EggXpert

Hello all,

i am looking to build my first HTPC and would like some suggestions. Just so you know my budget is under $500, i do not need hard drives, or a blu-ray player as of yet (i rent my movies from Redbox and they do not carry Blu-Ray yet). the system will also do some very mild gaming and the TV is a 50" Sanyo Plasma (16:9 Aspect Ratio and a native panel resolution of 1365 x 768 pixels WXGA) 

link to TV for addtional info: http://www.walmart.com/Sanyo-50-Plasma-TV/ip/10929993#ProductDetail 

Any advice would be great. 

Oh and i would prefer to stick to AMD procs. 

mini-ITX.  Well it is not an AMD, but it is a dual core that supports 64-bit OS like Linux or Win7.  I included a BlueRay drive, but you can swap to a DVD reader (or burner) if you desire for about $40 less ---especially free if you have an old SATA one (no IDE connector).  Since you want to do gaming I went with 4Gb (2 would only save $30 anyway and could drag Win7).  I would remove the 250W PSU and go with the 90W external PSU (and one less fan,  more room for the CPU heatsink---that also can be included fan optional)---direct electricity very inviting and power saving.  Best onboard graphics available nVidia 9400GTm.  I added the front control panel card reader with additional USB/ eSATA, but it is not necessary and depending upon your TV storage area, not needed.  Obviously you can nuke the HDD too since you indicate you have one.  I would recommend green, coll and quiet for a HTPC but....  WiFi N protocol included. 

Things not included: Do you need a TV tuner (if you have cable then NO)?  Do you need a media center remote, media keyboard???  

Product Description	Savings	Total Price
APEX MI-008 Black Steel Mini-ITX Tower Computer Case 250W Power Supply - Retail Item #: N82E16811154091Return Policy: Standard Return Policy	-$16.00 Instant	$55.99$39.99
Western Digital Caviar Green WD7500AADS 750GB SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive -Bare Drive Item #: N82E16822136359Return Policy: Standard Return Policy		$69.99
Nippon Labs Delux 3.5" Internal All In One Card Reader/Writer with USB2.0 & eSATA Ports Model ICR-BB - Retail Item #: N82E16820816001Return Policy: Standard Return Policy	-$5.00 Instant	$24.99$19.99
AllComponents 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model AC2/800X64/4096-KIT - Retail Item #: N82E16820159021Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy		$82.99
ZOTAC IONITX-A-U Atom N330 1.6GHz Dual-Core 441 NVIDIA ION Mini ITX Motherboard/CPU Combo - Retail Item #: N82E16813500027Return Policy: Limited Replacement Only Return Policy	-$15.00 Instant	$199.99$184.99
Nvidia EA Triple Play coupon Gift - Retail Item #: N82E16800999209Return Policy: Standard Return Policy	-$29.99 Saving	$29.99$0.00
LITE-ON Black 4X Blu-ray Disc Reader SATA Model iHOS104-08 - Retail Item #: N82E16827106326Return Policy: Standard Return Policy		$67.99
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