When we met with Fractal Design at CES they didn’t have anything new to show us, but it was obvious that they were hungry and responsive to the community. If there was any doubt on this point it should be clear now with the re-launch a sleeker Node 605 just a few weeks after it was originally announced in early […]
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The list of intriguing new Mini-ITX cases just keeps on growing, this time with the announcement of the Fractal Design Node family of cases at Computex. Representing Mini-ITX will be the Node 304. The Node 304 is a relatively petite cube-style small form factor case capable of housing six hard drives, making it an exciting option for HTPC or home server builds. […]
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Mini-ITX always seems to be right on the cusp of bursting into the mainstream. Low-power and cool running processors abound and many of the major manufacturers are offering compelling mini-ITX motherboards, but for those of us that like to roll our own systems, the biggest challenge in selecting components for a mini-ITX build is often in selecting the right case. […]
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When Intel introduced the Thin Mini-ITX form factor with the DH61AG board, we were impressed with the performance and potential of the platform; however, the innovative form factor lacked any accompanying chassis to take advantage of the extra thin profile. Fortunately, that situation is changing with the introduction of LIAN LI’s PC-Q05 which supports the new Thin Mini-ITX form factor. […]
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Every so often, a case manufacturer decides to try to break the mold and release something new and different. Such efforts tend to result in, at best, niche products, but occasionally the result is so eye-catching, that I can’t help but root for it. SilverStone’s FT03 was one such case. The first time I saw a picture of the FT03 in all […]
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nMEDIAPC has made a name for itself in the home theater PC (HTPC) community for consistently delivering well-built, good-looking, and reasonably-priced chassis comfortable in the A/V stack. Offering a brushed aluminum front panel and a street price of $80, at first glance the HTPC 7000B seems to carry on this tradition. Coupled with two 120mm fans, we should expect excellent […]
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The Fractal Design Array R2 chassis instantly recalled for us the decidedly niche, but incredibly functional, cube-style cases popular a few years ago. which were incredibly niche but very functional. The R2 was flexible, silent and sleek in a very limited amount of space. The Lian Li PC-Q25 chassis shares many of the same appealing traits, but goes for a […]
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Whether you are building a gaming rig, a general purpose desktop, a home server, or even a home theater PC (HTPC), the case you choose will vary greatly depending on your personal needs and taste. Recently, I was given the opportunity to review the Lian Li PC-90 full tower desktop case. While this may not be the HTPC case for […]
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Full size HTPC builders can rejoice, because at SilverStone; big is still in fashion. They recently updated their lineup of Full-ATX chassis with the GD07 and GD08. Both offer space for multiple 3.5″ hard drives and full length GPUs. Other highlights include: They will update USB 3.0 products to the latest Renesas chip later this year Offer a four SATA […]
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For most folks, a home server chassis needs only meet two criteria: hold a lot of hard drives and remain unobtrusive. A case that holds a lot of hard drives might have trouble remaining visually unobtrusive, but that’s what closets are for. Instead, it is often more important to find a good, quiet case. Any of the Antec Sonata and […]
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