Barebones HC

A home theater PC needs a case that fits well in a living room. It has to have good looks and above all be silent.

FIC

FIC was everywhere at the CeBIT. The Spectra case has been adopted by numerous manufacturers of home theater PCs. It stands out first of all because of its shape, resembling a traditional piece of stereo equipment. Its lacquered anthracite front looks very distinguished. A central multifunction LED display relays information from the remote control. An imposing volume knob at the right puts the final touch on the living-room look. Sold to manufacturers as a barebones, the Spectra comes with a micro-ATX motherboard with a 915G (PCI Express) chipset and has audio outputs up to 7.1, plus video outputs.

Silverstone

In its line of cases, Silverstone offers models especially adapted to home theater PCs. Though they may lack finesse (there are no slim models available as yet), they correspond perfectly to living-room use, with a design inspired by stereo equipment. On the other hand, you'll have to install the motherboard yourself, along with all the associated components. For the multimedia interface, since Windows XP Media Center isn't available at retail, you'll have to go with a third-party solution, such as Pinnacle's Media Center, Cyberlink Media Center, or the new Wellton Way Media Center interface.