nMediaPC HTPC 8000 Wood ATX Case Review

A Detailed Look – At the Inside

To install hardware in the HTPC 8000, users will need to unscrew four large screws on the top panel of the case. The HTPC 8000 uses a two-tier system for managing all the PC components and creating enough space for good airflow and room to improve cable management. The top tier houses four hard drives and one optical drive.

The bottom tier handles the power supply, motherboard, and any PCI or PCI-E cards that users want to install. It also can be configured to handle micro ATX motherboards, which are common in HTPC cases because of their dimensions. Users will also notice that the top tier is only attached using two screws that are secured directly to the wood chassis via a couple wood brackets on the side walls of the case.

As we look at the interior side of the front panel devices, we can see all the cables and pins for connecting the multi-card reader. We can also see the exterior door for the optical bay drive and a place to mount the optional LCD module. There are also small pieces of mesh stapled over both sides of each decorated front panels to help exhaust heat, but also give it a clean look and finish. 

Here’s a close-up shot of the back side of the front panel and attached multi-card reader. I still wish they included the LCD module because now we just have a bare window that has no function unless people put down the extra cash to buy the optional module.

Here’s a close-up look at the top tier hard drive and optical bay cage. Users will notice there’s plenty of room on the top and on both sides of the optical bay cage for adding more hard drives or other 3.5″ devices. It’s actually a well design piece that provides plenty of airflow for all the attached components and should mount easily in the case over the motherboard and power supply. 

nMediaPC included rubber grommets in the top hard drive sections of the cage. This small feature will help reduce vibration and noise that users will hear when the PC is operational.

Our final thoughts on the interior of the case are pretty good. Everything is neatly laid out and there’s plenty of room for expansion and upgrades. The bottom tier has plenty of room for adding some of the latest PCI-E graphics cards and there should be enough room to fit most third-party heatsinks on the market today. I was a little disappointed it didn’t ship with the LCD module, and I know that might be a factor for some consumers looking for an HTPC case with the LCD module included with the initial price.