Minimal Hardware for movie playback

[Dmshu]

I've decided to make a system with the sole purpose to download movies to and play them back to the t.v.

Will this setup be able to do that perfectly?

Will the cpu be able to operate (playback 1080p blu ray movies to a t.v.) with just a heatsink?

Full system:
case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811154062 (275 watt psu)
mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813186143
memory: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134703
cpu: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103256
fan: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835191003 (the single system fan if the cpu wont need one, and if it is necessary)
dvi-hdmi adapter: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882021060
hdmi-hdmi cable http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882021036

Will the integrated graphics be able to play the movies seamlessly, or will I need to toss in a 7800,8600, or 8800? If I do add a gfx card then would I be able to get by with some really cheap single core processor?

Sorry for so many questions in a single post, but I havn't been able to find hardware requirements for just bluray 1080p playback except for the cpu load % chart.

 

[roadrunner197069]

Your links dont work.

If you want blu-ray with Intel, you will need a G45 for onboard or anyother mobo with a 8500gt or higher card.

 

[Dmshu]

Sorry about the links. First post on the forum and it has a different syntax for links but they're fixed now.

 

[the last resort]

that system will be able to play movies fine. however, running the proc without a fan is unlikely. you can find a Scythe heatsink, and the fan will spin so quietly you can barely hear it, and with most defiantely cool the proc.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185062

 

[Dmshu]

Alright, since it looks like it will be able to do the job fine with an 8600 gfx card. I have 3 final questions (at least I think that'll be it)

Will the 275 psu be fine with the 8600. What about without the 8600?

Will the integrated graphics not be a problem for playing the movies to the t.v.? (It's a pioneer plasma 40+ inches if that matters) (tv is not mine this system will be a gift)

Will the intergrated sound be fine for a 5.1 home theater. Would a cheap soundcard be better/worse?

 

[lunyone]

I'm not a fan of APEX PSU's, but I'm not sure 275w is a good idea. It might be fine, but here is something I'd consider over that case/PSU combo:
$65 shipped!!! Has 450w PSU, which is much better than the 275w one you selected. It will also hold a full ATX mobo, which might/might not work for you.
Athenatech Black SECC Steel A3712BB.450 ATX Media Center / HTPC Case - Retail

The above case has the PSU pictured above. It has 27A on the 12v rails, which is more than enough for what you want to do. It also has a 6 pin PCI-e power connector, in case you end up getting a power hungry GPU later. I have had good luck with Athenatech PSU's at this point. The one I currently have on a friends computer has been running for over a year and it hasn't had any issues whatsoever.

Here are the other parts to consider:
HD - $130 shipped!! 1TB of room!! Need to have lots of space for video data!!
Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EACS 1TB SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

Mobo - $80 shipped!! Has the HDMI port already, so why bother with adapters, when this puppy already has it and plenty more!!
ASUS M3A78-EM AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail

Memory - $38 - $13 MIR = $25!!! Hard to beat that for 2 gb's of DDR2 800mHz. 512mb of RAM isn't going to run an operating system very well (definately not Vista, if that is what your going to use).
CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

CPU - $59 shipped!!! Your selection, which is a good one. 45w CPU will keep things cool and quiet, which I'm sure is what you want.
AMD Athlon X2 4450e 2.3GHz 1MB L2 Cache Socket AM2 45W 65nm Dual-Core Processor - Retail

Total with the Rosewill HDMI 6ft. cable is about $400!!! Now I'm not sure what your budget is, so I'm just showing you what you can get for the $. Obviously anything can be changed to fit the budget, but your original budget put you at about $230 w/o the HD. So if you add the HD I listed your at about $360.

 

[Dmshu]

The update: I've decided to cut the cost down even more and in doing so picked a new cpu/mobo/memory and I have decided to get a video card with hdmi-out.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121259 for the video card with hdmi

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116039 is the cpu in question.

However my friend does not believe that a single core 1.8 ghz cpu even with that gpu offloading would be able to keep up with the hd 1080p playback.

Is he correct and I need to go back to the previous build, or will this manage fine and I'm all set to go?

 

[lunyone]

Well on the AMD 780g mobo's (AMD 3200 onboard GPU) I think you can get a 1.8-2.2gHz Duo core CPU to be fine with running movies. Not so sure on the single core ones. I haven't done much research on the minimum requirements for good movie playback. To be honest, you'd be better off with a regular ATX case or a mini one, over the HTPC cases. They cost less and you can use the savings to put into other parts of your build.
Take this for example:
$80 shipped!!! Has a >80% efficient PSU (less heat and noise) and has plenty of power to support a 9800gt/4850!!
Antec NSK4480B Black 0.8mm cold-rolled steel construction ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 380W Power Supply - Retail

Add the $165 (after MIR's) in parts listed above (RAM, Mobo, CPU) and your sitting at $245!!! Then decide on how big a HD that you want and a DVD burner for $30 and your set!! Even if you get a 250gb HD for $50-55 you would be at a grand total of $325-330!!! Now that would be a much more sensible build than what your proposing, IMHO. Your the one buying, but that is what I'd consider.