Purpose

• Building an entertainment PC can reduce the clutter of a large, multi-component entertainment system, but it can also give you access to digital content and streaming media from the Internet.
  
  

Components

• Must-haves in an entertainment PC include a TV tuner card and a DVD burner. You'll also want a high quality CPU, ample RAM and a high capacity hard drive. All your components will fit into a compact case
  
  

Options

• The highest quality entertainment PCs should include an optical drive that plays the latest HD quality video. You also may want to splurge on a high quality sound card and wireless network adapter to connect to other computers in your home.
  
  

Considerations

• Many compact entertainment cases will only fit very compact motherboards, so there may not be enough expansion slots for cards you may want to install. Alternatives include choosing a larger case or using external devices, such as a USB network adapter.