Streacom FC5 ALPHA Full Aluminium Low Profile Fanless Chassis
The shot-blasted FC5 makes its presence known in the HTPC market with its low profile look, fanless cooling and 100% aluminium construction! Looking for a new HTPC case? You just might have found it!
Features
- Build a completely fanless media centre PC
- Extremely low profile chassis
- Supplied with fanless heatpiped CPU cooler
- Side heatsinks cool CPU without the need of fans
- Compatible with full size ATX motherboards or smaller
The new FC5 ALPHA follows in its predecessors footsteps with the same minimalist styling, the updated version brings even more refinement to this timeless sleek design. At the heart of these improvements is the updated bottom panel which is not only more robust but has been redesigned to optimise airflow, reducing internal temperatures. Motherboard size and drive storage options also benefit from this new design, with the FC5 Alpha now accommodating an additional 2 x 2.5” drives and a full size motherboard. A single USB3 port is now located on both sides of the case for easier access and balance.
Many home theatre chassis are finished with the brushed aluminium effect, but the FC5 is not like other home theatre chassis. Streacom have finished the FC5 in a very fine shot-blasted finish which gives an elegant pitted look to the aluminium rather than a lined look which brushing produces. It is all down to personal preference as to which looks better but one advantage that a shot blasted finish has over a brushed finish is that it does not leave visible fingerprints behind as brushed aluminium finishes often does.
Recommended Components
Streacom have a comprehensive build guide that provides general tips and suggestions on what should be considered when building in a Streacom case and how to achieve the best results.
Motherboard and CPU - The FC5 ALPHA is compatible with Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX and ATX motherboards. Depending which motherboard you opt for will determine how many HDD/SSDs can be installed (more info on this below) and which CPU to use. The case is capable of cooling virtually all CPUs that have a TDP of 95W or lower.
One important point to note when selecting a motherboard is that the board must not have the 24-pin ATX connector (shown in the red shaded section in the image below) or any tall heatsinks are located in this area otherwise the Nano-PSU adapter may obstruct the heatpipes, preventing the CPU block from being fitted correctly.
Note: Although it is stated that the overall cooling ability of the case is 95W we strongly advise using a processor with a TDP of 65W or lower to avoid using too much power than the Nano-PSU can provide. We have a selection of Intel and AMD CPUs available that produce 65W or lower.
Power Supply - We recommend using a fanless Nano PSU which can provide up to 160W of power. This is more than enough to power most CPUs that have a TDP of 65W along with suitable peripherals. It is recommended not to overload the number of peripherals; two drives, a TV tuner and obviously a motherboard should not be a problem for this miniature PSU. Alternatively, Streacom now have a 240W Internal fanless PSU, the ST-ZF240. That extra 90W (compared to the Nano-PSU) will allow for even more drives to be connected to the system or you may want to opt for a CPU that has a maximum TDP of 95W for greater performance (see note below). Using this power supply means the largest motherboard you can install is Micro-ATX, as the PSU takes up internal space within the chassis.
Please note: that care has to be taken when installing Intel’s 12th gen 65W CPUs. This is because they feature ‘Max Turbo Frequency’ that exceeds 65W. As an example the Intel Core i9 12900 is stated as being a 65W processor but can actually consume up to 202W. Please check the specifications table for the processor you intend to use and check the ‘Maximum Turbo Power’ does not exceed the power supply.
Thermal Paste - These cases are supplied with thermal paste.
SSD/Hard Disk Drives - The FC5 cases can house many drive combinations depending on which size motherboard is fitted or which PSU is used. The instructions from Streacom’s website go through in detail the options that are available. It is highly recommend that you take a look at the images below, or alternative feel free to look at the instructions.
Specifications | FC5WS ALPHA Silver | FC5WS ALPHA Black |
---|---|---|
Case Form Factor | Mini-ITX | Mini-ITX |
Manufacturer Product Code | ST-FC5S-ALPHA | ST-FC5B-ALPHA |
Chassis Material | Premium Grade (6063) All Aluminium, 10mm Thick Front Panel | Premium Grade (6063) All Aluminium, 10mm Thick Front Panel |
Motherboard Support | Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX | Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX |
Drive Capacity | 3x 3.5” and 6x 2.5” * | 3x 3.5” and 6x 2.5” * |
Optical Drive Capacity | None | None |
USB Ports | 2x USB3.0, Left & Right Side | 2x USB3.0, Left & Right Side |
Expansion Slot | 1x Full Height Expansion Card, Flexible PCI-E Riser Required | 1x Full Height Expansion Card, Flexible PCI-E Riser Required |
Cooling | Fanless | Fanless |
Cooling Options | Heatpipe Direct Touch 4 Pipes – Recommended CPU TDP 65W, Max TDP 95W with good airflow | Heatpipe Direct Touch 4 Pipes – Recommended CPU TDP 65W, Max TDP 95W with good airflow |
Socket Compatibility | Intel LGA1151 and AMD FM1/2, AM2/3/4 | Intel LGA1151 and AMD FM1/2, AM2/3/4 |
Dimension (W x D x H) | 435 x 325 x 60mm, 450mm Width Front Panel | 435 x 325 x 60mm, 450mm Width Front Panel |
Power Supply | Streacom ZF240 or Nano PSU (Not Included) | Streacom ZF240 or Nano PSU (Not Included) |
IR Receiver | Flirc USB (Not Included) | Flirc USB (Not Included) |
Net Weight | 4.2KG | 4.2KG |
Warranty | 24 months | 24 months |
EAN barcode | 8718469090891 | 8718469090884 |
- *The amount of compatible drives depends on motherboard installed
Specifications | FC5WS ALPHA Silver | FC5WS ALPHA Black |
---|---|---|
Case Form Factor | Mini-ITX | |
Manufacturer Product Code | ST-FC5S-ALPHA | ST-FC5B-ALPHA |
Chassis Material | Premium Grade (6063) All Aluminium, 10mm Thick Front Panel | |
Motherboard Support | Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX | |
Drive Capacity | 3x 3.5” and 6x 2.5” * | |
Optical Drive Capacity | None | |
USB Ports | 2x USB3.0, Left & Right Side | |
Expansion Slot | 1x Full Height Expansion Card, Flexible PCI-E Riser Required | |
Cooling | Fanless | |
Cooling Options | Heatpipe Direct Touch 4 Pipes – Recommended CPU TDP 65W, Max TDP 95W with good airflow | |
Socket Compatibility | Intel LGA1151 and AMD FM1/2, AM2/3/4 | |
Dimension (W x D x H) | 435 x 325 x 60mm, 450mm Width Front Panel | |
Power Supply | Streacom ZF240 or Nano PSU (Not Included) | |
IR Receiver | Flirc USB (Not Included) | |
Net Weight | 4.2KG | |
Warranty | 24 months | |
EAN barcode | 8718469090891 | 8718469090884 |
- *The amount of compatible drives depends on motherboard installed
Customer Reviews
We haven't received any reviews of this product yet.
Not as difficult as I thought
I’ve been meaning to buy an FC5 for some time now but none of my gaming motherboards would fit in it. In the end I plumped for an Asus B365M-A, which had space for the heatpipes and two M.2 slots on the top with easy access. It all went together faster than I thought, once I’d read the instructions and watched an excellent video on Youtube called “Building a Fully Silent Fanless PC - Streacom FC8 Audiophile PC” which helped considerably. It’s all set up now and looks great.
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