[boead]

Well relatively so. I’ve built hundreds and hundreds of PC’s over the years, this recent re-build is sweat!
I picked up this nice cheap case at newegg for $80. TOTALLY worth the price – nothing sucks about it. Actually the front located cage/rack for the hard drives and rom is very nice, easily removable and allows for good air-flow across the drives. It also has a very nice multi-memory card reader and an optional LCD display device for media track info.

nMediaPC - HTPC 2000B ATX Media Center
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811204032

I transplanted an Asus P5B mainboard (LGA775), 4GB of Muskin performance RAM, Intel Core2 Duo (1.8HGz), BFG GX Series PSU (Very quite), LG Blu-ray 10x, ATI Radeon HD 5570 fanless graphics.
(2) 2TB Western Digital hard drives in RAID, (1) 1TB Western Digital hard drive for system backup and non critical data and a 250GB Samsung system drive.
Windows 7 Pro 64-bit.
I use both HDMI and DVI to my 50” Panasonic Plasma. I like the look and feel of DVI for desktop over HDMI.

This is some machine! Audio quality is superb. Currently housing just over 1700 albums nicely tagged AIFF’s. I prefer J River Media Center 15 over all the other players, best audio quality and ease of use. Absolutely blows iTunes away both sonically and with GUI. It’s also not a memory hog like iTunes is - iTunes sucks!! Foobar is nice but isn’t friendly with AIFF’s. dbPower for ripping and converting. DivX Pro for video (I also have about 800GB of movies and TV shows) as well as nearly 30,000 family photos.

Recently sold my Scott Nixon USBTD. I loved it, just needed a change. Trying the Devil Sound 2.1 NOS DAC, still breaking in but so far, so good. Just wanted to share.

[PSB Guy]

Recently sold my Scott Nixon USBTD. I loved it, just needed a change. Trying the Devil Sound 2.1 NOS DAC, still breaking in but so far, so good. Just wanted to share.

Nice rig.  If you like NOS DACs, give the Valab a try. Recently got one to replace my Devilsound 1.0, and it's even cheaper and more cheerful.

[Lyndon]

boead,
Great looking GEAR!
With only 4 weeks of teaching left, I am probably giving up on my HTPC project in lieu of getting on my bicycle for some long distance touring.  But your setup certainly looks promising!
Lyndon

[firedog]

Hi-

What's the motherboard fan/CPU? It looks like an oversized (quiet?) Intel fan. Did it come with the board? I didn't even know they made any like that - thought you had to go to Zalman or other third party makers for something like that. Thanks. Excuse my newbie ignorance.

[boead]

Hi-

What's the motherboard fan/CPU? It looks like an oversized (quiet?) Intel fan. Did it come with the board? I didn't even know they made any like that - thought you had to go to Zalman or other third party makers for something like that. Thanks. Excuse my newbie ignorance.

Its a stock Quadcore HSF but I replaced it with this:
Enzotech Extreme-X 120mm fan.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835708001
It was one of the few large fan HS that would fit.

Overall the system is VERY quiet, lots of other louder things in the room/house than the computer.

I also added fan controllers; one on a 120mm fan that is side mounted that lightly pushes (and quietly) air across the HD’s. Once I’m comfortable I won’t be opening up the hood anymore, it’ll go on the bottom shelf with sound absorption material above it (stuck to the underside of the shelf above) as well as internally.
The audio quality and video experience is absolutely going to eliminate my CD and DVD players just as CD replaced my vinyl, except this time I won’t be kicking my feet and complaining about it – embrace technology. Why? Because it’s better.
Remember there were never “good old days” despite popular beliefs there was nothing good or better about the old days; times only get better!! People died young, smelled, were board and had horrible social beliefs and customs. The old days were horrific compared to the current days of our time.

[boead]

For whoever was interested here is the Media PC basically finished.
Got an easy OC out of it, 2.4GHz with low temps and fan at lowest. With this heatsink  I can basically unplug the fan and just let it vent.