Shopping List for a High-Definition PC GET LINKS TO vendors and pricing for these components at find.pcworld.com/60649.
quate for most purposes if your system doesn’t include multiple hard drives, a highend graphics board, and other energy-hungry devices beyond the recommendations given here. (Go to find. pcworld.com/60638 for OuterVision Extreme’s Power Supply Calculator Lite to come up with a rough estimate of what you’ll need.) I chose the Antec NeoPower 650 because of its quiet fan, and because its 650-watt rating provides a healthy margin to accommodate upgrades. When installing your power supply, try to route the various cables along the interior edges of the case so that they don’t obstruct airflow.
Core Components Lay a foundation for top-ofthe-line performance by selecting a great motherboard and CPU; then complement those with fast memory and a high-def graphics board. Motherboard: First, be sure to pick a motherboard that works with the other parts of your system: Your case will determine whether you pick ATX or MicroATX—and you will need the right socket for your processor. The graphics board should work with any new motherboard’s PCI Express slot; but for best compatibility, purchase one with a like-brand on-board video chip set. (Or avoid onboard video entirely.) The standard assortment of PC ports should be fine, but get
CASE ($700)
POWER SUPPLY ($130)
MOTHERBOARD ($240)
SilverStone Crown CW03-MT
Antec NeoPower 650
Asus M3A32-MVP
PROCESSOR ($110)
CPU COOLER ($60)
MEMORY ($125)
AMD Athlon X2 BE 2400
Zalman CNPS9500
Crucial 2x2GB DDR2 PC2-5300 DIMMs
GRAPHICS BOARD ($50)
HARD DRIVE ($240)
OPTICAL DRIVE ($190)
ATI Radeon HD 3450
1TB Seagate Barracuda 7200.11
Pioneer BDC-2202
TV TUNER CARD ($125)
INPUT DEVICE ($145)
DISPLAY ($1000)
ATI TV Wonder 650
Logitech diNovo Mini Keyboard
Samsung SyncMaster 275T
gigabit ethernet for highspeed, wired video transfers over a home network. I went with the Asus M3A32-MVP for compatibility and for its silent heat-pipe design (to provide extra cooling). Processor: Quad-core processors are becoming mainstream, but they draw a lot of power and generate excessive heat. Certain video editing programs do take advantage of the four cores, but I’m aiming for a lower
target. You could build a good system with an Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 or other, similar chip—gamers take note—but I decided to choose something that was less powerful and a lot cooler. The AMD Athlon X2 BE 2400 works well for home theaters because its peak draw of 45 watts helps keep the fans quiet. Whether you go with an Intel CPU or an AMD model, you’ll definitely want a dual-core processor
to handle multimedia tasks. Install the processor by lifting the socket arm, setting the chip carefully in place, and lowering the lever—no pressure is needed. CPU cooler: The CPU you buy should come with its own heat sink and fan, but those bundled components may well generate too much noise for an entertainment PC. Give them a try if you can, but don’t hesitate to consider a replacement. JUNE 2008
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