Best looking Mac tower

OK, I've been inspired by this site, http://www.amug.org/amug-web/html/amug/reviews/articles/mini/dock/, to do a custome mini build for my next system. My (and most everyone else's) biggest complaints about the mini are the laptop drives and the GPU. Not much I can do about the GPU, but the drives are a problem I CAN solve. So, I'd like to rig up an Intel mini inside an older Power Mac case and use full sized desktop hardware.

Got me thinking that I am curious about the opinion on best looking (non-AIO) Mac ever. I'm a fan of the MDD, personally, although the Cube is pretty close.

I've intentionally started at the B&W because before that the PowerMacs were pretty much beige boxes, so not all that distinctive. Now, one thing to consider is that all of these machines EXCEPT the Cube will take a standard 5.25" optical drive, which is a consideration for this particular project. So, while it's probably the best looking, it's not the best looking machine that qualifies, imo, as a "tower".

So, what do you all think? What's the best looking Mac tower to do a mini mod job into?

 

The Graphite PM and the B&W are basically the same with a slight color change, which is why I didn't include it. I agree the Cube is only barely a tower, I included it because it was a PM and at least ALMOST a tower.

I agree, though, that the Grpahite PM was probably better looking than it's brother the B&W.

I'm surprised at the people who have mentioned the beige PMs. I always thought they looks like something IBM built in the mid-90's and sold OS/2 on. Kinda cute because the are so ugly.

 

Ew, talk about gaudy! No offense, but that sounds... horrible. It's kinda cute with the nanos and the shuffles, I suppose... but an entire Mac Pro. No thanks!

I'm not a fan of the MacPro/G5 case. I think it's huge and unwieldy. The Quicksilver is growing on me, though. Are those the same size as the B&W cases? Also, is that a speaker in the front of it?

 

The Sawtooth was in the same case as the B&W PM, I do believe... I only listed the systems that had a new case design. The only one I think I missed was the Graphite, but it was just a B&W with a new color...

 

Ooo, that's nice... I'm really tempted to build this! How quiet are the PSU in the QS? Are they standard ATX or something Apple specific? It occurred to me I'd need to power the drives with an external (well internal, external relative to the mini's standard external PSU) PSU... Wow, that got pedantic.

 

Well, so far the G5 has surprised me with it's massive domination! The Cube is, unsurprisingly, popular. The MDD and QS are running a close race for 3rd, and the B&W is pretty far in the back. I'm honestly surprised by the MacPro design being as popular as it is, but I can see where it people think it looks the most "serious and professional" of the lot.

I've found a few QS cases on eBay for $40-80 shipped, so my plan is definitely formulating... I'm going to certainly try and hold out for new mini's, but we'll see how long my patience can keep up when I start to fill out my new computer fund in a couple weeks.