AMS gBOX

Introduction

Today, I'll be describing the gBox Mini PC Barebones System from AMSElectronics.com. This is essentially the same box as the Shuttle SV24 barebones system though the case is slightly different. A revie of the Shuttle barebones kit can be found on VIAHardware.com's site here.

The sheer size of this case makes it an attractive alternative for those who are interested in building LAN party rigs or those who just don't want to spare any more real estate space in their homes. My own inspiration into setting up this machine was to have a small file server sitting on my desktop which offered a nice attractive looking case. I can imagine someone using this machine for a home entertainment setup or for cheap Linux based servers.

This article will cover my experience in constructing this system as well as the overall installation and performance of this system. First, let's get into the system specifications as laid out by AMS. (Note, we are not at all affiliated with AMS in any capacity).

Original Case Specifications

The gBox is based on the same Shuttle motherboard (FV24) and the specs are as follows:
FV24 motherboard:

• VIA VT8604(PL133)VT82C686B chipset
  Supports Intel PPGA/ FCPGA
  
  • Celeron processors: 300 ~ 800+ MHz
  • Pentinum III processors: 500 ~ 1.13+ GHz
  • VIA Cyrix III processors
• 2x 168-pin PC100/PC133 SDRAM up to 1GB
• DIMMOnboard Savage 2D/3D graphics
  • 4 to 32MB frame buffer using system memory
  • Motion Video Acceleration
• Onboard Realtek 10/100 Fast Ethernet
• Onboard Lucent IEEE 1394 interface (2 ports)
• Onboard USB interface (4 ports)
• Onboard AC97 audio ports
• S-Video port and composite TV-out
• Supports ATA/100 IDE interface

More Specs

One of the great things about this motherboard is the inclusion of so many different components. When one talks about integrated components at the system level, look no further than to this FV24 motherboard. To make all of this work, the following were added to the system:

• 1 Intel Pentium III Socket 370 1GHz Processor
• 1 PC133 512MB SDRAM
• 1 Toshiba DVD Drive
• 1 3.5 inch Floppy Drive
• 1 IBM 60 GB 7200 IDE HD
• 1 Antec Jet Cool Socket 370 Heatsink/Fan Combo

Putting it all together

If you're thinking "Gee that case is small, how the heck do you move around in there.." then my response is "Carefully!!" OK, it's not that hard to move around within the case but you do have to think about what you want to put into the case first etc. Since the csae comes packaged with the motherboard inside, taking the motherboard out of the case isn't much of an option at this point for me.

Here is a quick low down of the steps that I took in putting the components together. No pictures here unfortunately.

1. I cleaned the surface of the Pentium III processor with an alcohol prep pad. Also, the bottom of the Jet Cool Heatsink was cleaned up (Removing the existing thermal compound on it). I opted to use Artic Silver II for my thermal grease compound but use whatever grease you see fit for this application. Once both the top of the processor and the bottom of the heatsink had been "greased", I installed the Pentium III into the Socket 370. Installing the heatsink was fairly straight forward though the Antec H/S does take a good deal of pressure to hook the clamps. A nice thing about the Antec H/S is the included plastic clamps that make it easier than using a screwdriver to push down the sides.
2. Installed the one stick of PC133 ram.
3. Installed all the necessary ribbons. The gBox case comes with 3 ribbons. 2 IDE ribbons of different length and 1 floppy ribbon. The different lengths are nice since it's clear which ribbon is for which device.
4. I then installed the floppy drive and DVD drive. Make some careful considerations into how you want your power lines connected because once those drives are installed and screwed in, it's hard to move things around. You'll want to make sure you leave enough space for decent air flow. Of course with a box this size, air flow becomes more difficult.
5. The hard drive was easily installed via the back slot. A panel comes out (via 2 thumb screws) from the rear of the case revealing a simple enclosure which holds the IDE drive. Screw the drive into the enclosure and slide it back into the case from the rear.
6. I connected all the ribbons, and cable parts and turned on the box. Would it POST????

Luckily for me, this box did indeed boot up on the very first try. Everything was detected by the BIOS and there wasn't too much that I actually fiddled around with.

I've been using Windows XP (and variations of Whistler) for approximately 8 months now and I can truly say that I love this OS. However, would it install cleanly on this box? Popped the CD in and watched it go. Everything worked out of the CD and all the system components were detected without a hitch. I have heard of some individuals who have had some issues with their respective XP setups. Fortunately for me, I did not run into this scenario. No extra drivers were installed and no new 4in1's from VIA were installed.

Performance

This is another section that will be filled in soon. I have to go and run some Sandra scores for you guys and other benchmarks. However, I'll be frank - this is by no means a serious 3D gaming rig. The onboard video appears to use a shared memory architecture or in Intel speak - a Unified Memory Architecture. So basically the video subsystems are using System memory to hold their framebuffers etc. This is by nature slower but definitely cheaper to build. In any event, stay tuned for more info.

Conclusion

What can I say? I love this box. Though it's no Apple G4 Cube, it's the closet thing to such a system for the PC world. The bezel front adds a certain amount of class and color that is not found on machines these days. Case and size aside, the Shuttle motherboard packs a lot for a small footprint. Considering the limited expansion slots, the sheer fact that this board INCLUDES a 1394/firewire port is awesome! You can plop a small sized HD and still be able to add firewire Hard Drives later on.
If you're looking to build a small cheap beautiful looking box, then this is the way to go. I can see this machine fitting the role of a small cheap server setup, or a LAN game server rig, or an entertainment rig for your living room. College students may love it for it's sheer size considering how small dorm rooms can be. I'd give it a 5 if it wasn't for the fact that heat does become a consideration if you plan to use a high end Pentium III CPU and a 7200 rpm HD. Heat and air flow become considerations in a box this small. However, with the proper modications, one can definitely create a stable, cheap and decently fast computer that looks great! Overall, I'd give this a 4.5 out of 5!

Pictures

Here are some shots of the gBox.
Right Side

Left Side

Back Side

Front Side

Desktop
The following shots were taken showing my LaCie 60 GB FireWire drive attached to the box. You also see an Envision 15 inch flat panel for size comparisons. (For those who knew about the Staples deal, it's not a bad monitor for $250.00!)

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Last Updated Dec 17, 2001. All rights reserved. WhiningDog.NET