Soltek Qbic EQ3401M: More Expansion & A New Standard in Quietness
by Wesley Fink on October 6, 2003 12:12 AM EST- Posted in
- Systems
Soltek Qbic EQ3401M: SL-B8E-F Motherboard
| Motherboard Specifications | |
| CPU Interface | Socket-478 |
| Chipset | Intel 82865PE MCH (North Bridge) Intel ICH5 (South Bridge) |
| Bus Speeds | 100 MHz to 350 MHz (in 1MHz increments) |
| AGP/PCI Speeds | Disabled, Fixed at 66 |
| Core Voltages Supported | Auto, 1.425 to 1.6 in 0/0125v increments |
| AGP Voltages Supported | Default, 1.5V to 1.8V in 0.1V increments |
| DRAM Voltages Supported | Default, 2.6 to 2.9 in 0.1V increments |
| Memory Slots | 2 x 184-pin Dual-Channel DDR DIMM Slots |
| Expansion Slots | 1 AGP 8X Slot 1 PCI Slot |
| Onboard Graphics | Intel 865G Extreme Graphics |
| Onboard RAID | None |
| Onboard USB 2.0/IEEE-1394 | Eight USB 2.0 supported through ICH5 Agere FW323 FireWire Controller |
| Onboard LAN | Realtek 8100B 10/100 |
| Onboard Audio | Realtek ALC650 5.1 Digital Audio With SPDIF Optical |
| Onboard Serial ATA | Two Standard SATA connectors ICH5 |
The Soltek SL-B8E-F may be small in size, but it compares in features very favorably to other Intel 865 motherboards we have reviewed. With the larger 250W power supply and extra 5-1/4” bay, we really wish Soltek had used the ICH5R Southbridge to provide the option of fast SATA RAID. Like the other SFF 865 systems that we have evaluated, Soltek does not enable PAT on the Qbic EQ3401M, but the performance is still quite good.
The small motherboard size does limit memory to 2 DIMMs, but the 2 DIMMs are dual-channel to make the most of the 865PE chipset. Memory is limited to a maximum of 2GB, which should be enough for any use of this small, quiet system.
While it is difficult to see in this picture because of the component density, the Soltek is a high-quality 3-phase power design. With a 250 watt power supply and a 3-phase board, we would expect the Soltek to handle most anything you would likely want to do with this Small Form Factor system.
Like the Shuttle SFF we tested a few weeks ago, Soltek surprised us with the range of available overclocking options. The vCore, vDIMM, and vAGP ranges are the widest we have seen on an SFF system, and would be right at home on a top full-size motherboard. With the larger Power Supply and very effective cooling, we expect some significant overclocks with the Soltek Qbic EQ3401M.
In our recent Biostar review, we were impressed that you could assemble, upgrade, and change memory without having to remove the drive cage from the case. The Soltek, mainly because of the additional 5-1/4" bay, is at the opposite end of the spectrum. You have to remove the drive cage even to change memory. Once assembled, the Soltek is a joy to work with, but adding, removing, or upgrading components is more difficult in the Soltek than other SFF systems. Therefore, you should plan your installation carefully.
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Anonymous User - Monday, October 6, 2003 - link
hey wesley, great review...one thing tho...would u be able to post some temperature readings...especially the case temp...and compare that to a regular tower..doesn't really matter which...i just want to see if the inside of the case is hot. especially with the 9800pro in there...i know the case is very quiet...but my concern is that if the case is the quietest, would that compromises the temp of the system?Anonymous User - Monday, October 6, 2003 - link
#6, show us proof that Apple released an SFF before Shuttle. I don't believe it.Anonymous User - Monday, October 6, 2003 - link
Found the EQ3401A here in the UK (www.pcnextday.co.uk) - no idea if they ship to the US though.Anonymous User - Monday, October 6, 2003 - link
Hey where are you located and where did you get the EQ3401A? I'm in the USA, but I haven't found any site in the USA that carries the EQ3401A or any site outside the USA that carries the EQ3401 and ships to the USA. Thanks for any help.Anonymous User - Monday, October 6, 2003 - link
I don't want to spark a horrible war here... but Shuttle didn't pioneer the SFF machines. Apple did. While I'll admit that Apple's machine had problems (mostly cosmetic), they did debut before the Shuttle boxes did.<flame away>
Anonymous User - Monday, October 6, 2003 - link
At last 2x DVD! But lacking ICH5R, shocking!!!Anonymous User - Monday, October 6, 2003 - link
I notice you didn't use a serial ATA drive. On my EQ3401A (aluminium finish), the supplied ATA cable sticks out from the side of the case, preventing the lid from being replaced. A right-angled S-ATA cable would have solved this, but wasn't included. Can you confirm this is the same as yours?To answer Shalmanese - the shiny finish is extremely intolerant of fingerprints unfortunately.
Anonymous User - Monday, October 6, 2003 - link
I was wondering how the noise levels of the SFF systems compare to regular systems.Anybody?
Shalmanese - Monday, October 6, 2003 - link
Is the shiny finish tolerant of strany finger marks and the like?It seems that many shiny computer things look very good out of the box but quickly become grungy after everyday use.
Anonymous User - Monday, October 6, 2003 - link
Thank you for the nice article. A nitpick: I guess you installed 1 GB of DDR400 memory, not 1 Mb DDR400 (page 8)...