Conclusion

I was very impressed with the SilverStone LC04. The case is well designed both esthetically and functionally. If what you need is a nice HTPC case for a single hard drive, DVD drive, an AGP and PCI card then this is the perfect case. I should also note that it s about the same volume or less than many Micro-ATX sized cases but it holds an ATX motherboard. For me it was a perfect fit for what I wanted in a HTPC case, which was ability to hold some high-end hardware playback HDTV from another HTPC, play the newest 3D games, watch movies and all this from a small, quiet and nice looking HTPC.

The cons The largest con I found was that it needs an additional case fan for P4 Prescott CPU's but I'm probably being extreme in demanding it work without a case fan. And remember, if you run a up to a 3.2GHz Northwood or AMD CPU you may be able to get away without a case fan, but if you need one it doesn't have to be much over 20CFM, which is easy to get and stay quiet. Sub 2GHz CPU's have a good chance of doing well without a case fan.

Pro's

• Very stylish case
• Very quiet (Below 20db)
• Easy to work with
• Perfect fit for an AV rack
• Hides front data ports
• Not as tall as other HTPC's
• Cools hardware well, minus Proscott Cores

Con's

• Top hardware requires a case fan
• Power button on lower right
• No reset button
• PCI/AGP bracket holder can be tricky to work with
• Optimal heat output isn't best for putting in a closed cabinet

Thank you