Actual HTPC vs Proliant setup ?

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SFW007

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Good Morning guys

i need your thoughts on the below spec`d HTPC is it worth it
  • what would i be missing out on when choosing server side against htpc i.e specs
  • am i investing too much into an HTPC
  • will this be future proof for possible changes in the HD world codec? (3600+-)


Then i need to know if you`d go for the proliant for R1299 + GFX and optical USB thingies?


Asus E35M1-M Pro , all-in-one with Integrated AMD E350 dual core cpu , usb3.0 + sata6G , with EFi mouse-controlled bios , fanless design , AMD FCH A50 chipset , 2x DDR3-1066 , 6 ( 5 internal+1 external e-sata ) sata6G , on-board Radeon HD6310 DirectX11 1Gb UMA vga with tripple -output ( HDMi + D-SUB + DVi ) + ALC887-VD2 7.1 audio with optical s/pdif out + iEEE1394 + gigabit lan ; 1x pci-e (1x) , 1x pci-e (16x) , 2 x pci , with EPU + anti-surge protection + Turbo key + Turbo-V , with 2x USB3.0 + 4x USB2.0 , 1xPS2 - micro atx
Antec Fusion Remote , Black front panel + black body , No psu , with built-in IR receiver + 56keys MCE remote control , desktop HTPC chassis with triple-chamber structure + LCD Display module + volumn control knob ; chassis air guide on side panel , 0.8mm cold-rolled steel construction , 2 front usb+ieee1394 + audio in/out ; 1x 5.25", 2x internal 3.5" ; 2 x Tricool 120mm side fan , lockable - micro atx only
Kingston ValueRam KVR1333D3N9/2G , 2Gb ddr3-1333 , CL9 , 1.5v - 240pin - lifetime warranty
Antec EA-380d green , 380watts EArthwatts ( 12v : 336w ) , 80PLUS bronze certified for energy saving - 24pin ( 4pin detachable ) , with active-PFC , 1x 6pin PCI-E power , dual 12V rail , 1x 80mm thermal controled fan ; 5x SATA , 4x molex , with OVP, OCP, SCP - 3 years warranty

in closing i know some of these question has been asked before but i just can’t decide on which way to go. I like the fact that you get a remote with the Antec case and the look of the HTPC fits in with the rest. But what am i losing out on in terms of the server side being the Proliant? and the beefed up HTPC


Thanks
 
HP proliant micro server is pretty awesome, im basically using mine as a media server,GPU works great, plays hd quite brilliantly considering price(standard HD radeon in it), slightly laggy with media center but im still running a gig ram easily correctable , only addition i have is a usb 5.1 surround sound card/stick whatever it falls under
 
Nothing, except for the big cost difference.

If you are gonna be running OpenELEC, you might need to buy a dedicated gfx card though.
1. OpenELEC runs perfectly with nVidia, while im not too sure about ATI and it's driver support in openelec.
2. XBMC itself prefers nVidia cards.
3. Onboard is generally much slower than a dedicated gfx card, but who knows, it might handle it perfectly.

Look, Don't add the GFX card to your shopping list YET - build the system you listed and check first, you might not even need it in the end :)
I'm just putting it out there.


I'm just glad you're going the custom HTPC way - it's so much more flexible, prettier, custom to your own specifications, needs & style, and more future proof (like you said with codecs/etc)
XBMC is also a must have imo with all its skins and plugins

I think it will be an awesome system if you have the cash, although I prefer 4 internal HDD Bays like the HP, than the 2 this one has. (if you don't have a lot of media though, it doesn't matter)

However, if you some day pass the 2 HDD bay limit in the future, you can just spend R1300 on a standard hp (with no gfx) and Network it to your Antec.... then you suddenly have the possibility to have 7 internal drives, and also 6 external ones.
The HP can then be hidden in a cupboard somewhere, and you will STILL only see your sleek system in your tv room
 
Paid R600 for my proliant hehe :D, cost was my major factor
 
The advantage of building your own is flexibility. You can use full sized TV tuner / sound / graphics cards, which the Proliant will not allow. You will also have more slots available. If you wish to make the most of this flexibility then go for a better processor - a dual core i3 or the AMD equivalent should be OK.

If you do not need this and you are going to stick to HDMI sound then go for the Proliant together with one of the graphics cards recommended in the forums. You just can't beat the price. This PC is also very quite and the looks do blend in well with other audio components (it's basically a black box). Just make sure that the shelf that you are putting it on is high enough to take it.

The only server thing that you will be missing out on is the on-board RAID. This is a fakeraid setup though, and not really a big loss.

Personally I use a Proliant as the home server and a dedicated HTPC built around a similar Antec case to the one you are thinking about (the one without the remote). This setup works well and the ability to update the HTPC as needs change has been very useful.
 
Keeper said:
Nothing, except for the big cost difference.

If you are gonna be running OpenELEC, you might need to buy a dedicated gfx card though.
1. OpenELEC runs perfectly with nVidia, while im not too sure about ATI and it's driver support in openelec.
2. XBMC itself prefers nVidia cards.
3. Onboard is generally much slower than a dedicated gfx card, but who knows, it might handle it perfectly.

Look, Don't add the GFX card to your shopping list YET - build the system you listed and check first, you might not even need it in the end :)
I'm just putting it out there.


I'm just glad you're going the custom HTPC way - it's so much more flexible, prettier, custom to your own specifications, needs & style, and more future proof (like you said with codecs/etc)
XBMC is also a must have imo with all its skins and plugins

I think it will be an awesome system if you have the cash, although I prefer 4 internal HDD Bays like the HP, than the 2 this one has. (if you don't have a lot of media though, it doesn't matter)

However, if you some day pass the 2 HDD bay limit in the future, you can just spend R1300 on a standard hp (with no gfx) and Network it to your Antec.... then you suddenly have the possibility to have 7 internal drives, and also 6 external ones.
The HP can then be hidden in a cupboard somewhere, and you will STILL only see your sleek system in your tv room
Click to expand...

Thanks keeper(and the rest of you guys) went through all the pages on your pseudo setup and looks pretty awesome.

i will want to go the openlec route as i want an awesome WOW factor for my family who would appreaciate a simple setup with out me having to teach them how to use a complicated system. And as you know it would have a huge WAF, the full HTPC works out to about R3600 inlc vat.

Your input was/is valuble in my decison making and makes sense as of for the drives i will have 2tb in home pc and maybe another 2tb in the htpc

shock3d said:
Paid R600 for my proliant hehe :D, cost was my major factor
Click to expand...

organize china....
 
I am very happy I went the Microserver route for the following reasons:

1. Small footprint - Is really tiny (for a PC) and fits nicely inside my little tv unit.
2. Low power usage - It is always on, so the saving adds up.
3. Quiet - It really runs quietly which is a must for a htpc.

Performance is more than adequate with the addition of a dedicated GPU and 1gb more memory and it looks good sitting in my living room.

I wouldn't mind having another one :D
 
garyc said:
The advantage of building your own is flexibility. You can use full sized TV tuner / sound / graphics cards, which the Proliant will not allow. You will also have more slots available. If you wish to make the most of this flexibility then go for a better processor - a dual core i3 or the AMD equivalent should be OK.

If you do not need this and you are going to stick to HDMI sound then go for the Proliant together with one of the graphics cards recommended in the forums. You just can't beat the price. This PC is also very quite and the looks do blend in well with other audio components (it's basically a black box). Just make sure that the shelf that you are putting it on is high enough to take it.

The only server thing that you will be missing out on is the on-board RAID. This is a fakeraid setup though, and not really a big loss.

Personally I use a Proliant as the home server and a dedicated HTPC built around a similar Antec case to the one you are thinking about (the one without the remote). This setup works well and the ability to update the HTPC as needs change has been very useful.
Click to expand...

thanks for the post

DrJohnZoidberg said:
I am very happy I went the Microserver route for the following reasons:

1. Small footprint - Is really tiny (for a PC) and fits nicely inside my little tv unit.
2. Low power usage - It is always on, so the saving adds up.
3. Quiet - It really runs quietly which is a must for a htpc.

Performance is more than adequate with the addition of a dedicated GPU and 1gb more memory and it looks good sitting in my living room.

I wouldn't mind having another one :D
Click to expand...


what did it set you back all in all ?
 
Last edited:
SFW007 said:
thanks for the post




but did it set you back all in all ?
Click to expand...

Microserver was R1,350 including delivery from HPshop.co.za (if I remember correctly).
Gigabyte Nvidia G210 512MB was R344 including deliver from takealot.co.za.
Memory - Had a 2gb module lying around, but they are cheap as dirt atm (R150 for cheap 4gb DDR3).

So about R1800-R1900 total.
 
Remember if you are running Openelec on the MS you can run off a flash disk and don't need the spinning HDD either, one less to crash later, plus saves a bit more power and quieter.

For way under 2 grand you will have a very capable HTPC setup. Sure you lose some flexibility but in reality what more do you need? You can still upgrade the graphics card at a later date to the most recent generation if it can't handle latest codecs, which is unlikely in the short to medium term.

That said if you have the cash to burn and maybe adding something later is important to you here is always the roll your own route.
 
Last edited:
SFW007 said:
Thanks keeper(and the rest of you guys) went through all the pages on your pseudo setup and looks pretty awesome.

i will want to go the openlec route as i want an awesome WOW factor for my family who would appreaciate a simple setup with out me having to teach them how to use a complicated system. And as you know it would have a huge WAF, the full HTPC works out to about R3600 inlc vat.

Your input was/is valuble in my decison making and makes sense as of for the drives i will have 2tb in home pc and maybe another 2tb in the htpc



organize china....
Click to expand...



got it on a tarsus promo, thanks to my employer bought 3 at the time
 
It's tough Decision...

Antec fusion
-Higher price, but more customization options, slicker look, but less space
-Included Remote that fits with the system

HP Proliant MicroServer
-Cheap, but not as many upgrade options as the Antec, but double the Storage Space.
-Option to get a REALLY fancy Harmony remote (especially since you now have extra cash left over)


If money is no option and you don't require too many Hard Drives, Antec is the way to go...
If you think some money can be better spent elsewhere on other things, and you need Uber Storage, the HP is the way to go....

Either way you are in for a treat ;)


what did you decide SFW007? :D
 
If you are going with XBMC, do you have an android or iphone? If so, you can use the XBMC remote app and control the system using your phone over wifi. I far prefer this to a normal IR remote.

I have a HP Proliant MS set up as a HTPC and I'm loving it. I do like the Antec HTPC cases though.
 
Think of it this way, go the MicroServer route for under R2k, add a second MicroServer as a NAS box, all for the same price of the Antec. It's a no brainer, I reckon.
 
Or just get the Antec, and when you need more than 4TB of storage, buy a HP MS, add drives, network the two and put the HP in some cupboard while the Antec shines next to your TV.

this is the "money means nothing to me" option.
 
Keeper said:
It's tough Decision...

Antec fusion
-Higher price, but more customization options, slicker look, but less space
-Included Remote that fits with the system

HP Proliant MicroServer
-Cheap, but not as many upgrade options as the Antec, but double the Storage Space.
-Option to get a REALLY fancy Harmony remote (especially since you now have extra cash left over)


If money is no option and you don't require too many Hard Drives, Antec is the way to go...
If you think some money can be better spent elsewhere on other things, and you need Uber Storage, the HP is the way to go....

Either way you are in for a treat ;)


what did you decide SFW007? :D
Click to expand...

Keeper said:
Or just get the Antec, and when you need more than 4TB of storage, buy a HP MS, add drives, network the two and put the HP in some cupboard while the Antec shines next to your TV.

this is the "money means nothing to me" option.
Click to expand...

waiting on supplier to see if they have stock for HTPC

kayvee said:
OP has been ducking the cost factor questions ;)
Click to expand...

Not actually have money left over from xmas and wife owes me a grand :)

What i have planned on is having my download pc running with the drives and networking it with the HTPC (have a swtich already)
and the HTPC just feeding off the dl pc.
 
Yeah tough call, maybe the Antec route if you want to retain the flexibility aspect. It will use more power than the MicroServer though.
 
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