A great foundation for a DIY media center

Media center PCs are all the rage these days, but no do-it-yourselfer worth his salt would be caught dead going the prefab route. The only option is to buy the right hardware, snag some PVR software, and choose a media center case in which to house it all. This month we showcase such an enclosure from newcomer Ahanix.

Designed to cohabitate alongside your existing home theater gear, the MCE601’s silver, sleek profile resembles a typical audio/video component. A flush-mounted door beneath the optical drive flips down to reveal two USB ports, one FireWire port, audio jacks, and an empty 3.5-inch slot for a media card reader or—gasp—a floppy drive. The case also sports a vacuum florescent display that can be configured to show song tracks, movie chapters, and more.

The MCE601’s interior is cramped, like many other desktop-style cases. It’s therefore vital that you keep your wiring tidy, or you’ll suffer cooling problems. We found the rear-mounted dual 60mm fans sufficient for most configurations, as long as there weren’t any cable clumps blocking airflow from the front of the case.

We were surprised to find that this case has space for three hard drives, but given its lack of active drive cooling, we think it would be foolish to fill more than two of the bays. Using more than one optical drive is not an option. Behind the optical drive cage is a 350-watt “custom” ATX power supply. The unit is skinnier than a standard ATX PSU, to accommodate the case’s slim formfactor. While the power supply is sufficient for a standard system configuration, a beefier setup might require a replacement PSU—but good luck finding one that has the same unique shape.

While it definitely takes some patience and forethought to build a system in such a slim, confining case, the MCE601 is one of the better media center enclosures we’ve reviewed. It’s expensive compared with a standard mid-tower, but if you’re dead-set on incorporating your media center with your other home theater gear, it’s a worthy solution.
—Mark Behnken

+ SLEUTH: Solid design, ample storage, and decent cooling.

- SLOTH: Requires a custom PSU and is pricey.

Month Reviewed: July 2005
Verdict: 8
URL: www.ahanix.com