Exterior:

Top View	Front	Audio/USB
3.5" bay	Dual Optical bay	Power/Reset

    The outside of this enclosure resembles more of a cube case or a handle-less LAN box and not so much a HTPC enclosure. I wouldn't call this a problem, but rather more of a solution for those of us with limited space, as well as in situations where taller versus wider would work better. So let's go over the the exterior layout of the Mini HTPC starting with the front bezel. Starting at the bottom of the bezel, we see that two access doors are present. Behind the smaller door on the left are the front panel connections, consisting of two USB ports and audio connections. The door on the right side is larger and conceals a 3.5" bay. The upper portion of the bezel on the right has two 5.25" openings for optical drives. These opening have pre-fitted doors to keep the bezel uniform. The left side has a larger power button with a clear ring around it that glows from an LED. A smaller button is used as the system reset, and next to that is a HDD LED.

3/4 Right

3/4 Left

Rear

    The side panels on the X-Gene Mini HTPC are the same, having no special features or vent openings. The rear panel has three openings for rear exhaust fans, an opening for the power supply, and four expansion slots.

Interior:

Inside

Optical cage

HDD Cage

HDD Cage top view

    The interior is divided into two levels, with the lower level holding the motherboard and the upper holding the power supply and optical drives. So, with the cover off let's start with the upper level. The optical cage can hold two devices, and has plenty of room to slide them in from the back. Next is the hard drive cage, which sits on its side and is mounted to the frame of the enclosure. The hard drive cage can hold two drives, and this case is also removable.

Level locks	ooooo!	aaahhh!	showing off
Hinge	motherboard level	Rear fan opening	Front fan opening

    Next is the lower portion of the enclosure. This holds the motherboard, but this area is covered by the upper level and I don't see signs of a motherboard tray. So how does one add a motherboard to this area? The answer lies behind a thumbscrew and two slide locks. I proceeded to remove the thumbscrew and undid the locks. After that was done, I was still unsure about what to do since these items were only on one side of the case. I thought the top level would slide off, but that wasn't it. Instead, the top level folds out of the way like a Lamborghini door. A very different style setup, and a first for me. With the top out of the way, access to this area is free from restrictions.

Installation:

Mobo installed	Side view	Other side
Front bezel	Optical installed	Tool-less clip
Clip in action	peek-a-boo	HDD cage removed

    With the unique style of the interior, installation of the motherboard is straight forward with no real issues to mention. The X-Gene has two fan openings up front, but since no fans are included, now is the time to install them. Next, slap in the motherboard and plug in all the cables that go to it, routing them through the openings in the upper level. Then close and lock the levels together and proceed to install the hard drives, optical drives, and the power supply.

Upper level gear	UMMmm	Not good
Different PSU	Still an issue	Power LED ring

    This is where a problem arose. I installed the power supply first, and found that the power supply sits extremely close to both drive cages. To install the optical drive, the front bezel pops off, and the drive slides in and is secured with a tool-less locking clip. WELL! When I slid the optical drive in place, it hit the back of the PSU. With the hard drive in place, there was very little room for cable connections. Without a doubt this is an issue, and the solution I had was to swap out the power supply to one that was about 1" smaller. This solution worked, but the wires coming from the PSU flow into the lower space of the optical cage, which, it turns out, will only allow for one optical to be installed.

Conclusion:

    The X-Gene Mini HTPC cube-like design is a feature that will appeal to some users who may not have the space width-wise to use a standard size HTPC enclosure. The front panel Audio and USB connections keep you from having to reach around the back of the enclosure. while the empty 3.5" leaves you the option of adding a multi-card reader in the future. The two-level design leads to a roomier lower level, making installation of a motherboard a breeze, while the fold over top gives you something to talk about with your friends. However, this two-level design also has it limits, especially regarding the upper level. Longer style power supplies will not work in this enclosure whatsoever. Even the average size PSU will leave you blocking one of the two optical spaces. Adding documentation regarding this issue on both the website and the packaging could avoid a possible mistake with future buyers.

    The X-Gene Mini HTPC uses steel/plastic versus aluminum, and doesn't sport a fancy front display. Does this make the enclosure something that's not worth getting? By all means, No. Five fan openings but no fans are included. Does this make it not worth getting? Once again, No! This makes the X-Gene Mini HTPC an entry level enclosure, and that is perfectly alright. Just beware: a smaller style power supply will be required.  I would like to thank X-Gene for sending out this unit for VH to review. If you'd like to pick this unit up, you can do so right now at Performance-Pcs.