Building a Low-End HTPC

Building a Low-End HTPC

Punit Lodaya, Jan 12, 2007 1700 hrs IST

A couple of months back we configured a mid-end HTPC, it's time to Build a Low-End HTPC now. Let's get started...

Cabinet: Zebronics Pluto (Price: Rs. 1500)

This is a slim cabinet which should look good in the living room. Since it is going to replace your DVD player, it should have a low profile, which the Zebronics Pluto delivers. But, installing the components won't be so easy in a cramped cabinet.

If quality is main concern, then the Antec Minuet is another good option which sells for around Rs. 3,200 and comes with a 300W SMPS. But for our configuration, we will settle for the Zebronics Pluto.

Hard Disk Drive: Seagate Barracuda 160 GB SATA (Price: Rs. 2850)

I had to choose between capacities of 80 GB and 160 GB and eventually opted for the latter. Space is something everybody needs irrespective of whether you are a gamer or not. And the price difference between the 160 GB and 80 GB is just 600 bucks. It is always good to have a few extra GBs at hand.

Optical Disk Drive: LG GSAH-10N 16X DVD Writer (Price: Rs. 2100)

The difference between a DVD-ROM drive and a DVD Writer is negligible. Hence, it makes better sense to go in for a DVD writer. A DVD writer combines the best elements of all the different optical drives. You can not only play DVD movies but also burn them.

This drive goes hand-in-hand with the Pinnacle's Burn DVD on-the-fly feature. Now, you can record all TV programs directly on a DVD. The LG GSAH-10N supports 16X DVD+R/DVD-R, 8X DVD+RW, 6X DVD-RW, 10X DVD+R DL, 6X DVD-R DL, and 48X CD.

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Building a Low-End HTPC

A couple of months back we configured a mid-end HTPC, it's time to Build a Low-End HTPC now. Let's get started...

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