HTPC owners, do you use a standard case or an actual htpc case?

[jtvang125]

I have the Zalman HD160 HTPC case. It's kind of funny that everyone who has seen it always ask me what that receiver looking thing is. Most of them are pretty shocked when I tell them that it's an actual computer since many picture a computer as one using a midtower case. Unfortunately for these types of cases space is pretty tight inside. So if you're like me and have tons of hard drives (10 for me) you'll need an external enclosure to hold them all.

 

[NaOH]

Dad has a really nice Antec HTPC case. It has a ticker in the front that tells you what song, movie, news, weather, ANYTHING and can be easily programmed. My friend also uses a diff HTPC case by antec with no ticker. I think having a designated case like that is really aesthetically pleasing.

Zalman's are HOT but $$$. How much did you pay for yours?

 

[sdifox]

Full ATX tower. I don't care to make my computer look like audio equipment.

 

[Blurry]

Poor college student so I use an old beige Chenbro MidATX case. Has a failed blowhole attempt at the top so I hid it nice and good with some saran wrap. Granted its more of a print/file server than an HTPC but every once in a while I get a DVD and use it as my main DVD player.

 

[Raduque]

My HTPC is a Compaq mATX build. My old HTPC is a midtower ATX. I need an HTPC case because the Compaq mATX is ugly and the DVD drive is sideways.

 

[Falloutboy]

I have my old Antec tower case, I keey saying i'm going to get a HTPC case, but i'm up to 5 HDs in my damn HTPC, so I think to make the transition i'll need to also add a fileserver.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: Falloutboy
I have my old Antec tower case, I keey saying i'm going to get a HTPC case, but i'm up to 5 HDs in my damn HTPC, so I think to make the transition i'll need to also add a fileserver.

I have 5 hdd in case and I think 9 in external enclosure

It's not that I don't have more room in the case, I just worry about psu.

 

[Quasmo]

I have the Antec Overture II. My next HTPC case is absolutely going to be a Silverstone case. They have enough room for 6 internal drives. Not only that, but they are incredibly sexy.

 

[ZetaEpyon]

I have the Antec Fusion Remote Max.
It has 4 internal drive mounting points, but I'm only using two right now. If I had that many drives, I'd just set up a separate file server.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

silverstone lc-20m black

 

[krotchy]

Silverstone HTPC case with remote. In all honesty I pretty much use 1 remote command total, On/Off since I have a wireless KB/Mouse around. But its was worth it IMO.

 

[BassBomb]

I use standard case so it stands beside my tv stand. An HTPC case wouldn't fit in my TV stand and if it was beside it would look odd

 

[dmw16]

You have 10 hard drives? How big? That would drive me crazy, but I am totally anal about cords.

 

[jtvang125]

Originally posted by: dmw16
You have 10 hard drives? How big? That would drive me crazy, but I am totally anal about cords.

7x 750gb and 3x 500gb. 4 of them sits inside the htpc case and the remaining 6 are in a 6 bay hotswap enclosure tower. The tower sits behind the tv stand out of sight.

 

[erwos]

If I were to go down the HTPC route again and needed to physically position it near my TV, I'd use a real HTPC case. There's nothing uglier than a tower sideways in your otherwise lovely media center.

Then again, if _I_ was going to go down the HTPC route again, I'd probably use Media Center Extenders and an XPS 420 (with CableCard), or whatever the Windows 7 variant will wind up being.

 

[DaveJ]

My HTPC is in an Antec P180, and it's excellent... keeps things nice and cool and is very quiet.

 

[wetech]

I have the Moneaul 932 with the 7" touchscreen. It's a slick looking case. The touchscreen works well for me. The wife likes to listen to iTunes, and it allows us to keep the plasma turned off while still being able to select playlists, etc. It's also useful for keeping an eye on any x264 encoding while keeping all other components turned off.