HTPC question

[Dumpy]

So its finally came down to a for sure idea of what i want to do i just have a few questions before i start looking for parts

In an HTPC case, would the included PSU be ok for everything/ not die on me in the near future? If not can someone suggest a good one.

Would buying a HTPC case be a good idea or would it be better off going with a full tower and using that instead? or would that be.. overkill?

And for a processor, intel or amd ? or would it make a difference

 

[Brinson]

HTPC cases tend to be extremely overpriced. They look nice, usually like Tivos or a large DVD player. Some of them use smaller form factor psus and I think most of them are mAtx.

Downsides to this:

1. Harder to replace some parts
2. Can usually only take 1 hard drive and 1 DVD drive.
3. Poor Air Flow
4. The normal downfalls of an mAtx motherboard, ie less PCI slots and fewer IDE/SATA ports.

Advantages:

1. Fits in your media center.
2. Often has a built-in IR connection for a remote
3. Looks freaking sweet.

It really comes down to personal choice in the end, though. Personally, I'd prefer a tower so I could add hard drives down the road to expand my space without having to remove my active one, but I definitely see the appeal of a sleek HTPC case that fits into the DVD slot on a TV stand with a built-in IR reciever.