J&W’s MINIX line of mini-ITX motherboards have consistently targeted the higher end of the market with unique features and a focus on quality components. My first experience with their boards was the fantastic MINIX 780G-SP128MB, a mini-ITX gem that made its way into several HTPC and home server builds I assisted with. J&W looks set to continue the trend of quality […]
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Intel may have been hogging the CPU limelight over the last few years, but AMD has been toiling away on its own processors and taking full advantage of their purchase of ATI several years ago to pump out competitive processors with superior graphics capabilities. Indeed, for a small form factor HTPC that will be completely dependent on its integrated graphics […]
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When Dell announced the Alienware X51 small form factor gaming PC, the design immediately drew comparisons to modern game consoles. Certainly it would be easy to imagine sliding the X51 onto a shelf in the component cabinet, perhaps even right between the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Given that Microsoft and Sony seem more interested in their consoles as media […]
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Hitachi was the first hard drive manufacturer to ship internal 4TB hard drives, but those early drives were also 5400rpm drives. While this no doubt suits the needs of most folks building home servers and general purpose media servers, it did leave more performance-oriented enthusiasts feeling a bit underwhelmed. Fortunately, Hitachi is mindful of that segment of the market’s need […]
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The floods in Thailand last year displaced over 12 million people and left large swathes of the country underwater, including factories that produced a large percentage of the world’s hard drives and hard drive components. Western Digital, the hard drive manufacturer most affected by the flooding, has been working to restore production and between their reconstruction efforts in Thailand and […]
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We had the opportunity to review Fractal Design’s Arc Midi case last month and came away generally pleased, particularly with the case’s versatility and value. It would make a solid foundation for any HTPC or home server build. I am continually surprised with how many drive bays Fractal Design manages to fit into their cases without sacrificing accessibility. Our friends […]
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Gaming PCs and HTPCs come in all shapes and sizes, and it is not at all uncommon for the lines to cross, but Alienware may well have come up with one of the more exciting line-crossers in quite awhile with the freshly minted X51. The Alienware X51 is a small-form factor gaming PC that could easily pass for a gaming […]
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Many HTPC owners tend to be of two minds about keyboards. On the one hand, building an HTPC that can be operated entirely with a remote control can be a point of pride, but the reality is that in most cases, there is a time and a place for a keyboard. Some folks try to split the difference with a […]
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Full size HTPC builders can rejoice, because at SilverStone; big is still in fashion. They recently updated their lineup of Full-ATX chassis with the GD07 and GD08. Both offer space for multiple 3.5″ hard drives and full length GPUs. Other highlights include: They will update USB 3.0 products to the latest Renesas chip later this year Offer a four SATA […]
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Zotac kicked off CES by showing some barebones HTPC love with the new Zbox lineup, but today Zotac gave some DIY HTPC love with the announcement of the D2700-ITX WiFi Supreme. Like most of Zotac’s mini-ITX motherboards, the diminutive board is packed to the gills with features and connectivity options. As you may have guessed from the name, the D2700-ITX […]
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