AMD's new Fusion APU technology makes it easy to construct a small home PC that pack big media-processing power, but require only a minuscule amount of your green. Here's how you can build one.

Processor powerhouses AMD and Intel are forever exchanging blows (and technology advances), but rarely is it ever as heated as it's already been in 2011. Intel kicked off the year by releasing its new processing platform, a family of products aimed at powering the next generation of everyday PCs, particularly in terms of photo and video viewing and editing. Within days, AMD released its own advancement: . Like Sandy Bridge, it integrates graphics processing on the CPU die for the first time, and has media manipulation on its mind. But it's also got an eye toward low power usage and capabilities, profile, and price ideal for the budget or nettop market.

Given that we examined , it seemed only fair to look into how we'd put together one using AMD's new platform. When we started getting into it, we were thrilled to find it could be done for less than $400. If you don't want to spend a lot of money, but you are still looking for a capable little secondary or tertiary media machine, it's a fine way to go.

The Components

Perhaps the most interesting thing about AMD's Fusion hardware is that with it you don't differentiate between the processor and the motherboard: Buy one and you buy the other. Most of the Fusion "combos" we looked at had more or less the same basic features, so we picked the Gigabyte E350N-USB3 ($149.99 list). In addition to its 1.6-GHz, dual-core Accelerated Processing Unit (APU), it offers a wealth of video output ports (VGA, dual-link DVI, and HDMI), two USB 3.0 ports, and one PCI Express (PCIe) x16 slot for future upgrading. We also grabbed 4GB of Kingston HyperX memory ($49.99 list), in this case gray; this will fill up both slots, but the motherboard gives us the option of replacing these with two 4GB sticks later if we want.

Most of our other decisions were influenced by the motherboard's form factor, which isn't one even dedicated builders see every day: Mini-ITX. Because such motherboards aren't designed for traditional ATX-size cases, we wanted a case just right for Mini-ITX. We found one in the Antec ISK300-150 ($79.99 list). It comes with its own 150-watt power supply (more than enough for our purposes); looks sleek; and, at 3.8 by 8.7 by 12.9 inches (HWD), it may be too small for adding more than half-height expansion cards, but it won't consume a lot of space, and has a smart layout for adding components.

Of course, those components also had to fit in this extra-small case, which limited our choices a bit. There was no room for a full-height 5.25-inch optical drive of the type we'd use in a regular desktop, so we had to go with a "slim" model, specifically the Lite-On DS-8A5S01C DVD burner ($32.99 at Newegg). Another option was a slim Blu-ray drive, as Fusion specializes in improved Blu-ray handling. But the lowest-cost model we found was $100, and our goal was to keep the price downif you don't mind spending a bit more, and you have lots of Blu-ray discs to watch, it's something to consider.

We faced a similar conundrum with local storage. A 3.5-inch hard drive was out of the question. We knew a solid-state drive (SSD) would give us a huge speed boost, but they're way too expensive: We'd pay $100 for just 40GB or so, and we wanted more space than that. So we settled for a 640GB Seagate Momentus, which we found for $84.99 on Newegg. But if you have enough spare change sitting around for an SSD, and you don't mind spending more, we'd definitely recommend going that route.

Components

Motherboard/APU: Gigabyte E350N-USB3 ($149.99)

RAM: Kingston HyperX Gray 4GB kit ($49.99)

Case/Power Supply: Antec ISK300-150 ($79.99)

Hard Drive: 640GB Seagate Momentus ($84.99)

Optical Drive: Lite-On DS-8A501C ($32.99)

Total: $397.95

Before we get started, it's important to remember that this is a very small case, which needs to maximize every inch of its interior if everything is going to fit. Even if you're familiar with building systems, you might want to read carefully to make sure you know what to expect when you crack open a case like this.



1) On the case's rear panel, you'll find three thumbscrews. Remove them, then carefully lift the cover off the case. (You may find that pulling it toward you from the front, and "bending" the left side panel around the screw on the left of the rear panel will help you remove it. It worked for us.)



2) Because the motherboard arrived with the APU already integrated, we don't have to worry about installing it. In fact, the only extra piece of hardware we need to install is the memory. To do that, pull out the white plastic clips on either side of the two memory slots. Line up the memory so the notch at the bottom of a stick fits around the pole in the center of the bay. Press down the on the memory gently but firmly, until the plastic clips on either side click and lock into place. Repeat with the other memory stick.



3) To make room for the motherboard, you have to remove the metal bracket inside the case that holds the optical drive and storage drives. It's held on by three screws, one near the center of the rear-panel area, and two near the front of the case. Unscrew them using your Phillips screwdriver, then carefully remove the bracket from the case.



4) Our Antec case came with a generic I/O plate already installed in the opening at the back of the case, which we had to remove. Once you've freed that opening (if necessary), make sure the motherboard-specific plate is facing the right direction (hold it up to the motherboard if you're not sure), then firmly press it into place around four edges.



5) We didn't need to install standoffs in our ISK300-150one of its many little timesavers. So just gently place the motherboard in the case, making sure its rear-panel ports protrude through the I/O plate you just installed and that the screw holes in the motherboard line up with the standoffs. Then, secure the motherboard with the screws that came with the case.



6) As the metal drive bracket is still out of the case, this is an ideal time to install both the drives we're using. Let's start with the optical drive. Press the front of the optical drive door on the front of the case to open it. Then gently press on the long plastic rectangle from the inside to release it.



7) Remove the thumbscrew on the metal bracket (it's the only one left); this will release the top drive tray from the bracket.



8) Place the optical drive in the bottom tray on the larger bracket, and secure it with screws from the side. Make sure the optical drive opens to the front, the tray sticking out far enough to clear the case's front panel, with the SATA connections easily accessible in the back. Both the drives are now attached, but don't replace the bracket yet!



9) Place the SSD on the hard-drive (upper) tray, with the SATA connectors visible on the inside-case side.



10) Secure the SSD with screws from beneath.



11) Because of how little space there is inside the case, it's going to be easiest to connect all the interior cables now. These include the front-panel connectors: USB, which connect to two jacks between the heat sink and the rear-panel ports; eSATA, which plugs into the SATA ports just above the PCI Express x16 slot; and the headphone and microphone jacks, which connect to the audio port right next to the multiple-speaker outputs. You'll also need to connect the two power cables (one four-pin, one 24-pin), and the front-panel connectors, located just between the 24-pin power jack and the memory slots. (The cables are easily marked; look in the motherboard manual if you need more help.) Once all that's done, connect the additional SATA data and power cables to the drives, and the four-pin Molex fan connector to the remaining cable from the power supply.



12) With all that done, you're ready to reassemble things. Replace the upper drive tray on the metal bracket; it hooks around on both sides, with one side bearing screw threads. Line that side up with the screw hole, and then reinsert the thumbscrew you removed.



13) Replace the metal bracket by sliding the front section (containing the drives) underneath the two screw holes and placing the opposite end above the screw hole there. Replace the three screws you removed.



14) Carefully replace the case's cover, and return the three thumb screws to their position. You're done building! Now you just need to install Windows and whatever programs you'll want to use, and your Fusion system will be ready to go.