Choice of processor:
Browse the Intel website to understand what’s new. It is always better to check to avoid obsolescence in a short time. About every 18 months, Intel introduces a new generation of processors. You always get much better performance at the same price as the previous generation of processors. You can find a processor selection tool and specifications for your processors on the Intel website.
You most likely don’t need the current generation top of the line for normal home computing. For this application, I’m going with the 2nd generation Intel Core i5 2500k. This has built-in Intel HD graphics, so with the right motherboard, you won’t have to spend extra money to buy a separate graphics card.
Intel’s boxed processors usually come with a proper heat sink that cools the processor, but always check the specs to make sure. For cooler and quieter operation, you may want to choose a retail heat sink, but only do so if you’re confident about choosing one.
The key specs will also be available when you get the component (at Newegg.com, in this case).
When choosing a motherboard, you’ll need to know and match the processor socket (LGA1155, in this case) and the supported memory type (DDR3-1066/1333, in this case). These are important for fit and function.
Choosing a motherboard:
I’m a big fan of Intel products because of the high reliability over the years. So naturally I’m choosing a motherboard made by Intel. The DH67BL Media Series desktop board was chosen. Once again, visit the Intel website for more details. It supports the LGA1155 socket, DDR3-1066/1333 memory, and has HDMI and DVI connections.
Other important motherboard specs you’ll need to know:
Number of memory slots: 4×240 pins. You will need to know this, along with the memory standard (DDR3), when selecting memory.
Supported storage devices: 3x SATA 3Gb/s and 2x SATA 6Gb/s. This determines the supported hard drives and BD-ROMs. SATA 6Gb/s is the new standard, but it is backwards compatible with SATA 3Gb/s.
LAN Speed: 10/100/1000 Mbps. This determines your maximum Ethernet connection speed on a wired network.
Form Factor: Micro ATX (9.6″ x 9.6″). This is the physical size of the board and is important when choosing a sleeve. The smaller Micro ATX boards will fit in most Media Center style cases, while the larger ATX form factor may not.
Choice of memory:
As mentioned above, we need 240-pin DDR3-1066 or DDR3-1333 memory modules to be compatible with the processor and motherboard. We chose 2x of the Kingston 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory model KVR1333D3N9/4G for a total of 8GB. Memory prices vary widely and as of this writing are cheap, so take advantage of the price. The board can accommodate up to 4 modules, but 2×4 GB is enough for our applications.
Choice of hard drive(s):
Hard drive prices nearly tripled during October and November 2011 due to component shortages as a result of the weather in Thailand. Prices are expected to remain high for a couple of quarters. Previously, since hard drives were really cheap, the system here was built with two hard drives. The first is a 320GB drive that is used to load the operating system and any other programs used on the system. The second 2TB drive is dedicated to recorded TV and can hold around 300 hours of HDTV.
In general, the more read/write heads you have, the better the performance.
I recently switched to Western Digital green or blue hard drives because I bought one on sale and found it to be much quieter than the Seagate I was used to.
The key drive specifications that affect fit and function are SATA speed and physical size.
SATA 6Gb/s describes the speed of data transfer and is the new standard for desktop computing. Your chosen motherboard supports two SATA 6Gb/s, so be sure to connect them to the 6Gb connections on your motherboard for best performance.
The physical size of the drive is characterized as one internal 3.5″ drive. This specification is important when selecting your computer case. The selected case contains two internal 3.5″ drives.
Selecting an optical drive (Blu-ray/CD/DVD ROM):
Today’s optical drives typically have SATA 3 Gb/s transfer speeds. The physical size of desktop computers is described as an internal 5.25″ drive and they fit into a case that has an external 5.25″ drive bay. The case specifies the bay as external because it gives you access to open the drive tray.
Additional software such as Power DVD is required to play Blu-ray discs. Some drives come bundled with this software. I found out that most internet stores are vague about whether the software is included or not. The Samsung listed in the table above came with software.
TV tuner cards:
I have two “AVerMedia AVerTVHD Duet – PCTV Tuner (A188 – White Box) – OEM” in my system. The main thing you need to know is the interface type, which is the PCI-Express x1 interface. This was described in article 2. The selected Intel motherboard supports two such expansion slots.
This configuration offers four tuners available for simultaneous recording or watching one channel while recording three others.
Selection of a computer case:
To make your entertainment center look like other audio equipment, you’ll need to select a box from the HTPC/Media Center category. To avoid the hassle of having to select a PSU to fit the case, I chose a case with an integrated 500W PSU. “APEVIA Black SECC Steel / Aluminum X-MASTER-BK/500 ATX Media Center / HTPC Case”.
It is important to ensure that you have an adequate power source. Since we don’t use add-on graphics cards, 350W to 500W will usually be more than enough. Feel free to select a case that is more aesthetically pleasing to you.
It is also important to make sure that the selected motherboard fits into the case. Micro-ATX motherboard will fit in most cases.
We use two 3.5″ hard drives and a 5.25″ Blu-ray player, so the case should have at least two 3.5″ drive bays and one 5.25″ external drive bay “.
One thing that annoys me when buying a case is that the fan type or fan noise is almost never specified. You really don’t know what you’re going to get until you put it together. Fortunately, the fans are cheap and you can replace them if the noise level is too high for you.
Fan noise depends on design, rotation speed, and airflow. The lower the stated noise level in dBA, the quieter it should be. A variable speed fan will control speed based on the temperature inside the case, so it will only spin as fast as it needs to while keeping noise to a minimum.
Wireless keyboard and wireless remote:
In particular, I like the “nMEDIAPC HTPCKB-B Black 2.4GHz RF Wireless Streamlined Keyboard with Track Ball & Remote Combo Set” because a trackball mouse is built into the PC remote. This facilitates the operation of the media player. I hardly ever use the keyboard, but when I do, the built-in trackball mouse comes in handy, too. No surface is required to operate the mouse.
Choice of operating system:
Windows 7 home premium and above comes with Windows Media Center that manages your tuner cards and recorded TV.
I chose Windows 7 Professional because it allows you to use Remote Desktop to log in remotely to the PC. This way, using my laptop, I log into the media PC to do more demanding tasks.
Please note that the selected Windows 7 operating system is the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) version. Among other things, this means that Microsoft doesn’t offer software support, but it’s much cheaper.
I never have the need to call Microsoft for technical support. If there is a problem, chances are someone else has already found it, so do a Google search.
Putting it all together:
As mentioned above, this article is mainly about the selection of components to make your PC multimedia. Your component manual will guide you through the steps necessary to assemble the different components. If you need additional help, you can do a simple Google search on ‘how to build my own PC’.
Do not forget to connect the switches and sockets on the front panel.
Once everything is connected, you’re ready to turn on your new PC.
If all goes well, you will see a home screen once you turn on the power. Please refer to the motherboard manual to make adjustments to the BIOS settings if necessary. The default settings should work without any changes, but it’s always a good idea to read this section of the manual to see what’s available.
The next step would be to insert the Windows DVD and follow the installation instructions. Make sure you are connected to your network and have an Internet connection. Windows installation will take about an hour. When prompted, select to download and install Windows updates automatically. The updates will probably take another hour, depending on how many there are.
Firmware and driver updates:
These updates are generally provided to fix bugs and improve the functionality of the device. In most cases, the system should work fine without these updates; however, if you experience functionality issues, it’s always a good idea to check the manufacturer’s website and install any available updates.
For Intel motherboards, Intel device drivers are available on the Intel download site for LAN connections, graphics, chipset, and audio devices.
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