Steam Box legacy ?

[saprahan]

Hello everybody

I am a new one here and how one topic that should be discussed. Right now I an looking through a market to buy an aluminium chasis for a gaming steam-alike box. So my requirements are quite simple:

• desktop slim chasis
• aluminium front
• dual horizontal full length expansion slots
• at least 250mm for GPU available

I am actually a real fan of Silverstone and Lian-li, and I thought they should have such a shiny piece of metal for me. But looks like they not. I have found quite a lot of not-slim desktop chasis (like Grandia series), then slim with low-profile slots (like Milo), but not he one I wanted. Silverstone RVZ01 is definetly a superb thing, but I really need stylish aluminium

Then I researched more, and found the most interesting thing: there WERE quite a lot of Steam Box gaming cases before 2010. Look here:

1. Silverstone LC04
http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=69

+ Two full length slots
+ 115 mm height
+ Fits TFX PSU. Be quite! TFX suits good here http://www.bequiet.com/ru/powersupply/49
This one still looks very good. Just change USB2.0 to USB3.0 and buy a PCI-E riser. The one problem here - it was made between 2004-2006 and it can't be found anywhere.

2. Silverstone LC02
http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=67&area=en

+ Two full length slots
+ 100 mm height
- Flex PSU. They are always noisy
Ohh this one is really old. Just a simple box with aluminium from. But still, by the way, it has dual horizontal slots for a gaming card
And looks like there was a 2010 noname copy!
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Mini-ITX-Case-w-220-Watt-Power-Black-Case-cables-/400123744231?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d293bcfe7

3. Lian Li PC-C36
http://icrontic.com/article/lian-li-pc-c36-muse-home-theater-case

This one is from 2008 and it also fits dual gaming card and TFX PSU. This could also be a nice Steam Box, but it is nowhere to find.

4.GlacialTech Altair A380
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Glacialtech/Altair_A380/

This one is also from 2008, it has dual slot for gaming gpu, and I guess some SFX can be placed inside (not in the stock Flex PSU place of course). Too bad looks like GlacialTech finished with styled cases.

So the main question is: what has happened? Where dah all these stylish aluminium gaming chasis gone? I mean now is definetly their time. SteamOS should give a new boost to gaming HTPC. And looks like such a type of chasis was invented long ago, but almost forgotten

And nowadays I have found only Streacom FC10, which suits my needs, but not fully. And also RVZ01 of course, but it doesn't look like Hi-Fi system

Also if someone knows where to buy one of above, please let me know. I would start a worklog in change for that

 

[lvyelion]

you totally missed the point of Steam Box, its never about the same chassis

sure Valve made a Steam Box prototybe which somewhat resemble the traditional HTPC (or X51)layout, to show that its a game console sits in the living room, different than traditional PC. but Steam Box can come in all sizes and layout, even traditional pc form (but they do want to keep it small, so normally itx board inside)

And the HTPC you've posted above, are NOT smaller than the usual SFF. Besides, they normally can't fit a decent gaming GPU, powerful PSU, and don't have enough ventilation for gaming hardware, not to mention the low performance PCI-risers. They are not gaming chassis, just HTPC chassis, they existed in the market for very long time already

 

[xDezor]

I actually own a Silverstone LC04. Been a long time since I've seen someone post about it. The case is steel instead of aluminum though. Quality wise it's not as nice as a Lian-Li, not by a long shot. Still a nice case to have in my collection. I later replaced it by an Ahanix D-Vine D5 - a much prettier HTPC case, but very deep (about the same size as a 3U server).

But I hear ya.. I want more brushed aluminum HTPC cases. They're great.

The GlacialTech Altair A380 I haven't seen before, but it looks really nice. Maybe I'll track one down and add it to my list.

 

[Dangman]

you totally missed the point of Steam Box, its never about the same chassis

sure Valve made a Steam Box prototybe which somewhat resemble the traditional HTPC (or X51)layout, to show that its a game console sits in the living room, different than traditional PC. but Steam Box can come in all sizes and layout, even traditional pc form (but they do want to keep it small, so normally itx board inside)

And the HTPC you've posted above, are NOT smaller than the usual SFF. Besides, they normally can't fit a decent gaming GPU, powerful PSU, and don't have enough ventilation for gaming hardware, not to mention the low performance PCI-risers. They are not gaming chassis, just HTPC chassis, they existed in the market for very long time already

Pretty much this to a tee. Many of those cases were designed for HTPC usage, not gaming HTPC use. Nor would they suitable choices for a Steam Box (Gaming HTPC and Steam Box aren't necessarily the same thing.) The cooling inside those cases are just plain bad for a modern gaming system since there is no direct airflow coming from a fan hitting the area below the GPU.

Not to mention that the included PSUs are more than likely crap since they lack APFC (the inclusion of a red switch on the back is a dead giveaway of that fact).

As for why those products disappeared, probably due to the same reason many products disappear: Not enough people were buying them nor were they particularly profitable to make.

 

[ZeeKay]

What about the ML07? Its the sister case to the RVZ01:

Don't know when it should be out.

 

[saprahan]

Pretty much this to a tee. Many of those cases were designed for HTPC usage, not gaming HTPC use. Nor would they suitable choices for a Steam Box (Gaming HTPC and Steam Box aren't necessarily the same thing.) The cooling inside those cases are just plain bad for a modern gaming system since there is no direct airflow coming from a fan hitting the area below the GPU.

Not to mention that the included PSUs are more than likely crap since they lack APFC (the inclusion of a red switch on the back is a dead giveaway of that fact)

Yes you are right. Stock PSU should be throwned to trash. But there are quite a lot of SFX and TFX supplies powerfull, like Silverstone and Be quite! models, powerfull enough for mITX + middle-end gpu. So PSU here is not a problem.

And about a cooling you are right again. These cases should be modified in order to use them with 200Watt+ GPU. This problem can be solved by drilling vent holes below GPU in a bottom plate and one shouldn't care about holes quality because it is a bottom plate, not a front.

What about me, right now I'm thinking about RVZ01. I can't find any aluminium case on market that suits me. If I choose Streacome FC10, it is going to be more expensive due to massive radiator case and also have problems with cooling.

If anyone have information about other aluminium gaming htpc cases, please let me know.

 

[Tinkerer]

Shame Silverstone moved away from aluminium, especially as it contributes to portability for Sugo range. Also prefer the bare look and feel to the generic black cases we have to put up in the West.

 

[TheHobbyist]

I really wanted a case like you describe as well, so I designed one and had it made! It is about 13"x13"x3.5" and it is brushed aluminum.

Its features include:
mITX
SFX PSU
Slim Optical Drive (slot load)
Full Sized Dual Slot Graphics
2 3.5" Drives
3 2.5" Drives
etc...

I've been trying for months to get the manufacturing cost to a decent level by optimizing the design, but it seems that the only real way to get the price down is to have a large quantity made. If I new for sure that I could sell 100 of them, I would pull the trigger on the order.

 

[Aibohphobia]

I've been trying for months to get the manufacturing cost to a decent level by optimizing the design, but it seems that the only real way to get the price down is to have a large quantity made. If I new for sure that I could sell 100 of them, I would pull the trigger on the order.

You could go the crowd-funding route like the NCase.

 

[Zap]

3. Lian Li PC-C36
http://icrontic.com/article/lian-li-pc-c36-muse-home-theater-case

This one is from 2008 and it also fits dual gaming card and TFX PSU. This could also be a nice Steam Box, but it is nowhere to find.

Lian Li is like that with their cases. They have cases which are available seemingly forever, like the old school PC-7, the PC-Q07. Then they have cases where they are here and gone in less than a year, like the PC-T7 and those test bench ATX and ITX models.

 

[saprahan]

Hello guys!

I have found another cases
Thermaltake Mozart Sx.
It is quite slim, not a Full-Desktop, but still has 3 expansion slots.
http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/ttWWW/Product.aspx?S=1133&ID=1434#Tab2
http://www.avadirect.com/forum/uploads/28/348530_4.jpg[/

And one more
COOLER MASTER CM Media 260
[IMG]http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/ProductImageCompressAll300/11-119-100-08.jpg[/
[IMG]http://www.nix.ru/autocatalog/cases_coolermaster/prd_caja_htpc_cm_media260_i.jpg[/

 

[ShadeValryn]

I hate to necropost on my first one, but I found something that may be valuable to others looking for something smaller than the Raven Z: http://thisshouldnothappen.blogspot.com/2011/02/mini-itx-cases-why-is-it-so-hard-to.html

Just find what model you like and try to google around for it. Typically they can be found somewhere for 50-100 bucks.