HTPC With an ATX Motherboard?
I'm looking at building a 'budget' HTPC. I see most of the cases used for an HTPC, only fit a M-ATX (micro / mini) motherboard. Is there a case that will suit a HTPC, that will also fit a full ATX board inside it? I really don't want to have to use a full tower case because it really does defeat the object.
Any suggestions of such a case would be fantastic!
I'm pretty sure that the Antec Fusion Max will allocate a ATX motherboard.
http://www.antec.com/Believe_it/product.php?id=NzE0
There are other cases, Silverstone ones as such, here:
http://www.silverstonetek.com/ (just look under Chassis/HTPC & ATX on left hand side).
Hope that helps on finding your chosen case.
Clarky (26-07-2009)
Not wanting to dismiss your suggestions out of hand, but those cases look slightly garish. Say I was to get a M-ATX board, are there any other sleek looking cases that don't look like a breeze block?
Also, could anyone suggest a good S775 M-ATX board?
All of the cases here are desktop style cases that will take a full ATX motherboard.
There are tons of nice mATX cases out there - I personally like the Antec Minuet if you're going mATX, although I also have a soft spot for the NSK1380.
If you're planning on using the onboard graphics of the mATX motherboard, you'll realistically need something based on the NVidia GeForce 9000-series chipsets, like this Gigabyte board.
How about a NZXT Rogue?
How about this, whats the smallest size chassis that will fit a full size ATX motherboard?
Erm... an ATX one? Not sure what you mean tbh. I suggest you just look at a few etailers, compare the sizes of various cases, and pick one you like the look of. To quote Wikipedia: "A full size ATX board is 12 in × 9.6 in (305 mm × 244 mm).", so you're never going to find a particularly small case for a full ATX motherboard...Originally Posted by Clarky
I built an HTPC out of my old desktop parts simply transplanted into a Silverstone LC17. At £90.26 it's not 'budget' budget but it looks understated and stylish in my living room and it's easy to work on if I get the urge to fiddle.
Leo Laporte - "I for one, welcome our new Google overlords"
Go on ebuyer and search for "Extra Value Black Opera ATX Desktop Case 500W PSU".
Cheap and well equipped. I got one for my Media center and it's GREAT!
The 500w PSU it comes with is alright, but i have a HD3850 in mine, so i swapped for a PSU with a 6pin cables, Hiper 425w.
*Reason, i didn't give a link is because im not sure i can yet. If someone can do the link for me, that'd be great
Why is it that that cheap Ebuyer case looks better than anything over £50. I don't get it.
I guess aesthetics really are personal. Thanks for the input.
Case design is about much more than just aesthetics - for instance, the Ebuyer case only has 2x60mm rear fans (and probably cheapo ones at that), so they'll be a lot noisier than a single 120mm equivalent in order to achieve the same cooling performance.Why is it that that cheap Ebuyer case looks better than anything over £50. I don't get it.
I guess aesthetics really are personal. Thanks for the input.
Most people would consider noise to be a bad thing in an HTPC, but it's quite hard to juggle low noise AND efficient cooling AND compact dimensions AND low cost, particularly if you have some high-powered (hot) components inside, and that's before you start considering things like build quality, finish and styling.
Because, as CaptainCrash says, case design is about a lot more than aesthetics!
More expensive cases have better internal design, enhanced features, better cable routing and better fan compatibility, so you get e.g. more airflow (and hence cooler components) with less, quieter fans; vibration damping mounts on hard drives to reduce noise and extend component life; removable drive cages / motherboard trays to make building easier etc.
On the other hand, if you're looking to build on a budget a lot of ebuyer's extra value cases are more than up to the job, and will save you some money to spend elsewhere on your build. Personally, I'd use that saving to get a decent, branded PSU like an Antec, OCZ, Corsair, Enermax etc (there's plenty of build threads in the hardware section that have good PSU recommendations).
The ebuyer (EV / Trendsonic) case has:
2 x 80mm REAR
2 x 120mm SIDE
It has great airflow and as for graphics cards, aslong as it's no longer than the board.
Everyone thats seen it thinks it looks great. And it has great placement for cablemanagement.
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