| nMediaPC HTPC 8000 Wooden Media Center Case |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Cases | |
| Written by Olin Coles | |
| Thursday, 13 August 2009 | |
nMediaPC HTPC 8000 CaseHome Theater Personal Computers, or HTPCs as enthusiasts abbreviate them, may soon once again be all the craze. Very recently the ultra-compact NVIDIA ION platform offered up HD video and Blu-Ray content over native HDMI, and leaves the entertainment center with plenty of room left over for other components. But for those wanting just a little more, such as discrete graphics for intense CrossFire or SLI gaming, you'll need an HTPC case with full-size ATX motherboard compatibility. nMediaPC knows there's still a market for home theater PC enthusiasts, which is why the HTPC-8000 case was designed. A stained-wood case with old-time looks is modern enough to deliver LCD-based programmable Media Center Edition (MCE) display. Benchmark Reviews explores the nMedia HTPC-8000 media center computer case and delivers the verdict on HTPCs. 
When it comes to computer cases, especially media center cases, everyone has their own preference. While my tastes generally prefer ultra-compact cases, I also like a HTPC enclosure that bring positive attention to itself. The nMediaPC HTPC 8000 dark wood Media Center Edition case is exactly that product. During testing, I changed my mind several times, and then decided that the antique Cherry wood HTPC-8000 case was more like a standalone piece of furniture than anything else. While most users would make their system purpose-driven, I wanted the HTPC 8000 to house a Windows 7 media center computer and do anything and everything my gaming PC could do. But the possibilities are seemingly endless. My mind wandered... this is wood, not metal, and therefore I can 'mod' this case with more flexibility than anything else. I dreamt up a design that hinges the top lid to the rest of the enclosure, and flips up to reveal an embedded media center keyboard and LCD screen attached to the underside. There's so much room inside the HTPC-8000 that I even considered mounting speakers inside the cabinet; and they'd fit perfectly. When it was time to sit down and write this review, I knew that it would be best to simply share the ideas than to limit myself to only one. This is the story of the best-looking HTPC case I've ever handled... About nMedia Systems
Northern California, Castro Valley-based NMEDIA SYSTEM, INC. was founded in 2004. nMedia describes their vision as creating a future home entertainment PC system that is optimal for today's consumer electronic gear such as HDTVs and Home Theater Projectors. nMedia manufactures Home Theater PC (HTPC) components to integrate various home Audio/Video functions and performance computing into one easy-to-use unit, and deliver consumers the rich home entertainment experiences for a new level of control and convenience. nMediaPC Case FeaturesnMediaPC is proud to introduce the first Wooden HTPC Case. The classic looking HTPC 8000 case not only will meet your HTPC needs, with its smart internal design, it can easily surpass any gamer's expectations. The new HTPC 8000 wooden case is a state-of-art ATX case for users in different interests. It supports full ATX motherboard; ATX PSU and all full length video card. It only built with one 140mm case fan to make your build a complete silent system. Direct air flow from front to back design improve the heat performance significantly. Not enough? Feel free to add two 92mm fans in the front behind the panel.
Beside the superior functions offered above, the unique classic style will capture all eyeballs and impress your guests with your one of the kind powerful HTPC system. HTPC 8000 Specifications
Closer Look: nMediaPC HTPC 8000I'm a big fan of dark wood. Some like pine, with it's tan color and occasional shades of light green hues, but I'm more of a Mahogany guy. Dark mahogany, with a cheery stain. It's in my kitchen, bedroom, and throughout my home. I would like to think of it as a safe departure from the black laquer finish the majority of my comfort items had last decade. So when nMedia offered the HTPC 8000 for review, I leaped at the opportunity. Built from real wood, not cheap pressed particle board or flimsy high-density fiber board. I'm not a wood expert, but it appears that Beech wood was used for the panels and then stained with a lacquer. the nMedia HTPC-8000 delivers a handcrafted finish in the appearance of an dark cherry wooden antique radio. A very large antique radio at that, with more front-panel connectivity than most MCE-specific computers come equipped with.
The nMediaPC HTPC 8000 isn't your average Media Center Edition case; it offer more internal volume than most mid-tower computer cases can deliver. The outer dimensions are 19.3" wide, by 11" deep, and the case stands 14.3" tall. The entire package weighs a surprisingly light 15 lbs.
The front panel bezel is an injection-molded plastic component that passes for a bronze face plate. The optical drive tray door is spring loaded, and flips down when the tray is ejected. The power button resembles a large tuning wheel, except for it offers only a on/off pressure switch.
nMediaPC adds matching injection-molded plastic handles to each side of the HTPC 8000, which are a necessity more than a convenience with this large case. From this angle you can also see that nMediaPC didn't just use the wood panels to make a simple enclosure, they also used several routed pieces for trim and accents.
The only obvious connection between the nMediaPC HTPC 8000 and a standard computer case is the metal-reinforced back end. The steel component looks like the back side of most mid-tower computer cases, but a nicely positioned 140mm cooling fan and vented expansion bay slots helps to improve airflow. Wood Media Center Case FeaturesIn keeping with the antique radio theme, nMedia has added two screened inlets at each side of the HTPC-8000 case. Because there was so much room inside the enclosure, I was tempted to secure a midrange speaker and tweeter combo at each side to work as an additional center-channel.
The top panel of the nMediaPC HTPC 8000 wood Media Center Edition case secures with four large gold Phillips head screws, which load into metal counter-sunk collars in the enclosure. The lid is solid wood, and weighs enough that you don't necessarily need to bolt-up the HTPC 8000 if you frequently reach inside. Velcro or magnet strips glued/stapled to the inside would be just as good, and offer quick access to hardware.
While the HTPC 8000 doesn't offer pass-through holes for a water cooling system, it would only take a few minutes with a drill to custom-fit the case with the proper tube holes. Alternatively, a liquid-cooling radiator could be mounted behind the 140mm cooling fan.
nMedia Systems offers an optional programmable LCD module for MCE Operating Systems. The unit Benchmark Reviews received didn't come with this feature, so we can't verify compatibility.
Proving that the HTPC 8000 is made from real wood, the underside of the bottom panel remains unfinished except for four felt pads. The four holes in the center were most likely used to secure the unit during construction and fabrication. In the next section, Benchmark Reviews opens up the HTPC 8000 and inspects the internal layout of this MCE case... HTPC 8000 Interior FeaturesOnce the top panel of the nMediaPC HTPC 8000 is removed, a large open space inside the wooden enclosure is filled with a small steel drive rack. This steel rack fastens to the case with one wood screw at each side, and aligns with the front bezel optical drive tray door. A small decal points a red arrow to the front of the case, so that the cage will fit properly with the bezel. After the drive tray is removed, the large open volume inside the HTPC 8000 becomes apparent. There's enough room for an extended ATX motherboard, with clearance for tall CPU coolers.
Although it was a tight fit, the Prolimatech Megalems, Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme, and Xigmatek Thor's Hammer S126384 all fit beneath/beside the drive cage. A word of caution though: not every motherboard locates the CPU in the exact same place. Some mainboards locate the processor socket closer to the rear of the case, and some move it down and over to the front. While nearly any thin/wide CPU cooler with a 120mm fan (similar to the three noted above) could be used depending on socket orientation, square coolers (such as the Cooler Master Hyper Z600) may not fit beneath the drive cage.
Light weight felt is stapled behind the mock 'speaker' grill, which helps restrict the amount of lint and dust that might collect inside the HTPC 8000. An energetic enthusiast or case modder could easily see potential changes waiting to be made, and even the novice craftsman could craft themselves some very nice additions. Even with my limited experience at modifying computer cases, I'm already looking for ways to fit a home theater component inside the HTPC with another system.
Perhaps it's overkill, but the nMediaPC HTPC 8000 Media Center Edition case fits up to four 3.5" drives along with a single optical drive mounted in the middle. Most computers have one or two drives, since the price of storage has come down while the capacity has gone way up. Rubber vibration-dampening grommets help keep the HTPC 8000 motionless on the inside, and quiet on the outside.
Somehow the drive cage received ventilation holes on one side, but not on the other; not that it will matter since the area beneath each drive cage is not meant to hold any hardware (although it clearly offers the possibility). In the next section, my final thoughts on the HTPC case industry are shared editorial-style... HTPC Case Final ThoughtsThe idea is simple: substitute a computer in place of a DVD player or other home theater appliance. Home Theater PCs are meant for a niche market, and through the years that market has maintained some very small consumer numbers. I attribute this to several factors, but the three most significant are:
With such a small market clamoring for HTPC hardware, manufacturers tightened their belts and reduced their product offerings to a few key designs or purposes. Additionally, the shrinking economy forced some companies to scrap their HTPC ambitions altogether. Ultimately, only HTPC-specific manufacturers, such as nMediaPC, remained.
Very recently Benchmark Reviews tested the Antec ISK300-65, Silverstone LC10B-E, Antec MicroFusion Remote 350, and Thermaltake DH101, all of which offer rack component-like appearance and design. This is fairly traditional with HTPC makers, since they equate the need to replace an entertainment center device with the HTPC. But sometimes there's functionality lost in the pursuit of fashion. While I'm an admirer of nMediaPC HTPC 8000 wooden Media Center Edition HTPC case, I also understand that this isn't going to be the component-replacement enclosure that everyone else building for... and therein lies the rub. Since HTPCs haven't exactly set the world on fire, perhaps it's good to experiment with variety again. The antique radio themed HTPC-8000 is a perfect example of this idea, and it could prove to be a lucrative risk for nMedia. nMediaPC HTPC 8000 ConclusionSome products sell themselves off the shelf directly from the retail packaging, while other products are available online-only and the store front displays a product image. While nMedia could have gone the extra mile and put something more than text and a logo on the brown cardboard box, something like a line-art version of the HTPC 8000 displayed on the front, I can understand why they didn't. nMedia isn't stocking the HTPC 8000 media center case at Best Buy or some other brick and mortar shop, the understand that this product is available through online retailers almost exclusively. What the retail package lacks in building anticipation the actual HTPC 8000 case delivers in disbelief. When you go from plain brown box to cherry wood hand-crafted case, you can't help but feel like nMedia over-delivered. The HTPC-8000 is beautiful, and any home theater would be lucky to have it as part of the entertainment center. Dark wood stain and smooth sanded surfaces give the HTPC 8000 media center case a finish that no plastic or metal enclosure can match. In fact, the HTPC 8000 looks so good you might ultimately decide to let it be left as a stand-alone component.
After searching over every inch of this antique radio themed case, I've concluded that the HTPC 8000 is built as though the Amish had designed it. Construction is as good as we can expect from mass-produced wood furniture, but with a far better eye for detail than we see with most other home furnishings. With such a large inner volume, the HTPC-8000 isn't designed to squeeze into your entertainment center. At 19.3" wide by 11" deep and 14.3" tall, this wooden MCE enclosure demands it's own real estate. Out of the box I can see the HTPC 8000 fitting in nicely around the bar, or family room. If there's a billiards/game room, this antique radio case will blend right in. With complete surprise, I learned the sales price for this HTPC case after the review was completed. NewEgg offers the HTPC 8000 for a mere $119.99 with free shipping, which is astounding when you consider the work that went into this product and the cost of materials. Certainly this price doesn't qualify it as the most affordable HTPC case we've tested, but there isn't any questioning the fact that you're getting more than you money's worth. In conclusion, I am completely satisfied with the nMediaPC HTPC 8000. Very few wooden cases exist on the retail market, and even fewer offer the beauty and finish that this HTPC enclosure offers. For the money, you're getting more than you pay for; including space and features. The HTPC 8000 will work best as a standalone unit, since it demands a footprint larger than most entertainment centers can afford. The final perk is the wood construction, which allows the enthusiast builder to modify the HTPC 8000 into just about anything they desire... including some of the ideas I've shared in this article. Pros:
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Comments
Good things:
1) Air Flow / Cooling - Amazing for what it is, high-end components with NOT overheat. Comes with a 140mm fan, you can also add 2x 92mm fans
2) Noise - Wooden case, plus lots of silicone/rubber gromments that come with it
3) Full ATX - allows for FULL ATX MB/Power Supply
4) Room - Roomy enough for all full-sized graphics cards
5) Price - easily competes with other HTPC cases. You can find this for under $100.
6) It's not PVC/Plywood. It's REAL FREAKIN WOOD.
7) It has STEEL. Not cheap aluminum.
Cons:
1) DVD drive alignment - Easily fixed with a 1/8" shim
2) DVD faceplate says DVD instead of Bluray
3) Power Knob doesn't act as a dual-purpose power/volume knob. Could be accomplished via USB volume controls. Sad that it's not.
If you are looking for a "retro" case for HTPC, this is your ready-made guy. You can build one yourself, but for it's price, just buy this one unless you have specific custom applications and hardware.
First time I read about this case I knew it's just what I needed for my new HTPC. The case should be here next week and I'm looking forward to building my new PC!