• 74 watts at idle, 83 watts under load (Blu-ray playback).
• 8tb of storage capacity with another 8tb of expansion available.
• <17dBA noise. That’s quieter than a library!

With the initial requirements in mind, I set my eyes on a case from atechfabrication.com called the Mini-Server 5x. This case blends easily with other audio components, holds five hard drives, and utilizes a low power consumption 200 watt power supply with a fanless CPU heatsync design which dissipates heat directly into the aluminum case fins. Atech offers a lot of options to customize the case to your liking and for this build I chose an IR port for a Windows Media Center remote and a Griffen Powermate control knob for volume control. Customization comes at the expense of build time however, as it took 10 weeks (or about the same time it would take to build a custom Porsche) to get a fully completed case. Granted, I had the almost completely assembled case in my hands at 5 weeks, but it took another 5 weeks to get the Powermate knob back after refinishing. Initially quoted at 2-3 weeks, Atech didn’t come anywhere close to the quoted timeframe but I can attest the wait was well worth it. The build quality of the case and components is top notch and the machine work is remarkable.

Atechfabrication Mini Server 5x case.

The Intel DH57JG motherboard was the logical choice for its great feature set in a mini-ITX footprint. Consisting of an integrated 1.3 HDMI port with a 1080p output and ten-channel Intel high definition audio with Dolby Home Theater, the DH57JG contains everything needed for a great home theater experience. I loaded the motherboard with an Intel Core i3-530 2.93ghz processor and a matched pair of Corsair XMS3 4gb DDR1333mhz memory. The i3-530 was chosen because it provides all of the power necessary for running multimedia applications while consuming only 73 watts or less.

A Panasonic UJ-235-A Blu-ray reader/writer was selected for optical drive duty. The UJ-235 is one of the few if not the only slim slot-loading optical Blu-ray drives available today. Typically used in a laptop application, it was chosen for its combination of minimal space and power consumption. The search for optical drive options left me wondering, why are there so few options available today for slim line Blu-ray drives? Just a year ago there were more options available from Sony and Asus to name a few. Could there be a lack of demand?

In previous computer builds power consumption has never been a concern. Building a power hungry gaming computer with the latest graphics processor and 1000 watt power supply simply isn’t needed in a computer used primarily for watching movies and playing music. In a HTPC which will also double as a file server and operate 24/7, trimming power consumption where it isn’t needed is especially critical. It also makes good financial sense as lower power consumption means lower cost of operation. Atechfabrication has several pico PSU power supply options of which I chose the 200 watt offering, which was the largest power supply I could find in a design to fit in this case.

Storage capacity was addressed by utilizing four of the largest capacity SATA drives available at the time of this build, the 2tb Western Digital AV-GP WD20EVDS, connected through a 3ware 9750-8i controller card in a RAID 5 array. Once fully configured, this resulted in 5.45tb of useable storage space. The WD AV-GP drive offers large capacity while only utilizing 6 watts of power each under load and 5 watts at idle. That may sound insignificant until you consider most drives utilize about twice that amount, and then multiply that usage across four drives. The fifth drive is an Intel X25 Extreme 64gb solid state drive selected to handle operating system and application duties. The X25 uses only 2.4 watts under load and 0.6 watts at idle! Did I mention the X25 loads the OS in lightening speed?

After getting everything installed and put together it was time to conduct some testing. Checking the BIOS and Intel Desktop Utilities showed the voltage readings to be well within their tolerances. Idle CPU temps hovered around 29°C and climbed to a maximum temperature of 40°C under load with an ambient temperature of 25°C. Measuring power usage using a Kill-A-Watt meter indicated 74 watts at idle and 83 watts under load (watching a Blu-ray movie) or an average usage of 78.5 watts. At the average local electrical rate of $.11/kWh it will cost $6.24 per month to run 24/7. Although disappointed the idle power usage wasn’t lower, the system still uses about half the power of the average desktop computer and significantly less than a gaming system which will result in an annual savings of $75-150 per year as an always-on file server.

Loaded with Windows 7 Ultimate 32bit, Office 2010, PowerDVD and all updates and patches resulted in 26gb of usage leaving 33gb for future expansion on the X25. To handle the movie collection I installed MyMovies, which provides a management solution within Windows Media Center to browse through and play movies, browse cast, play trailers and much more using your media center remote. I also setup the HTPC as a media server to stream movies on demand to other PCs within the house. Finally, I installed IIS, Apache, MySQL and PHP on the HTPC to make it a 24/7 file server and personal non-public intranet and web server.

Everything seemed to be running fine, except for a single problem from the most unexpected source. The 3ware controller outfitted with a BBU-07 battery backup unit was reporting high temperatures that gradually climbed to 53°C and caused a fault, shut down of the controller and computer lockup. Without adequate ventilation within the case and a poor factory heatsink, the problem recurred after every bootup. Because of the close proximity of the heatsink to the harddrives, the radiant heat seemed to also be having an effect on raising their temps too. Several days of searching chipset heatsinks led to the Thermalright HR-05 SLI/IFX chipset cooler. Replacing the stock heatsink with the new chipset cooler brought the idle temp of the controller to 30.5°C and 39°C under load. A huge improvement for sure, but now a new problem arose. The HR-05 heatsink blocks the power and SATA port for the optical drive, so where one problem was solved a new one has arisen.

3ware 9750-8i controller card, Thermalright HT-05 heatsink, interior fitament.

For now, I am accessing all of my media from the hard drive array without the use of the optical drive. I am replicating an optical drive with Slysoft Virtual CloneDrive and mounting Blu-ray images directly from the hard drive. I plan on working with Glenn at Atechfabrication to create a new front panel which moves the optical drive to a better location without blocking the ports.

Future additions may include an external HD tuner for watching live TV and using the HTPC as a DVR (digital video recorder). For now, I am happy watching Internet TV and Hulu. I also have a secondary SAS port available on the 3ware controller which can be used to connect to an Atechfabrication Mass Storage case and add another 8tb of storage space (or more, as larger drives become available).

Overall, the Ultimate HTPC has met all of my expectations. I can launch Blu-ray movies from the couch within Windows Media Center without having to touch a disc, stream movies and music to other computers within the house, and share files (pictures, etc.) across the network and remotely while consuming very little electricity and virtually no noise. It is the Ultimate HTPC!!

After driving the Lambos, there was only one car worthy of comparison: the Ferrari F430 Spyder. For those of you out there who have never gotten the opportunity to pilot a Ferrari – well then, I’m sorry. You see, words can’t adequately describe the exhilaration felt when taking the 490hp 4.3l V8 to it’s 8500rpm redline and the symphony roaring behind your head that’s more melodical than mechanical. Videos don’t do it justice. Imagine trying to explain to someone who’s never flown what it’s like to fly. You simply must experience it for yourself.

The cabin in the F430 is all about the driver, with every control and display angled that way. Passengers are clearly meant to sit in awe, thankful to get a ride. A crimson-colored tachometer nods to tradition and a 8,500 rpm redline, flanked on each side by F1 style paddle shifters to make quick duty of shift work. With a quick push of the engine starter button the Ferrari fired to life and we were off.

The highway is where the Ferrari really shines and it becomes apparent right from the get go, this is where this car is at home. Blipping through the gears is met with pure delight as the transmission shifts smoother than anything else that I’ve had the privilege of driving. The really fun part though is when you drop it down a couple of gears and put your foot in it. The noise that comes out of the exhaust will make other guys jealous and women blush. It’s addicting, intoxicating and will get you thrown in prison if you’re not careful.

The F430 comes equipped with carbon ceramic brakes – a $14,000 option imported from the Enzo. You can use these to terrify your passengers. With brakes this efficient, you can wait so long to hit them that each turn can feel as if it will be the last for the F430. When stopping with conventional brakes you want to apply hard pressure at first, then ease off as the ABS activates. But with the ceramic brakes, you brake lightly at first – then, after the ABS jiggles, you brake harder. Compared with regular brakes you are braking for a shorter overall amount of time.

Running up and down the coast of New Jersey, we had adequate opportunity to stretch her legs and see what this beauty could do. We received several nods and partook in several skirmishes with a Corvette Z06, Porsche GT3, and a Subaru STI. Handling amongst traffic is a cinch. The steering is so intuitive and so beautifully weighted that placing the car is effortless, and the chassis is so fluent and poised that it’s easy to dial out understeer with raw power. The F430 corners flat and true. This is sensory overload, and it’s great!

At the end of the day it was hard letting this one go. Part of me began contemplating ways to trade in my mortgage for an F430 payment and figuring out sleeping accomodations. To own one is worth the price of admission few can afford. To join the few who have had the opportunity to pilot such a divine work of art is an honor. One more check off the bucket list.

When “Lambo Day” was finally upon us, I was just as nervous as I was excited. How often do you have the opportunity to drive a car that costs as much as your house? I settled into the seat of the Murcielago and familiarized myself with the interior. Formula 1 style tiptronic transmission: check. 580hp V12 engine: check. Enormous 14″ wide tires: check. Updated will and testament: check. After signing my life away I was handed the keys. It was time to cut this monster loose!

Seeing a bright orange Murcielago on the open road is enough to turn heads. Seeing a bright orange Murcielago next to a bright yellow Gellardo is enough to break necks and cause whiplash! These things are attention getters, no doubt. We hadn’t driven more than a mile from our starting point and already I had a feel for what it would be like to be a naked supermodel walking down a busy street. Not familiar with the area, we accidentally took a wrong turn into a residential neighborhood and people were literally coming out of their homes with cameras and kids to get a peek. Everyone was gawking!

We made our way up the Pallisades Parkway to a public park called Bear Mountain. Here we found lots of curved, open roads where we could have a little fun and play a little cat-and-mouse. Once confident I simply put my foot down, watched the revs climb and blipped my way through the gears. Intoxicated is the only way to describe what I was feeling and to be honest, I couldn’t tell you how fast I was going, nor do I care. I simply enjoyed the sweet melody of the V12 at 8000rpm as I down shifted and the computer controlled transmission rev-matched the gears before re-engaging the clutch. Who needs a radio when you have a symphony right behind your head?

Truth be told, the day ended way too fast and it was over before we knew it. Caught up in all the excitement I didn’t realize until afterwords that we had hardly gotten any video or photos. Oh well, that just means we’ll have to do it again!

And “A Christmas Story (You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out!)”…

A couple of months ago I became obsessed with MyBrute. The benefit of MyBrute for someone like me is that it only allows three fights per day. This equates to about five minutes of game play per day, which is perfect for preventing me from becoming obsessed with the game and puts me at ease that my competitors are given the same limitation and can’t get ahead. Still, I’m always looking for an advantage. I began looking at ways to create my own bot, or an automated script which would automatically login, go to the arena, select an opponent, fight, and then repeat the process. I wrote a PHP script using the Snoopy class which succesfully completed most of these tasks. Unfortunately, it stalled when it encountered the fight stage because the creators of MyBrute utilize Flash and require a button keypress within the Flash object. Snoopy and cURL are unable of replicating keypresses in an object such as Flash. Perhaps the creators of MyBrute anticipated this, and subsequently my bot attempt was thwarted.

More recently I became obsessed with a game on Facebook called Farmville. Farmville is a cute little game that allows you to build a farm, harvest crops, manage livestock and grow trees. As a player gains experience and money from harvesting they level up and can buy new and exciting items for their farm. It didn’t take long to figure out how to quickly level and earn money and ribbons but as the games progresses leveling becomes exponentially harder and more time consuming. There had to be an easier way! That’s when I thought about using a mouse and keypress replicator that would record my keystrokes and automate the process for me. I found an application called Axife Mouse Recorder which does exactly what I was looking for. All I had to do was record myself planting, harvesting and plowing some crops and automate the recorder to do it for me while I am away. Now I can level in my sleep.

The obvious question that may come from some of you is, “Aren’t you taking away from the fun of the game?”. My answer is no, at least not for me. Different people derive different forms of pleasure from playing a game. While you may be excited and content playing a game in a more traditional fashion, I get the most excitement from figuring out how to beat a game and finding ways to exploit opportunities to my benefit. Games are a form of entertainment after all, and I believe each person should feel free to play in the way they find most enjoyable.