I am about to do a few budget HTPC systems for friends. If you ever get a chance to have a look at MSY they have a $45 Black SHAW HTPC style case w/ 550w PSU.
It actually looks pretty good especially when you compare it to Antec's Case and PSU prices. It dosent have quite the same build quality but for a budget HTPC would be ideal (and they usually go in a cabinet). Also its quiet!
Im looking into an 'extreme budget' HTPC for a friend this week (But still a solid performer for basic HTPC)!
Version 1
ASUS M2V-TVM All-In-One $79
AMD 2800+ $60
512MB DDR2 RAM $69
Seagate 80GB Sata $62
SHAW Case Desktop HTPC $45
Pioneer 111D Burner $49
Leadtek DTV1000 $79
$443
Version 2
ASUS M2V-TVM All-In-One $79
AMD 2800+ $60
1GB DDR2 RAM $155
Seagate 320GB Sata $135
SHAW Case Desktop HTPC $45
Pioneer 111D Burner $49
Leadtek DTV1000 $79
$602
Ideally this motherboard would be better for an extra $50
http://au.asus.com/products4.aspx?l1...38&modelmenu=1