Heat Output

Heat output at a stable running speed of 1.8 GHz

Heat output at 2 GHz up to system failure

Conclusion

Finally we've had the chance to review a SFF PC that is really quiet, even when the CPU is overclocked. This makes the AOpen EY855-II especially well-suited as a multimedia PC for home theater applications, since you can watch DVDs or listen to MP3 files in peace, without a noisy fan droning away in the background.

However, the graphics card built into the motherboard won't cut it for gaming; those who want to play modern games like Half Life 2 and others of that ilk need more power than this board can deliver. But alas, adding a more capable graphics card to the AGP or PCI slot also boosts the system's noise output as well; the graphics fan that comes with a state-of-the-art card turns the EY855 into just another noisy PC.

More interesting is the overclocking potential of the EY855, which the Pentium-M processor's notebook origins (and Speedstep utility) make simple and easy.