X-bit labs

NMEDIAPC HTPC 288 SA: Affordable Case for an HTPC System (page 3)

Category: Multimedia

by Vasily Melnik

[ 08/22/2007 | 07:14 PM ]

The same goes for the side panels…

…except that the side blocks are not symmetrical. The vent holes in the left panel are shifted towards the rear of the case. The manufacturer saw to the proper cooling of the CPU: there is a small vent grid above it.

The rear panel is designed typically for this form-factor.

Except for the small height and the somewhat unusual placement of the PSU, this is the typical layout of a mATX case. An interesting feature, there is an additional expansion card slot above the power supply.

You can’t actually put a normal card in there, but it suits perfectly for various brackets with interface ports, etc. Here, a bracket with a coaxial digital audio output is installed in that slot. You can connect it to an appropriate header on your mainboard. It’s good to have the opportunity to move a bracket with ports away from the other slots because, like any mATX case, the HTPC 288SA allows to install only two or three expansion cards at best.

To assemble a PC in this case, you only have to remove the top panel that is secured with two thumbscrews. On the reverse side of the top panel there is a small diffuser that ensures an inflow of air to the CPU cooler.

Unfortunately, it is not adjustable and suits mainly for boxed coolers.