If your only requirement of an HTPC is that it be as small as possible, then it might be time to take a look at the Antec ISK 110 VESA case. The ISK 110 VESA takes the Mini-ITX platform about as small as it can go and still remain a complete enclosure. There is room for a Mini-ITX motherboard and […]
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The Mini-ITX hits just keep on coming. With the diminutive platform becoming increasingly popular with the DIY crowd, we are seeing more manufacturers offering a greater variety of motherboards and more sites running reviews of those offerings. In this case, the ASRock Z77E-ITX is on the review table. As the name implies, the Z77E-ITX is a Mini-ITX board based on […]
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We are currently about halfway through the release cycle of the most recent Intel processor family. Ivy Bridge has now been with us for several months and we are still several months from the release of Haswell, Ivy Bridge’s successor. For processor afficionados, these might be the doldrums, but for anyone looking to go Mini-ITX for a new HTPC or […]
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This summer proved exciting for fans of the Mini-ITX form factor with a number of intriguing new cases including the BitFenix Prodigy and the Fractal Design Node 304 grabbing some time in the spotlight. I was also a bit taken with the new Cooler Master Elite 120 as it reminded me of a smaller version of my once-beloved Antec Aria. […]
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Xigmatek is a name I have seen associated with power supplies and CPU coolers at various times, but evidently they make a mean small form factor case, as well. Now, to be fair, small is a relative term to apply to the Xigmatek Gigas. As far as SFF cases goes, the Gigas is rather beefy, but with support for Micro-ATX […]
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Boasting clean lines, the right look, and solid construction for Mini-ITX based systems the Wesena ITX5 all-aluminum enclosure offers capabilities very similar to the ITX7; by removing optical drive support in a slightly lower cost ($80) package. Building a name for quality takes time and attention to feedback, so it was fantastic to examine the generational differences between the two […]
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Cooler Master has announced the Elite 120 Advanced Mini-ITX case, joining BitFenix and Fractal Design in pushing new designs geared not just at SFF and HTPC enthusiasts, but also performance enthusiasts. The Elite 120 Advanced is the latest Mini-ITX case to tout a design intended to house a full-size gaming-grade graphics card without giving up the diminutive footprint that makes mini-ITX so […]
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When Intel first announced their Atom line of low power processors way back in 2008, I had visions of tiny, quiet HTPCs sipping power in my home theater stack. Unfortunately, the promise never lived up to expectations and it has been awhile since I seriously considered an Atom processor for my own HTPC, but that hasn’t stopped me from hoping […]
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Few companies offer as wide an array of HTPC cases as SilverStone. With their Crown line of HTPC cases, SilverStone tends to take an “everything but the kitchen sink” approach to design, resulting in some their most feature-rich and versatile cases. The CW02 is a prime example of this design philosophy. The voluminous ATX case serves up a concealed 52-in-1 […]
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As if Microsoft hadn’t already made it clear enough that they don’t have any interest in developing Windows Media Center further, along comes word that Microsoft has discontinued one more avenue of WMC support. Microsoft has been updating the Windows Hardware Certification Kit ahead of the release of Windows 8 and in the latest Windows Logo Newsletter Microsoft has announced […]
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