Choosing a Motherboard for a non-gamer

Hi,
I'm building a new computer but don't really know much about computers.

I don't play games. I use my computer for internet, uni work, pictures, music and watching movies.

I want to make a computer that will be really fast for those purposes and will last quite a while. I'm willing to spend quite a bit on a monitor but I'm assuming I don't need a good graphics card for watching movies or internet based multimedia.

I have been recommended a core2 Quad 2.33GHz processor and 4GB of RAM. I have been told this would be really good/fast for my purposes.

When it comes to a motherboard I am lost. I want something that will make it fast and long lasting but I don't know what to look for. I also don't know anything about which brands are reliable etc.

Also I don't know what kind of graphics card I would need for my purposes.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

anything ASUS

Not sure about the quad core advice; if you run more than one application at a time (actually working the applications, as distinct from just having them open) then quad core it is.

If you are surfing the web OR watching a movie OR doing uni work etc then a core 2 duo for the same money (E8500) will give better results.

If you're not doing any gaming then using a G31 or higher chipset with onboard graphics media accelerator (GMA) will be enough and if chosen right, will still play back 1080i high definition.

It doesn't sound from your post that you are really doing anything hugely stressful with the pc so the chances are that you won't need a dedicated graphics card...and we all know how skint students are so every penny / cent saved can only be a blessing
If you go with the above spec and decide you want more graphics power then you can always add a graphics card later.