| PowerColor’s Guide to Building a Media PC |
In this article we’re going to show you how to build a home theater or media PC using some of the latest and greatest products on the market.
When we came up with this idea, our goal was two-fold: first, we wanted to make this an easy read and not include any unnecessary technical details. We want to supply you with the tools necessary to make the best unit possible at an affordable price without constraining you to what components you can or can’t use.
Second, we came up with a criteria that would designate this machine a home theater or media PC. The machine had to be quiet enough to run movies. It had to be affordable. We priced the components out so the total would be around $1,000. It had to be as energy efficient as possible and finally, the machine had to function as a PC. We value flexibility and we think we accomplished our goals with this build.
Before we begin, we’d like to thank all our partners who assisted in supplying the components necessary for this build. For more info visit their websites (links on the sidebar). We’d also like to thank NewEgg.com who helped make this project possible. All the components in this article are available for purchase on NewEgg.com.
So, let’s get started.
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Content
◆ Components
Step 1: Installing the HDD and Blu-Ray Player
Step 2: Installing the Motherboard, CPU and CPU Fan
Step 3: Installing the Memory and Video Card
Step 4: Insert Cables and Wires
Step 5: Installing the Power Supply Unit
Step
6: Operating System
◆ Wrap Up |
Here is the rundown of components that we used for our HTPC project: |
 Case
Thermaltake
Model: Thermaltake LANBOX Lite VF6000BWS
What we love: It’s compact, making it a space saver and looks great in any entertainment system set up.
Price: $89.99
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 Power Supply Unit (PSU)
Thermaltake
Model: Thermaltake Toughpower W0105RU
What we love: The cable management system is perfect for neat freaks like us.
Price: $154.99
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 CPU Cooling Fan
Thermaltake
Model: Thermaltake MaxOrb CL-P0369
What we love: The combination of heat sink and fan helps keep everything cool.
Price: $46.99
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 Motherboard
Gigabyte
Model: GIGABYTE GA-MA785GPMT-UD2H
What we love: Lots of space of expandability for a mini ATX and built in HDMI
Price: $94.99
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 Blu-Ray Drive
Plextor
Model: PLEXTOR BD Combo Model PX-B320SA
What we love: The combo of a Blu-Ray player and burner with Lightscribe makes this unit one of the most versatile on the market.
Price: $154.99 |
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 Memory (RAM)
Crucial
Model: Crucial 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333
What we love: Crucial sets the standard in memory in our opinion and this kit is one of the top rated on NewEgg.
Price: $76.99
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 Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
Western Digital
Model: Western Digital Caviar Green WD20EADS 2TB
What we love: The Caviar Green provides ample space for storage and is energy efficient.
Price: $199.99
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 Video Card
PowerColor Go! Green
Model: POWERCOLOR SCS3 AX4670 1GBK3-S3H
What we love: Part of the Go! Green line, it’s silent and energy efficient.
Price: $79.99
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CPU
AMD
Model: AMD Athlon II X4 620
What we love: The most bang for your buck CPU out there. A quad core for $100
Price: $99.00
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| Step 1: Installing the HDD and Blu-Ray Player |
If you do decide to go with the Thermaltake Lanbox Lite, make sure you glance through the manual first or keep it handy when you’re installing the components. The case is compact and very versatile, but you’ll need to know how to get into all the nooks and crannies that it provides. We found the easiest way to begin is by installing our Western Digital hard drive and Plextor Blu-Ray player first.
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Step 2: Installing the Motherboard, CPU and CPU Fan |
Next thing we want to do is pull out the motherboard tray from the case. Set that aside to work on installing the CPU and the CPU fan first.
Thermaltake was kind enough to sponsor us with one of their best CPU fans. The Thermaltake MaxOrb consists of a fan and heatsinks to further enhance the cooling capabilities of the unit. If you decide to go with the fan that AMD supplies, it should be more than enough for your purposes.
You want to install the CPU first. Then follow the directions and install the fan on top.
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Step 3: Installing the Memory and Video Card |
Before we slide the motherboard back into the chassis, let’s install the Cruicial memory and PowerColor video card. Before you purchase a video card, be sure to find out what kind of connection is on the motherboard. Those of you that are purchasing new motherboards or ones within the last couple years will mostly likely have PCI-Express connections. However, older computers will carry the AGP connection. For our purposes here, we are using a PCI-E connection for our video card.
Be aware of the memory you are going to use as well. Easiest thing to do is to check the specs of the motherboards on NewEgg.com and make sure the memory specs match up to the ones you are going to purchase.
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Step 4: Insert Cables and Wires |
After sliding the motherboard into the chassis, take the wires from the case and plug them into the appropriate areas on the motherboard. Each wire is clearly labeled on the end and the corresponding places are labeled as well on the motherboard.
You’ll also want to connect the SATA cables from the Gigabyte motherboard to your hard drive and Blu-Ray player. These cables are typically included in the motherboard box and in this case they’re colored orange.
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Step 5: Installing the Power Supply Unit |
Thermaltake’s 700W power supply may be a little more juice than what’s required, but we loved the cable management system this unit has. Use only the cables you need and keep everything in the case nice and neat. That’s something important if you decide to go with a LAN box or anything else where space is limited.
Once you secure the PSU into the case, connect the appropriate cables to the motherboard, the Plextor Blu-Ray drive and the WD hard drive.
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Step 6: Operating System |
For the OS we decided to run Windows 7 Release Candidate on this computer. As of this writing, the final version is not in retail, so we’re using the version Microsoft released to the public a few months back.
Windows 7 is an ideal OS for a media PC. It runs smoother than its predecessor and is optimized for media use.
Whatever OS you decide to use, just pop the CD or DVD into the Plextor drive and following the directions on screen. The process should take about 30 minutes.
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| What we love about Windows 7 |
Windows 7 added DivX video support natively and now supports Apple’s Quicktime. AVHCD support means HD capable camcorders are now supported as well.
Windows 7 media PCs can stream media to each other, even across the Internet. By using a Windows Live ID you can associate other Windows 7's media players on other PCs, allowing remote access to media on your host computer. The best part of this is the ease of use. Windows Media Player (WMP) carries with it a stream option on its toolbar.
Now we didn’t install a TV tuner card in this system because the plan was to hook this up to a TV via HDMI, but those looking to install one on their system will find Windows 7 really thought the features through. Now when forwarding through a recorded program, a thumbnail of the image will show at the point where you want to forward to, making it possible to preview before watching.
Another nice feature is Media Center’s ability to play your favorite music. You can now create playlists based on the songs ratings, when they are added or how often they’re played. It’s fully customizable. |
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| Wrap Up |
Although this system may not be considered a traditional home theater PC, we didn’t want to paint our project into a corner and take the PC out of it. Our goal here was to maintain the PC aspect while using the best components on the market to make it media friendly.
We will be giving this wonderful unit away to a lucky individual sometime next month, so friend us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and sign up for our forum to hear the official announcement.
If you have any questions about the article or would like to make a comment, email us at marketing@powercolor.com |
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