[hunter69]

I current have the following processor and ram:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6819116394

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6820145347

I want to accomplish an xbmc build (nothing else) that will stream 1080p and bitstream/pass through HD audio. This client will be for my Home Theater so it will only serve up blurays in MKV format. SO I am looking to use what I have and build a client. I am thinking of going with openelec.

I greatly appreciate any suggestion for a motherboard (I really would like to go as small as possible, mini itx).

Do I need a an external video card, to meet my needs?

Thank you

[Dougie Fresh]

You won't need a video card. The HD2000 GPU in the i3-2100, Celeron 847, etc. has been shown to be very good for OpenELEC.

Do you have a case picked out? What about storage -- local or on a NAS? That'll help define the motherboard.

The Realan E-i5 is a nice mini-ITX case that'd work well for a build that didn't need lots of local storage.

[hunter69]

I have an unraid server with lots of space. I am looking for a 60 ssd, motherboard, and a nice small case. I am replacing a popcorn hour A300.

I really appreciate you helping me out.

[Dougie Fresh]

Your RAM will be a sticking point. Every mini-ITX motherboard I've ever seen has 2 RAM slots. The big heatsinks on those will mean you'll need something bigger. You really only need 4GB for an HTPC doing what you plan. Can you save that RAM for another build?