I recently built a new HTPC. The CPU cooler that I used for that system is a Titan DC-155A915Z/RPW because it was very low profile and low cost. It actually worked out OK, but I became curious about the possibility of replacing the fan on the heat sink with a Noctua unit because they seem to be held...

Wirrunna, I just finished a build myself on a ML06 case, which has the same internal configuration as your ML05. I would like to comment on the hard drive issue. I was initially going to reuse one of my 500GB 3.5 inch drives, which normally is mounted above the CPU. I agonized back and forth on this...

Interesting links. It looks like both the Noctua and Arctic Silver pastes do a reasonably good job and there isn't one out there that makes an exponential difference.

When you buy a Noctua CPU cooler you get a tube of Noctua's own thermal paste. They want you to use it and claim it is the best paste to use. Presumably they feel it is better than Arctic Silver 5. I had always believed that Arctic Silver 5 was the best thermal paste to use, but I am now undecided. ...

Mats, I suppose the 300W model that you referred to is the ST30SF. I like it. I think if I was doing it over again, I would give that a try. I like the way the fan is automatically off until the PSU temperature reaches 55 degrees C. That was an interesting thought about the space under the PSU. I ch...

I wouldn't cut them off. In the end they won't make any difference after you have put the lid on. It sounds like you already have the PSU? Silverstone is about to launch new SFX models that has semi passive fans. I won't cut the wires off if I can find a way to fit them inside the case. If not, tho...

I'm interested to see if there's a non-destructive way to remove those PCI-e cables. :) Have you considered just tucking the PCI-e cables between the PSU and the 2.5" cage, right against the edge of the case? They would hardly take up any room, and besides, you'll have to run most/all of the other ...

Soon I will be assembling a new computer. The power supply is a SilverStone SST-ST45SF, and the case is a SilverStone ML06. Space inside this case is at a premium, and that is good thing, because I want a small case. Anyway, the power supply comes with PCI Express power wiring, which I don't foresee...

This MSI board has an eSATA port. It also has an onboard wifi card, but I don't know if you are interested in that.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813130742

According to the specs, that board has a half-height mini pcie slot, so you should be able to use the Intel 7260 card. It will give you wireless ac and Bluetooth. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833106190 I believe the Intel 7260 only works with Haswell processors, though, so k...

Thanks for the info, lodestar. I just finished searching around and pretty much found the same answer in this thread:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/29177 ... ta-adapter

So, I guess I will go ahead with it and not be concerned about the 3.3v issue.

I am getting ready to build a new PC and already have some of the parts lined up. My power supply has three SATA power connectors, and that is enough for now, but I was thinking that somewhere down the road I may need one or two more. My first thought was that I could use an adapter that goes from a...

If you are thinking of getting the Silverstone ML06 case, I recommend downloading the users manual from the Silverstone site. http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=457&area=en The users manual has some good info including clearance data for the CPU heat sink. I ordered this case recently fro...

With all else being equal, will a 2 X 2gb memory arrangement give off the same or more heat than a 2 X 1gb arrangement? The reason I am asking is because I started up my system with 2 X 1gb, and all was working well. I thought I would try another set of 2 X 1gb for a total of 4 X 1gb, but found that...

I have two WD5000AAKS, an Asus P5K-E motherboard, and Vista Home Premium x64. I installed WinAAM and did the .bat thing that AF9PK mentioned. I was happy to see that AAM remained enabled and satyed in "Quiet" mode even after rebooting. The only problem was that WinAAM apparently makes a change to th...

Thanks for the info, AWX. Newegg must have just started carrying this board because I have checked them in the past with no luck. The one I REALLY want is the P5E-V HDMI and I see that Newegg still does not carry that board. Just my luck!

AWX, do you mind sharing where you ordered your board from?

I too am very impressed with board. Actually my interest lies more with the ATX board (P5E-V-HDMI). Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find this board available for sale anywhere in the U.S. Could it be a licensing issue with onboard HDMI? If anyone knows where I can obtain this board in the U.S....

I have not seen any information that says exactly when in January the desktop Penryn's will come out. This article has the latest information that I have been able to find with regard to Intel desktop CPU release dates and pricing. http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/display/20071012161815.html If you ...

Intel doesn't have any price cuts planned. The 45nm Penryn desktop CPU's will be priced basically the same as the current Conroe counterparts. I am planning to buy an E8400 Penryn which will come out in January.

As I read the review I noticed that there was no mention of the antenna for the Wi-Fi system. Does anybody know if the antenna is an external plug-in affair or is it somehow integrated internally to the case?

You could try a Bluetooth connection between the two computers. You can get Bluetooth USB adapters on Ebay for about $10 each. The advantage of this scheme is that there is no interconnecting cable and the two computers could be placed pretty much anywhere in your home.

My Rosewill case came with rubber grommets and shoulder bolts to secure the HDD's. It works quite well for reducing HDD noise. I looked around on the internet a bit but couldn't find exactly what is in my case, but here are a couple of links to the same kind of idea: http://www.earsc.com/hddtechniqu...

These CPU's just keep getting better and better. Judging from the news that has been coming out of Intel, they have even more great products coming out over the next year, especially when they go to 45nm. Do you plan to run it in 32 bit mode or 64?

I have heard the stories saying that the Cell processor is supposed to be so good and all. The thought then occurred to me that no home PC builders that I know of use them in their system. It is basically Intel or AMD. Why is this? Here are some possible reasons that come to mind, but I don't know i...

Stephen, you can save the My Documents if you want. I did not save them and found that I did not need them. Also, yes, go ahead and delete both files and/or folders even though there is nothing in one of the folders. Once you go through this procedure you should be able to download and install Windo...

I had the same problem and last week I decided that I was going to do whatever it took to fix it. I found the answer on the Microsoft Windows Updater forum. That is where you should have looked first. Here is a link to the post that helped me (I hope I get this right): [http://update.microsoft.com/w...

As another alternative, you could have a look at the Rosewill R6A34-SL. This is a mid-tower case. It is black with a silver front panel. Door on the front hides all your external drives. There is plenty of room in this case for all of your components. There is a hole in the door so you can access th...