SPCR’s exploration of new mini-IXT cases continues: The Luxa2 LM100 Mini is as far as you’ll get from a junky beige box – it is downright beautiful. It’s a highly priced, high quality, low profile Shuttle-like enclosure with a sturdy and elegant aluminum body, a small LCD display and remote control. How fares it against the more pedestrian boxes from Antec and Silverstone that we’ve reviewed recently?
August 24, 2009 by Lawrence Lee
| Product | Luxa2 LM100 Mini HTPC Case |
| Manufacturer | |
| Market Price |
SPCR continues with our exploration of new mini-ITX cases coming to this growing market. Recently, we’ve examined several affordable models, the Antec ISK 300-65 and the Silverstone SG05 and SG06. Now comes a high end model with a price tag to match, by a new brand called Luxa2.
Thermaltake is a large brand offering various computer components including
power supplies, hard drive enclosures, as well as cases and cooling supplies.
However, its large market share and extensive catalogue dilutes the brand power
in the high-end market. The company sells many affordable generic PC commodities, so when enthusiasts with deep pockets
break out their wallets, Thermaltake is not one of the premium brands that catch
their attention.
 The LM100 comes in a fairly plain white box with brown ascents. |
With that in mind, Thermaltake launched the Luxa2 division earlier this year, as a separate entity
offering only premium, high-quality products. The bulk of Luxa2 offerings are slick
home theater PC cases, all with VFDs, some with touch screen technology. The LM100 Mini is the smallest of the bunch, a mini-ITX case designed for multimedia applications. For a high-end HTPC, the less the case resembles a cheap beige box,
the better; the LM100 certainly fits the bill. Luxa2’s slogan for the LM100
Mini is “exquisite and desirable” — this phrase may elicit a
smirk, but the meaning is clear. It’s as sexy a case as we’ve come across.
 The Luxa2 LM100 Mini. |
The LM100 is simply gorgeous. It’s a low profile Shuttle-like enclosure with a sturdy
aluminum body, smooth at the sides and brush textured at the top. The case features
a small LCD display on the front panel and a remote control. The overall
dimensions are approximately 5″ x 9.5″ x 12″, giving it a bigger
footprint (about one inch on both sides) than the recently reviewed Sugo
SG05/06. Its height is shorter by 2″.
The comparisons in this review to the Silverstone cases are natural because of the similar intended purposes of the cases (and the fact that the reviews are posted back to back), but from a visual appeal point of view, there isn’t much comparison. The LM100 is a clearly high end product against which the SG05/06 look and feel downright crude. There is also a 2.5~3 times price difference.
 Accessories. The case ships with a remote control, a slim SATA optical drive adapter, an Allen wrench, and a cloth, presumably for wiping down the LCD. |
| Luxa2 LM100 Mini: Specifications (from the product web page) | |
| Product Name | LM100 Mini |
| P/N | LVA12062N1E LVA12062N1U |
| Case Type | Home Theater Media PC |
| Media Kits | Media LAB |
| Dimension | Height: 125mm (4.92 inches) / foot stand included: 126mm (4.96 inches) Width: 242mm (9.53 inches) Depth: 305.7mm (12.04 inches) |
| Weight | 4.35kg / 9.59 lbs. |
| Cooling System Rear | Dual 50 x 50 x 25 mm/ 1.97 x 1.97 x 0.39 inches, silent fan, 4000rpm, 28dBA |
| Drive Bays | -Accessible 1 x Slim type ODD -Hidden 1 x 3.5″ HDD |
| Material | Aluminum extrusion |
| Color | Front Panel: Black / Body : Silver |
| Front I/O | USB 2.0 x 2, IEEE 1394 Firewire, HD-Audio |
| Expansion Slots | 1 |
| Motherboards | Mini ITX |
| PSU | 200W Flex ATX |
THE EXTERIOR
The photos below give an idea of the”exquisite and desirable” appeal of the LM100. It could easily be mistaken for something like a high end audio preamp or external DAC costing upwards of $5000.
 The front of the case features a small LCD display, and a panel at the bottom which hides audio, USB and FireWire ports.
|
INTERIOR & POWER SUPPLY
With hardly any visible vents on the outside, the interior layout would have to be unusual. And naturally, it is. The single biggest issues is the way the PSU is buried in the center of the case. This does not bode well for low noise.
 The interior layout is very unusual. The LM100’s 200W Flex ATX power supply is located beneath the slim optical drive tray toward the front, completely encapsulated within the case. There is room for only one side-mounted 3.5″ hard disk. |
 A view of the back. The fan grills are punched outward so the fans generate less noise. The fans use 4-pin molex connectors for power. |
 Removing the optical drive tray gives us a good view of the power supply. There is an intake vent for it on the bottom of the case, but the unit itself is mostly ventilated at the ends (the left and right sides as pictured above). |
 With the power supply removed, the front panel circuitry is revealed. The optical drive bay does not have a stealthed cover. |
 The power supply provides two SATA, one 4-pin molex, and one floppy power connector. |
 According to the UL number, the PSU is built by Enhance, a well known manufacturer. |
SYSTEM ASSEMBLY
It was logical and natural to use the system also used in the Antec ISK300-65 and Silverstone SG05/06 cases. The procedure was not difficult, but as with all small cases, some care was needed to ensure good cable management. As with most mini-ITX cases, it is best to install the CPU heatsink before the motherboard is screwed into the case.
 The case’s single hard drive placement is a side-mount, with two barbs at the bottom to steady one side, while a metal plate, also equipped with barbs, goes over the top, securing it to the side of the case with screws. We used a OCZ solid-state drive — secured with a single plastic-tie.  We installed a Zotac GF9300 board with an Core 2 Duo E7200 processor with an Arctic Alpine 7 Pro cooler. By our measurements, the case allows for a maximum CPU heatsink height of 10.1 cm.
|
TESTING
System Configuration:
- Intel
Core 2 Duo E7200 processor – 2.53GHz, 1066FSB, 3MB L2 cache,
45nm, 65W - Arctic Cooling Alpine
7 Pro and Coolermaster
Geminii S CPU coolers - Corsair
XMS2 memory – 1GB, DDR2-800 - OCZ
Vertex 30GB SSD - Microsoft
Windows Vista SP1 operating system – Home Premium, 32-bit - Luxa2 LM100 Mini case with power supply
Measurement and Analysis Tools
- CPU-Z
to monitor CPU frequency and voltage. - Prime95
processor stress software. - FurMark
stability test to stress the integrated GPU. - SpeedFan
to monitor temperature and fan speeds. - Seasonic
Power Angel for measuring AC power at the wall to ensure that the
heat output remains consistent. - Custom-built, four-channel variable DC power supply, used to regulate
the fan speed during the test. - Various other tools for testing fans, as documented in our
standard fan testing methodology.
Primary Audio Test Tools
- PC-based spectrum analyzer:
SpectraPlus with ACO Pacific mic and M-Audio digital
audio interfaces. - Anechoic chamber
with ambient level of 11 dBA or lower
System temperatures and noise levels were recorded with SpeedFan at load using
Prime95 to stress the CPU and FurMark with the Xtreme Burn option (if possible)
to stress the GPU.
Baseline Noise
Noise measurements were made of the case with the two supplied fans at various
fan speeds. The air cavity resonances inside a case amplify fan noise, as do
any vibrations transferred from the fans into the case, so these measurements
can be regarded as the baseline SPL levels for the LM100 Mini with the stock
fans.
The case sample we received was equipped with two 50 mm fans — one of them
sounded fairly smooth and broadband, while the other had some tonality, a bit
of whine, and developed a ‘wobble’ at higher fan speeds. It may have been damaged
during transport, but the other fan wasn’t afflicted, so quality control is
likely the issue. Luckily, the bad fan didn’t affect our noise measurements
— both fans measured approximately the same in our anechoic chamber.
| Luxa2 LM100 Mini Measuring mic positioned at diagonal angle left/front of case. | ||||
| PSU state (no load) | Fan #1 | Fan #2 | SPL @1m | SPL @0.6m |
| Off | 7V | Off | 14 dBA | 17 dBA |
| 9V | Off | 18 dBA | 25 dBA | |
| 12V | Off | 25 dBA | 27 dBA | |
| Off | 7V | 7V | 16 dBA | 20 dBA |
| 9V | 9V | 21 dBA | 30 dBA | |
| 12V | 12V | 26 dBA | 30 dBA | |
| On | Off | Off | 15 dBA | 17 dBA |
| 7V | 7V | 17 dBA | 20 dBA | |
| 9V | 9V | 21~22 dBA | 30 dBA | |
The overall noise level was very low with one fan at 9V or lower, or with both
fans at 7V or lower. However, the amount of airflow generated with these configurations
is almost negligible. To make these fans worthwhile, they must both be running
at 9V or higher. At 9V, the two fans produce about 21 dBA@1m inside the case
with nothing else running. This is more than adequately quiet for a home theater type
setup with the case several feet away from the user. On a desktop, it will sound
much louder — it measured 30 dBA at 0.6m, the ISO 7779 PC noise test standard
reference SPL measurement distance for a seated user.
 Spectral Analysis: both case fans at 12V (blue) vs. both fans at 9V (red). |
Strangely, we found that the measured SPL at 0.6m was the same whether the
two fans were running at 9V or 12V. Subjectively, the noise level sounded higher
at 12V, but it seems that at 9V, the two fans generated a sharp frequency spike
at approximately 380 Hz. This spike is weighted heavily enough to give 9V operation
the same 30 dBA measurement as 12V. This is one example where objective data
is less useful than subjective real-life human percepion.
We also tested the SPL with the power supply turned on (with no load) — it
hardly added any noise the system, even after being left on for 10 minutes.
It was only audible up close, producing a soft buzzing noise.
TEST RESULTS
With Arctic Cooling Alpine 7 Pro CPU heatsink
Our initial attempts to create a stable, yet quiet system with this test configuration
met with significant problems. We found that the biggest challenge was keeping
the Northbridge cool, as the GeForce 9300 IGP generates a considerable amount
of heat on load. Our hope was to keep the system stable while generating a SPL
of 20-24 dBA@1m, but it simply wasn’t possible. Several times the GPU exceeded
95°C resulting in a system shutdown. The machine wouldn’t turn back on until
the temperature dropped. For this reason we consider a GPU temperature of 90°C
or higher as a failure. Early on we found that we got better thermal results
(2-4°C) if we raised the case off the ground by an extra inch or so. As
the bottom of the case is its only source of ventilation, the extra breathing
room made an impact. The temperatures recorded were with the extra elevation.
| System Measurements (CPU + GPU Load): Alpine 7 Pro | |||||
| CPU Fan Speed | Case Fan Voltage | SPL @1m | SPL @0.6m | CPU Temp | GPU Temp |
| 1600 RPM | Off | 20~21 dBA | N/A | 66/71°C | 90°C+ |
| 9V | 24 dBA | N/A | 66/71°C | 90°C+ | |
| 12V | 29 dBA | 34 dBA | 63/67°C | 85°C | |
| 2000 RPM | Off | 26 dBA | N/A | 65/70°C | 90°C+ |
| 9V | 28 dBA | 31~32 dBA | 65/70°C | 87°C | |
| 12V | 30 dBA | 35 dBA | 61/67°C | 83°C | |
| Ambient temperature: 24°C Ambient noise level: 11 dBA | |||||
Using the modest Alpine
7 Pro CPU cooler at 80% speed (1600 RPM), we experienced high temperatures
when the system was placed on full load. CPU temperatures were in the high 60’s
to low 70’s which was acceptable, but the GPU temperature exceeded 90°C.
The case fans had be cranked all the way up to deliver what we would consider
a stable GPU temperature (though 10°C cooler than the shutdown temperature
is still unsettling). With the CPU cooler running at full speed (2000 RPM),
the case fans had to be set to 9V at the very least.
Unfortunately, the fan speeds that resulted in (barely) stable operation produced
too much noise, easily exceeding 30 [email protected], far from quiet on a desktop. The
resulting acoustic character was not bad though, mostly broadband with a loud
hollow-sounding ‘whoosh.’ The combination of components and the thick enclosure
mellowed the noise of the one wobbly case fan and the whine from the CPU cooler
at high speeds. The fan speeds could be reduced to quieter levels if the system
were to be used only in 2D operation or if the board inside had a less power
hungry IGP.
The power supply also added some noise to system but at the stable levels,
it was easily drowned out by the rest of the fans. We momentarily stopped all
fans at various times during testing and found the SPL it produced started out
at 17 dBA@1m and gradually increased as the unit heated up to about 21~22 dBA@1m
maximum. The power draw of our system topped out at about 74W AC measured from
the wall.
| Comparison: LM100 vs. SG05 vs. SG06 (Alpine 7 Pro) | ||||
| Case | CPU Fan Speed | SPL @0.6m | CPU Temp | GPU Temp |
| SG05 | 1200 RPM | 24 dBA | 62/66°C | 68°C |
| SG06 | 1200 RPM | 27 dBA | 60/64°C | 64°C |
| LM100 | 1600 RPM | 34 dBA | 63/67°C | 85°C |
| LM100 | 2000 RPM | 35 dBA | 61/67°C | 83°C |
| Ambient temperature: 24°C Ambient noise level: 11 dBA Case fans running at 12V. | ||||
The Sugo SG05/06
with its large intake fan and vast ventilation area is superior to the LM100
both thermally and acoustically. Operating with a much lower CPU fan speed,
the SG05 and SG06 posted slightly better CPU temperatures and vastly superior
GPU temperatures while generating a lot less noise than the LM100 under stress
conditions.
With Coolermaster Geminii S CPU heatsink
As cooling the Northbridge was a point of contention, we opted to augment our
test setup with a better top-down cooler, the Coolermaster Geminii
S.
|
|
| System Measurements (CPU + GPU Load): Geminii S | |||||
| CPU Fan Speed | Case Fan Voltage | SPL @1m | SPL @0.6m | CPU Temp | GPU Temp |
| 1200 RPM | Off | 21~22 dBA | 25 dBA | 74/77°C | 82°C |
| 9V | 23~24 dBA | 28 dBA | 67/71°C | 75°C | |
| Ambient temperature: 24°C Ambient noise level: 11 dBA | |||||
We ran the fan on the Geminii S at 7V (1200 RPM) which on its own, generated
about 17 dBA@1m in our anechoic chamber. Its fan was surprisingly smooth, subdued at 9V and below, although whiny
at full speed. With the case fans off, the system
started out at 17 dBA@1m but as the system heated up, the power supply fan ramped
up and the noise level peaked at 21~22 dBA@1m. Still it was much quieter than
any of the stable states we attained using the Alpine 7.
With the CPU fan spinning at 1200 RPM, the CPU temperature was about 5-8°C
worse than the Alpine 7 at 1600 RPM. However, the GPU temperature showed marked
improvement, staying stable at 83°C without the help of the case fans. Turning
the case fans to 9V resulted in a small increase in noise, but a significant
improvement in CPU and GPU cooling — the temperatures were finally at comfortable
levels. The improvements were still not enough to catch up to the Silverstone SG05/06 though.
The Silverstones’ thermal and acoustic results were better even using the Alpine 7 running
at only 1200 RPM.
 Spectral Analysis: Geminii S at 7V, case fans at 9V (pink, 23~23 dBA) vs. ambient (blue, 11 dBA). |
Spectral analysis showed a few small peaks and valleys, but for the most part
the acoustic profile of the system with the Geminii S was devoid of any significant tonality.
Remote/ Software
The included remote and software are basically the same as that which shipped
with the MonCaso 301. Overall the remote is very capable with superb range.
It’s powered by 2 x AAA batteries and the receiver is built into the circuit
board behind the front display. For more details, read our MonCaso
301 review.
AUDIO RECORDINGS
These recordings were made with a high resolution, lab quality, digital recording
system inside SPCR’s own 11 dBA ambient anechoic chamber, then converted to
LAME 128kbps encoded MP3s. We’ve listened long and hard to ensure there is no
audible degradation from the original WAV files to these MP3s. They represent
a quick snapshot of what we heard during the review.
Each recording starts with ambient noise, then 10 second segments of product
at various states. For the most realistic results,
set the volume so that the starting ambient level is just barely audible, then
don’t change the volume setting again while comparing all the sound files.
- Luxa2
LM100 Mini one case fan in system at 1m
— 7V (14 dBA@1m)
— 9V (18 dBA@1m)
— 12V (23 dBA@1m)
- Luxa2
LM100 Mini one case fan in system at 0.6m
— 7V (17 [email protected])
— 9V (25 [email protected])
— 12V (27 [email protected])
- Luxa2
LM100 Mini two case fans in system at 1m
— 7V (16 dBA@1m)
— 9V (21 dBA@1m)
— 12V (26 dBA@1m)
- Luxa2
LM100 Mini two case fans in system at 0.6m
— 7V (20 [email protected])
— 9V (30 [email protected])
— 12V (30 [email protected])
- Luxa2
LM100 Mini – Test Configuration #1 (Alpine 7 Pro) at 1m (load)
— CPU fan @ 2000 RPM, case fans @ 9V (28 dBA@1m)
— CPU fan @ 1600 RPM, case fans @ 12V (29 dBA@1m)
— CPU fan @ 2000 RPM, case fans @ 12V (30 dBA@1m)
- Luxa2
LM100 Mini – Test Configuration #1 (Alpine 7 Pro) at 0.6m (load)
— CPU fan @ 2000 RPM, case fans @ 9V (31~32 [email protected])
— CPU fan @ 1600 RPM, case fans @ 12V (34 [email protected])
— CPU fan @ 2000 RPM, case fans @ 12V (35 [email protected])
- Luxa2
LM100 Mini – Test Configuration #1 (Geminii S) at 1m (load)
— CPU fan @ 1200 RPM, case fans off (21~22 dBA@1m)
— CPU fan @ 1200 RPM, case fans @ 9V (23~24 dBA@1m)
- Luxa2
LM100 Mini – Test Configuration #1 (Geminii S) at 0.6m (load)
— CPU fan @ 1200 RPM, case fans off (25 [email protected])
— CPU fan @ 1200 RPM, case fans @ 9V (28 [email protected])
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Luxa2 LM100 Mini is a great looking case that’s built like a tank — its
aesthetics and construction quality are beyond reproach. However, when it comes
to practicality, the case fails in several aspects. The case’s size and the 200W
power supply suggests it is suitable to house a fairly powerful mini-ITX system,
but its design is not optimized for proper cooling. The case’s only intake vents
are at the bottom of the case, much of which is covered by the motherboard tray
and its short stubby feet do not lift the the chassis enough off the ground.
Planting the Flex ATX power supply inside the case with no direct intake or
exhaust is one of the most foolish things we’ve seen. Not only does it increase
the heat and noise of the system, it complicates cable management. This type
of placement is only suitable for a picoPSU or other DC/DC power supplies with an external AC/DC adapter.
Enthusiasts with deep pockets will no doubt wish to pair the case with a powerful
mini-ITX motherboard like the Zotac
GeForce 9300 board we used in our testing. However, if the GPU is highly stressed,
maintaining a low noise level without letting the components
cook is a real challenge. The lack of ventilation and the small, inefficient
case fans makes creating a quiet system with such a configuration next to impossible.
A good aftermarket heatsink in this case is an absolute must. If the system
has a less powerful GPU or is intended to playback media only, then cooling it
quietly becomes easier.
Swapping out the 50mm fans for quieter ones is also a major challenge. There are very few small fans marketed as being quiet, and none have been tested by a reliable third party. It’s tough enough to find any online retailers for such fans, About the only vaguely hopefully possibility is offered by Scythe, but the Mini Kaze 50mm may only be available in the EU and in Japan, and it has an SPL rating of 26 dBA, only marginally lower than the 28 dBA of the stock fans.
Though the case height allows for CPU coolers that are 10 cm tall, anything
above 8.4 cm or so will likely interfere with the power cable or the optical
drive. The case’s footprint is also larger than the Sugo
SG05/06, presumably to accommodate a side-mounted 3.5″ drive and
the power supply. It seems most of the design decisions were made to keep the
body solid, and that is ultimately its undoing. If the designers were adamant about keeping
the unibody appearance, heatpipes connected
to the sides of the case for thermal dissipation would have been far more suitable — after all, its
thick aluminum sides remind us of the fanless Coolermaster
TC-100 or mCubed HFX Micro S13. It would also have been far more practical to punch a large ventilation
grill on the right side, and possibly equip it with a 80 or 92 mm fan.
As pure home theater machine, the LM100 Mini is a good, but pricey option.
It comes with a versatile remote and software, and it looks fantastic— a finer
looking HTPC you will not find. The only flaw in its appearance is the poor quality
display — its almost monocromatic and the viewing angles leave a lot to
be desired. In a typical home theater setting, 6-8 feet away from the user,
the noise level of the system should be fairly low, especially if the fans only
have to combat the heat generated from 2D usage. As a small general purpose desktop, it can
probably be tweaked to be suitably quiet, depending on what it will be used
for and the components inside. In the end, despite the undeniably good looks of the LM100, it’s diffcult to muster up much enthusiasm given its US$270~$300 price and its thermal and acoustic challenges.
| Luxa2 LM100 Mini | |
| PROS * Exquisitely desirable | CONS * Poor ventilation, can become very hot |
Our thanks to Luxa2
for the LM100 Mini system sample.
* * *
Articles of Related Interest
Cases: Basics & Recommendations
Silverstone
Sugo SG05 and SG06: Gaming mini-ITX cases?
Antec ISK 300-65 mini-ITX case
Moneual MonCaso 301 Desktop HTPC Case
Coolermaster’s
Fanless TC-100 mini-ITX case
Apex MI-008: A Cheap Quiet mini-ITX Case?
Zotac GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi
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