Sky Hawk IMC6371 SFF PC Review - Overclocking and Conclusion
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The IMC6371 does allow FSB and vcore adjustments. But there is no way to lock the PCI and AGP buses. I was able to overclock the 2.4B processor to 3GHz (166fsb), but Windows ceased to recognize the onboard sound and my PCI TV Tuner.
The IMC6371 is a solid socket 478, 865 chipset SFF PC. Depending on your tastes, you either love its exterior or hate it. I personally love brushed aluminum and don't mind the blue horizontal stripe. The reflective edges also give the IMC6371 a distinctive look. The interior could use a little more room, but the IMC6371 is a small case so it's a tradeoff. The lack of interior space doesn't cause any cooling problems, so packing the IMC6371 with a hot processor and graphics card shouldn't be much of an issue. The 250w APFC power supply is plenty of power, since SFF PC PSUs tend to handle power demand much better than a typical PSU. The onboard sound 6 channel AC'97 sound is fairly commonplace, and works just fine as long as you aren't an audiophile.
Pros
- Intel 865 chipset = good performance and support for socket 478 CPUs
- Good price ~ $250
- Brushed aluminum exterior w/ LED stripe and multifunction display
- Onboard 6 channel audio, 10/100mbs LAN, and video
Cons
- No control over PCI/AGP clock, severely hampers overclocking
- You're responsible for your own CPU cooler
- Cheap construction (bottom front bezel plastic cover, back PCI slots, & I/O plate)
The Sky Hawk IMC6371 now serves as my home theater PC and I love it. The LED display and horizontal stripe provide just enough light for me to get around my basement with the lights and LCD projector off, so in my case they do serve a greater purpose than just looks. Using the IMC6371 for everything besides Doom 3, I don't really miss the performance I had when I was still using the 2.4GHz processor and Radeon 9600 with my IS7-E motherboard. The IMC6371 has its ups and downs like any product, and I hope now you're better informed of them!
Dev Hardware would like to thank you for joining us here today for the review of the Sky Hawk IMC6371 SFF PC. Shoot me an email if you have any questions, otherwise head back to the front page for some other news and reviews or check out the forums!
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