Thermaltake lm100: Thermaltake Luxa2 LM100 Mini Review

Luxa2 LM100 Mini — Hands-On With Five Mini-ITX Cases

Brushed aluminum, an engraved manufacturer’s logo, hex key screws on the cover, a VFD (vacuum fluorescent display) and remote included: there can be no doubt that the Luxa2 LM100 Mini is a Mini-ITX case aimed towards the HTPC crowd. The Thermaltake-based chassis vendor markets the LM100 Mini as an elegant entertainment system, and it comes with a matching price tag, of course. At around $270 it is by far the most expensive Mini-ITX enclosure being tested.

Small and Flexible

The LM100 Mini lives up to its name. With dimensions of 24.2 x 12.5 x 30.6 cm, it is the smallest case we have on-hand that allows for the installation of a 3.5” hard drive. There is no room for a regular 5.25” optical drive, so you have to use a slim-line version. The adapter for connecting it to the SATA connector on the motherboard is included. Hidden beneath a panel on the front we find two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire, and HD audio.

The motherboard installation was smooth and hassle-free thanks to the easily accessible connections. The LM100 Mini offers the possibility of a low-profile graphics card upgrade, and the 200 W PSU should be able to handle it without any problems (as long as you don’t go for high-end graphics). Two 50 mm fans are used for ventilation. They are very quiet, but air circulation isn’t substantial either.

HTPC for Beginners

The Luxa2 LM100 Mini’s biggest selling point is its 7” display, along with the iMon remote control and iMedian HD software. This makes the test candidate an interesting media center platform. The display’s small font and single line keeps the information it relays within narrow limits, though.

While the remote control looks good, the software is not completely satisfying, especially since it offers nothing that cannot already be found in Windows Media Center. If you are going to install Windows 7 on this Mini-ITX system, we recommend leaving the iMedian HD software in the box and just manage the LM100 Mini with Windows Media Center instead.

Conclusion: Living Room PC Suitable For Multimedia

With its infrared receiver and remote control, the Luxa2 LM100 Mini is a good candidate for building an HTPC. The small and somewhat limiting display is somewhat inconsequential given its compact size. But taken as a complete package, the LM100 Mini is a good choice for a small living room PC with multimedia capabilities. Be prepared to shell out serious cash for the handsome case; at $270, most enthusiasts will probably look to something a bit less expensive.

Luxa2 LM100 Mini
Type	Mini-ITX case
Form factor	Mini-ITX
Dimensions (W x H x D)	242 x 125 x 306 mm
Material	Aluminium
Color	Silver colored case, black front panel
Connections	2 x USB 2. 0, 1 x IEEE 1394 (Firewire), 1 x HD-Audio
PSU	200 W
Support for expansion cards	Yes (Low-Profile)
Drives	1 x 3.5” hard drive, 1 x 5.25” optical drive (Slim-line)
Ventilation	2 x 50 mm (back)
Weight	4.35 kg
Price	Around $270

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Luxa2 LM100-Mini Home Theater PC Chassis with 200W PSU

Cases, Cooling & PSU

Other PSUs

Looking for a new HTPC chassis? Luxa2 enters the market with a few nice looking tricks up their sleeves.

Published Sep 16, 2009 3:31 AM CDT   |   Updated Tue, Nov 3 2020 7:03 PM CST

Manufacturer: Luxa2

7 minute read time

Introduction

Luxa2 is a company most haven’t heard of at this point in the game. They are an offshoot of their larger company Thermaltake.

Thermaltake has been around for what seems like forever, and they decided to spread their wings and develop some new designs and release them under their own individual name. Mainly the brand started for HTPC chassis, but has since moved on to include a few other products as well.

The Luxa2 line is a step above the average Thermaltake chassis, and you will soon see why. Of course they are HTPC chassis, but the Luxa2 branding, as the name suggests, is a bit more luxurious. The features and design of the chassis I’m about to show you has very nice looks and one of the most solid constructions I have seen to date.

Luxa2 has released a few HTPC chassis in the new lineup, and today we are getting a look at the LM100 Mini. This is a very small, mATX compatible chassis with a built-in 200 watt power supply already installed. Keeping that power supply in mind, this HTPC chassis is more for the low power consuming components. As the review continues, I think you might be pleasantly surprised to see just what I was able to stuff in this chassis and run for quite some time with no issues.

Enough with the prologue! Let’s get down to what this chassis can hold and see just how appealing the finished product is.

Specifications, Availability and Pricing

As I mentioned, the LM100 Mini from Luxa2 is specifically a HTPC chassis. With most HTPC builds, builders look for low voltage or power requirements for most of the components that are housed in these small chassis.

This chassis is a bit weighty at just under ten pounds, but that is due to the almost eight inches, outer, extruded aluminum walls. When I said this chassis was constructed soundly, I meant it. Parts that aren’t built from the thick aluminum are built from steel that has all been painted black. The exterior is finished in a brushed texture, and left natural in color. This highlights the black center of the front that houses a LED readout screen.

Moving back to the interior, which is framed in steel, due to the compact nature of this beast, there isn’t a lot of extra room for «extras». This is the reason for only one slim type DVD drive bay, and only one hard drive bay as well. With the rest of the interior being taken up with the mITX motherboard, coolers, and included power supply, there isn’t room to allow for more. In the rear of the LM100 Mini, there are two 50mm fans to eradicate heat from inside the chassis.

There should be no issues locating this chassis if you intend to buy one. The LM100 Mini shows up at almost all of the major e-tailers. Those who are carrying the LM100 Mini are just shy of the $300 USD mark. Looking at the usual haunts, I was able to locate the LM100 at Newegg for $299.99, plus shipping. That seems a bit high for what a little package the LM100 Mini is, but I hope that some time with this chassis can make me feel that it’s worth its asking price.

Packaging

The Package

A simple white package with an elegant accent stripe on the top, Luxa2 makes sure the buyer sees both the name and the product inside very clearly. The rear of this package is the same.

In ten various languages Luxa2 states this is a PC enclosure, and for additional information, please refer to their site.

The opposing panel is plane with the Luxa2 logo followed by «uniquely you», and their web address. At the very bottom there is a dot to specify the version of this chassis, either the E or the U series. From what I gather it is to designate EU or USA, for power supply reasons.

Once the outer layer of cardboard is removed, you can see Luxa2 does take great care to get the LM100 Mini to your house safely. First layer is almost a complete surrounding of high density foam to keep the chassis centered in the box and well protected from «accidents». With the foam removed, you see the chassis is wrapped in a thin bag bearing the Luxa2 logo. Lastly, the brown box secured in the top of the foam is where you will find all your hardware and accessories.

Luxa2 LM100 Mini HTPC Case

Once all the protective accoutrement is removed, I was left with a very attractive, black on silver, brushed aluminum HTPC chassis. Power button and activity LED are found at the left, while in the center is room for a slim line optical drive above an LCD readout screen. Below these is the flip down door to allow access to the front I/O connections.

Looking down from the top, you see the brushed aluminum goes all the way around on the LM100. Luxa2 has even labeled the top access panel with their logo. Get a close look at the edge of the top panel, it’s just over one eighth of an inch thick, this goes for all of the extruded aluminum pieces of this chassis.

The rear of the LM100 is where we get our first look at some of the steel that Luxa2 has built the chassis with. They even took the time to put a good thick coating of black paint that covers all exposed surfaces. Going clockwise from the top left corner, you first run into the three 50mm exhaust vent only holes, but for some reason only two fans are included. Moving around, you next run into the socket for the power cord. Under that is the only expansion slot, and it is a low profile slot. Continuing around we end up at the large hole that accepts the rear I/O plate.

To gain access to the inside to get a look around, you first must open the «goodie box» and find the Allen wrench that is inside, and remove the four screws that hold in the top plate of aluminum.

Inside The Luxa2 LM100 Mini HTPC Case

With the top out of the way we get our first peek inside this compact chassis. The rather large, black steel plate is for mounting the slim optical drive. The right side has another back steel plate, this time to cover the vertically mounted hard drive bay. That leaves the area at the bottom for installing the mITX motherboard of choice.

With the optical drive plate and power supply removed, we can now see what is going on up front. The front I/O wiring is plenty long enough to connect to any place on the motherboard. The same can be said for the power switch and activity LED wiring on the right. All of the wiring to power the LCD connect via a USB 2. 0 connection.

Spinning the chassis around, you can see there is plenty of room to get the board in and all the components that follow. To get this far in the strip down process I removed three screws from the optical drive plate, and four from the PSU. Really easy going so far!

Here is the 200W Flex power supply unit. This unit has all the connections you need to get this build accomplished. Starting at the left, there is a FDD connection, followed by a 4-pin molex, then again by the 20 +4-pin connection. The second group has another 4-pin molex connection, 2-pin (LCD), SATA power connection, 4-pin CPU power, and another connection for the LCD panel. The PSU has an adapter to get power from the PSU in the front, to the rear of the chassis for easier use.

Accessories and Documentation

The box that was found at the top of the foam packaging is under the instruction manual, the warranty guide, and the wrench for removing the top of the LM100.

Opening the box I found the assorted screws needed to complete the installation. Along with those are the power cable, optical drive converter, batteries, software and the remote control.

The Build and Finished Product

With everything still out of the way, it was really easy to snap in the rear I/O plate and screw in the Zotac mITX motherboard. As you can see, the front I/O connections get to all the appropriate headers, and if you are to run out of headers, Luxa2 offers a USB 2.0 connection optional end for the front LCD panel’s information transmission. I did use SilverStone’s low profile cooler, but there was enough room for Intel’s retail cooler.

Once the PSU and the hard drive go in and get wired up, things get a bit more cramped. Even though room is limited at this point, I was able to get all of my components in, and run this build for a week or so. With the few ties that Luxa2 includes, I was able to keep the motherboard area open to allow for maximum flow of whatever air seeps into the chassis. The extra lead from the power supply is for the optical drive, which I have yet to install.

One last look at the rear of the chassis, this time completed and ready for power, all we need is an OS and get the software installed. Notice the USB connection coming through the expansion slot.
This is for the LCD’s connectivity, as my motherboard headers were all being used for front I/O connectivity.

Final Thoughts

I would have loved to have ended the build section with some images of the LCD screen in action. The reality of it is that I was never able to get it to run correctly. After installing the software I was greeted with a hardware error, which I researched to be a possible optical drive failure. I then tried three updates that I found for the software, still receiving the same error. I then went and got a new drive and tried it all over after removing all the software and starting from scratch. After three to four days of trying I finally gave up on the idea of getting it to work.

I know I chose to use an IDE hard drive in my build, but even a mechanical SATA hard drive is going to create similar heat. I found that during prolonged use, the right side of the aluminum chassis was almost too hot to touch. This isn’t really an issue if the HTPC is on a shelf and out of reach, but the lack of cooling is evident. Only using two 50mm fans to cool this chassis is just not enough in my opinion.

That combined with the lack of any real venting in the LM100 Mini. I realize also that this chassis is more tailored to the low powered build, and I was using some higher power requirement components, but not everyone is going to have an HTPC with SSD’s in it, not to mention the capacity of those drives for the dollar. I feel most users are going to use a mechanical drive in this build.

Finding the Luxa2 LM100 Mini or any of their other chassis is a non-issue. Google shows them just about everywhere. This chassis is sexy, and with some patience and careful selection of components, the LM100 Mini makes an attractive addition to any home theater. The fact that they require such a premium price for this «component warmer» leaves me feeling that it is a bit high. There are a few select e-tailers that are cheaper, but with shipping they about equal the $299.99 price at Newegg, which is currently showing as deactivated. I assume they are awaiting a restock of the LM100.

Shopping Information

PRICING: You can find products similar to this one for sale below.

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Deutschland: Finde andere Technik- und Computerprodukte wie dieses auf Amazon.de

Chad Sebring

Chad joined the TweakTown team in 2009 and has since reviewed 100s of new techy items. After a year of gaming, Chad caught the OC bug. With overclocking comes the need for better cooling, and Chad has had many air and water setups. With a few years of abusing computer parts, he decided to take his chances and try to get a review job. As an avid overclocker, Chad is always looking for the next leg up in RAM and coolers.

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Related Tags

• Cases
• chassis
• HTPC
• Luxa2
• LM100 Mini
• Aluminum
• mITX
• HTPC
• home theater PC
• home theater
• PSU
• power supply

Overview of mini-ITX form factor cases for HTPC (part 2) For some reason, none of them appealed to me.

So in this review we will talk about cases, which we can’t buy yet (except for one), but I really want to. Models were again chosen according to my taste, which may not coincide with yours.

The main quality for this review, I chose the appearance. Thus, a huge number of ribbed aluminum cases with passive cooling, brutal cube-like matte cases and the same type of flat cases did not get here. I really liked the details that give the cases their personality, like the small LED screens and the slot-loading drives.

Well, I decided to refuse from the TTX under each building due to the tediousness of transferring data to the table.

List of participants:

1. NesteQ MS550
2. Thermaltake LM100 Mini
3. OrigenAE M10
4. Nexus Psile 10A
5. Ark Tech PI-01
6. Antec Mini Skeleton-90

NesteQ MS550

This case just seemed stylish to me, although there is nothing particularly phenomenal about it. It doesn’t take up much space, it comes with a vertical stand (although it looks funny on the stand). LEDs of pleasant colors, including blue … although it seems to me that it does not hurt the eyes.

The case is made of steel and aluminum, but for some reason the manufacturer does not provide information about the exact weight of the device. It seems to me that the weight fluctuates around 1.5kg.

Inside, according to tradition, there is a place for a thin optical drive and a 2.5” hard drive. On the front panel, everything is also standard, only an SD card reader is installed instead of the second USB port. Comfortable rubberized feet give the case stability.

Over the hill the little one is worth $130 .

Thermaltake LM100 Mini

It would be strange if a manufacturer like Thermaltake did not have mini-ITX cases in its arsenal. There is a whole series of cases for HTPC of all types and styles, and you can look at it here. I chose the smallest and most modest representative of this family.

High-end build quality, large front display, rough-hewn aluminum walls, and included remote control. The design weighs 4.35kg without gear and is cooled by a pair of 50mm fans running at 4000 rpm. They promise that their noise is below the bar of 28 dB, however, according to the test results, they cool mediocrely …

Nothing new inside — a slim-optics bay and a 3.5” hard drive bay. On the front panel, in addition to standard audio and USB ports, FireWire also appeared. At the back there is a place for an expansion card and a socket for the built-in Flex-ATX 200W power supply.

A solid case in the style of Thermaltake, well, for good money, of course. Only now I’m not ready to give $299 for an HTPC case.

OrigenAE M10

Nice little slot-load case with LED screen. Simple, tasteful and made of aluminium. Includes infrared receiver and Philips rc153 remote control. All is well, except that the search for a slot-loading optical drive can take quite a long time. The case comes in two colors — black and silver.

Also included is an external 150W power supply. On the back wall there is room for one expansion slot, and inside you can hide one 2.5” hard drive. The case is cooled by a 60mm fan and weighs about 3kg.

They also give you a remote control for company.

This handsome man costs the same $299 . Although I would rate it at 200…

Nexus Psile 10A

I have already shown this case. From the silver version, it seems to me, it smells a little like apples. The main feature of the case is a clever internal layout system, in which the optical drive and 3.5 ”hard drive are located below the motherboard and use the entire case as a cooling radiator.

An interesting solution to the problem of active cooling. The fan is fixed on two rails and, if necessary, moves inside the case. On the back panel there was a place for an expansion slot. The U-shaped lid can be wrapped in a variety of colors to give your HTPC its own unique style. It seems like the fan is no louder than 18 dB, but it is hard to believe.

Oh, and by the way. In the kit, in addition to an external 150W PSU, an optical drive is also supplied.

In Europe, the case can be found for about $ 319 .
I need someone to give it to me…

Ark Tech PI-01

Relatively nice cube-like case. Oh yes, I said that there will be no cube-like ones … I just wanted to make an exception for him, because the PI-01 has a side window and a blue-lit fan. I’m certainly not a fan myself, but I know many fans of blue LEDs … At night, they are especially beautiful. =)

A full-fledged 5.25” optical drive and a 3.5” hard drive fit inside. Power supply — internal, SFX 300W. One expansion slot is present. On the front panel everything is standard.

Nothing remarkable, but it only costs 50$ .

Antec Mini Skeleton-90

I just couldn’t get past this case, even though it can be found in our retail. Case for those who constantly open the side wall of the system unit. Perfect open bench emulation for your HTPC. This case is the younger brother of the big Skeleton, but is not inferior to it in terms of functionality.

At the very top is the fan, underneath is the motherboard. At the very bottom is everything else. Namely — bays for an optical drive, two internal 2.5″ hard drives and 2 3.5″ drives. I don’t know where full-sized hard drives will fit, but Antec boldly claims this. I’ll leave it up to them.

Includes large 150mm backlit fan, small 70mm fan, 90W external power supply. On the back wall there is a place for a low-profile expansion card.

You can find a handsome man in our retail for 5000r ( $160 ).

Comparison chart

Features / Models	NesteQ MS550	Thermaltake LM100 Mini	OrigenAE M10	Nexus Psile 10A	Ark Tech PI-01	Antec Mini Skeleton-90
Price	$130	$299	$299	$319	$50	5000r (160$)
Material	Steel, Aluminum	Aluminum	Aluminum	Aluminum	Steel	Steel
Compartments	1x 2. 5″,1x slim-5.25”	1x 3.5″,1x slim-5.25”	1x 2.5″,1x slot-5.25”	1x 3.5″,1x slot-5.25”	1x 3.5″,1x 5.25”	2x 2.5″,2x 3.5″,1x 5.25”
BP	60W Ext	200W Int	150W Ext	150W Ext	300W Int	90W Ext
Expansion slots	—	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x low profile
Dimensions	210x310x55	125x242x306	240x106x252	225x225x191	324x203x178	275x295x310
Weight	?	4.35kg	3kg	?	?	2.5kg
Optional	—	remote control	remote control Philips rc153	DVD-RW drive, screwdriver set	—	—

With these cases you can assemble a really beautiful media center. Except perhaps not with PI-01, he’s here so … for the company.
Personally, I fucking love the Psile, but it’s pricey and oversized. The M10 is a decent alternative, but with mediocre ventilation in my opinion. Skeleton is a great option, but at night it will glow brightly and die a heroic death in an unequal battle with my cat.

In general, while I’m licking my lips on Psile… And then we’ll see.

Optoma ZW300USTe DLP Laser Projector, WXGA, 3500 ANSI Lm, 100000:1,16:10; TR 0.27:1, HDMI x2; VGAx2, Composite video x1; AudioIN x1 Jack; AudioIN x1; RCA; VGA out; AudioOUT-MiniJack; RS232,RJ45; miniUSB; USB-A (power), USB A wireless; 10W; 5.5 kg.

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	Image size (diagonal), m	2. 16 — 2.92
	Throw ratio	0.27 — 0.27
	Distance to screen, m	0.45 — 0.59
	Horizontal frequency, kHz	15.3 — 91.1
	Vertical frequency, Hz	24 — 120
	Input connectors	VGA In × 2, HDMI In × 2, Composite Video In × 1, Audio In, RCA × 1, Audio In, 3. 5 mini Jack × 1
	Interactivity characteristics	Interactivity: no, Automatic calibration: no, Manual 4-point calibration: no, Laser module: yes, Infrared module: no
	Interchangeable lenses	Interchangeable lens: No, Ultra short throw lens: No, Short throw lens 1: No, Short throw lens 2: No, Mid throw lens 1: No, Mid throw lens 2: No, Mid throw lens 3: No, Mid throw lens 4: No, C
	Output connectors	VGA out × 1, Audio out, 3.5 mini Jack × 1
	Resolution	WXGA(1280*800)
	Lens type	Ultra Short Throw
	Brightness, lm	3500
	EAN	5055387661295
	Technology	DLP
	3D support	Full 3D
	WiFi	optional
	RJ-45	1
	Speakers (quantity)	1
	RS-232	1
	Contrast	100000
	Lamp life min, (Bright), hours	20000
	Lamp life max, hours	20000
	Optical zoom	no
	Digital zoom	no
	Power consumption, Bright mode, W	225
	Power consumption, Standby mode, W	0
	Noise level, dB	30
	Noise level (ECO), dB	30
	Lamp power, W	0
	Light source (type)	Laser
	Keystone V	15
	Keystone correction H	± 40°
	Speakers (total power), W	10
	Housing color	White
	HDMI type	v1. 4
	Support for iOS and Android devices	yes
	USB «Type A»	2
	USB «Type B»	0
	Optics control type	Manual
	Image aspect ratio	16:10
	Geometric Image Correction	No
	Net weight, kg	5
	Number of lamps, pcs	0
	Lamp model	—
	Projector Series	Without series
	Supported operating systems	Windows 7/8/8.