new media computer

My old computer is a bit of a mess. Over three years it's accumulated a few hard drives, with cables strewn about. A new computer isn't in my budget, but I'm tired of looking at the full-size computer case in my living room.

Thus, my media PC project. I bought a case small enough to fit in the media cabinet under my 46" tv/monitor, which will contain the guts of the old computer. Then the old case will vanish, and my living room will look great! No more cables multiplying like rabits, languidly lazing about, collecting dust and tripping my Roomba.

This project is in several steps:

1) find the right case. This was rather harder than I'd expected.

2) replace video card. My old gamer video card is too big and
power-hungry.

3) rearrange hard drives. New case only has room for two.

4) move motherboard from old case to new, without a hammer.

5) what the hell, let's change operating systems.