Ahanix MCE601

Final Words

There is a lot to like about the MCE601. Its sharp looks make it a perfect match for existing home theater equipment, not only because of the clean layout of the elements on the front panel, but also because of the general structure and design of the unit. The vacuum fluorescent display is both attractive and useful because of its fully programmable nature, and the stealthy optical drive cover finishes off the rather immaculate bezel. However, we still see the fact that the Ahanix display uses a parallel port interface as a negative, since competitor's cases such as the SilverStone Lascala 10 use a USB connection, which can be totally internal.

Concerning the internal layout, we were happy to find support for more hard drives and the ability to house a full-size ATX motherboard comfortably, complete with a full set of add-in cards, but were again discouraged to find that there is no true support for any other motherboard size, nor support for a standard ATX power supply. The included 350 watt SilentX supply, while certainly quiet and cool, could be insufficient in a fully-loaded HTPC, especially one running with intense multimedia hardware such as dual video cards.

Considering the high price of the MCE601, which we have found to be between $250 and $290 , we still do not feel that we could recommend this case to anyone considering building a new HTPC on a relatively modest budget. With relatively high temperatures throughout the case, it seems like a mistake to choose to use smaller fans, but since the goal in the design of this case was to create something that is small enough to fit into existing A/V components, Ahanix had to use a smaller cooling system. The good news is that the cooling hardware, case design, and included power supply lend themselves to low operating noise levels, right around 47dBA in our testing - certainly low enough to fit in comfortably in a living room situation. The noise itself is also a very pleasant, dull hum - not a high-pitched whine.

If the looks of the MCE601 simply jump out and grab someone, they would probably be able to easily justify the relatively high cost of the chassis, and would be treated to the nice expansion offered by the case. If support for non-standard motherboards, standard power supplies, or high-drain components are more important, we would recommend looking at the larger cases from Ahanix or other manufacturers such as SilverStone or CoolerMaster. Considering that these competing cases can cost half as much, the price of this case just doesn’t seem to be justified.