in search for a htpc case

[nd4spdbh2]

ok well im thinking about going all out on my htpc and actually gettin a htpc case. I really like antec's NSK2400 the matx (desktop case) and the fact it has 120mm fans. but i really whish they had a full atx version. any ways is there any such thing as a full atx htpc case with 120mm fans?

[sicloan]

Unless the case is really tall, its likely most cases will only have dual 80 mm in the rear.

go here and look :

http://www.pcalchemy.com/index.php/cName/htpc-cases?

[nd4spdbh2]

Unless the case is really tall, its likely most cases will only have dual 80 mm in the rear.

go here and look :

http://www.pcalchemy.com/index.php/cName/htpc-cases?

thnx....

actually the antec NSK2400 is VERY short... its probably shorter than say a case with 2 rear 80mm fans even throuh it has 2 120mm fans.

[wnnbgwrrr]

Kovboi provided me with this link: http://hi-techreviews.com/reviews_2007/CM_Media280/CM_Media280_Page1.htm when I was inquiring about cases, I don't know if this is the kind of thing your looking for. Honestly, without knowing to what extent your budget is a limiting factor I might suggest investing some effort in trying to see if you could make a system that does what you want it to do, with a mATX board. Aside from that one drawback (and to a lesser extent some aesthetic issues) the NSK2400 is really a brilliant case.

[thegreek]

wow, that is exactly something I am looking for also, a HTPC case with a rear 120mm fan exhaust (also the only HTPC case you can use a Ultra-120 with). Just need to find a place that sells it.

[nd4spdbh2]

Kovboi provided me with this link: http://hi-techreviews.com/reviews_2007/CM_Media280/CM_Media280_Page1.htm when I was inquiring about cases, I don't know if this is the kind of thing your looking for. Honestly, without knowing to what extent your budget is a limiting factor I might suggest investing some effort in trying to see if you could make a system that does what you want it to do, with a mATX board. Aside from that one drawback (and to a lesser extent some aesthetic issues) the NSK2400 is really a brilliant case.


the cpu and mobo i plan on buying is a E4300 and Ecs matx P4M800Pro-m V2... its a perfect board for me but i would not like to limit my self to just a matx board...

[hyperasus]

Best case out there is the Silverstone CW01. If you need something cheaper then go with Silverstone LC17 or LC20. I just upgraded from the LC20 to the CW01 and let me tell you, it is amazing. It easily fit a 650w PC Power & Cooling psu, 5 hard drives, and full length video cards. It even has enough room I was able to pull the motherboard out without removing the hard drives or DVD drive. The OrigenAE cases look nice but good luck fitting a full length video card in one. For $250+, the CW01 is the only HTPC case to buy. If you need something cheaper, take a look at the LC17 and LC20.

[Mr. Roboto]

I've been enjoying my LC20 thus far. It has 92mm fans for exhaust.

[Wicked Klown]

You should've been able to pull the mobo out on the LC20 without removing the HDD rack as well would need to remvoe the dvd rack tho. Seeing as the CW01 is 425 mm (W) x 170mm (H) x 443 mm (D) and the LC20 is 430 mm (W) x 170mm (H) x 430 mm (D). Only real reason to get the CW01 over the LC20 is if you don't want a door and to have your USB,firewire and audio jacks showing.


I've been enjoying my LC20 thus far. It has 92mm fans for exhaust.


The LC20 has 80mm exhaust and 92mm or 80mm intake.

[Mr. Roboto]

bah, is it the other way around?

Sorry, I've already forgotten haha.

[hyperasus]

You should've been able to pull the mobo out on the LC20 without removing the HDD rack as well would need to remvoe the dvd rack tho. Seeing as the CW01 is 425 mm (W) x 170mm (H) x 443 mm (D) and the LC20 is 430 mm (W) x 170mm (H) x 430 mm (D). Only real reason to get the CW01 over the LC20 is if you don't want a door and to have your USB,firewire and audio jacks showing.


I dont see how you can remove the motherboard on a LC20 without removing the hard drive racks. Well maybe if you are using a micro atx motherboard. As for the only real reason to get a CW01 over the LC20 is for the door. You can be in denial if you want but thats just not true. CW01 is so much better its almost ridiculous. Dont get me wrong. Ive owned both the LC20 and LC17. Loved them both and still highly recommend them to anyone looking for a cheap HTPC case. But they really shouldn't be put in the same class as the CW01. It is a complete insult to the CW01. The build and finish on the CW01 is amazing, its front audio plugs are a direct connect to sound blaster audigy and X-Fi cards, its layout is second to none, and it is all aluminum. The doors are all the way down to number 5 on the list of why get CW01 over LC20/LC17.

Also, after changing everything over from my LC20 to the CW01, my computer runs quieter and cooler. I was able to to use lower rpm fans for the front intake and for some reason it still manages to run a few degrees cooler on the case temps. Must be all that aluminum.

[Wicked Klown]

I dont see how you can remove the motherboard on a LC20 without removing the hard drive racks. Well maybe if you are using a micro atx motherboard. As for the only real reason to get a CW01 over the LC20 is for the door. You can be in denial if you want but thats just not true. CW01 is so much better its almost ridiculous. Dont get me wrong. Ive owned both the LC20 and LC17. Loved them both and still highly recommend them to anyone looking for a cheap HTPC case. But they really shouldn't be put in the same class as the CW01. It is a complete insult to the CW01. The build and finish on the CW01 is amazing, its front audio plugs are a direct connect to sound blaster audigy and X-Fi cards, its layout is second to none, and it is all aluminum. The doors are all the way down to number 5 on the list of why get CW01 over LC20/LC17.

Also, after changing everything over from my LC20 to the CW01, my computer runs quieter and cooler. I was able to to use lower rpm fans for the front intake and for some reason it still manages to run a few degrees cooler on the case temps. Must be all that aluminum.


I'm using a Abit AB9 QuadGT in mine. Maybe it has to do with where you have the HDDs at in the rack. Also most people building a HTPC wouldn't bother with using an Audigy or a X-Fi as those are more for gaming. Mysle I like having my dvd, usb, firewire and such hidden. My system temps run 34c all the time but I've done a few mods to my case. It's just my thought but I like having a case that looks like it belongs with my home theater and not a computer. Also I have to say if I ever got a CW01 I would have to mod it as well, seeing as I'm using a Si-120 and the CW01 and the LC20 are the same height. Loudest fan in my case so far is my Zalman VF900 which is odd cause they say they quiet even at 12volts. Also aluminum is really not the best for an HTPC as it picks up vibration easier then steel. On a good note I get to mod my case again to make room for a 8800GTS.

[hyperasus]

Curious how you moded your case to fit your Si-120. My bro has the LC20 and is using an Si-128. It fit without any modifications.

[Wicked Klown]

Curious how you moded your case to fit your Si-120. My bro has the LC20 and is using an Si-128. It fit without any modifications.




I cut a square hole above the HSF and added modders mesh. With the top on I had about 1/2" to 3/4" of room between the 120 x 38mm fan and the top. The modders mesh allows it to pull cool air in. Tomorrow I might add a photo to the show your HTPC thread.

[hyperasus]

OH good idea. I am thinking of taking the top of mine to a metal shop and have them punch square holes in the top. I did it awhile back when I had my Ahanix D4 case and it worked wonders for case temps.

[nd4spdbh2]

HOLLY CRAP... that CW01 is more expensive than my full tower lian li V2000B plus 2...

n e wyas i was looking at a Lian Li PC-C30B

http://www.xoxide.com/lian-li-pc-c30b-black.html

any one have expierence with it? it lookts like its pretty well ventaliated... it really doesnt look like ima be able to find a case that has 120s and full atx for some reason...

GODS AT ANTEC.... MAKE A FULL ATX HTPC case with 120 mm fans... all you guys have to do is widen the current one you have!

[nd4spdbh2]

this ****es me off even more...

the lian li PC-C30 is a full atx case with dual 80mm exaust and the psu on end... dimensions 435 x 167 x 443mm (W.H.D)

the new Lian Li PC-C31 is a micro atx case... with dual 120mm top exaust (and vents EVERYWHERE its AWSOME) but it has its psu laying down... guess what THE WIDTH IS THE SAME.... 435 x 150 x 440mm (W,H,D) ....

RRR damnit lian li turn the psu on end in the C31 and give me what i want :beer:

[twitchee2]

antec fusion FTW!!!!

[Wicked Klown]

antec fusion FTW!!!!


Not a bad looking case if you want to use a matx. Most people tho want to use a full size atx.

[nd4spdbh2]

well its pretty much i gotta use a Full atx mobo... i picked up the E4300 and PT890T-A ecs full atx mobo... only reason i didnt ask frys to swap out the mobos to the agp matx ecs mobo was because i recieved for free a 7600gt KO PCIE gfx card from my uncle.... this HTPC is freakin AWSOME!

E4300
1gb (2x512) DDR2 533 4-4-4-12
PT890T-A
80gb hd
7600gt KO
MyHD 130 digital tv tuner

and i only bought the e4300 and mobo for 170... the rest was given to me :beer: :D

[ChinStrap]

nd4spdbh2 – have you used the MyHD tuner yet? A buddy of mine just got one here a month or so ago and when we were at a LAN party here last weekend he let me watch some of his recorded content. (24 off fox) and it looked great. So great that I have been thinking very very hard about dropping what? 130$ on one so I can watch jack Bauer @ 1440x900. The picture clarity was just ridicules. You can configure it almost anyway you want, to. :)

Keep us posted please, your opinion will prolly have some influence on my purchase…. Im on the wall right now…I just need a little push…. :beer:

[nd4spdbh2]

nd4spdbh2 – have you used the MyHD tuner yet? A buddy of mine just got one here a month or so ago and when we were at a LAN party here last weekend he let me watch some of his recorded content. (24 off fox) and it looked great. So great that I have been thinking very very hard about dropping what? 130$ on one so I can watch jack Bauer @ 1440x900. The picture clarity was just ridicules. You can configure it almost anyway you want, to. :)

Keep us posted please, your opinion will prolly have some influence on my purchase…. Im on the wall right now…I just need a little push…. :beer:


its an amazing card i poped it in my main rig and hooked it up for a day... and there are sooo many settings... i was grabing a digital signal channel like 110-15 and it was cars in 1080i... it was AMAZING!

its espically amazing considering i got the card for free along with the DVI add on card for free :D

[ChinStrap]

whats the DVI add on card? :confused:

[Nephewkp]

whats the DVI add on card? :confused:


The card comes with a dongle that allows the tuner to be connected directly to a VGA device (also has s-video and composite inputs on it). The DVI add-on allows for connection directly to a DVI display....allowing you to watch HDTV and do other things on your gfx card. I bet that with the myHD it is possible to game on the primary display and watch HD using the tuner if it is possible to hook the analog audio output of the tuner directly to a headphone jack. Because the tuner is a hardware HD decoder, HD should have no effect on gaming in terms of lag.

[nd4spdbh2]

The card comes with a dongle that allows the tuner to be connected directly to a VGA device (also has s-video and composite inputs on it). The DVI add-on allows for connection directly to a DVI display....allowing you to watch HDTV and do other things on your gfx card. I bet that with the myHD it is possible to game on the primary display and watch HD using the tuner if it is possible to hook the analog audio output of the tuner directly to a headphone jack. Because the tuner is a hardware HD decoder, HD should have no effect on gaming in terms of lag.


this is very true, you could use it as a second monitor... it has on the main card a jack for audio, it also has on the back panel digital coxial on the main card, and digital optical out on the riser card. I never thought of that but it could very easily be done, and you are correct it doesnt affect the computer because it has its own processor.

whats the DVI add on card? :confused:

the way this tuner card works is a passthrough card, so when your watching tv in any screen (part of desktop or full screen) instead of information going from the card over the pci bus to the south bridge and back out to the gfx card, the tv image is outputted by the actual card so no performance hit. Its pretty cool cus the hardware requirements for this card are like NIL!

i mean look at these hardware requirements... FOR HDTV!
CPU : Pentium-II 333MHz or faster
DRAM : 64 Megabytes or more
System Bus : PCI
OS : Windows 98 SE, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP
Other Software : DirectX Media 7.0 or Higher
Graphics Card : DirectX compatible VGA card
(8 MB memory or more recommended)
One Available PCI Slot
One USB Port

[Nephewkp]

I have the myHD 130 running in Vista Enterprise with no problems. I was able to record a certain recent sporting event involving an oddly shaped ball in 1080i w/ 5.1 audio on a 2.4GHz P4 with 2GB ram. The resulting video had no sync issues at all.