[brian_muz]

I've got an issue with my HTPC where sometimes the video is jumpy. I've noticed recently that even navigating around the menu can loose it's smoothness if I haven't re-set for a while. It's not all video. It's more likely to happen:

1) when I haven't re-set the HTPC for a while
2) when it's a MKV file
3) when it's a 1080 file.

Anyway, after trying everything to fix this and leaving threads elsewhere to try and fix this I've concluded my hardware just isn't up to the job. Question is, what should I upgrade first to try and fix this problem (I don't have a lot of cash to spend so I'm really hoping to zero in on exactly what I need to upgrade). My system:

Gigabyte GA-H77-D3H-MVP Motherboard
Intel Celeron G1610
AVerMedia H727 AVerTV CaptureHD Dual Hybrid PCIE
Silverstone Strider 500W ST50F-ES
Western Digital WD Green 3TB WD30EZRX
Fujitsu S306 64GB SSD
EVGA GeForce GT640 2GB Dual Slot
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit with SP1 OEM
Corsair CMX4GX3M1A1600C9 4GB (1x4GB) DDR3

So... What is likely to make the menu and video play smoother. Upgrading the processor, the graphics card or increasing the RAM? And what would you recommend for someone who is really budget conscious?

Thanks for your advice!

Brian.

[teeedubb]

Linux.

[CaptainPsycho]

Your hardware looks good. Try OpenElec.

[brian_muz]

I'm just checking out Openelec. I haven't seen it before. Do I need to uninstall windows to install it?

[teeedubb]

No. You can install it to another usb thum drive to test it out.

[brian_muz]

Where can I find out how to do this?

[tboggie]

Why do you have a seperate graphics card in your htpc, gaming?
If you are using your htpc for xbmc only, the integrated graphics in G1610 is capable of 1080p playback

[goujam]

Where can I find out how to do this?

http://wiki.openelec.tv/index.php?title=Installation