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[aliweshky]

i know the title seems odd, but i am currently in the market to build a new pc for general use (web, office, some photoshop ) AND use it at the same time as an htpc hooked on my phillips tv.

case: streacom fc10 (already ordered it)
mb: GA H1N with a dedicated DAC usb port ( i don't know if it really works as they claim)
ram: crucial 2x 4gb
cpu: intel i5 4590s
psu: streacom 240w internal fanless psu that connects to the sidepannel for heat dissapation   OR   an external 240w dell adapter with the hdplex 250 dc to dc convertor
hdd: an intel ssd from my laptop, and later i am plannng to add wd red drives.
        right now i have a lot of external hdd, is it a good idea to strip them and put the drives in the case?

DAC: chord electronics chordette gem
amp: marantz pm6004 paired with triangle titus ex speakers
remote: ipad with jremote installed

my goal is to buil a pc that is 24/7 on (like an htpc) , but where i have the possibility to drag and drop files into it, and offcourse run jriver on the tv and the normal desktop on an external monitor.
i love to run my movies at high settings, and my music sound solid with the dac.

so what do you guys think? is it a good idea? what components are good or have to be changed?

thank you

[astromo]

Can you offer some better definition on the mobo model?

I run something along those lines in an HD-Plex case. Just ticks away in the background.

I don't have super discerning video tastes, so I run RO Std video. I've tried ROHQ via the CPU but I didn't find it that sensible. Just a point to bear in mind. For your described use I think you'd be fine as is with RO Std.

[aliweshky]

the mobo is the GA H81N (not the d2h model)
and you know, i was always planning to go with hdplex, but the h10 was discontinued and larry ( a kind guy) didn't let know when the h5 will be available, so due to uncertainties i went for streacom.

and what about the psu choise?

update hdd: when i posted this thread my lacie 4TB blade runner had some problems, so i was planning to get the hdd out of it and put it in the case. now, it is fixed and all my data are safe XD. SO, should i still choose for internal storage with the wd red or just connect 7,5 TB of my external drives by usb?

also, i have lttle to non knowledge about video enhancing software (madvr,interlacing), and what is RO std?
could anybody give me a short explanation of it?
as i said earlier, i like my movies hi-res and fluent

thank you

[batteries4ever]

i know the title seems odd, but i am currently in the market to build a new pc for general use (web, office, some photoshop ) AND use it at the same time as an htpc hooked on my phillips tv.

case: streacom fc10 (already ordered it)
mb: GA H1N with a dedicated DAC usb port ( i don't know if it really works as they claim)
ram: crucial 2x 4gb
cpu: intel i5 4590s
psu: streacom 240w internal fanless psu that connects to the sidepannel for heat dissapation   OR   an external 240w dell adapter with the hdplex 250 dc to dc convertor
hdd: an intel ssd from my laptop, and later i am plannng to add wd red drives.
        right now i have a lot of external hdd, is it a good idea to strip them and put the drives in the case?

DAC: chord electronics chordette gem
amp: marantz pm6004 paired with triangle titus ex speakers
remote: ipad with JRemote installed

my goal is to buil a pc that is 24/7 on (like an htpc) , but where i have the possibility to drag and drop files into it, and offcourse run jriver on the tv and the normal desktop on an external monitor.
i love to run my movies at high settings, and my music sound solid with the dac.

so what do you guys think? is it a good idea? what components are good or have to be changed?

thank you

Hi Aliweshky,
I am currently doing the same thing and made some very similar choices..... so thought to chime in.
However: I went for an ASUS Sabertooth Mark 2 (Mark 1 has fans) it is a very solid MB, with stable power supply. I believe ASUS is the most serious company when it comes to audio quality.... they certainly have the most products in that range.
I have a very good DAC.... but maybe the DAC can be eliminated altogether if I get the PC "just right" (power supply, decent damping of external electromagnetic fields etc): see http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/high-end-pc-audio,3733-2.html

I also considered the Streacom fc10, it seems very nice indeed, but has a rather inflexible cooling system. Since I already had an 10 year old Thermaltake Bach media case, I will start there.
So I bought a passive CPU cooler: http://www.eteknix.com/nofan-cr-80eh-fanless-copper-cpu-cooler-review/
I went for the Intel i5-4690T, which seems identical to your CPU, but with a TPD of only 45 W: saves 20W over your CPU... that helps keeping things cool, unless you get get your CPU for MUCH less, i would consider a 4590T or 4690T!

I will put 2 WD green 3 TB HDDs, with a 128 GB Samsung 840 SSD.... wireless streaming is decidedly nice when it works... but it does not always seem to work flawlessly, so I keep my stuff local.
Anyway, good luck with your HTPC!

[aliweshky]

hi batteries4ever

i'm glad to see that otr people are tinking in the same direction
first, i don't see the point of buying an expensive mb, yes it has some extra features en nice colors, but to be honest, the parts that you are really usin in every day life will not be a lot different. i am aware about the trend that EVERY mb company is separating their audio interface by a line that lights up (it's a bit funny if you ask me). the audio module that is separated is  still attached t the board and it is connected somehow to other componens. and elec waves around the chasis will also have influence on the auio part. BUT, it is the choice of the buyer at the end, he/she (probably not) has to believe in it.

about the tempratures of the case, i am planning to place the case on a low table in front of the tv in an open area, so tat gives me a little bit room to use the potential of tdp that c10 can handle. mine is not a lot cheaper, around 200 euros. maybe i am ong to install a passive gpu for better video performence for movies, but that is not going to influence the case temps a lot. so why not the S moel? or why the T (other than the low tdp)

i am also not a fan of streaming, so i think i am gong to role with the extrnal, untill i can efford 2 wd reds to set up raid 1 and transferin the data from my external hdd (but these are future plans).

what to use as psu? i am planning to get the 240w internal fanless psu from streacom itself, the flex zero i believe.
there is also a seasonic at the same dimention, but it had a little fan at the rear that can cause thermal and noise problems in the long run. 
but again, planning to buy a linear psu in the future.

regards

[batteries4ever]

Hi Aliweshky,
thanks for your reply...helps my plans along too!
The MB is €150.- so yeah it is about €50.- more. This one comes decidedly without a line of lights on the MB - that runs contrary to the principles behind the Sabertooth line, where robustness and reliability are the main marketing points - backed up by an extended warranty. i hope the power supply on the MB itself is higher quality than with just any" MB.
My (remote) hope is that the audio signals are far enough away from the electromagnetic hell that is a PC to get decent analog sound out ... do read the Tom's hardware article though.... it does seem possible to get analog out from a PC that can compete with an expensive DAC.... although you may end up spending as much money on it.

PSU: I am torn between "as light as possible", such as the Streacom PSU you are contemplating, or a high quality PSU (with fan...). For combination with the streacom case, I would decidedly go with the Streacom PSU as the case helps cooling the PSU.
The advantage of the Streacom PSU (and other pico PSUs) is that a lot of the "trouble" happens outside the PC case..... which might help. OTOH, the conversion from 12V to the other voltages may be so poorly done and messy that you get a lot of electromagnetic radiation from that or (worse) that your power supply is not clean and stable enough in which case it is bye bye to analog sound out. Here too, I hope the promised "robustness" of my MB will help...
Small PSUs with small fans like the Seasonic seem the worst possible option - only to be sued if a lot of power needs to be crammed into a small case.

I would decidedly not install a passive GPU in your setup: the integrated HD 4600 should be more than enough of video, including 4K and as you cannot cool it with the heat pipes ,at least not without a lot of tweaking, and since the case has no fans... where will the heat go? This is also why I opted for the T processor, 20W less heat produced will help maintaining lower temperatures. i will still try undervolting my CPU to generate even lower amounts of heat (as i will not have the luxury of the Streacom cooling solution.


 

[aliweshky]

hi
it is nice to hear someone with the same goal and hear their arguments.
i agree about the good analog signal you can achieve with a lot of money, but hey, what's the fun in that? we are all doing this kind of work, to see what the difference is, and wat we can approve next time :p and the weel keeps rolling XD

now seriously about the psu: i'm going crazy what to choose, basicly there are 3 options

1) buy a 240w streacom psu (easy, more than enough power, just a all in one solution, maybe nt the cleanest power)
2) buy a 240w laptop adapter + HDplex 250w convertor (advantage: you can upgrade later to a linear psu that goes with the convertor)
3) buy a regular psu ( seasonic 250 or the seasonic fanless 400w or just a random one and put it outsie the box  ( CHEAP)


about te gpu, yes i know that 4600 is good enough for standard playback, but i'm planning to max out madvr and am looking at gpu's with a tdp of 30w (there are cut out shapes above the gpu bracket on the fc10) . so i am certainly going to ad a gpu, but maybe not at the moment, i want to see how my system evolves with each upgrae.

regards

[aliweshky]

i forgot to share these links about the review of 2 seasonic psu, a nice site an good reviews in detail.
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article286-page1.html
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1062-page1.html

enjoy

[batteries4ever]

Hi Aliweshky: although I would like to go to smaller PSUs (more around 150 W) and in general want to go to a lower powered (from an electrical point of view) HTPC, the Seasonic fanless looks decidedly nice: very tight voltage regulation and efficient and silent... but not cheap. If you actually can leave the PSU outside the PC box (lots and lots of cables to go from the PSU to the inside of your case....) and fully out of sight (on/under your table might be difficult) that is one option.

But I would prefer the PSU inside the box .... and take my chances on the electromagnetic field.
That would suggest the Streacom adaptor, certainly if you have the matching case: you can also email to the guys there, in case of questions, they are pretty responsive: support@streacom.com.

I would also be interested in the specs of that thing.... they do not give out much data on the website and do not promote it as a HiFi component, unlike the HDplex guys... but OTOH it provides a complete PSU. Streacom makes hiFi stuff as well, so hopefully they are doing something stupid in that sense...
I would kind of hope that it "just works", in which case you have a cheap, neat, compact, noiseless solution (and can start worrying about something else). 

Like you said, the metal case, screwed directly to the case provides some cooling as well and shielding against electromagnetic fields inside your HTPC.

The linear PSUs are very nice, but huge bricks.... pretty expensive too at $358.- for 100 W.
Using the linear PSU with the convertor would probably loose some "linearity" again: ripple noise and output voltage variation are not nearly as good as that of the linear PSU itself.

My first suggestion was going to be: see if you can be happy with the Streacom from about 80 euros - you may find that a convenient and "good enough" solution.
If not: put it on sale and get another PSU solution.
But I changed my opinion after reading this review. If you can read German, try http://www.computerbase.de/tests/
If not: use Google translate.....worth the effort or confront the support of Streacom with this article and listen to what they answer.
In short, this for the Streacom 150W PSU which turns out to something of little disaster, electrically speaking: no mention of distribution of power across the various voltage, very poor voltage regulation, high idle power consumption, runs very hot.... about the most destructive review I have ever seen, and yet very thorough!
This, added to the fact that Streacom still does not show any specs, makes me very wary indeed. Other pico converters just pass the 12V right through, so then much depends on the quality of the 12 V supply. see a comment on Amazon.com regarding this.

The linear PSU is by far the cleanest solution.... but 100W is probably not enough for you...

In that case I would go with a conventional high quality PSU, preferably fan less.