- Date:
- Monday , April 03, 2006
- Category:
- Stuff / Miscellaneous
- Manufacturers:
- Polywell Computers
- Author:
- Chris Morley
- Editor:
- Joey Seiler
Polywell Mini-Box2 939NP
Polywell's small form factor PC is inexpensive, quiet, and performs well. But does this system integrator cut too many corners or do they give you your money's worth in a plain brown wrapper?
Introduction
Polywell is the latest company to go under the microscope of our system evaluation program.
As many of you might know by now, HardOCP doesn’t "review" systems, we evaluate the experiences they facilitate. We order the system the same as you would and evaluate every aspect of the end-user experience. Not only does this give us a better idea of what hardware an end user actually receives, it also allows us to obtain a more accurate picture of just how each company functions and treats its customers. As fast as PC hardware has become over the years, we think giving a personal computer "5 stars" based on how fast it ran a synthetic benchmark is simply irresponsible. We think service, support, and reliability are much more important factors in today's climate than speed. Fast is easily bought, but purchasing and ownership satisfaction can be elusive.
Polywell Computers Mini-Box2
Polywell’s Mini-Box2 platform, based on the Aspire X-QPACK SFF chassis, has the capacity to be very flexible with multiple configurations available for sale, from basic productivity to a full-fledged Media Center. The system that was assembled for this evaluation is a version of the SoHo Mini-Box2 variant, with an added EVGA 6800 GS for better graphics performance. A good mid-range card, the 6800 GS has recently been seen in another evaluated system, the Velocity Micro Gamer’s Edge 1500. In that previous evaluation, the 6800 GS helped the Gamer’s Edge achieve extremely balanced performance in game play. Theoretically, we should see some of the same performance we have come to expect out of this configuration. If you’re looking for something more powerful for newer games on the horizon, the 7900 GTX is available as an option on the online configurator. Absent from the available video card choices, however, is the 7600 GT.
What We Bought
