After the introduction of Windows 7 the wish for an update got larger. Installation of Windows 7 Professional proved easy enough, however a few quirks remained:
- The web interface for scheduling recordings does no longer work as its developer started working for Microsoft and no longer has time to update Webguide.
- ArcSoft Total Media Theater needs an update to work under Windows 7. The update is not free.
- The Philips Remote no longer works correctly. Only the Media Center functions run as expected, but the entire functionality regarding music and the 2-way communication of titles, artists, albums et al on the display are now defunct. Philips will not release updates for Windows 7 compatibility.
Playing games was not on the original agenda when planning this particular HTPC, however things have changed a bit. MS Flight Simulator was what brought up the need for stronger graphics. ATI had just released its second version of the Radeon HD 5770. New to the envelope was a new cooler design. It first seemed like a step backwards from the „video tape“ enclosure of the first cooler but Anandtech reviewed the new cooler and actually found it to be better than the original.
The OrigenAE case does not offer a lot in terms of depth for todays high end gpus. The Radeon just barely fit. Make sure to attach the power connector before inserting the card in its slot. The GeForce 9400 chip runs much cooler when the radeon is in place. That was to be expected. Given the fact that the 5770 is very efficient when idle, I would assume that the system actually uses less power when idle now than without a dedicated graphics card in place. I would need to measure that though.
Additional disk space
After about a year of usage We found that the storage system was getting a bit low on space. A fourth disk was added to the HTPC for backup purposes. The 2TB Western Digital WD20EARS drive was mounted on top of the bluray drive. OrigenAE allows for installation of a fourth disk in that spot even tough it certainly is one of the hotspots of the case being far away from any cooling air. SMART info shows the disk runs approx 5 degrees Celsius hotter (about 48-50°C) than the drives in the cage next to the fan.