htpc cases

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djskankho

Gawd
Joined
Jan 5, 2004
Messages
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How come the htpc cases by Ahanix and others that are basically just desktop cases cost an assload?

assload ~= $200

Can anyone recommend a good htpc case that's maybe not so expensive (and is atx)?
 
i have that coolermaster, and it really does look nice. i love the fact that it hides the drives

an alternative, also inexpensive WITH a PSU would be the Antec HTPC case, i forget the name, but it's very popular as well

also, check out Silverstone HTPC cases, they're a LIL over $100, but not too much

i mean, if cost is REALLY that big a deal, just pay the $30 for a cheapo desktop case on egay, and spray it black
 
I am really satisfied with the Antec Aria. It is more of a cube design, but it blends in nicely. The other Antec HTPC cases are also nice. The Overture and the Minuet are both really nice.
 
You should know that many have been having problems with heat and highend hardware with the Antec cases. That Coolermaster case is a great one but it is MicroATX. I actually don't like alot of the cases out there so I'm drawning up plans for my own.
 
CrimandEvil said:
You should know that many have been having problems with heat and highend hardware with the Antec cases. That Coolermaster case is a great one but it is MicroATX. I actually don't like alot of the cases out there so I'm drawning up plans for my own.
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Honestly you don't need much more than mATX for home theater. What on earth do you need more than 3 slots for?

Maybe if you were making a media server, but then again I wouldn't be putting that in my AV rack....it would go in a closet or utlitility room.
 
forcemac101 said:
Honestly you don't need much more than mATX for home theater. What on earth do you need more than 3 slots for?

Maybe if you were making a media server, but then again I wouldn't be putting that in my AV rack....it would go in a closet or utlitility room.
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He may already have a full atx mobo. I know it goes against-the-grain with the HTPC community but i prefer desktop full-atx cases myself. More roomy for extra HD's and good for those spare mobo's always lying around...

djskankho, The Antec Overture's are a great start, especially with the true380 onboard. The Enlight's are a good plain-vanilla option especially with their decent psu's. Directron has a few to choose from. Keep in mind that most HTPC cases lack circulation so there is a chance you may need to do a little dremeling if you prefer cooler temps (i did and it was well worth it).
 
PruBowl300 said:
I am really satisfied with the Antec Aria. It is more of a cube design, but it blends in nicely. The other Antec HTPC cases are also nice. The Overture and the Minuet are both really nice.
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I love my Aria, it really looks great, and is pretty damn quiet too.
 
Try Silverstone's Lascala cases. I just ordered an SST-LC02 (Silver) from work on Friday morning. It should be here on Wednesday or Thursday.
 
I chose an Antec Minuet for my htpc:

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=11-129-139&depa=0

accepts mATX motherboards. probably the biggest downfalls is it only accepts half-height PCI cards and poor air flow. A HDD cooler is a must. It also has a mounts for one 80mm fan on the side and one for al 40mm fan which is used for exhaust. Other then that I really like it, its small and looks good. With all the fans running it stays cool enough for everyday use.

//EDIT// Wow, i just noticed the price. It was $57 when i bought it. I wonder why the increase.
 
I forgot to mention, the Lascala case that I ordered does accept a full-size ATX board.
 
forcemac101 said:
Honestly you don't need much more than mATX for home theater. What on earth do you need more than 3 slots for?

Maybe if you were making a media server, but then again I wouldn't be putting that in my AV rack....it would go in a closet or utlitility room.
Click to expand...

Okay: Two 250MCE tuners, One VPU, One Envy24 based Sound card, One A/V Capture card (for some console gaming), And maybe One Wireless G card..maybe. That comes to five slots, four PCI and one AGP. I don't see anything there out of the ordinary or anything for a media server either. Now if I just had it sitting somewhere recording things for later playback then I guess you'd have a point about it but I would like to use mine for something more then that. Almost forgot the heat thing too, going with a full ATX board means that I could space out the parts so that they aren't cramp and have some breathing room.
 
CrimandEvil said:
Okay: Two 250MCE tuners, One VPU, One Envy24 based Sound card, One A/V Capture card (for some console gaming), And maybe One Wireless G card..maybe. That comes to five slots, four PCI and one AGP. I don't see anything there out of the ordinary or anything for a media server either. Now if I just had it sitting somewhere recording things for later playback then I guess you'd have a point about it but I would like to use mine for something more then that. Almost forgot the heat thing too, going with a full ATX board means that I could space out the parts so that they aren't cramp and have some breathing room.
Click to expand...

2 Tunners plus a capture card? Thats pretty hard core I guess......

I only needed one card for capture and tunner....
 
I was thinking about upgrading my computer so I was going to take my old mobo and processor and turn it into an htpc. That's why I asked for atx, as sjetski noted. I think the overture may be for me but I am still interested in the coolermaster and the minuet. Thanks for the help!
 
That Cooler Master case listed in the second post ... can it accept a full size card in the AGP slot? I would like to put a 9800pro in there ... will it fit?
 
Read the Overture reviews on HTPC news, there are definite heat issues with it, you can make it better with minor or major modification, but it is definitely worth reading before you buy.

That Cooler Master case listed in the second post ... can it accept a full size card in the AGP slot? I would like to put a 9800pro in there ... will it fit?
Click to expand...

The coolermaster will use full-height pci and agp cards, so the 9800 should be no issue, the only issue you may have is with the coolers that come up off of the top of the card.

That coolermaster case used to be a lot more expensive, looks like it may be going back on my short-list for the next case.

As far as mATX v. ATX, lots of people end up adding more tuners so it would be something to keep in mind. I personally don't see myself using more than 2 tuners, but maybe someday in a client-server environment it would be necessary.
 
CrimandEvil said:
Okay: Two 250MCE tuners, One VPU, One Envy24 based Sound card, One A/V Capture card (for some console gaming), And maybe One Wireless G card..maybe. That comes to five slots, four PCI and one AGP.
Click to expand...
Add HDTV tuner, video scaler (Holo3D), maybe a 6+ port Serial ATA controller card, etc.
 
The Antec Overture is a superb case. I built a system in one for my grandma who wanted a pc to replace her web tv. It comes with the truepower 380 PSU, is very quiet and the build and paint finish on ths case is second to none.
 
I use a pundit barebones by asus. it comes with mobo and works fairly well with mythtv.
 
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