HTPC Roundup: liquid cooled, fast, sleek, Intel system page 2

*Update: fixed Seagate FreeAgent Desk 2TB Information to reflect support for 64-bit operating systems

OCZ Apex series 60GB SATA II 2.5" Solid State Drive - $199.00 @ Amazon

Pros:
- Suitable for notebook or desktop operation as a green or eco-friendly drive due to its low power consumption
- Very fast read/write speeds when compared to traditional mechanical hard drives
- No moving parts
- Highly resistant to shock

Cons:
- Many reviews report that this series of hard drive has intermittent stuttering issues because of the first generation JMicron controller (I have not experienced this problem with over a week of use and lots of data writing/reading)
- Has a high cost per megabyte versus its standard hard drive counterpart, but prices are falling on SSDs gradually so it may be a non-issue in the near future

Thermaltake DH202 HTPC Case - $249.99 @ Amazon

Pros:
- Sleek, glossy exterior with blue LED accent lights that resembles an AV Receiver in design
- Customizable LCD on front that shows date/time, news headlines, city information, and more
- Relatively large space inside the case that can reasonably accommodate most small to medium sized parts
- Full featured remote with mouse and keyboard functions, infrared connection
- Can be controlled by Logitech Harmony Universal remotes (Used Logitech Harmony One in testing)
- Integrated Multi-card reader in hidden front panel

Cons:
- Odd placement of reset button at the top middle of the back of the case, removable case top interferes with it slightly
- Hinged door that hides the optical drive gets stuck in the open position every so often (more frequent use seems to alleviated that problem)
- One of the case features notes that the it is capable of embedded liquid cooling. Despite confirmation of this prior to requesting the 760i, it simply does not fit for three reasons: if placed in the bottom two hidden optical bays as instructed it collides with the motherboard and won't push in all the way, the multi-card reader chipset can't clear the 760i unit, and the BigWater 760i extends out too far over my chosen micro atx motherboard to allow space for the included black tubes and the quick disconnects leading to the processor (I fixed the liquid cooling issue by routing it outside of the case)

Seagate FreeAgent Desk 2TB - $239.99 with free shipping @ Newegg

Pros:
- Very large storage capacity of 2TB
- Non offensive size for storage amount, roughly the same height as a standard PC game retail box, but about an inch wider
- Nice aesthetic appeal
- Sports white accent lights through a Seagate logo when connected to a computer
- Comes with a stand and rubber feet to allow you to have the drive positioned vertically or horizontally

Cons:
- Only has a USB 2.0 connection, price would suggest that power users would expect an eSATA connection also at that price (eSATA, USB 2.0, and FireWire 400 are available on FreeAgent XTreme)
- Included software only supports Windows XP/Vista 32-bit versions (easily upgraded to support 64-bit by visiting the following link: Click Here)

Thermaltake Toughpower XT 650W - $163.99 w/free shipping @ Newegg

This is a solid power supply with 80%+ efficiency rating. It is always good to have more power than you need so the power supply doesn't have to work as hard to deliver power to the computer's components. This results in less power being drawn from the outlet versus a lower wattage power supply.

Total Retail Cost of the System:

*Does not include tax and/or shipping on all

The completed system in its new happy home.

This cost is quite a bit less than the Shuttle PC I configured, but to be fair, the extreme processor was the reason for most of the price difference. This HTPC not only looks pleasing, it can become a talking point for guests wondering what that blue glowing box is sitting on top of your case. Yes, the Thermaltake BigWater 760i still looks nice even though it's exposed. It looks like a self contained unit until someone deliberately looks close to inspect it.

The configuration I've chosen has balanced some performance parts with more affordable ones to create a computer that will likely be a relevant gaming machine for somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.5 to 2 years down the road. Things change quickly so that is the most that you can realistically expect from most high end computers. The computer's HTPC functions like watching Blu-rays, listening to music, viewing pictures, and streaming other digital content will likely be future proof for quite some time as those functions don't tax this computer much.

Whatever you end up choosing for your HTPC, make sure you list what you want the computer to do and for how long. This will be a great reference while you source parts. It can also help technically inclined people determine what you may need if you are unsure.