HTPC Hardware (MB, RAM, Video Card etc)
I know a lot of you are or have been looking into using a laptop hard drive in your systems due to their improved acoustics over a larger desktop size. Now that it’s in a whopping 1tb flavor, you can even use it without any server/external storage to store content as well. Very impressive. Hardware Geeks The Scorpio Blue drives […]
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If you have ever tried to build a system in an HTPC-style chassis, you have probably learned (hopefully not the hard way) how a lot of the standard tower-like heatsinks won’t fit. Picking the proper HSF is very important, since they handle the cooling of your processor in your system. You want it to be an effective cooler but also […]
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With on-board video becoming increasingly powerful, I’m sure the number of you using dedicated cards is dwindling. However, if you do happen to be using a separate Nvidia video card, this is awesome news as you’ll now be able to make your system even more low powered. I’d be curious to know exactly what real-world effect this has, but at […]
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This is a pretty nice system, albeit HUGE. But hey, if storage is your need you could do worse than copying this guy! Not everyone will have space for a full size rack though…not to mention the noise this thing must generate. But it is a beast! Media Smart Server Cavediver has this beast up and running, currently […]
Read moreThis is a lot of interpretationg, but talking about HD decoders on the chip gets me pretty excited, especially if they come through with it being low power draw…sounds like a compelling choice for the HTPC world, but let’s wait and see. SemiAccurate Why anyone would want the first generation Larrabee for an HTPC rig is an open question, one […]
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Fellow MVP Stuart (aka CW-Kid) posts a quick review of the HTPC case offering from Luxa, a massive chassis by anyones definitions, especially for home theaters. I wouldn’t mind the size if you could put the kitchen sink in there, but only supporting 2 hard drives? Seriously?! Media Center Blog They both have a IR/VFD display from Soundgraph with […]
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I’m not sure why this card comes in PCI format instead of the now common PCI-Express. With the recent popularity in mATX and mini-ITX motherboards, the number of slots is slim and I must believe a lot of you have more PCI-Express slots than PCI. That being said, I love this product from an HTPC standpoint. It allows you to […]
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I love build logs!!! This one’s courtesy of Darren at Engadget and covers building one speicifcally with tuner support. With so many online options these days, that’s not necessarily a requirement anymore though. Engadget It’s also worth noting that setup needs to be completed on a VGA or DVI monitor. Initially, we had our rig connected to an LCD […]
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Moneual has been manufacturing HTPC cases for a while, but I have no experience with them. However, my past luck with slim height chassis has been…interesting. Takes specific parts and some tweaking. Maybe life is easier these days with so much of your needs being on-board…maybe no need for riser cards anymore! TheDigitalLifestyle.com Inside there is room for the […]
Read moreNot the most traditional case when one thinks of a HTPC, however many people prefer the tower for all the benefits it brings, and if you have a closet or place to hide it out of place (or maybe it matches your subwoofer) then the only thing that matters is that it’s quiet. Antec has always been rock solid and […]
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