HTPC Case

brianc123

Hi,

Can anyone tell me if there s anywhere in Dublin that stock

HTPC cases i'm thinking of building one and want to
have it looking right.


Thanks
Brian

whosurpaddy

there isnt a "htpc case" as such. but most people would go for a small form factor case for a htpc such as a micro-atx, or a barebones. peats sell shuttles and the msi mega pc (both shuttles). u can pick up micro atx cases in most pc shops.

WezzyB

I've been considering getting the Asus Pundit, it is supposed to be very quiet and its price is a lot better than the Shuttle or most SFF clones.
I checked IT Direct's website www.itdirect.ie and they have it priced at €199, they are on Parliament St. Dublin 2. You can get it for as little as €150 online, I've been thinking about getting it from www.computeruniverse.net.

Also from Asus is the Digimatrix which is a bit more price but is really nice looking, its got a big volume knob! It costs quiet a lot more than the Pundit, even though you really aint getting a lot more besides a TV card and a shiny aluminium exterior.

You can get more info on these machines from the following websites:

• www.asus.com.tw
• www.barbones.com (French)
• www.sfftech.com

brianc123

Thats great, thanks for your help

B

Vexorg

Brian/Wezzy

Slightly off topic...... are you planning to run a Projector or Plasma with your HTPC.

Some of the small form factor cases do not allow for a full height Video and Sound cards, sound being less important to a degree with on board sound being reasonably good these days, from a graphics card perspective Radeons seem to pip Nvidia in the image stakes, I don't think there are any half height radeons about.

Something to keep in mind when choosing a case.

V.

WezzyB

I don't think I'd end up using it with a Plasma/Projector but I was considering what sort of Graphics Card I could couple with the Asus Pundit.

The problem with the Asus Pundit is that it doesn't have any AGP slots, but it does
have two PCI, available via a riser card (included).

From the limited number of Low-Profile PCI cards available I would guess that the GeForce 5200 PCI Low Profile would be the best option, I have found two vendors who offer these cards:
1. Creative (www.creative.ie), unfortunately their 5200 PCI Low Profile cards are out of stock, but their friendly customer service told me that they'd inform me when they come back in stock.
2. www.ComputerUniverse.net, they have an XFX 5200 Low Profile card

po0k

You'd also need TV-Out or at least a DVI connector.

WezzyB

I forgot to mention that the Asus Pundit, actually has TV-out and DVI at the back of the case, so I guess it would be ideal for hooking up with a projector/plasma.
According to a review I read (sfftech.com, I think) they said that the TV-out wasn't perfect...

RicardoSmith

Best PCI card for this kinda stuff is the ATI AIW VE PCI card but you'll need a proper audio card for it.