Pros And Cons
The Good
- Classy Design
- Works with every microATX motherboard
- Can be upgraded using standard ATX components
- No plastic parts
- Good workmanship, high-class aluminum
- Rounded corners, few sharp edges
- Long cables
- Lightweight
- Lots of room for drives
The Bad
- High price
- Large dimensions
- No multimedia functionality
- Cumbersome installation of expansion cards
Conclusion: Aluminum Cube For MicroATX Boards
With the Sugo SG01, Silverstone has proven once again that it is a company that knows how to design cases. The workmanship is definitely second to none. If you've always wanted a cube PC, this might well be the right choice or you. While the high price of about $190 may give some potential buyers pause, keep in mind that quality has a cost.
The main advantage of the SG01 as an SFF PC is that it can use standard components instead of custom-made ones - only the motherboard is limited to the microATX form factor. However, even this isn't the problem it might seem to be at first glance, since the list of available microATX boards is getting longer all the time. For the rest of the components, buyers are free to choose from standard, off-the-shelf parts. Depending on the motherboard, there will be between one and four expansion slots available for graphics, TV/DVB-T or a RAID-controller, making the Sugo SG01 a highly expandable, upgradeable and future-proof choice.
It's greatest drawback lies in its size, with its relatively huge dimensions of 10.3" x 8.3" x 15.5" (26.3 x 21.0 x 39.3 cm.) This doesn't exactly make the Sugo an SFF-PC, but one thing is for certain - it will definitely look good on any desk.
It would have been nice if Silverstone had thought to include some form of multimedia support similar to that found in the LC-11M or LC10M models. On the other hand, the aluminum cube can easily be upgraded to suit the user's wishes.
A microATX vs. an SFF board
