XBMC HTPC

After my old CD-Player broke down I decided that it would be time to replace the 20 year old ancient HiFi rack with something more suitable. Either an universal player or a self built HTPC. The HTPC won obviously...

Hardware

I decided to built a PC based on a recommendation from c't Magazine 26/2012 -not the most recent hardware and not the cheapest possible system and also not the most silens sollution, but a good overal setup:

• CPU: Celeron G1610 'boxed' (including cooler and fan)
• Motherboard: Gigagbyte GA-Z77MX-D3H
• RAM: 2x4 GB Transcend JM1333KLN-8GK
• Disk: Samsung 840 Pro 128 GB
• BluRay: Pioneer BDR-208DBK
• Case: Silverstone GD04B
• Power supply: be quiet! Pure Power L7 350W
• Case fan: 2x Scythe Slip Stream 120 500rpm (SY1225SL12SL)

I had to replace the fans, which came with the Silverstone case, because they are really noisy. The CPU fan is acceptable. Overall, this makes for a very silent (but still audible) system, which -thanks to the SSD- boots in < 20 sec. to XBMC.

Things which work =

Issues

• BluRay playback: As advertised. BD+ encrypted discs won't play, the others will work more or less (with menus working halfways).
• Hanging system.