Molten Networks

Greetings, all!

For those who don’t know, CompUSA is having a going-out-of-business sale. So, I have violated my earlier statement to never darken their doors again, but that is another story.

Inside the local soon-to-be-former CompUSA store, they have 30% off hardware, so it was worth a look. I grabbed a few items for the new system, namely, an Antec EA500 500W power supply, a CoolerMaster RC330 case, a Hauppauge PVR150-MCE kit, an 80 mm fan, and a 120mm fan.

So, all I’ve got left to procure is motherboard, CPU, RAM, and hard disks. In my newegg wishlist (mythtv server) is a DFI C51PV-m2/g motherboard, Athlon 64×2 3800 processor, 1 GB DDR2 667 RAM, and some HDs. Oh, and that big LCD HD-TV thing!

I keep hoping Hitachi will release the 1TB HDs, so the 500GBs will suffer a price drop! Likewise, I’m thinking about upping the processor some, mostly for future-proofing.

Back on the current progress, though, I’ve pulled the case out of the box, popped the power supply in, and attached the 120mm fan to the front of the case, and the 80mm to the side. There are two vents on the side, one with a processor stovepipe, the other was just screen. The 80mm fan fit well on that screen, and the included screws fit through the holes, too.

Be aware, if you’re looking for a case, this one is made from very thin material. One Newegg reviewer noted it was like an aluminum can, and I agree - this material is some of the thinnest I’ve ever seen in a case. The stovepipe is nice and adjustable, but I hope it will line up with the CPU. External drive bays are covered with mesh screens, just friction-fit, but it works well. All drive mountings have tool-less clip things, I’m hoping these will work, but I’m not sure about it. The clips and pins look like they will leave room for vibration, but I hope I’m wrong.

We also got an entertainment center! The local unfinished furniture store had one from www.eagle-ind.com, product #75555, paired with piers like #75656, with doors. Our old TV looks tiny on this unit!

More to come…