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Media PC Build Log

Front
Front

This will be the record of building a new Media PC, above you can see the finished system.

It’s Mini-ITX based, with on-board HDMI output, specifically to run XBMC via Fedora for media purposes.

CiC MTX001B Mini-ITX Case
CiC MTX001B Mini-ITX Case

This is the case that is being used, around the size of a Shuttle PC. It has a single 3.5″ & 5 1/4″ bay, for a HDD & ODD, front panel USB, Firewire & Audio.

Intel BLKDH57JG Mini-ITX Motherboard
Intel BLKDH57JG Mini-ITX Motherboard

Motherboard to fit the case. Supports Intel Core i5 series CPUs, with up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM.
Other features are on-board full surround audio, HDMI, eSATA, & a single 16x PCIe slot.

Corsair 4GB DDR3 DIMMs
Corsair 4GB DDR3 DIMMs

Matching memory for the motherboard, a pair of 4GB DDR3 units.

Akasa K25 Low Profile CPU Cooler
Akasa K25 Low Profile CPU Cooler

Having never been impressed by bundled coolers with CPUs, here is an aftermarket low-profile unit, with solid copper core for enhanced cooling. This cooler is specially designed for Mini-ITX uses.

Intel Core i5 650 Dual Core 3.2GHz CPU
Intel Core i5 650 Dual Core 3.2GHz CPU

The brains of the operation, Core i5 650 CPU, should handle HD video well.