Zalman HD160+ Cary NC

A media PC doesn't have to be a cut-down version of a regular PC, an ethos with which Zalman appears to agree. The HD160+ may be a desktop form factor case, look stylish and have a volume dial on the front, but in many other respects, the Zalman could form the basis of a very powerful PC.

This is the only chassis in this test to support ATX as well as micro-ATX motherboards, so it has seven backplates. It also has enough bays to make a fileserver feel proud. There are four 3.5in internal bays in one cage behind the volume dial, and another directly beneath the single 5.25in bay. If your media PC doesn't need an optical drive, you could use that for another hard disk, bringing the grand total to six.

For airflow, the chassis has four side vents, and a pair of 80mm exhaust fans at the rear. There's also an oddly placed 80mm mount on the base of the chassis behind the optical drive bay. As the system has thick feet and will probably sit on a hi-fi shelving unit, this makes sense, as air from this fan will pass over the CPU before exiting the case.

There's a small two-line LCD on the front and, like the Moneual, an IR remote that can control MCE, among other applications, is also supplied. Zalman goes one better, though, providing buttons beneath the LCD and a cursor control next to it; this can also operate MCE, should you lose the remote down the back of the sofa or if the batteries die at an inopportune moment. The twin USB 2, FireWire and audio jacks are hidden away behind a magnetically secured flap at the bottom of the front panel.

Costing close to £200, with no PSU included, the HD160+ is rather expensive but, with its ability to accommodate full-height components and a full-sized ATX motherboard, it's the most flexible media PC chassis on test this month. If you want a full PC that has the appearance of a media PC, the HD160+ would also make a great choice. However, Antec's Fusion 430 with its bundled 430W PSU is much better value for money.

Author: James Morris

Zalman HD160+