Any Ahainix D5/6 Owners out there?

[SoonerToucan]

I am thinking of purchaciing this box for one of my clients.

I was wondering what you think of it pros/cons.

Also it comes with a VFD (Vacuum Florescent Display) that I have read is used with Windows Media Center Edition. I will be running sage client and windows XP on this box. With that setup can you still utilize the VFD and what all does it display.

Thanks,
-ST

[stanger89]

Originally posted by SoonerToucan
I am thinking of purchaciing this box for one of my clients.

I was wondering what you think of it pros/cons.

Pros:
Their nice looking cases

Cons:
The 5/6 both use/require special power supplies due to their size.
The 6 requires a Micro-ATX motherboard

IMO, go with the D.Vine 4, it's a full-size ATX case so you can use any normal sized components in it.

Also it comes with a VFD (Vacuum Florescent Display) that I have read is used with Windows Media Center Edition. I will be running sage client and windows XP on this box. With that setup can you still utilize the VFD and what all does it display.

Unfortunately nobody's gotten a VFD really working with Sage yet. It's something I'd like, but I don't have a VFD for my 4 yet so I haven't investigated it much yet.

[Brett]

Originally posted by SoonerToucan
Also it comes with a VFD (Vacuum Florescent Display) that I have read is used with Windows Media Center Edition.

It also works with BeyondTV . But eitherway, don't get this case! I purchased one, and returned the piece of junk. It is not worth a fraction of what it cost! It is done cheaply, and the measurements were off so you would have to hack it to get the components to fit correctly. I currently have a "temporary" overture case, but it sucks too.

Buy a real cheap temporary case, and wait for the BTX designs to come out this year, they really will allow for some creative HTPC cases.

-Brett

[DVine_AMD]

Unfortunately I purchased a DVine 4. It looks real nice, the VFD does some things sometime but not what I'd like and frankly the case is quite cheap (as in cheesy) for the money. Look into soeone who may have purchased a Silverstone. They have more room for drives as well as a VFD. Hopefully better quality. I will look at one hands on somehow before purchasing again.

[stanger89]

I think you'll find that all HTPC cases are far more expensive than the contruction or engineering justify, but that's because you're buying something because it's pretty and will blend with HT component. It's just like why anything with "Home Theater" (like component racks) in it's name is about 2x as expensive it would be without such a designation.

If you really are unhappy with the construction of your D.Vine (I though mine was fine, better most cheap PC cases) perhaps an A-Tech Fabrication case would be more to your liking. It's probably the finest case available, but it will cost you

[DVine_AMD]

Yeah, that's rich! Maybe if I hit the lottery. My beef with the Ahanix is the CHEAP screws and lack of standoffs really. They don't quite notch enough to get a screwdriver in straight.Very difficult to build. I have a Lian Li case in my office which is a phenominal case (also a bit pricey). Just a pleasure to work on. Alas, I do not believe they make an HTPC case, too bad. Have you seen the Silverstone? It looks nice.

[stanger89]

My D.Vine is the only one I've seen in person. Of course perhaps I'm less critical since I got it cheap, I got a "refurb" off newegg ($122 )

[thatdude90210]

I'm just in the process of finishing up a system on a D.Vine 5 box today. Some issues raised about measurements are so spot on. When the screw on my AGP card is too tight, it lifts the card a little so that the system wouldn't boot, I had to loosen up the screw a little for the card to fit right.

Other issues, the screws holding on to the top were so tight that I stripped one and had to dremal it a little to get it out. Every screw loosen with a snap, like it was glued on or something. Wtf are those guys thinking, this isn't some consumer electronics where you prevent people from opening it... empty computer cases have to be opened, sheesh.

The inside space usage isn't so great either, to get the DVD rom in or out, you have to remove the CPU heatsink/fan (even though there's a couple of big empty spaces right next to the DVD mount), so install that first. They could easily have moved the cdrom over to the left a little for easier access and have some space left over on the right for HD's, instead of stacking everything up. It's like they design the front and then hacked the rest together.

And careful removing the plate on your DVD rom, I almost ruined a DVD rom doing it.

I love the look, but it could have been better engineered.

[dagar]

Check out HTPCnews.com reviews and their forums (case section).