Media Center PC, HTPC eller vad man nu vill kalla en dator som agerar multimediastation i hemmet är en kraftigt växande marknad. Grafikkortstillverkaren NVIDIA vill inte missa dess framfart och man har nu tillkännagivigt sin egen referensdesign för en Media Center PC. Vad som låter väldigt exotiskt är dock inte mycket mer än en samling av NVIDIAs olika produkter för att skapa en mer eller mindre NVIDIA-baserad PC med fokus på sval och tyst användning.
NVIDIA har i sin pressrelease plitat ner huvudingredienserna i deras referensdesign för Media Center PCs.
The reference design created by NVIDIA reduces the size of the chassis for the entry model by incorporating integrated graphics on the motherboard and a low riser to hold an add-in card. For other models, chassis size was streamlined by using components that produce less heat and can be packed more densely, and by selecting a special, low profile chassis that accepts the standard micro ATX footprint. The reference design makes perhaps the biggest improvements over the first generation of living room PCs in the areas of heat, power consumption, and noise reduction.
To build a cooler, quieter living room PC, NVIDIA recommends:
1. Choosing a CPU with a variable power level and a variable speed fan.
2. Using a silent GPU card with high definition hardware accelerated decode and display capability.
3. Selecting a hard drive rated for intensive streaming applications.
4. Providing intelligent power control software that customizes processing power according to the activity.
5. Offloading CPU tasks such as Internet security firewalls to other components.
NVIDIA is the technology of choice for Media Center PC systems and has been working with system builders worldwide to develop products and technologies that enhance the multimedia capabilities of todays PCs, including:
* NVIDIA PureVideo technology a combination of hardware and software technologies that provide home theater quality video on todays desktop and notebook PCs.
* NVIDIA GeForce 6600 passive and NVIDIA GeForce 6200 TurboCache GPU GPUs which provide fluid high-definition smooth video without noisy cooling fans.
* NVIDIA nTune technology intelligent software to automatically adjust settings to the optimal configuration of GPU, CPU, MCP, RAM, voltage, and fan operations at any given time.
* NVIDIA NVTV PC Tuner Cards single and dual tuner PCI cards that provide flexible TV viewing and recording options.
* NVIDIA PureVideo Decoder a high-quality decoder that unleashes crystal clear playback of DVD and HD DVD content.
* NVIDIA Unified Driver Architecture NVIDIA ForceWare drivers include software extensions that enable easy set-up and configuration of video and audio settings using the remote control from the main Media Center Edition menu.
