HTPC Roundup: Liquid cooled, fast, sleek, Intel system page 1

This time around I sought to one up the last Shuttle HTPC system in overall performance and appeal while reducing the price. The result is a liquid cooled quad core Intel processor, solid state hard drive, and a ATI Radeon HD4890 graphics card in a case that looks like a sexy glossy black AV Receiver.

I suffer from no delusions. I understand the fancy specifications may not interest many in the slightest. However, the less tech savvy crowd should take note at the possible everyday benefits that come with such a configuration. This particular computer is perfect for not only streaming high definition content (with the appropriate internet speed), viewing pictures, editing home video, and watching Blu-rays, it also is a fast gaming computer that can satisfy a PC gamer's need with a better setup than a console gamer would have.

The parts are separated below with their various benefits described.

Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 - $184.99 w/free shipping @ Newegg

Pros:
- Nice price point below the $200 mark for a quad core processor.
- Growing library of software that is coded to utilize a multiple core processor
- Future upgrade resistant for the awhile, especially for more common HTPC uses
- Intel Q8400S version also available, albeit at a higher price point, that consumes less power if that is a concern
- Other reviews have shown that the processor has a high ability to overclock, if desired. Your mileage may vary

Cons:
-n/a

Intel DG45ID Micro ATX Motherboard - $107.38 @ Amazon (no tax for California)

Pros:
- Full featured board in a compact package
- Lots of standard connections (i.e. HDMI, DVI, Optical, 7.1 Channel Surround Sound
- 1 x PCI-E x 16 slot for a high quality graphics card
- Supports 8GB (4 x 2GB) of DDR2
- Support for up to 12 USB connections (6 through board connections, 6 on back panel)
- Good price point for what is offered

Cons:
- Limited BIOS functionality and no overclocking options in the BIOS (although not meant to be an enthusiast board, it is nice to have the option to overclock)

Thermaltake BigWater 760i Liquid Cooling System - $150.41 @ Amazon

Pros:
- Quiet while still cooling well when fan speed controller is set to low
- Easy assembly
- Easily handles cooling a quad core processor
- Relatively small liquid cooling system
- Little maintenance requirements (i.e. roughly limited to checking the coolant levels once a month and changing it every 6 months)
- Quick disconnect attachments for fast removal
- Keeps the Q8400 at stock clocks while idling at 32 degrees Celsius or 91F while ambient room temps are roughly 26.67 Celsius or 80F
- Compact solution for space strapped cases

Cons:
- Likely limited overclocking potential given the single radiator design (speculative)
- May have trouble fitting inside HTPC cases
- Quick disconnect points don't shut water out completely. Some residual coolant is left in the section leading to the processor
- Installation manual makes the heatsink mounting more confusing than it needs to be

Patriot Extreme Performance Viper Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) PC2-8500 1066MHz (5-5-5-15) DDR2 RAM Dual Channel Kit - $67.99 @ Amazon

No pros and cons list necessary for this RAM. It is a solid choice for any DDR2 PC and they have some decent passive cooling heatsinks attached to them. The RAM can be overclocked if the motherboard supports it.

Gigabyte Radeon HD 4890 1GB - $199.99 @ Newegg

Pros:
- Great performance for the price
- Runs more commonly played games like Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Left 4 Dead, and Team Fortress 2 at 1080P or 1920x1080 resolution with all or almost all settings at maximum
- More graphically intensive DirectX 10 games like Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War 2 (DoW2) run at 1080P with roughly high or ultra on most, if not all, settings. Dow2's benchmark returned 39FPS average with 80 being the max and 20 being the minimum on those settings
- Blu-ray playback is buttery smooth

Cons:
- The competing NVIDIA Geforce GTX 275 has roughly the same performance and Gigabyte's GTX 275 offering is currently $15 less through a mail-in rebate than the Radeon HD 4890 I used of theirs. Whichever you choose is of little consequence since both offerings stack up closely in price and performance. Tech Report does a good job comparing the two cards

Lite-on Internal 8x Blu-ray Disc Reader & DVD/CD Writer - $122.27 @ Amazon

Again, no pros and cons list necessary. The drive works as advertised, comes with Cyberlink Power DVD and some other useful programs, and loads Blu-ray movies very fast. This is especially true when comparing it to the standalone Blu-ray players that many of the early adopters purchased. You quite literally had to start loading a movie roughly five minutes before you wanted to watch it on some of those older models. Having been through that trauma, I can truly appreciate the speed with which the Lite-on drive reads.