The SkyHawk IMC6375 EchoQ SFF PC

Internal Impression

The IM6375 comes pre-wired and ready to rumble. I was surprised to the see all of the cables neatly zip tied to allow for maximum airflow and easy installation of the CPU, memory and other optional components. I thought I would have problems, because of my large hands working in such a tight space might cause the inadvertent disconnecting of cables and wires as I tried to install the PC?s innards, but this was not the case.

The motherboard is an Acorp 4865GQP/4865GQET based on the Intel Springdale-G i865G chipset. The IMC6375?s manual states the difference between the 4865GQP and the 4865GQET is in the BIOS. ?The basic I/O system of the 4865GQP will start the PC system and then conventionally call out the operating system for user?s manipulation, while the BIOS of the 4865GQET is incorporated with an etBIOS with which the PC system is first started into a Media Selector screen instead of directly to the OS. For this review I have enabled the etBIOS, which I think is a great feature because it allows you to play CD?s, MP3?s and DVD?s without waiting on the system to boot up.

For this review, I installed an Intel P4 2.4GHz Northwood. I went with an older Northwood processor rather then the newer but much hotter Prescott, since this case would have much less room to install a high end HSF or additional fans to compensate for the extra heat a Prescott is known for emitting.

The IMC6375 came with a Spire HSF, including a 80MM 12V ball bearing fan with a 3 pin connector. After removing the protective covering on the heatsink I was pleased to find a very smooth surface that needed no additional lapping prior to being installed on the CPU.

The removable HDD rack is designed for easy removal by simply unscrewing a single thumb screw and sliding the rack out the side of the case.

The HDD is then screwed into the sliding case and returned to the original position. The CD/DVD-ROM drive is not difficult to install, but it must be slid in at a slight angle in order to fit in correctly. I recommend installing the CD/DVD-ROM cables prior to installing the HDD drive.

Once the optical drive is in place, it is a very tight fit and even the nimblest of fingers may have a hard time getting back in there. Installing a floppy drive would be next, but I chose not to install a floppy drive, instead saving the additional space to install another hard drive at a later time.

There are only two 184-pin DDR sockets for memory, a trade off for the overall size of the system, but the motherboard will support up to 2GB DDR SDRAM in dual channel operation.