Htpc cses w/ psu?

[ScrewySqrl]

I'm looking to build a PC or my girlfriend who needs a small form factor PC. I'm looking to build a micro-atx build for her (It has to fit under a 5" high shelf on her desk), and I don't know anything about any of the builders of flex ATX power supplies.

I' looking at this case, which looks nice and has a 275W PSU in it, but is apex reliable?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811154061

what about Athena Power? or FSP? Bigger cases, I know the major brands and what to trust.
None of them have these I know well enough.

Does anyone have experience with this?

 

[geofelt]

You might want to look at the Antec ISK-300-150.
Antec makes reliable psu's and this case was reviewed well by www.silentpcreview.com.
It can lay flat or upright so it should fit under that 5" shelf.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129080
It has a 150w psu. That is plenty if you will use a G9650 clarkdale cpu or similar.

 

[ScrewySqrl]

You might want to look at the Antec ISK-300-150.
Antec makes reliable psu's and this case was reviewed well by www.silentpcreview.com.
It can lay flat or upright so it should fit under that 5" shelf.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129080
It has a 150w psu. That is plenty if you will use a G9650 clarkdale cpu or similar.

just because I'm using a HTPC sized case doesn't mean I'm going with an atom-sized processor. I'm planimg a micro-ATX build with a Athlon II X3 processor and an ATI 5570 graphics card. An ITX board is possible, but more expensive, thre heaoest DDR3 ITX board is $125, while a micro atx AMD DDR3 board is about $65

with that cpu and gpu, 150W is probably too little. 250-300 will be needed

 

[Onus]

Both Seasonic and FSP offer SFX and TFX PSUs that have been reviewed favorably at HardwareSecrets and/or Jonnyguru; they are all 80+ (Seasonic's is bronze). Labeled for 300W, HardwareSecrets got 345W out of the FSP model.

Edit: Another option: though taller, the Lian Li PC-Q07 mini-ITX case is much smaller in its other dimensions, but takes a standard ATX PSU. You can get an ECS H55H-I for $80, and a core-i3 for $115. It is passively cooled, but the HD5570 produces little heat, and the PSU fan will pull air through the case. You can get one of the OCZ 80+ modular PSUs for it.

 

[ScrewySqrl]

Best answer selected by ScrewySqrl.

 

[Onus]

Glad to help. Which did you choose?

 

[ScrewySqrl]

I'm probly going to get a generic case and the sea sonic PSU. will be buying after the next big price drops in October-november