Best HTPC builds?

I’m currently in the middle of putting together a dedicated home theater PC. For the GPU, I’m planning on sticking with a GTX 720. My absolute top priority here is silence—so I’m looking for a dead-silent power supply and a whisper-quiet CPU cooler. I need a Mini-ITX motherboard, an SSD around 120GB for the operating system, and the machine will likely just be running Windows 7/8, Kodi, and YouTube, nothing more intensive than that.
If you have any recommendations for decent cases or perhaps some quiet hard drives (anything over 3TB), I would certainly appreciate the input.

Thanks.

What kind of budget are we talking about here? I guess you don't even really need to bother with a GTX 720, since pretty much any integrated graphics chip should be more than capable of handling movie playback just fine.

It’s not like I’m working with an unlimited budget here; it isn't as if we're going to blow through more than $1,500 anyway. 😁
If any decent integrated solution can actually handle a 40GB MKV file and bitstream lossless Dolby or DTS without breaking a sweat, then I suppose that route is on the table.

1 x Raijintek Metis Case, plexiglass, USB 3.0, black
1 x Samsung 120GB 850 EVO Basic SSD
1 x Seagate 3TB HDD, 7200rpm, SATA III
1 x Fortron Hexa+ 400W, 80+
1 x Asrock N3150B-ITX
1 x CL9 SODIMM 1.35 V HyperX impact Black Series total 8GB 1600MHz DDR3L

Total: $1120
futura-it

http://www.newegg.com/p/product_info.php?c...ducts_id=17158

Maybe something like this? You toss in some RAM and an SSD and you're roughly in the same ballpark on price—maybe a little higher, but it’s a different approach. 😬

It certainly strikes me as a compelling option, though I find myself praying it actually delivers on its performance promises. I’m currently wrestling with a bit of a dilemma: should I opt for a tiny Mini-ITX build that functions essentially as a dedicated media player, or would it be wiser to go with a larger chassis capable of housing four to six hard drives to act as a central hub? 😁

So, what, there isn't room for one 2.5" HDD and two M.2 SSD slots? Isn't that enough for you?

It’s going to take quite a while. Unless, of course, I start hoarding cash like a frantic little squirrel. 😁

Why not just grab a media player instead?

http://www.bestbuy.com/?option=catList&...v=media-centers

The high-end models look pretty solid to me, especially since they handle 4K... plus they only pull about 4W of power, which actually makes them cheaper to run than an HTPC...

I have a nagging suspicion that nearly every single one of these options will come with some hidden flaw—something I won't be able to stomach—that I’ll likely only discover far too late to do anything about it. Honestly, AT&T offers much more flexibility, and as for that whole 4K craze? I won't be bothering with any of those distractions for quite a while, at least not until 4K movies actually start looking like they're jumping off the screen.