Intel i3-3240 Bluray?

I am currently picking parts that I might use for an HTPC for my living room. I have a 42" 1080p television that i would like to play bluray movies, use email, surf the web and maybe play a few games like Battlefield 3 on medium settings. I have a gtx 550 ti that my brother doesnt want anymore that i will be using for the graphics card. My question is, will an i3-3240 do well with bluray coupled with a gtx 550 ti? I have been reading that dual cores struggle with bluray decoding or something and i am not sure if hyper threading helps or the high clocks are way higher than recommended specs.... And would any recommend getting a cheap i5 with a cheaper motherboard than an i3?