75 Parts to Build Your Custom $500 HTPC
The Moneual Labs 603B, the case featured in this build. Also available as a very similar model in white (Y601W), it can either sit up (as pictured) or lay down on the side. It includes a 300W power supply, supports regular sized optical drives and up to two 3.5" hard drives.
Reading and replying to your comments is one of my priority on Hardware Revolution. It allows you to leave me feedback and allows me to answer your important questions.
Thanks to your feedback, I’ve noticed that you appreciate it when I offer various alternative to parts featured in builds.
As one of our readers said, it “is what drove me to your site in the first place instead of the other DIY computer builds sites out there“.
My goal always was and always will be to help you figure out the best parts for your builds, so starting today, I’ll do my best to include more alternatives to parts in Hardware Revolution’s builds.
With nothing short of 75 recommended parts, alternatives and accessories, this build is a prime example of things to come in the future. Let’s get started with the short version, or summary, of all the parts, which will be followed with the detailed version containing descriptions,
$500 HTPC hardware parts recommendations, short version:
- In Bold, you’ll find my recommendations for the parts that you should buy in order to have the best overall performance while fitting the overall budget.
- In Italic, you’ll find the best possible upgrades if you have money to spare. These are the parts that offer better features or more performance, while still being relatively affordable in regard to the overall budget.
In simple terms, if you want a more powerful CPU or video card, pick it from the list of recommended upgrades that are in Italic.
Note that all upgrades are compatible with the rest of the system, as well as other upgrades, meaning that you can choose one or many upgrades without a problem.
| Required Parts |
Make, Model and Specifications | Price |
| Motherboard | ZOTAC IONITX-F-E NVIDIA ION |
$180 |
| CPU | Atom 1.6GHz Dual-Core HT on Motherboard | Free |
| Video Card | Nvidia ION Geforce 9400M: VGA/DVI/HDMI 1.3 Out DirectX 10, PureVideo HD, 1080p and HDCP supported |
Free |
| RAM | A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 800MHz Dual Channel |
$98 |
| Hard Drive | Western Digital 3.5″ 1TB Caviar Green Western Digital 3.5″ 1.5TB Caviar Green  Western Digital 3.5″ 2TB Caviar Green  |
$70 $95 $130 |
| Optical Drive | Sony Optiarc 24X SATA DVD Burner ASUS 4X Blu-ray Reader Model BR-04B2T LG 10X Blu-ray Burner |
$27 $60 $150 |
| Case | Moneual LAB Y603B Black w/300W Power Supply Moneual LAB Y601W White w/ 300W Power Supply LIAN LI PC-Q07 Black Aluminum LIAN LI PC-Q07R Red Aluminum LIAN LI PC-Q7G Gold Aluminum LIAN LI PC-Q7S Gray Aluminum LIAN LI PC-Q7I Blue Aluminum |
$65 $65 $70 $80 $80 $80 $100 |
| Power Supply (PSU) |
Moneual cases above include a power supply LIAN LI cases above require a power supply: SeaSonic S12II 330W 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified |
Free … $49 |
| Cooling | Motherboard includes a fan | Free |
| TV Tuner | AVerMedia AVerTV Hybrid Volar Max USB 2.0 |
$60 |
| Sound Card | 3 in 1: Realtek Integrated 6 Channels 7.1 Channels via HDMI S/PDIF Out via Optical or Coaxial ASUS Xonar DX 7.1 Channels Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium 7.1 Channels ASUS Xonar D2X 7.1 Channels |
Free … … $90 $80 $180 |
| Network | Wireless 802.11 b/g/n and 10/100/1000 Mbps Integrated on the motherboard |
Free |
| Total | Total for all the required parts | $440 |
Accessories:
Computer Builds FAQs:
I often get questions such as:
- Who are you to tell me which parts to choose?
- Can you suggest me a step by step guide to build a computer?
- Why should I build a PC instead of buying one in a store?
- And many more…
You will find the answers to all of these questions and more in: FAQ: How to Build Your Own Computer
Also, if this is your first build, here are 10 Quick Tips for 1st Time Builders to get you started.
Is this the right type of PC for me?
If you’re looking for a PC to listen to music, look at pictures, watch TV, DVD or Blu-Ray Disks on your computer or HDTV, you’re at the right place. If this is not what you’re looking for, check out our other Computer Systems instead.
$500 HTPC vs. $1000 HTPC vs. $1500 HTPC
Here are the pros and cons of each system, to help you figure out which one is best adapted to your needs:
$500 HTPC:
Perfect for an inexpensive, low-power, silent machine dedicated to media playback
- Pros:
- Very low power consumption:
- About 15 Watts at Idle
- About 25 Watts under Load
- Silent: With only two fans (Power supply and CPU) spinning at low speed, this HTPC will not be noisy.
- Small size: H: 13.78″, W: 3.82″, D: 16.93″ with the recommended case. Varies if you choose another case.
- Capable of 1080p content playback from hard drive or optical drive.
- Low cost: Starting at ~$430 for the base system; a multitude of upgrades are available, letting you customize this PC as you wish.
- Very low power consumption:
- Cons:
- Cannot playback Web 1080p content. This will change with GPU acceleration of Abode Flash, beta available: read this to learn more.
- Limited CPU power: Although faster than netbooks, as this features a dual-core Atom CPU, this is not recommended for a workstation, audio/video encoding or conversion nor an hybrid gaming machine.
- Limited Upgrades: The CPU is embedded, so you can’t upgrade it. You only have a single PCI-Express 16x slot, limiting your options.
- Limited Storage: The motherboard supports up to three SATA devices; One of them being the optical drive, to leave you with the option of installing only up to two hard drives, for a maximum of 4TB of storage.
$1000 HTPC:
Will be updated in a few days.
- Pros:
Strikes a good balance between performance and power consumption.
Can be customized to be a small, relatively powerful and portable LAN Gaming PC. - Cons:
Could be faster when it comes to audio/video encoding or conversion.
$1500 HTPC:
Will be updated in a few days.
- Pros:
Maximum performance when it comes to audio/video encoding or conversion.
Can be customized to be a small, very powerful portable LAN Gaming PC - Cons:
Expensive
The highest power consumption of the three HTPC builds.
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~$500 HTPC Hardware Parts Recommendations, Detailed Version:
Motherboard:
ZOTAC IONITX-F-E NVIDIA ION
The heart of this system
Featuring:
Intel’s Atom N330 1.6Ghz Dual-Core with Hyperthreading, Nvidia ION (Geforce 9400M), an HDMI output, a built-in Wi-Fi 802.11n card, integrated audio via 6 channels sounds through audio jacks, 7.1 through HDMI or S/PDIF Out via Optical or Coaxial and much more, the Zotac IONITX-F-E is the ideal motherboard for an HTPC.
On the back, you have six USB ports, two PS/2, VGA/DVI/HDMI (HDCP supported through DVI or HDMI along with 7.1 sound for HDMI), E-SATA and S/PDIF Out via Optical or Coaxial.
Ultra-low power consumption:
On average, this system will consume about 25 Watts under idle and about 35W under load. Compared to about 65 Watts under idle and about 150W under load for your average 95W quad-core AMD/Intel system, this $500 HTPC sips power, keeping your system cool and silent, while reducing your electricity bill.
Video Playback:
With the Intel Atom N330 Dual-Core and the Nvidia ION (Geforce 9400M) setup, this $500 HTPC is capable of handling 1080p content playback from an hard drive or an optical drive.
CPU: Intel Atom N330 Dual-Core (With Hyper-Threading) 1.6GHz
(Embedded on the motherboard)
The Atom N330 is a perfect fit for this HTPC as it only draws 8W, helping your system to stay cool, silent and keep power consumption to a minimum.
The CPU is embedded on the motherboard, so you don’t need to buy it separately.
Video Card: Nvidia ION (Geforce 9400M)
(Embedded on the motherboard)
This Geforce 9400M will take care of handling 1080p HD content by assisting the CPU when it comes to decoding. PureVideo HD technology on the GPU takes on the processing-intensive video decoding task, freeing the CPU and 3D engine to run other applications while playing a high-definition movie. Lower CPU utilization can result in reduced power consumption, heat and noise.
Note that 1080p online video (i.e.: Youtube or Hulu) won’t playback on this machine, unless you use the Beta version of flash. Read this to learn more.
The video card is embedded on the motherboard, so you don’t need to buy it separately.
RAM:
A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 800MHz Dual Channel
4GB is affordable and will ensure smooth video playback, especially with Blu-Ray disks, where 2GB could cause shutters.
4GB is preferable in any case, to make the OS and video playback smoother.
Note that while you could upgrade to 8GB (2 x 4GB), it is a very expensive option and it is unnecessary for this system in my opinion.
Hard Drive:
Western Digital 1TB Caviar Green
Seeing as this is an HTPC, I went for a “Green” edition hard drive, that spins slower at 5400 rpm. That allows for lower noise, lower power consumption and lower heat dissipation. No worries though, 5400 rpm is still plenty fast enough for video playback, even at 1080p.
With 1TB drives down to only $80, you might as well spend a bit more and have at least a full TB to store all your music, TV shows, movies and other media. If you need additional capacity, the Western Digital 3.5″ 1.5TB Caviar Green
Warning:
The case that you pick will determine how many and what size hard drive(s) you can choose. Use the information below as a reference:
- The Moneual LAB Y603B and the Moneual LAB Y601W support up to two 3.5″ hard drives.
- The LIAN-LI PC-Q07 support one 3.5″ and one 2.5″ hard drive.
LIAN-LI PC-Q07 case series only: The PC-Q07 series from LIAN-LI has space for an additional 2.5″ drive, I recommend the following drives:
- Western Digital Scorpio Blue 320GB 5400 rpm SATA
- Western Digital Scorpio Blue 640GB 5400 rpm SATA
Optical Drive:
Sony Optiarc 24X SATA DVD Burner
This is a excellent Sony 24X SATA DVD Burner. Perfect for reading and burning DVDs.
However, if you’d like an optical drive that can read Blu-Ray disks, to simply watch movies from a Blu-Ray disk, the ASUS 4X Blu-ray Reader Model BR-04B2T is what I recommend to you.
If you’d prefer a model that can also burn Blu-Ray disks, go with the LG 10X Blu-ray Burner.
Regarding Blu-Ray playback:
As far as I know, you still require a specific software to playback Blu-Ray disks on a PC. Based on various reviews and feedback on various forums, PowerDVD 9 Ultra is the software that I recommend to you. It is fully compatible with Windows 7 and shouldn’t give you any problems.
Case:
Moneual LAB Y603B Black w/300W Power Supply
Also available in white (Moneual LAB EGI Y601W White w/ 300W Power Supply), it can either sit up (as pictured) or lay down on the side. It includes a 300W power supply, supports regular sized optical drives and up to two 3.5″ hard drives. For a $65 cost, this case is perfect for this $500 HTPC.
Here’s a video review of the very similar Y601 model (Main difference is the front panel apparence.):
Recommended alternatives:
Featured in the previous edition of the $500 HTPC, the LIAN-LI PC-Q07 remains an excellent choice, as it allows you to install a full size ATX power supply, a full size optical drive, a 2.5″ hard drive and a 3.5″ hard drive. Built with the usual quality that you can expect from LIAN-LI, this case is available in five different colors, anodized on vertically brushed aluminum, giving it a very nice finish.
Here’s a visual tour of it:
It is now available in the five following colors:
- LIAN LI PC-Q07 Black Aluminum
- LIAN LI PC-Q07R Red Aluminum
- LIAN LI PC-Q7G Gold Aluminum
- LIAN LI PC-Q7S Gray Aluminum
- LIAN LI PC-Q7I Blue Aluminum
Power Supply:
Moneual cases above include a power supply. LIAN LI cases above require a power supply.
I recommend the highly efficient and reliable SeaSonic S12II 330W 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified.
This is an HTPC with an Atom processor and onboard video, so needless to say, it draws very little power and you don’t need a 500W power supply here. Instead, I focused on giving you a high-quality and efficient (80 PLUS Bronze Certified) from SeaSonic.
Cooling:
With the Intel Atom processor that only has a TDP of 8 Watts and onboard video, the cooling is insured by the fan included with the motherboard and the vents on the case, which is plenty enough for long-term reliability. While you could add a 60mm fan in the Moneual LAB Y603B/Y601W to improve cooling, it is not necessary and would add undesired noise.
TV Tuner: AVerMedia AVerTV Hybrid Volar Max USB 2.0
The motherboard has a single PCI-Express 16x slot, which I left open if you choose to add a dedicated PCI-Express sound card.
However, nothing stops you from using this USB TV Tuner if you wish to watch/record TV. Note that it is optional and that its price is not included in the build because not everyone want/need a TV Tuner.
Sound Card: 6 Channels Audio Jacks, 7.1 via HDMI or S/PDIF Out via Optical or Coaxial
This motherboard does include integrated onboard sound, but you can also decide to get it via the HDMI connection thanks to Nvidia ION. You can also choose to output sound via S/PDIF Out Optical or Coaxial.
If you’re an audiophile and that onboard sound, no matter how good it is, won’t cut it, here are three excellent PCI-Express 1x (Yes, a PCI-Express 1x card will fit and function in a 16x slot) sound card that I recommend to you. Pick the one that suits your needs:
- ASUS Xonar DX 7.1 Channels
- Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium 7.1 Channels
- ASUS Xonar D2X 7.1 Channels
Note that the power supply included with the Moneual LAB Y603B/Y601W includes a floppy power connector, if you decide to go with an ASUS sound card.
Network: Wireless 802.11n and 10/100/1000 Mbps LAN
The motherboard includes wireless 802.11n and 10/100/1000Mbps LAN. What else could you need?
Accessories:
Headphones:
We’re in 2010, we’re in the future, hence why you don’t need a cumbersome wire between your HTPC and your headphones anymore. Wireless headphones are no longer the heavy, battery-killing monstrosities they used to be.
Entry-level:
At the entry-level, you have the SENNHEISER RS110 RF Wireless w/ Batteries which requires you to change or recharge your batteries yourself.
If you prefer to have your headphones recharge when you leave them on their stand, the SENNHEISER RS120 Wireless RF Rechargeable w/ Charging Stand is what you want.
Range wise, those two models are stunning. You can literally put them on, start your music and walk out your house and go across the street. Three-story house? No at problem. Don’t believe me? Read the reviews on Newegg 
Now, those two previous models, the RS110 and RS120 are based on the RF, or Radio Frequency, transmission technology, which has a much lower resolution than CD, and background hiss and interference can also affect the sound. I’ve personally owned a pair of Sennheiser RS120 and while the sound quality is still better than most earphones included with MP3 players, it is not as good as a quality pair of headphones.
Simply put, if you’re the type of person that uses the earphones included with your MP3 player, watch heavily-compressed TV shows on your Ipod and don’t consider yourself an audiophile by any mean, then the SENNHEISER RS110 RF Wireless w/ Batteries or SENNHEISER RS120 Wireless RF Rechargeable w/ Charging Stand
will be just fine for you.
Higher-end:
However, if RF sound quality won’t cut it for you and that you refuse to sacrifice sound quality, the SENNHEISER RS160 Digital Wireless w/ Recharg. Batt. & Charger are a major step up. It is equipped with a Kleer chipset which is designed to transmit audio wirelessly at CD quality (44.1kHz, 16-bit). However, the RS 160 is not perfect, it has three cons:
- It has a limited range of 20 meters (~65 feet)
- It lacks in the bass department
- You have a charger, but have to change the batteries, it’s not a charging stand
If you want more bass, four times the range (80 meters/~250 feet) and a charging stand, go with the SENNHEISER RS170 D. Wireless Rechargeable w/ Charging Stand.
Bluetooth?
It happened to everyone: You see that weird stranger in the street, think that he’s talking to himself, only to realize that he’s talking on his cellphone through a handless/wireless headset, right?
Well, have you ever wondered what’s the technology behind the wireless headset?
It’s called Bluetooth and it allows for wireless transmission, using very little power (hence why it’s used with cell phones), between devices.
Now, what would you say if I told you that Bluetooth headphones can be used to not only listen to music/movies, etc. on your PC, but also to skip songs, adjust volume, etc., all from your headphone, while you’re away from your PC? Oh and that you can also use them with your cellphone too!
Bluetooth has come a long way and while it used to be a pain in the … to configure/use with Windows XP, it is now a simple matter of plug and play with Windows 7. Note that to use Bluetooth headphones with a PC require a Bluetooth transmitter. I recommend the Cirago BTA-6210 USB Bluetooth Transmitter Dongle. I use that dongle myself and it gives me no problem at all.
The Bluetooth headphones:
If you’re like me and like to listen to music on the go, while doing chores, at the gym, etc, then you’ll probably enjoy the Motorola S9 HD Bluetooth Rechargeable as much as I do. They are very light, comfortable for a long time and block exterior noises fairly well. Best of all: They are affordable, at $65. The downside? Don’t expect superior audio quality. They sound good, not great nor excellent. Perfect for the situations that I described above, no matter if you listen to music from your PC or your cellphone.
For higher-quality and closed headphone, check out theSONY DR-BT50 Bluetooth Rechargeable.
If you want high-quality bluetooth headphones, but are looking for something lighter than the Sony’s, I invite you to take a look at the SENNHEISER PX210BT Bluetooth Rechargeable.
Speakers:
If you intend to use your HTPC in a small room and need a pair of decent, inexpensive speakers, the Logitech X-140 5 watts 2.0 at $27, or the Creative Inspire T3130 15 Watts 2.1
for $50 will do a great job.
Looking for higher quality speakers, without breaking the bank still? The Logitech X-540 70 watts 5.1 make for an excellent and affordable 5.1 setup, while the Bose® Companion® 2 2.0
are ideal if you’re a fan of Boss products.
Want something that packs some serious punch?
For a 2.1 system, the Logitech Z-2300 200 watts RMS 2.1 pack nothing short of 200 watts.
For the ultimate home-theater experience, the Logitech Z-5500 505 Watts 5.1 Digital is the way to go. This is an High-end quality, 5.1 set of speakers, with enough power to overpower pretty much anything. Or in a single word: “WHATTT?!”
Display:
Monitors vs. Projectors vs. LCD HDTVs vs. Plasma HDTVs vs LED LCD HDTVs:
Here I offer you a variety of displays, this is meant to filter out the bad deals and direct you toward some of the best deals for displays. Needless to say, a display such as a projector or HDTV can be a large investment so I invite you to also do your own research and to buy the best display based on your personnal criterias. After all, every person has unique tastes when it comes to buying the perfect display
Monitors: Ideal for a bedroom or a location where a larger screen would be undesired. Also perfect if you’re on a tight budget. All capable of displaying 1080p.
- ASUS VH242HL-P 23.6″ 5ms 1080p 300cd/m2 20000:1
- Hanns·G HZ251HPB 25″ 2ms 1080P 300cd/m2 15000:1
- SAMSUNG P2570HD 24.6″ 4ms 1080p 50000:1 HDTV Tuner
- Hanns·G HH-281HPB 28″ 3ms 1080p 400 cd/m2 15000:1
- SAMSUNG P2770HD 27″ 5ms 1080p 50000:1 HDTV Tuner
- LG W3000H-Bn 30″ 5ms 2560 x 1600 370 cd/m2 3000:1
Projectors: Ideal for a large room with a large wall to project on. While a screen to project on is not necessary, it is highly recommended to get the best image quality.
- Optoma HD20 DLP 1080P Projector 1700 ANSI Lumens 4000:1
- EPSON 8100 3LCD 1080p Projector 1800 lumens 36000:1
LCD HDTVs:
- LG 37LD450 37″ 1080p LCD HDTV
- Samsung LN37C550 37″ 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV
- Sharp LC-46SB57UN 46″ 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV
- Samsung LN40C630 40″ 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV
- Samsung LN46C550 46″ 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV
- Samsung LN46C630 46″ 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV
- Samsung LN46C650 46″ 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV
Plasma HDTVs:
- Panasonic U2 42″ 1080p Plasma HDTV TC-P42U2
- Panasonic VIERA 46″ 1080p 600Hz Plasma HDTV TC-P46G10
- Samsung 50″ 1080p 600Hz Plasma HDTV PN50C550
- LG 50″ 1080p 600Hz Plasma 50PK550
- Panasonic 50″ 1080p Plasma HDTV TC-P50U2
- LG INFINIA 50″ 1080p 600Hz Plasma 50PK750
LED LCD HDTVs:
- SHARP AQUOS 40″ 1080p 120Hz LED
- SONY BRAVIA 40″ 1080p LCD TV KDL-40EX600
- Samsung 40″ 1080p 60Hz LED-LCD HDTV UN40C5000
- Samsung 46″ 1080p 60Hz LED-LCD TV UN46C5000
- Samsung 46″ 1080p 120Hz LED-LCD HDTV UN46C6300
- TOSHIBA REGZA 55″ 1080p 240Hz LED
- LG 55″ 1080p 240Hz LED
Wall Mounts:
- Peerless ST632P Tilting Wall Mount +15/-5° 22″ to 40″
- Atdec 32-63″ Wall Tilt Up to 200Lbs
- Peerless SA740P-S Articulating Wall Arm For 22″- 40″
Keyboard/Mouse/Trackpad Combo
Obviously, here you could use any cheap keyboard to do the job. However, if you would prefer to be seating comfortably in your chair/couch, here are three keyboards that I recommend, each with its own specific advantages:
- The ADESSO WKB-3200UB Wireless Multimedia Keyboard with Optical Trackball
- If you want all of that, but also want a remote, take a look at the nMEDIAPC HTPCKB-B Wireless Keyboard with Track Ball & Remote
- If you’re looking for a smaller keyboard and would like a touchpad like the ones you’d find on a laptop, then the ADESSO WKB-4000US Wireless Mini Keyboard with Touchpad
Recommended operating systems:
The operating system cost, if there’s one, is not included in the total cost. The two reason for this are:
- The budget only considers hardware.
- You may be able re-use a previous license, go with an open-source OS such as Linux or , if you’re so inclined and are aware of what you’re doing, use torrents.
If you decide that you need a need OS, here are some recommendations:
Windows 7
Despite Linux gaining more and more support, Windows still is the platform of choice for compatibility at the moment. Considering that you’ll have 4GB of RAM or more, along with a dedicated video that also has memory (512MB or 1GB), you’ll need a 64-bit version, as 32-bit is limited to 4GB of memory for the entire system, which is not enough now, nor in the future if you decide to upgrade.
Windows 7 is by far better than Windows Vista, looks better, more functional, less annoying, consumes less resources and brings DirectX 11 to the table.
Three Available Versions:
- Windows 7 Home Premium: The basic edition, with all the looks, most of the functionality and DirectX 11.
- Windows 7 Professional: If you want the virtual XP mode, you’ll need at least the Professional edition. Also required if you want to backup to a network, using the built-in backup mode in Windows.
- Windows 7 Ultimate: To help protect data on your PC and portable storage devices against loss or theft with BitLocker and to work and switch between 35 languages.
OEM vs Retail:
The OEM version allows you to only install it once on a computer. You cannot transfer the license to another computer in the future and you do not receive support from Microsoft. It’s the same type of license you get when you get Windows on a desktop or laptop that you buy from Dell, HP and such. It’s less expensive, but gives less flexibility. Ideal if you intend on keeping your computer for many years.
The Retail version is the full version, which allows you to transfer the license to another computer in the future and you can call Microsoft if you need any form of support. Ideal if you intend on upgrading/changing your computer down the road.
Other than that, you get the same features on both, only the license differs. The price between the two differs obviously.
OEM Versions:
- Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OEM
- Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit OEM
- Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit OEM
Retail Versions:
- Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Retail
- Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Retail
- Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Retail
Linux
A lot of people these days boots more than one OS. Linux is a wonderful choice: powerful, cool, and cheap. Take your pick of distributions and have fun! For Fedora, Ubuntu, Debian, Slackware, and Mandrake, try Distrowatch.com, Cheapbytes.com, LinuxQuestions.org or one of the many others.
While Linux does not offer the wide compatibility of Windows with video games, gaming on Linux is still possible, through projects such as Wine, Cedega and Crossover. For more on the topic of Linux Gaming, I invite you to read this excellent article from AnandTech: Linux Gaming: Are we there yet?
What about Word processing, Excel and other Windows-based programs that you need? Linux being an open platform, there are many free alternatives that will answer your needs. For Word/Excel and such, try OpenOffice.
Cost: Free
Conclusion
What do you think of this updated version of the $500 HTPC?
Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.
Building this system?
Do you need a guide on how to build a computer or do you have some questions?
Consult our: FAQ: How to Build Your Own Computer
Also, if this is your first build, here are 10 Quick Tips for 1st Time Builders to get you started.
Finally, if your newly built computer won’t start, I invite you to read Help me: Why won’t my newly assembled PC start or boot?
Don’t miss out on the updates to the $1000 and $1500 HTPCs and other PC Guides!
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Category: Home Theater PC
