Silent HTPC? mCubed HFX

peterson · Post by **peterson** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 1:38 am

Not sure in which sub-forum to post this.

Can this be truly silent?
http://www.mcubed-tech.com/eng/product_hfx.htm

I wonder what specs it can handle and still be cool enough.

Tibors · Post by **Tibors** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 3:56 am

Hush, the first company to market cases like this, claims they can cool a Prescott in such cases. (Low profile version reviewed by SPCR.) In the Hush cases you can't suspend your HD's, so that is the quietness you can achieve.

Tranquil PC, another manufacturer of cases like this, claims to even have solved the HD vibration.

So until we have seen the insides and/or heard the whole setup, we don't really know if this hfx is truly silent. But the claim of being able to use a regular (fanless) ATX PSU in the hfx, makes me wonder. All the other designs have a proprietary PSU integrated into the case.

peterson · Post by **peterson** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 4:49 am

Ok, i wasn't aware of that. I never considered getting a HTPC.
Don't know what i'd use it as.

Tibors · Post by **Tibors** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 5:28 am

My post wasn't meant as some berating. Just to point out that their claim of new concept is a "bit" stretching of the truth. It might be an interesting case when we know more, so it is a good find.

peterson · Post by **peterson** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 5:35 am

No offense taken at all. Your post is very informative.

I'm currently browsing on what a HTPC can be used as. Looking at mini-itx atm. If i ever get some time and money left over...

Mariner · Post by **Mariner** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 7:30 am

peterson wrote:No offense taken at all. Your post is very informative.
I'm currently browsing on what a HTPC can be used as. Looking at mini-itx atm. If i ever get some time and money left over...

Windows Media Centre Edition is now available for 'build your own' devices (previously you had to buy pre-configured systems from vendors).

This is ideal for a HTPC and can be used as a PVR, music jukebox, DVD viewer, picture viewer, DiVX viewer etc., all on your big TV screen. You'll also be able to access streaming video/audio and use it as a PC, of course (although you'll need a TV capable of displaying a reasonable resolution for this).

Choy · Post by **Choy** » Sun Mar 13, 2005 7:55 am

I found a photo of the inside when browsing around. In this site under gallery, clicking on the top view, reveals a photo of the inside of the case. You can't tell if the have taken any measures to reduce hdd noise. I find a few things a bit odd. Where are you supposed to put the psu? And what are the rca connectors for? (Not many sound cards have internal line-outs.)

But all in all it is a good looking case. Wonder how much they'll try to extort from us for it.

REMF · Post by **REMF** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 8:27 am

£185 delivered with no PSU, no heatsink, no VAT

Mariner · Post by **Mariner** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 9:43 am

REMF wrote:£185 delivered with no PSU, no heatsink, no VAT

Not too bad a price in the grand scheme of things. I would say that although it looks quite nice, it's quite 'chunky' and might be a bit too big.

I look forward to seeing a review.

kamina · Post by **kamina** » Mon Apr 25, 2005 11:30 pm

I second the wish for a review... PLEASE

And test if the figures of supporting a 120W processor are even close to true.