Silverstone HTPC Build

Caracus2k · 21 May 2011 at 18:50

Built my HTPC a while back and meant to post a build log at the time but did not get around to it. I tend to use this PC more than my big rig now!

Obligatory shot of boxes to start!

I Love Silverstone Cases and the LC16-MBR was just what I wanted.

Only downside is the centralally located Optical disk bay obstructs you from using long graphics cards..

Here the inside

Some shots of the case

Case fans changed to quieten it down

SSD for speed and silence!

Blu ray for movies

Wireless keyboard/ mouse

All in...

My messy front room

johnny sublime · 21 May 2011 at 22:57

what software dose the display on the case use

Ben Cole · 21 May 2011 at 23:14

Might have imon software bundled with it, mine did.

Caracus2k · 22 May 2011 at 00:09

Yes its Imon

johnny sublime · 22 May 2011 at 14:26

how are you finding it. im looking at a display with volume knob and its based on imon for a 5.25 a lot of reviews say its drivers a week

Participant · 22 May 2011 at 16:20

Looks good, bit big for a case that doesn't support full size GPUs though.

Caracus2k · 22 May 2011 at 22:44

I just use the Imon software to run the display on the front. I use a logitech Harmony one and a Di Novo Edge keyboard to operate it on the TV. The Imon software otherwise is fairly mediocre. The limitation of the size of the Graphics card you can fit in the case is a bit of a pain but the alternative is to have the optical drive bay to one side of the front of the case and I personally prefer the aesthetics of the centrally mounted optical bay on this case. Its not that restrictive in a HTPC for me anyway. I use the onboard Graphics on the I3 530 at the moment and can fit a MSI 6850 Cyclone in there if I want to play games. As it is the I3 is fine for playing Blu-rays and all video files via Power DVD, bit streaming DTS-HD and Dolby-HD to my AV receiver and using the internet. May upgrade to the next iteration of Intel chips and given how powerful the GPU in the 2600k (intel 3000 graphics) is (and given the predictions of a big increase in power for the next set of chips) I think a GPU on the CPU die will be just fine in a HTPC. Makes cooling the computer whilst keeping it quiet a lot easier to....

jellybeard999 · 22 May 2011 at 22:49

johnny sublime said:
how are you finding it. im looking at a display with volume knob and its based on imon for a 5.25 a lot of reviews say its drivers a week

I found the software/drivers excellent for MS Media Centre, but terrible for other third party software (ie I could never get the remote working properly with mediaportal).

Caracus2k · 22 May 2011 at 22:52

Re the cooling you can see that I used the CPU cooler and the two case fans in an effective push/pull arrangement and was able to keep the RPM's on the fans down as a result keeping the HTPC very quiet!

Caracus2k · 9 Jan 2012 at 15:12

Quick update postman brought me something small to upgrade the HTPC with!

Not really needed at the moment but though best to buy before DDR3 prices go back up again (possibly to never to return to such lows!)

Also fitted a 6850 (MSI 6850 Cyclone) knew it was going to be tight but not this tight!

yes the back end of the card is about 1/2 a mm of the sata power connector!

I also had to change the BD drive to a shallow Samsung one to get it all in!

gt_junkie · 9 Jan 2012 at 15:28

Good build - like the hardware choices and glad it's running nicely!

Caracus2k said:
Re the cooling you can see that I used the CPU cooler and the two case fans in an effective push/pull arrangement and was able to keep the RPM's on the fans down as a result keeping the HTPC very quiet!

My only concern is that the case fans are exhausting and that the CPU heatsink is flowing air throught the heatsink and towards the front of the case. Is the heatsink an Arctic Cooling model?

This would result in the fans fighting against one another rather than working together.

I'd either rotate the case fans (and fit dust filters) to have them as intakes or rotate the heatsink 180 degrees to get airflow moving in the same direction. If you do this you may find your temperatures (and possibly even noise levels) improve further.

gt

Staffy50 · 9 Jan 2012 at 19:13

Looks good.. Really want a HTPC

Grimley · 10 Jan 2012 at 19:00

johnny sublime said:
how are you finding it. im looking at a display with volume knob and its based on imon for a 5.25 a lot of reviews say its drivers a week

They are. I used to own one of these, I could never get the software to work properly, it was buggy, it always wanted to update & when it did it always took an age to download the updates. I gave up in the finish, I sold it & got an LC17 (more basic version of this case but with 2 optical bays & able to take a full size GC.) I just use a wireless keyboard for the remote now, couldn't be happier.

gt_junkie said:
My only concern is that the case fans are exhausting and that the CPU heatsink is flowing air throught the heatsink and towards the front of the case. Is the heatsink an Arctic Cooling model?

This would result in the fans fighting against one another rather than working together.

This. The cooler needs to be turned round, though the ram heatsinks may well be in the way. (they are on mine) CPU temps may well drop as a result.

Caracus2k · 11 Jan 2012 at 06:43

Pretty sure I changed the fan on the heatsink around so that the airflow was all in one direction. Will check now though next time I open up the case! Pretty sure the fan cant sit on the other side without obstructing the memory slots as mentioned above I used a Harmony One remote instead of the one with the case and just use the Imon software to display system information on the front of the case. For that I find it is fine.