With everything installed and running you can sit back and enjoy the function and aesthetics. I was anxious to see the display. Even though, it does have a certain amount of fluff, it is a good looking addition and offers some valuable information and control. By far the main thing I liked was the fan speed indicator and fan speed control. The fan speed indicated on the display is for the CPU fan allowing you to tweak the speed to get the best cooling to sound ratio.
When I first fired up the system I experienced a horrible rattling sound and automatically accused the generic 60mm rear exhaust fan that I had no speed control over as it was connected via a 4-pin molex. Removing the top revealed that the real culprit was my stock AMD CPU cooler, it was bonko. The rear 60mm fan spinning at top speed made virtually no noise... oops. Even with the knackered CPU fan that made a racket at its top speed of 3800 rpm could be made much more acceptable by dialing it down to 2800 RPM and still only 10C above ambient. Eventually, I replaced the fan and I could run it at almost top speed with merely a whisper.
One complaint about the fan speed controller is its response time. It would take about a second from turning the dial before the display would update the new speed. Changes in temperatures seemed to update much more rapidly.
The rest of the display is a lot more superficial flash than function. You can set the time and date which I really don't have much use for but I guess in the mindset of replacing your VCR that has traditionally displayed this type of info on the front, this is a natural transition of function. What would've been a real welcome is if the time and date were supplied by the PC bios or OS so it perfectly synced with recording times performed by your HTPC, but that's a stretch I guess.
All things considered, the NMEDIA HTPC 100 case is a quality package and one that I would be proud to display on my AV rack. The hidden comm ports and memory card reader sections provide a lot of function but keep the look clean and elegant. Although the cooling options are limited with only a single 60mm exhaust fan, I found the case to be quite thermally efficient due to the ample amounts of venting in the top and sides of the case. I would say that if I added this case to the stack in my media centre, I would probably opt for putting it on top to allow maximum breathing for the case though as having a component on top could choke it causing temps to rise.
The paint finish (which is also available in the classic black) on the outside is certainly up to par. Throw in other little details like the robust, gold hi-fi-like feet and you get a complete package. If you are looking for a good case for your HTPC needs that allows the installation of full-size vertical cards, the HTPC 100 case should deserve consideration.
Pros:
Cons:
When I first fired up the system I experienced a horrible rattling sound and automatically accused the generic 60mm rear exhaust fan that I had no speed control over as it was connected via a 4-pin molex. Removing the top revealed that the real culprit was my stock AMD CPU cooler, it was bonko. The rear 60mm fan spinning at top speed made virtually no noise... oops. Even with the knackered CPU fan that made a racket at its top speed of 3800 rpm could be made much more acceptable by dialing it down to 2800 RPM and still only 10C above ambient. Eventually, I replaced the fan and I could run it at almost top speed with merely a whisper.
One complaint about the fan speed controller is its response time. It would take about a second from turning the dial before the display would update the new speed. Changes in temperatures seemed to update much more rapidly.
The rest of the display is a lot more superficial flash than function. You can set the time and date which I really don't have much use for but I guess in the mindset of replacing your VCR that has traditionally displayed this type of info on the front, this is a natural transition of function. What would've been a real welcome is if the time and date were supplied by the PC bios or OS so it perfectly synced with recording times performed by your HTPC, but that's a stretch I guess.
All things considered, the NMEDIA HTPC 100 case is a quality package and one that I would be proud to display on my AV rack. The hidden comm ports and memory card reader sections provide a lot of function but keep the look clean and elegant. Although the cooling options are limited with only a single 60mm exhaust fan, I found the case to be quite thermally efficient due to the ample amounts of venting in the top and sides of the case. I would say that if I added this case to the stack in my media centre, I would probably opt for putting it on top to allow maximum breathing for the case though as having a component on top could choke it causing temps to rise.
The paint finish (which is also available in the classic black) on the outside is certainly up to par. Throw in other little details like the robust, gold hi-fi-like feet and you get a complete package. If you are looking for a good case for your HTPC needs that allows the installation of full-size vertical cards, the HTPC 100 case should deserve consideration.
Pros:
- Supports MicroATX with expansion cards
- Nice looking and functional front display
- Wide range of front utilities - memory cards and comms
- Quality included power supply
- Good thermal qualities
- Good looks
Cons:
- Fan control is good in some respects but could've been made easier without much more effort
- Optical drive bracket a little difficult to work with
MSI MPG Velox 100R Chassis Review
October 14 2021 | 15:04
Want to comment? Please log in.