home theater | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:08:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png home theater | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Silverstone launches brand new ML04 HTPC chassis https://www.kitguru.net/components/cases/jules/silverstone-launches-brand-new-ml04-htpc-chassis/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cases/jules/silverstone-launches-brand-new-ml04-htpc-chassis/#respond Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:08:20 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=137969 Not many things in the world of full-blown, desktop technology products can be said to be 4 inches high. Some tower cases are big enough to house a family – in the case of the Silverstone TJ11. So when we heard that its new case was 10.5cm tall, we had to have a closer look. …

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Not many things in the world of full-blown, desktop technology products can be said to be 4 inches high. Some tower cases are big enough to house a family – in the case of the Silverstone TJ11. So when we heard that its new case was 10.5cm tall, we had to have a closer look.

The Sugo SG series from Silverstone is famous, but for a genuine home theatre experience – you are likely to struggle to get the box under your TV.

Not so with the ML series.

According to Silverstone marketing guru, Tony Ou, “Continuing where the popular Milo ML03 left off, the Milo ML04 HTPC case again combines the full size features of Grandia series with slim form factor dimensions”.

So what about the size?

Tony explained, “The ML04 has a profile of 105mm height and 350mm depth, making it extremely easy to integrate into any living room furniture. Incredibly, this case can accommodate up to three 3.5” hard drives or five 2.5” HDD/SSD through its smartly designed drive cages that can mount either size without any use of adapters”.

Neat chassis, but we would have liked them to paint the inside. Sure, you never see it - but you know it's there.
Neat chassis. We would have liked them to paint the inside. Sure, you never see it, but you know it's there.

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Cool enough. Any other features we should be aware of?

“The main distinguishing feature of the ML04 is its lockable aluminum front door”, explained Tony. “This is similar in design to the larger GD07 case, with an LED dimmer that adds not only security, but also improved integration for home theater environments”.

So what does Tony see as its key market?

“For those looking to build an HTPC with good expansion and cooling capability but has limited room and budget, the SilverStone Milo ML04 is an excellent alternative to the ML03”, he told us.

Special Features:
• Support up to four 80mm fans
• Drive cages with multi-purpose mounts eliminate need for adapters
• Easy to install and cable route
• Support standard PS2(ATX) power supplies
• Support low profile expansion cards
• Incredible 350mm depth to fit comfortably inside home theater cabinet
• Lockable front door and power button ensure security of system and drives
• LED indicator with adjustable brightness

Launching on 17th June with an expected UK street price of around £60, you can find out more about the Milo ML04 here.

At a fraction over 4 inches high, this would not look out of place under your TV or TFT
At a fraction over 4 inches high, this would not look out of place under your TV or TFT

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KitGuru says: Neat enough chassis that will benefit from its ability to utilise lost-cost Micro-ATX parts. While Mini-ITX etc are all well and good, it seems that some component vendors take the mick when it comes to pricing. Less most certainly can cost more.

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Fractal Design Node 605 Case Review https://www.kitguru.net/components/cases/henry-butt/fractal-design-node-605-case-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cases/henry-butt/fractal-design-node-605-case-review/#comments Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:09:47 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=124761 Today we are going to look at the Node 605 from Fractal Design which is designed to be used primarily for home theatre PC builds. It is part of the same range as the Node 304 that we looked at recently which we found to be a very competent product. We did feel that it …

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Today we are going to look at the Node 605 from Fractal Design which is designed to be used primarily for home theatre PC builds. It is part of the same range as the Node 304 that we looked at recently which we found to be a very competent product. We did feel that it was slightly over-priced when compared to the competition, though, so we are hoping that the Node 605 will offer superior value for money.

Fractal Design are a fairly new player in the PC chassis market as they have only been established for a few years. They have been steadily expanding their range since their genesis however, catering for the specific needs of different users.

Considering Fractal's rich history of producing quiet cases, it seems quite surprising that they have waited until now to launch a series of cases for those looking to build home theatre PCs. When compared to the Node 304 which we reviewed recently, the 605 has a number of advantages.

It's larger size means that it's able to support Micro-ATX motherboards in addition to Mini-ITX units, giving users the opportunity to install other expansion devices alongside the graphics card.

We look forward to seeing how the Node 605 fares in our tests, especially the acoustic test which is critical for HTPC users.

Features

  • Solid aluminum front panel.
  • Supports full ATX motherboards.
  • Noise-dampening material.
  • 4 HDD/SSD slots.
  • Integrated card reader.
  • Two Silent Series R2 hydraulic bearing fans included.
  • Supports graphic cards up to 280mm in length (180mm with all hard drives in place).
  • USB 3.0 and FireWire front connectors.

Specifications:

  • ATX, microATX, Mini ITX, DTX motherboard compatibility.
  • 7 expansion slots.
  • 4 – supports either 2.5″ or 3.5″ HDD / SSD.
  • 1 slim-line ODD (only supported with mATX or smaller motherboards).
  • PSU compatibility: 180 mm (including any modular connectors) with both hard drive cages mounted or 190 mm (excluding cables and any modular connectors) with one hard drive cage mounted.
  • CPU cooler compatibility: Approx 125mm with side-mounted fans – For coolers with top-mounted fans, Fractal Design recommends that you add at least 30 mm clearance for decent airflow.
  • Case dimensions (W x H x D): 445 x 164 x 349 mm (excluding front panel – 440 x 162 x 341 mm).
  • Net weight: 6,0 kg.
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ASRock A75M-ITX Motherboard Review https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/henry-butt/asrock-a75m-itx-motherboard-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/henry-butt/asrock-a75m-itx-motherboard-review/#comments Fri, 30 Dec 2011 09:11:39 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=70358 We have tested a number of motherboards from ASRock in the past which we have been generally very impressive. They cater for users of all levels, producing a range which encompasses both budget friendly, mid-range and high-end enthusiast motherboards. The Fatal1ty 990FX Professional Motherboard we looked at a while back was aimed at the top-end …

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We have tested a number of motherboards from ASRock in the past which we have been generally very impressive. They cater for users of all levels, producing a range which encompasses both budget friendly, mid-range and high-end enthusiast motherboards. The Fatal1ty 990FX Professional Motherboard we looked at a while back was aimed at the top-end enthusiast segment of the market and delivered on every level.

Today we are going to look at the ASRock A75M-ITX motherboard which is aimed at the small-form-factor market. As its name suggests, the motherboard is Mini-ITX which makes it ideal to use within a compact HTPC.

We can also deduce from the product name that this particular motherboard features AMD's A75 Fusion Controller Hub, meaning it supports the latest USB3.0 and SATA-600 interfaces.

On paper, this motherboard looks to be well featured for a Mini-ITX board but we will see how it performs in our tests before making a final verdict.

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