X-bit labs

Condor – Small Form-Factor Barebone System from FIC (page 6)

Category: Mobile

by Doors4ever

[ 08/30/2004 | 11:21 AM ]

Ready to Go!

That’s how the assembled system looks:

I’d like to note that there are fastening spots for the cabling inside the case, which help you keep everything neat and tidy.

Overall, the assembly takes about 10-15 minutes (well, half an hour, if you read the user manual first), depending on the integrator’s skill, and even an inexperienced user should manage this job without much trouble.

I was sure from the start that the BIOS had no overclocking options because of two things. First, barebones just don’t usually offer them and, second, FIC is among Intel’s partners and outputs mainboards under the Intel brand, following their outsourcing program. I was right – all the CPU and memory-related parameters were set up automatically. The user can only disable unneeded devices and select the boot-up order.

Alas, the BIOS doesn’t offer you the control over the voltages, temperatures and fan speeds – it doesn’t even show you such information! The Motherboard Monitor utility couldn’t find any sensors and only reported the HDD temperature.

The operating system started up smoothly. From the CD you receive with the system you can install the necessary drivers automatically or specify exactly what needs to be installed. The installer program offers to reboot after the installation of each of the drivers. After this process was complete, I got a quiet and stable system. 

The loudest component was the CD-ROM drive, the hard disk drive playing the second violin of the orchestra. The CPU fan was almost completely silent. Its rotation speed depends on the load and temperature – installing a hot graphics card and looping 3DMark03, I made the noise much more audible, although still not annoying at all.

Summing up, I was pleased with the Condor system from FIC. I found no serious drawbacks, save for the lack of control over the system’s health. I, personally, like to know that the CPU temperature and the voltages are normal and the system is stable and I’m not going to run into any unexpected troubles.

The pros of the Condor outnumber its cons, though. The well-thought design makes it easy to assemble and exploit the system. The capabilities of the chipset and mainboard are wide and allow building anything from a typewriter to a gaming station. The low noise level, compact size and elegant looks add the more appeal to this barebone.

After getting to know the Condor closely, the idea of purchasing a barebone system turned out even more appealing than before. Maybe you should also pay special attention to this solution? Let’s see what its performance is worth now, to top our positive impressions.