SilverStone ML06 HTPC Case Review
Overview
Hardware: Cases & PSUWHAT WE LIKED:
Small foot print, Sleek design, blends well, Price, Form FactorWHAT WE DISLIKED:
Top expansion slot has no real purposeIntroduction
With more households “cutting the cord” to make the move to an all internet streaming solution, having access to a full fledged PC can be key to entertainment bliss. Some home smart theater equipment has YouTube, Amazon Prime, Netflix or Hulu interfaces built right in. However, none of these boxes will have access to all of the named options, or a full fledged browser. They are also not capable of playing the latest PC games. This is why having a real PC connected to your television remains the best option. There are many choices when it comes to cases for your Home Theater PC. These will range from a full tower to the really small Intel NUC sized systems.
Towards the smaller side of cases you will find the SilverStone MILO series of HTPC cases. The MILO series cases are designed to blend in with existing home theater equipment with simple styling and smaller profiles. Silverstone recently added the ML06 to the MILO lineup to add another layer of options for HTPC builders using Mini ITX boards. You were able to use the ML03 and ML04 cases but the ML06 is a whopping 50% smaller than the ML03! At a reported 7 liters, let’s see if the ML06 stands up to the style and smart designs of the previous MILO HTPC cases.
Founded in 2003, SilverStone is an established leader in its field, with an elite team of engineers; we started our quest of providing products that create inspirations. We have since expanded the lines of products as well as types of products we produce, giving our customers a wide selection of choices.
With distribution centers in different areas of the globe, SilverStone products can be seen all over the world, not just for computer users but also for home entertainment use. Providing leisure with integration of advanced technologies that is functional and making them enjoyable to use.
Here at SilverStone Technology, we continue to pride ourselves in providing the highest level of standards in designing and manufacturing computer enclosures, power supplies, and accessories. Our pursuit for the first class aesthetic appeal is relentless; our teams of devoted engineers are constantly searching for the best technologies that suit end-users with different needs and will make our products as technologically sound as they are beautiful.
I respectfully disagree with your “WHAT WE DISLIKED” and there is a purpose for the top expansion slot. I use the main motherboard expansion slot for a Ceton InfiniTV 6 PCIe Card and I use the top slot for USB Slot Adapter Plate:
http://www.startech.com/Cables/USB-2.0/Internal-and-Panel-Mount/2-Outlet-USB-Plate-For-PC-Motherboards~USBPLATE
which gives me an additional 2 USB 2.0 ports since the motherboard has both USB 3.0 (used for front panel) and USB 2.0 Headers.
Just saying…
Hey Eric,
I should have been more explicit with my critique on that particular slot. I did not mean there was no possible use. In the review I stated “A cable or riser to use single slot GPUs along the top expansion slot would have been a good feature.” So I am very aware of the options available to take advantage of the top slot. Reviews are based on how the product comes not on after you spend additional funds. If you look at some of Silverstones other chassis like this one, you will see some of them come with a riser card or cable out of the box. Either a card/cable or the USB panel you list above should have been included to take advantage of the location.
Thank you for reading and I am glad to hear you are taking full advantage of your ML06. The new ML07 has been released.It is larger and based on the internal design on the RAVEN RVZ01 case. We covered that one as well. both are pretty nice.