I do n’t want to watch cable TV . I do n’t desire to use a controller . I just want to watch 3D Blu - rays and frag multitude with a mouse and keyboard , all on a box seat that fits on my entertainment center . Is that too much to necessitate ?
We ’ve build our fair share ofhome theater PCsin the past , with all sorts of dissimilar use case in mind . OurAugust 2010 HTPCwas a stunner build for 3D , with passively chill GPU , CPU , and PSU , as well as a four - channel CableCard tuner and Blu - beam 3D support . In June 2011 , Gordon endeavor to make asmall - form - factor HTPCthat could cut out the previous build ’s bulk ( and CableCard ) while still supporting Blu - ray 3D. Both of those rigs handled their several tasks well , but what if I do n’t wish about cable but do care about gambling ? This calendar month ’s chore is to create a flush - ass gaming rig in an HTPC form gene - one that can handle modern game , as well as 3D Blu - ray and Dolby TrueHD audio , without sounding like a jet locomotive .
The Right Tools for the Job
When building a microcomputer for the living room , the first thing to reckon is the anatomy . After testing many cases , admit Lian Li ’s PC - P50 and Silverstone ’s oldie - but - goodie CW02 , I settled on the Silverstone GD06 , a microATX showcase with three 12 cm cooling fans , front - panel USB 3.0 embrasure ( with interior cope ! ) , and two hot - barter SATA bay . The other casing were roomier , but I need to keep the footprint as small as possible .
The videocard take to be able to handle Blu - ray of light 3D and support HDMI 1.4a for true lossless HD audio . That ’s the easy part . It also has to have the power to play today ’s game , and the GTX 560Ti has that . MSI ’s Twin Frozr II interpretation is speedy , manufactory - overclocked , quiet , and does n’t draw a mass of power . For Blu - electron beam playback , we ’re hitting up an old dearie : Plextor ’s PX320 - SA .
The GD06 ’s front panel latches when not in enjoyment to forestall miscreant from waltzing off with your drives .
We ’re not cripple this rig with an Atom or Fusion board . Asus ’s Maximus IV Gene - Z combines a powerful Z68 gambling platform with easy overclocking , two PCIe x16 slot , onboard 6Gb / s SATA , and X - Fi - branded onboard audio using Realtek codecs . Intel ’s Core i5 - 2500 K brings four unlocked processor at 3.3GHz .
I picked a speedy 6Gb / s SATA SSD for an bone ride , and a orotund - capacity drive for media store . The case ’s front hot - trade SATA Laurus nobilis make it easy to add more storage afterward .
Step 1: Prep the Case
Remove the three jailer secure the top cover of the GD06 , then slide the cover off of the case . Unlock and open up the front - panel bezel . Take out the four little screw propeller guarantee the optical driveway Laurus nobilis , and remove the true laurel . Do the same with the four screws adjudge the HDD trays . Lift out the bay and set them by .
Step 2: Install the PSU
Stick the four rubber feet that ship with the guinea pig onto the undersurface of the PSU ( the side with the intake fan ) . Mount the PSU with the fan pointing to the bottom of the display case .
Step 3: Install the CPU, Cooler, and RAM
give the CPU gate and remove the pliant socket protector . Align the central processor with the socket and softly lower it into place ( paradigm below , left ) . Lower the logic gate and secure the CPU . Since we ’re using the stock tank , all you have to do is bump off the plastic cover , make trusted the stock thermic launch area are in property , and align the four post on the heatsink with the mounting holes in the motherboard .
Press down steadfastly on two opposite pins at a clip until you hear a firm click , then repeat for the other two PIN ( prototype below , right ) . check that the cooler is firmly attached ; it should n’t shift . Connect the CPU fan to the CPU_FAN heading . Mount the RAM in either the red slot or the ignominious slots .
Step 4: Mount the Motherboard
deploy the motherboard I / O shield in the event , then put a motherboard tie into the rightmost center hole ( when viewed from the posterior of the case)-this is the only draw you need for microATX that is n’t preinstalled in the chassis . Slide the motherboard into the cause ( image below ) , ordinate the I / O port with the I / atomic number 8 buckler , and screw the motherboard screws into the tie .
Step 5: Connect Cables
The trickiest part of this soma is the wiring . As you perform each step , keep the next steps in mind . programme ahead and make indisputable to coil redundant cable and ensure it to tiedowns when potential .
Connect one end of a dim SATA cable to one of the four grayish SATA ports on the motherboard . Connect the PSU ’s 24 - pin ATX power connecter to the board . draw the 8 - pin ATX major power cable along the bottom edge of the motherboard , and then up behind the I / O port to the AUX input ( mental image above , left over ) . Set aside a SATA power cable , the dual-6 - PIN number PCI Express business leader cable , and a 4 - pin Molex big businessman cable , and bind the remaining PCI Express and SATA exponent cable length down in front of the motherboard ( image above , correct ) using the cable’s length tie included with the case .
Coil the front - board connection until they ’re just long enough to touch the pins , then connect them to the motherboard ’s pinout . set up the pinout onto the board ( figure of speech above ) . Tie down the excess cable system . Attach the front - dialog box audio and USB 3.0 headers , pull out excess cable below the optical drive Laurus nobilis . Plug the organisation fans into fan header on the motherboard .
Step 6: Install the GPU
Remove the two PCI expansion slot covers closest to the I / atomic number 8 larboard and add the GPU , making sure to run away the ATX auxiliary power cable’s length beneath it . Plug the two PCI - due east 6 - pin tumbler fireplug into the ports on the terminal of the poster .
Step 7: Install the Drives
Attach the SSD to the underside of the concentrated campaign bracket using the four SSD screws ( image below , left ) . plug away a 6Gb / s SATA cable into the SSD . Plug the two SATA cable from the hot - swap bays to two of the mobo ’s gray SATA ports , and attach the other goal of the SATA transmission line from the SSD into one of the scarlet larboard .
tie the two 4 - thole Molex connector from the hot - swap bay to two of the 4 - pin connector from the PSU ( mental image above , right ) . Attach the ending SATA data point connector from the cable’s length you moved over earlier . Replace the hard movement tray and reattach the four screws that have it in place . Slide your mickle storehouse drive into one of the hot - swap Laurus nobilis and fill up the door .
Step 8: Install the Blu-ray Drive
bind the optical drive to the optical drive tray ( image below ) , verify the climb holes on the drive are line up with the front set of mounting holes on the tray . seize with four opthalmic - drive mounting screws and plug in the SATA power and SATA data line you antecedently spread-eagle to the area . Reinstall the drive bay using the four screws you remove in Step 1 .
Step 9: Wrap it Up
Slot the storage drive into one of the front spicy - barter bay , and then replace the case ’s top cover version . establish group O and drivers , and aside you go !
It’s Got Game!
I interest that an actively cooled gaming rig in an HTPC chassis would be too noisy , particularly compared to passively cool off cheat like our August 2011 simple machine . But all flesh involve via media , and I was n’t unforced to give up gaming performance in central for a few decibels . Fortunately , the GD06 ’s fans are jolly quiet , and MSI ’s Twin Frozr II tank makes the GTX 560 Ti guide quietly , as well . The rig only really get brassy when I was installing driver updates from the visual drive . The drive runs much more quiet when play a movie .
And to my embossment , the system is pretty speedy . Our zero - point machine is an senesce - but - still - knock-down overclocked Core i7 - 920 with a dual - GPU videocard . The Sandy Bridge central processing unit and GTX 560 Ti helped the gaming HTPC throw its own sanely well in the bench mark despite a gunstock - clocked CPU sans Hyper - Threading .
The tight quarters of the GD06 do n’t leave much way for a fancy wiring job , but the positive aura pressure generated by its three 12 cm intake fans secure that the components stay coolheaded .
The rigging plays 3D Blu - ray and offer a protected Dolby TrueHD audio path via the videocard ’s 1.4a - compatible Mini HDMI larboard - indispensable elements in a home theater personal computer . If you must have cable television , you may drop in Ceton ’s InfiniTV tuner and a CableCard . If you must have a dedicated soundcard , you may add together in one of those . If you ’re really crazy , you’re able to tot both . I favor to go without either and preserve the $ 650 . I still have access to Netflix , Hulu Plus , and anything I can pullulate over my home connection .
It ’s also great for games . Some of us like gaming on a giant screen , and we desire to use a shiner and keyboard when we do . And now we can , with a loge that ’s far more powerful than any console .
If you ’re odd about the rest of an HTPC setup - urge remote , peripheral machine , sound systems , TVs , and more - find out out ourguide to the Ultimate three-D HTPCfrom last year . The peripheral recommendations still stand , though 3D - compatible idiot box have only gotten wanton to fall by .
Our current desktop test seam consists of a quad - core 2.66GHz Core i7 - 920 overclocked to 3.5GHz , 6 GB of Corsair DDR3/1333 overclocked to 1,750MHz , on a Gigabyte X58 motherboard . We are operate an ATI Radeon HD 5970 graphics calling card , a 160 GB Intel X25 - M SSD , and 64 - spot Windows 7 Ultimate .
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