Siggy Moersch

Functionality, elegant design, and solid build quality characterize these mid-tower cases. They offer enough space for several hard drives and graphics cards, making them the ideal foundation for enthusiasts.

It didn't take long at all for Shuttle to deliver the first barebone mini-PC for AMD's new AM2 socket processors. Come along as THG gives you all the details...

It didn't take long for Pentium D barebones systems to make their market appearance. Now, three vendors are ready to provide support for dual core CPUs in their models, which all promise to operate quietly. Do they live up to their promises?

When it comes to PC gaming cases, there are huge quality gaps between what is out there. The amount of money you spend does not necessarily translate into better quality, either. Unfortunatley, it is difficult to find some gems among so-called gaming boxes made too-often on the cheap.

Forget about labeling your DVDs and CDs with a magic marker: a new generation of burners and media that use LightScribe and Labelflash software offer promising results.

Aspire's MicroATX, X-Qpack case should do any LAN partygoer proud with three, transparent windows to show off what is under the hood. While the carrying handle is flimsy, its small, cube-shaped form factor makes the case easy to carry around as well.

Vendors are hedging their bets as they first come to the market with BTX cases that can also convert to the ATX form factor if need be. THG scrutinizes ATX and BTX combo cases from the leading players to see what works and what doesn't.

As OEMs grapple with the advantages that the BTX PC form factor affords, Gigabyte has come up with its own flavor of the design. A case that lifts up like a convertible car roof and quietly-efficient airflow are but two of this barebones PC's standout features.

The NZXT Lexa PC case's side window and glowing fans will likely appeal to the mod crowd. But for a more conservative setting, this sleekly-designed case will not look out of place in the office, either.

Sytrin aims to turn the market for PC cases on its head with an exceptional cooling solution. Its Nextherm ICS 8200 mid tower comes equipped with two Peltier elements, which ensure a very low ambient temperature inside the case.

The M-Play 202 represents an easy-to-set-up way to enhance your multimedia PC experience, especially with Media Center Edition. Comprising a remote control and a display panel to manage your Windows-based music, video and photo applications, the system quickly becomes something you can't live without.

Silverstone's LC18 case proves that server enclosures don't have to be ugly. This 19 inch enclosure includes a built-in touch screen, which makes an external monitor unnecessary. This attractive item makes a good impression even in a living room.

The new Coolermaster Musketeer III converts analog sound into a softer, more harmonic audio signal by means of an old classic: a vacuum tube.

Systems from Hush and HFX prove that powerful PCs can also run quietly. With either an AMD or Intel Pentium M CPU inside, we look at how these PCs manage not to have noisy fans ruin your mental health.

Hype aside, is it really possible to build a PC that is quiet and does everything that a high-end remote-controlled set-top box can do? And don't forget it's got to look good in your living room, too.

These AeroCool fan controllers not only offer extraordinary design, they also double up inside two 5.25" drive bays in your PC. They deliver fan controls plus temperature indicators or a memory card reader, in one cool, capable package.

ThermalRock takes its SFF chassis series two steps further - with the midi tower Eclipse and the desktop Mystic. Both models feature an eye-catching faux CD player front panel.

Until now, DVD players with DivX support have been a good alternative to the noisy living room PC. Now the first multimedia boxes based on hard drives have arrived. They can store hundreds of gigabytes of video and play it directly from the hard drive, yet are hardly bigger than a paperback novel.

To say that the Matrix Orbital MX610 displays a lot more than the time and other mostly redundant data is an understatement. This very easy-to-setup, multi-functional character display not only indicates important system status data, but also offers real-time news, weather and RSS feeds.

Silverstone's aluminum cube can be equipped more flexibly than most SFF PCs. The secret to its success? It can house any standard microATX board available today.