Viewing page 1 of 8 pages.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 NextLuxa2 LM100 Mini
August 24, 2009 by Lawrence Lee
|
Product |
Luxa2 LM100 Mini
HTPC Case
|
|
Manufacturer |
|
|
Market Price |
|
SPCR continues with our exploration of new mini-ITX cases coming to this growing market. Recently, we've examined several affordable models, the Antec ISK 300-65 and the Silverstone SG05 and SG06. Now comes a high end model with a price tag to match, by a new brand called Luxa2.
Thermaltake is a large brand offering various computer components including
power supplies, hard drive enclosures, as well as cases and cooling supplies.
However, its large market share and extensive catalogue dilutes the brand power
in the high-end market. The company sells many affordable generic PC commodities, so when enthusiasts with deep pockets
break out their wallets, Thermaltake is not one of the premium brands that catches
their attention.
The LM100 comes in a fairly plain white box with brown ascents. |
With that in mind, Thermaltake launched the Luxa2 division earlier this year, as a separate entity
offering only premium, high-quality products. The bulk of Luxa2 offerings are slick
home theater PC cases, all with VFDs, some with touch screen technology. The LM100 Mini is the smallest of the bunch, a mini-ITX case designed for multimedia applications. For a high-end HTPC, the less the case resembles a cheap beige box,
the better; the LM100 certainly fits the bill. Luxa2's slogan for the LM100
Mini is "exquisite and desirable" — this phrase may elicit a
smirk, but the meaning is clear. It's as sexy a case as we've come across.
The Luxa2 LM100 Mini. |
The LM100 is simply gorgeous. It's a low profile Shuttle-like enclosure with a sturdy
aluminum body, smooth at the sides and brush textured at the top. The case features
a small LCD display on the front panel and a remote control. The overall
dimensions are approximately 5" x 9.5" x 12", giving it a bigger
footprint (about one inch on both sides) than the recently reviewed Sugo
SG05/06. Its height is shorter by 2".
The comparisons in this review to the Silverstone cases are natural because of the similar intended purposes of the cases (and the fact that the reviews are posted back to back), but from a visual appeal point of view, there isn't much comparison. The LM100 is a clearly high end product against which the SG05/06 look and feel downright crude. There is also a 2.5~3 times price difference.
Accessories. The case ships with a remote control, a slim SATA optical
drive adapter, an Allen wrench, and a cloth, presumably for wiping down
the LCD. |
|
|
| Product Name |
LM100 Mini |
| P/N |
LVA12062N1E LVA12062N1U |
| Case Type |
Home Theater Media PC |
| Media Kits |
Media LAB |
| Dimension |
Height: 125mm (4.92 inches) / foot stand
included: 126mm (4.96 inches)
Width: 242mm (9.53 inches)
Depth: 305.7mm (12.04 inches) |
| Weight |
4.35kg / 9.59 lbs. |
| Cooling System Rear |
Dual 50 x 50 x 25 mm/ 1.97 x 1.97 x 0.39
inches, silent fan, 4000rpm, 28dBA |
| Drive Bays |
-Accessible 1 x Slim type ODD
-Hidden 1 x 3.5" HDD |
| Material |
Aluminum extrusion |
| Color |
Front Panel: Black / Body :
Silver |
| Front I/O |
USB 2.0 x 2, IEEE 1394 Firewire,
HD-Audio |
| Expansion Slots |
1 |
| Motherboards |
Mini ITX |
| PSU |
200W Flex ATX |
| Help support this site, buy the Luxa2 LM100 Mini HTPC Case from one of our affiliate retailers! |
|
