SilverStone LC16M HTPC Case Review

Media PCs and home theater PCs (HTPCs) are more popular than ever, and their popularity seems to continually increase. HP has sold a ton of media center PCs over the past year. Many of us won't buy prebuilt machines though; we only build our own, usually to save money, use better components, or have fun. The DIY (do-it-yourself) HTPC crowd tends to be a very discerning bunch. They want very specific features in their TV tuners, sound cards and cases. When you build a PC with certain purposes in mind, it requires more careful planning and consideration.

With HTPC users in mind, SilverStone continually adds to and refines its Lascala series cases in an attempt to create perfect HTPC cases. SilverStone has had quite a bit of success so far, especially considering the company is not even three years old yet. When creating its latest cases, the LC16M, LC17 and LC18, SilverStone used feedback from actual users to come up with designs to meet the various and unique needs that HTPC users have. In this review, I'll cover the LC16M, which is an attractively styled HTPC case that comes in both black and silver.

In addition to great looks, one of the goals with the LC16M is to offer a new level of storage capacity for HTPC enclosures. Most competing cases offer two or three 3.5" internal drive bays, but the LC16M offers six, which means you can put up to six hard drives in this case! The LC16M also features a VFD/IR multimedia kit. To learn more about this HTPC case, you'll have to keep on reading.

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
• VFD/IR, remote control and iMon software

The LC16M offers a nice set of features. At first glance, it definitely seems like a really nice HTPC case. On the following pages, I'll take a closer look at the case to see if the features and specs translate to true greatness.

Specifications

If you are considering purchasing this case, please note the two incompatibilities listed above in the last row of the specs table. According to SilverStone, the LC16M is incompatible with GeForce 6800 and 7800 cards as well as ATI X1800 series cards. This is due to the placement of the 5.25" bay, which I will show you later on. Additionally, the LC16M's soft-closing 5.25" drive bay is incompatible with optical drive doors that are the same width as the drive.