Build It: A Living-Room Media Center PC

Most home entertainment setups consist of a bunch of devices that let you view (LCD, plasma TV), play (Blu-ray), store (TiVo, DVR), stream (), and interact (, ) with rich HD content, but none of them on their own can match the sheer feature power of a home-theater PC (HTPC). An HTPC can do all these things, and more. It's your home's central hub for storing, distributing, and enjoying all types of digital content including pictures, videos, music, and movies. Record digital and over-the-air HD programming? No problem. Stream music and access the Web? Piece of cake. Play HD movies and the occasional game? Puh-lease, your HTPC has it covered. In fact, with so many features, an HTPC can negate the need for other components; eliminating clutter while reducing energy usage. And if you build it yourself, you may even save some cash.

Of course, because of some specialized components, building an HTPC requires a few more steps than putting together a standard productivity rig. (Most office workers don't really need a Blu-ray player.) Nonetheless, the time you put in will reap huge rewards. Our step-by-step guide shows you how to get the job done with ease. (Prices for products cited are all list.) You'll be kicking back on your couch in no time.

A great home-theater PC starts with a superior case. We chose the ($159.99; all prices given here are list) for a number of reasons. Size-wise, it isn't bulky like most living-room media-center cases—it's about the size of a small audio receiver. Despite its compact form factor, it can fit a lot of components, including dual internal hard drives, a 5.25-inch optical drive, four expansion slots, and up to an 11.5-inch video card.

A great home-theater PC also successfully balances power, cooling, and quiet. For the motherboard, we picked the ($89.99), well-priced considering how much expandability it allows. The 45-watt AMD Athlon X2 4850e CPU ($77) offers fast performance while staying cool and stable. Keeping cool is important when stacking an HTPC amid other components in a setup, but the system should also emit minimal noise. That's why we chose the quiet and fanless heat sink ($50.99). When used with the Grandia GD02B, the NT01 receives additional cooling assistance from the case's internal fans. A 7,200-rpm SATA hard drive ($74.99) runs cooler than standard SATA drives. I also used 2GB of ($42.99). Additionally, the power supply ($89.99) is energy efficient, producing less heat and operating relatively quietly compared with other power supplies in its class.

To get the system online, I used inexpensive internal wireless G PCI adapter, which is not only cost-effective (I found one for $21.19) but excels at getting the job done when you're Web browsing, streaming music, and downloading HD content. A Super Talent 16-in-1 card reader ($9.99) is fine for viewing digital photos directly on a large screen.

Blu-ray is the obvious choice (well, only choice) for enjoying optical-based HD movies from nearly every movie studio—and it's also a convenient backup and storage tool. One of the better values available is Lite-On's ($299.99). Its 4X Blu-ray disc-writing capabilities are perfect for storing large files and creating your own HD home movies. ATI's recently released card ($219.99) is a key component. Not only does it have high-definition PVR capabilities (over the air HD, analog, and digital), but it also allows full 1080p Blu-ray playback and can handle moderate gaming tasks pretty well.

We chose Windows Vista Home Premium over Vista Ultimate, because it offers nearly the same capabilities (mainly Media Center functionality, a necessity for an HTPC) as Ultimate, for a lot less money. We found an OEM copy of for $109.99, while OEM copies of Vista Ultimate were listed at $189.99. Overall, the Media Center interface in Vista is better organized and more user-friendly than the interface in previous Windows Media Center Editions, and offers better compatibility with non-Microsoft hardware.

Our HTPC configuration tallied $1,247.09. That isn't cheap, but it isn't much more expensive than a lot of Blu-ray players on the market now, and this HTPC does a lot more. You could add an additional 2GB stick of RAM for a 4GB RAM setup and still hit under $1,300. Follow our step-by-step guide and in no time you'll be kicking back to enjoy your new home-theater PC.—

1. To begin, remove the top panel by releasing the four screws with the L-shaped hexagonal wrench included with the GD02. You must use the supplied tool or a hexagonal wrench that will fit into place. A screwdriver (which is needed for the rest of the build) won't work in this step.

2. The optical drive bracket must be removed at this time, in order to fit the rest of the components into the chassis. Simply unscrew two screws from each end of the bracket, lift, and then set the bracket and screws aside. Avoid placing items on top of the optical drive bracket, as it can easily bend.

3. It's necessary to remove the hard drive cage now, in order to install the power supply and the 3.5-inch multicard-reader. Remove the single screw holding the cage in place, slide the cage to the left, and lift upward to remove. Set the cage aside for later.

4. Install the power supply into the chassis on its side so that the attachment cables are close to the right-hand inner wall of the chassis. Failure to install the power supply this way will make it impossible to install the optical drive later on. Secure the power supply with four screws, and proceed.

5. The rubber pegs located on the hard drive cage reduce vibration noise and keep the hard drive grounded. Insert the hard drive into the cage by sliding the drive in from one end, and secure on both sides with the appropriate screws.

6. Card readers are accessible ports that allow you to quickly view all types of data, including photos from a digital camera or mobile phone. To install, remove the 3.5-inch cover by applying a small amount of force from the inside of the chassis. The cover should be easier to slide out by then.

7. The SilverStoneDG02 features a one-click locking mechanism to secure the reader in place, as opposed to attaching it with screws. Install the card reader by snaking the data cable through the chassis first. When the front faceplate of the drive is flush with the front bezel of the case, lock the bay by sliding the clip forward.

8. After attaching the card reader, attach one SATA data cable and one SATA power cable to the hard drive, and reattach the hard drive cage to the chassis, securing it with the screw removed in step 3. The cage must be secured with the screw in order to prevent the drive from movement, and to ensure that the optical drive cage will fit correctly.

9. The Silverstone GD02 does not have an I/O shield preinstalled, so apply the one provided with the ASUS M3A78-EMH. The shield should snap into place when installed correctly.

10. Before installing the motherboard, you must first prepare it to accommodate the Silverstone NT01 fanless heat sink. First, remove the plastic mount surrounding the CPU socket with a screwdriver, and you'll be able to lift the backplate out as well.

11. Align the silver backplate packaged with the heat sink against the underside of the motherboard. Insert screws from the newly plated side of the motherboard, and flip over. If you have a buddy on hand, this and the next step would be the right time to ask for assistance. If not, no worries: Rest the motherboard against the chassis, and proceed.

12. To secure the backplate, place the round washers, followed by the standoffs, on the screws. Tighten the standoffs to secure the backplate and to allow the heat sink to mount onto the CPU correctly.

13. The motherboard can now be placed within the chassis. The motherboard pegs are factory secured in the chassis, so simply align the motherboard holes with the pegs and secure the motherboard with screws. Remember to place washers on the screws before applying—this will assist in grounding.

14. Begin CPU installation by pulling the socket's lever sideways, then lifting up to a 90-degree angle. The triangle located on one corner of the socket and CPU will serve as a guide when installing. Align the tiny gold triangle located on the top of the CPU with the triangle on the motherboard socket, and push into place. When inserted correctly, the CPU should fit into the socket with no force. Retract the socket lever to secure the CPU. If you notice that the CPU is not flush with the socket, make sure the triangles are aligned correctly before securing the lever to avoid damaging the CPU.

15. Thermal compound is a metal-based grease solution that allows for heat to be evenly diverted away from the CPU. You'll want to make sure that the CPU is clean of dust or particles before applying the compound. Apply a dime-size amount to the top of the CPU, and spread evenly without letting it run over the edges.

16. The Silverstone NT01 fanless heat sink has a plastic protective film on its underside that must be removed before you can apply it to the CPU. Peel away the plastic film, and attach the clips supplied with the heat sink on one side, securing it with two screws. Repeat clip attachment for the other side.

17. Place the heat sink onto the CPU, aligning the grill parallel with the case's cooling. Stabilize the heat sink by applying two of the spring screws to two of the standoffs secured in step 12. I chose to apply them on a diagonal angle going across the CPU. Twist the spring screws to secure the heat sink in place.

18. RAM installation takes seconds when the module is aligned properly. Locate DIMM socket 1, and unlock the retaining clips by pushing them outward. Align a memory module on the socket so that the notch on the pin side of the module matches the break on the socket. Firmly seat the memory module into the socket, and secure by making sure that the retaining clips lock the RAM in place. (Three more slots are available for future upgrading.)

19. Although the ASUS motherboard we're using is equipped with onboard HDMI, we're using a separate ATI All-In-Wonder HD card (which has its own HDMI port) due to its advanced HD video-recording capability and extra video-processing power. Remove the chassis grill from the PCI Express slot. Align the video card with the PCI Express slot and firmly press it into place. Secure the card with a screw.

20. Now's the time to attach the power supply cables to the 20-pin main power socket on the motherboard, and the 4-pin socket on the motherboard for the CPU. Additionally, the front-panel LED connectors, as well as the audio and USB connectors, should be attached to the motherboard.

21. The Lite-On Blu-ray DVD writer can not only play back your full collection of Blu-ray and standard DVD titles, it can also burn data to blank BD-R discs; making it a useful secondary archiving solution. Slide the rear of the Blu-ray drive into the optical disc cage you removed in step 2, and secure it with two screws on both sides.

22. Place the back end of the optical disc cage back into the case first, then lower the rest of the cage, making sure that (1) the holes are aligned correctly, and (2) the eject button on the Blu-ray drive is aligned with the eject button on the chassis. If the buttons are not aligned correctly, manual eject will not work.

23. The CNET wireless-g card allows fast, wireless Internet access without the hassle of running messy Ethernet cables through your living room. Remove the chassis grill from the PCI slot. Align the wireless video card with the PCI slot and firmly press it into place. Secure the card with a screw, and attach the wireless antenna on the external side of the card.

has an assortment of options), plug in the HDMI cable from your television to your computer, and turn the power switch to the "I" position. You are ready to install Windows Vista, and begin!