wow, I'm posting in CC!! Micro / HTPC case recommendations

Baddass

Baddass

Baddass

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Hi all, first of all if that Yewen guy comes in, there'll be trouble! :p

anyway, i'm looking for a micro case for use with a HTPC. The thing is i want to keep cost as low as possible, this is on a budget, but i'd like something pretty small. Planning to have a micro ATX motherboard, 1x DVDRW drive, 1x HD, so not needing loads of room really. Any suggestions on a budget?

pics and links (to manufacturers page, not to competitors ;)) appreciated :)
 
or qpack, or ss sugo. or for a bit more room ss tj08. cubes are bit of a squeeze, especially if you want a bigger (read quieter) cpu cooler. problem audio size cases is riser cards...sob if want to replace/add gfx, soundcard, tuner, radio etc.

willing to sacrifice size for ease of fitting/room?
 
that was one on my short list :) looks a good bet. Any difference in size to a shuttle case at all? Could i get a shuttle case and use it in the same way? Do you need specifically small PSU's for these or will any PSU do the job?
 
squiffy said:
or qpack, or ss sugo. or for a bit more room ss tj08. cubes are bit of a squeeze, especially if you want a bigger (read quieter) cpu cooler. problem audio size cases is riser cards...sob if want to replace/add gfx, soundcard, tuner, radio etc.

willing to sacrifice size for ease of fitting/room?
Click to expand...

the motherboard i have my eye on has a built in graphics GPU, so no need for an AGP card. Dont think i'll really need any PCI cards really, onboard LAN, onboard 7.1 sounds....no need for a TV card i dont think for my uses
 
SHuttle are not matx, are smaller and non standard (not matx) mobo and psu. opt for matx imo, standard at least. SHuttle are too cramped.
 
Almost all mATX cases will be bigger than a shuttle.

Anyhow, onto the recommendations.

The Silverstone Lascala cases are good, but may be a bit bigger than you would like.

The obvious choice and one that should be top of your list or near there is a Sugo, or Sugo evo, second hand they can be had for quite cheap and new the price is not bad for what you get.

If you want a tower case the TJ08 is ok for looks, but the internal build quality is quite low in comparisson to a PC7+II but better than a generic case, one of the better options if you want a tower due to the two 120mm fans, making the potential for it to be very quiet indeed.

Antec Aria is another option, as is the X-Qpack, although the Aspire case is a little flimsy, would recommend using one in the flesh to see how you find it first as you may think it slightly tacky.

The Hiper Media case is very good, especially if you are planning to put it in with a Sky box and a DVD player under a TV, they blend in very well.

Erm, tricky one to phrase now. :(
Some more cases but they are branded with competitors or related to competitors directly, so make communication or do some mind reading, you know. :p

EDIT: Oh and nice to see you posting in the forum you supposedly moderate. :p
 
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Yewen said:
EDIT: Oh and nice to see you posting in the forum you supposedly moderate. :p
Click to expand...

lol, if anyone knows it's you who knows how much moderating i have to do in here ;)

thanks for all the recommendations guys. Will take a look at them all.
 
I'd definatly go with a Silverstone for this kind of PC, very good quality, sleek, stylish and functional. Only problem is expense, just depends on how much of a budget you are on.

The LC12 is a great case, much like the SG01 but without the larger chassis:

lc12.jpg


Only problems are that it could heat up quite a bit and be quite restrictive of the hardware you use. It also won't supply you with much power.

Alternatively, go for a larger Lascala series which will probably be cheaper, but won't give you such a compact feel. Apart from the hefty price take, the Sugo fits the bill perfectly:

sg01-E.jpg


Good luck!
 
Is the LC12 not mini-ITX Alu_ATC?

*Goes to check*

Baddass, check the 4 emails I have sent, one has something that needs sorting in.

EDIT: Yes it is.
 
Last edited:
Yewen said:
Is the LC12 not mini-ITX Alu_ATC?

*Goes to check*

Baddass, check the 4 emails I have sent, one has something that needs sorting in.

EDIT: Yes it is.
Click to expand...

Yes it is, but as Baddass was saying, he is 'planning' to use a mATX board - thought i'd throw in another equation.
 
I did via email. :p

The LC09 is another alternative due to it being so slim, quite nice and wall mountable if you put a hour into doing it.

I was considering one for a long long time.
 
61 quid. Like you said, mobo tray and HD cage could be improved however I feel it is a better case overall than the qpack (qpack is a tenner more but have to factor in PSU for the SS, however PSU in the qpack is noisy and so-so, probably replace straight away so qpack will work out more expensve)

SS has more better cooling and will be quieter, can fit larger cpu HSF, depth wise more space qpack will be tight with a deeper standard atx PSU (probably need shallow depth optical drives) qpack removeable tray is good though, better tray than the tj08, but in reality how many times do you remove mobo?

I would not recommend get a HTPC style case ie SS LC11, as OP might add cards later (totally stuck then) You might not want them now, but perhaps onboard GFX starts to give up with HD material, HD divx etc.
 
If you are watching HD films on a PC though, if it is a HTPC you will not be multitasking, and usually you have a bare install of windows with only the essentials.

60% CPU is nothing, as that is all it has to do, if it was 95% then it may be a issue.

I have ran it fine on a 6200TC so you do not need much grunt.
 
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