The Install:

     The Supernova case is pretty roomy inside but still requires a Micro-ATX motherboard due to the rear positioning of the power supply.  For our install I used a JetWay Micro MB with a AMD 550 processor and 2Gb of Crucial RAM.  The build included a HP DVD Burner and a Memorex CD Burner, both a Seagate drive and a Fujitsu drive totaling about 140 Gb,  an Abit FX 5200, a Creative Labs Audigy 2 ZS, an Intel 1000 LAN card and a generic video capture card round out the build.  Like many starter HTPC builds, this PC is a montage of spare parts from my gaming rigs.  You can often squeeze by with a good Frankenstein setup just to learn the HTPC ropes.

Following the instructions provided by the manual, we first installed the motherboard.  Looks pretty roomy!

     Next we installed a Hyper Type-R 480 W Power Supply upside down.  This allows the built in PSU cooling to work even when setup in a media stack.

     Next we installed the drives into the two removable cages.  Installing the two drives is simple with the cage removed.  Only two screws hold the unit in place.

     Taking advantage of the Supernovas hidden drive bays, I was able to mix up my drive colors for this install.  Two screws on top and two on the side allow this cage to slide back and out of the case for easy installation.  The floppy could easily be replaced with an additional hard drive or 3.5" accessory.

     The finished install is just a couple cables away.  To truly utilize the front controls, you will need to run three fans, two USB runs and a fire wire cable to the front; and mount three temperature probes using the provided tape. One of the USB runs controls the front panel display through the use of the included software.

     With the installation complete, our Frankenstein installation is ready for life.  A nice surprise was the low noise level of the twin 60mm fans, even under load.  Now, if I could just remember what all those ports are for!

     A closer look at the finished drive installation shows both a hidden drive and an open drive bay.  Both the floppy bay and the front multimedia ports are hidden behind gear driven doors when not in use.  The result is an install that looks a lot like a high end receiver or pre-amp.