I have been into home theater computers for a long, long time. In its infancy, HTPCs offered more functionality than was available to the average consumer (like upscaled DVD video, progressive scan displays, archived video library, etc), but at a severe usability cost. The unit was still primarily controlled using a standard keyboard and mouse, which let me tell you totally kills the almighty SAF (spousal acceptance factor).
The holy grail of a Home Theater PC is to make it as appliance-like as possible, and that includes having an enclosure that seamlessly meshes with other home theater equipment, and can be used without a remote control. One of the few companies up to this challenge is Silverstone, who has years of experience designing cases for the Home Theater enthusiast. Their LC16M case appears to be a serious candidate for the Holy Grail of HTPC enclosures, so let’s take a serious look.
Specifications
With over 15 HTPC enclosures worth of experience and years of knowledge in case cooling and layout, SilverStone’s acclaimed engineering and design team have once again re-invented an existing standard. The attractively styled LC16M offers impressive features that are unprecedented for HTPC enclosures. They include cooling performance surpassing most tower cases for next generation processor technology and a storage capacity unseen in this class. By combining these new technical advances with traditional HTPC features such as VFD/IR multimedia kit and a clean, functional front fascia, the LC16M is sure to become the premier choice for HTPC enthusiasts.
Special Features
- Brilliant home theater styling details
- Next generation cooling performance
- Outstanding potential for silent operation
- Integrated hotkey and multi-functional knob
- Superior storage capacity
- New Maglev bearing fans included
| Material | Aluminum front panel, 0.8 mm SECC body |
| Color | Black |
| Silver | |
| Motherboard | Standard ATX, Micro ATX |
| Multimedia | VFD, IR, remote control, iMON media center software |
| Model | LC16B – M (Black) |
| LC16S – M (Silver) | |
| External Drive Bay | 5.25” x 1 |
| 3.5” x 1 | |
| Internal Drive Bay | 3.5” x 6 |
| Cooling System | lntemal 2 x 92mm or 80mm fan slots |
| Rear 2 x 80mm exhaust fan, 2050rpm, 21dBA | |
| Front 1 x 80mm fan slots | |
| Expansion Slot | 7 |
| Front I/O Port | USB2.0 x 4 |
| IEEE1394 x 1 | |
| audio x 1 | |
| MIC x 1 | |
| Power Supply | Optional standard PS2 (ATX) |
| Net Weight | 7.3 kg |
| Dimension | 425 mm (W) x 170mm (H) x 425 mm (D) |
* LC16M is not compatible with GeForce 6800/7800 series and ATI X1800/X1900 series cards but is compatible with 7900GT (not 7900GTX). The included soft-closing 5.25” drive bays are not compatible with optical drive doors that are the same width as the drive
The inside of the case is accessed by opening a lid on top of the case. Inside there appears to be lots of room, accompanied by lots of cables connected to various parts of the front panel. The front panel is actually a 3.25″ module installed in the center drive cage, but is hidden behind an aluminum flap. The VFD, volume knob and media buttons have USB leads coming from the front panel, but more on that later.
The case has two 120mm side air intake/exhaust ports, covered by a non-removable mesh grill. There are no screw holes through the mesh, so fans must be mounted from inside the case. Fortunately, Silverstone includes several long screws used to secure fans to the grill (the fan is sandwiched between the screw head and the case side rather than being directly screwed in).
Depending on your motherboard, you may not be able to fit a standard 120mm fan on the right intake (although you can use a special slim 120mm fan). The second 120mm intake port is positioned right where the power supply is to reside. Most modern power supplies have a 120mm air intake right where this vent is, so your power supply will have access to fresh cool air (assuming you don’t close the door to your rack).
Two quiet 60mm fans assist the expulsion of heat from the back of the case. The drive cages are anchored to the bottom of the case and screwed in the top. The bottom of the cages are indented so they can clear your motherboard when the cages are removed. The central 5.25” cage is the the main design point, which places the stealthed DVD drive, VFD, and USB panel squarely in the center of the case!
Even with these important cooling features, you still need to keep this in mind – Home Theater PCs generate heat; it’s just a fact of life. You should always make sure that hot air does not build up in the equipment rack. If you need to close the door on your rack, make sure there is an exhaust fan or will quickly find your HTPC crashing.
Also make sure there is clearance at the back of your rack for heat to travel (shelves should not be pushed flush against the back wall). My rack is completely open, and I can literally feel the heat coming from the top of the home theater stack. The fact that the heat is expelled and not trapped within the case is a testament to the LC16M’s design.
Before doing any installation, you must remove a stability bar that runs down the center of the case. The bar is secured at the front, back and at the center drive cage with four low-profile screws. Once these screws are removed, the bar is lifted up.
Silverstone states that a 6800 or 7800 will not fit in this case, which can be true depending on your particular video card. I was able to fit an Asus 6800 because the card’s power connector is perpendicular to the board. This was an extremely tight fit, and segments the case into two sections, which may complicate airflow. You must use a newer DVD drive with a shallow chassis or it will easily interfere with other video cards.
A 7600, X1600, or Geforce 6600 are excellent video cards for home theater, and have a smaller form factor that will not interfere. I don’t see this as a design flaw, per se, because other HTPC cases can have cumbersome limits on the hardware used (either forcing you to use a microATX motherboard, small power supply, etc).
The inside of the LC16M is ample, and accommodates full-size equipment. You can fill this case with 6 hard drives, 1 DVD drive, a full size ATX motherboard and a standard power supply. It might appear rather cramped, but there is ample space between each component..
Hard drives are spaced to allow decent airflow around and in front, and all drive cages are separated from each other. The center drive cage appears under-utilized, but that is where you will naturally stuff excess cables and leads. It is highly recommended to use a modular power supply so you don’t clog the unit with unnecessary power leads. Serial ATA drives are also recommended, as the cables are small and easily routed.
Once everything is installed, it can appear rather full, so make sure you route your cables in a way that cause minimal interference during maintenance. Upgrading hard drives is very easy, as the drive cages are easily removed and do not interfere with other components. The drive cages are anchored to the bottom of the case and secured with screws at the top. Once the top is unscrewed, the drive cage slides back and can be lifted up.
Here is a list of the hardware used in this installation:
- Chaintech nForce4 motherboard
- AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+
- Zalman CNPS-7000
- Sony 16X DVD writer
- 1 GB Geil DDR 400 RAM
- 4x Seagate 250GB HDDs
- Thermalright chipset cooler
- Creative Soundblaster Live 24-bit
- Hauppauge PVR250 Video Capture card
- PowerColor X1600 video card
- Ultra X-connect 550W power supply
- Windows Media Center 2005
The VFD (Vacuum Fluorescent Display) and integrated remote sensor is the main feature that polishes the professional quality of this case. The remote sensor is stealthed behind black acrylic, and the VFD has no problem shining through. They are so well integrated that it looks like OEM equipment. You CAN add these units to other cases (assuming they have an exposed drive bay), but they must be installed in a drive bay and do not look professional.
The VFD has additional power connections that must be installed in a particular way. The VFD must be connected to your motherboard’s power, motherboard power switch, and USB port all at the same time. The remote sensor is connected to the USB port and recieves input from the included remote control. The VFD gets its power directly from the power supply, and an adapter must be connected between the PSU and motherboard’s power connector.
The VFD is also connected to the front panel’s Power button, so this adapter must be plugged into the motherboard’s POWER SWITCH lead. If this seems confusing and unnecessary… well, it is. I have seen other front panel displays that operate just fine using a standard molex connector and they power on just fine when the system does.
The VFD software is made for home theater applications, and drives the display as well as processes remote input. I have messed with LCD and VFD displays with my computers for years, and they usually require weeks of tweaking, and additional software modules to get them working right. This software is all-inclusive, requires minimal configuration, and works perfectly right after installation.
The VFD software shows the current task. The display shows you when it is recording something (even if you are watching something else), video playback information, spectrum analysis, or current screen if nothing is playing. When connected to the Internet, Media Center will automatically download the title and chapter of DVDs, which display when watching a movie.
When Media Center is not running, then the VFD software will display generic PC information automatically, like processor and memory information, news feeds, weather, and more. The only parts of the software that require any configuration at all is setting up news feeds and location (for weather reports).
The remote can be operated in mouse or keyboard mode, and the VFD displays any input it receives from the remote. If in mouse mode, the VFD will display “mouse movement” or “mouse click”. In keyboard mode, it responds “keyboard up” or “keyboard left”. If you have enough patience, you can do any and all maintenance using the remote (unless the thing you’re fixing is the remote sensor itself), and you may want to install an on-screen keyboard for this purpose.
Most input comes from the remote’s analog hat, which has 360 degree freedom of movement. It can be a little too sensitive in keyboard mode, as you may hit the wrong direction.
Since the remote is completely IR (and no RF), then mouse mode can be a little slow, and sometimes gets stuck. Releasing and resuming the movement hat picks the cursor back up, however. Transmitting mouse info via IR is a lot of information, so it’s only a fault of the technology, and is still very functional.
The remote’s usability layout isn’t the best in the world. It provides a lot more functionality than a Media Center remote, but there is something to be said for simplicity. If you’re not using Windows Media Center, then you may have to do a lot more tweaking to get the buttons mapped correctly. The main button can launch Media Center, or can launch any other media software you have installed.
Sometimes the VFD software becomes “stuck” on a particular screen, notably when receiving mouse movement, but occasionally on other screens. Restarting Media Center usually fixes this. Hopefully an update to the VFD software will correct this issue, but this is the only flaw that breaks the otherwise excellent “appliance-ness” of the system.
Silverstone’s LC16M case achieves what most enthusiasts have been looking for: a home theater PC that operates like an appliance. The aluminum front has an elite look that can be proudly displayed along other elite gear, and the front panel controls work flawlessly. The VFD display software is tuned for home theater applications, and automatically provides information of the current task, which always gets a “wow” from my guests.
The layout of the LC16M is superb. I want my home theater equipment to look like a home theater appliance: I absolutely hate HTPC cases that shift the DVD drive to the left or right. You have to choose the right components to fit in this case, but modern equipment should give you little trouble. The only minor areas for improvement would be that the volume knob feels slightly wobbly, and that the enclosure is not completely aluminum.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||