By flung
8/10/2002
WhiningDog.NET

1. Introduction:

After having been inundated with cube like PC's for the past few months, I thought it would nice to travel a different route for barebones systems. I wanted to build something that was still somewhat small and yet not your same design like the Shuttle SS51 or the AMS gBox. Plus since I was building this system for a friend of mine, I had to figure out a way to keep the cost down. Since my pal isn't a gamer, having the top of the line graphics wasn't a factor. That also meant that I could get away with integrated peripherals that would save us a lot of money in the long run. After looking around, I came across an interesting barebones system design from Gigabyte. The case was essentially a desktop style case on its side - somewhat like a tower except thinner and shorter. It came with a number of peripherals as well as devices not normally found in typical barebones set from Shuttle or AMS. I did some more research on the system and after some contemplation and debating - I was sold! The Gigabyte G-MAX FA5CB barebones system is an affordable system for those who want a space saving PC but don't have the needs of a cube design like those from Shuttle or AMS.

2. A Look at the Package

Let's take a look at what Gigabyte offers to us in the G-MAX P4 line.

2.1 Features and Specifications

Specifications Overview
Flex ATX chassis - Dimensions are: 410(D)mm x 89(W)mm x 305(H)mm

• There are one 5.35" and two 3.5" drive bays.

Gigabyte Motherboard - P4 Titan GA-8ILFL using the Intel 845GL chipset

Box comes with:

• Motherboard Manual
  
• User's manual
  
• Drive CD
  
• HDD IDE cable
  
• Cable tie
  
• Foot Stand
  
• Screw bag
  
• Mouse

Height - 12 inches	Height again
Width - Roughly 3 inches	Depth - Roughly 16 inches

The G-MAX Pentium 4 line has another higher end model that sports a DVD-ROM drive as well as a PCMCIA slot, 1394 slots and a SPDIF port. That would be a sweet system to also check out if you can find it on the net.

2.2 Packaging

Since this isn't an aluminum case that we're almost all used to seeing these days, you'll find that the system is heavier than other small form factor PC's out there. However, given the vertical orientation of the PC, I think the added weight makes for a very stable system. The system comes very nicely packaged with boxes for the keyboard and optical mouse. I think it's a very nice touch to include a keyboard and mouse with this system. Though the keyboard is a bit cramped for most users, it's still nice to see that a vendor is willing to give as much as possible for a barebones system. The mouse is even better - it's an optical mouse! I was expecting a normal mechanical mouse but the inclusion of an optical mouse definitely won some brownie points for me.
The case itself was enclosed within two large pieces of styrofoam and was easily removed from the shipping box. Gigabyte shipped a drivers CD and 2 manuals. One manual is for the barebones system with instructions on taking it apart, installing a Hard Drive, CPU and Memory, while the other manual concentrated on the motherboard. There was even a small cable tie and a little cable hook to allow the end user to neatly put away the IDE cables in a tidy manner. Again, very nice touch Gigabyte!

Gigabyte Shipping Box	Another angle	Top of the box

Contents of the box	Contents laid out

With that said, the manual could have been a bit more descriptive. The diagrams show the end user how to take the case apart and what screws to undo but it would have been nice to label all the various pieces of the system before actually showing the user how to take things apart.
As indicated in 2.1 - this case actually ships with a CD ROM drive and a floppy drive. Kudos to Gigabyte again! Now I know some of you out there would rather not have that option and that's perfectly fair. Some of you want to have the very best in parts and you just want a nice looking small case. I'm sure you could figure out a way to remove the CD ROM drive and put in whatever you want. However if you're looking to build a simple effective system for that friend or colleague or business of yours, then the inclusion of drives is great addition! You have less to worry about when it comes to buying other parts and putting things together becomes a snap. (At least it should be)
Aside from the drives, Gigabyte also includes a heatsink/fan for the Pentium 4 based processor you will be using. The fan is oriented in an interesting fashion with the air blowing from the side instead of at the top. This makes sense from an air flow design with air flowing from the bottom of the case through the top. The case itself can be propped up with the included case stand which goes in the front of the case. The case stand allows air to flow from the bottom of the case through it's vents and upwards through the case. And finally to wrap this up, there's an IDE cable for your hard drive and 4 small feet that you can apply to your case to pad your desk or table from scuffs.

Manuals, cables, drivers	Heatsink and fan	Side angle of Heatsink/Fan

Front ports	Front of the case
Rear ports	Biggger view

[Home] [Next Page]