My newly revived HTPC has really been up and down since the upgrades of the new XFX Radeon 5850 and Windows 7. The first problems were with drivers: Asus did not offer P5N32 updates for onboard devices (sound, ethernet and chipset) when Windows 7 came out. Serves me for hanging on to my legacy hardware.

After hunting down compatibility mode installs and manufacturer releases for various devices, the next problem I noticed was heat. My black Thermaltake Tenor HTPC case fits nicely in it's 2-shelf, glass entertainment centre, with 2 inches to spare above. My other hardware helps it blend with the motif: my black PS3 console, black Sony DVD player, and a black Shaw-Pace PVR. But damn does it get hot after racing a few laps of Dirt 2. And frequently through the summer I found the game hanging after extended playing.

The stock case comes with intake vents in the bottom-front, with an 80mm intake fan on the left side. I decided to add another to the right side and attach it with zip ties through the DVD-ROM mounting holes. The top ventilation is located above the PCI-E slots and the CPU while dual 60mm fans force air out the rear.