Introduction

As seen from our Computex coverage, the Small-Form-Factor (SFF) market is definitely a booming market with good demand and countless variety to satisfy everyone’s taste buds and wallets alike. Shuttle is the forerunner in this business, but their success has spurred just about every other major motherboard manufacturer to take note of this growing segment. Not long back when Shuttle launched their XPC SB61G2, it was the only SFF in the market utilizing the Intel 865G platform whilst many others were still offering the older 845G based systems. Over time, most of the SFF vendors have had time to update their product models to accommodate better platforms that can better measure up with Shuttle’s flagship Pentium 4 SFF with built-in-graphics.


Soltek is one of the more prominent SFF vendors besides Shuttle and after reviewing their previous Qbic EQ3701M, we were pleased to have received their new Qbic EQ3401M. This new Qbic is based on the Intel 865G platform and succeeds its EQ3000 series (845GE). The platform overhaul wasn’t the only transformation as it sported a more refined outlook on the front and some design changes internally as well. Unlike the EQ3000 series and the EQ3701M, the EQ3401M made use of a dual color scheme to give it a contrasting and eye-catching design. Generally SFF systems are very much sought after for their design, so for the manufacturer, it pays to put more effort in that aspect.