When you are building an epic home theater set-up one of the first things you'll want is a dedicated home theater PC. While an HTPC can technically be placed in any enclosure, an HTPC is simply a PC connected to a home theater, there are certain traits most people look for when building or re-purposing a computer as an HTPC. Some of the most important traits include a small size, good looks, and HTPC-friendly features like displays, controls, and IR/RF receivers. If you would prefer to buy a ready made system then check out the article on Top Home Theater PC's.
The three enclosures listed below take at least some of those features into account. This is balanced with their value as PC cases regardless of if they are used in a home theater. As a result these enclosures are the best HTPC enclosures and a good choice for anyone building their first HTPC.
The Silverstone Sugo SG05 is, of the cases on this list, the most basic and the least oriented toward the HTPC role. It in fact has no specific features which are aimed at HTPCs. There are no special displays or controls integrated to enhance the HTPC experience. The Silverstone Sugo SG05 has made its way onto this list not because of any specific HTPC credentials but because it is easily the best value among mini-ITX cases today.
For about $100 dollars the Silverstone Sugo SG05 offers the kind of construction one would expect from full-sized cases costing around $200 dollars. It has a brushed aluminum finish which will look excellent in any home theater without being distracting. Inside the case there is plenty of room for an HTPC video card and any stock CPU cooler. The Sugo SG05 even includes a 300W power supply, which is more than enough for any HTPC.
Given its lack of HTPC-oriented features the Sugo SG05 will probably serve best as an internet-television player and media server. Those who are looking for their HTPC to also replace their DVD/HD-DVD/Blu-ray player would be better off with one of the other cases listed here.