My HTPC

Show off your quiet rig.

Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee

Post Reply
XtalMan
Posts: 18
Joined: Thu Jun 12, 2003 5:12 pm

My HTPC

Post by XtalMan » Sun Jul 06, 2003 3:25 pm

Image
The right side of the case (underneath the motherboard). The power cables were run underneath whenever possible. I cut a notch (yellow arrows) so I could replace the right panel without crushing the wires. Everything else was zip-tied into place.


Image
My HTPC/entertainment center. Fortron PSU, Panaflo L1As, and Zalman Fan-Mates and Fan Bracket. Samsung Spinpoint SV1604N HD, but no optical drives. CPU is an AMD 1.1 Ghz Duron. Video Card is a lowly fanless Geforce2 MX400, and the capture card/TV tuner is a Happauge WinTV 401. Power switch has been relocated to a PCI slot cover in the back. All other PCI slot covers have been removed to aid in ventilation. I tried to use Ralf Hutter's patented "folded cable" technique.

If I need more ventilation, I'll cut a hole in the bottom of the computer case and through the bottom of the entertainment center.


Image
Image
Image
The entire hard drive cage is suspended underneath the 5.25" drive bays with zip-ties. As I plan to add more hard drives, I think it's easier than suspending each drive individually. Without suspending the drives, the noise of seeks reverberated throughout the entire entertainment center! Now, seeks are nearly inaudible, and definitely less obtrusive. Definitely suspend your hard drives! And yes, I have a zip-tie fetish.


Image
For Ralf.


Image
Case cover is replaced. The HTPC is concealed.


Image
A look from above the HTPC/entertainment center. Sorry about the dust, fingerprints, and cables. I'll tidy them up soon.


Image
My HTPC in action. Options: TV, Music, Games, Image Gallery, Videos, and Weather. The components are from top to bottom: TV, Cable Box, DVD player (silver), VCR, and Receiver. The left of the VCR is an Evation IRMAN IR receiver, used to control the HTPC. An ethernet cable runs across the floor on the bottom left side of the picture. You can't see the HTPC from the front.

Costs? $29 for the case (Chenbro Jasper), $49 for the entertainment center (@Wal-Mart, Ameriwood 20256), $2 for enamel spray paint. Most of the other stuff was recycled from older systems. Very compact, very cheap, and very quiet. I really need to clean up the fingerprints and dust, though.
Last edited by XtalMan on Wed Jul 30, 2003 10:25 am, edited 2 times in total.

Ralf Hutter
SPCR Reviewer
Posts: 8636
Joined: Sat Nov 23, 2002 6:33 am
Location: Sunny SoCal

Post by Ralf Hutter » Mon Jul 07, 2003 5:30 am

Very slick! What are your temps with everything buttoned up?

BTW - We need more pics of the inside of your case. I have to grade you on your cable-folding technique! :D

tragus
*Lifetime Patron*
Posts: 356
Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2003 11:19 am
Location: Baltimore, MD

Post by tragus » Mon Jul 07, 2003 6:45 am

I'm very impressed, especially with the co-opt of the TV stand. I have one very much like it and had never thought about replacing the "videotape storage" (which turned out to be next-to-useless) with an HPTC.

Temps? Does your IRMAN also get keyboard/mouse signals?

XtalMan
Posts: 18
Joined: Thu Jun 12, 2003 5:12 pm

Temps

Post by XtalMan » Mon Jul 07, 2003 4:52 pm

Temps:

HTPC outside of entertainment center, front unobstructed:
Case: 34
CPU: 49
HD: 25

HTPC inside entertainment center, completely enclosed (except for the back panel), idling:
Case: 34
CPU: 53
HD: 27

HTPC inside entertainment center, completely enclosed (except for back panel), under 100% load.
Case: 34
CPU: Peaks at 61
HD 27

There are a couple reasons why the CPU temp is so high. First, it's an AMD Duron. Second, the heat sink is a retail heat sink. Third, the HS doesn't take a 80mm case fan, so I had to use a Zalman fan bracket, and it's too far away. Fourth, my mobo (ECS K7S5A) doesn't support undervolting or underclocking. Fifth, ventilation may not be that great, as I completely blocked off the front vents.

To solve these problems, I'll eventually have this setup:
(1) AMD Barton 2500XP
(2) SLK900U
(3) Attach a 80mm Panaflo L1A directly to the SLK900
(4) Epox 8RDA+ mobo supports undervolting.
(5) Cut a vent in the bottom of the computer case, through the entertainment center, and fit an intake fan.

I've currently got (1-4) running at 36 degrees idle, peaking at about 44 under 100% CPU usage.

XtalMan
Posts: 18
Joined: Thu Jun 12, 2003 5:12 pm

Evation IRMan

Post by XtalMan » Mon Jul 07, 2003 4:59 pm

Here is the URL:

Evation IRMan

I'm not sure what it's support is like for wireless IR keyboards or mice, as I don't have either. I'm using Linux and lirc, so I had to spend some time training it.

What I do like is the very wide line-of-sight. I forgot to replace the IRMan and left it behind one of my speakers, but it still received signals without a problem.

tonalt
Posts: 43
Joined: Wed Jun 25, 2003 9:01 am
Location: Vaasa, Finland

Post by tonalt » Thu Jul 10, 2003 1:51 pm

Great job.. but that TV could be bigger and wide screen ;)

XtalMan
Posts: 18
Joined: Thu Jun 12, 2003 5:12 pm

Post by XtalMan » Thu Jul 10, 2003 10:32 pm

tonalt wrote:Great job.. but that TV could be bigger and wide screen ;)

Hehe, I agree completely. And there's also the matter of the OTHER side of the TV stand! I'm tempted to put another computer in that side too, for no real justifiable reason.

chrono
Posts: 32
Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2003 4:40 pm
Location: toronto

Post by chrono » Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:50 pm

XtalMan, those are Axiom M22ti's, are they not?

Great speakers, I also have them hooked up to my pc.

Post Reply