Mini computer recommendations?

[badspell68]

Anyone have a mini computer recommendation?
I'm looking to hook my TV and stereo up so something that is extremely quite and can play HD video through VLC. Sothing that will also stream video and play MP3 files through Winamp while managing Winiamp-visual-affect to the TV without any stutter?

Here is one I discoverd, but I am not really aware of whats is out there:

Newegg.com - Zotac ZBOX HD-ID11-U Intel Atom D510 NM10 Chipset 1 x 200Pin Next-Gen NVIDIA ION GPU Mini / Booksize Barebone System

 

[solarmystic]

This is another good one to look at badspell68:-

AnandTech - Zotac ZBOX: Brazos Goes HTPC

If money is not an issue to you:-

AnandTech - ASRock's High-End Vision 3D 252B HTPC Review

 

[Bearcatrp]

Go find a used Mac mini. Great little mini computers. You can install windows, Linux or run OS X. Anything from 2011 and on will not have a DVD drive. Apple killed that to push toward cloud computing BS. My 2010 mini is rocking just fine. Should be able to find one under 500. Check apple's refurbs for deal too.

 

[badspell68]

Sort of a PC guy and would like to have a bluray drive on it.

 

[FuturDreamz]

Why not build your own? Then you can have whatever you want in it.

Here's an example:
hec Black 0.7mm Thickness SECC Steel 7K09BBA30FNRX Micro ATX Media Center 300W Power Supply / HTPC Case

BIOSTAR H61MHB LGA 1155 Intel H61 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

Intel Pentium G850 Sandy Bridge 2.9GHz LGA 1155 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000 BX80623G850

SAMSUNG 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model MV-3V4G3D/US

LG Black 10X BD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM SATA Internal 12X Internal Blu-ray Drive 3D Playback & M-DISC Support Model UH12LS29 LightScribe Support - Blu-Ray Drives

HGST Deskstar 7K1000.C 0F10383 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

And it's about $410 (not inc. OS, ssd, or shipping)

I like this case because it is wider than it is deep, so it is basically just a really big DVD player. It should disappear into an AV system fine.

I've been using a Pentium G620 in my HTPC, and it handles almost everything that I throw at it. But what it can't do the G850's HD 2000 can.

 

[pcunite]

Give the fit-PC2i a good look.

 

[badspell68]

Really nice! thanks for the list!

 

[jumanji]

Take your pick from the latest Zotac Mini-PC range - New Zotac Zbox mini-pc’s | Streamernation.com

There are many other Zotacs with "AMD inside" . Refer to the Zotac site ZOTAC - It's time to play! - mini-PCs

( I have a Zotac Zbox HD-ID11 since July 2010 doing as an HTPC in my living room coupled with an external USB Plextor PX-B120U BD-ROM drive for optical media playback and has been performing wonderfully. I am now eyeing a Zbox nano. My choice ZOTAC ZBOX Nano XS (AD11 Plus) http://tech2.in.com/reviews/htpcs/zotac-zbox-nano-xs-ad11-plus-review/304262/1#story )