Review: Chenbro Mini-ITX Home Server

[Torn]

hello, first of all. for people who do not know. i work for a company that does 2 man things, and trades under 2 names. iBASE europe, that is a motherboard manufacture, we make Mini-ITX and SFF motherboards for enbedded systems...

And TMC-Technology, that is a Server and KVM suppler and reseller of Super-Micro,Tyan, and.... CHENBRO!

I was at work today. and helping with the promotional paper work for a new computer case, when i started to fall in love with it.

its the new Chenbro, mini-ITX home server:
http://www.chenbro.com/corporatesite....php?serno=100

now, im not really good at creating amazin review. but i have had the chance to get my hands on one of these, and i have to say. i like it! because this is chenbro's first really jump into the home market, i thought they would of produce there first release quite crap! but i have to say. i like it! i like it a lot!!

it features a 4 x 3.5" hot Swap SATA backplane and drive caddy's. so, thats 4 x 1TB HDD's????

it also sports a memory card reader, and from what i could tell. a infared port on the front(well, the window for somthing to be placed behind im guessing from the lack of wire's originating from that area...

have a look at the pictures.. its got some quite impressive stuff on it!

with any review(what im trying my hardest to do!) the bad stuff!

now, you look on the back, and tell me what you think the bad bits are..

did you notice the fact it has no place for a power supply? thats because its an external one, that you get with it..

notice anything else?

like the fact you don't have any openings to put even a low profile PCI/PCI-E card in?

these are all issues we have contacted chenbro about. they provide you with a bracket to enable you to install a riser card(to turn the card 90 degrees) (only standard PCI though! ATM) and a Raid card(that doesn't need no I/O's on the back plate.


this cuts out the real possiblity to turn it into a media center PC unless you can find a mini ITX with a decent video output?

as i said above, browse through it, and tell me what you think. ending on a good note(because at the end of the day, it is my job to sell or at least build systems in these cases) Chenbro is Renound for building HIGH quality, solid cases for Servers and PC's. this is quite heavy (considering its only for ITX) and i forsee this being a big selling case!

i wanta hear your views! and... how did i do on my first review?


Torn!!

[jdbnsn]

Hmmmm....you are posting a review of hardware built and sold by a company you work for. You have graciously provided a link for us to follow where we can purchase one. You are giving us an in-depth description of this hardware which you have not physically tested, or used or compared to similar products from other companies. In the end you admit that this is a product that you yourself will be getting paid to sell. Ask yourself, is this a review, or an advertisement?

[Raz1r]

Lol, advertisement.

I wouldn't think about buying it without a PCI slot. And for $60-70 at most.