Is touch the way of the future? Partially. I don’t think that the old fashioned keyboard and mouse is going to go anywhere soon, but touch-screens offer an alternative way to interact with our computers that has unique advantages and disadvantages. I wouldn’t want to type a term paper on a touch-screen virtual keyboard, but I would rather edit graphics with an accurate multi-touch display.

Most touch-screen devices are tablets or convertible tablets, but there are some exceptions that are notable. These touch-screen PCs are fully functioning and quite powerful desktops that require little sacrifice from users. But which ones are the best? Let’s find out.

HP TouchSmart 610

HP has been a leader in touch-screen desktop PCs for some time. Their TouchSmart series of all-in-ones has stood out of the crowd based one two strengths. One is the quality of the touchscreen, had traditionally been available at a high resolution and with very accurate touch input. The other is the built-in software that ships with the TouchSmart line, which is designed to take advantage of touch inputs.

The new TouchSmart 610 continues these strengths and it adds one unique and interesting feature; a stand that make it possible to move the all-in-one from an upright position to a reclined, 60 degree position. Reclining the all-in-one makes it easier to you the touch-screen while standing, which happens more often than you’d think with this kind of device.

Awesome stand aside, the TouchSmart 610 is otherwise a very solid all-in-one. It offers Intel processors, a 23″ display with 1080p resolution, and a starting price of just $899.

ASUS Eee Top ET2010AGT

If you’re looking for an inexpensive but capable all-in-one with a multi-touch touch-screen display, the ASUS Eee Top is waiting for you. A relatively small desktop, the Eee Top’s display is limited to 20 inches. It still manages a display resolution of 1600×900, however, which is more than sufficient for most users. The fact that the touch-screen is indeed multi-touch capable and quite accurate is a boon.

Inside the Eee Top ET2010 you’ll find a Athlon dual-core processor and Radeon 5470 graphics. While the dual-core Athlons are trailing the Intel options badly these days, the graphics are far superior to what you’ll find in an Intel computer that doesn’t add its own discrete graphics card.

The pricing is also an advantage. The ASUS Eee Top ET2010AGT is usually sold for somewhere between $650 and $700. That’s a great entry-level price. If you’re on a budget, you can’t go wrong with an Eee Top.

Lenovo Ideacentre A700

Although best know for its laptops, Lenovo has a substantial desktop presence that it is aggressively expanding.  It expansion has happened thanks to the introduction of new products that are cutting edge but consumer focused – and the A700 is one such product.

This touch-screen PC has a 23″ multi-touch display with 1080p resolution, the same as the more recently announced HP TouchSmart 610. However, the IdeaCentre A700 ships with more powerful hardware in its standard configuration; a Core i5 dual-core processor powers this large all-in-one, giving it the chops to hang with any competitor. It even has a TV tuner. Considering the A700′s price of just over $900 the Ideacentre looks like a performance bargain.

Well, that’s not the whole story. The A700 is fast, but it lacks the special reclining stand of the TouchSmart 610, and the software suite is inferior. The A700 is really better suited to use as a HDTV, while the TouchSmart 610 is better in a public area where it will often be used by people both standing and sitting.

Are you looking for a small computer case? You’re not alone. As processors and other components have become more power efficient the desire for a small computer case within which to fit these cooler, less demanding parts has sky-rocketed. Let’s face it – slim is in. Big, bulky computer cases look almost medieval next to a sexy mini-ITX case.

The thing about mini-ITX cases, however, is that the quality of the case shines through much brighter than with other cases. If a case is larger it doesn’t matter quite as much if the manufacturer is great at laying out a case. There is still going to be plenty of room. But with a mini-ITX case every inch counts. This guide will help you pick out the best mini-ITX for your newer, smaller computer.

Antec ISK 300 – $70-90 dollars

Antec is the George Clooney of computer cases. Just say the name in a room of computer enthusiasts and everyone knows what you’re talking about – and most people have something good to say.

Antec is best known for its mid-range desktop cases, but the Antec ISK 300 attempts to extend the magic to the mini-ITX sector. And completely, utterly succeeds. The Antec ISK 300 is handsomely constructed and also incredibly tiny. It is less than four tall, 9 inches wide, and 13 inches deep. It in fact looks more like an oversized external DVD-ROM case than a computer.

Given its size it should come as no surprise that any ISK 300 build is going to be cramped. There is room, however, for a mini-ITX motherboard, a 2.5 inch hard drive,  a 5.25 inch external drive and even a slim PCI or PCI Express card. Note that I said nothing about the power supply – that’s because the ISK 300 uses an included 65 watt external power supply. The result is a tiny but capable system small enough to fit in a desk drawer. If size is your number one priority the Antec ISK 300 is a good choice.

Silverstone SG06- $120-130 dollars

I own this case. Or rather, I own a slightly larger variant called the SG02. It is a beautifully built case which serves well as my HTPC case, but I now wish I had waited for the Silverstone SG06, because this thing is awesome.

First, let’s talk size. At 11 x 8.5 x 7 inches the Silverstone SG06 is not the smallest mini-ITX case, but it can hardly be accused of being large – and the space is put to very good use. The case has a 120mm fan which provides excellent airflow without much noise. It also has enough room to mount a large CPU cooler, a video card of up to 9 inches in length, and it comes with a 300 watt power supply.

What this all means is that you can actually build a powerful mini-ITX system in this case. Add a Radeon 5770 with a Core i5 750 and suddenly you have a gaming computer which is small enough to take to LAN parties.

Lian-Li PC-Q07 – $60-90 dollars

The Lian-Li PC-Q07 looks like the world’s smallest and coolest mini-fridge. All Lian-Li cases are made of brushed aluminum which makes them lighter and sexier than the cases from other manufacturers. The Lian-Li PC-Q07 is 8 inches wide, 8 inches deep, and 11 inches high, making its height it’s largest dimension.

Inside the Lian-Li is somewhat less spacious than the SG06 but more spacious than the ISK 300. It can potentially fit a PCI card with an appropriate mini-ITX motherboard but larger cards may interfere with the hard drive locations. The Lian-Li PC-Q07 does not come with a power supply but can fit any standard sized product.

Surprisingly, the Lian-Li’s greatest trait is probably its value. The SG06 is probably a better case overall than this, but it costs about $50 to 70 dollars more depending on where you buy. Even if you factor in an expensive $20 dollar power supply the difference is still substantial. If you’re not looking to cram maximum power into your case the Lian-Li is a nice alternative.

Are you building a home theater PC or converting an old desktop computer to HTPC use? Awesome. Adding an HTPC to your home theater is like building a gateway to a huge land full of juicy video content. Hulu, Youtube, and the various websites which are put up by different broadcasters and have TV episodes available are all just a few clicks away.

But if you are thinking of building an HTPC there is one absolutely critical component which you need to have. A video card. This is the component which accelerates video and allows a computer to easily display high resolution video without dropping frames. While the most powerful modern processors might be able to handle this alone, most computers will require a video card to assist.

What should you buy? How much power do you need? I’ll help you figure it out.

 

Small cards provide plenty of power but remain quiet

Video Card Power Isn’t a Priority

This may seem a strange statement to make. I did, after all, just assert that the most powerful modern processors are required in order to display video smoothly without assistance from a video card.

Here’s the thing – video cards are made just to display video. Even a wimpy video card is many times better at displaying video than the average computer processor. Video cards are specialists built for one purpose, so you can buy a relatively small, low-power video card and still see a big improvement in how well your HTPC is capable of displaying video.

In addition to this, integrated graphics has made great strides recently. This means that some of the newest integrated graphics solutions are entirely adequate for a home theater computer. This includes the new Radeon 5000 and 6000 series graphics found on many AMD motherboard chipsets as well as the Intel HD 2000 and 3000 graphics found on Intel’s newest processors.

Video Card Size and Noise is a Priority

While video card power isn’t a priority, the size and the noise made by the video card is.

First, let’s talk about size. We all know what people say. Bigger is better, period. That’s actually true with video cards because the largest video cards also tend to be the fastest. However, the best video cards are actually so large that they won’t fit in many computer cases. We’re talking cards which are ten or twelve inches long, six inches wide, and three inches thick. These things are monsters, and they simply won’t fit in many cases. Besides, remember what I just said about power? Those huge cards are overkill.

What you want is a small video card which can fit in small case and still leave room for other components. While the biggest video cards are foot-long beasts, the smallest ones are five inches long, a few inches wide, and less than an inch thick. This is the kind of card you’ll want.

Stay away from big, noisy video cards

Noise is another important consideration, and one that is often forgotten until it is too late. The best video cards are outrageously powerful, capable of displaying life-like 3D graphics on 30 inch monitors without hesitation. But they also produce huge amounts of heat which must be exhausted by fast, noisy fans. Anyone who has tried to watch movies with an Xbox 360 can tell you that having a loud, noisy piece of hardware howling over the sounds of your movie isn’t pleasant.

What you want is a video card with a passive cooler. A passive cooler is simply a heatsink without a fan of any sort. No fan, no noise. Luckily, this fits directly into what I’ve already advised you need to look for. Small, low-end video cards are the only ones with these types of coolers.

HTPC Video Card Features

Now you know what type of HTPC video card you should be looking for in terms of power, size, and cooling. But what about features?

One features you’ll certainly want to look for is an HDMI connection. Not all video cards have HDMI – in fact, many video cards have been slow to introduce this connection because it isn’t as common on computer monitors as it is on HDTVs. For an HTPC, however, an HDMI is a must-have. While many HDTVs do have DVI connections available, they are usually considered a secondary connection and are often not supported as well or placed as conveniently as the HDMI inputs.

Another extremely handy feature which some video cards provide is audio through HDMI. Video cards are not audio cards, but both ATI and Nvidia offer some cards which will output audio along with video and are therefor extremely easy to use with an HTPC. Just route an HDMI cable from the card to your receiver or HDTV and you’re good to go. Using standard PC audio tends to be confusing, so this feature is on that I highly recommend that you look for.

Quick Recommendations

So, you know what to look for now. But I’m going to make it even easier for you buy recommending a couple perfect HTPC video cards which will be excellent for most users.

ASUS Radeon EAH5450 Silent

If you are using a motherboard and/or processor without modern integrated graphics you’ll need at least a small video card to beef up HD video performance. The ASUS Radeon EAH5450 Silent is the perfect solution for a number of reasons. It’s small, so it will fit in almost any case. It’s also fanless, which means it will make no noise to distract from your home theater experience. Finally, it’s just $35 bucks. If you need a basic video card for your HTPC, this is the one to buy.

Purchase the ASUS Radeon EAH5450 Silent for $34.99 on Amazon.com.

Sapphire Radeon HD 6570

Games. That is what you could want. HTPCs are generally used for movies and television shows, but once you’re planted on the couch you might want to try playing some games on it as well. If you’re interested in playing World of Warcraft from your couch you’ll need a more powerful card, such as the Sapphire Radeon HD 6570. You have to accept a fan if you want to do this, which means more noise, but there is no avoiding that. The Sapphire Radeon HD 6570 will set you back $80 dollars.

Purchase the Sapphire Radeon HD 6570 for $79.99 from Amazon.com.

Zotac is a favorite here at Smidgen PC. While big names like ASUS and Gigabyte rule the roost when it comes to most motherboards, Zotac has quietly making a name for itself in the area of mini-ITX motherboards. Zotac’s LGA775 mini-ITX motherboard made the Smidgen PC list of best HTPC motherboards, and now Zotac has a similar offering using the new H55 chipset for Core i3 and i5 processors.

The Zotac H55′s feature list is long. While the board itself is only about 7 inches by 7 inches in size, it includes wireless N networking, 6 SATA ports, a PCI Express x16 slot, two RAM slots,  and 7.1 integrated audo.

Being an H55 chipset, there are no integrated graphics – you’re supposed to be using the graphics integrated onto the Core i3 or Core i5 processor. That won’t please everyone. On the up side, however, H55 based HTPCs should run even cooler and use less energy than any other type of HTPC system. The Zotac H55ITX-A-E will set you back between $140 and $160 bucks at most retailers.

Using an HDTV as an HTPC monitor is a very common setup for those who own HTPCs. It is the obvious way of setting up an HTPC in a home theater, but it is also commonly used by those who choose to buy a second, smaller HDTV for use in their home office so that they can enjoy movies while balancing the family budget.

Buying an HDTV for use as an HTPC monitor can bring issues, however. HDTVs are built to be just that – a TV – so not all work well as a monitor. This guide will help you choose the best HDTV for your PC.

LCD, LED or Plasma?

The choice between LCD or Plasma is a traditional choice facing any HDTV buyer. Now there are also LED HDTVs – essentially a variant of LCD technology – which make the choice more complex.

A LCD or LED HDTV is best as a monitor

In the battle between Plasma and LCD, I generally recommend LCD HDTVs for use as a PC monitor. I love Plasma, and I consider them better for dedicated home theater use in many situations, but if you’re buying an HDTV for an HTPC or home PC monitor you’ll want to purchase something which is relatively close to PC monitor. Plasma often have pixels of a non traditional shape, and the sharper, brighter image on an LCD HDTV makes it easier to read text.

If you take this advice and decided on an LCD HDTV for your HTPC/PC monitor, you’ll then need to choose between LCD and LED. In summary, the difference between the two is that LCD HDTVs produce an image through the use of several large lights behind the screen, while LED HDTVs use numerous small LED lights. Because the numerous LEDs allow more flexibility in the way the display is lit, it produces better images in dark scenes and better colors overall.

LED HDTVs are superior to LCD HDTVs in almost all situations. That said, LED HDTVs are also more expensive the LCD HDTVs in almost all situations. The question between them therefor has more to do with your budget than anything else.

Screen Resolutions vs. Size

One issue that often catches those buying an HDTV for an HTPC/PC monitor off guard is that of resolution. Many assume that because HDTVs are very large, they’ll offer more usual screen space then a monitor. In fact, they often offer less. The highest resolution currently available on an HDTV is 1920×1080, a resolution commonly found on 24 inch monitors.

This resolution issue can become a large problem on any HDTV to be used with an HTPC/PC. PCs render images in pixels, and 95% of applications of PCs are built for use with displays that offer very small pixels. The pixels on an HDTV are relatively large in size, and this can make smaller details appear very blocky on an HDTV. A line of size 8 text in MS Word, for example, can be very challenging to read on some HDTVs because the pixels are so large that they’re not able to accurately display such small details.

What this means is that the best HDTV for an HTPC/PC monitor will have a high resolution for its size. For example, a 37″ HDTV with 1080p resolution would work better as a monitor than an HDTV of the same size with a 720p resolution. With that said, however, the importance of this depends on your intended use. HDTVs used in a home theater will mostly be displaying movies, so the issue isn’t as important. An HDTV to be paired with a home office PC, however, may often display text, so the resolution issue can be very important.

The Connection Question

Having plenty of HDMI connections is important

A final important consideration when looking for the best HDTV for HTPC/PC use is that of connections. HDTVs can have various different kinds of connections, such as HDMI, DVI, VGA, Displayport, and others. Expensive HDTVs often have every connection one could possibly think of, but on less expensive and smaller HDTVs you’ll want to make sure the HDTV can easily connect to your HTPC/PC.

Figuring out which connection you’ll need isn’t too difficult. All you’ll need to do is check how your PC currently connects to your monitor. The monitor will label the connection type, and this will tell you all you need to know. As long as you purchase an HDTV with that type of connection available, you’ll be fine.

Just don’t forget you also need connections for other equipment, too. So if you plan on hooking up other devices, such as Blu-Ray players or DVRs, don’t forget to purchase an HDTV with enough connections to go around!

HDTV Quick Picks

Here are my three recommendations of the best HDTVs for use as an HTPC/PC monitor.

HannSpree XV HT09

If you’re looking for a budget HDTV to be used primarily with a home office PC, the HannSpree XV HT09 is a pretty good choice. It is a 28 inch HDTV with a resolution of 1080p. It’s image quality isn’t stellar, but its reasonable for the price of around $350, and its high resolution relative to the screen size means that it is a good choice for an HDTV that will need to display small text. Purchase the HannSpree XV HT09 from Amazon.com.

Samsung UN32B6000

The smallest of the LED HDTVs currently available, the Samsung UN32B6000 brings the brilliance of LED technology to a small form factor. It has shockingly good color reproduction and black levels as deep as some Plasma sets. It is a 32 inch 1080P display and offers a large number of connection options. It is pricey at around $1000 bucks, but worth it for those who want the best image quality. Purchase the Samsung UN32B6000 from Amazon.com.

LG37LH55

LG’s 37LH55 is a traditional LCD HDTV 37 inches in size. It is a 1080P display and is large enough to be used either in a home theater environment or with a home office PC. It is fairly high up in LG’s LCD HDTV line, so it includes many connection options. It also boasts LG’s latest 240Hz “Trumotion” technology which helps prevent image blur. The LG37LH55 is also priced around $1000 bucks, which isn’t bad for a high-quality 37″ HDTV. Purchase the LG37LH55 from Amazon.com.

Thin is in, particularly when it comes to small computers like HTPCs. Although there are advantages to buying a large case, as outlined in the Smidgen PC HTPC case buying guide, many simply do not have the room for a massive case in their home theater. There are also aesthetic reasons to pick a slim HTPC case, as such cases don’t attract undue attention, although your grandparents will wonder how a PC can fit in such a slim enclosure!

The slim HTPC case market is still somewhat untapped, but there are some good cases to pick from. The three slim HTPC cases listed below are my personal favorites.

Thermaltake Mozart SX

Thermaltake Mozart SX

Slim, yes, but small? The Thermaltake Mozart SX isn’t. Although it is only 90mm tall (without optional “feet” installed) the Thermaltake Mozart SX is quite large in terms of width and depth coming in at around 19 and 17.5 inches respectively. There is reason for this, however, as the size allows for installation of both full ATX motherboards and most normally sized ATX power supplies. That’s rare for a slim HTPC case. The extra room may not matter to some, but to those looking to re-purpose an older machine as an HTPC the Mozart SX is a very attractive slim HTPC enclosure.

Besides size, the Thermaltake Mozart SX has a few other features of note. It can fit up to 3 3.5″ drives, which is a lot for a slim HTPC case and enough that a HTPC built in the Thermaltake Mozart SX could double as a home file server. The Mozart SX also comes with VFD, remote and media software, although none of it is class leading. Typically priced under $200 dollars, the Thermaltake Mozart SX is competitive on price. On the whole it is a solid offering, although its size in width and depth will make it impractical for some.

Silverstone LC11M

Silverstone LC11M

Although I once considered Silverstone only for their high-end cases, Silverstone has really been churning out the small enclosures. The LC11M is Silverstone’s slim HTPC case product, and it has the typical look and feel of a Silverstone product. Silverstone has been doing a good job of ensuring that their HTPC cases look handsome from the front, and the LC11M is no different. The only problem is the excessively bright blue LEDs on the front. These same absurdly bright LEDs are found on some of Silverstone’s other products as well.

Given that it is around the same height as the Mozart, but several inches smaller in width and depth, the Silverstone LC11M feels a bit cramped. It comes with its own tiny PSU and a few small 80mm fans. In practice, though, the smaller usable space inside the Silverstone LC11M doesn’t feel like a problem. The case fits mATX boards, two hard drives, and requires a riser card to use the PCI slots. Besides an extra hard drive there isn’t anything useful that can be fit into a Mozart SX that won’t fit in the LC11M.

The only real downside is that the Silverstone LC11M usually retails around $220, and it is arguable if the higher price is worthwhile. It isn’t easy to find, either, even online. If you want one and find it at stock at a reasonable price, grab it!

Silverstone LC19

Silverstone LC19

Moving down the Silverstone family tree in price, but not necessarily in price, we have the SilverStone LC19. While both the Thermaltake Mozart SX and Silverstone LC11M are thin, the LC19 takes it to a different level. It is only 2.7 inches tall, making it one of the slimmest HTPC cases available. In fact, this slim HTPC case is no larger then a modern Blu Ray player. It isn’t particularly large in other dimensions, either, at 15 inches wide and 14 inches deep.

Despite this, the SilverStone LC19 still supports mATX motherboards, PCI cards through riser cards, and a full size 3.5 inch hard drive. There sacrifices in other areas, however. The SilverStone LC19 only supports slim optical drives, which are more costly then normal ones. It is also lacking in air flow as it has only a single 50mm exhaust fan and the power supply is an external model, such as with a laptop, which can make wire clutter in your home theater worse.

These downfalls are to be expected, however. When buying a slim HTPC case this thin one should expect to have to jump through a few hoops. While the SilverStone LC19 does have some competitors in the ultra-slim HTPC case market, it is the slimiest HTPC case I’ve found consistently available in the United States. And while a price of around $200 bucks isn’t cheap, it isn’t any worse then the LC11M.

Word of Warning

While the three slim HTPC cases here are my personal picks, I do want to warn those new to HTPCs that these cases are all radically different then normal PC cases and even normal HTPC cases. They all require the use of riser cards in order to use PCI cards. The also are cramped and difficult to work with. One can never assume when building PCs this small that any particular part will fit just because it works in a mATX tower. Slim HTPC cases allow for the creation of some very impressive HTPCs, but be sure to do the research before you buy.

I just received a Lenovo Q110 into the Smidgen PC, uh, lab yesterday.The Lenovo Q110 is the new nettop from Lenovo, providing competition for the ASUS Eee Box and Acer AspireRevo. My unit arrived with a Intel Atom 230 processor, a 250GB Hard Drive, 1GB of memory, Ion graphics, and Windows Vista with the obligatory Windows 7 upgrade flyer.

So, in the great traditional of receiving cool new gadgets, here are the photos of my unboxing.

The box is fairly small, and is made up in a family-friendly fashion as you’d expect from a little inexpensivse nettop.

When you open it up, you’re given this big stop sign. Inside of the plastic is also the manual, a summary of the system’s specifications, warranty information, and a few other assorted papers.

The Q110 nettop itself is in the top of the box, all wrapped up and by itself.

Underneath are the accessories, of which there are four. It includes a power cord, a power supply, a stand which acts like a foot for mounting the Q110 in an upright position and also a metal bracket which can be used to attach the Q110 to the back of a monitor.

Here is an up-close shot of the Lenovo Q110. I do want to note something here. I forgot to take a photo of it, but only one side of the Q110 is glossy. The other side is matte black. It is sort of an odd construction because it means the Q110 looks incredibly sexy from one side and really boring from the other.

Whenever I get a new nettop in, I just can’t believe how small these things are. Here is a photo of it on top of my Samsung NC10 for comparison. Pretty tiny, huh? According to my measurements the unit is about 6 and 3/4 inches tall, 6 inches deep, and 1 inch thick.

That’s it for now. I will be reviewing this unit fully to see just how good it is. I’m going to take a real close look at it as an HTPC to see if Nvidia Ion + Atom is enough to watch video at 1080p.

When normally building a PC, one would pick the components first and then find a case which properly fits them. This approach is typically fine, as there usually aren’t major size constraints on a desktop PC. But the HTPC is a different beast. While the desktop PC is king of its territory, the HTPC needs to play nice with the restrictions of the home theater in which it is being placed.

This means the case is suddenly the most important component. Building an HTPC only to find it doesn’t fit inside your home theater is massively disappointing. This buyer’s guide will help you choose a case that fits, provides the features you want, and won’t break the bank.

Size Matters

Size is one of the most important factors when choosing an HTPC case. Home theaters often have limited space, and this means that an HTPC case must be sized correctly to fit the home theater.

The Antec Sonata is a large case, but quiet

The obvious first step is to measure the height, width, and depth of area into which the HTPC case will be placed. Make sure to leave at least 1 inch of space on each side. This is important because cases need space to breath. Placing a case too tightly into a space will cut off airflow and cause havoc with internal tempertures.

The measurments you end up with may be very tight, which means case selecton will be limited. If the amount of available space is not limited – perhap you’re putting the case on the floor or in a very large home theater cabinent – then you’ll need to consider how large you want to go.

Large cases are, uh, large. A regular tower case isn’t exactly subtle. Larger cases also tend to be heavier and more expensive than smaller cases. On the other hand, larger cases tend to offer more features and provide quieter, more effective cooling. You’ll need to decide if a smaller visual footprint or smaller sonic footprint is more important to you.

Format

The format of a case can be just as important as size. There are, in technical terms, several different formats you might be interested in.

The largest is a full ATX tower or, in rare cases, desktop. Full ATX towers are the largest form of case you might consider for an HTPC. There is quite a range in size, but they’re usually between 18 and 30 inches tall, 18 and 30 inches deep, and 8 to 12 inches wide. In other words, they’re quite large, so they won’t fit in most home theater furniture. They can usually be made very quiet, however, particulary products like the Antec Sonata which are made with noise in mind.

The Silverstone SG02 is a great mATX HTPC case

One step smaller comes the Micro ATX (mATX) enclosures, which are the most common HTPC cases. MATX enclosures can vary quite a bit in size and in shape. The three main types of mATX cases are towers, cubes, and HTPC. Towers are just like normal towers, but smaller, so they don’t fit that well into home theater cabinents but can be easily placed beside them. Cube cases, such as the Silverstone Sugo SG02, are usually small and squat, and are a good fit for a space which is narrow and tall. Then there are HTPC cases, like the Antec Fusion Remote, which are usually of the same dimensions as a reciever or large game console laid flat. They fit very well into many home theater cabinents, but often are limited to only half-height expansion slots and are generally cramped.

The final type of HTPC case is the mini-ITX case. Mini-ITX cases are the smallest available. Some cases even come with external mounts which allow the case to be mounted to a wall, underneath a desk or home theater cabinent, or in some other location. Mini-ITX cases are obviously the least obstrusive, but a lot of sacrafices are required for a PC of this size. There are few motherboards available, and although some as the Zotec GF9300 offer a lot of features, case sizes will limit what kinds of processors and video cards can be used. Many Mini-ITX cases are only large enough to support stock heatsinks (if that) and only have support for half-height video cards. Hard drive and external drive space is also extremely limited.

Noise

Most people don’t think of noise when picking an HTPC case, but considering noise is extremely important. Noise can be a major distraction from in a home theater – just ask anyone who has used a Xbox 360 as a media player.

The golden rule of noise in an HTPC is that larger cases tend to be quieter than smaller cases. This rule refers to two general truths. One is that larger fans are quieter than smaller ones. This doesn’t seem like common sense, but the reasoning behind it is that the noise of a fan is mostly due to the vibartion. A fan that is larger needs to spin less quickly to drive air through – thus, it makes less noise. Of course, larger fans are usually found in larger cases, where 120mm fans are common. Smaller cases often use 80mm fans, which make more noise. This is why large cases often are quieter than small cases.

The other general truth about smaller cases is that they compensate for their more cramped interiors by providing more holes than a cheese grater. The holes act as vents, but they also allow noise to escape.
This is not to say that all small cases are noisy, because some are better than others, but in most cases a very small case will have many vents through which sound can escape.

Depending on the construction of the case, and even where the case is located, noise levels can be reduced drastically with a little help from you. Cases with less places for noise to escape will be quieter, so some HTPC builders will actually block off unneeded ventilation. Also, the stock fans shipped with cases are often budget models. Replacing the stock fans with better aftermarket fans can help reduce noise.

Best HTPC Enclosure Quick Picks

Full Tower Case:Antec Sonata Series
The goal of Antec’s Sonata series is to provide quiet computing at a low price. This makes them a good choice for a full tower HTPC. There is plenty of room for video cards and TV tuners, and the case includes sound insulating materials. The Sonata series cases can be found at most retailers for betwen $100 and $130 and they usually include a quality Antec power supply.

mATX Cube Case: Silverstone Sugo SG02
Silverstone’s SG02 cube case is one of the better low-price cube cases available. It has an attractive exterior and a layout that offers a surprising amount of space for expansion cards. On the downside it is rather noisy, but for $70 dollars it is a very good small case.

mATX HTPC Case: Antec Fusion Remote
Antec actually makes many different HTPC style cases, and almost all of them are very good. The Antec Fusion Remote gets the recommedation, however, because it has it all at a low price. It is set up out of the box for use with a remote, making it easy to integrate into a home theater. The only problem is that common with these cases – it has limited internal space.

Mini-ITX Case: Silverstone SUGO SG06
Much like the Silverstone SG02, the Silverstone SG06 is a cube case. The SG06 is much smaller, however, and will only fit mini-ITX boards. Unlike the SG02, the SG06 has a 120mm fan mount. This makes it surprisingly quiet for a case of this size. It also comes with a nice 300 watt power supply.

Choosing the right motherboard for an HTPC build is an important decision. In a gaming PC or normal desktop the motherboard, while still important, isn’t critical. If the integrated graphics isn’t what you wanted, or you need some extra cooling, it isn’t hard to add extra components to solve those problems. That isn’t always possible in an HTPC build, however, so finding the right HTPC motherboard takes some consideration. The three motherboards here are good quick recommendations for HTPC builders. There is one recommendation each for AM3, LGA775, and LGA1156 boards, so pick the one which is compatible with the processor you’d like to use.

Best LGA775 HTPC Motherboard: Zotac GF9300-D-E

The Zotac GF9300-D-E is an excellent mini-ITX motherboard

If you’re looking for a board that will be good for a mini-ITX HTPC build, you’ve found it. While the Zotac GF9300-D-E is less than 7 inchs by 7 inches in size, it offers almost as many feature as full-size ATX motherboards. It is stunning what they’ve managed to fit onto such a small motherboard. Support for all modern LGA775 processors? Check. Geforce 9300 graphics capable of running HD video without issue? Check. A full array of ports including 6 USB, 1 eSATA, and S/PDIF out? Check. Integrated wireless? Sure, why the hell not?

In fact, the only thing this board gives up in comparison to most ATX motherboards is room for memory and expansion cards. Zotac has managed to fit a fully functional 16x PCI Express slot onto the board, but thats it for card expansion, and memory is limited to 8GB. Of course, that’s far more than anyone is going to need on an HTPC motherboard, so only the limited number of expansion slots is a potentially serious issue. The price is also high, at $139.99, which is more than many ATX boards. But there really isn’t any competition for the Zotac. Of all the Mini-ITX motherboards – including those for all the other CPU sockets that are popular – the Zotac GF9300-D-E is the only one I’d actually use in an HTPC build.

Best P55 HTPC Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD2

The Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD2 puts Core i5 in your HTPC

While more expensive overall than many LGA775 builds, P55 has a lot to offer HTPC builders. The new Core i5/i7 processors are outrageously power efficient. The integration of the northbridge onto the CPU also frees up a lot of room on the motherboard, resulting in a less cramped layout. These factors together make P55 based motherboards among the best HTPC motherboards, and this will be reinforced in early 2010 as the new 32nm Core i5 and Core i3 processors are released.

There are already several P55 motherboards available around the $100 dollar mark, but of them the Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD2 gets the nod as the best HTPC motherboard. There are several reasons for this. One is the audio, which uses the Realtek audio found in most Gigabyte motherboards. This is a superior solution to most on-board audio options. The GA-P55M-UD2 also has an excellent layout. As stated, P55 motherboards are less cramped due to the northbridge being pushed onto the CPU, and this really shows on the GA-P55M-UD2.

The GA-P55M-UD2 also has a full array of ports, including 10 USB, 1 IEEE 1394a, 1 eSATA and S/PDIF out ports. Onboard USB and IEEE 1394a is available for connection to a PC case’s front panel. None of these features nessicarily superior, but there are some competitors which do not incorporate all of them. Granted, the GA-P55M-UD2 costs between $10 and $20 bucks more than cheaper Foxconn and ASRock alternatives, but I think the GA-P55M-UD2 is worth the extra cash. A word of warning, though – like all P55 motherboards, the integrated graphics are extremely poor, so be sure to budget for a video card like a Radeon 4350.

Best AM3 HTPC Motherboard: Foxconn A7DA-S 3.0

The Foxconn A7DA-S- 3.0 is the best AM3 HTPC Motherboard

While Intel retains the lead when it comes to high-end processors, AMD is a good option for an HTPC build. Products like the low-cost Athlon II Quad Cores have a lot to offer HTPC builders, and they are supported by a line-up of HTPC motherboards which are, generally speaking, superior to the motherboards which can be used with Intel processors.

The main advantage of the AMD motherboards comes from their superior integrated graphics. The Foxconn A7DA-S 3.0 is based off the 790GX chipset, which offers Radeon HD3300 graphics as standard. Although insufficient for most gaming applications, the HD3300 integrated GPU is perfect for an HTPC. It has the power to run any high-definition video and it supports MPEG-2, VC-1, and H.264 playback. It is also HDCP compliant. Yet it is at the same time a very cool, power efficient GPU, which means that the Foxconn A7DA-S 3.0 does not consume a huge amount of power and does not become unreasonably hot.

The Foxconn A7DA-S 3.0′s other features are nothing to scoff at, however. The board includes Realtek audio, HDMI out, and offers two PCI Express slots. It is a good value, too, as it usually goes for around $100 bucks. The only real problem with the Foxconn board is that it is a full ATX board and won’t fit in many HTPC cases. Those who must have an mATX HTPC motherboard should consider the Biostar TA790GX XE, which does not support DDR3 but is otherwise similar.