[bznotins]

I wouldn't by h61. Its too old and problematic.

I've used several of these H61 motherboards and continue to use them in mini-itx builds (usually one ODD and one SSD) with G530s and G540s. None have been problematic. At $80 w/ free shipping they are perfect for budget builds.

Gigabyte GA-H61N-USB3 mini-itx motherboard

Agreed. What's "problematic" about H61? Sure, they don't have many features, but if you're just building a simple HTPC and don't plan on doing USB file transfers, H61 is perfectly adequate. Overclocking for an HTPC is a moot discussion unless you plan on doing on-the-fly transcoding. For me, once an HTPC can decode high-bitrate 1080p content and run XBMC smoothly, the discussion shifts entirely to heat/noise/power. /shrug

[Marx1]

Yes, I bought more expensive one, Hovewer price of some h61 was even higher.
In dollars it was almost 10$ more, so I can live with it.
I have two TV cards on USB, so maybe in future i will use usb3.

[beetlesnack]

I'm confused. People are saying that H61 is a good option because it is only $80. But there are good H77 boards for $70, so there is no reason at all to buy H61. Am I missing something?

[Jetster]

I'm confused. People are saying that H61 is a good option because it is only $80. But there are good H77 boards for $70, so there is no reason at all to buy H61. Am I missing something?

No H77 is the way to go

[Dougie Fresh]

Saying something is "problematic" is different from saying there are newer options that might be the same or better . It's all good though. I am still finding the mini-ITX H61 boards (GA-H61N-USB3) to be about $20 cheaper than the H77 motherboards (ASUS P8H77-I). When it's more equalized I will be making the switch to having the H77 be the standard.