We review so many Home Theater PC cases that sometimes they all start to look alike. Many of them try to mimic the look of either a home theater amplifier or DVD player. Due to size constraints, many manufacturers opt for the amplifier, which allows the consumer to use standard-size PC components. Some of the smaller designs look much more appliance-like, simply because at first glance it appears there's no way to fit PC components into the chassis.

If you're a fan of the low-profile HTPC cases, then you may be intereteste in the GlacialTech Altair A381 HTPC chassis, which has a lot of features found in premium home theater appliances, but without a lot of wasted space. The Altair is outfitted with an aluminum front panel, front panel buttons, VFD display, and a good airflow design.