HTPC build - Help needed

trembl27

Distinguished
Feb 16, 2010
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18,530
Approximate Purchase Date: within a month

Budget Range: 300-600$ ( I don't mind keeping money in my wallet if it's for unused capabilities... )

System Usage from Most to Least Important: HTPC for movies playback. I'm tired of swapping dvd and seeing them all scratched by my kids after a few days...

Parts Not Required: I already have these

2x2GB DDR3 1600MHZ ram
750GB 2.5' 9.5mm HDD

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg.ca, Bestdirect.ca ( they usually have better price for my parts for no reason )

Country of Origin: Canada

Parts Preferences: As long as I reuse my parts. As in everything in life, I don't mind paying a little more for quality goods but I like to stay in the "bang for the buck" or "smart buy" category.

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Monitor Resolution: 1080p HDTV

Additional Comments:

I like quiet ( not silent ) PC.
I like small and sleek case.

I may have an ATI5850 for upgrade in a few months. If the upcoming games ( BF3, SWTOR,etc ) don't play well with my ATI 5850, I'll upgrade my main gaming pc and I could put that in my HTPC or sell it to a friend. So having a slot for this is a + but not a requirement.

OS : Could be Windows 7 or Linux. I actually use RedHat at work but I've never considered any Linux distro for an HTPC before writing this.