Description: This little machine is powered by an Intel Celeron G540. The lack of a low-priced AMD mini-ITX motherboard at any of the major retailers takes AMD out of the running, or else I would recommend the A4-3400 APU for the same price as the G540. However, do see the variations below if you want an AMD setup. HDMI output allows you to connect directly to an HDTV or projector. Intel HD Graphics is just sufficient enough for video playback and streaming, but certainly not for anything but the most casual gaming. 4GB of RAM is par for the course, and the mini-ITX case is small and compact.
| Cost Breakdown |
|---|
| Subtotal | MIRs | Total |
|---|
| $212 | $15 | $197 |
| Individual Parts |
|---|
| Type | Part | Price | MIR | Link |
|---|
| CPU |
Intel G540 |
$50 |
--- |
Newegg |
| Hard Drive |
WD Caviar Blue 500GB |
$50 |
--- |
Newegg |
| Optical Drive |
LITE-ON DVD Burner |
$16 |
--- |
Newegg |
| Combos |
|---|
| Type |
Part |
Part |
Price |
MIR |
Link |
| Motherboard + RAM |
ECS H61H2-I3 |
Crucial 4GB DDR3 1600MHz |
$61 |
$15 |
Newegg |
| Case + Power Supply |
Apex MI-008 |
Integrated PSU |
$35 |
--- |
Newegg |
Variations:
HDD: These refurbished RE2 drives from Newegg make a great alternative to the Caviar Blue. For just $5 more, you get 50% more capacity, and maybe even more speed. However, being refurbs, they won't be as well-stocked.
| Substitutions |
|---|
| Part | Price | MIR | Link |
|---|
| WD RE2 750GB |
$55 |
--- |
Newegg |
SSD: If you have a file server from which you can stream all your movies and, thus, have no need for much local storage, then going with one of these SSDs can provide a nice speed boost for your setup.
| Substitutions |
|---|
| Part | Price | MIR | Link |
|---|
| Crucial M4 64GB |
$66 |
--- |
Amazon |
| Samsung 830 64GB |
$63 |
--- |
Amazon |
AMD: If you have a preference towards AMD, this build will be equal, if not, better than the one above. The one caveat is that it will be in a substantially larger case due to there not being
any decent AMD mini-ITX motherboards around. Also, the motherboard included does not have HDMI, so you will have to use an HDMI-to-DVI adapter to get video and audio to an HDTV.
| Cost Breakdown |
|---|
| Subtotal | MIRs | Total |
|---|
| $205 | $15 | $190 |
| Individual Parts |
|---|
| Type | Part | Price | MIR | Link |
|---|
| Hard Drive |
WD Caviar Blue 500GB |
$50 |
--- |
Newegg |
| Optical Drive |
LITE-ON DVD Burner |
$16 |
--- |
Newegg |
| HDMI-DVI Adapter |
Generic Adapter |
$4 |
--- |
Amazon |
| Combos |
|---|
| Type |
Part |
Part |
Part |
Price |
MIR |
Link |
| Motherboard + CPU + RAM |
MSI A55M-P33 |
AMD A4-3400 |
G.Skill 4GB 1600MHz |
$95 |
$15 |
Newegg |
| Case + Power Supply |
Apex DM-318 |
Integrated PSU |
--- |
$40 |
--- |
Newegg |
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