urbanrider

Distinguished
Feb 13, 2012
144
0
18,710
Approximate Purchase Date: e.g.: Hopefully this week
Budget Range: 700ish
System Usage from Most to Least Important: HTPC (streaming 720p & 1080p movies from a server)
Do you need to buy OS: No
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg.ca
Location: Canada
Overclocking: No
SLI or Crossfire: No
Your Monitor Resolution: 1080p TV
Additional Comments: Very few lights, fairly quiet

EDIT: Updated to most recent parts choice

CPU: Intel i3 – 3225 HD 4000
Motherboard: Intel BOXDH77KC LGA 1155 Intel H77 ATX Intel Motherboard
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
PSU: SeaSonic SS-300ES Bronze 300W ATX12V V2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE
SSD: Crucial M4 64GB SATA III
Case: LIAN LI Black Aluminum PC-C33B ATX
Bluray: ASUS Bluray
 
Solution
Is there a reason for preferring an ATX case and motherboard? How about microATX?

For instance, this motherboard: Intel BOXDH77EB microATX HDMI H77 motherboard has HTPC-oriented technologies like a CIR header and the optical out you wanted.

Unless the Z77 is cheaper than an H77 motherboard, there is no advantage since you will not be overclocking.

For the power supply, consider this 300W 80+ Bronze PSU instead. It's very, very good and wll be more efficient thant the Rosewill:Seasonic SS-300ES 80+ Bronze ATX power supply.

With the microATX board you could still use that Lian-Li case or another smaller Lian-Li case such as:LIAN LI Black Aluminum PC-C50B Micro ATX Media Center / HTPC Case which looks more like the...

urbanrider

Distinguished
Feb 13, 2012
144
0
18,710

Dougie Fresh

Distinguished
Jan 3, 2010
545
0
19,060
Is there a reason for preferring an ATX case and motherboard? How about microATX?

For instance, this motherboard: Intel BOXDH77EB microATX HDMI H77 motherboard has HTPC-oriented technologies like a CIR header and the optical out you wanted.

Unless the Z77 is cheaper than an H77 motherboard, there is no advantage since you will not be overclocking.

For the power supply, consider this 300W 80+ Bronze PSU instead. It's very, very good and wll be more efficient thant the Rosewill:Seasonic SS-300ES 80+ Bronze ATX power supply.

With the microATX board you could still use that Lian-Li case or another smaller Lian-Li case such as:LIAN LI Black Aluminum PC-C50B Micro ATX Media Center / HTPC Case which looks more like the Fractal Design Node 605 choice you had in your original post.
 
Solution

urbanrider

Distinguished
Feb 13, 2012
144
0
18,710

Thanks for the tip, I had forgotten that haha..that saves me some money

I had mostly picked it for ease of upgradability and not limiting myself in the future, but i'm not really set on in.

Thanks for the suggestion.

4GB of ram should be enough right?

CPU: Intel i3 – 3225 HD 4000
Motherboard: Intel BOXDH77EB LGA 1155 Intel H77 Micro ATX Intel
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
PSU: SeaSonic SS-300ES Bronze 300W ATX12V V2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE
SSD: Crucial M4 64GB SATA III
Case: LIAN LI Black Aluminum PC-C33B ATX
Bluray: ASUS Bluray

Total: 687$
 

Dougie Fresh

Distinguished
Jan 3, 2010
545
0
19,060
Yes, 4GB is plenty and by using one stick you can always upgrade later. There is actually just a small 5% performance penalty for having the one stick but for HTPC I've found it to be just fine.

If you stick with the ATX you might as well get the ATX motherboard. This is the ATX version of that Intel motherboard: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121599

There are a few CIR kits available if you look around. Inteset I believe is the maker of one. It's nice to have the built-in IR header for HTPC.
 

urbanrider

Distinguished
Feb 13, 2012
144
0
18,710