Brand newbie, build question

[Lemley]

I'd love to hear the community's input in regards to HTPC builds and what (if any) consideration is being made towards the future with Steam machines/SteamOS/Win10 on the immediate horizon. I'm ready to buy my machine, but I desperately need suggestions -- which OS/what type of build do you recommend for my project?

This is primarily going to be used for arcade and classic console emulation from the couch. I have an extensive Steam library but almost exclusively play these from my desktop by choice. Is there even a need to be concerned with 'future-proofing' in that regard? If money were no object, what would be your dream HTPC GameEx setups? I don't even know what all is entirely possible.

This is clearly an exciting time to be getting into emulation, but with all these new options out I certainly don't want to buy/build something I'll regret in just a few weeks.

[DazzleHP]

Hi Lemley!

This is a hard question to answer for many reasons. But i'll do my best

As it stands, GameEx can run almost any emulator with little configuration, including Steam, and on any Windows OS, be it 7, 8, 8.1 or 10!

I personally run W7 64 PRO and experience literally zero crashes/faults. Many others run W8.1 with the same...

Windows 10 has been worked on since its concept, and although I can't honestly give any first hand feedback regarding this, the Authors/Devs most certainly can!

GameEx is flawless, i'll vouch for that, and even future technologies are getting scrutinised before they happen too.

I honestly don't think you can do much more without being funded by a government

In my opinion, GameEx is worth a sub - and then some!

[Black Mage]

GameEx is the only front end with the most responsive technical support, as a result of it not only being community driven (helping troubleshoot, creating add-ons, etc.) but also developer driven. It's also the most flexible and easy to modify (in general) front ends in my opinion (compared to MaLa and Hyperspin).

If you're going with PS2/Wii games I would recommend a i7 processor or similar, and a 2Ghz video card. If N64 or less i3 and 1GHz is more than enough.

I'm currently a big fan of toys such as LED blinky, LED buttons, analog joystick (just two at most), 4 player setup. That is how I'm building my cab.

[Lemley]

Thanks for the quick replies -- I have already subbed (lifetime) to GameEx despite not taking a single other step in this process, yet. I stumbled over some great reviews of GameEx that made me comfortable enough to jump off and take this on... but like I mentioned above, that's just as far as I've gotten.

After looking at the price tags of the premade HTPC's I realize I'm probably much, much better off building my own. No problem here -- I've got plenty of experience building PCs.

I have zero experience with HTPC's, though, and was not sure of the best software/interfaces/peripherals/accessories and such to build my setup around. GameEx is a no-brainer -- I also know, for sure, that I will be most comfortable with a Windows OS (7 pro or 10).

Are there any must-haves to make my arcade and console rom emu experience better? In the long-term, I'd like to build a half-cab for joysticks and such and just plug it in to the HTPC and a wall-mounted TV. In the short-term, I'll be limited to the mouse/keyboard and something like a 360 controller.

I see a lot of examples using XBMC and the like for a HTPC front-end. Is there any need for this (or a similar product) in addition to GameEx? I.E. using a boot front-end to easily navigate between things like Netflix/Media/etc. and GameEx? Is this even possible, or will I just be better off booting and running it in Windows 10?

Sorry to have so many questions (and such little understanding on the media center side of things); looking forward to being a part of this great community!

[stigzler]

Welcome chap. Specs below run up to PS2 and Gamecube fine. Also, manages some Wii games, but starts to hit the ceiling at this point with slow-down - guessing it's the CPU and not the GPU:

Keep us posted on yer build. You may want to check out Citra, and the PS3/Xbox360 emus - they all seem to be gathering some momentum - Think if had the resources I'd be striving to build for those emus - although not sure they're at the stage of recommended specs.

[Lemley]

Stigzler, that's exactly what I'm referring to (future-proofing, as much as possible anyway) -- I want to be sure I can run anything well that's in the foreseeable future.

I'm having difficulty finding a case I like: Newegg has several good options, but they all seem large (MicroATX with a nearly 7 inch height on the thinnest side? Surely there's better options out there).

I'm not dead-set on a chipset size, (Micro/Mini/etc) but do want to pack as much punch as possible into as small of a package as possible. I guess that's a pretty universal statement

Anyone have suggestions?

[stigzler]

Guess the main consideration around form factor will be accommodating any big GPUs...

[tthurman]

In the long-term, I'd like to build a half-cab for joysticks and such and just plug it in to the HTPC and a wall-mounted TV.

This is what I will "eventually" have going on

Can't help you on the case, I prefer full size ATX. I become easily irritated trying to work in confined spaces, and, well, my eyes aren't what they used to be!

All that said, I've been happy with my Silverstone HTPC cases.

My rig is running 8.1, and will soon be 10. I At this point in time I can't say I see any reason to not go with 10 on a new build, and I wouldn't consider anything less than 8.

[Draco1962]

Welcome to the Forums, Lemley! I moved this thread to the Gamer Rigs section of the forums since it is a build discussion and not a discussion of issues with GameEx proper. You may wish to explore other threads in this subforum for build ideas. Even those for arcade and pin cabs may have some good ideas to incorporate in your HTPC build! Best of luck!

BTW - I am using an Antec P280 mid-tower for my build. While not an HTPC case, it offers plenty of room to grow and cooling is excellent without the need, at present for water cooling, although the case is built with that in mind. I also like the look after having gone to Tiger Direct and telling the store help what I wanted and being shown all sorts of plastic faced overpriced cases that looked like Optimus Prime got busy with a Stormtrooper and having to tell him that I need a case that looks like the owner wears big boy pants.

If you are looking for a quality HTPC case that would look good in the living room, the Antec Fusion Remote Max looks like a pretty sweet deal with room for Mini-ITX through Standard ATX mobos room for up to two full sized GPUs.

[stigzler]

BTW - I am using an Antec P280 mid-tower for my build.

That's a nice case.

[Lemley]

Getting very comfortable with build ideas -- this is turning out to be no different than throwing together a typical PC (just in a smaller form factor).

I think I would prefer something that looks like it belongs on my entertainment center, but I'm getting less and less concerned with small size. Silverstone appears to be the way to go (I love the looks of the Antec Fusion cases and have always had success with Antec products, but they're all out of stock on Newegg? Is a new model coming out or are these just discontinued??)

Once it's time to start loading HTPC software, codecs and FE's, I'm in a whole new world... that's when I'll REALLY need help.

[Draco1962]

There are some used Antec Fusion cases on Amazon. The Silverstone cases look pretty solid, however, I have to give it to Antec for the more polished looks.

[hansolo77]

My HTPC case is a Zalman HD160, black, although you may have trouble finding it. NewEgg and Amazon both have them out of stock.

[tthurman]

Just to give a nod for a not so common honorable mention, I've utilized P-Link for some builds at work.

Pretty solid in my book from a value point, albeit at the trade off of a being a bit of rough around the edges. Certainly not a Silverstone or Zalman, but lots of options, and gets the job done if you're going for the RM / HTPC style case.

[RedDog]

What got me into the HTPC game was an old Shuttle PC. I used it as a test to see if this little niche of a computer hobby was worth getting into. Once I was satisfied that my glorified VCR was worth doing, then I went to a full on Silverstone case and a legit build (instead of pieces handed down from other PCs). The only thing you may want to look out for if you decide to go with an HTPC case is that they can be a little more cramped than your standard case. While you don't need to worry about going with low profile cards or anything like that, it still means there could be some fun with running everything you want the way you want (for good air flow for instance).

My media box is now used for watching TV (4 tuners), watching movies in my 'little' movie library, playing games via steam big picture, watching Netflix, and playing game emulators and a handful of older games via GameEx. I am using Windows7 and will stick with that until the end of time (since Windows Media Center is being phased out).

The HTPC hobby is fun to do, but it does require a lot of dedication. I don't know the number of times I have rebuilt/reconfigured/changed/blah/blah/blah my media box...as well as all the little tweaks that you just want to try and do to make it a little better. You gotta love doing it or it will begin to feel like work. The good news is that you have found a good community here and there are quite a few people that like to chat and help about this stuff.

[stigzler]

Ha! I've got a Shuttle laying around somewhere - I've still got plans at the back of my head to use those compact components in a MAME build somehow. Haven't sparked it up in years - I think the processor only has one core and it's running XP. Lots to do when I retire (will they still make Pentium 4s in 20 years time?)

I remember designing a 800x600 skin for some software called NordBeat Jukebox so it could run on my SD widescreen CRT. Damn - where's the time go?

[RedDog]

Ha! I've got a Shuttle laying around somewhere - I've still got plans at the back of my head to use those compact components in a MAME build somehow. Haven't sparked it up in years - I think the processor only has one core and it's running XP. Lots to do when I retire (will they still make Pentium 4s in 20 years time?)

I remember designing a 800x600 skin for some software called NordBeat Jukebox so it could run on my SD widescreen CRT. Damn - where's the time go?

Yup, that's what I started with. P4, 2 Gigs of Ram, Radeon 9600 and one tuner in a nice shiney silver box. That shuttle was a great little PC.

[tthurman]

There are some used Antec Fusion cases on Amazon. The Silverstone cases look pretty solid, however, I have to give it to Antec for the more polished looks.

That's a sweet looking case, but was probably discontinued when I was in the market, so it never got on my radar. Oh well, wasn't full ATX anyway, but it sure is pretty.

I know this one is bigger than what you are looking at, but it's an impressive case design, and one that won't limit your internal components.

I just put together a bench machine for work using the 400R I picked up for $69 AR, these Corsair cases are very well designed!

[RIP-Felix]

I've built 2 HTPC's now:

• The first was full a ATX budget build that sacrifices as little as possable without being larger than an AV Reciever. It was based off of an Apevia X-Master. The Size was not too big, but I will admit that it takes some cable managment and planning to make work. Also you are limited in the size of video cards, the huge longer ones won't fit.
• The second was an attempt to make things more compact and portable. It's based around a Mini-ITX AMD A10-5800K APU and dual graphics. This is about the bare minimum to get you to about Wii emulation. I haven't had any trouble yet, but will soon. This option is not futureproof.

Recomended HTPC must haves/things I've learned along the way:

1. Cooling: A low-profile heatsink that accomadates a 120mm or larger fan. This can be difficult to fit in every case, so choose a case that will work. The reason is because there are quiet to silent 120mm fans that blow way more air than the next size down 92mm fans. I can't recommend a 120mm 4-pin PWM as I elected to go for the smaller 92mm variety (wish I had planed for a larger HS and CPU Fan), but this 3-pin 120mm fan is the best by far for general case cooling (IMO). It's 69CFM at 19 dB and only $9 each! The only sound is the air moving. And this is the best (quietest) 92mm 4-pin low profile (14mm thick) fan I've found. The general rule is that the larger the fan, the higher the CFM for the same noise. So go as big as your application allows. Plan around cooling as much as spesc and astetics. I mean it!
2. CPU/Motherboard combo - AMD vs. Intel: Intel has a way more expensive top end but can outperform AMD's top chip in most benchmarks. If you spend the same on Intels chip/motherboard as you would on AMD's best, you will not get much more, if any. You will have to pay more to get more, on both motherboard and CPU. In my experiance AMD's best offering CPU and budget midrange Motherboard (Asus, Gigabyte, even ASrock) are sufficient for a mid-upper end gaming rig futureproof for 4-5 years of gaming before the games catch up to the CPU. The real battle is with the GPU, and as long as you stay current with that you won't start seeing real bottlenecks from the CPU during that time, unless there is a major tehnological advance of course. You can extend this for a year or two by spending about $200-300 more on an Intel CPU/Motherboard combo since they are often ahead of the curve/competition. It all depends on how much you are willing to spend. I'm happy with AMD, but see the appeal of Intel. Make the choice thats right for your needs.
3. Remote Control: An HTPC requiires a remote control. You can choose a case that has an IR sensor built in or buy one aftermarket. If that is the case I Highly reccomend this. It is the most satisfying purchase of my HTPC builds. I reccomend pairing it with a Logitech Harmony remote. The iMon software that comes with it is actually very powerful and you can control the computer in almost every way imaginable. Even works in GameEx & Media Center. It connects between your 24-pin motherboard power connector and the PSU so it always has power, even when the HTPC is off. It also connects between the case power switch so it physically acts as the power button on the case, the case switch still works too. Lastly it connects to an internal USB header amd will always recognize the remote signal and start the HTPC even if the computer was off, unlike thoes usb IR sensors which only work when the OS is running. Get this dam thing!!!
4. Maximizing space/airflow: These are great for maximizing space with extra 5.25" bays and these are great for maximizing airflow.

Thoes are my 2 cents. Happy HTPC hunting!

PS: Sorry about spelling, I no spl 2 good.

[stigzler]

My thinking is that if you buy a cpu now that can run wii games then youre golden. My impression around ps3 and xbox360 emulation is that thay are going to require stoopid fast cpus. Probably beyond future proofing presently. Another thing to consider when buying a cpu is to go for one that can be overclocked. Mine was about 3 years old when I bought it, but managed to get an extra 1ghz out of it! Buy for now, but if you start taxing your box in the future you can always overclock it.

[RIP-Felix]

stigz maks a great point about OCing. This all the more reason to think about cooling in the begining when choosing a case and HS/fan combo.

[tthurman]

This looks pretty cool, and something I wasn't aware of for sure.

That said, I find multi-function aftermarket remotes absolutely infuriating. I control my HTPC with a combo of a Logitech M325 / K360 for any serious tweaking needs, and a logitech mini controller, for when I want to sit back and just fire up movies or music. The mini is terrible for system configs though, so I picked up the above wireless combo for those instances, and everything works like a champ over a single unifying receiver.

Just another idea is all.

[Draco1962]

I would add that a decent wireless keyboard is a must, especially for searching for files, movies on Netflix, Hulu, web searches, or whatever. You may not use it all the time, but the one time that you have to type a lot of text and you fumble the remote and have to start over, you will be sold.