Antec Veris MicroFusion Remote 350 HTPC Case Review

CONCLUSION

There is a lot to like about the MicroFusion Remote 350. The case itself is a wonderful mix of design and elegance which would make even the most comprehensive of entertainment centers complete. The case itself is classic Antec engineering, and from an engineering standpoint is pretty darn impressive. To be honest, the only thing better than its classy brushed aluminum looks is its potential for durability. Our first impressions told us this was going to be a great case and both our external and internal impressions helped reinforce this feeling; however, once we started the installation process glaring shortcomings started to appear. These shortcomings and annoyances were to some extent alleviated by the good software included but in the end they were compounded once we got to the LCD / IR portion and further reinforced by the remote’s shortcomings.

In this market niche, function has to follow form and in a lot of cases this means corner cutting and shortcuts which take away from the overall experience. We truly understand that you really can’t fit to 10 quarts of awesome in a one quart jug, but this case really does tread a fine line between the two. It really only goes to pot once you include the LCD and IR receiver (and that annoying little remote). We could live with having only three standoffs, or even the hassle factor of the hard drive installation if were not for the various iMON shortcomings. Antec has really dropped the ball by making their end users work too hard at installing a simple hard drive, just so they could cram in the iMON accessory. If this case didn’t come with this accessory the majority of our issues with the case would have disappeared but you pay for it so we can't ignore then thing. When you get right down to it, we would rather have a great SFF case like the MicroFusion with no remote and no LCD than this meager hybrid attempt. The LCD and IR portion feel like an afterthought and in all honesty we would be sorely tempted to just yank it from the case and call it a day.

This really is too bad, as this is a wonderfully designed case and it really does deserve a long hard look by potential buyers. We know this sounds a little schizophrenic of us after just hammering on it negative points, but we know there is a diamond in amongst the rough. On a personal note, and just to show how much faith and respect I have for this case (and once I get around to yanking that iMON albatross out of it) I will be using the much improved case as the basis for a personal HTPC of water cooled goodness. To me this is the largest personal accolade I can give a product, even if it is a delivered in a back handed manner.

If you are like us and can overlook the LCD and remote portion of this case, you may just find a micro case to your liking in the rest of the parts. Hopefully, like the mighty Phoenix rose from the ashes the next generation MicroFusion Remote 350 case will not be a true series refresh with a great full sized remote and maybe even a VFD panel instead of an LCD. This to us would be the ideal micro case which would certainly merit a HWC award. As its stands, you need to be a tweaker or tinkerer to consider the MicroFusion Remote 350 the perfect case since only then will it live up to the potential we know is lurking deep inside.


Pros
- Powerfully Petite!
- Elegant and stylish design
- 80+ PSU included
- LCD & IR remote included
- Nicely done hidden optical bay door


Cons
- Only 3 brass standoffs included
- Poor IR reception
- Small Remote
- LCD has terrible viewing angles
- LCD assembly needs to be removed in order to install a hard drive