Introduction:::...

The role of the PC as a valid, simple to use basis for a home media PC is something we've discussed a few times over in the forums, and I suppose the basic conclusion was that, despite it's unrivalled power and flexibility, the PC is far too complex, unforgiving and difficult to navigate to offer a real working platform at the moment.

Oh sure it's a perfectly suitable solution for the tech-savvy user, but tell a regular home user that after splashing out on such a system they then ideally need to purchase a wireless input system, some specific video playback software, a selection of specialist CODECS and a TV with S-video in for simplicity, and all this before they even begin to wrap their head around the questionable joys of the Windows operating system, and you can begin to see why they don't get seduced by the idea.

One area where things have moved on however is in the design of the media PC case, or the Home Theater PC (HTPC) case as it's now commonly known. Back when the idea of a PC in the living room took shape, nobody but the most determined user wanted an ugly and far from compact box of noisy electronics stuck at the side of the TV.

Fortunately with case companies striving to design new, elegant and efficient cases that can take full advantage of the advances in mini and micro-ATX motherboard technology, there's really no need to settle for anything that looks even remotely out of place any more. In terms of case design at least, the HTPC era is well and truly with us.

The case I want to look at today is slightly larger than most of the current HTPC chassis designs, but the advantage to this is that it allows you to use the more commonly and cheaply available micro-ATX motherboard form factor. It also packs a slightly more powerful power supply and has room for plenty of ventilation, something that becomes essential when you want to stack it beneath or on top of other hot components like VCRs or satellite decoders.

Created by case experts SilverStone, the LC11 is the case they're touting as the world's most advanced HTPC chassis. That's quite a boast, I wonder if it's one they can live up to?

As always let's take a wander through the specs.

I suppose the most notable items in the spec table are the inclusion of dual, low-noise 80mm fans generating a mere 21dBA of noise each, and also the reasonably muscular (by HTPC standards) 240 watt power supply which also boasts Power Factor Correction.

At 424mm wide this case is no petite specimen, and is in fact wider than many domestic VCR and DVD players on the market at the moment. It should fit in a regular component cabinet though but may be tight in some smaller ones.