Part 11: Install The Video Card
With the card cooler fitted, you can now
plug in your video card. The back bracket of a video card doesn't always line
up perfectly with the holes cut into the motherboard tray, so you may need to
manipulate them gently to get the card to sit flush. The area where you screw
the card into the chassis should be flush with the back of the case and you
should not be able to see any of the gold traces in the PCI Express slot. If
you can, try to bend the bracket a little and try again. Obviously if you're
opting for Intel's surprisingly reasonable integrated GPU (as indeed we are),
you don't need to carry out this step, as your motherboard will have the
relevant HDMI output on its I/O plate. Once your card is plugged and screwed
in, remember to insert the PCI Express power cables, otherwise your system may
not post. If your PSU does not have enough PCIe plugs, you can buy Molex
adaptors inexpensively.
Part 12: Install The TV And Sound Cards
There are now many TV cards to choose from,
some with single decoders and others with multiple. With the analogue
switch-off imminent in many areas, you're best off opting for a dual digital
decoder. The advantage of a multiple-decoder TV card is that you can record one
show while you watch another. Black Gold and Compro produce some of the best TV
cards on the market in our experience, and if you want to use them with Windows
Media Center you should double-check compatibility. When deciding on if you
require a discrete sound card for your PC, look at the quality of your speakers
for guidance. Simple sets for less than $125 will do fine with the on-board
audio, whereas discrete hi-fis and high-end PC speakers will benefit from
something like an Asus Xonar or Creative X-Fi.
Part 13: Install The Case Fans
We recommend swapping the fans that come
with your HTPC case for something of better quality to maximise the low noise
credentials. Models from Sharkoon and Papst are especially effective in our
experience. For our build we've elected to use Silverstone's own 'golfball'
fans. Just a single unit is enough to keep our modest HTPC spec cool. With the
chassis fan control enabled in the BIOS, they're virtually noiseless and only
kick in when really needed for gaming. Where possible, always buy three-pin,
tail-equipped fans rather than those with Molex plugs, because they allow you
to control the fan speed via the BIOS rather than having to adjust it either
manually or not at all. Some newer boards also have four-pin, PWM-enabled fan
headers, but these can still be used with conventional three-pin fans. Where
possible, you should consider mounting dust filters to your intakes. These are
included in the Silverstone, but aren't in many HTPC cases.
Part 14: Tidy The Cables
At this stage, all the hard graft has been
done, so it's a good idea to arrange the cables neatly in order to reduce their
cross section. In a media box, air flow is already restricted by the usually
plain fascia so is already at a premium. Once you have your cables arranged
tidily, tie them away with cable ties and stow any excesses in a spare drive
bay if possible. In such a restricted space, you may need to get quite
creative. Self-adhesive plastic rings or cable tie mounts are useful if there's
no obvious place to keep spare cables, and if you plan on augmenting your HTPC
with further upgrades in the future, you should consider using Velcro straps
instead of zip ties, because these are much easier to remove at a later date.
You can also replace the top panel after making sure all the screws you used to
secure the drive bays and any support struts are correctly fitted.
Part 15: Set BIOS Settings
The first thing you should do when turning
on your HTPC for the first time is to cross your fingers! For this initial POST
we also recommend you use a traditional PC monitor, because TVs are much
trickier beasts and can result in display problems that are nothing to do with
your computer's hardware - for example, support for only a limited range of
PC-compatible resolutions. Once greeted by the POST screen, press the relevant
key to enter the BIOS and then head straight for the hardware monitor section.
Your Core i3 should be idling nice and cool, although if it continues to rise
past 60°C in the BIOS alone, you certainly have something amiss with your
cooler mounting. Once checked, head to the boot menu and set the first boot
device to your optical drive.
Part 16: Boot The Windows 7 Disc
Before you exit and restart, insert your
Windows 7 disc and follow the on-screen instructions to install it. Once
installed, install the relevant chipset, graphics, sound and TV card drivers
(if required) in that specific order. Run Windows Update to pick up any
important bug fixes and you can finally begin to use your HTPC! In addition to
a proper media playback application, you'll also want to grab some popular
codecs. As HTPCs are generally connected to the internet at all times in order
to retrieve TV guides, you should also consider a decent anti-virus package as
mandatory. Once you've set your HTPC up, you can finally hook it up to the TV,
preferably via HDMI, and start to enjoy all of the multimedia treats a modern
PC can provide!
