Windows 8 Pro HTPC Server with extenders

[barnabas1969]

It's important to know that you're in Europe. You should add that to your profile so that your location shows under your username in all of your posts. The main difference is that all of your TV will be encoded in H.264 (MPEG-4) instead of MPEG-2 like it is in North America.

The people who have posted about trying to make an XBox work as an extender with Win8 have specifically stated that they can't get it to work with H.264 video. I hope that it will work in the final release of Win 8, but we must wait until it is officially released before we will know.

Here is my advice:

1) CPU: If you plan to run 5 extenders simultaneously, you will need a 6-core i7. If you decide to connect one of the five TV's directly to the PC's graphics card, then you can go with a 4-core i5 and a graphics card like the nVidia GT-430 or the integrated Intel HD video adapter that is on some Intel core-i5 and i7 processors. The reason for this is because you need one core for each extender that will be in use simultaneously.

2) Extenders: Since you are in Europe, the only extenders that will work for you are the XBox360 and the Ceton Echo. The HP and Linksys extenders will not work for you. The Ceton Echo is supposed to work with H.264 video at high bit rates, and is supposed to be released in December... but I expect the release date to be delayed because their beta was supposed to have already started and it has been delayed until October.

3) RAM: You will need a minimum of 2GB of RAM for the Operating System, plus 1GB for each extender that will be running simultaneously. Five extenders == 7GB of RAM. That means that you should use 8GB (and a 64-bit version of Windows).

4) Cooling: If you plan to install your HTPC in a viewing area, you will need to consider fan noise. A higher wattage CPU == higher cooling requirements, and therefore more noise. Plan your build accordingly... think about the size and cooling arrangement of the case. Try to find quiet fans. Larger fans are generally quieter than smaller fans.

5) Storage: Use an SSD for your Operating System. Plan your storage space according to your needs. 3TB of recorded TV storage == approximately 700 shows of mixed length (30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours).

My HTPC is in a rather large case that looks like a piece of home theater equipment. It stays relatively cool and is very quiet. I have one 60GB SSD, two 2TB drives, a BluRay drive, and an SD card reader in the drive bays. I have room for several more drives in the case. With a little modification I could easily fit a total of 9 drives (including the BluRay drive and card reader) in the case. That's taking into consideration that two of my drive bays are taken by a fan that draws air from the front of the case and blows directly on the video card. Without the fan, I could put another two drives for a total of 11 drives. The case is designed for seven 3.5" drives, and two 5.25" drives... but there is room to easily modify the drive cages to add two more drives. If you have enough SATA controllers, you can see that you can install a tremendous amount of storage inside this case. With this much storage, would you really need external storage?

[seneca]

barnabas1969: This is great advice, thank you very much. I have also changed my profile location to Europe.

Regarding the cpu, I think I will go the extender only route (for maximum stability and usability for a family with 4 kids, and sacrifice some flexibility) and then a 6 core i7 will probably be my choice.

RAM will be 8 or 16 GB and SSD for the OS, and a large case that can hold many HDD and stay cool, to protect the components for the long run.

I can see you have a great setup. Would you recommend a specific 6 core i7 cpu, RAM and motherboard for my HTPC server ?

As the HTPC server will be placed in the loft of our house, the size of the motherboard is not essential, any size will do, maybe full ATX and a large case would be the best choice ?

Any advice on this is greatly appreciated - thanks barnabas1969.

[barnabas1969]

Go with the lowest wattage 6-core i7 that fits the motherboard of your choice... unless, of course, you want this PC to do other tasks such as playing some of the latest games.

The choice of motherboard depends on how many on-board SATA ports you would like to have, how many and what type of expansion slots you require (PCI, PCI express X1, PCI express X16, etc), whether you want to use on-board RAID, etc. You'll also want to consider the PCIe versions that are supported by the motherboard, to make sure that it's compatible with your chosen tuners.

Since you won't be putting the HTPC in a viewing area, the noise is not as much of a concern. You can still make it quiet, but it's not absolutely necessary (unless someone sleeps in the loft). Larger cases are usually easier to cool and can hold more drives and expansion cards (tuners). Larger (ATX) motherboards typically have more connectivity and more expansion slots.

If the HTPC will not be connected to a TV for viewing, the video adapter is not important (except for playing games)... so you could use any on-board graphics. This will also leave all of your expansion slots open for tuners and other cards (SATA and/or RAID controllers).

You don't need ECC RAM. Also, ECC RAM will limit your motherboard choices and increase cost. I have had very good experience with RAM made by Kingston, Crucial, and Corsair. Of course, make sure the RAM is compatible with your motherboard.

A good, high-efficiency power supply (PSU) will save you money over time because they will save money on your electric bill. At a minimum, buy a PSU that is "80 PLUS" certified. You will need to determine the cost/benefit of going with a PSU that is simply "80 PLUS" certified vs. 80 PLUS Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum. Each level adds more stringent requirements for efficiency. The wattage of the PSU should be so that it will be loaded between 25-75% of full load when the PC is running... because this is where the PSU performs the best and most efficient. You can see more information about the 80 PLUS testing here.

[barnabas1969]

Regarding power supplies, I should mention that when a PSU is rated to be 80% efficient, that means that when the PC (including the PSU) is drawing 100 watts (assuming that 100 watts is 20-100% of the PSU's rated capacity), 20 of those watts is being wasted by the power supply as heat. Many PSU's that are not 80-PLUS certified are about 50% efficient... which means that half of the power consumed by the PC is being wasted as heat by the PSU.

The wasted heat may not be as much of a concern in cold climates, if that heat can be used for space heating.

[seneca]

I will be going with the Intel Core i5-3570K cpu for my HTPC server (serving 3 xbox 360s extenders).

Would the Intel DZ77BH-55K ATX motherboard be a good choice ?

[barnabas1969]

I really like Intel motherboards, and that one has 7 internal SATA ports, one e-SATA on the back panel, a good mix of PCI and PCIe slots, and an optical audio output. It looks good to me.

When you buy your RAM, make sure to get a dual-channel kit... 2 x 4GB if you want 8GB total (that's what I recommend), or 2 x 8GB if you want 16GB total (which seems to be what you wanted).

You're definitely shooting high on the price range for those two parts. If that's OK with your budget, then I say go for it.

[seneca]

Thank you barnabas1969.

I will go with 8 GB dual-channel RAM from Crucial as you are recommending and a 60GB Intel 330 SSD for the OS.

I´m a little unsure on the wattage for the PSU. Would a 650 Watt PSU be enough for this HTPC server if I use 1 SSD and 6 HDD in it together with 4 tuners ?

[barnabas1969]

The Intel i5-3570K has a TDP of 77 watts. Figure about 15 watts for each HDD and 5 watts for the SSD. Then add another 30-40 watts for the motherboard. That's around 200 watts (max) so far. Then, add a watt or two for each fan, and make sure to consider whatever expansion cards you plan to plug into the motherboard. Be especially careful if you are planning to add a video card. Some video cards can pull a LOT of power. Your processor has integrated graphics, so that may not be a concern for you.

So, yes, a 650 should be plenty... unless you plan to put a pair of gaming graphics cards in it. And... back to what I was saying about energy efficiency, 200 watts is about 30% of 650... so that puts you in the zone. My HTPC runs around 165 watts most of the time. I expect yours will be pretty close to that... maybe 195 with that many HDD's.

[barnabas1969]

Oh... if the PSU doesn't have enough connectors on it to hook up all those drives, make sure to get some "Y" cables while you're shopping.