Items tagged with SFF
It's hard to believe that the first time we set eyes on a Small Form Factor PC was back in December of 2001. Back then, Shuttle was breaking new ground with several new products that helped give birth to a whole new sector in the PC industry. As Shuttle's successes mounted with each new release, other manufacturers took notice and also started jumping into the Small Form Factor foray. One such company to deliver their own mini-barebones units was MSI. Their Mega mPC Series of SFF systems is comprised of various solutions that cater many different applications. Whether your loyalties lie with Intel, AMD, VIA, NVIDIA or ATI, MSI has an mPC to...
Read more...
DailyTech has just received word that ABIT is planning to launch the industry's first HDMI-certified motherboard. Based on the Intel 945GT chipset, the SFF motherboard support Yonah and eventually Merom. Armed with an array of of ports and interfaces including SATA 3.0Gbps, Firewire, 15-pin D-Sub, 7.1 audio ports, and obviously HDMI. Apparently, the collective prayers of HTPC users have been answered as they finally have a way to easily interface with those gorgeous new HDTV's without any negative impact to image quality. Unfortunately, there is no PCI-E x16 graphics slot so that HTPC won't be doing much in the way of gaming with this board....
Read more...
DigiTimes reports that Albatron has released one of the first new graphcis cards designed specifically for the space-constrained needs of Small Form Factor systems. Based upon NVIDIA's new 90u GeForce 7900 GT GPU, this new graphics card is at least 3cm shorter than reference boards and is half as thick. For those gaming with SFF systems, Albatron's latest product could be just the ticket you need for faster framerates without having to remove other components to make room for a shiny new graphics card.Based on the latest generation of Nvidia graphics processor unit (GPU) technology, the 7900GT card offers a 256-bit memory bus and 256MB of DDR3 memory, with a 1360MHz memory clock. The card's core...
Read more...
Version 3.1 of Silverstone's SG-01 Evolution SFF case is a great pick if you're looking to build a small, portable PC. Good ventilation, and the ability to use any standard size ATX PSU are just some of the features you'll find. "One of the first things that grab your attention is the simple but yet, elegant design of the SG-01, from the stylish Silverstone logo to the well placed silver/chrome accents around the two 5.25" drive bays and the background behind the front access ports. Speaking of which in addition to the customary audio ports, the IEEE 1394 port and two USB 2.0 ports that have become standard on just about every case manufactured...
Read more...
SFF vendor Shuttle is spreading word that the company will be introducing a new SFF platform that is even smaller than their conventional XPC systems. Aimed squarely at the living room, it is likely that these new systems will place a large emphasis on aesthetics and low-noise such that the PC belnds nicely with the other home theater components in the room. Unfortunately, no significant details have been shared thus far, though we imagine the rumor mill will be coming up to speed shortly."We have introduced the world's first SFF PC five years ago and thus have invented the small form factor. The time to set another milestone has arrived: a new form-factor will help Shuttle to make the new Shuttle...
Read more...
For the last few years, there has been an undeniable trend towards packing all the functionality and performance of a full-fledged desktop system into a smaller form factor. As one of the chief pioneers of this new form factor, Shuttle enjoyed having dominant market share as they were one of the only true contenders in the SFF category. Fortunately for consumers, several new vendors have begun to show interest in SFF systems and are now offering some very viable solutions of their own. Biostar is one such company and they are attacking the SFF segment with a vengeance. Today, we'll be looking at the new iDEQ 350G to see how Biostar is aiming to take over the SFF market. As one would expect, the...
Read more...
Well folks, the weekend is over and everything is getting back to normal. If your looking for something different to read, The TechZone has written a piece about being in "The Zone". I'm sure a few of you can relate to the article... personally I've spent days working on just parts of my own personal projects. Almost nothing beats the feeling when it's 4am and your code is finally working. The only problem is no one else is awake to see your accomplishment. Anyway, I've got some work to do, goodnight all! Lite-On SHW-1635S 16x DVD -RW 8x Double Layer Writer @ ExtremeMHz "Lite-on has finally released a new DVD drive set to compete with a variety of other next generation high-speed...
Read more...
Gigabyte GA-8I945P Pro Intel 945P Motherboard Review @ PCSTATS: "Gigabyte's GA-8I945P Pro pairs up the Intel 945P chipset with the Intel ICH7R Southbridge, and supports Intel's new Pentium D dual core processors as well as any other recent LGA775 Intel Pentium 4 processor or Celeron. The Intel 945P chipset does not support the Pentium Extreme Edition dual-core processor however. The motherboard can run at 533MHz, 800MHz and 1066MHZ FSB speed with up to 4GB of dual channel DDR II memory installed. A single PCI Express x16 slot provides the graphical interface." Check out our impressions of the 8I945P-G here. SFF Roundup, Socket 939 Systems @ Anandtech: "When we first started work...
Read more...
When it comes to making Small Form Factor PCs, we find that most manufacturers need to make compromises in order to create a viable product. Radical heat dissipation techniques typically consume much of the area in already cramped confines, motherboards are usually cut-down versions of full-sized models which, in turn, have fewer features or capabilities, and typically these motherboards are based on an older more mature chipset. Just recently we have taken looks at other SFF PCs, one of which, the Skyhawk IMC6375, was still based around the 865PE chipset, now nearing two years since it was initially released. Shuttle, on the other hand, always seems poised on the edge of...
Read more...
Good afternoon HotHardware fans! We're closing out the week with yet another review, this time of Skyhawk's echo-Q IMC6375 small form factor PC. This tiny, silver system is powered by Intel's i865 chipset, for socket 478 Pentium 4 processors. Click here to check it out......
Read more...
Normally, when a new Small Form Factor PC arrives in the lab, the unit is generally a single manufacturers combination of form and function. Inside and out, everything is designed by only one OEM in a singular effort. From Shuttle to Epox and more recently Foxconn, the outer chassis is meant to support the technology within. Not to be left out in the cold, SkyHawk/Eagle Technologies has come up with their own line of mini-PCs. But the difference this time is that they provide the outer shell only; the inner workings have to come from another source. It sure sounds plausible enough to work. Many DIY builders put together their own "wish-lists" which...
Read more...
Good Afternoon HotHardware fans! Just in case you missed the link at the top of the page, I'm here to let you know that we've just posted a new review of Foxconn's e-bot small form factor PC. The e-bot has quite a few unique features and an enclosure that's somewhat different than most of the other SFF systems currently available. Click here to check it out......
Read more...
Hey folks, after a long day of battling internet problems, I'm here to bring you a news update. Feel the need for speed? Check out the review Madshrimps has sent us, which takes the FX-55 through some serious overclocking. Also on the list is a SFF system from ASUS, X-Bit lab's Best of 2004, Zalman's CNPS7700-Cu Heatsink Fan, and a review of Gigabyte's GA-K8NXP-SLI. Read on, and enjoy the news! Gigabyte GA-K8NXP-SLI (NVIDIA nForce4 SLI) @ hardwarezone "Need more SLI motherboard options? If you do, then sink into this review as we find out what Gigabyte's SLI motherboard had in store and how it fared against MSI's own option. Supporting 12 storage devices, DPS, Dual BIOS, WLAN, FireWire-800...
Read more...
Good evening folks, it's time for another round of news. Coming at you tonight, we have subjects ranging from wireless networks and security, to the Spire Coolwave II, a Heatsink for LGA775 CPUs. Enjoy ;) Spire Coolwave II (LGA 775 Heatsink) reviewed @ hi-techreviews.com "...This time around it's the Spire Coolwave II, a very nice looking unit featuring a UV reactive fan and mounting assembly and perhaps one of the securest mounting methods of any 775 heatsink we have tested. So come on along as we take a look at this unit and see just how well it performs under stock conditions and with a 500 MHz overclock." Soltek Qbic 3901a Socket 939 SFF Review @ Neoseeker "Even with the extra...
Read more...
Every time a new small form factor system arrives in the lab, inevitable comparisons are made to Shuttle's popular line of XPC systems. The simple fact of the matter is that Shuttle's XPCs have set the bar for the rest of the industry. And their XPC systems have sold so well, they've transformed Shuttle from a second tier motherboard manufacturer into full-fledged system builders, in a relatively short period of time. With success like that, it should come as no surprise that other manufacturers have since jumped on the bandwagon, and now have an assortment of small form factor systems in their own product line ups as well. Since the initial introduction of Shuttle's XPC, we...
Read more...
When it comes to manufacturing motherboards, Taiwan-based Epox is well respected amongst enthusiasts. While we've only had the opportunity to review a few of their motherboards over the years, the small sample we have tested were fairly impressive. In fact, late last year we reviewed the Epox 4PDA2+ v.2, one of the many Springdale boards to be released in 2003, and we gave it a hard-earned "Editor's Choice" award. What could we expect then with the eX5-320S, one of EPoX's all new line of Small Form Factor barebones PCs? Epox enters the SFF PC market somewhat late in the game. Companies such as Shuttle and Biostar have been perfecting the art of the mini-PC for...
Read more...
Good evening everyone, welcome back :) With meetings running longer then expected, my work day wrapped up exceptionally late tonight. Nonetheless, before this jockey heads to the stables for some well needed shuteye, I have the wrap-up of news from around the net. With a few exceptionally tasty morsels on the plate for this evening, your hunger for the latest and greatest should be well satisfied until we meet up in the AM.... XGI™ Announces theVolari™ Graphics Board Series Taipei—September 27, 2004 —XGI Technology Inc, an innovative graphics chipsets supplier, today announced their Volari™ Graphics board series; a full line of graphic boards powered...
Read more...
Whoa! I've only been offline for about 8 hours, and already our news box is chock full of goodies! For a geek like me, there's not much better than waking up to a healthy sampling of hardware related articles. I just brewed a fresh pot of coffee, slammed down a pastry and some toast, and now I'm going to settle in for some good reading. When I'm done with that, I'm going to button up a review of Asus' excellent Radon X800 Pro! I figure some of you might want to do the same (minus that part about writing a review), so here's enough hardware news to keep you busy for most of the morning - just don't spill any coffee on your keyboard... Shuttle's XPC SK83G SFF...
Read more...
Good morning folks! I know Jay was just here a little while ago, but the news is piling up today, so I thought I'd hammer out another shot of the good stuff! We've got some more interesting tid-bits from around the web right now, and a little later we'll be back with some fresh content of our own. So stay tuned... X800Pro to X800XT Mod Guide @ PCUnleash.Com: <--- If you've done this mod, and it works, let me know! "Since their advent, ATI's graphic cards have always commanded a lot of attention from the public. The new X800pro is no exception to this rule. While X800 Pro is now out at the market, many people are now considering the possibility that it can be transformed...
Read more...
Good morning everyone! I hope you are all digging the new layout, I know I am. Dave, Marco and Jay broke their respective behinds to get this completed and launched on Monday and the effort shows in my opinion. My presence has been sparse lately with personal things taking up most of my time. Fortunately, next week should be the last of it for me, then I should be back in the saddle, along with Rob who recently returned from his honeymoon. So stick around, we have some more goodies coming your way soon! BigBruin.Com has a new review posted taking a look at the New Enermax CS-800TA-MW Case: "Right off the bat we notice a few things that make this case different....
Read more...
