Arctic MC001-BD HTPC Details

If you're curious what specific technology resides inside the Arctic MC001-BD, you'll find it listed in the detailed hardware report created with AIDA64.

At the center of Arctic's MC001-BD HTPC is a dual-core Intel Atom D525 processor, operating at 1.8 GHz. A custom-designed ECS TIGD-IS motherboard supports 4GB of installed DDR3-1333 system memory, while an AMD/ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5430/5450 series GPU supplies ample graphics performance with high-definition HDMI output.

While the MC001-BD may have a compact profile, Arctic manages to fit in more hardware features than notebook computers of the same size. You'll have the choice of using either analog D-SUB VGA video output for older displays, or 1080p high-definition digital HDMI output for new HDTVs and monitors. There's a wired Realtek 10/100/1000 Mb/s Gigabit Ethernet connection available, which supplements the built-in IEEE 802.11 WiFi-b/g/n wireless adapter.

Realtek ALC892 7.1 HD audio delivers a choice of analog or digital output on the Arctic MC001-BD HTPC. Analog 3.5mm audio I/O jacks support most older connections, while an optical S/PDIF TOSLINK connection offers digital output directly to updated receivers or devices.

With the sides removed to expose internal components, you'll find large passive heatsinks to help cool the Arctic MC001-BD. Because this HTPC is completely silent and without the aide of a single cooling fan, it's advisable to ensure the device has adequate ventillation around all vents. Thermal transfer pads and copper heat-pipe tubes help remove heat from the CPU and GPU, while other critical componens utilize the metal side panel as a large heatsink.

Under normal circumstance the Arctic MC001-BD HTPC operates within safe temperature ranges, however it's not difficult to overheat the passively cooled Intel Atom D525 processor if multiple CPU-intensive applications are running. Although the BIOS features a thermal warning and shutdown feature, we discovered that some high-bitrate MKV video file playback would occasionally cause system alerts. Ultimately it was decided to disable these alerts and remove the auto-shutdown capability so that extended movies could be enjoyed.

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