AOpen XC Cube EX915

Manufacturer: AOpen 
Supplied by:  AOpen
Street Price: $370

by Dean Barker (8/25/2004)

Introduction

Small form factor cases were a niche market not too long ago.  In the past year, this has changed dramatically.  At present, most every major manufacturer puts out one and more small form factor machines.  AOpen is one such manufacturer.  We first looked at the AOpen barebones dubbed the XC-Cube, in November 2003.  Since that time, the XC-Cube line has expanded itself to be offered in four styles, each having its own unique aesthetic appeal.  The XC-Cube line is also available in several differing platforms to include the i915G, SiS661, i865G and nForce2.  AOpen even has a unit designed specifically for the home theater center crowd.  Given all this, it seems obvious that AOpen is taking aim at being the first choice of the SFF market.

Today, we have the new EX915 model that as you can tell by its name, is based on the new Intel 915G chipset.  The value of the i915G chipset is in its ability to run standard DDR memory, its having onboard graphics as well as being less expensive than the i925 based products.  Packaged in a case AOpen styles as their Cyber Shock design (the same look as the ‘Sporty’ model we looked at here.)  Let’s dive right in with the specs.

Specifications

• Application: Pentium 4 (LGA 775 Socket)

• Motherboard: AOpen UX915G

• Northbridge/Southbridge: Intel 915G/ICH6

• Memory: Dual Channel DDR x 2 (333/400MHz)

• VGA: On board Intel Extreme Graphics AGP8x

• Sound: On board AC97 5.1

• NIC: On board Gigabit 10/100/1000

• IDE: ATA100 x 1

• SATA: SATA150 x 4

• PCI slots: One

• PCI Express slots: One

• AGP slot: Zero

• Construction: Aluminum

• Dimension: 320mm (W) x 200mm (D) x 185mm (H)

• Weight: 5.5kg (with all drives, CPU and memory installed)

• Drive Bays: (1) 5.25" External bays
  (1) 3.5" External bays
  (1) 3.5" Internal bays

• USB: Two ports front, two ports rear, four internal

• IEEE1394: One port rear, two ports front (6/4 pins)

• Front Panel: SPDIF, Speaker, Mic, USB 2.0 x 2, IEEE1394 6-pin x 1, IEEE1394 4-pin x 1

• Rear I/O: PS/2 Keyboard and Mouse connector, VGA out, COM port, Printer port, Coaxial out RCA port, IEEE1394 6 pin connector, SPDIF, USB 2.0 x 2, NIC, line in, speaker and mic.

• Power Supply: 275w

What you get

Aside from the XC-Cube EX915 unit, the box includes all the extras you will need to get yourself running.  These items being a driver and utility CD, XC-Cube Manual, Easy Installation Guide, a how to on installing the XC-Cube's CPU heatsink, IDE optical drive ribbon cable (single device), IDE hard drive ribbon cable (single device), floppy drive ribbon cable, a SATA cable, SATA power adapter and a power cord.

NEXT

Pg 1 - Introduction
Pg 2 - The EX915's outsides
Pg 3 - The EX915's insides
Pg 4 - BIOS
Pg 5 - Testing ~ Office Productivity
Pg 6 - Testing ~ Office Productivity and Gaming
Pg 7 - Testing ~ Gaming  /  Conclusion