Ultra Budget HTPC: (Last updated : August 29, 2010)
| Hardware | Component | Price | |
| Processor | AMD Athlon II X2 250 | $62.00 | check prices |
| Motherboard | GIGABYTE GA-785GMT-USB3 | $89.99 | check prices |
| Memory | Patriot Viper 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1600 | $124.99 | check prices |
| TV Tuner | DIAMOND ATI Theater HD 750 USB 2.0 | $51.99 | check prices |
| Hard Drive | SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB | $59.99 | check prices |
| Optical Drive | Lite-On IHES208-08 Blu-Ray Combo | $79.99 | check prices |
| Case | hec Black 0.7mm Thickness SECC 7K09 | $54.99 | check prices |
| Keyboard & Mouse | Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave Pro | $99.89 | check prices |
Component Info and Reviews :
AMD Athlon II X2 250
The Athlon II X2 250 dual core processor is built on 45nm prcess and features a TDP of 65 watts. It runs at 3 GHz clock speed and has 2MB of L2 cache. It has good overclocabilty and can be overclocked to around 3.8 - 3.9 GHz on air.
Reviews : Neoseeker, Xbit Labs, Firing Squad, TechSpot
GIGABYTE GA-785GMT-USB3
This is definitely an ideal HTPC motherboard. You can get everything you need that's related to high-definition video/audio playback, energy savings and even lightweight level 3D gaming thanks to AMD's fabulous integrated 785G + SB710 chipset and Realtek's ALC889 HD audio chip.
Supporting the latest AMD AM3 CPUs, SATA II hard drives, USB 3.0 and dual channel DDR3 RAMs, the Gigabyte GA-785GMT-USB3 guarantees you the highest performance. The integrated ATI Radeon HD 4200 GPU provides adequate 3D and video playback capability, digital interfaces (DVI/HDMI) and analog interface (D-sub) are included. If that is not enough for you, simply update your display subsystem by ATI Hybrid CrossFireX technology. 108dB SNR Blu-ray audio playback through analog output and digital output can be easily implemented without buying any additional audio devices.
Armed with Gigabyte's exclusive technologies such as Ultra Durable 3 classic and DualBIOS, this motherboard can be the core part of from an affordable PC to High-End System.
Reviews : IT Reviews
Patriot Viper 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1600
Patriot's Viper's low latencies of 7-7-7-20 are supplemented by support for the Intel XMP specification. This 4GB DDR3 1600 kit comes with custom Aluminum Copper Composite heat shields with ribs and fins for exceptional cooling even under extreme load.
These 100% tested modules come with Patriot's lifetime warranty. They are also RoHS compliant so you know that your system's increased performance isn't hurting the environment.
DIAMOND ATI Theater HD 750 USB 2.0
With HD 750 PC TV chip your Media Center PC is complete with live HDTV (where applicable). Bring it all together for a true all-in-one rich media experience and expand your digital entertainment capabilities –at home or on-the-go. Easily capture and convert recorded TV shows directly to your mobile device and take it with you for TV on-the-go.
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB
The Samsung Spinpoint F3 operates at 7200RPM and with this offering being 1TB of data storage capacity using just two 500GB per platter disks it offers suberb speeds. As well as meeting datacentre requirements for addition storage to meet rising demand and increasing performance needs, the new drives also deliver high-performance with lower power for desktop computers and servers.
This Samsung Spinpoint drive offers a superior combination of density, recording quality and reliability. It also features Samsung's industry-leading NoiseGuard and SilentSeek‚ technologies to eliminate acoustic noise. Servers, high-end desktops, RAID systems and DVRs are among the applications well suited to the Spinpoint drive.
Reviews: bit-tech.net
Lite-On IHES208-08 Blu-Ray Combo
Lite-On's IHES208-08 Blu-Ray Combo comes with a multitude of reading capabilities and is a DVD+/-R, DVD+/-RW, DVD+/-R DL, DVD-RAM, CD-R, CD-RW writer; plus DVD-ROM, CD-ROM combination drive. Not to mention, it supports BD-R, BD-RE, BD-ROM single or double layer read and a double layer DVD+/- R9 recording function. The Lite-On IHES208-08 Blu-Ray Combo features Smart-Burn and Smart-X technologies in which Smart-Burn avoids Buffer UnderRun errors and automatically adjusts writing strategy & running OPC to provide optimal burning quality and Smart-X adjusts CD-DA/VCD/DVD data extraction to the fastest allowable speed according to data request rate from host and disk quality.
hec Black 0.7mm Thickness SECC 7K09
hec micro ATX htpc case is a compact and stylish case. It is made of quality 0.7mm steel and includes a 270W Power Supply.
Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave Pro
Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave Pro combines the field- and laboratory-tested comfort of the Logitech Wave Keyboard with the exceptionally comfortable, rechargeable Logitech MX 1100 Cordless Laser Mouse.
A perfect complement to the Wave keyboard, the MX1100 mouse is designed to support the naturally curved shape of your hand. Logitech’s newest mouse features an elegantly contoured, full-size shape that fits your hand for maximum comfort, providing exceptional palm support.
The mouse’s MicroGear™ Precision Scroll Wheel has two scrolling modes, including hyper-fast scrolling for flying effortlessly through long documents and Web pages. Eight programmable buttons allow you to get to the information, the Web pages, the files and the applications you want – fast. With software installed, a stealth thumb button makes application switching easy and zoom controls allow you to zoom in and out of documents with the press of a button. The mouse also features adjustable dpi (up to 1,600 dpi), which can come in handy when editing an image at the pixel level or, alternatively, when you need to move the cursor quickly within a document.
To give you a secure, reliable signal in a busy wireless environment, such as an office, Logitech’s advanced 2.4 GHz wireless technology dramatically reduces interference, effectively eliminating delays and dropouts. In fact, Logitech’s wireless technology exchanges data between the receiver and the mouse 300 times faster than conventional 27 MHz wireless technologies for cordless mice – and 800 times faster than conventional 27 MHz wireless technologies for cordless keyboards. Plus, Logitech’s advanced 2.4 GHz wireless technology provides 128-bit AES keyboard encryption for advanced security.
By optimizing the power management system, the improved wireless technology delivers a 3-year keyboard battery life.
Reviews : ExtremeTech, TrustedReviews
