HTPC cases

karym6

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Why are HTPC cases so expensive?

I am hunting around for parts to build an HTPC with, I dont mind paying a bit more for a CPU, memory and sound card etc - but over £100 for a case? How come?
 
thats a good price, looks quite large though? I'd be interested in hearing on what you plan to build as I'd like to build one of these soon..

What software are you planning on using?
 
I was thinking of LinuxMCE, which I will try out before I settle on the final OS.

However, I think I will be going for the Vista option based on the fact I want to use iTunes etc on it. Undecided as of yet still though.

So far I have a combo Bluray/HDDVD drive on the way as well as an AMD Phenom quad core. Not decided on the case yet either, measuring up as we speak :)
 
Having built 5, avoid any case that has cd/dvd players loacted in the centre of the case as you will discover that this will give you expansion problems.

If you go for a small case you will also discover that your expansion capabilities will be severley restricted and no full height cards can be put into the case.
 
I've had a half-height, barebones ASUS P3-PH4 for nearly 2 years. The PH4 has since been superceeded by the P3-P5G31 and P3-P5G33 (both on ebuyer). A card reader is fitted as stock.

This runs a 3.2GHz Pentium D at stock speeds on a Zalman CPNS7500 HSF, 2GB DDR2, and Blu-Ray/HD-DVD combo. Graphics is provided by XFX 8400 with low profile bracket connected via DVI to HDMI cable. Whilst the on board sound is very capable (including a SPDIF header on the motherboard) I've installed an ASUS Xonar DX, also on a low profile bracket, for a future home cinema upgrade.

Of note; the optical drive sits over two of the ram slots. So DDR2 modules with tall heat sinks like Corsair's Dominator or OCZ's Reaper ranges will not fit.
 
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I am still undecided about the case. My tv stand isnt the right width for standard AV components to fit, so I may go for a SFF case instead to get this working.

Annoyingly, a lot of the cases I looked at yesterday didnt include their dimensions which was a pain. However I am pretty much covinced it will use an AMD Phenom quad core.
 
ive been hunting high and low for a decent htpc case as well. it is a pain in the arse. The majority seem to be around 42- 43 cm deep. This is far too deep for the majority of tv stands out there. I am currently using a hiper case but i could not recommend it to any one - i have had to watercool it to keep the noise down.

silverstone grandia gd-02 looks functional (36 cm deep) but fairly ugly. Also consider the fact that if your tv stand has a central coloum for cable management and you stick a graphics card in your htpc case, the vga/dvi/hdmi cable will probably foul against it.

it is worth doing - can just be a bit of a pain to get it right.

good luck.
 
I know what you mean - I dont have a TV stand, more of a massive set of shelves that are 38cm wide. This making them too narrow to fit most av equipment :(

I am still no closer to finding the case I want, might have plump for one of those cube/shuttle things.
 
I used one of these
http://www.telfordmedia.co.uk/OnlineStore/tabid/102/ProductID/269/Default.aspx
case is nice quality and under 12" square (28.5cm) so will fit practically anywhere
fitted with an AC Freezer64LP running at 5V on an Athlon 4850e it's virtually silent and runs around 45c in normal use
however it does have a few bad points - so if these are important dont buy it
1. supplied PSU's ramp up temps are all wrong for this case - replaced it with a seasonic 300w
2. case fan wont allow cards which are any higher than spec - it sits directly above the card slots - so cards like floppydtv's will not fit in this case
3. external drive bay is IDE only - as all BR drives seem to be SATA this could be a problem - still working on converting it neatly - rathewr than hanging an esata cable out the back which is my current solution lol

but those points aside if you want a small case that can be kept cool this one is worth having (lol)
 
thats a very nice case for anyone hoping to start building an HTPC - the only thing that would make me not consider it is that I have limited space. Most AV equipment is 43cm wide, however I only have a 39cm wide gap to put it in :(
 
why not?

no real expansion card capability and no ability to fit a real HSF so noisy - might be ok for a deaf person who only wants to watch films that stutter a lot (onboard graphics aint what they should be on most boards lol) but if you wanted to build an HTPC in it then not really up to the job

dont get me wrong - if you wanted to use it to build a media player then it might do that provided you dont have an issue with the noise and dont mind your other gear being cooked - but your havin' a laugh if you think you can build an HTPC worth having in it
 
why not?

no real expansion card capability and no ability to fit a real HSF so noisy - might be ok for a deaf person who only wants to watch films that stutter a lot (onboard graphics aint what they should be on most boards lol) but if you wanted to build an HTPC in it then not really up to the job

dont get me wrong - if you wanted to use it to build a media player then it might do that provided you dont have an issue with the noise and dont mind your other gear being cooked - but your havin' a laugh if you think you can build an HTPC worth having in it
sorry, which post is this a response to?
 
sorry I thought that was the whole idea of a Home Theatre PC that it was indeed to watch on your tv, if your thinking of making it much bigger surely you may as well just bite the bullet and get a micro case or a cube or better still build a full system?
 
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