Battle of the Minis: Soltek vs. Shuttle

Design Comparison: QBic EQ3000 Vs. SB51G/ SN41G2, Continued

The larger case also helps considerably to keep temperatures down inside the case when the system is working at peak levels. Sadly, the Soltek is not exactly noiseless in operation. A total of five fans, one each for the processor, chipset, case, power supply and graphics card, combine to generate a noise level of at least 50 dB (A) at a typical distance of one meter. This makes the QBic considerably louder - you would do better to say that it was very loud in operation - louder, in fact, than its direct competitors, the SB51G and SN41G2. It is obvious here that conflicting objectives were faced by the Soltek engineers: either thermally safe and loud, or quiet and less reliable.

The Soltek barebone system without any components.

Accessories included: cables, drivers and installation materials.

View of the Soltek motherboard with Intel 845GE chipset.

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