Soltek Qbic EQ3401M: More Expansion & A New Standard in Quietness

Final Words

It is interesting to see how competent Small Form Factor systems have become since their introduction a little more than 2 years ago. Comparing them to the best of our top-line, full-size 865 and 875 boards, we find with each new SFF that the small systems compete extremely well in every area. The Soltek joins the Shuttle and Biostar as very capable computer systems by any measurement.

Overall, there are some things the Soltek Qbic EQ3401M does better than any other SFF we have tested. The Icy Q system, which doesn’t sound like much more than a quickly chosen marketing name, turns out to be extremely effective. The Soltek is the quietest SFF we have ever tested, and is, in fact, about twice as quiet as the Shuttle, which has become the “quiet standard” against which all SFF systems are compared. This is a huge accomplishment, and we congratulate Soltek on the remarkable job they have done in creating this extremely quiet and effective cooling system.

The extra 5-1/4" drive bay is also welcomed. Some enthusiasts would never be happy with a system that did not allow “on-the-fly” copying of CDs or DVDs. Unless you are willing to use an additional and more expensive external CD or DVD, you cannot use more than one optical drive in other SFF systems. This Soltek Qbic EQ3 chassis gives the user the option to use 2 optical drives if they choose. The sleek appearance of the Soltek is also a large positive. It is a beautiful small computer.

Countering these significant positives is the really cluttered wiring in the Soltek. Compare the interior, for instance, to the elegant small Biostar and you can see what a difference careful engineering can make to the ease-of-use of a Small Form Factor computer. Of the 3 systems we have recently tested, the Soltek is the worst in terms of cluttered wiring. If the inside of the Soltek looked like the Biostar, then clearly it would be the one and only best SFF, but it doesn’t.

This leaves something of a conundrum. The Soltek is the quietest SFF we have ever tested, it has the best expansion capabilities we have seen in an SFF, and it overclocks better than any SFF we have tested so far. The inside wiring, however, is cluttered and makes assembly more difficult and time-consuming than it needs to be. We highly recommend the Soltek Qbic EQ3401M. If Soltek can further refine the system board and internal wiring, it would be our choice without qualification. As it is, if you are willing to put up with the cluttered internal wiring and layout while you build or upgrade your SFF, then you will be rewarded with a sleek, stable system that is the quietest SFF Computer we have ever tested.