPM 1TB at $110. Performance of this 1TB drive has been exemplary in early testing at AnandTech, and the drive has proved to be reasonably quiet. Seagate also makes a super-reliable 1TB drive optimized for video storage and retrieval called the Seagate SV35.3 ST31000340SV 1TB at $150. This "video" Seagate features 24x7 reliability with >1 million hours MTBF and improved read/write reliability. For those willing to pay the small premium the "video" Seagate drive would be a good choice.

The optical drive is certainly an upgrade to the entry and budget systems since a reasonable HTPC requires Blu-Ray playback capabilities. The LG Black 6X Blu-ray is an SATA drive that fits the bill without breaking the bank. It provides 6X Blu-Ray playback and the fastest recording and playback of DVD and CD media. Current price is around $120, but this drive sometimes goes on sale for $100 so look out for specials. There are also sub-$100 Blu-Ray options from Lite-On and a 6X Blu-Ray player at $105. We do not have much experience with this Lite-On drive, but Lite-On drives in the past have proved fairly reliable. That would make the Lite-On 6X Blu-ray a more reasonably priced alternative where every penny counts.

The HTPC case is one of those very personal options in building an HTPC computer. Some like the small cube form factor that can easily hide next to books on a shelf, while others prefer the audio component look. Our case choices will cover both options.

While it is fairly expensive for the actual size, we find the cube-like Lian Li PC-V350A a gem of a small aluminum cube. The PC-V350A is the silver version and the PC-V350B is the black version. Both colors sell for the same $110. There is enough space for all the typical HTPC requirements, with good cooling and above all the important blessedly quiet operation. Only a Micro ATX motherboard will fit and there are two 5.25" external drive bays that can open right or left and two internal 3.5" bays for hard drives. Front ports for USB, audio, and Firewire (IEEE 1394) are featured behind a door to keep the appearance sleek and uncluttered. At just 10.3" tall by 11" wide, the V-350A fits in most bookcases just fine, but the depth of 14.7" makes the Lian Li most comfortable on deeper 16" shelves (279mm W x 262mm H x 373mm D).

The little Lian Li is coupled with a robust PC Power & Cooling Silencer 500W power supply that you can currently buy for a bargain $50. You can spend more on a PSU but you will be hard pressed to find a unit as quiet and reliable as the Silencer. It also has enough power for whatever video card you might throw in your HTPC in the future - though high-end GPUs are at odds with the silence most desire from HTPCs.

If you prefer the "audio component" look in your HTPC an excellent alternative is the Silverstone LC13B-E Media Center case. It is worth mentioning that if you choose a full size ATX motherboard for your HTPC it will fit in the Silverstone. The Silverstone is presently on rebate, so the normal $115 price is reduced to $95 after the $20 rebate.

Since most will place their HTPC near their HDTV or big screen monitor, a wired keyboard and mouse are not really very useful in most setups. Control is more often done from across the room, so we selected a wireless RF Logitech keyboard and mouse. At just $25 for the pair, the Logitech Cordless Desktop EX100 keyboard/mouse package is a great value. This is also the HTPC preferred RF wireless set, which does not require "line of sight" that is needed for IR wireless.

The final price of the AMD HTPC comes to just $736. That is a real bargain considering the tri-core Phenom CPU, 4GB of memory, 1TB hard drive, and quiet Lian Li aluminum case with a PC Power & Cooling Silencer 500W PSU. You can certainly spend even less on a basic HTPC box, but we doubt you can build a more powerful or quiet system for the same money.