5. Test Setup - Installing a TV card into a HTPC shouldn't be this hard

CPU, cooler and RAM are easily installed.

Installing the hardware is a piece of cake-as long as you aren’t thinking about trying to squeeze a TV tuner card into the slimline case as well. The CPU and cooler, as well as the RAM, plug right into the motherboard, just as they would on a standard PC. The best way to go about installing the hard disk and the optical drive is to use a screwdriver. Despite the cramped quarters inside the case, connecting the appropriate cables is not a problem. We recommend using SATA drives with angled cables to save a little more space.

The HDD power cable is a bit on the short side.

Another small fan hides below the HDD drive cage.

Installing the hard disk proved quite easy, although the power cable was a bit short; Hiper would have done well to make it a few centimeters longer. As it is, the cable is always taut. In order to install the hard drive, you first need to release the screws that hold the drive cage in place. Removing it reveals a small fan that cools the drive; in our testing, we didn’t hear that little guy at all.

Attach the adapter to the back of the slimline drive.

That’s a pretty good fit. Beware though - there aren’t any screws to hold the adapter in place!

The drive is installed and hooked up to the motherboard.

Due to its slimline form factor, the case can only house optical drives like those found in notebooks. Hiper thoughtfully includes an IDE adapter. It’s your decision as to whether you want a conventional DVD drive, a DVD burner or even an HD DVD or Blu-ray drive; in the end, that’s a matter of personal preference. Price is obviously a consideration as well, too!

The little board that controls the front display is inserted in one of the RAM slots when you first receive the case.

So where do you put it once the RAM is installed?

Once all of the components are installed, all that remains is to find a place for the little circuit board that controls the front display of the Hiper HMC-2K53-A3. When we received our test sample, it was inserted in one of the two RAM slots. Once you install the memory, you will have to find a new home for it somewhere in the already cramped case. The cable is also very short, limiting your options for a secure installation. Finally, you have to be very careful of the card’s contacts and components, as contact with the case’s metal lid could cause a short circuit and thus damage the system. Hiper is putting the task of solving this problem on the user’s shoulders.

Tom’s Hardware sees this as a very unprofessional attitude. Why not simply design the case so there is a bracket to hold this card from the start?

Too tight! Many TV tuner cards won’t fit into the Hiper Media Chassis.

A selection of TV tuner cards

The user faces an even bigger problem during the assembly of the HTPC when it comes time to insert a TV tuner card. The PCI card must not be too long or too wide; if it is the wrong size, the lid won’t close. Hiper does not maintain a list of cards that are compatible with the case, either, so it’s pretty much luck of the draw for the buyer. Of the five cards we attempted to install, only one actually fit without any problems. Another one, made by Creatix, only slid in place once we applied force. No matter what we tried, we were not able to install any one of the remaining three cards. The thick and in often rather stiff power cables are among the reasons why only a few PCI cards will end up fitting into the Hiper’s riser card.

The riser card, which lets you install PCI cards at a 90 degree angle, is sold as a separate accesory.

The VideoMate TV card was the only one that fit in the case without any problems.