Introduction

Antec is no stranger to us when it comes to power supplies, and we have tested many of the latest offerings from the Fremont, California based company. We recently had a short look at the Three Hundred case, a budget offering that still provides a good feature set. Antec asked us if we would be interested in reviewing some of their latest HTPC chassis, and we responded in the affirmative.

Anyone searching for an HTPC case probably has certain things in mind. First is a nice and sleek design that will fit in with the entertainment center in your living room. Placing it there comes with another problem: size. The ideal HTPC case should be small and designed to fit together with a stereo amplifier, game console, and/or DVD player.

We have three cases from Antec that provide very different approaches in terms of size and interior space. All of them come with a nice aluminum front bezel that helps create a high quality appearance. All of them also come with software that provides easily access to media data through a Windows application called iMedian. This includes a VFD (Vacuum Fluorescent Display) installed in each front of the chassis. The three models are:

• Antec Micro Fusion 350 (includes 350W power supply)
  
• Antec Fusion Remote Black
  
• Antec Fusion Remote Max

The Micro Fusion is one of Antec's latest offerings in the HTPC sector and comes with a good 350W power supply. We tested this separately with our Chroma of course, and we are surprised by the build quality and good performance it delivered. Each of these three cases come with unique features and therefore target different users. We tested the chassis with the following components:

Test Components
CPU	Intel Core 2 Duo E4500 (2.2GHz)
Motherboard	Asus P5E-VM SE
Memory	4GB OCZ DDR2 PC2-8500 Platinum Series
HDD	Western Digital 400GB
CPU Cooler	Zalman CNPS7700
Power Supply	Antec Signature SG-650W

We took readings while idle on the Windows desktop as well as at full load. To fully load the systems we started BOINC for the CPU and the Fur benchmark for the GPU (IGP chipset). All of the preinstalled fans are adjustable with settings of low, medium, and high speed. We will include results for all three fan speeds at both idle and load.

Antec Micro Fusion 350

• Low profile desktop height fits in any environment
  
• Dual chamber structure for HDD and motherboard to separate heat and reduce noise
  
• High quality aluminum plate front bezel with LCD display
  
• 2x80mm side fans to exhaust air from CPU and VGA card
  
• IR receiver for compatibility with Windows MCE and Vista
  
• Universal power input and Active PFC
  
• 80 PLUS Certified 350W power supply delivers stable and reliable power while saving you money on your electric bill
  
• Removable HDD tray with extra soft silicone grommets in a separate chamber for maximum quiet and cool operation
  
• 80mm intake fan to cool the HDD
  
• 2 drive bays - 1x 5.25" and 1x 3.5"
  
• 4 Expansion Slots
  
• Cooling System
  
  • 2x80mm TriCool 3-speed exhaust fans in motherboard chamber (standard)
    
  • 1x80mm TriCool 3-speed intake fan for HDD cage (standard)
  
  
• Adjustable air buide directs cool external air through CPU
  
• Motherboard: Micro ATX form factor (9.6"x9.6")
  
• Front-mounted ports provide convenient connections
  
  • 2xUSB 2.0
    
  • 1x eSATA
    
  • Audio In/Out (HDA and AC' 97)
  
  
• Case dimensions
  
  • 4.5"(H) x 15.1"(W) x 16.1"(D)
    
  • 12cm (H) x 39cm (W) x 41cm (D)

The Fusion Micro 350 is the smallest of the three cases we're looking at today. It is just 12cm tall and therefore can only use low profile expansion cards and requires a low height CPU cooler. The front consists of a aluminum bezel where the VFD sits on the left side behind a dark acrylic window and on the left side is a cover for an optical drive. On the bottom we find an eSATA port, two USB ports, and jacks for a headset and microphone. On the bottom-right side are reset and power buttons. The right side of the chassis has two small 80mm fans that exhaust air from the case. Looking at the back we see space for a Micro ATX motherboard and the preinstalled power supply. The left side has two openings for cooling, one near the power supply and the other towards the front with a fan that helps cool the hard drive.

The inside of the case is a tight fit; a micro ATX motherboard will just barely fit but with little to no extra room. The optical drive sits above the memory, and you will want a shorter model so that it doesn't interfere with the CPU cooler. The optical drive bay can be removed by lifting it up and pulling it out of the chassis. To the side of the CPU are two 80mm fans that will help keep that area well ventilated. There are small brackets of black plastic that you can use to build a small air guide. The chassis is designed so there is a little bit of fresh air coming from the back of the case that will travel through the CPU cooler and then out again. There is space for one hard drive at the front of the chassis right behind the VFD. A preinstalled fan blows air onto the hard drives to cool it during operation.

Antec Micro Fusion Performance

We attached temperature diodes to the CPU cooler (as close as we could get to the area where it makes contact with the CPU), the chipset heatsink (IGP graphics), on top of the hard drive, and hanging in the middle of the chassis between the front and CPU cooler for the ambient readings.

Throughout testing the CPU stayed at a steady 21°C, regardless of fan speed. The chipset lacks any active cooling and is therefore influenced more by the amount of airflow; however, the choice of CPU heatsink and fan works well with this particular motherboard, so temperatures again stay relatively constant. The hard drive is directly next to an intake fan, so it of course benefits from increased fan speeds. The difference isn't all that great, however, so we don't think it's enough to warrant the increased noise levels. Ambient temperatures are also relatively constant, but they do drop by 3°C with all of the fans at maximum speed.

With the system fully loaded, the Zalman CNPS7700 cooler keeps the CPU at a nice temperature of just 22°C; at full speed it drops slightly to 21°C. The chipset temperatures are higher since it depends on passive cooling, with a difference of 3° based on fan speed. The hard drive shows similar results as well. Ambient case temperature showed the biggest change, dropping a full 8°C when comparing low speed to high speed fans.

Antec MT-350W Power Supply

Since the MT-350 is a preinstalled power supply, Antec chose not to include fancy features like cable sleeves or a custom paint job. The 80mm intake fan is located right in the middle of the power supply "top" -- it actually faces the left side of the chassis and lines up with the ventilation holes located there. There is no power switch on the back of the unit. Opening the power supply reveals a very nice build made by Seasonic. We find all the necessary components, and the manufacturer even equipped it with quality capacitors made by Nippon Chemi-Con.

The power supply stay very quiet until the load reaches around 220W. Up to that point it is barely audible at only 18 to 20dB(A). The fan speed starts at 1600RPM so we were surprised that it didn't make more noise.

The efficiency is very good for such a small unit, and one that comes with a case no less. We reach as high as 84% efficiency with 230VAC; while that might be an average result compared to other power supplies we've tested, it's extremely good for a PSU that comes with a case. Even with lower loads of around 60W it still delivers 80% efficiency, and with 120VAC you get better than 80% efficiency from around 60W all the way up to 280W. As seen above, the power supply becomes somewhat noisy from around 220W onwards, and efficiency starts to drop around that point as well. Optimal efficiency comes with a load of between 75W and 220W (peak is at ~180W), and given the small HTPC chassis design it would be hard to exceed 220W.

MT-350W Power Supply Continued

The temperatures all stay at reasonable levels, which is good for such a small unit. The maximum temperature but we measured inside the PSU was only 60°C during normal operation, so it should work very well for the intended market. We measured up to 34°C ambient temperatures in our test system; in actual use, that will slightly increase the power supply temperatures, but we also don't expect most users to come anywhere near the maximum load we tested here. Most HTPC systems will fall closer to the 50% mark (or lower), so power supply temperatures and longevity should not pose any concerns.

The other areas of the power supply results are all good, but voltage regulation shows some tremendous drops, especially on the lower voltage rails. All of the rails stay within specs, but we wouldn't recommend running 80% load or higher. Both of the 12V rails are almost equal in voltage distribution, differing only by a few millivolts. The largest drop on the rails is around 4%.

Ripple and noise testing shows very good results -- certainly nothing to be concerned about.

Antec Fusion Remote Black

• Aluminum plate front bezel with LCD, built-in IR receiver, and volume control to work with media center applications
  
• Windows MCE and Vista compatible IR receiver
  
• Triple chamber structure to separate heat and noise of power supply, hard drives, and motherboard for cooler and quieter operation
  
• Removable HDD brackets with extra soft silicone grommets to reduce vibration noise
  
• Advanced cooling system
  
  • 2x side mounted 120mm TriCool 3-speed fans
  
  
• Low profile desktop height to fit in any environment
  
• 3 drive bays
  
  • Front Accessible: 1x 5.25"
    
  • Internal: 2x 3.5"
  
  
• 4 expansion slots
  
• Motherboard: Micro ATX form factor (9.6"x9.6")
  
• Front-mounted ports for easy multimedia connections
  
  • 2x USB 2.0
    
  • 1x IEEE 1394 (FireWire)
    
  • Audio In and Out
  
  
• Durable 0.8mm cold rolled steel construction
  
• Dimensions: 5.5"(H) x 17.5" (W) x 16.3" (D)
  
• Net Weight: 18.7lbs / 8.5kg
  
• Gross Weight: 21.6lbs / 9.8kg

The second chassis is the Antec Fusion Remote Black, which also comes with an aluminum front bezel -- this time anodized in black. The height of 140mm is a little more than the Micro Fusion, which allows Antec to install two 120mm fans next to the CPU. The front looks similar to the Micro Fusion, with the only noteworthy difference being that the VFD and the optical drive cover are above one another rather than next to each other. You still get the same number of ports on the front.

Looking at the other sites, the left side is slightly perforated so that the power supply can get some fresh air. Since this case doesn't come with a power supply, Antec didn't try to get too fancy; this case will most likely work best with a PSU that has a 120mm fan on top or an 80mm fan at the front. Another change from the Micro Fusion is that users will be able to install full height expansion cards.

Opening the chassis reveals a very different inside compared to the previous model. The optical drive is on the left side (looking from the front) together with the VFD. The power supply sits behind the optical drive, and there's a limited amount of length -- not that we expect anyone to try and install something like a PC Power & Cooling Turbo Cool 1200W in this sort of system. The hard drives have their own little compartment at the front of the case, separated from the motherboard by a metal wall. The two large 120mm fans are on the right side and will pull quite a bit of air through the case; a lot of this air will come through the ventilation slots underneath the hard drives, thus helping to keep them cool. Antec includes an easy mounting mechanism for the hard drives; remove the top plate and then just slide the drives in. The included rubber pads on special screws hold all of the drives in place.

Antec Fusion Remote Black Performance

We attached temperature diodes to the CPU cooler (as close as we could get to the area where it makes contact with the CPU), the chipset heatsink (IGP graphics), on top of the hard drive, and hanging in the middle of the chassis between the front and CPU cooler for the ambient readings.

Somewhat interesting is that the temperature reading from the CPU is one degree higher than in the Micro Fusion case, but again the temperature didn't change with any of the three fan settings. The motherboard chipset on the other hand is quite a bit cooler than in the Micro Fusion, because of the increased airflow from the larger 120mm fans. This also results in good readings for both the hard drive and the ambient temperature.

Putting a load on the system doesn't change temperatures all that much. The CPU temperature is the same in idle and load conditions. The only area where we see even a moderate increase is on the chipset, which is about 4°C hotter under load. The temperatures are all clearly better than on the Fusion Micro, so the dual 120mm fans are doing their job and providing excellent airflow. Of course, adding additional components like a faster GPU -- which is more feasible on this case -- would alter the results somewhat.

Antec Fusion Remote Max

• Aluminum plate front bezel with LCD, built-in IR receiver, and volume control to work with media center applications
  
• Triple chamber structure to separate the power supply, hard drives, and motherboard for cooler and quieter operation
  
• Removable HDD brackets with extra soft silicon grommets to reduce vibration noise
  
• 5 drive bays
  
  • External: 1x 5.25"
    
  • Internal: 4x 3.5"
  
  
• 7 expansion slots
  
• Desktop 4U height fits in any environment
  
• Built-in washable air filters
  
• Cooling System
  
  • 1 side 140mm TriCool fan
    
  • 1 rear 120mm TriCool fan
    
  • 1 front 120mm fan mount to cool the graphic cards (optional)
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  • Air guide brings fresh air to the CPU cooler
  
  
• Motherboard: Standard ATX form factor (12"x9.6")
  
• Front-mounted ports for easy multimedia connections
  
  • USB 2.0
    
  • FireWire
    
  • eSATA
    
  • Audio In and Out
  
  
• 0.8mm cold rolled steel for exceptional durability
  
• Dimensions
  
  • 7.0" (H) x 17.8" (W) x 17.6" (D)
    
  • 17.8cm (H) x 45.2cm (H) x 44.7cm (D)
  
  
• Net Weight: 19.6 lbs / 8.9 kg
  
• Gross Weight: 24 lbs / 10.9 kg

The Fusion Remote Max is a larger HTPC case that's almost 180mm tall. The VFD and optical drive are located on the right side of the front bezel, which is again made from aluminum. A plastic cover on the bottom of the front flips open to reveal the eSATA, USB, and multimedia jacks. The power button sits right above within the small silver line that separates the aluminum part from the plastic cover. The right side has a large 140mm fan installed that exhausts air from the motherboard/CPU compartment. The other side has a large perforated area that will be perfect for power supplies with a 120mm fan on the bottom (which will face to the left). That puts the power supply in a separate cooling zone, so it won't get any additional heat from the other components -- though it also won't contribute any airflow. The back houses another 120mm fan that will also exhaust air from the inside.

Looking inside the chassis, we can see how much space we have to work with. The Fusion Remote Max is able to accommodate a regular size ATX motherboard, although we won't do that for this test since we want to use the same components on all three chassis. There is space for four hard drives, two in the power supply compartment and two more at the front of the case. There are ventilation slots beneath the hard drives with air filters to keep out unwanted dust; however, unless you use a power supply that doesn't have a fan on the "bottom", the two drives on the left side of the chassis are not likely to get a lot of airflow. Between the different compartments are small openings through which we can pull the cables from the power supplies and for the hard drives. If you wish to install a longer GPU, you can remove the small plate that sits in front of the middle hard drives and you can install a plastic holder to secure the end of the card. However, you will also need to sacrifice both of these hard drives bays.

Antec Fusion Remote Max Performance

Once again, we attached temperature diodes to the CPU cooler (as close as we could get to the area where it makes contact with the CPU), the chipset heatsink (IGP graphics), on top of the hard drive, and hanging in the middle of the chassis between the front and CPU cooler for the ambient readings.

When we compare the readings from the CPU cooler to the two readings from the two previous cases, we already see a temperature increase of 5°C in idle conditions. This is caused by the different alignment of the fans, and it indicates two 120mm fans beside each other work better than the constellation we see with the Fusion Remote Max. It could also mean that this constellation does not work that well with the Zalman cooler we selected; perhaps something like a tower cooler would be a better in this case. The other three readings are similar to the previous results and don't show much of a difference between the different fan speeds.

The difference between idle and load is quite small with the Fusion Remote Max. In general, we didn't see much of a difference between the different fan speeds on any of these cases. At most, selecting the highest fan speed only reduced temperatures by a few degrees. Since these are all HTPC designs, users are far more likely to want to set the fans to minimum speed in order to keep noise levels down. Thankfully, these cases should work just fine that way.

Installing the Components

Since the Fusion Micro is so small, installing the components is a bit tricky. We removed the power supply not because there was no space but because it was hooked up to our Chroma ATE. It's a good idea to install the motherboard before anything else, since otherwise some of the other components can get in the way. The Zalman cooler we selected fits nicely under the top cover with a centimeter or two spacing. Installing the hard drive requires you to remove the hard drive cage, which necessitates the removal of the VFD first. You can then slightly cage back into place, and the cage rests on rubber feet to dampen noise. Similarly, installing optical drive requires you to first remove the drive cage and install the CD/DVD/BRD. You will want to test the positioning of the drive and make sure the button matches up with the front before fully tightening the screws. Even with the limited space, we didn't have any problems fitting all of the components inside. Just make sure you select the right components up front; otherwise you will need to dismantle much of the case in order to swap components. During operation, we couldn't hear any noise from the power supply, and the result was a very quiet system overall.

Due to its height, it is a little easier to install the components in the Fusion Remote Black. The motherboard is still a tight fit without much room on the sides, but with a bit of patience you shouldn't have any difficulties installing it. Be sure you don't have any cables going through the opening at this stage, since the motherboard will not be able to pass. Installing the hard drives is simple, and you can secure them with the special rubber noise dampening screws that come with the chassis. There is some extra space above the power supply that you can use to store cables if you don't have a modular PSU.

Installing the Micro ATX motherboard into the largest of the three cases is easy as you would expect. Even if you are installing a normal ATX motherboard there is sufficient space to get it into place. The hard drives have the same mounting frame that we find in the Fusion Remote Black. Be careful with the front mounted hard drives, though, since the space is very limited and the separation wall can bend/break the connectors. It would be useful to have angled SATA connectors here so that they won't press up against the casing. If you are installing a long power supply like the Antec Signature series, be sure you pass all of the necessary cables through the little opening in advance since after you install the power supply you might not have enough room to feed additional cables through. For example, we had to remove the PSU before we could pass the 24-pin ATX cable through the opening.

The iMedian Software

The iMedian software is easy to install and it comes on a CD delivered with each case. You will need to have a Windows-based operating system if you want to use the software, of course. After installation, you can start the software by pressing the main button on the remote control. You will be greeted with a tree-structured menu that gives you access to the different options. You can browse your local media such as movies or pictures, and you can change the folders where the program will search for your media in the main settings.

All of the media will be displayed in their folders. Clicking on these folders will show you thumbnails of all the items within the respective folder. Clicking on a thumbnail will either start a slideshow, a movie, or zoom to that particular picture.

Many companies in the HTPC field choose to use the iMedian software because of its simple interface. We have seen the software with most other companies that offer HTPCs. You can also control the VFD on the front bezel to display all sorts of information.

Conclusion

Today, we looked at three very capable HTPC chassis from Antec. Any one of these should fit in quite nicely with a home theater environment. The only real question is what size HTPC you want to use. We like the small Micro Fusion as a basic HTPC, since it requires the least space. However, it is also the most limited in terms of features and expansion options. All of the cases are well built and meet the high standards that we have come to expect from Antec. There are no sharp edges or any serious issues, other than the fact that on the smaller cases you will need to be a bit more patient when installing your components.

If you look at the acoustics table and compare the different temperature readings, you will most likely come to a simple conclusion. In general, there's not a whole lot of difference between most of the readings with different fan speeds. That means we need to see how much more noise a chassis makes when the fans are running faster. While low and medium rotating fans are still acceptable for a HTPC chassis, the higher fan speed will definitely be a distraction while watching a movie. At around 30dB(A) the system is just too loud, and even at medium speed the difference in temperature isn't very big. We would say it's best to leave the fans at low speeds and just forget about it.

One of the big deciding factors when it comes to selecting a case is often pricing. We see the Micro Fusion 350 in Europe for around €135 inclusive tax, and in the U.S it starts at around $180. Compared to similar offerings from Silverstone or Thermaltake, the price is slightly higher but it comes with a (good) 350W power supply instead of the 240W in the Silverstone LC11 for example. The larger Fusion Remote Black starts at €120 in Europe, or $150 in the U.S. Antec also offers this chassis together with a 430W power supply, which will add at least another $30. The comparison shows that Antec's price policy is slightly better here. The large Fusion Remote Max starts at €155 in Europe and $180 to $200 in the U.S. Most competitors offer similar cases with a higher price tag but some also look a little better.

If you want to build a HTPC setup for your living room and you have had a good experience with Antec products, there is no need to change to another brand for these cases. All three are high quality chassis, with good engineering in terms of airflow and temperature zones. If you'd like to save some money and avoid paying extra for an all aluminum chassis, these steel cases with aluminum front bezels look nice and work well.