Gigabyte G-Max CA2 SFF System Review - PAGE 1

Introduction

Gigabyte is no stranger to our labs and continually releases solid products. We have noted that they have been branching out into many faucets of the PC world other than motherboards which they are most noted for. In the last few months we have taken a look at their heatsink fan solutions, wireless router, video cards as well as their regular breadwinner, motheboards.

The black sheep in our roundup is Gigabyte's G-Max CA2 not only because it is black colored but unlike the other SFF systems we have looked at, the CA-2 is not based on an Intel 865G chipset but a SiS based 661FX / 963 chipset that is also powered by a socket 478 processor. This is Gigabyte's first foray into the SFF market as their previous desktop boxes were more like slimline PC's that are so popular as well in Asia. SiS is known well in the value segment of the market, though it typically plays second fiddle to the likes of Intel and VIA on the Intel front. They also have to contend now with ATI, who may have the same sort of renaissance that Nvidia had after they won the original Xbox contract. Undeterred, Gigabyte has an amazingly tiny SiS motherboard crammed into a tiny cube that is the CA2. This strikingly petite box REALLY catches your attention since its easily one of the smallest SFF that you can get your hands on. Let's go take a look at the featureset of the CA2...