[brndot]

Hey all, this is my first post and first shot at an HTPC build. I was hoping I could get some feedback on the hardware I have picked so far and if anyone has any recommendations they would be greatly appreciated.

This HTPC is going to be dedicated to playing HD content on my 52" LCD. I will be accessing all media files from my encoding rig so no local storage is required. I don't plan on doing any gaming or encoding on this machine, so the only requirement is that it play HD (1080p) content as smoothly and flawlessly as possible and remain relatively quiet (however silent would be great ). I have a budget of around $400 CAD but that is not set in stone. This is the plan so far...

AMD A6-6400K APU, Black Edition, 3.9GHz w/ 1MB Cache
ASUS A85XM-A w/ Dual DDR3 1866, 7.1 Audio, Gigabit Lan, HDMI, DVI, D-Sub
Kingston HyperX Blu 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
Kingston SSD Now V300 Stand Alone Solid State Drive, 60GB
Corsair Builder Series CX430 430W Power Supply
Silverstone Milo ML03 MicroATX HTPC Case, Black

I have a few questions that I would like to clarify as well:

1. There seems to be no definitive answer on which is better for an HTPC rig: AMD or Intel. They both seems to have pro's and con's and neither stand out as being best in all aspects. Is the processor I have chosen here overpowered? Underpowered? Will it run too hot? I have chosen AMD here simply because the integrated graphics seem to be very good and from what I understand, this is the most important component for the type of HTPC I am looking for.
2. Should I install an aftermarket CPU cooler or will the stock unit suffice?
3. Do these Silverstone Milo ML03 cases look huge when in the context of a home theatre unit? I am having trouble picturing its size relative to my other home theatre components. In other words, does this case look like it fits in? Or is it pretty bulky compared to other components?
4. I realize the power supply is overkill however I own a spare one of these so for the time being this is what I am planning to use. In the future, I may want to upgrade to a fanless or a more efficient PSU rated at a lower wattage and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for this.

Thank you very much for reading and I look forward to your replies

[zxz0O0]

1. Well the processor will sure be capable of playing 1080p and is quite powerful. I myself use an Intel i3 Sandy Bridge so I can't really tell you something about heat, loudness, etc.
2. Usually the stock cpu cooler is quite enough, some aftermarket cpu coolers are more silent than stock though. I recommend you install the stock cpu cooler first and decide later if you need an aftermarket cooler.
3. Here are some pics: http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid...pid1188153 and here http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2165244
4. If you want a more efficient power supply, just make sure it has the certificate (silver, gold, platinum). There are tons of different power supplies and everyone has their own opinion. For example I like the the products of the brand "be quiet" and "Silverstone". It's also questionable if you really need a more efficient power supply (since more efficient = more expensive). So you need to ask yourself: Does the saving of power justify the additional cost of a new power supply?