Solved Why is every HTPC Case I decide on discontinued.

[tjpearson]

Hello,

I have finally decided to build my own PC which I want to tailor towards playing HD video and sending music to my Hi-Fi amp.

I would like the case to replicate my amp style with loads of room for ease of build, accept ATX size motherboards and allow for plenty of ventilation.

The one I decided on was the Silverstone GD08 which is available but with only 2 left on Amazon and now discontinued I don't have much hope this will be in stock when I'm in a position to buy in a couple of months time.

It seems fine if you live in the USA choice is vast but in the UK every alternative I find and like seems overpriced or discontinued.

Anybody got any advice.

Thanks in advance, tj

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Is that a rhetorical question? If not, you'd have to have discussion with case manufacturers and UK vendors. No one here can tell you why certain cases are discontinued or why your vendors have few choices.

You haven't provided much info on what you require from a case other than ATX with "loads of room" and "plenty of ventilation".

There are many dozens and probably hundreds that meet those specifications.

The Silverstone GD08 is not a tower type case--it has the old horizontal style similar to an audio receiver. Is that a definite requirement, a preference, a hope, or?

The best thing you can do is:

1: Provide links to the vendors from which you might actually order, UK or otherwise.

2: Provide much more detail on what you want and don't want in a case--including such things as number and size of fan mounts, number and type of hard drive mounts, anticipated motherboard and CPU, maximum you want to spend on the case, absolutely required features, features that you'd "like to have" but are not set in stone, "looks" and aesthetics, how "quiet" this thing must be, any possible size limitations, etc, etc, etc.

As it is, we know very little about what you want or your possible sources. If your sources are so limited as to have perhaps only 3 plausible choices, then there's not much that can be done. Pick the best of a bad lot.

 

[tjpearson]

Thanks for the reply but I can't believe that you are pointing out what style the GD08 is to me.

I just want something that gives me scope for future upgrades and add on's so something the size of the Silverstone is ideal. Style as I did say in post needs to replicate my amp (HiFi box style and not tower).

I'll just keep looking, confused as this type of build is so popular why manufacturers aren't catering more for this, so many I find seem to be discontinued.

Thought I may have been missing something.
tj

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Thought I may have been missing something.

Apparently you aren't missing anything.

Your problem appears to be that you are in the UK and your unknown vendors have poor choices. A quick look at US sources shows maybe 50 cases in the "amp" style. But I wouldn't recommend moving to the US for that reason. Or possibly any reason. But that's another story.

 

[tjpearson]

OK, thanks anyway Ignatzatsonic.

Reading and learning and reading and learning and building my wish list so will be needing plenty of help from this forum when start the build.

Hope I will still be able to get Windows 7 installation software by the time I've finished this project or else Lynux here I come.

tj

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Windows 7 is still available in the US, but may be getting hard to find in the UK--I haven't checked.

You don't need a lot of CPU power for an HTPC, but most would point you toward Intel. They tend to run cooler and are price-competitive across the entire line.

I'd decide on a motherboard with the required features and the rest of it will fall in place with a little care.

Windows 7 can be a bit cranky to install on an Intel Skylake PC, but it's doable. I did it.

I don't use Windows 10, but most people are pretty well satisfied with it. The reasons to reject it are shouted all over the Internet. If those reasons don't matter to you, then I'd at least consider it.

If you are Linux savvy, there's no reason at all not to go with it and that might be the best long term choice anyway---nobody can say what's up Microsoft's sleeve these days.

 

[tjpearson]

Taking advice from ignatzatsonic

Decided to take the advice from ignatzatsonic and start with motherboard and processor.

Got the case Silverstone GD08, what a monster but very nice, and ordered a cheap Samsung Disc Drive just to allow operating system installation

Planning on:

ASRock Z170 Extreme4 Skylake ATX Motherboard

Intel Core Skylake Processor i5-6500/3.2 GHz Processor CPU

Samsung 850 PRO 256 GB 2.5 inch SATA III Solid State Drive

EVGA SuperNOVA 750W PC Power Supply - Gold

I appreciate the power might be a bit overkill but want expansion possibilities.

Can not bring myself to run W10 on this so sticking with W7 and as confirmed as doable I will do.

Reading so much on the control Microsoft have adopted with W10 I just sense they are fast in decline as a company and once W7 becomes unusable I will switch to Linux incorporating a dual boot system to make sure all my hardware runs trouble free. I know Windows will never disappear but feel the total lack of support for many being unable to download updates and continual nagging to update to W10 shows a company lagging behind Apple and Google and trying very hard to create a system that tells you and not what you tell it.

Any advice or thoughts on my build components would be appreciated.

tj

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I appreciate the power might be a bit overkill but want expansion possibilities.

Not sure if you mean CPU power or power supply. Yeah, 750 watt PSU is a couple of hundred more than you need.

Don't see any RAM in your list.

I don't see anything wrong with your component choice--it's certainly stouter than most people would build for an HTPC, but if it fits your budget, knock yourself out.

I see that case will even take an Extended ATX board. I'm wondering how tall a cooler it will take--maybe you are planning to use the stock cooler?

Looks OK to me--you can evaluate temps and fan noise later and replace case fans and/or CPU cooler fans if necessary. I'm guessing noise might be some type of issue for you in an HTPC.

I've got the micro ATX version of that motherboard (Z170M Extreme 4). The first one was outright defective and I could not get ANY on-screen display when I fired it up. I RMAed it to Newegg and they sent me a new one--they paid postage both ways. So far, so good on the replacement.

Prediction: you'll be pulling your hair over the Win 7 install. I finally got it done, but have no idea in the world why my first 2 or 3 ideas didn't work. I eventually had to make an installer ISO from a DVD installer I'd made 3 or 4 years ago. Then get that ISO on a bootable flash drive. My attempts at using a bootable flash drive made directly from a downloaded Microsoft Win 7 ISO failed.

I kept getting errors midway through the "Windows is expanding and installing files" portion of the installation--or whatever the terminology is.

Check the Asrock website for their downloadable "USB Patcher" designed to help you install Win 7 on Z170. There's a video about it available also.

 

[tjpearson]

Your so bloody helpful.

Nice to know I'm on the tight tracks.

G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series F4-2400C15D-16GVR 16 GB (8 GBx2) DDR4 2400 MHz C15 1.2 V Memory Kit

Reading through the Asrock manual they give brief explanation of how to install W7, if that fails I will get a flight and bring all with me and you can do it.

tj

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Reading through the Asrock manual they give brief explanation of how to install W7, if that fails I will get a flight and bring all with me and you can do it.

OK. Meet me at no special place and I'll be there at no particular time. You better bring along your glasses in case I'm hard to find.

Other than that, I'm looking forward to it.

 

[HAVOC]

My pick when it comes to choosing a HTPC case:
Fractal Design

 

[tjpearson]

Looked at these

My pick when it comes to choosing a HTPC case:
Fractal Design

Yes havoc, looked at these and a lovely case but as thread title every time decided on one found it was discontinued.

Like my chosen one as for first build plenty of room.

 

[HAVOC]

Maybe have someone in the US buy it local and ship it to you?

 

[tjpearson]

Bought and delivered

Maybe have someone in the US buy it local and ship it to you?

I have my chosen case Silverstone GD08, bought and delivered, sitting under coffee table waiting to be built.

Slow long project this will be, a year at least, can only buy when funds available being Christmas and Birthday in June.

My wife just can't understand why the rush and expense, treading very carefully with this build.


tj

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Slow long project this will be, a year at least, can only buy when funds available being Christmas and Birthday in June.

In that case, I wouldn't buy anything else for the next 6 months at least. Don't go farther than the case.

Intel will be releasing new processors ("Kaby Lake") and I'm pretty sure before next June.

You may as well get the latest generation CPU and motherboard.

There aren't a lot of Kaby Lake details, but I read the other day that the 7600K replacement for the current 6600K will have a stock speed of 3.8 mhz, compared to 3.5 for the 6600K.

I'd assume the cheaper processors will also have some degree of improvement over current processors. Why not take advantage of that?

Additionally---there's no point in buying a motherboard in say February and let it sit unused until May or June when you buy the rest of the stuff and can actually assemble a PC. How would you know the motherboard was not defective? And you may not be able to easily return defective stuff several months after purchase.

Just stockpile your money, continue to evaluate current and new products, and buy it all in one lick when the cash is at hand.

 

[tjpearson]

Yes, that's what I'm gonna do, reckon I'll buy motherboard and processor in June and do very basic up and running build then.

At least that will allow me to test if any components dead or faulty but the build will only have pretty basic use, then Christmas 2017 finish build with 2 or 3 hard drives, more ram and better fans to aid silent running.

Then I should be up and running, if anyone concerned about my build timeline I am more than happy to supply my Gmail PayPal account details, DONATIONS WELCOME £'s or $'s I'm really not bothered.

 

[HAVOC]

I was also looking at that Silverstone before buying the Node 605. The Silverstone is nice but too much "stuff" on the front of it for me.

 

[tjpearson]

I must admit having 2 disk drives is a bit daft this day and age, can't remember the last time I used CD or even DVD but want my wife to be able play her music and film collection easily without cocking up my music and video file storage.

I can always customise one to have a LCD fan controller or card reader.

Future plan is to use one for small ejectable monitor to just display my music albums and allow quick scroll and select gui access.

 

[tjpearson]

Nice eh! But guess what, discontinued.

Still made for the car market though!

 

[tjpearson]

Finished, here's an update

Silverstone Grandia GD08 Case
Intel Core 6M Cache,3.30 GHz Processor (i5-6600) (Turbo Boost 3.9 GHz)
MSI Intel Z270 Tomahawk
Corsair CMK Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4 3200 MHz
EVGA 750G2L GOLD
Samsung 850 PRO 256 GB 2.5 inch SATA III Solid State Drive
Seagate 3TB BarraCuda 3.5_ ST3000DM008 Hard Drive
Silverstone Power Adapter Cable
Samsung CD Drive
AOC 12369vm Monitor
Windows Media Centre Remote
Hewlitt Packard Keyboard (for OS installation)
Wera WER073660 Ratchet Screwdriver
NZXT Internal USB Hub
Anti Static ESD NOSHOCK Grounding Bench Mat Kit, 600x500mm Mat
Windows 7 Professional 64 bit
Logitech diNovoEdge Keyboard
Mad Catz R.A.T.5 Laser Gaming Mouse

Booted straight into BIOS and loaded W7 Professional no trouble at all, running great.

Not bad for my first effort and did short video of process which I'm going to upload near future to YouTube, so glad didn't need to pester anyone on here

tj