Low end Ivy or AMD? HTPC, light gaming

[WiseUp216]

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.

-Media center with some light gaming. Nothing very intensive. Should be able to run Source games at high settings or newer games at medium-high settings, no AA.

-I have a pretty good idea of what I want except for CPU/motherboard. I do not know much about AMD's current offerings or lower-end Intel parts.

-Was considering an IB i3-3225 and 7770.

-The idea is to build a low(ish) power system for the living room to replace my system shown in my signature. I would like to take my 3570k/670 build and go SLI multi-monitor in my spare bedroom.

-Is passive cooling realistic at this price point? <$500

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread

-The farther south of $500, the better.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.

-USA

5. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.

-Corsair, Samsung, Intel but open to any alternatives.

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.

- I have HDD's, OS and could split my existing 16GB Samsung RAM between both systems.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.

-Overclocking isn't a concern for this system.

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?

-1080p 50" Samsung

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
In the next 10-12 days if I find the time.

Thank you for any input you guys might have.

 

[Sleepingforest]

With no HDDs, RAM, or OS in the cost, it is certainly possible:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-3220 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($123.79 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI B75MA-P45 Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($61.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone SST-GD05B-USB3.0 (Black) HTPC Case ($114.31 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Antec Basiq 430W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($42.39 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $360.47
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-18 13:38 EST-0500)

Then add in this passive 7750 graphics card ($110AR).

 

[WiseUp216]

Thank you, sleepingforest. That looks like a really good starting point. At $360+GPU, I'll probably jump on this project in the next couple days.

I do have a nearby Microcenter so I'll have to see what the current cpu/mobo combo offers are before pulling the trigger.

 

[Torn Mind]

Thank you, sleepingforest. That looks like a really good starting point. At $360+GPU, I'll probably jump on this project in the next couple days.

I do have a nearby Microcenter so I'll have to see what the current cpu/mobo combo offers are before pulling the trigger.

Bundle any compatible motherboard with an i3-3225 or i5-3570K, and you save 50 bucks off the motherboard. Mobos with the H61 chipset will require a BIOS update before they can boot with an Ivy Bridge processor. You will need a Sandy Bridge processor to do that, so you might as well avoid them.

I also would suggest the NEO ECO 400C over the Basiq. Amazon is estimating that the Basiq 430W would take about 3-5 weeks before it arrives, so I suspect it is out of stock.
Or, the Corsair CX430 has a rebate once again. You might want to consider it. I cannot testify to its suitability for an HTPC noise-wise.

 

[mfenn]

:thumbsup: on the Microcenter recommendation. You can get and i3 3225 + an MSI B75MA-E33 for $125!

I would definitely not stick a passive card into any HTPC-oriented case. Stick to the active cards like this Sapphire 7770. The fan will spin very slowly at idle.
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0406650