Installation (continued):

The images below display the one 5.25" device cage, which is secured to the chassis with three screws. Finding the exact position for an optical drive to work properly with the open/close button is a little tricky, but just a bit of trial and error is necessary.


The only flaw in the design of the nMEDIAPC HTPC 500SA so far is this power supply cage. It does hold an ATX power supply, which is nice, but the metal bracket used to hold the power supply in the case is extremely awkward to install. The black part lies on the bottom of the case to prevent vibration, and the metal cage holds the power supply to the side of the case. The power supply's 120mm fan is positioned face down to suck air from the bottom, and the 80mm exhaust fan faces out towards the side. It was very difficult to route the case's included power supply extension cord in this setup due to the right angle plug. This may all depend on the power supply being used, but many units have the same layout and I anticipate similar frustrations on most units out there.


Installing the motherboard into the nMEDIAPC HTPC 500SA is fairly easy if you do it before the other components and cages. Align the board to the standoffs and secure it with the included screws. After that is done, connect the various wires to the motherboard. The image below shows (left to right) the SPDIF out, firewire, USB, VFD, and the standard power/reset and speaker wires connected to the motherboard. An odd thing with this case is that the power LED connection uses a 4-pin Molex connection, instead of the typical 2-pin connection that attaches to the motherboard.


After the motherboard is set, install each cage back into the case and make all the necessary connections. If you have expansion cards to install, do that last but make sure you run the cabling around them. To install cards there is a five inch bracket held down with two screws; simply install all of the cards and replace the bracket and screws to secure them. In the image below you will see all components and cages installed into the nMEDIAPC HTPC 500SA case.