Final
words and conclusion
What
we did like:
The M-Station
case is very carefully designed. One of the best
qualities of the case is that it can fit any ATX
motherboard and power supply unit. Aesthetically
speaking, we can consider it perfect for fitment
in a modern living room, much like a work of art.
The case, even if it is very lightweight since it
is constructed completely out of aluminium, it is
extremely strong and very hard to bend or scratch.
The colour of the case and the finish is excellent
as well. We found the cooling properties to be first
class even without adding any extra fans. Running
a strong AMD Athlon 64 based system which was cooled
only by a stock ooler and with most of the fans
being speed controlled by the motherboard was no
problem at all inside the M-Station, not for any
of the system’s components.
The system
was unusually quiet as most fans were spinning at
very low speeds. The included iMON VFD and the remote
controller make this case particularly unique and
one of the best HTPC cases available.
What
we did not like:
Unfortunately
the space inside the M Station is very much limited.
Just a few more mm at the right places and that
would not be a problem. Unfortunately, it is impossible
to use a normal screwdriver to remove the drive
cage as it will not fit, you will need a long one
to get the job done. That could be easily solved
if the manufacturer suddenly adds a long screwdriver
inside the package of the M-Station. Nevertheless,
there are problems that cannot be solved as easily.
We found that the motherboard is extremely close
to the air duct at the bottom and the drive cage
at the side.
There are
many motherboards which have their IDE and other
connectors placed horizontally at the edge of the
PCB. It is almost certain that you will not be able
to use these connectors on those motherboards at
all, as the cables will not fit. Also, the top cover
of the case was actually touching the PCB of our
MSI X700 Pro PCI-E card when closed. This would
mean that any VGA card with a PCB slightly taller
than the standard height will not allow the case
to be closed properly. Careful choice will be needed
when selecting hardware for a system based around
this chassis.
Who
we would recommend it to:
We believe
that this case is perfect for a HTPC enthusiast
or computer enthusiast in general. The price of
the case does seem high, but with so many features
it is actually extremely good value when compared
to competitors products. Unfortunately the need
to carefully choose hardware and have some extra
computer assembly skills might drive away the “average”
user who might simply want a system up and running
without much effort. Even the inexperienced user
can build a system in this case however; as long
as he/she is patient, careful and willing.
Of course
this is a case meant for HTPC systems, so of course
we can not recommend it for office or workstation
applications. Gamers might like it though, since
they can place it in their living room with only
the iMON remote controller and a wireless gamepad
attached to it, enjoying their favourite games from
the comfort of their couch.
We believe
that the M-Station HT-1100 is worthy of our Heavenly
Hardware Silver Award. If it wasn’t for the
several minor problems, the M-Station HT-1100 case
could have been a gold winning product.
The average retail price of the 3R System HT-1100
M-Station case is 230€ in EU at the time of
this review.
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