Building a Home Theater PC (For Cornell Solar Decathlon)

*** http://cusd.cornell.edu/silo ***
This video demonstrates the construction of a Home Theater Computer. It was built by myself and other members of Cornell University's Solar Decathlon Engineering Controls Team.

The computer utilizes a Core 2 Duo Processor at 3.0 GHz, a 128GB Solid-State Hard Drive, and a GeForce 9300 GPU included in its Nvidia 730i chipset. It will be served media content from a home server.

This computer was built with the following design goals in mind:
EFFICIENT POWER USAGE: Accomplished by using a low wattage CPU, A Solid State Hard Drive, an 80+ Certified PSU, and a motherboard with energy saving features.
EXTREMELY QUIET: Utilizes a Solid State Drive to eliminate hard drive vibrations, 2 silent 120mm fans, and an efficient case structure.
HD EXPERIENCE: Integrated GPU provides HDMI HDCP-enabled video output at full HD resolution, while reducing heat and power consumption because of the lack of video card, Gigibit Ethernet enables streaming of content from the house's multimedia home server, 3GHz CPU provides ample headroom for video decoding.

This HTPC will be used in Cornell University's Solar Decathlon competition in October 2009. Learn more about the team at http://www.cusd.cornell.edu/silo

THE PARTS LIST AND MUSIC (eBeat), ARE AVAILABLE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD AT THE PROJECT PAGE:
http://www.ultimatecomputers.net/submit_portal/view.php?type=project&id=19

MUSIC BY ALEX MILLER:
http://www.youtube.com/amiller90

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• HTPC
• Home
• Theater
• PC
• Ultimate
• Computer
• Cornell
• University
• CUSD
• Solar
• Energy
• Efficient
• HD
• Decathlon
• Controls
• Engineering

[Darcin8or]

Onboard graphics, is this a good idear for a home theater PC?

[sciguy14]

@Darcin8or They are not "onboard" in the ordinary sense. This motherboard has a separate nvidia graphics chip built into the board. It plays blu-ray beautifully.

[Eversor86]

@sciguy14 Actually its onboard GPU. If GPU is integrated into chipset - its Onboard GPU and nothing more to say about it. What you describe would be if this mobo have had an separate GPU chip alongside default chipset one - connected to chipset via pci-e lines. For HTPC any integrated onboard GPU is good, as long as it support video playback (DXVA, BR) and you don't plan to play hi-end games. For HTPC with some games AMD APU is probably best option.

[sciguy14]

@Eversor86 I said what I meant - there is a graphics processing chip on the motherboard separate from the CPU. Integrated graphics leverage the CPU to do the video processing.

[SaiE8]

Good build, Antec Veris Yaay im using one of their 5.25 screen / controller.

Wait why did you use a SSD, a dual core running 4gb of ram wouldnt have problems with reading 1080p vids in the drive :S or processing blu rays you coulda got a larger standard HDD.

[sciguy14]

@SaiE8 All media is stored on a media server on the network, didn't need a big drive in the computer, and we needed to keep power consumption low.

[sciguy14]

@take1er stock intel heatsinks have thermal paste pre-applied.

[sciguy14]

@TheInvisibleWaffle Just go slow, and double check your connections, you'll be fine. Don't forget the motherboard standoffs!

[blueovalfan23]

@gab1971 you're welcome

[gab1971]

@blueovalfan23 Oh! Now that makes sense! Thank you!!

[blueovalfan23]

@gab1971 it ls something to make a space between the board and tray or case. without them, it will short out the board. it's pretty much a screw with a nut as a head so you can screw it to the case and put the board on it and put screws through the board. some case will not require them and have them made into the tray. if that doesn't help, i gues google it. it's pretty much something you understand when you see one. if it helps, it looks alot like the nuts on vga and dvi ports if you unscrew 1

[SGlitches]

@Darcin8or depend what onboard gpu you have, if its a older motherboard probably not but newer like 2009 and up should have a decent gpu, but i would still upgrade to a nvidia or ati card

[darkspazzlord]

Go go and buy an OS and boot from the install disc

[ZmyhayZ]

Guys if my Pc has optical and my home cinema has optical they will work right ??full 5.1 sound?????

[gab1971]

@sciguy14 Oh nevermind. I was dumb.Sorry for bothering you.

[gab1971]

@sciguy14 What is a motherboard standoff? I am going to do the same type of thing that TheInvisibleWaffle did.

[lapisfly]

hardcore