Silverstone Lascala LC20M HTPC case

A little slice of HTPC heaven?

Today we're going to be looking at the Silverstone Lascala LC20M. Silverstone touts it as a "complete and versatile multimedia server case." But do we agree?

The LC20M is, on the outside, exactly what it claims to be: an ATX HTPC case. I state this semi-obvious fact for two reasons. First, it is clearly a full-sized computer case. Though its sleek lines and minimalist front look somewhat like the hi-fi equipment it is modeled after, it cannot escape that chunky desktop PC appearance.

I personally found the case to be an attractive middle ground between PC and consumer video equipment, though others thought it looked a little too much like a nice PC case. Regardless, it will stand out against your other equipment just enough to get noticed. Whether this idea is to your liking or not may determine if this case is a good aesthetic fit for you.


The other reason I mention that it looks like an HTPC case is that it offers the things you would expect to find in one. The LC20M comes pre-installed with a VFD and IR, and its drives are hidden behind doors with solid closures and geared hinge mechanisms that provide a smooth front when closed. The unit comes in silver or black (as you can see, we opted for black), though the acrylic stripe is black on both models.

Included with the case itself are a couple extra fan grills, a 24-pin power extension with 4-pin breakout (we'll get into the importance of this later), various screws and standoffs, a remote control, and a CD with the IMON VFD/IR software.