Building an HTPC, need case suggestions

[jasonhp1]

To start with I am going to be piecing this system together over the next few months to correlate with Win 7 ship date but until then will run Win Xp.

I use Newegg.com for most of my buying of any parts for various reasons.

As for the requirements, I'm not looking for a HTPC on the cheap, what I'm looking for is to build a HTPC that will be a nice fit into the setup I have and will not only be for TV but also a current gaming rig. Noise is not a big deal as long as it doesn't sound like a jet engine.

The setup it is going to be coupled with is the following:
55" 120hz Vizio LCD TV max resolution 1920x1080 as monitor...I use computer from the couch which is 15 feet away.
Yamaha YSP-4000 soundbar HDMI capable, got a great deal on it on craigslist.
Logitech DiNovo Edge keyboard.
Logitech MX 1100 mouse.
Onkyo reciever TX-SR706 HDMI capable.

Now with that said I plan on going with: (current prices listed)

AMD Phenom II X4 945 Deneb 3.0GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core ($225)

ASUS M4A79T Deluxe AM3 DDR3 AMD 790FX ATX AMD Motherboard ($199)

CPU cooler is yet TBD (~$100?)

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Hard Drives ($99)

Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 Dual TV Tuner / Encoder 1229 PCI-Express x1 ($129)

Logitech Harmony 1100 Universal Infrared Remote Control ($439) not only control PC, TV, Stereo, lighting in room and also thermostat the last 2 are already working

***OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) ***in current system

***OCZ Fatal1ty OCZ700FTY 700W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply***in current system

***XFX PVT80GGHE4 GeForce 8800GTS 320MB 320-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card***in current system but will be upgraded at some future time maybe 8-12 months from now

So now with that set up can anyone suggest a HTPC case that will fit the video card especially? Anyone with hands on experience with the case they are suggesting would be of great help.
Obviously cooling is a necessity but as i said previously low or no noise is not required because the current system I have is pretty loud but with the soundbar it cancels that out pretty well. Besides this whole setup is on the wall to the side of the TV with the reciever and for some reason the noise level is dampened due to room acoustics and distance from couch to this setup.

Any thoughts and/or suggestions? You have my thanks in advance.

Thermaltake Black Aluminum / SECC Steel DH102 VH2001BNS ATX Media Center / HTPC Case ($519)
Moneual LAB Black Aluminum 972B ATX Media Center / HTPC Case ($549)
SILVERSTONE Silver Aluminum CW03S-MT ATX Media Center / HTPC Case ($649)
These were the 3 I have been looking at the latter being a tad pricey.

 

[jasonhp1]

Seriously not a single person has anything at all to say on the subject of what HTPC case would fit a full size video card? Thoroughly disappointed, too bad because I'm sure there are many gamers out there that might be in the same situation as I am and would like to build a gaming rig that's not intrusive to the rest of the place they live in.

 

[batuchka]

Hmm well i actually found a niche area in HTPCs, SFFs and LANparty gaming boxes DIY where i am at and allow me to share some findings. Here is a project log of previous rigs i managed to document:
http://forums.vr-zone.com/troubleshooting-zone-technical-enquiries/354565-the-making-fatcat-quadcore-htpc.html
Where i'm at the most soughht after HTPC mobo is the Biostar TA790GX XE both for its unlocking capabilities with Heka X3 and reasonable clocks with P2s on stock voltage.

1. If you not looking to run encoding/rendering and just a pure multi media box to be hooked up to that LCD TV you dun need a powerful chip like a P2X4 945. Toms actually played blu ray with a Sempron on a 780G motherboard and a x2 4850e would be a great chip for this sort of HTPCs Look for 780G HD3200 IGP or GF8200 IGP chipsets for that silent low power HTPC

2. If you intend to game then i would hit a P2X3 710 min and the GPU would depend if you LCD TV is Full HD or HD Ready ^^

3. For small cases you'd best go with an 80+ efficient modular PSU both for neater cable management promoting better air flow and quality/durability

4. Full length GPUs up to 12" IIRC : look no further than boxes like the Silverstone SG-02F

5. Since u stated gaming i'd say no need to go for the best IGP chipset and here is a suggested solution for a Full HD LCD TV:

ODD - depends if you want to do Blu Ray else the garden variety SATA DVDRW?

 

[AKM880]

That case is the Silverstone SUGO, here's a link
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163113

 

[3lvis]

Sugo is more of a lanbox then an HTPC and doesnt stack nicely with other audio components. All of your case selections have a touchscreen......how useful will that be @15' away? Most of the forums Ive read the people that bought them say touchscreens are nice to impress the neighbors and friends (if your into BLING), but doesn't add much in way functionality. Better to invest in a touchscreen remote then a touchscreen HTPC case. Given that I suggest this SILVERSTONE HTPC case. @ 79.99 AR its the best value of all the HTPC cases.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163117

Here's a sweet touchscreen remote: $439.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16880111020

Also check out the 4770 ATI GPU ....its the first 40 nm GPU and is a natural fit for the confines of a HTPC. $109.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150366