All In One HTPC Build Install Guide
All In One HTPC Build Install Guide
Here is a quick guide on how to physically put together a All In One HTPC build. If you need help choosing components head over to HTPCBuild.com All In One HTPC Hardware Guide.
The specs:
- CPU : AMD Athlon II 160u (single core 1.8GHz 20W TDP)
- Motherboard : GIGABYTE GA-MA785GM-US2H AMD 785G HDMI Micro ATX
- RAM : Crucial 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) CT25664AA800
- Hard Drive : Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s
- CD/DVD Drive : PLEXTOR Black E-IDE/ATAPI DVD Burner
- Video Card : GIGABYTE GV-R645D3-512I HD6450 512MB 64-bit DDR3 PCIE x16 Low Profile
- Power Supply : CORSAIR HX650 650W 80+ BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC
- Case : APEVIA Black X-MASTER-BK/500 ATX Media Center HTPC Case
- Fans : Scythe SY1225SL12L 120mm “Slipstream” Case Fan
1. The first thing to do is install the I/O plate for your motherboard.
2. Now you need to install the motherboard mount. Compare your motherboard mounting holes to the pre-tapped locations in your case. You should install the mount risers in the pre-tapped holes that correspond with your motherboard mounts. Make sure to securely tighten these risers.
3. Once the risers are installed, carefully install the motherboard into the case and screw it down. Start with the screws closest to the I/O panel and work your way towards the front of the case. I find it helpful to push the motherboard toward the I/O (back of the case) while securing the screws.
4. Now you can install the processor. Make sure to line up the triangle on the socket to the triangle on the CPU. Once the cpu is securely in the CPU socket, lock the cpu in place by securing the socket lever. (*GASPS* is that a AMD 160u?!)
5. Next apply your favorite thermal paste and install the cpu cooler. Depending on your CPU cooler, there may be a back plate that must be installed behind the CPU on the other side of the motherboard. The CPU shown here is OEM and does not come with a thermal pad or thermal paste pre-applied. If you purchased a CPU in a retail box, chances are you already have some pre-applied thermal paste or thermal pad.
NOTE: Do not forget to plug the CPU Cooler’s fan into the motherboard! The power connector is usually found very close to the CPU.
6. Now we can move forward with installing the Ram (memory). Make sure to align the notch on the memory with the notch in the memory slot. Firmly push the ram into the slot, and you should hear a solid click. Both the retention clips on either side of the ram should firmly lock onto the memory stick.
7. Next we can install the hard drive. Depending on the case, you may have drive adapters or need to manually screw the hard drive in. In this particular HTPC case, the hard drive only can slide in from the rear. It also does not have any drive adapter and must be manually screwed in.
8. Lets install the CD/DVD/Blu Ray drive next. Start by installing the 5.25 drive bay adapters. Most modern cases have drive adapters that enable you to slide a 5.25 drive in and out of your drive bay. Once the adapters are installed, slide the drive into the drive bay. You should hear a firm click once the drive is firmly in place.
NOTE: You may need to play with the drive adapters as they usually have different length configurations. If you are trying to keep the drive flush or have a stealth drive, you will need to do a bit of testing.
9. Next we can install the video card. Locate the PCIE slot closest to your CPU. These PCIE slots are usually a different color than the typical white/beige. Firmly slide the video card into the slot. The retention clip at the end of the card should lock in and secure the card.
10. Now lets install the fans to the case. This particular case has two fans that come ore-instsalled on the rear. There are two additional 120mm fan mounts at the top and the bottom of the case. First you want to note the flow direction on the fan. Most fans will have a picture signifying the air flow direction, on this fan it is an arrow. Once you have the fan orientated in the flow direction you want, you’ll need to secure the fan using the fan screws.
NOTE: The first time you install the fan, the screws will be difficult to turn. These screws are designed to “cut” into the fan frame. Therefore the first time you install the fan, you are removing frame material; requires a bit more effort.
11. With all the major components installed, you can begin connecting the front panel to the motherboard. You can start with the speaker, reset switch, power switch, hard drive activity led, and power led. On this particular case the power led is bright blue, so I’ve opted to not connect it.
NOTE: Usually the motherboard will have markings that indicate which leads are for which connector. If the motherboard does not have any of these markings, please refer to the motherboard manual.
12. Now locate the front panel audio lead group on your motherboard (if your motherboard has one). If your motherboard is labeled, you might be able to find it just by looking around. Otherwise you’ll need to refer to your motherboard manual to find its location. On this motherboard it is labeled as “F_Audio”. I’ve noticed that usually these connectors are found towards the I/O (rear of the motherboard) and near the 3.5mm audio jacks.
NOTE: These connectors can only be installed one way. One or more leads in the lead group is usually missing from the board and one or more holes on the connector is usually blocked. This is to facilitate proper installation and avoid incorrect installation.
13. Next lets connect the Firewire or 1394 cable. Some cases may or may not have this type of connector on the front panel. Locate the 1394 lead group on your motherboard (if your motherboard has one). If your motherboard is labeled, you might be able to find it just by looking around. Otherwise you’ll need to refer to your motherboard manual to find its location. On this motherboard it is labeled as “1394”.
NOTE: These connectors can only be installed one way. One or more leads in the lead group is usually missing from the board and one or more holes on the connector is usually blocked. This is to facilitate proper installation and avoid incorrect installation.
NOTE: Most USB lead groups are located near the power switch/reset button/power led/hdd led leads.
14. Locate the USB 2.0/3.0 lead group on your motherboard (if your motherboard has one). Some cases may or may not have this type of connector on the front panel. If your motherboard is labeled, you might be able to find it just by looking around. Otherwise you’ll need to refer to your motherboard manual to find its location. On this motherboard it is labeled as “F_USB1/2/3″.
NOTE: These connectors can only be installed one way. One or more leads in the lead group is usually missing from the board and one or more holes on the connector is usually blocked. This is to facilitate proper installation and avoid incorrect installation.
NOTE: Most USB lead groups are located near the power switch/reset button/power led/hdd led leads.
15. Finally we can install the power supply. Locate the mounting point for your power supply and secure it with the 4 required screws. The mounting holes are designed so that the power supply can only be mounted in a certain way. One mounted, connect the power supply to the motherboard. Depending on your motherboard and CPU combo may need to use both the 20+4Pin connector and the 8 Pin connector.
16. Now that all your components are in place and your case connectors are plugged in. Finalize your installation by connecting your hard drive(s), CD/DVD/Blu Ray drive(s), fan connectors. Make sure to take some time to clean the wiring in the case. Try to keep wires away from fans, tie them up against the chassis or stuff them into open drive bays, or behind the motherboard back plate. Doing all of this will help keep things from getting caught, help maximize airflow, and also help reduce temperatures.
There are a few things to note about this All In One HTPC build.
- It is a very tight fit!
- There is no room for hard drive expansion on in this case. This is pretty typical for most HTPC build cases.
- Without a modular power supply there would be a giant mess of wires laying around.
If your looking to create a All In One HTPC build, please consider spacing (for hard drive, CD/DVD/Blu Ray drives), temperature for your components, fans to help keep things cool (balance CFM to dB) and a modular power supply. Due to the size constraints of most HTPC cases, you need to take extra care when planning your All In One HTPC Build.
If you are trying to rig your home with multiple HTPCs for multiple users I highly suggest you consider a media server build. The components used to create this All In One could simply have been placed into a larger chassis to create a media server. Media servers need only require more space for more hard drives! Usually processors in a media server only reach maximum loads during file extraction or transcoding. Please refer to HTPCBuild.com’s Media Server Hardware Guide, for some suggestions on media server hardware. Oh and don’t forget you will need Standalone HTPC build to play back the media on your Media Server, so take a look at the Standalone HTPC Hardware Guide!
