mATX HTPC case help

[mrzed]

Here is what I am looking for:

- mATX Only
- Prefer standard mATX/SFX PSU
- Full height expansion slots (no riser cards)
- 80mm fan openings a big plus
- No boxes - desktop style only
- small as possible given other requirements
- Cheap is good, but should look subdued - bonus for black

Here is what I have found so far:

- Enermax "venus" CS-10068
Advantages: Looks great, 80mm fan x2, build quality, good price
Disadvantages: no-one in Canada seems to have it, international shipping/duties not fun idea

- Athenatech A100 (thanks to search of this forum)
Advantages: Inexpensive, available from local retailer, looks reasonable (not as nice IMO as Enermax)
Disadvantages: On backorder form only local seller, 60mm fans, middling build quality

Any other options I should consider? Extreme bonus points for anyone who can point to a Canadian (even better Vancouver) retailer.

 

[Zap]

COOLER MASTER CM Media 250

I have the older version of the same chassis, the ATX-620. I'm suggesting this because I've been relatively happy with mine.

PRO:
mATX motherboard
full height cards
standard ATX PSU
same width as stereo components
black with clean looks
quality construction

CON:
60mm exhaust
too deep (problem with nearly ALL HTPC cases)

 

[Zepper]

AOpen 420 and nMedia (a brand of Enermax - don't miss taking a look at them - some are called slim towers but they can be arranged horizontally if needed). Most all have 60mm fans on the back and an 80mm somewhere else for intake. I find that making a specific effort to directly cool the HD(s), as they are often in cramped spaces with little ventilation, makes a lot of difference. How to do it for the case you choose will take some thought.

.bh.

 

[mrzed]

Thanks,

I like the look of the nMedia, but cannot find them in Canada. I agree completely about the depth issue. I'd rather have a wider PC than a deeper one, being that it's meant to fit on a shelf. I've considered building my own from MDF just to get what I want, but I'm not enough of a loon to not just wish I could pay for a reasonable alternative.

I like the general look of the Coolermaster, but the extra cost (expensive in Canada for some reason) does not justify it for me. Also, I'm not concerned about the ATX PSU, as I'll be running a low-power system.

 

[L00PY]

Coming from SPCR, you should stay away from the A100. Hot and a screamer might be okay in a woman, but not for a case.

You could try searching for the discontinued Silverstone GD98LED. I've got an old one and if that silly grey circle was black, it'd look subdued. Same layout as the Venus, but probably much harder to find given that it's discontinued and all.

 

[Zepper]

Yes, none of the mATX HTPC cases are particularly quiet, but can be improved greatly by thinking outside the box... Here's an example that could be applied to any of the cases discussed here: Outside the box . Just rip the guts out of one of the included 60mm fans and use the remaining frame as a spacer to a 60 to 80 or a 60 to 92mm adapter .

.bh.

 

[mrzed]

The silverstone looks nice. same basic setup as the Enermax, but no easier to find sadly.

Not too keen on the idea of external mounted fans. WAF is important here. If I was to get a standard 60mm type mATX case, I would be more likely to cut a 80mm fan opening on the side next to the PCI slots for exhaust, and ditch the 60mm openings.

I'm leaning towards either build my own, or just order the Enermax and deal with the hassles of duties and cross border shipping.

 

[Zepper]

Have you considered the Chenming MATX-118? Comes with a pretty stout PSU and can be had w/ or w/o window. Jab-tech (one of my favorite resellers) has it at a good price. A lot quieter and cooler than the more compact cases. Ooops, I forgot, you're in Canada so buying from Jab-tech is probably out of the question. Well, I'm wrong! They DO ship to Canada...

Oh, I got the number of the AOpen wrong, it's the H420A. Can be used as a tower or horizontally. Easily as good as any of the other compact cases and their 300W PSU is a killer - they say it's proprietary, but it's not. It's a standard SFX variant (same form factor as the PSUs used in the Enermax and A100 series) made by Fortron and rebadged AOpen.
AOpen is usually available almost anywhere in the world.

.bh.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: L00PY
Hot and a screamer might be okay in a woman, but not for a case.

😀

 

[RobsTV]

Originally posted by: mrzed

- Athenatech A100 (thanks to search of this forum)
Advantages: Inexpensive, available from local retailer, looks reasonable (not as nice IMO as Enermax)
Disadvantages: On backorder form only local seller, 60mm fans, middling build quality

Great case!
It is THE prefered inexpensive HTPC case of choice for HTPC builders.
Excellent work room and capacity. (Very good build quality!).
The A100-BB has a nice subdued look, and is black.
Fit's into any entertainment center or stereo rack and blends well with other A/V units.

Excellent airflow (remove rear 60mm fan grills to lower noise near silent).
2 rear 60mm, + 60mm in PS, + the grill above CPU, add up to plenty of airflow.
Front has provision for 80mm.
The included FSP Group power supply can be upgraded, but usually not nessasary.
For even lower noise levels, Zalman 7000 series HSF fits great. (used an AlCu here).

After messing with all the inexpensive HTPC cases, I always come back to the A100-BB.
It is much better than Antec Aria and X-Qpack. (I still use X-Qpack for desktop, but not HTPC).
Three A100's in use here now, running Jetway A210 Pro mATX motherboards with Opteron 144@2.7GHz, with two using the onboard x300 video, and last using ATi x800 PCIe.