Barebones PC slim PC
- — 01 December, 2003 07:06
Based on Intel Pentium 4 technology and a small form factor ATX motherboard, this QDI barebones system (it ships with only case and motherboard) will accommodate 533MHz front side bus CPUs and up to 2GB of memory.
This system is not as small as other barebones systems from this maker, such as the QDI Mini PC (also available from BCN for $529), so cooling the interior should not be a problem as there is plentiful room for airflow. A cylindrical fan that sits parallel to the motherboard and CPU at the rear of the case helps to extract warm air that builds up. Apart from the CPU and motherboard, warm air is generated in a computer system by the hard disk and optical drive. This enclosure has space for one each of these types of devices and their installation is very easy due to removable drive bays, which in turn provide easy access to the memory slots.
The front panel of the unit features USB and audio ports. The rear has the usual grouping of connectivity afforded by a Pentium 4-based motherboard, and also includes a 10/100 Ethernet port plus an S-Video out port.
Although this system is very solidly built and stylishly designed, using metal and acrylic, the motherboard lets it down when it comes to expansion. It does not offer an AGP slot, only a PCI slot, and this means that the user will have to make do with just the onboard Intel graphics that it offers. These graphics are ample for everyday applications, but gamers need not apply.
In brief
QDI Slim PC
This barebones system is not the smallest on the market, but its footprint is small enough to be a boon for cramped work environments,
especially those that require Pentium 4 processing power.
Price: $459
Distributor: BCN Technology
Phone: (02) 9648 0888
www.bcntech.com.au
