[Pvt_Ryan]

http://www.antec.com/Believe_it/product.php?id=NzE3

looking at getting this case ~£100-120.

Anyone have it or have seen it?

I'll be using this with linux so comments on the remote control, LCD & volume knob would be helpful.

Thanks in advance

[hypertone]

I just got one and built it up last night. It's a nice looking case with mostly nice build quality. The volume knob on mine rubs a little on the inside, so the feel is not as good as a quality piece of gear. The LCD display is pretty ugly imo, but I didn't plan to use it or the knob anyway. I think the one with the VFD would look much nicer.

It is very quiet with the large fans switched down to the lowest speed. I had to connect the power switch to the LCD display in order to get both remote power on and the power button to work. I don't know why they didn't just do this at the factory. The pins are there, the cable just needs to be routed through the chassis and plugged in.

The IR was recognized as a USB composite device and Win XP installed it automatically. If you are using the iMon software, don't install the software from the CD. Download the latest from Antec. The software on the CD was horrible and it made my PC do weird things, but the latest version seems OK (so far anyway). I was able to map keys on the remote to key commands in xbmc. I really haven't used it yet, but just messing around with it, the remote seems to be working.

I don't know how the built in remote compares the the MCE remote and transceiver, since this is the first PC remote I have used, but I have an MCE remote on the way so I can compare when it gets here.


Edit: Just saw you plan to use it with Linux, do some searching, there should be a way to make it work with LIRC.

http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-configure...y-on-Linux

[Pvt_Ryan]

what are the temps like?

[hypertone]

I haven't checked. It just boots to xbmc fullscreen and I don't have a keyboard connected to it, so I can't go into bios and check. The dual 120mm fans move a decent amount of air even at minimum speed, and I've got my cpu throttled down. I don't think heat would be a problem with motherboard/cpu. The hard drive compartment has no fan, and only vents at the bottom, so I think that is the only area where heat would be of concern.

I've been playing tunes all day and made some observations. The remote range is really limited off-axis, meaning you really have to point the remote at the case to get it to work. I have the 430 on the bottom of my rack and have to point the remote downward to make it work.

I've had some glitches where sometimes the remote commands freeze for a few seconds, and I got it suck in a loop and had to power off. I think this might be the iMon software and not the hardware. I'd be running it on Linux as it would probably be more solid, but I have a pro audio interface that I'm using for sound and there are no Linux drivers for it.

[YogiBaboo]

I love this case, I have one (no remote), however design is great, you can acctually put 3 hard drives in it! 2 of them in designated space and 1 with a special brackets in CD_ROM bay

[burritoboy9984]

Anyone using this with xbmc live/linux? wondering if the remote etc works...

-Erik

[midgetspy]

I used one with linux last year and it was a nightmare to get the IR sensor working... had to compile a special lirc version and recompile my kernel with a certain module missing and stuff. Could be that it's easier now (there was discussion about getting the lirc changes into the main lirc code and maybe newer kernels work differently, dunno).

The case itself is really nice though.

[scurra]

I actually do have this one. Using the remote on Ubuntu 8.10 requires a lot of selfmade compiling, the same with the LCD. I will soon switch back to Windows for my HTPC because the last kernel update again killed my remote. Air Flow is great but i would buy two more silent fans.