HTPC contemplation

[hercules71185]

OK as I have said previously I use my pc on my plasma pretty often. Basically what I'm building is
Core i7 920
and the GTX 260 (216)

Now from what I've heard this card is too hot for a htpc. But, I really like the idea. Is it really too hot to use for a HTPC? I will be using it for the intended htpc purpose, but, also gaming. More or less I just like how the cases look for what I want. Now, from posts I've seen in other places people say it's basically stupid to do this. What makes it dumb? And is it too hot? Even if I were to hide a liquid cooling station. Then my other question is where can I find a case that will fit 2 gtx's?

[Illuminati]

HTPCs are generally designed with low power consumption in mind since you would basically be keeping it on 24/7. Now I know many of us keep our gaming rigs on 24/7 as well, but that's not the norm. The more energy efficient parts you put in the HTPC, the cheaper it will be to have it on 24/7.

For example, the Antec Veris Fusion Black HTPC case I just reviewed only has exhaust fans on one side of the case that is meant to draw cool air in from various vents around the case to cool the hard drives and video cards. This may not be enough air flow needed to properly cool a high end video card. This also leads to a second point... depending on how your entertainment center is setup, even an HTPC needs enough room to breathe, so putting a hot running box in a tight or enclosed space is just asking for overheating issues.

So to sum it up... I believe the two top goals of a typical HTPC are low heat output and low energy consumption... and those two requirements generally go hand in hand.

Now if you plan on doing more with your HTPC (like gaming), then by all means, your personal requirements may be different and as long as you can find the right case (maybe a Shuttle-like SFF?) for your power and heat requirements, then there is no reason you can't use your existing gaming rig for HTPC uses.

[hercules71185]

o ok I get it. More or less I was wanting it to blend in more than my neon infested case I have now. If Canon would ever send my camera back I could show you a pic of the area. But, either way I I have the TV mounted on the wall, and my audio receiver is on a 3 tier display under it. Along with a Xbox and on the top shelf is a center speaker. There is plenty of room since I'd rather have my speaker mounted above my TV like the rest of them but, I had nothing left to put on my stand. My HTPC would be on the top with more than adequate breathing room. It seems as if I might have to mod the case a little to make it breath as you were saying. I've looked at a few of them and they all seem to have 1 exhaust fan. It may be more of a hassle than it's worth. It was an idea though.

My reasons against it now that I look deeper;
Before I had to just run 1 HDMI for my TV and audio. Now if I did this I'd have to basically run my external dvd burner to the desk to make it easier. And finding a DVI that is over 10 ft for my LCD... (HDMI was easy.)

[Skippman]

And finding a DVI that is over 10 ft for my LCD... (HDMI was easy.)

Here's a DVI Cable that's 15ft long for $9. Monoprice is rock solid reliable and a great company to deal with. I've bought tons of cable from them for my various home theater installs.

[DX]

oo they have a wall mount pretty cheap for the used plasma I picked up.

[Skippman]

I've never had a bad experience with Monoprice. I don't know anyone who has. The only time I ever had a problem was my own fault. I ordered some cables for a KVM and ordered Male to Female instead of male to male cables. They mailed me adapters for free to fix the problem. That's customer service.

[hercules71185]

haha I might still do it. I looked up the company and a lot of people have good reviews of monoprice. Thanx for all the help again. I already have an extra long usb for my external dvd drive. Well it was for my printer, but, it's the same thing.