HTPC cases with 120mm fans -$150

[kenny_dope]

Looking to build my first HTPC to go with my new HDTV. Was looking at the Antec Fusion or the NSK2400 because its cheap. My budget is definitely under $150 - but its quite hard to find where I am. I'm also not sure about the way its gonna look as well. I like the look of the Silverstone HTPC cases but they are usually around $200+ and with smaller fans. Any recommendations?

[kenny_dope]

Did I post this in the wrong forum? Just wondering or are these two the only HTPC cases with 120mm fans?

[wormraper]

Check out the Antec P180 on Newegg. It has 3 or 4 120 mm fans and I love the dang thing. It is silent as hell but is a bit heavy.

[kenny_dope]

I was more looking at HTPC cases -ones that can fit under a TV horizontally. I've never been a fan of the P180 actually -reminds me of a Frigidaire ;)

[Tinker]

You would get more responses from

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=26/

concerning HTPC style case. This forum is used mainly for gaming related.

[HeadRusch]

HTPC cases are designed to fit into the form factor of a standard audio component in an audio rack. They are not, generally, designed to be used with 120mm fans.

You can slap a 120mm fan opening onto just about any old case....but wether or not you actually get any decent airflow from it is another matter entirely.

Unless you're hung up on looks, you can always consider a good looking mini desktop case laid down on its side.

When I went looking for HTPC cases All I found was overpriced junk ($250 for a case? They're nuts). I opted for a $50.00 super slim tower/desktop case instead that solved all my problems.

[kenny_dope]

Thx for both comments Tinker/Headrusch -I'll start looking out for a slim book case.

[Jim S]

HTPC cases are designed to fit into the form factor of a standard audio component in an audio rack. They are not, generally, designed to be used with 120mm fans.

Look again, I use the NSK2400 (http://www.silentpcreview.com/article591-page1.html) for my HTPC and it uses two 120mm case fans. Nice box for the money.

[HeadRusch]

Had I known about that case for $99, I'd have gone that route. I didn't find anything except $200+ Silverstones that everyone reported as being cramped with lousy airflow, I'm glad to see some companies are stepping up to address the issue.

I believe the case manufacturer that I bought was INWIN. Its a very, very bizarre case.
Its very narrow, everything is aligned vertically, but its meant to be a tower. Its about as
thick as two 5" CD-Rom drives. Its got reasonable airflow options, a CPU blow port, and its all black. I wanted it mainly because it was *thin*.

Thing is, it takes a full ATX board, which means its deep.....its like standing a sheet cake from the grocery store up on your desk (heh heh) but I wanted narrow, and it fits the bill.

That case is pretty cool.....the only problem I have with it is that it apparrantly only fits MicroATX motherboards, and I generally have full ATX's. Next build tho...definately a consideration.

[nameless33]

If you don't mind a vertical case, this antec case is cheap and well designed for cooling.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811129152

You need to buy a power supply for it, but all the better, those 380 watt supplies are worthless these days.

Pick up the second 120mm fan for the hard drives up front.

Check out silentpcreview.com for a good 120mm fan comparison review.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article695-page1.html

[fanerman]

I second the Antec P180 if you don't mind the vertical form factor (and size). It's an incredible case.

[kenny_dope]

Personally I find the P180 a bit ugly -for my gaming PC I was originally looking at the Lian Li PC-V1100 but for the same reason as it looking like a fridge I went for the G5-esque V1000 Plus II.

I really like the look of the Antec Fusion -its just so damned expensive though. I also stumbled across this Lian Li PC-C31b

http://www.lian-li.com/images/products/pc-c31/popup/pc-c31b.jpg

What do you guys think? 2x120mm fans as well but I bet it'll be more than the Fusion. Also wondering if you can fit an iMon in there too

[Tinker]

Personally I find the P180 a bit ugly -for my gaming PC I was originally looking at the Lian Li PC-V1100 but for the same reason as it looking like a fridge I went for the G5-esque V1000 Plus II.

I really like the look of the Antec Fusion -its just so damned expensive though. I also stumbled across this Lian Li PC-C31b

http://www.lian-li.com/images/products/pc-c31/popup/pc-c31b.jpg

What do you guys think? 2x120mm fans as well but I bet it'll be more than the Fusion. Also wondering if you can fit an iMon in there too
1st off, Lian LI's are generally not cheap...I am a Lian Li fan when it comes to mid tower cases (use them for all gaming builds), but I dont use them for HTPCs. Imo they just dont make really good HTPC ones, build quality is tops, but looks well.... thats a personal taste. The C31 is the 1st one from them that is more in the traditional HTPC style like case that takes full size ATX components. But as stated, Lian Lin is not cheap. As far as 120mm exhaust fans in a HTPC, I never found a need for them. Most cases I use that uses the 60mm or 80mm, if I dont remove them then I replace them with silent fans and never had noise/heating issues, but just make sure that CPU HS/FAN is a good one. Also many of the newer HTPC cases have the PSU right by the CPU area, so just get a PSU with a 120/130/140mm xhaust fan and it will draw the hot air out thru the PSU. Currently I am running mod'd Thermaltake Bach and Ahanix D4 with no xhaust fans at all, but have Thermalright SI-128 HS's with a silent 120mm fans along with Emermax Liberty 620w modular PSU (120mm xhaust fan) and both 939 AMD X2's min OC's (5%) idle at <40c and max's at <50c. Also with some of the tower like HS, just orient the fan to blow out out thru the xhaust back opennings. The only issue with tower like HS is the fit, Many of the really good ones that uses 120mm fans are just a bit too tall to fit in many HTPC type case.

EDIT: If you still wanting a 120mm HTPC case, take a look at this review...but you have to add the additional 120's since it onely comes with one (really cheaped out for such and expensive case IMO)
http://www.bigbruin.com/2007/cmmedia280_1

What had me intrested in this case is the claim that it can take long vid cards like the 8800GTX.

[kenny_dope]

That Coolermaster looks quite nice -I'll have to price them tomorrow where I am (Hong Kong) and see which one looks like the better deal. I for one would prefer a traditional HTPC case like one of these but I'll have to see what the guy says about his system. Thx for the links. What do you guys think about that Thermaltake one? Normally I hate TT stuff but this one looks decent -at least on par with the Antec Aria etc

[Tinker]

That Coolermaster looks quite nice -I'll have to price them tomorrow where I am (Hong Kong) and see which one looks like the better deal.
I am not a big fan of TT either, But currently I have 3 of their cases in house, Tenor, Bach (same interior as the Tenor) and the Big monster cube tower Mozart TX. The TT's cases (excluding the TX) are affordable, People that I build for don't mind paying for TT cases. I use to use Silverstone (esp the LC03) but after two bad cases (bad LC20M VFDs), I am trying alternatives. Their new cases look good tho.

http://www.silverstonetek.com/products-gd01mx.htm (looks like an upgraded LC03)

http://www.silverstonetek.com/products-cw01.htm (but expensive since its all aluminum)



Gee I was born in HK...way (way, way way :rolleyes: ) back when it was under rule of the Brit's.

[kenny_dope]

Haha -yeah I was born here too, now working. Hard to find good cases in HK -usually they have LL / Silverstone in stock but you never really find the obscure ones like NMedia etc.

I've always been a fan of Silverstone/LL but they are hard to justify the price when you can get something quiet like a Sonata or a CM for much cheaper. I really don't wanna go much smaller than 92mm fans -purely cos I'm a silence freak so thats always ruled out Silverstones. At the moment I'm using a Lian Li PC-V1000II which has been my biggest challenge in silencing. Can't find Acoustifoam anywhere in HK and had to order some Yate Loons from a friend in the US -still, my XP-90 w/110mm Silverstone is howling and its probably time to grab an SI-128 (the Ultra-120/Tuniq doesn't fit due to the SLI)

[Tinker]

I have a Lian Li V1000 also as my main gaming rig. Silent it is not, since it is running a pretty fast/loud HS 120mm panaflo fan with a Thermalright ULTRA-120, along with two 120mm's (intake and out)and two 80mm's cooling the SLI 8800GTS's and chipset. The Ultra-120 does fit in the V1000. I am using a ASUS P5N32 SLI SE Deluxe mobo. But at least there is a fan controller on the fan's. Gave up trying to make any high end gaming rig silent , esp the V1000 with all the air holes on the case.

Its funny that selection of cases are so limited in HK, the last time I was there (1985), the few "computer" stores I look at had a lot of electonics (tho not PCs other the the Apple II since they were not available). Its weird that even now you can get almost anything you want in HK, but are limited in HTPC cases.

[kenny_dope]

The problem I'm having with silencing the V1000 is my mobo -its a DFI NF4-SLI Infinity -but it only has single spaces between the PCIe slots, meaning my 7900GTs (w/ VF-900s) barely fit. The fans on the VF900s have to run at full 12v because the top one gets hotter and because its an old SLI mobo there isn't much space from the top PCIe to the CPU mounting. I've tried both the Tuniq and the Ultra-120 and they don't fit. I installed the Ultra-90 but found the XP-90 gave me better performance and cooled the surrounding mosfets -it even lowered the temps on the 7900GTs!

Right now you can get pretty much anything in HK in terms of electronics, usually prices are about 5-10% cheaper than the US but we don't get any of that Newegg rebate stuff you guys get. A lot of Taiwanese brands but nothing like BFG here -I had to buy them off a friend who lived in the States