The Wesena ITX2 Mini-ITX chassis is only 197×197×75mm (7.8"x7.8"x3") and is bundled with a small Media Center remote but no power supply, unfortunately. Missing Remote loved the brushed aluminium look and were very impressed with the compact interior, there is no wasted space at all. That does make things a little toasty inside during the burn in test using a Core i3-540, so be warned that a lower power chip is a good idea and makes sense for a machine that will strictly be used as an HTPC. Take a look at the full review.
"The quest for the perfect and smallest home theater PC (HTPC) is one that has gained momentum over the last few years. We have seen the proliferation of these small form factor (SFF) Mini-ITX cases first hand in our reviews of the Habey EMC-600B and another offering from Wesena, the ITX7 chassis. The Wesena ITX2 is essentially the little brother of the ITX7, sharing many similarities to it but in an even smaller enclosure. As with any device there are compromises made when making something small even smaller, but do the benefits along with the lower cost make the ITX2 the best option."
Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:
- Silverstone GD06 Grandia Series HTPC Computer Case Review @ Tweaknews
- Ars reviews the 2011 Mac mini as an HTPC
- Patriot Box Office Core @ techPowerUp
- LG BD670 3D Wi-Fi Blu-ray Player Review @ t-break
I have two of these that I
I have two of these that I recently built HTPCs with. My parts are an intel media series mobo and a core i3 2100t with 4Gb ram, no optical drive. My little HTPCs get up to ~40w at max load. I use them as media centers in each room and I can stream blu-rays over the network with the mymovies plugin. Do yourself a favor and don’t get the remotes that come with these, they are not official Microsoft media center remotes. What the best option is, either a Microsoft USB IR for MCE or get a media edition Intel mobo and get the IR header for the mobo on ebay for ~$25. It will enable you to turn on the system from S5 state which is pretty cool.
Love the recommendation, I
Love the recommendation, I was a little perturbed by the proprietary remote, though it was mentioned that a good universal remote could be trained to run it. Sounds like the MCE remote is the way to go … and I got one with a Hauppauge card a while back.
looks too much like a mac
looks too much like a mac mini for my liking