New DFI SFF looks like it could deliver

Info & chat about quiet prebuilt, small form factor and barebones systems, people's experiences with vendors thereof, etc.

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kie
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New DFI SFF looks like it could deliver

Post by kie » Tue Mar 09, 2004 7:47 am

Here's the preview http://www.sudhian.com/showdocs.cfm?aid=501

* Triple layer case to aid sound insulation
* 120mm exhust fan
* AGP + 3 PCI slots
* Athlon 64bit processor
* MicroATX


Looks like it could be a winner :)

dukla2000
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Post by dukla2000 » Tue Mar 09, 2004 9:36 am

The specs look good but the airflow looks crippled.

I cant see too much inlet for either the case itself or the psu: that lovely 120mm fan will be starved?

And my current philosophy says the smart design gets the CPU heat straight out of the box, e.g. Biostar iDeq via a 'duct', Shuttle via heatpipes or watercooling a tower with the radiator on the back. That Aria has a 'standard' heatsink that will blow the CPU heat all round the case and keep the drives and everything else (including its own intake) hot?

MikeC
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Post by MikeC » Tue Mar 09, 2004 11:20 am

First, this thing is not a DFI barebones, it is an Antec SFF case. It may be bundled with the DFI board for some markets.

Second, I have an early sample in the lab and am in the middle of writing the review. It should be up in the next 24-48 hrs.

And the airflow/cooling is not bad, despite appearances. Details to come in the review. :wink:

kie
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Post by kie » Tue Mar 09, 2004 12:02 pm

well what can I say MikeC, except nice one 8)

hawkeye1
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Post by hawkeye1 » Thu Mar 11, 2004 1:29 am

I read the Sudhian DFI review earlier in the week, and it really peaked my interest, so can't wait for the review. I'm thinking of either going the SFF route or waiting for the Antec fanless PSU to come out; however, my current MB doesn't support the AMD64, and I'm getting that annual itch to upgrade.

The only card I currently have in my system is a Radeon 9600 on the AGP port, so I don't have the need for the midtower (Lian Li PC6070) I'm currently using and could use the space savings from replacing it. Just looking for something fast and quiet, these SFF's might just be the ticket.

Looking forward to your review, Mike. Oh, it's a tough decision spending money I'm sure to get in trouble for!

MikeC
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Post by MikeC » Thu Mar 11, 2004 1:34 am

Bit of a hitch with the motherboard first tried, no temp monitoring, scrambling with a second... may delay review another day or 2.

Justin_R
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Re: New DFI SFF looks like it could deliver

Post by Justin_R » Thu Mar 11, 2004 7:54 pm

kie wrote:* Triple layer case to aid sound insulation
All this time I've been getting ripped off with only one layer! I'll never settle for less than three again!

Based on the picture of the internals, my big concern is what kind of HSFs can be accomodated. It looks like some of the bigger ones might interfere with either the optical drive or the PSU.

Ralf Hutter
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Re: New DFI SFF looks like it could deliver

Post by Ralf Hutter » Fri Mar 12, 2004 4:12 am

Justin_R wrote:my big concern is what kind of HSFs can be accomodated. It looks like some of the bigger ones might interfere with either the optical drive or the PSU.
Nothing new there. Most SFFs are pretty cramped in that area. This forces you to use a low profile HSF which are invariably louder/lower performance that a typical high performance HS and fan. Just another nail in the coffin of the "typical" SFF.

xlyz
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Post by xlyz » Sat Mar 13, 2004 1:39 pm

MikeC wrote:Bit of a hitch with the motherboard first tried, no temp monitoring, scrambling with a second... may delay review another day or 2.
ah...ehmmm

Ralf Hutter
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Post by Ralf Hutter » Sun Mar 14, 2004 5:48 am

xlyz wrote:
MikeC wrote:Bit of a hitch with the motherboard first tried, no temp monitoring, scrambling with a second... may delay review another day or 2.
ah...ehmmm
[cough]look at the main SPCR site[/cough, cough, cough] :)

mas92264
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Re: New DFI SFF looks like it could deliver

Post by mas92264 » Sun Mar 14, 2004 7:03 am

Ralf Hutter wrote:Nothing new there. Most SFFs are pretty cramped in that area. This forces you to use a low profile HSF which are invariably louder/lower performance that a typical high performance HS and fan. Just another nail in the coffin of the "typical" SFF.
Hey Ralf, where are you getting parts for your '51 Hudson, these days? :) You may want to trade it in on a new Studebaker.

M

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