I have an old PC in my basement that I would like to use as a Media Center PC. Currently it is in an old bulky case. I was wondering how safe it would be to run the entire computer off a sheet of plastic. Basically screw down the motherboard to a piece of plastic and hide the computer under my sofa. The computer is an old P4 1.3GHz Socket 423. All I want to use the computer for is watching videos off a network and a WD Passport external HDD. How safe is this and would Windows XP or Windows 2000 be better for a computer doing this stuff networked to a bunch of other XP computers?
I see cooling and noise as the major issues. You will need minimum airflow to keep things from heating up and eventually cooking. In a sealed the case the power supply fan is usually enough to handle this. There is also the issue of dust collecting on the components and exacerbating the heat problem.
The system doesn't need much cooling as it is. Dust is something that I haven't thought of. If I was to seal it in a plastic case you think it would be fine?
I doubt dust would be a huge concern unless you have pets or a VERY old couch. I have seen systems running fine with the case stuffed full of dust. Also, airflow should not be a big problem under a couch...there is plenty of air under there, and most couches are not airtight. If you do have pets, you can get a cheap (~$20USD) case online. ...Or you could get a rubermaid container and mount a pair of fans with fan screens on opposite ends of the thing. Windows 2000 is probably your best bet, you don't have enough GHZ there to waist on XP.
