Advice on mini-itx motherboard/CPU

[Whiffle]

Hi there,

I am looking to a build a new mini-itx pc to act as a mediaportal client.

I want to go down the Sandybridge route and have decided that a decent CPU choice would be the i3-2100T. I was a bit worried about going for a CPU with HD2000 graphics over HD3000, but have heard that it makes no difference if you are not playing games (I shall only be using it form decoding streamed media from my server).

I would be really grateful for advice on what to buy.

Thanks

 

[Whiffle]

I currently have an Acer Revo Aspire R3610 as a Mediaportal Client in my bedroom and although it is fine, it can be slow at times due to the Atom - especially brining up the EPG etc.

This is fine in the bedroom but would drive me mad in my livingroom - apparently the Fusion would not be that much better in the respect.

I figured that the i3-2100T was a very low power alternative but powerful enough to run Mediaportal flawlessly.

 

[Whiffle]

Bit of a let down that. I suppose the only way that I am going to get Sandybridge working properly in a mini-HTPC is to couple it with a discrete graphics card, but this means adding extra heat/energy/physical space to a mini-itx build, which sort of goes against the nature of a mini-itx build in the first place.

Have I got any other options?