Considering new HTPC build

[cmcghee358]

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: 1-2 months BUDGET RANGE: 400-600

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: HTPC, webbrowsing

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Keyboard, mouse, TV card

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg.com

PARTS PREFERENCES: i3 maybe?

OVERCLOCKING: No SLI OR CROSSFIRE: No

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1080 1080i on a 50" plasma

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I'm trying to get an idea of other peoples experience dropping cable all together and going straight HTPC. I want to compare the monthly cost of cable, vs the cost of building an HTPC to sell the wife on the idea.



Antec HTPC case 139.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129054

Athlon IIx3 435 2.9GHz: 69.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103723&cm_re=Athlon_IIx3-_-19-103-723-_-Product

MSI Motherboard with ATI 4290 onboard video: 129.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130269&cm_re=MSI_890GXM-G65-_-13-130-269-_-Product

2 GB of Crucial DDR3-1333 memory(will I need more than this?): 58.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148194

Samsung Spinpoint F3 1 TB HDD: 75.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185&Tpk=Samsung%20Spinpoint%201%20TB

Antec Earthwatts 380W PSU: 45.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371033&Tpk=Antec%20Earthwatts%20Powersupply

BluRay Drive: 59.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135205&cm_re=Bluray_Drive-_-27-135-205-_-Product

I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but whats you guy's opinions.

Total cost atm is: 541.00 before shipping. Obviously I will check for combo's before buying.

Considering Linux or maybe a student Win7(which will be harder to finagle)

 

[cmcghee358]

Anyone have any recommendations for an OTA antenna? I was hoping to just use my cable coax to get local channels but it seems that isn't possible, I'm not sure why I thought it would be.

 

[cmcghee358]

Best answer selected by cmcghee358.

 

[Mr Subs]

Hi,
Thanks for commenting on my latest post. I updated it, so if you have a minute I'd appreciate some new input. Don't mean to steal your thread...

Umm, the Front End picture is really cool. I want mine to look like that.

In my opinion, everything looks good the way you picked it out (hope I'm not too late to comment). However, if your lookin for that WAF the old parts sound doable. That kinda sounds like a pain; taking memory from your main computer, but if your not using it, why not, right.

As for your cable service. If my grandma's basement wasn't such a mess we would have FIOS and I probably wouldn't have had as many stressful moments loading web pages and I would not have to be angry playing MMO games this summer, plus my grandma would have saved like over $1000 by now (TV+Internet+Phone Bundle is almost $100 cheaper then the the providers we have now).

Thats a big harddrive. Thats ironic how women always use a lot of memory. They remember stuff and big hard drive sounds like something a woman would like.

cmcghee Could you tell me on my thread whether I should use your CPU and PSU for my build.
Again don't mean to steal, but hey antisyzygy can you comment on my thread, too, if you read this, because you seem to know what it means to save over time.

No DOAs or RMAs,
Evan