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Arprotek e-Cube/gBox Barebones Review
Arnold writes: "I was doing some browsing on the net and came across an article that ViaHardware.com published. They are reviewing a cool
P4 mini-computer system that is perfect for the serious LAN gamer. The system has an AGP slot and will even fit a GeForce 4 Ti4600. It also has a built-in handle. Now if only we could get monitors to be this size and expand out to 19-21"."
Most decent flat-panel monitors have a handle in the back (my 17" IBM does). Combined, it would make a very good LAN gaming machine. However, if you're using a CRT monitor, I recommend a GearGrip-CRT Monitor Carrier.
The speed of time is one second per second.
in an older story.
It's not? You can upgrade the video card, the ram, and the harddrive. That's pretty expandable, no?
2) The Apple G4 cube is by no means a gaming system.
My G3 iBook is my gaming system, and works great. I can't imagine the G4 Cube being worse.
3) The Apple G4 cube cannot hold a GeForce 4.
I'm not sure if this is true or not. Given your obvious lack of knowledge about the Cube I'm willing to guess you don't know either.
4) You are a clueless dumbass.
Pot, meet Kettle. Kettle, meet Pot.
From their beleagered web server:
Specifications:
Chyang Fun CFI-S86 Motherboard
Pentium 4 Support
VIA P4M266 Chipset
DDR200/266 Support - up to 2GB
ATA/133 Support - 2 IDE Ports
Integrated Pro Savage DDR Graphics (ProSavage 8)
2 Serial Ports
4 USB 2.0 Ports (2 Rear, 2 Front)
PS/2 Keyboard/Mouse Ports
RCA and S-Video TV Out
VIA AC97 Audio
Front Headphone and Microphone Jacks
Front Speaker Out Jack
Onboard Realtek RT8100 LAN
Infra-Red Support
1 PCI Slot
1 AGP Slot
Aluminum Chassis/Plastic Handle/Plexiglas Side and Front Panels
1 5.25" Bay, 2 3.25" Bays (1 External)
(L) 306mm X (W) 212mm X (H) 242mm
150W Power Supply
2 40mm Rear Exhaust Fans
Granted there is only two add on slots, but it still looks to me like a heavily overworked power supply on there. The P4 alone will consume nearly 50W. Add in some drives and all the other goodies and you are in trouble!
I think they're exothermic. Otherwise there'd be no cooling problems?
Don't forget the CPU, the Cube is the only machine in my house that can go from a single processor to dual without a motherboard replacement. And while it can't hold a GeForce 4 (who cares anyhow), it can hold up to a Radeon or GeForce 3, and is still probably quieter then the above system.
With somthing that small, it shouldn't be to hard to find enough liquid nitrogen to dunk it in. And all the vapor would breing great atmosphere to the games.
thank God the internet isn't a human right.
It's becuase the 4400 and 4600 are so freakin huge! Compare these:
This is a 4600. It's Big.
This is a 4200. In the article they say the differences between boards. Enjoy.
Ummm so this is an AS/400 competitor then ?
Sorry to be a pedant but main, mini, micro is the naming convention, and micro is where this sits. A mini computer with a handle is a hernia in a box.
Wish PDA stood for Pico Device Architecture.
However an AS/400 or top end Unix server would kick-arse as a LAN gaming station, 32 processors, 4 TB disk, 20GB RAM. Ummmm.
An Eye for an Eye will make the whole world blind - Gandhi
I managed to grab the picture, it is now available at:
www.greenapple.com/~rutledge/cfs868.jpg
See how my ISP likes that...
I read "mini-computer" and I tought about the AS/400 on wich we were having our COBOL and RPG courses at school.
Then I read "AGP", "GeForce", "Serious Gamer" and "Built-in Handle" in the following sentence.
Which made me think that portable Games made on Java 3D could finally be real.
I was seeing games which could run on my brother's box and play on my own Linux PC to.
I was able to run JEdit and the GUI response was sooo fast.
Open Office was taking less then 15 seconds to open my documents.
It was so real, I swear...
Then, I awaked in sweats and realized that it was only a dream...
By the way, OpenOffice IS NOT made in Java, for those who would step to conclusion based on my writing...
I'd rather be sailing...
Pros:
Small - The CF-S868 is a small, powerful system. It is larger than the SS50, but it definitely isn't cumbersome at all.
Performance - Mainly this is talking game performance and is due to the AGP slot. There is no doubt you can build a very fast LAN system with this box.
Features - The CF-S868 is definitely packed with features, and comes with some good accessories. The sliced up IDE cables save space and make everything easier to work with inside. Though missing firewire, and not having the greatest sound or onboard video, it has Infra-Red and USB 2.0.
Style - The handle on the CF-S868 not only looks cool, but is very functional and practical as well. The clear front and sides look good as well. The design is similar to the Shuttle SS40 if you have seen any of the images form CeBit of that case style.
Noise - Thought it doesn't beat the SS50, the CF-S868 is a great system when it comes to noise. It isn't too loud, but it could use a bit more tweaking.
Cons:
Noise - The problem when it comes to noise is the included fan with the Arkua heatsink. It is quite loud, but can be replaced relatively easily.
Sound - The onboard AC97 sound is nothing short of a disappointment. CMI or even Creative has better solutions than the basic AC97 codec.
Video/Other Issues - This includes all the issues that I covered above about the video cards, as well as the problems I had with the front panel connector and the drive bay covers. Overall a well constructed barebones system, but there are definitely some oversights, especially with the missing standoff and screw which should be there to support the insertion of an AGP card.
So who should go out and buy the CF-S868? Well certainly this is currently one of the best mini-systems you can buy right now for a little LAN box that is powerful. But it's not exactly cheaper than a full-sized system. Arprotek told me that the MSRP in the US for this system is $369. Contrary to this is the fact that some who have already bought this system have paid $400 or more for it. I haven't seen this system in any US retailers so far, so the price will be higher since you will have to have the system shipped overseas. Currently there are no distributors in the US that I'm aware of that carry this system, but hopefully they will be showing up soon for those of you interested. If you are interested in purchasing one, please click here to send an email and you will be given details.
The CF-S868 may have issues, but they aren't a huge problem. You do need to consider everything before making a purchase, so look at the drawbacks and decide whether that interferes with your use of the system. It needs better sound and a good AGP video card. Both will have to be added to the cost of the system. If you want even more information or perhaps have other questions, feel free to discuss this article in the forums below.
Also, personally I would wait to see what the competition has to offer before making a final choice. We know that Shuttle will be having a product coming out this summer with an AGP slot. Keep watching for the review here and we will be comparing both products. If the CF-S868 looks good to you and you need something soon, I don't have any major objections if you plan on using it for a LAN box and will add a sound card and AGP video card.
Rapid Nirvana
As stated in this and other reviews, heat really isn't that much of a problem beyond the psychological impact of constantly worrying about your expensive components. The P4 is designed to throttle, and the heatsink used in the review is a fairly good one (copper core with aluminum fins). It's got two fans plus the power supply fan up top, and the ribbon cabbles used were the round kind, so airflow seems to be adequate. I would host Slashdot with this, as hard drive heat would eventually become a factor, but for most uses it seems pretty safe. I think when they reviewed the Shuttle P4 box they actually tried overclocking, but didn't notice any difference one way or the other.
Just for the interested, the G4 Powermac has an AGP slot (in mine, I have a GeForce 4 inside), and 4 (or 5 - I can't remember) PCI slots. The power supply is able to support dual processors as well.
I'm guessing the original poster looked at the new iMac, which is *not* made for power gaming, and drew his incorrect conclusions from there. Then again, being an asshole about it doesn't help.
52 Weeks, 52 Religions with John Hummel
...if they got on the ball and made optional custom LCD screens that attach to the top of the case, flip and fold down. Just gotta put the handle on the back of the case instead of the top. Look to the GameCube for example, brilliant i think.
-WG
"America, I smoke marijuana every chance I get."
Ack, make that "wouldn't host Slashdot..."
well done Apple for inventing handles
Carrying suitcases around before then must have been such a pain
There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
COLBALT CUBE Server?
Next cube
Problem solved.
Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
Quite easily done with the nForce chipset.
Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
since via seems to be /.ed, let's go straight to the press release:
http://www.shuttlegroup.com/ss50subpage.htm
A few items bacck on /. is an article-thread on a DYI video projector. Now if you could combine this with that in one box.... :)
Find more information on this box from the manufacturer
Maybe not an 150W power supply (at least, not well) but here is an example of two SFX-format power supplies that are Athlon and P4 approved:
PC Power And Cooling: Athlon/P4 approved SFX-format power supplies
If you don't know what the SFX form factor is, it's two specs for small form-factor power supplies. One is SFX-S, the other is SFX-L. One of the more famous (infamous) companies that uses SFX-L power supplies is eMachines.
These power supplies put out 180W which is not great but will do the job if you don't overtax them. The coming ATI P4 chipset with Radeon-class graphics should thrive happily with this PS, and I already know two people running nForce motherboards with this very power supply in small form-factor cases. Sparkle also makes a similar Athlon/P4 approved power supply.
PC Power And Cooling kicks ass. Great products, knowledgeable sales people, fair if not cheap prices.
Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
Cheers,
Ian
I'll avoid the obvious bashing of pro-MS comments, since there are thousands of others who will take that on. But seriously, console over computer for a lan party? You can't play strategy since everyone else can see what you're doing (if you're all on the same tv...and if you're not, then a portable console is no good if you have to lug around televisions). And even if you're not playing strategy, why would you want to share a television screen with someone else for a fps or even racing? About the only good multiplayer you can have with a console is arena fighting, like Mortal Kombat, or something like Super Smash Brothers Melee, which is the best reason ever to own a console. Other than that, lan parties are the way to go.
do not read this line twice.
I had nothing but problems with generic motherboards. I originally blamed the problem on Windows but I noticed a big difference between Intel and Asus motherboards vs the rest of them. Shuttle chipsets like the one above have some known reliability problems. I guess this system is fine for a gamer and non 24/7 use but I would not want to run my main system on it.
http://saveie6.com/
I've got a 1.6 P4 in the Shuttle P4 running at 2.0 just fine, temp didn't even rise much at all. I know another guy had a 1.8 running at 2.2 with similar results. The fan doesn't even need to speed up to full speed to keep it cool.
What?
Everyone has their pet peeve (reasonable and unreasonable) and mine is a stubborn absolute refusal to run Intel processors. Does anyone do an AMD version of the shoebox case or do I just have to sit here and get really pissed off?
To celebrate the occasion of my 1000th post, I will post no more forever on Slashdot. Goodbye.
150A? Sweet mother of god! I guess they really do mean the "no user servicable parts inside" bit! You wouldn't want to get that up your arm...
Of course, maybe it's not 150 anything...I couldn't get the picture up to check.
---- Den ene knappen er powerknapp, den andre er Bender voice knapp "Bite My Shiny Metal Ass"
I think that's the model number: 1U150A
Probably a 1U case power supply adapted to this case.
I'm guessing the power supply will be the weak link...
I'll second the opinion that 150W power is just too feeble.
Also, what's up with the onboard sound/video/tv out? Ick. Why bother putting crud like that in a system (minimal cost but still...) when anyone who's going to buy it is going to replace it.
Finally - ONE 5" bay?
No wonder I build my own....I'd rate this one about a 4 on the 1-10 scale, and 2 of those points are on the nice-looking case.
-Styopa
Even if the Cobalt Cube were smaller, we'd have someone here bitching about how Apple was the first one to make a silver cube. If the Cobalt cube were both small and silver, we'd have an Apple zealot here claiming that the G4 Cube was the first popular cube-shaped computer. If the Cobalt Cube were popular, we'd have an Apple zealot here claiming that, well, Apple's still the first to do something useful in this field.
Bottom line: they're both cube-shaped and nobody gives a fuck about Apple.
- A.P.
"Remember when the U.S. had a drug problem, and then we declared a War On Drugs, and now you can't buy drugs anymore?"
Considering my G3 iBook is a pretty kick ass gaming platform (at least for my needs) and is able to play every game out there flawlessly, I doubt a G4 would be worse. At this point the CPUs are barely even being used for gaming. The bottleneck now is the GPU.
Dell sells the Optiplex GX240 small form factor PC with up to a 2.4Ghz P4, and it's even smaller than these cubes- 3.6" x 12.5" x 13.9".
I think they're competitively priced to these barebones systems. A GX50 SFF is under $600 (1.2Ghz Celeron, on-board video, 1 low-profile PCI slot). A GX240 with a decent setup for gamers is $900 (1.7Ghz P4, Radeon VE, 1 low-pro PCI slot, and 1 low-pro AGP slot if you toss the Radeon VE). Pricing gets outrageous if you want top-of-the-line P4s, but that's Intel for you. The only other problem is the limited selection of low-profile AGP cards, and you'd have that problem with any Flex-ATX system.
I wish that ASUS had waited a little while and built this with the nForce chipset. VIA chipset...'nuff said. Also you get two expansion slots...that's it...two. One for the PCI video card you're gonna want to put into this to replace the cruddy onboard video, one for the audio card to replace the cruddy onboard video.
At least with nForce you have onboard video and audio that is not only usable, but damn good. The Terminator's form factor would make it a perfect LAN party box...that is, if only it could be used that way.
One other gripe about the Terminator...the ones they sent a local electronics retailer who shall remain nameless included a CD-ROM. If they included a DVD-ROM or a CD-RW it would have been fine. I would have had to remove the CD-ROM and use it for something else if I had purchased the thing. Thankfully it uses a standard bay so replacing it is no sweat.
Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
ABit: NV7M spec sheet
This is ABit's mATX version of the nForce motherboard. Compare and contrast Shuttle's spec sheet.Here's a link to someone who's used this to create a great little gaming machine...too bad this costs a premium...
PCFX.cc: "XBrat" gaming bitty box
The first company who makes a bitty box barebones with the nForce at a reasonable price comparable to the Shuttle "shoebox"en and the ASUS Terminator will 0wn the LAN Party market.
Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
I'm not sure why you think MacOS (and especially OSX) can't support cutting edge games. I have yet to see any Windows game that couldn't work on MacOS if the developers would choose the OpenGL standard instead of that DirectX mess. What specific feature of cutting edge games do you think MacOS can't support?