The Mozart IP is another quality case from Thermaltake. The construction and materials are excellent, including the hinges and other case hardware. The large fold-down door on the right front of the case helps to hide the bay devices and gives the unit a clean appearance. The Media Lab display was very cool, allowing the user to power on & off the computer, get system information, news, weather and other data, and it acts as a graphic equalizer with audio devices, all at the convenience of a remote control. The iPod dock was a unique feature that allows the newer 30, 60 or 80GB iPods to be plugged in and play music through the system, whether the computer was turned on or off, and it has its own remote, too.

However, there are a few considerations to take into account. There are no external 3.5" bays to house a floppy or media card reader, even though there is an opening inside the chassis for one. Although there are three quiet fans included in the system, they are not silent, and are of the smaller variant. Larger fans could move more air and work more quietly. The rest of the considerations mostly have to do with the iPod dock. The user is limited to only stereo output due to the audio switching card, and the procedure for using the audio switching card is rather unclear in the manual. And between the Media lab display, the front I/O ports and the iPod dock, there are a lot of wires that need careful routing throughout the case.

Overall the Mozart IP is a fantastic case with a wide array of features. At $294 (with the Media Lab display, $194 without), the price is acceptable for an HTPC chassis of this caliber. If you own a 30, 60 or 80GB iPod and are looking for a quality HTPC case, then the Thermaltake Mozart IP may be right for you.