Antec Veris MicroFusion Remote 350 HTPC Case Review

Packaging and Accessories

When we first laid eyes on this package we knew we were dealing with something special as this is one small box to fit a case inside of. It really did harken us back to the days before tower cases roamed the earth and all we had were desktop cases (and we liked it…dang nab it). Though in all honesty, it is even a little bit on the small side for that as this is a Micro HTPC; so space inside is going to be at a premium and you can probably forget about using this case to house your HTPC / GamerPC with monster video cards and a dozen hard drives.


Size of the box aside, you can see this package is nicely done with more than enough information listed on it as well as some photos of the case. However, there is one thing which we think deserves mentioning before we continue on to the inside of it. The unique item (which some of you eagle eye readers probably already have noticed) is the brand name proudly and boldly being proclaimed is not Antec (though the Antec name is there); rather it is the brand name VERIS which sticks out on this case. In a nut shell Veris is Antec’s brand name for its HTPC case lineup.

In a concerted effort to distance its own HTPC cases from its already great reputation, Antec has certainly taken a bold but risky move. Don’t get us wrong, it does work as when you look at the name Veris you certainly don’t instantly think “Antec”, but by doing so you don’t necessarily equate Veris with Antec’s well deserved reputation. These HTPC cases are certainly not your average Antec design, which is usually (but not always) on the more conservative end of the spectrum. By their very nature HTPC cases are anything but ordinary, so calling them Antec HTPC may have seemed a little counter productive to the marketing department at Antec.


When you do get over the peculiarities of the outside of this small box and open it up for the first time you get to see that Antec did indeed protect their precious bundle with more than adequate padding; and yes this case really is that small! Just as with many larger designs, the Fusion 350 Remote is nestled in between two large pieces of Styrofoam which allow it to blissfully hover in the middle of the case without any part of it touching the outside box. The case itself is also enshrouded in a cotton like material to keep it from getting scratched. This potent combination should protect it from all but the most extreme of abuses.

With this being an HTPC case, we were expecting to see better provisioned “goodie bag” of accessories included than what is found with most standard cases and Antec did not disappoint. This may also be another reason Antec has added the brand name VERIS to their HTPC line, as a typical Antec case may be a very good and durable product but they usually are not known for coming with a long list of swag either.


You of course get all the assorted sundries associated with a new case like a bag of screws and this is completely expected and certainly not out of the ordinary. We will get into more detail about this later in the review but for now lets just say getting a PSU wasn’t that surprising but getting a high quality 80+ certified PSU was. Another very nice touch -and its main claim to fame over its predecessor- is the included IR remote. This little remote seems to pack a lot of power into such a small package, and its receiver's seamless integration into the front of the case makes for a very stylish but oh so functional one-two accessory punch. We are looking forward to seeing how well this feature really works!

Also of note was the inclusion of plastic extenders for the modular air deflector. Like the remote and PSU, we will take a more in depth look later in this review but overall this was a very nice touch and the icing on a cake which seems to be made of nothing but icing!