Usage
Just like I said the installation took about 45 minutes to an hour. After you are completed you are relieved, but hopefully you did not plug something in wrong, because you will have to disassemble the case to fix it.
Turning on the case is definitely a sight to see. All 4 of the installed fans light up with very bright! The fans are UV blue and the case is a UV case so they really complement each other. Everyone that has seen the case since I’ve built it has been like, “Wow that’s really cool!”. The fans are a bit loud, but if you are using this for a media center you will not really notice. Although some fan speed control would have been nice.
Final Thoughts
This really is one of the better acrylic HTPC cases that I’ve seen. It supports a full ATX motherboard, up to 8 hard drives and has ample cooling. We all know that HTPC’s will have a lot of media on them so the idea that I can put a ton of hard drives in here really appeals to me. With all those hard drives installed it’s going to get quite hot inside, luckily you have 4 fans that will keep things nice and cool.
One of the biggest selling points of this case is the look of it. Clear cases have always been popular and if you are looking to impress people at a LAN party and clear case is an easy way to do it. The blue UV LED fans definitely help that cause. When this case is lit up it really looks awesome!
Now there are some downsides to having a clear case. First you are going to see everything inside, which means all of the dust and whatever else gets inside the case. Also the way this case is designed if you need to swap out components it’s not going to be as easy as with a normal case.
The thing that really upset me with this case was the instructions. They could possibly be the worst directions that I’ve had for a case that needed to be assembled. Not only were they hard to read and understand they totally left out important details like when to install your optical drive and the rest of your hardware! I think Sunbeam should really invest more time into the directions and make them easier to understand.
I found this case online for around $90, which is what you should expect to pay for a case like this. Overall ThinkComputers gives the Sunbeam Acrylic HTPC Case a 7 out of 10 score.
Pros:
– Can hold up to 8 hard drives
– Can fit a full size ATX motherboard
– Great cooling
– Looks awesome!
Cons:
– Some of the worst directions ever
– It’s clear which means you can see all the dust inside
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I don't think this product will sell well, if it is meant for an HTPC,it will stick out like a sore thumb in the home theater setting, and will distract viewers with the UV.
I don't think this product will sell well, if it is meant for an HTPC,it will stick out like a sore thumb in the home theater setting, and will distract viewers with the UV.
Agreed unless you don't use any lighted fans but who would do that with a clear acrylic case.
Even if you didn't have the lighted fans, you'd still see all the hardware and fans running and dust collecting inside this acrylic case. Also it would still stand out against the usually matte/shiny black or silver dvd players and the likes
Since its main use is for a a HTPC using regular fans would be bag since you being using it in the dark. I mean who watches the boob tube with the lights on?
I know i do. It's actually better for the eyes, because the wall behind the tv gives you depth
Agreed unless you don't use any lighted fans but who would do that with a clear acrylic case.
Even if you didn't have the lighted fans, you'd still see all the hardware and fans running and dust collecting inside this acrylic case. Also it would still stand out against the usually matte/shiny black or silver dvd players and the likes
Since its main use is for a a HTPC using regular fans would be bag since you being using it in the dark. I mean who watches the boob tube with the lights on?
I know i do. It's actually better for the eyes, because the wall behind the tv gives you depth
Agreed unless you don't use any lighted fans but who would do that with a clear acrylic case.
Even if you didn't have the lighted fans, you'd still see all the hardware and fans running and dust collecting inside this acrylic case. Also it would still stand out against the usually matte/shiny black or silver dvd players and the likes
Since its main use is for a a HTPC using regular fans would be bag since you being using it in the dark. I mean who watches the boob tube with the lights on?
I know i do. It's actually better for the eyes, because the wall behind the tv gives you depth
Funny that you pay attention to a wall when watching using your TV.
Funny that you pay attention to a wall when watching using your TV.
you're not concsiouly paying attention to the wall, like i said, your eyes are using the wall subconciously as a reference, giving depth.
you're not concsiouly paying attention to the wall, like i said, your eyes are using the wall subconciously as a reference, giving depth.
Funny that you pay attention to a wall when watching using your TV.
you're not concsiouly paying attention to the wall, like i said, your eyes are using the wall subconciously as a reference, giving depth.
I also watch lots of things with the lights off and already have a lit up mouse and keyboard i do want a horizontal acrylic case just like the old custom modded origonal xboxs. id like my PC to go right next to my consoles except with its wicked graphics card visible to show them whos boss 🙂
I love clear electronics i would have every colour of the rainbow in controllers if i could this is ideal for me and with 4 fans seems like a decent price for sure even though the fans will probably become averagely loud shortly.