Final Words

SilverStone is going the right way in the HTPC market with the LC10M. The features that it carries are exceptional. The integration of the iMON Vacuum Fluorescent Display and optional media center remote control and software make this a great addition to any home theater.

The LC10M has an efficient cooling system, which we observed, to keep temperatures in the case about the same as those in the D.Vine 4. With our new benchmarking method, we observed where heat gathered in the case to help analyze possible solutions for future designs. It is interesting to see how heat given off by each component reacts with the ambient air and the air current created by the cooling system. We observed that the heat given off by the CPU was pulled towards the back of the LC10 by the rear exhaust fans, keeping it away from other components in the system. We also noticed that even though the ATI 9800XT VGA card's core rose to about 68 degrees celsius, it had no effect on the ambient air temperatures around the card.

The LC10M does have its downsides, though. The sound levels produced by the fans are extremely loud compared to some of the mid-tower cases that we have looked at in the past. At 51dBA, SilverStone's new HTPC product doesn't come close to the performance put out by Ahanix's D.Vine 4 as far as sound levels go. If the LC10 is to be used alongside home theater components the sound levels must be lowered to compete with those quieter components to ensure that no noise is heard.




Click to enlarge.


Also, the problem with the drive bays interfering with the power supply socket on the motherboard caused the LC10M to lose some points. With cramped areas, especially around critical components such as power connections, there is a higher chance of hardware being damaged. Though there are various designs in motherboards, the case manufacturer should consider all of them when planning their case designs.

The LC10 will come in two flavors when it is released: LC10M with the media center remote control and software, which we reviewed and will most likely run about $200, and the plain vanilla LC10 without the remote control and software at about $120. These figures are still tentative, but we can expect the prices to be right around that range. These prices may seem a bit steep, since a power supply is not included, but the media package makes up for that. The LC10M has a great look and with some of the minor changes that we have suggested, we believe it will be one of the top competitors in the race for the best HTPC cases when released. Ahanix's D.Vine 4 performs equally well in our thermal benchmarks but better as far as sound goes which puts it ahead of the LC10M for now.

Benchmarking - Sound
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  • Larry Chanin - Friday, December 24, 2004 - link

    To follow-up on the last suggestion. I'm a home theater enthusiast and I know absolutely nothing about building HTPC's. So I found reading your reviews of HTPC cases extremely helpful. However, I have to admit I was totally shocked by the measured sound levels of both cases reviewed. In my home theater the projector measures about 27 db. Therefore HTPC's measuring in the 40's and 50's would be totally unacceptable. With the addition of noise-reducing products could one reasonably expect to quiet these HTPC's down to db sound levels in the 20's, or am I wasting my time researching building an HTPC?
  • i6hlf - Tuesday, November 16, 2004 - link

    Speaking of loud HTPC's, why doesn't Anandtech dig into the design of a silent and cool HTPC. I mean some solutions with laptop cpu, mob and cooler system must be an obvious solution…
  • Tarumam - Monday, November 15, 2004 - link

    A good looking desktop case for a change. But why would I ever want a loud HTPC? Sounds like an oxymoron to me.
  • ImJacksAmygdala - Sunday, November 14, 2004 - link

    Anandtech does a great job with HTPC case reviews. The thermal mapping, sound levels, and wire bundle/heatsink clearance is exactly what the HTPC crowd wants to know.

    As for the value memory review eetnoyer mentioned, ya I'd love to see that to although only Anandtech does HTPC case reviews right.

    Besides if they showed benchmarks of value RAM overclocking just fine with AMD64 +3200 it might effect their sponsor's enthusiast memory line sales...
  • Gatak - Sunday, November 14, 2004 - link

    I really like the thermal display over different areas of the case. Great thing to see where the hot spots arise. =)
  • Degrador - Saturday, November 13, 2004 - link

    Just thought I'd say I love the new thermal benchmarking stuff - gives a great indication of where the dead zones are (although seemingly none in this case).
  • phaxmohdem - Saturday, November 13, 2004 - link

    My first thought... Alienware MPC?

    http://www.alienware.com/product_detail_pages/DHS_...

  • eetnoyer - Saturday, November 13, 2004 - link

    Instead of media PC cases, how about that mainstream (value) memory review that was promised a couple of months ago. I think it would have a much broader appeal to your readers. Not bashing, I've just been waiting with baited breath.

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