Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Most media center cases that include a front-panel display also include a
remote-control module (an IR receiver and remote control). These are useful if
you intend to use a 10-foot interface, but not needed if you use a standard PC
desktop interface. Even if you want a remote control module, don't rule out an
otherwise desirable case simply because it doesn't include one. You can pur-
chase a remote control and IR receiver separately that you may actually prefer.
Silver Cases
The one thing we don't like about the
NSK 2480 case is the silver/aluminum
front panel, which is actually plastic.
The problem is that it's impossible
to match that front panel with the
front bezel of any optical drive we've
ever seen. We have three or four older
optical drives with different “silver”
bezels, but none of them are an exact
match with any silver case we've ever
seen. Apparently, others came to the
same conclusion, because optical
drives with silver bezels are now
almost impossible to find. Actually,
anything but black is now almost
impossible to find, including the for-
merly common beige and somewhat
less common white.
Although you can pay upward of $600 for a media center case, we set an ar-
bitrary $200 limit, including the power supply. Although we'd prefer to pay
less, neither do we want something cheap and cheesy-looking in our den. For-
tunately, that price range includes numerous attractive models from Antec,
Apex, Ark, Lian-Li, nMEDIAPC, Silverstone, Zalman, and other manufacturers.
Antec has been the bang-for-the-buck leader in PC cases for a long time, so
we weren't surprised as we culled down the field to find that our two finalists
were both Antec cases.
For a case with a front-panel display, our pick is the Antec Fusion Remote,
which is available in either silver or black. This is essentially the same case we
used in the second edition of this topic. Sometimes, oldies really are goodies.
The only real difference between the original Antec Fusion case and the ver-
sion sold today is that the original version included a power supply and the
current model does not. Adding a $40 Antec EarthWatts 380W power supply
brings the total cost to about $175, well within our price range.
The problem is that an “almost-
match” looks hideous. It's worse
looking than a complete mismatch,
such as using a black optical drive in
a silver case. The Antec Fusion case
doesn't have this problem, because it
has a flip-up optical drive cover that
conceals the front bezel of the optical
drive. Alas, the NSK 2480 is avail-
able only in silver. If Antec offered a
black version, that's what we'd have
chosen. This system is going to sit in
our den, so we'll probably remove
the front panel of the case and
spray-paint it matte black or a dark
charcoal gray. If necessary, we can
also spray-paint the front bezel of the
optical drive to match exactly.
For a case without a front-panel display, our pick is the $110 Antec NSK-2480,
which is available only in silver, unfortunately. This is essentially the same prod-
uct as the Fusion Remote, but with a 380W EarthWatts power supply included
and the front-panel display, remote-control module, and front-panel FireWire
port removed. The absence of the front-panel display frees up a second 5.25”
external drive bay, which can be used for a second optical drive (such as a Blu-
ray reader) or for a third hard drive.
Black Isn't Black
You may assume that you could avoid this problem just by buying a black case and
using an optical drive with a black bezel. Alas, black isn't black, at least when it
comes to consumer products. “Black” comes in a huge variety of shades, from dark
gray to truly black. There are warm blacks, cool blacks, and neutral blacks. Then
there's the matter of texture. Even if their blacks are very similar, a matte drive looks
odd in a semi-matte case, and vice versa. Chances are small that your optical drive
bezel will match the front panel of your case, and even a slight mismatch is glaringly
obvious.
If you want your case and bezel to match, you're going to have to spray paint both
of them. (We chose a very dark neutral charcoal gray in semi-matte finish.) So, as it
turns out, the only real advantage to starting with a black case rather than an alumi-
num or silver model is that it's easier to cover with the paint (and scratches don't
show up as well).
