Building your own AMD technology-based HTPC, where do you start?

For those of you that have been following along our AMD@Home blog, you know I have written multiple blogs on HTPC topics such as why you might want one and the cool things you can do with it.  I have even covered how I am using one at home for my family’s TV viewing needs. 

For this entry, I’m adding a little flair to the blog series by taking your through the videos for the assembly of an HTPC and show how easy it is to put one together.  There are a total of 9 videos in this series — most are only a couple of minutes long so it should make for easy viewing.

One of the main advantages of building your own system is that you are in control not only of the cost, but also the features and functions.  You get to choose exactly what components will go into the build and a sense of pride when the job is complete.

The video series highlights the basic steps needed to assemble an HTPC.  It is not necessary to follow the steps in the exact order — these are just a guideline to the assembly process.  The steps and order may be specific to the chassis you are using. 

To keep me and AMD out of trouble (and to keep our lawyers happy), I need to toss in the disclaimer…With any DIY build, you should ensure that you are properly grounded and building in an anti static environment so as not to damage any components.  You should wear the appropriate safety gear and it is always best that trained professionals do the building.  With that said, let’s take a look at the videos.

Intro/Chassis

For this video, I chose the Lian Li C39 for the video build. I wanted something low profile yet still able to support a full ATX PSU and have the additional ability to upgrade further as needed.  However, there are many chassis options available to meet many different needs and budgets.

Optical and Hard Disk Drive Installation

As you can see from video, installing Optical drives and Hard Drives are pretty easy.  You will likely need to adjust the optical drives position so that it properly aligns with the eject button on the chassis.  Also note that HDDs can create a lot of noise and vibration while spinning.  The rubber grommets will help isolate vibration and keep your HTPC quiet.  It is also worth mentioning that some HDDs are more suited for HTPC use than others.  See my earlier blog on Industry Changes to learn more.

Power Supply Unit (PSU) Installation

With this chassis, I chose to install the PSU after setting up the drives so that I would have more room to get to the drive bay.  Other chassis may follow a different order depending on how it’s laid out.  Note that for an HTPC, you typically don’t need a high wattage supply so look for one that is quiet and stable rather than high wattage which can create more noise.  Typically, anything over 350W should be OK for most HTPC configurations, however, this is somewhat dependent on just how many different devices you are installing.

Motherboard Installation

As you can see here, I waited to install the motherboard until the other components were set up.   Be careful not to scratch the bottom of the motherboard on the board standoffs/mounts.  This could cause shorting or stability issues. 

TIP: If the board standoffs on the chassis do not provide enough support in critical parts of the board where you might be applying pressure (installing memory, cables, etc.), get some electrical tape and roll it up (like a sleeping bag) until it is about the thickness of the standoffs.  Then using another piece of electrical tape, tape it down to the chassis in the areas where you want extra support.  Since the electrical tape is non conductive, it will provide support without creating a short against the motherboard.

Cable/Wiring 

Consult your motherboard documentation for the exact layout of the pin headers and wiring. While I did not take all the time necessary for the video, I can’t say this enough:  It is important that you wrap up and tie off any unused  cables.  Use zip ties (zip strips) or other non metallic material to get those cables out of the way.  They are not expensive so be generous when applying those zip ties. Not only will this make the inside of your chassis look better, it will greatly aid in allowing air to circulate through the chassis more effectively.   Bad airflow leading to overheating components is a common cause for system stability issues.  Tie Off Those Cables!

Audio Installation

Some boards use integrated audio so you may not need to follow this step.  Refer to your motherboard manufacturer to determine how the audio on your system will be set up and connected.

You will also note that because the board I am using supports integrated video, I did not need to install a discrete graphics card.

TV Tuner Installation

As you can see here, there are a lot of different TV tuner options for your HTPC. If you are installing a TV tuner in your HTPC, find one that best meets your needs and budget.  For North American builders, it is also important to know whether you are looking for an over-the-air solution, clearQAM solution or digital cable card solution.  For those in regions outside North America, you will need to determine if you need a tuner that supports DVB-T, DVB-S or other regional formats.

Memory Installation

Most motherboards will offer a dual channel memory configuration with 4 slots.  While gaming PCs or high end workstations might benefit from installing the memory in the slots nearest the CPU, HTPCs are not high demanding memory implementations.  Therefore, it probably won’t make much difference which slots you choose to install the memory in.  However, refer to your motherboard’s manual for the recommended procedure.

CPU/Heatsink Installation

One of the final steps in this build was to install the CPU and Heatsink.  Our CPU sockets are often referred to as ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) sockets.  This means it should require no force to install the CPU.  The CPU should just drop into the socket once the lever is raised.  If you have to apply any pressure to install the CPU…STOP.  This means that there is a problem somewhere. Perhaps the pins are not properly aligned with the socket holes, the socket lever is not raised or some other issue has occurred.  

With the assembly complete, you are just about ready to power up and start installing the operating system, drivers and applications.  Soon you will be on your way to enjoying your new HTPC and all the functions and features it offers.  Again, if you would prefer a pre built system, you might want to read through my Build or Buy blog post.

You can find these and other AMD related videos on our AMD Unprocessed Channel on Youtube.

 Till next time, Happy Trails!

Jay Taylor is a Senior Developer Relations Engineer at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.