Need help Specing out a home entertainment comp

[diselement]

well pretty much the header says it all. I'm looking to build a comp for my dads home entertainment system, and frankly ive specd out a couple of gaming pc's and built them but never have i gone for a home entertainment comp. Basically i need it to function for a Sharp Aquos, no exactly sure about the size but its around 40". The needs are that i need a small case that pretty quiet. I think it needs to be small enough to be able to put it on a rack which is about 18.5" wide. This thing will basically function to surf the web and play songs and movies directly from an external hard drive, not really any gaming and not anything to demanding. Since i haven't gotten a clue about what i'll need i came here.
-Thanks a lot. Oh and if possible try to keep it under 450 :roll:

 

[g-paw]

Something like this ASUS board would be a good start.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131014

newegg had an Abit AMe 6150 mobo that was good as well but I couldn't find it. You could add a video card depending on the connections you want. A X2 3800 should be enough for the CPU but AMD's prices are supposed to drop around April 9 but you really don't need a very powerful CPU. I'd get 2GB of RAM and 2 hard drives, one small one for OS and programs and as big as I could afford for storage. If you're getting a small case, you'll likely have to use a micro ATX board and most come with onboard video. Wiring the audio card to a receiver is really easy and probably best through S/PDIF optical out, which depending on the board, may require an audio card but it wouldn't have to be really high end. Getting the video to the TV is a different proposition and you should really research the best way to do this.