How to Build a Media Box

A "Media Box" is essentially a type of desktop computer designed for the specific purpose of creating and using multimedia, including music, movies, television and sometimes games. Building one is much the same as building any ordinary computer, although there are some variations in the type of components that you will need, especially with regards to the case. A media box PC will also have a TV tuner card and a case which allows it to blend in with the other devices in your living room and connect you to your television.

Things You'll Need

• Media center case
• Power supply unit
• Motherboard with onboard graphics and HDMI port or dedicated graphics card with HDMI
• RAM sticks
• Processor with cooling unit
• TV card with remote control
• DVD or Blu-ray drive
• Hard drive
• Card reader
• HD TV or computer monitor
• Wireless keyboard and mouse
• Speakers
• Windows 7
• Phillips screwdriver
• Sound card (optional)
• Anti-static wristband (optional)

Instructions

1. Unpack your media box case. These cases are all designed differently, although they almost always lie on their sides, unlike the tower cases used to build regular desktop computers. Open up the case and slide out the motherboard tray. Refer to the diagrams provided with the case if necessary.

2. Attach the motherboard spacers into the motherboard tray and screw the motherboard into them.

3. Install the CPU into the motherboard. Pull back the lever beside the CPU socket and slip the CPU in place. It should fall into the socket without any force required, assuming it is placed there in the correct direction.

4. Unpack the cooling unit which came with the CPU. Ensure that there is a layer of thermal paste on the bottom of the heat sink. Place this on top of the processor and attach the metal clips to the notches around the CPU socket. Pull back the retaining bar to lock the cooling unit firmly in place. Attach the fan cable from the CPU fan to the CPU fan socket on the motherboard.

5. Pull back the levers at each end of the RAM sockets and slot the RAM sticks in, locking them in place by pushing the levers back.

6. Install the hard drive and Blu-ray drive into the available drive bays. Some cases provide screw-free designs while others need four screws in each drive to fix them into the bays.

7. Install a card reader into an available 3 1/2-inch external bay if the media center case doesn't already have one built in.

8. Install the power supply unit into the power supply bay in the back of the case and attach it with the three to four screws provided. Some media center cases are provided with a power supply already installed.

9. Install the TV card into an available PCI or PCI-E slot (depending on the type). Install any other add-in cards. This includes a dedicated graphics card and sound card, although both items are optional if your motherboard already has these components integrated. Attach the PCI-Express internal power cables to the ports provided on the side of your graphics card. Be aware that many media center cases do not provide enough space or power for higher-end dedicated graphics cards. Ensure that the system meets the required specifications first. Slide the motherboard tray back into the case and reattach it.

10. Attach the front panel connectors from the front of your media center case to the motherboard. These include cables for the power and reset buttons and the hard drive and power LEDs. Attach the USB cables from the card reader and the front panel USB ports to the motherboard. Refer to the motherboard schematics if you cannot find the correct plugs. Attach any front panel audio connectors to the motherboard or to the sound card if you are not using the integrated sound.

11. Attach the internal power cables to the back of the hard drive and Blu-ray drive. Attach the CPU power cable and the motherboard power cable to the motherboard.

12. Connect the monitor and speakers to the back of the media center. Connect the wireless receiver for the keyboard and mouse. Connect the remote control wireless receiver to the back of the TV card.

13. Install Windows 7, followed by all of the available Windows updates. Install the latest drivers for your hardware. Restart the computer whenever prompted to.

14. Use "Windows Media Center" for playing movies, watching TV and listening to music. You can also configure the program to open automatically your system starts up. All of the features of Windows Media Center can be accessed using the remote control which came with your TV card.

Tips & Warnings

• As an extra precaution, use an anti-static wristband when working with computer components.

References

• PC Stats: Do-It-Yourself Guide: Building a Home Theatre PC (HTPC)
• Build Your Own: Build Your Own PC (Personal Computer)