All these are on the front of the case for easy access regardless of whether the case lies horizontally and vertically. Other features include two 3.5″ or 2.5″ drive bays, two expansion slots, PCIe riser solution for GPUs, I/O with two USB 3.0, two USB 2.0, a reset button, a chunky on/off switch, activity LEDs, and one HD audio in/out. Pretty much any component you’d find in a standard build will fit, except for the PSU, which limits clearance to 130 mm, so you’re looking at an SFX PSU unit. Don’t get us wrong, things are tighter than a typical tower, but there’s far more room than most HTPC cases.
Let’s dive in.Ī sleek HTPC case from the competent folks over at Thermaltake, the Thermaltake Core G3 ATX Slim stood out for us as one of the best all-round home theater PC cases out there.ĭesigned to accommodate full-size ATX motherboards, the Thermaltake Core G3 ATX Slim is a surprisingly roomy case, despite its slim design, meaning it’s easy to access its innards to install components. While there are dozens of options out there, our search led us to settle on five home theater PC cases, which will stand you in good stead for years to come. The thermal output isn’t as pronounced as a gaming rig but still needs proper management. Naturally, visual appearance also weighed in our decision-making process, given HTPCs need the right aesthetic to fit into a living room entertainment setup.Ĭooling and thermal performance, in particular, largely dictate how suited a home theater case is to the task of keeping unconventionally arranged components at safe temperatures while keeping noise levels down so as not to deteriorate the viewing experience with unwanted sound pollution.
For the sake of variety and to cater to various requirements, our spread includes a selection of form factors and price ranges.īesides these, other factors such as internal bays/brackets, I/O, cooling, dimensions, and PSU support were important considerations when assessing the good from the bad of the home theater cases on the market today. If you’re on the lookout for the creme de la creme of home theater PC cases out there but need a hand narrowing down your options, read on.īelow, we’ve assembled our review of the five best home theater PC cases out there.
Often less flashy than their desktop counterparts, home theater PCs incorporate different design features, chiefly the ability to lie horizontally and house all the necessary hardware within a more compact box. Manufacturers have cottoned on to this relatively new demand among PC users and started pumping out dedicated home theater PC chassis with appearances to match.
Rather than a bulky eyesore polluting the space below a TV and clashing with the room’s general decor, a good home theater PC chassis should complement the living room, or, better yet, blend into its surroundings, concealing a multimedia beast behind an understated exterior. These rigs are known as home theater PCs, or HTPC for short, and while their constituent parts are similar to the traditional PC, the HTPC chassis meets different requirements that align with beaming movies and TV shows to the living room. PCs are increasingly staking their claim for a spot in the erstwhile out of bounds living room, bringing with them all the functionality of the standard desktop PC alongside an arrangement of choice improvements geared specifically towards playing and recording media on a full-sized TV.