Help with HTPC Build

I've been out of the computer building game for about 5 years, so I was looking to get some advice on the components/compatibility given the purpose of this system. I appreciate the help!


Approximate Purchase Date: Anytime between now and the next few weeks.


Budget Range: $400-$500 (I'm keeping in mind that I'll be adding a Blu-ray drive and some sort of remote in the coming months, which are not to be considered a part of this budget)


System Usage from Most to Least Important: Movies, streaming HD Netflix/Hulu/Etc, music, possibly web surfing


Parts Not Required: Keyboard, Mouse, Display, OS


Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg, Amazon, Fry's...any reputable vendor with a good deal.


Country of Origin: USA


Parts Preferences: No preference but quality & stability are important, obviously.


Overclocking: Probably not.


SLI or Crossfire: Nah.


Monitor Resolution: I have a 40" Samsung LCD 1080P HDTV, so presumably up to 1920x1080


Additional Comments: This is going to be an HTPC for my living room, so I'd like it to be quiet with low power-consumption. I want to be sure that I'm able to play movies with no lag. Movies will be stored on the internal hard drive (which will likely be partitioned until I can afford an SSD just for the OS) and in a month or two, I'll purchase a Blu-Ray drive to add to the case. So, I'll need smooth Blu-Ray playback capability as well. I'm also interested in a remote of some sort (not sure if IR, Bluetooth or something else would be best), so I'd like to hear suggestions on this, though I'll likely purchase it at a later time.

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Here are the components I've come up with so far...they seem like the best combination of quality and performance but I'm not locked to these parts.

CPU
Sandy Bridge i3-2100 3.1 Ghz LGA 1155 65W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819115078

MOBO
ASRock H61M/U3S3 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813157236

MEMORY
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231277

HDD
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F4 2TB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
is 5400 rpm fast enough?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822152245

CASE
SILVERSTONE Black Aluminum/0.8mm SECC Grandia GD05B Micro ATX HTPC Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811163166

PSU
Antec EarthWatts Green EA-380D Green 380W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817371033


Thanks again for the help!

I apologize for the bump (I'm not one to typically bump posts) but I've decided to make the purchases in the coming day or two. Any thoughts/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Thanks for the input. I've read decent things about the Intel on-board graphics if it's solely used for movies and not for gaming (I have no intention of using it for the latter). Do you think otherwise?

Newegg has a Shell Shocker deal on the memory I posted, so I think I'm going to jump on that now.

One other thing I forgot to mention is that I don't have cable, so I won't have a need for a TV tuner card (but I'm open to adding a graphics card later if I'll be limited by the on-board graphics capabilities).

Either the Intel or AMD build would easily do the HTPC job. I have done a few X2 555 / 560 builds and they are fly along with no problem at all. I would opt up for the Athlon X4 for a new build as the L3 cache really doesn't buy anyting for playing media and the two additional cores is more "future proof" if your processing needs change. Any AM3 motherboard with onboard HD 4200 through HD 4290 graphics will do 1080 resolution with audio bitstreaming. As with the Intel solution, you can add a graphics card later if needed.

The Intel build is a great solution as well. This is more of a personal preference thing... The AMD build will come in a bit cheaper, but the Intel build would be "faster" if you were to start gaming or doing anything past playing media, browsing the web, etc.

Yes. The integrated graphics on the i3-2100 will do 1080 as well.... I was just laying out the AMD option with integrated graphics.

You can get this futureproof AM3+ mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813128490
CPU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] -_-Product

I would rather get AMD for a HTPC due to the better quality of the image.

If you go with an AM3+ motherboard as mosox suggested you will be "future proof" as well. This motherboard platform will accept the new Bulldozer processor being released soon. This would give you a nice upgrade in 2 or 3 years down the road...

For a mouse and keyboard, I usually find Dell bluetooth keyboard and mouse combos on ebay or other sites. They have media controls and are fairly inexpensive. You will also need a USB bluetooth adapter, but they are cheap. I have used the Dell IR combos as well (USB IR adapter included)...
http://www.amazon.com/Dell-Wireles [...] 751&sr=8-1


EDIT: Get the blu-ray drive now instead of later.

If I go AMD, here's what I'm thinking:

ASUS M4A88TD-M/USB3 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131654

AMD Phenom II X4 840 3.2GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819103921

Mosox, I liked your board reco too, the Gigabyte and Asus are pretty identical, though I've used Asus boards in the past and they've worked out well. Anyway, the AMD combo comes out to about the same price as the Intel combo I was initially considering. So, does it really just come down to preference? Decisions, decisions...

Ah, right you are, sir. If a quad is overboard - no pun intended - will the tri-core be overdoing it as well? Should I opt for a dual-core? Or for the price & performance, does it make more sense to go with the tri?

You guys are missing the point, the new generation intel processors have video built-in, and the new amd's coming up here in june (i hope), will as well. It's not gaming video, but it certainly more than enough for your HTPC. I don't see, then, why any AMD processor would be the way to go considering an i3 sandy bridge may be had for $125. Not only that, but the system itself is only requiring ~110W of power, you can opt for an itx or matx build for under $400. Check it out.

You get a 1 in 40 frame stutter that is only noticeable on a fast panning shot, which is furthermore smoothed out by a monitor at 60Hz refresh, its not that big of a deal, and if it is, spend another $60 on a gpu.