Upgrading my Trinity-powered HTPC is also high on my to-do list, and will give me a chance to do some benchmark comparisons, since switching the OS will be the only variable on that machine.

ENGADGET: Windows 8 upgrade diary: a defiantly successful installation

In the next update, I'll switch the focus away from work to more fun stuff -- HTPC and gaming.

ENGADGET: Windows 8 upgrade diary: multiple monitors make my mouse mad

Moving on, we've got the Ion-based HTPC, which is outfitted with a 1.6GHz Atom 230 CPU, Vista Ultimate (64-bit), 4GB of DDR2-667 RAM, an OCZ 120GB SSD, Blu-ray drive, gigabit Ethernet, WiFi, HDMI output and a multicard reader.

ENGADGET: OCZ intros 17-inch DIY laptop, Ion-based HTPC / Neutrino netbook

Now, in the latest Release Preview of Windows 8 the folks at Redmond have gone out of their way and disabled the ability to boot directly to Windows Media Center -- a feature required for any proper HTPC build.

ENGADGET: Two more nails in the coffin for Media Center, start-up options and tuner certification

For comparison, an old Dell business desktop gave us 41dBa at idle, a PlayStation 3 gave us 42dBa and an original Xbox 360 (not Elite) gave us 47.8dbA. It's said that a 10dB gain is perceived by human ears as a doubling of volume, which seems about right -- the Xbox sounded far louder than our HTPC.

ENGADGET: How-to: Build a multi-talented HTPC for (roughly) $1,000

The real loser here are those few who actually use the Clear-QAM tuner in their TV, or perhaps those that use HTPC software that'll never get an update.

ENGADGET: FCC to allow encryption of basic cable, with a few strings that Boxee approves of