The new HTPC

The story starts with in December 2011, I built a new PC for me, using this M/B: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131735

Why? Because in mid-March, that M/B failed, but Asus took nearly 3 weeks to process an RMA. Not willing to wait that long, on 3/20/2012, I bought another copy of that M/B. My PC was then back up and running.

Then the OS in my HTPC failed (an older WD drive) and a new HDD did not make the HTPC stable. I discovered an external drive has occluded a CPU vent on the old HTPC case badly, so I guessed it was time for a new HTPC.

Eventually Asus confirmed it would deliver to me another Crosshair V Formula M/B. I bought this CPU for it http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103962, and realized I had another dilemma. The old case handles a micro-ATX M/B, and the Crosshair V Formula M/B is ATX. So I bought a new case, made by Lian Li http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112228



The case is nice, it comes with cages to mount HDD and other internal devices:

HDD cage



Mounted:



BD cage with one extra HDD



I still have room for another optical drive or an HDD

BD cage in case:




All mounted up:




Case on support:




Setting up a special version of Windows 7 Ultimate x64:



Desktop, and ready for other programs install:




BTW, this HTPC has four drives because WD RMA'd 2, a 2TB SATA II drive and a 1TB SATA I drive, and provided me new SATA III versions but the 1TB grew to 1.5TB. So this HTPC has 7.5TB storage.

AZ-J, nice new rig. Tell me about the win 7 version you are using, I thought the "Dark" version was no longer available.

1. xDark 4.1 is widely available! I run on it on old AMD quad core and it runs great.
2. xDark 4.7 is available (though sometimes called 4.6) but riddled with install errors. I got lucky on restart #2, and it continues to run fine, from there, I even update it. A moderator in another place where xDark 4.1 is, was going to try a 4.7 rebuild, but it's way too complicated, he said.

So, I may be one of the few running xDark 4.7. But 4.1 is a very good x64 build.

Meanwhile this HTPC rocks!

Can you give me a link for 4.1?

I just did a Google for xDark 4.1 and got myriad torrent hits! See which one you can get.

OK thanks, I am just walking out the door so I will try tonight.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Thanks and good luck!

I just replaced the old PC's GPU, as well, a GT 430!

The good news is I bought a less expensive GT 520 with twice the DDR as the GT 430, plus a faster processor, and HDMI 1.4 versus 1.3! It works just like the old card, but picks up some things faster.

Now the GT 520 is in another PC and the HTPC runs an AMD card that is HDMI 1.4.  Why is very simple, it runs 20C cooler, and better sets up on the 16X9 TV @ 60HZ.