HEPC
Time to build a new HEPC... This time it will be built around a mini-ITX-card, use a 12" TFT as monitor (hopefully...) and have multizone audio. The software will be Windows XP with the free HEPC software Xlobby. This is just in early developement, I just got hold of most of tha parts and started testing a bit. In the picture above we see a normal ATX-supply and a fan (120 millimeters). In the middle is the mainboard, and to the right harddisk and DVD. The DVD won't be used in the final project, I leave that to my modded Xbox. The front of the box will be a 12" TFT, which leads to a rather big box. Therefore theres' no need to use a 2,5" harddrive and other small expensive stuff. I've tested the above setup a bit, and found that the cpu-fan was as noisy as expected. The plan is to modify a PSU with the 120 mm fan in the lid which blows in to the PSU and out on the back of the box. It will be placed next to the CPU as located in the picture, and will hopefully give enough cooling to the CPU. Plans have changed and the 12" monitor is not to be a part of the box. Instead I go for a box as small as possible. The 120mm fan has now been mounted inside the PSU. Here is a test to see how to mount the components: Time to get a real chassi for computer. Some nice wood was bought, and some good tools used (no I didn't carve all out with the knife :) Finished! To mount the 2,5" harddisk a little holder was built. This makes it possible to place it right on the motherboard. The PSU mounted inside the box. Here we see the 120mm fan that is the only fan in the box. Since this was taken a fan grill was added at the back of the PSU. To turn on the machine a touch control was built. I used the schematic found on http://www.aaroncake.net/circuits/touch.htm: There is not a lot of room inside the computer, but the touch controller could be mounted on the soundcard: On the front of the bottom plate these were placed. Just touch them with a finger and the computer boots.