Mobo recs for an i3-2100?

[decrescendo]

I'm about to build a Windows 7 64-bit machine to do the following:

1. store ~4TB of mp3s, movies, photos, and documents
2. stream audio to speakers connected to Win7 laptop or Squeezebox
3. stream 1080p video to an HTPC-connected TV
4. be constantly running uTorrent
5. ability to rip optical discs (Blu-Ray, DVD)
6. function as backup computer in case laptop breaks
7. store backup image of laptop

Additional attributes:
8. Will sit in a corner of my living room or bedroom without being connected to a keyboard or monitor
9. The data on it will probably be backed up to some sort of NAS or set of USB drives

After a discussion in the CPUs forum section, I've decided I'm going to buy an Intel i3-2100 processor. However, I'm a little overwhelmed when it comes to LGA 1155 motherboards.

The only thing I can think of that I definitely want is an HDMI port because this machine MIGHT get hooked directly up to my TV before I build an HTPC to stream video to. On Newegg, this HDMI selection narrows my search down to a whopping 69 mobos.

I'm betting I'll be buying a cheap SSD or small 7200 RPM drive for my OS. Then, I'll be buying two or three high capacity drives (5600 or green drives) for the data. Will this dictate my mobo selection?

How do I go about figuring this out? Does anyone have recommendations from personal experience?

 

[Zap]

On Newegg, this HDMI selection narrows my search down to a whopping 69 mobos.

Narrow it down to H67 and the number drops to 39. From there, narrow it down by what type of motherboard your case choice handles. There are 3 ATX, 27 mATX and 9 mini ITX. Do you have a digital receiver? If so, maybe you can narrow it down even farther by looking for a motherboard that has the SPDIF your receiver takes (optical or coaxial). Alternately, if your receiver doesn't have SPDIF but has separate inputs for all surround channels, you should get a motherboard that offers more than the base three audio jacks.

Beyond that, shop by brand/price/layout. For instance if you are torn between two boards that to you looks identical, choose the brand that you are more familiar with, or choose the cheaper motherboard. Also, for layout some boards have right angle SATA ports which don't work in cramped cases, so you can rule those out if your case is as such.

Why I say H67 is because H61 has only 4x SATA ports instead of 6, and Z68 seems to draw more power in the couple reviews I read. Doesn't sound as if you will be taking advantage of SSD caching, SLI or overclocking, so H67 sounds like a nice fit.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Asus P8H67-M Evo or the Pro version are both solid. You get 6SATA + PATA too. I use PATA optical so this doesn't waste any SATA.

I wired 6x 2TB drives in ZFS Raid 6 just fine.

 

[decrescendo]

Narrow it down to H67 and the number drops to 39. From there, narrow it down by what type of motherboard your case choice handles. There are 3 ATX, 27 mATX and 9 mini ITX. Do you have a digital receiver? If so, maybe you can narrow it down even farther by looking for a motherboard that has the SPDIF your receiver takes (optical or coaxial). Alternately, if your receiver doesn't have SPDIF but has separate inputs for all surround channels, you should get a motherboard that offers more than the base three audio jacks.

Beyond that, shop by brand/price/layout. For instance if you are torn between two boards that to you looks identical, choose the brand that you are more familiar with, or choose the cheaper motherboard. Also, for layout some boards have right angle SATA ports which don't work in cramped cases, so you can rule those out if your case is as such.

Why I say H67 is because H61 has only 4x SATA ports instead of 6, and Z68 seems to draw more power in the couple reviews I read. Doesn't sound as if you will be taking advantage of SSD caching, SLI or overclocking, so H67 sounds like a nice fit.

Zap, once again, thanks for the informative post. Much appreciated.

I don't have a receiver (or any additional speakers) for my bedroom TV. I anticipate that, if this machine wasn't just a server, it would be hooked up to a TV set that would produce the audio, as well. I would then assume the audio would travel via the same HDMI as the video, correct?

What exactly is the "North Bridge" specification that I see the H67, H61, and Z68 options listed under?

If I bought a separate drive for my OS, like I think I might do, I suppose I haven't ruled out using an SSD. Does SSD vs spinning drive really dictate which board I should get out of the "North Bridge" section? Or is "SDD caching" something advanced beyond standard SDD usage?

 

[decrescendo]

Asus P8H67-M Evo or the Pro version are both solid. You get 6SATA + PATA too. I use PATA optical so this doesn't waste any SATA.

I wired 6x 2TB drives in ZFS Raid 6 just fine.

How much heat do you notice 6 drives producing?

I'm trying to determine how many drives I want to throw in this box (therefore what case to get based on available space) and I'm concerned with how hot and loud the thing would get.

If it's just a server in the corner, I'd prefer it to be somewhat stealthy.