Final Words
We at AnandTech want to stress that we believe certain issues are much more important when deciding on an HTPC, and other issues which normally matter a lot in the desktop environment simply don’t anymore.
Namely, an HTPC really doesn’t need all the tool-less features of a nice desktop case. They’re certainly appreciated, but a home theater computer most likely shouldn’t need to be upgraded that often, if at all.
So, what then are the more important aspects? Certainly, styling is up there, as no one wants components to dress down their living space. In this realm, we really feel that all four cases really have to be considered equal, since users have such different perspectives on what "good looking" means. The possible exception is the Overture, simply because it doesn't attempt to stealthily cover any of the external drives, but even then, it's still just a matter of preference to what one considers attractive. Also, glossy black metallic paint jobs aren't really all that common, and fingerprints can be a bit of a pain (at least Antec does include a cleaning cloth with the Overture II).
In our own opinion, the Tenor makes the boldest statement aesthetically and would probably fit in nicely with a more modern décor. At the other end of the spectrum is the more discrete Mstation, but with the problems with both of these case's optical drive systems, it's a bit of a gamble if they're the right case for you. Looking at the heat and noise charts alone, the Overture II appears to be a solid winner, and it's true that if noise and temperatures are the most important aspects, that would be a smart choice.
Does this mean that we think the Overture II is the best case in this roundup? No, each case in this roundup has something unique to offer and ultimately, it just comes down to what the prospective buyer is looking for. Basically, we feel that the ~$90 Tenor is a great value, which offers the most options and expandability and would be the best for the power-user who expects to build a very extensive media PC. The ~$130 Lian Li only gets our nod to users who love the perforated look (and slightly odd dimensions), and want as trouble-free of an installation as possible. If hot components aren't a problem, the Mstation definitely takes the cake as the quietest, sleekest performer - but beware the picky optical drive tray cover. Sadly, it doesn't appear very easy to get a case from 3R System in the U.S., so we really don't know what one could get the case for here. 3R is a Korean based company, and if the case really appeals to someone, we'd recommend checking them out in more detail at http://www.3rsys.com/english/main.asp. Lastly, the ~$100 Overture II is a cooling-performance-per-decibel marvel that is the perfect choice for users who don't want to have to get a separate power supply and then plan on getting a nice looking optical drive and perhaps floppy/card reader drive.
With quite a few little strikes against each case, we simply cannot justify giving any an editor's choice award. However, all four of these cases are still excellent, and combined with the proper components, they won't give users any problems. These types of cases have already improved ten-fold, so we can only imagine what the next generation of HTPC enclosures will offer. Hopefully, they'll be just as quiet and simply get the little things like stealthy drive covers and power supply and motherboard clearance issues straightened out.
We at AnandTech want to stress that we believe certain issues are much more important when deciding on an HTPC, and other issues which normally matter a lot in the desktop environment simply don’t anymore.
Namely, an HTPC really doesn’t need all the tool-less features of a nice desktop case. They’re certainly appreciated, but a home theater computer most likely shouldn’t need to be upgraded that often, if at all.
So, what then are the more important aspects? Certainly, styling is up there, as no one wants components to dress down their living space. In this realm, we really feel that all four cases really have to be considered equal, since users have such different perspectives on what "good looking" means. The possible exception is the Overture, simply because it doesn't attempt to stealthily cover any of the external drives, but even then, it's still just a matter of preference to what one considers attractive. Also, glossy black metallic paint jobs aren't really all that common, and fingerprints can be a bit of a pain (at least Antec does include a cleaning cloth with the Overture II).
In our own opinion, the Tenor makes the boldest statement aesthetically and would probably fit in nicely with a more modern décor. At the other end of the spectrum is the more discrete Mstation, but with the problems with both of these case's optical drive systems, it's a bit of a gamble if they're the right case for you. Looking at the heat and noise charts alone, the Overture II appears to be a solid winner, and it's true that if noise and temperatures are the most important aspects, that would be a smart choice.
Does this mean that we think the Overture II is the best case in this roundup? No, each case in this roundup has something unique to offer and ultimately, it just comes down to what the prospective buyer is looking for. Basically, we feel that the ~$90 Tenor is a great value, which offers the most options and expandability and would be the best for the power-user who expects to build a very extensive media PC. The ~$130 Lian Li only gets our nod to users who love the perforated look (and slightly odd dimensions), and want as trouble-free of an installation as possible. If hot components aren't a problem, the Mstation definitely takes the cake as the quietest, sleekest performer - but beware the picky optical drive tray cover. Sadly, it doesn't appear very easy to get a case from 3R System in the U.S., so we really don't know what one could get the case for here. 3R is a Korean based company, and if the case really appeals to someone, we'd recommend checking them out in more detail at http://www.3rsys.com/english/main.asp. Lastly, the ~$100 Overture II is a cooling-performance-per-decibel marvel that is the perfect choice for users who don't want to have to get a separate power supply and then plan on getting a nice looking optical drive and perhaps floppy/card reader drive.
With quite a few little strikes against each case, we simply cannot justify giving any an editor's choice award. However, all four of these cases are still excellent, and combined with the proper components, they won't give users any problems. These types of cases have already improved ten-fold, so we can only imagine what the next generation of HTPC enclosures will offer. Hopefully, they'll be just as quiet and simply get the little things like stealthy drive covers and power supply and motherboard clearance issues straightened out.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
26 Comments
View All Comments
Tamale - Tuesday, November 22, 2005 - link
The 'POS' power supply happens to deliver steadier voltages to the highest-end gear I've gotten my hands on (and no, the P4 test bed isn't the most powerful thing I've tested it in) than anything else that's passed through my hands, and that includes over a dozen power supplies by high-end manufacturers. I'm no reviewer of power supplies yet, as we're still working on that, but I guarantee you that this is a fine unit, especially for the area of case reviews, because in quiet mode it does a fantastic job of staying silent enough to hear the case fans and still provides rock-solid voltages to a stressed-out system. It also gets warm when in quiet mode in the cases that don't ventilate the power supply well enough, which is another good measure of a case. Perhaps most important however is the modular nature of the unit, and even though I've tried other modular units none were as quiet as the MadDog.Secondly, the thermaltake golden orb II at full voltage is quieter than any of zalman's coolers at full voltage. While I understand that the zalman will probably get lower temperatures, It is absolutely essential that the CPU cooler in my test bed make as little noise as possible, and the golden orb II does just that.
The recurring theme in your post seems to me to be that you want 'the perfect HTPC', but the whole idea of a case review is to isolate everything but the case as much as possible, and sometimes hotter components do a better job of illustrating the deficiencies of units than the latest and greatest.
Trust me on this one, if we used the absolute best gear available the comparisons would be much muddier.
As for the subjective comment, my scale of 1-10 can be thought of as a scale of tolerance.. with 5 basically being the threshold... anything higher than that really is 'too loud for the given application' and anything lower than 4 is 'acceptable'. It's not meant to be a numerically accurate scale of any sort. I felt very comfortable with the final subject ratings I gave these cases, because the Tenor and PC-800B just barely passed my personal threshold test, and I believe most users will agree.
tayhimself - Tuesday, November 22, 2005 - link
I hope you realize other PSUs are likely quieter and more efficient than "Mad Dog". Sure the may be quiet to your ears, but thats too subjective to really mean anything. Sadly, you rate the modular nature as being an important issue when it is not. The PSU getting warm in quiet mode may be a sign of a PSU not getting enough airflow.And you say "its silent enough to hear case fans". While that can be true, the PSU and Tt golden orb noise signatures can drown out subtler differences between the cases in terms of noise of the case fans. This is almost obvious from your review as you dont perceive the difference of 9 dB to be significant. Its better to use quality quiet components so you can tell what the case is contributing to the noise spectrum. Since this is about making case buying decisions, the other factors are best isolated.
Avalon - Tuesday, November 22, 2005 - link
Get crackin'.mrgq912 - Tuesday, November 22, 2005 - link
to tired to read the article but first post.mrgq912 - Tuesday, November 22, 2005 - link
okay now that I have that out of my system. How come you guys never review stuff from alienware or voodoopc. Those guys make HTPC's aswell. I never every heard of the players in this review making HTPC's untill today. Well nice to know i have options.Would buy one if i could, untill then i will live with my ati tv wonder elite.
ksherman - Tuesday, November 22, 2005 - link
uh, cuz Alienware and Voodoo are over priced peices of DooDoo... and because this site is more geared around people that build their own machines...