I was in bed the other night watching Letterman when I noticed my wife squinting at the little 26 inch screen on the far side of the room. It occurred to me that we enjoy a 100 inch picture in our living room and the benefits of the HTPC that runs it. I work and watch TV on a 24" display in my office--also with HTPC functionality via our networked Home Media Server...yet here, we were still watching an old school "Picture Tube" TV in our bedroom.

The reason there was no HTPC in the bedroom wasn't an issue of cost or complexity, it was purely a matter of aesthetics. My wife, a former interior designer, is particularly obsessed with the decor of our bedroom. I can't complain as she has managed to create a wonderfully quiet and restful space that is romantic without being frilly--a space I didn't want to ruin with a standard computer case.

I also prefer full sized ATX components for their extra performance and flexibility. I headed over to my favorite Lian-Li store and found the perfect balance of "A/V equipment look" and "space to work" in in the subject of today's review--the Lian-Li PC-C30.

Measuring in at about 17" wide, 7" tall, and 17.5" deep, the Lian-Li PC-C30 is  closer to the full figured Kate Winslet than Twiggy, the super model. The upside to that extra "girth" is the ability to swallow a full sized 12" x 9.6" ATX motherboard, a pair of full sized optical drives, three standard hard drives, and up to 7 full height add in cards without a hiccup--and for dessert, a full sized PSU.

Above, you will find a left, front, and right view. Worth noting on the side views are the amply sized air intakes to keep things inside nice and cool. On the front view, we see a pair of "stealthed" optical drives, a covert front ports hatch, and our power and reset switches with the standard HDD activity and power LED's. To make the case look thinner, there is a horizontal "stripe". Overall, the look is a clean and uncluttered minimalist approach which I rather like.

Shown below, are closer shots of the power/reset buttons, the hatch covered front ports, and the case's A/V component styled feet. These rubber shod feet are large enough to also provide vibration isolation which, of course, makes the case considerably more quiet.