SilverStone SST-ML03B - Milo Slim HTPC Micro ATX Silent Computer Case, black

I wanted to build an HTPC, as much to use up some spare bits I had lying around as anything else. This meant the case had to fit a full size power supply a full size graphics card (750Ti) and an old power hungry i7 processor that requires a bit of decent cooling. OK so not the ideal starting list of components, but they were all to head, as was a mATX motherboard. This was simply the smallest case I could find and have a decent chance of getting all the bits inside. You have to take the caseapart a bit before you start building, but it all win pretty staigth forward, I think I might have just been able to squeeze a DVD player in above the CPU cooler, but in the end I opted to have the extra space instead. The case comes with three fans, and my old board only had one spare header, so I had to buy a splitter cable. As the case has USB 3 sockets on the front, I added a USB 3 card to my board, as it was only USB 2 and used the header on the board to power the front sockets, this, rather surprisingly, worked really well right from the off. In use the case fans hardly ever come on, as both the PSU and the graphics card shift air through the case, and it's only when the processor has been slaving away for a very long period that the case fans are needed, as such it's pretty much silent. Build quality was good, it feels sturdy and it looks great from the front, particularly as I didn't have to remove the blanking plate from the DVD slot.

This is a good solid case. There is plenty of space for drives and facilities for routing cables. Also, this is ideal for a fanless box because of strategically placed vents on the sides and on the top of the case. Magnetic grille for protecting the top vents from dust is a nice touch.There is no escaping that this is a quality product. Materials are well chosen and accessories / screws are plentiful in the box. Instruction book is ok too, though things were all familiar so I didn't need it in the end.The whole case looks stylish. What you can't see in the pictures is that the front is finished in a curved grooved pattern. This looks good, and is easy to keep clean, but read on for one grumble on this.Speaking of grumbles, I do have two. First, the optical drive slot cover is not a drive fascia. Essentially you will have to break it out and place a drive made of different plastic and with a different design. Here, the grooved pattern only accentuates the difference.Second, I am using this case with picoPSU so the ATX power supply hole is gaping in the back. If there was a simple cover supplied it would be great. I'll come up with something, not that big a deal.As an aside, I bought a half-height slot loading BD drive (e.g. laptop size) and a separate part from silverstone that includes the tray and fascia (£13+p&p). This is great in principle as it comes with a similar grooved front, but the grooves are straight, not curved as the rest of the front. Not a big deal, it all looks good in the end.

Built my Media PC in this case and it sits under the telly next to the sky box, ps3 etc. Have had it for coming on to 2 years now and I have to say that I am extremely impressed with it. Not changed any of the cooling from stock and if you pair it with a quiet PSU then its very, very quiet. My PSU is a little noisy but doesnt infringe on any movies, music etc so its not a problem. I have a Z77 gigabyte Mobo in it and also an asus 550ti. The GPU just about fits. Maybe a millimeter of clearance so bear that in mind if getting a separate GPU. for example the 670 AMP i have in my PC build would definitely not fit.The build itself was easy. Cable management was a little tricky but make sure you plan ahead and also dont buy a mamoth PSU and you'll be fine.The only slight negative (and no reason for it to lose a star) is that the blue halo light on the front to indicate power is super bright. Ive gotten used to it now but it did take a while. Still bothers me every now and again so I might open it up one day and disconnect the light.On a more positive note. The uild quality is excellent and it really does look and feel good to the touch. The front drops down in a smooth motion and the hot swappable bays work very well and i have used one to add another hard drive and it really was a 3 second push it in and shut the door affair.If your looking for a htpc build i cant recommend this enough. However, this will not be good for a gaming rig or anything like that.

The case looks nice and the style fits well with other TV/AV equipment. The first expansion slot didn't align well and partially covered the hdmi slots in the graphics card, preventing the cables from being fully inserted. I was unable to move the motherboard (Asus) over any further so needed to file 1-2 mm off of the rear slot. It now fits well, and I am happy with the purchase.

The start switch on my old media case became defective so I needed to replace the case. After careful research I decided to go for this one as it has less depth than the old one and fitted into my shelf unit better. The assembly manual is excellent - in fact, so clear that I decided to transfer all components across myself. (I'm in my 70's and not that computer literate!) With a bit of careful planning and judicious fiddling, the components have all fitted in well and the computer fired up first time with no problems. It's blissfully quiet even with all fans running (I have six including the three with the case) although I have noticed a slight resonance when the case is in its nook on the shelves but it's not that disruptive. One point; I reused my old Corsair power supply which didn't quite fit so I had to trim the side of the power input socket to fit snuggly into the case. I would definitely recommend this case to others as I'm well pleased with it.