Biostar iDEQ 200T: Great Performance & Brilliant Design
by Wesley Fink on September 29, 2003 10:24 PM EST- Posted in
- Systems
Shuttle pioneered the Small Form Factor computer, and has remained the standard against which all others are measured. Biostar, however, has recently been a real challenger to Shuttle with brilliant SFF engineering and well-conceived SFF designs. The Biostar iDEQ 200T continues the recent evolution of the Biostar SFF.
Early SFF designs were hampered by old technology and many compromises that resulted from the small form factor design. The best recent SFF designs, on the other hand, have been completely up to date in technology with few compromises for the size of the Small Form Factor. In fact, in our last review, we compared the Shuttle SB65G2 to the best of our 865/875 motherboard tests and found it held its own in that lofty company. The Biostar iDEQ 200T is the same type of SFF, sporting all the features of the latest Intel 865 boards. It adds the updated Intel Extreme Graphics that were integrated into the new 865G chipset. So the iDEQ makes perfect sense as a complete starter computer, but with room to grow for the future.
While everyone seems to love the quiet little SFF machines, most assume that there are just too many compromises in performance with these machines. Biostar, like the recently reviewed Shuttle, appears out to prove that you don’t have to give up anything important to have a small, quiet computer.
The Biostar iDEQ 200T uses the latest Intel 865G chipset with support for any current Intel processor, including the 800FSB C series. Other top-line features are Dual-Channel memory support, an 8X AGP slot in addition to on-board graphics, 8 USB 2.0 ports, 2 Firewire, Serial ATA/SATA RAID, Optional AirLink wireless LAN connections, and CMedia 5.1 audio. It is also very quiet with the normal “Smart Fan” enabled. Biostar clearly made every effort to build an SFF that can compete with any 865 computer with these up-to-the minute features. In fact, the SFF often have much more port flexibility than traditional motherboard/ATX case/power supply designs, since they are designed from the start for the chassis/motherboard/cooling system to work together. All of this is built into the stylish Aluminum iDEQ chassis that we first saw on the iDEQ 200N Athlon SFF.
| System Specifications | ||
| Biostar iDEQ 200T | Shuttle SB65G2 | |
| Expansion Bays (5.25"/3.5"/Hidden) | 1/1/1 | 1/1/1 |
| Front USB Ports | 2 | 2 |
| Rear USB Ports | 2 | 4 |
| Internal USB Ports | 4 | 2 |
| Front Firewire Ports | 1 Standard | 1 Mini |
| Rear Firewire Ports | 1 Standard | 1 Standard |
| On-Board Parallel Port | Internal Header | Internal Header |
| On-Board Game Port | Internal Header | None |
| On-Board Serial Ports | 2 — One Rear & One Internal Header | 2 Rear |
| Front Audio Jacks | 2 — Mini Mic & Heaphone | 3 Mini |
| Rear Audio Jacks | 3 Mini | 3 Mini |
| SPDIF | Two: Rear Optical Out & Front Optical In | Two: Rear Optical SPDIF In & Out |
| Number of Fans (including CPU/chipset) | 2 | 1 |
| Power Supply | 200W Enhance | 220W Enhance |
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Anonymous User - Tuesday, September 30, 2003 - link
A 30dB box is possible, if you're very careful. Use very low-noise fans, be extremely careful with airflow, put passive sinking on everything possible, and maybe put some Dynamat on the side case.Anonymous User - Tuesday, September 30, 2003 - link
Great review. I havethe 200T and love it, SFF Tech has a dedicated biostar forum too if you own one of these boxeshttp://forums.sudhian.com/categories.cfm?catid=96&...
Anonymous User - Tuesday, September 30, 2003 - link
I think the dimensions of the box is important for SFF reviews. I can always go find em myself but It'd be nice to reference them from the review. Maybe even a size comparion between the Biostar and the Shuttles. Just a thought :)Wesley Fink - Tuesday, September 30, 2003 - link
#8 -You are correct, but the picture was to illustrate how the card slots are used on most SFF machines - not to point out a feature on the Biostar. I have changed the text to make it clear that the slot cage picture is a similar Shuttle SFF.
#10 -
I did test the SPDIF out with a Dolby Digital receiver and it works as it should. I did not check SPDIF in.
hirschma - Tuesday, September 30, 2003 - link
Some commentary from an iDEQ 200N owner...* I'd like to see confirmation that the SPDIFs function as listed in the review - in input, one output. The same was claimed for the 200N, and it was simply not true, despite Biostar's and many reviewers assertions to the contrary. Biostar ended up pulling that spec when I bitched about it (and did nothing else). Biostar does not stand behind its product in that regard.
* The box is very quiet, so much so that I use it as an HTPC. I did not do any scientific measurement, but it is simply not audibile from more than 2 feet away.
* The build quality is excellent, best in an SFF that i've seen.
* The stability of the AMD version is flawless.
Biostar is, IMO, building better SFFs than Shuttle, but due to their reluctance to address the SPDIF issue that bit me, I won't be buying any more Biostar product.
jonathan
Netopia - Tuesday, September 30, 2003 - link
The last photo on page 2 is in fact NOT a picture of an iDEQ box, but shows a picture of a the back of a Shuttle box and then describes (in words) the iDEC.Joe
Wesley Fink - Tuesday, September 30, 2003 - link
Benchmarks are only relevant as comparisons. The measured noise level of the Biostar is about the same as a Shuttle, which is considered the standard for quiet in an SFF.Measuring 4" from the center of each side is a carryover from earlier SFF tests done at AnandTech. That is likely the result of using test instruments with a threshold of 50db. Our new instrumetn can measure to 35db.
We will add a sound level measurement to future reviews from the working position - about 0.62 meters or 2 feet from the front of the SFF to the ear.
Shalmanese - Tuesday, September 30, 2003 - link
"We measured noise from the middle of each one of the four sides, 4" from the chassis."I assume most people are not in the habit of placing their computers 4" away from theirs ears. The biostar is about the same loudness as a shuttle which is pretty damn quiet.
Shalmanese - Tuesday, September 30, 2003 - link
It would be a good idea to hook up a good 500W power supply to the SFF to test just HOW limited overclocking is hampered by the 200W PS.Anonymous User - Tuesday, September 30, 2003 - link
Furthermore, 50dba is 10x the noise level of 40dba, correct, but your hearing does not work on the same scale. i do not recall the exact numbers but i think its quite lower than 10x