Budget 31-40k Building a 4K HTPC primarily, maybe some 1080p gaming too

delhiboy1

Disciple
Hi,

I just repurposed my old i3-4130 system for my kids' online classes. Look here : https://techenclave.com/community/threads/basic-home-pc-build-for-the-kids.194083/

I had been earlier using this as an HTPC, primarily playing off 1080p Blu Ray rips/ISO and Blu ray discs. Was using MPC-HC, madvr and it did a fabulous job. Considering.

Netflix Win 10 app worked perfect and I could get ATMOS Passthrough to my AVR.
This also worked great as an Audio streaming device, especially since I listen to Ganna, Wynk, YT Music generally.

Now, i was trying to use my Thinkpad, i5-7300U, 8gb Ram, Samsung Enterprise SSD and of course it played 1080p very nicely.
But 4K rips, just about (connected to a FHD TV)

I was quite surprised by this..Kodi, MPC-HC drops frames/ some kind of a judder/stutter, whatever, while playing 4K rips.
VLC alone plays everything cool, but with a slight hit on Image quality.
The best video quality came from the inbuilt Films & TV app surprisingly, but it also has major AV Sync issues.

Net net, I wanna build up a decent 4K HTPC, which can play all current file formats flawlessly.
I am only using a FHD TV right now but will upgrade to a 4K TV in 1-2year.
I am used to MPC-HC + MAdVr, so would like to continue to use that for playback. All Sound Passthrough to my Marantz AVR.


And since I plan to use a half-decent GFX Card, i might as well try my hand at some PC gaming. Single Player, FPS only.

Here is the system I have researched up for me : I am not yet decided on which way to go .. Intel or AMD.

CPU : Intel i3-9100f (6K), AMD - Ryzen 3 3100 (8.5K)

Mobo : Any mid range (6-7K) - For Intel, B365 , AMD- 450 chipset mobo.
I like the Ultra Durable Gigabyte series, as my current system had a full ATX board from them. But which brand is good/stable boards? I like long warranties.

RAM : 2* 8Gb DDR400 (2400 or 3200 , depending on the CPU) , ~6K . Though I think, even 2*4Gb will suffice my need.

SSD : 250GbWD Blue nvme , (3.5K) , how much is a typical FPS game install size these days? I haven't been gaming in a while. a long while.

GFX Card : 1650 or 1650 Super ( Which one, brand? ) . ~15K

Case+ Power Supply (Budget 5K-ish totally) : no idea , but i would like something that can gel well in the living room. No RGB Bling , thank you .

OS : Win 10 Home 64-Bit , (where & what is the cheapest i can get a legit copy?)


Please share your thoughts about this build, thank you in advance !!

Remember this is primarily an HTPC, with some PC Gaming thrown in for the next 6-9 COVID months)
 
You could get an Asrock Deskmini A300 (or wait for the upgraded model). You can pair a 3400G with some laptop RAM and a 2.5 inch drive and you will have a very capable HTPC which is a size of an ATX PSU. Or you can drop down to 3200G or older APUs to save money.
 
I think the APUs should be enough to playback any media files. Somebody who owns a Ryzen3 or Ryzen5 APU will have to confirm though. I am using my Deskmini with an Athlon 3000G atm.
 
You could get an Asrock Deskmini A300 (or wait for the upgraded model). You can pair a 3400G with some laptop RAM and a 2.5 inch drive and you will have a very capable HTPC which is a size of an ATX PSU. Or you can drop down to 3200G or older APUs to save money.

Could this fit an ITX card like the below ? And more importantly can the PSU handle it?

 
Could this fit an ITX card like the below ? And more importantly can the PSU handle it?

No to both. The Deskmini has a motherboard built in it, which is STX form factor. It has no PCIe slot at all. The only connectors it has are 2 x m.2 slots for SSDs, 1 x m.2 for wifi card, 2 x SATA connectors.

It can only be used with APUs.
 
Do you have an idea where can i get one? This seems like a legit option, especially for my HTPC primary requirement. Of course, I will wait till Zen3 releases.
And are there Zotac , Gigabyte or Asus Mini boxes as well?
 
I'm not sure why you felt the need to create a new thread.
Please share your thoughts about this build, thank you in advance !!
Please share your thoughts about the build I shared earlier. For gaming/discrete GPU, swap the 3200G for a 3100. If your budget has increased swap the motherboard for an entry-level B550. Select a m-atx board+case and call it a day. You don't always make a better choice with more options (Information bias).
 
^ There are 2 main choices at play here :

1. To get a full ATX size build or ITX (Very nice, but budget overshoots to 55K, per my estimates)
2. Intel or AMD . The cheaper i3 will let me upgrade my GFX from a 1650 to 1650 Super. Plus, it does seem to turbo nicely to 4.2G !

Choices, choices...
 
^ There are 2 main choices at play here :

1. To get a full ATX size build or ITX (Very nice, but budget overshoots to 55K, per my estimates)
2. Intel or AMD . The cheaper i3 will let me upgrade my GFX from a 1650 to 1650 Super. Plus, it does seem to turbo nicely to 4.2G !

Choices, choices...
1. Why full ATX when mATX is cheaper and will fit in a smaller case? ITX is only a consideration if form factor matters above all else, and if you're willing to pay 2x for the case/board.
2. How is the i3 cheaper? You need to look at the platform cost i.e. CPU+Motherboard. Clockspeed does not matter, IPC does. Intel is not in contention.

Choices have to make sense to actually be chosen. Provide a total and final build budget and let people who've done this hundreds of times help you.
 
My inputs:
1) Avoid extreme small factors and ATX boards as we pay more for it's size. For your usage a regular Gigabyte matx should be good. I love Giga boards myself. They really have the least failure %
2) Intel AMD "VS" war is just about what prices you get when you buy.
3) Your budget for PSU + Chassis is a low. Get a good PSU + decent cabinet. For HTPC consider Silverstone or a good HTPC chassis. Will look good kept next to your AVR.
4) If you are willing to spend 15 for a GPU avoid the 1650 OC and get the 1650 Super. I did the same mistake and dodged the bullet by returning it (FM psyph3r pointed it out) and getting the Super. Here is why:
The GTX 1650 Super might have a similar name to the 1650, but that’s more for marketing than anything else. The 1650 Super is an altogether different GPU. It has substantially more CUDA cores than the 1650, as well as a higher clock speed and 50% faster memory. It’s a big upgrade. On paper, it’s within striking distance of a stock GTX 1660.
In developing the 1650 Super, Nvidia gave it GDDR6 memory running at a faster clip than that found in the 1650 or the 1660. That’s what enables it to match the GTX 1660 in memory bandwidth, despite its narrower memory bus. It has a higher base and boost clock, but the biggest differentiating factor is the 42% increase in CUDA core count. That should, when combined with the other performance enhancements, deliver a noticeable improvement in the card’s capabilities. That seems to play out in testing, too. In games where the standard GTX 1650 performed poorly, the GTX 1650 Super really picked up the slack. In TechPowerUp’s testing in games like Metro Exodus, we see the 1650 Super reach speeds in excess of the RX 580. In the Witcher 3, the 1650 almost catches up with the RX 590, where the standard 1650 falls well behind even the RX 570 and the GTX 1060 3GB.
PS: The super needs a 6 pin connection from the PSU though. The 1650 OC run on mobo's power, better for HTPC but the price it's selling right now does not justify the cost.
 
Forgot to update the thread :

I got myself a NUC 8i3BEH and have been happy since. Thanks to @mnanand & @ruiner21 for their guidance & help!

Went bonkers and added 2*16 Gb Kingston HyperX, 1Tb WD Blue SN 550 nvme during the Amazon sale.
Installation was only a tiny bit tricky even for a noob like me; with only the SATA connector immensely hard to remove while installing RAM & SSD. But that's it.
Win 10 installed in like 3 mins flat !

Tiny footprint and all the processing that I needed. Fits smack between my AVR & Power Amp.
I was also able to salvage my Win10 license from my old PC and install it on the NUC.

Plays everything that is thrown at it. And has all the ports that I am ever gonna need, Thunderbolt3, DisplayPort, 4* USB 3.1 Gen2, nice Wifi chip.
If ever needed, I can later get an eGPU and use it, though not likely.

Only challenge I am facing is that it gives me a "HDCP 2.2 Display not found error" when playing Netflix (even non 4K) content.
Although, I do have a 4 yr old VU FHD LED, which is basically a re-badged Hisense. Not sure if this thing is HDCP 2.2. compliant or not.
I can't seem to fix that no matter what I try, but rest all is copacetic.

I agree with @Rockfella about Giga boards, esp the Ultra Durable series- they are just worth their weight in gold.
The 1650 was the only card in my budget ( <15K) that was ITX and also the one that can feed itself just from the PCI-E slot.
So for someone looking to build an ITX rig, it should be plenty enough power.
 
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