| Apevia X-Qpack 2 CM500 Camouflage SFF Case |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Cases | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Written by Olin Coles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thursday, 12 July 2007 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Introduction: Apevia X-Qpack 2 ReviewA few years back I was invited to my first LAN party. It was a small crowd, only about six of us, but I recall that my computer at the time was a beige steel ATX case with fan grills on nearly every single side. This wasn't all that long ago, perhaps around 2004, but at that point in time colorful cases were just emerging onto the scene. We would all complain about the hassle of packing a full size computer and monitor across town and up a flight of stairs, but it turns out that it was all just a matter of bad timing.
Apevia has been offering computer chassis solutions long before my LAN party days, but it wasn't until recently that they hit the scene big with their colorful line of gaming cases. Already into its second generation, the X-QPack2 has long since become a favorite among gamers who have evolved their methods of transporting computer equipment. Designed as a small form factor enclosure, Benchmark Reviews will get the first look at the newly released Apevia X-Qpack 2 CM500 Camouflage SFF Case.
The X-QPACK2 is our 2nd generation of X-QPACK cases. With the popularity of the X-QPACK, the 2nd generation comes even stronger. Boasting better cooling (a 80mm front fan is added), more power (power supply has been upgraded to a standard sized 500W PSU with 120mm fan and more connectors), a durable steel handle for easy portability, more space (approximately 1 inch deeper than the original X-QPACK), and a sleek appearance, the X-QPACK2 has been designed to perfection. Whether you're a professional, a computer geek, an enthusiastic gamer, or even just your everyday end-user, the X-QPACK2 is versatile enough to fit your lifestyle. X-Qpack 2 Features
Apevia CM500 Specifications
Closer Look: CM500 ExteriorEverything starts with a first impression. The moment I received the Apevia X-Qpack 2 CM500 Camouflage SFF Case from the badly damaged retail box (courtesy UPS), I was afraid for the worst. Thankfully the Styrofoamside-forms used to keep the X-Qpack in place took all of the damage and there wasn't a single problem with the CM500.
Once you get the X-Qpack 2 CM500 Camouflage SFF Case out of the plastic shipping bag (protection from water damage - those UPS carriers are crafty, so smart thinking Apevia) and Styrofoam, you can get an up close view of the product. Unlike standard mid-tower cases which must be viewed from a short distance, the X-Qpack 2 CM500 can sit on your lap while you look it over.
Apevia designed the X-Qpack 2 CM500 to efficiently use the space inside for the hardware components. Finished with a camouflage bezel, this otherwise black SFF Case is perfect for toting around to LAN parties. Additionally, the small form factor also allows you to place your system in compact locations where it is out of the way or takes up very little space.
The back of the X-Qpack 2 CM500 is finished in un-painted aluminum. The only exhaust fan available is the 120mm blue LED cooling fan visible in the image above. Apparently blue goes well with camouflage, at least according to Apevia. I would have rather seen a green LED fan instead.
There are very few features evident from the underside of the Apevia X-Qpack 2 CM500 Camouflage SFF Case. Aside from four black rubber feet, there is no real landscape underneath this SFF case. I didn't do the R&D that Apevia designers did, but I believe a few ventilation holes near the front (right in the image above) of the case could help aid in cooling the cramped components. CM500 Detailed Exterior FeaturesApevia offers the X-Qpack 2 in several different colors, six of which preceded the CM500 Camouflage version. From the front view there are two 5.25" drive bays available, and one 3.5" drive bay.
All of the X-Qpack 2 cases include a retractable solid steel handle for carrying this case. Since the CM500 weighs ten pounds (case and PSU), transporting your system will not require more than one hand.
Apevia included a thermometer for reading temperature from the blue LCD display embedded into the front bezel of the X-Qpack 2 CM500.
From the image above you can see two USB ports and a Firewire (IEEE-1394) port emerging from their camouflage surrounding. Additionally the X-Qpack 2 CM500 has both an audio in and speaker out mini-stereo jack on the front of the SFF case. The CM500 sports a green LED for power, and a yellow LED for hard drive access. The power button is black ABS plastic, which matches the rest of the front bezel.
X-Qpack 2 series SFF cases allow for four expansion slots. This could be mean only one dual-slot display adapter and a sound card. Or perhaps use two video cards in SLi or CrossFire configuration if your m-ATX motherboard allow it, and make use of integrated sound and network adapter. Closer Look: CM500 InteriorApevia knows that there is no point in having a small form factor enclosure if you can't show off your goods. After all, it will be gamers and enthusiasts who would purchase the X-Qpack 2 CM500 Camouflage SFF Case anyway.
All of the X-Qpack 2 series come with a three-window sliding enclosure. With clear acrylic removable windows on the top and at both sides, the possibilities for customization are nearly endless. Additionally, the vents near the front of the case allow an additional amount of cool air to circulate through to the rear of the CM500 case.
Apevia has done a decent job of placing portals between levels for cables. Two hard disks can be mounted (sideways) in the X-Qpack 2 CM500, however it's advised to use only one drive whenever possible with aftermarket fans attached to the underside because the CM500 does not allow enough room for a separate cooling fan attached to the front.
The X-Qpack 2 CM500 Camouflage SFF Case features a pull-out motherboard tray, similar to the Lian Li PC-B20A Aluminum ATX Case we reviewed back in 2006. This makes switching out components much easier than if you were required to fit your hands around the frame. Apevia was nice enough to include a power supply unit, which we test in just another two pages.
Taking another look at the motherboard tray, I now understand why there were no ventilation holes on the underside of the X-Qpack 2 CM500 Camouflage SFF case. If you're a real hardware enthusiast or case modder, you might just use a sheet of modders mesh on the underside to allow for just a little more ventilation. Even a few manually drilled holes near the front along the bezel would help. CM500 Detailed Interior FeaturesApevia utilizes a sturdy ABS plastic to build the front bezel of the X-Qpack 2 series. The CM500 comes with a camouflage insert which realistically could be swapped with any other material a case modder dreams of. Even the black fine mesh could be replaced with something more unique if desired.
From the image above you can see how Apevia designed the steel pull-out handle on the X-Qpack 2 series of SFF cases. The spring loaded handle requires only a few pounds of force to pull out, and it retracts automatically when released.
The motherboard tray used in the X-Qpack 2 is a polished aluminum part which has a hollow panel behind the motherboard mounting position. This would definitely make the idea of a modders mesh grill more realistic since Apevia has done some of the work for you. 
The polished aluminum tube you see connecting the rear half of the X-Qpack 2 to the front isn't really a necessity more than it is a structural reinforcement. With this tube out of the way, there are a few additional possibilities for this side of the case. With a few drilled holes, you could even mount another hard drive.
In all versions there are blue LED cooling fans inside the case: one 80mm blue LED cooling fan for intake fastened at the front, and a 120mm blue LED cooling fan for exhaust at the rear. Both fans operate at very silent levels, and the light is not so bright that it becomes a distraction. Apevia WIN-500PS 500W Power Supply UnitApevia has thoughtfully included the WIN-500PS power supply unit, which is rated for 500W. Power supplies are not like most other computer components, where it is a simple matter of comparing the item to others in the same category. Power supply's are comprised of several different variables, such as maximum output, voltage regulation, and current ripple. Each of these variables must be analyzed with unique tools, which makes it a difficult product to properly review. PSU Load TestingI am well aware of what the more knowledgeable readers think about these power supply reviews: impractical and often useless. That's about to change. In the past, Benchmark Reviews has been guilty of the same thing nearly all of the other sites are guilty of: testing with a digital multimeter alone. This is why we are taking a corrected approach to testing PSU's and hope to offer the best analysis possible. Benchmark Reviews has researched the equipment necessary to complete the most thorough power supply unit review possible. We spent the time learning what it takes because the best possible PSU tests are what we want to give to our readers. But after discovering the prices on a programmable output DC power supply system, variable range load testing units, and a DC power analyzer (Oscilloscope), we felt that more than ten-thousand dollars worth of equipment would be far too cost prohibitive for testing a hundred-dollar power supply. So without compromising too much, we made a slightly less-expensive investment into a good quality Oscilloscope in order to test DC voltage regulation and AC power ripple. Together, the Oscilloscope and digital multimeter will offer readers the best measurement of power stability any review site could reasonably offer. Test System
Test Equipment
Test MethodologyOur testing process is comprised of measuring the AC current ripple, and the DC voltage regulation. There are several key steps, all of which allow us to measure and record our readings using the identical methods for every test we perform. Consistent testing methods are key to obtaining comparable results. At the start of every test, the Velleman PCSU-1000 Oscilloscope is calibrated to the PC-Lab2000SE software. After calibration is complete, the voltage on the 12V rails are measured and recorded with the Extech 450 digital multimeter to ensure comparable margin across all rails. Once the Velleman 60MHz probe has been grounded and attached to the 12V lead, our test system is powered on and left at the Windows logon screen for ten minutes. 
Once this lightly-loaded idle warm up period is complete, the Velleman PCSU-1000 Oscilloscope was allowed to run for one minute measuring the AC power ripple. Then once ripple is recorded, the 12V DC voltage regulation is recorded after another minute. After the results have been recorded from the light idle load, our test system then receives heavy load by utilizing the following tools: two console versions of the https://folding.stanford.edu/client operate and task each CPU core to 100%, hard disks are stressed by benchmarking each with HD Tach RW, system memory (RAM) is given a stress test with Lavalys EVEREST, and ATITool scans for artifacts which forced the video card into high-power 3D mode. After ten minutes of heavy load the power supply is again measured, and the AC power ripple and 12V DC voltage regulation results are recorded. Voltage Regulation & Ripple Test ResultsWhile every personal computer power supply unit available to the retail market has some degree of measurable AC power ripple, it is most important that measurable AC ripple is very minor and does not create a large peak to peak voltage (Vpp) distortion. Stable, well-regulated power is critical to system stability and hardware longevity. Here are the peak-to-peak voltage (Vpp) measurements under light idle load for power supplies we have recently tested:
Under heavy load, the power supply unit will react with the most deviation from the baseline readings. Here are the average AC RMS ripple measurements under heavy load for other power supplies we have recently tested:
Many of the power supplies we test here at Benchmark Reviews have DC voltage regulation measuring above the 12V baseline more often than below. For obvious reasons, the diversion from the 12V baseline with increased voltage is more preferred than below it since dropping too far under 12V will cause a system to power off or recycle. Plainly put, no power supply is ever perfectly centered at 12V DC; instead they most often maintain a DC mean voltage higher than they are regulated at.
When I first learned that Apevia included the WIN-500PS power supply, I really thought it would turn out to be cheap junk. Well, to my complete surprise this 500W power supply unit did considerably well throughout the voltage regulation and AC current ripple tests. Available connections are as follows:
Power Supply Connectors:
One downside to the Apevia X-Qpack 2 CM500 Camouflage SFF Case is that the larger power supplies will not fit without a lot of extra work. From the image above you can see that the Hiper HPU-4M730-SS Type M 730W PSU is just a half-inch longer than the space allows. You may also notice that the reinforced sidewalls near to where the PSU mounts is also a half-inch. The bottom line is this: longer high-output PSU's will fit, but they will require you to completely disassemble the case and reassemble it around the installed PSU. Final Thoughts: Apevia X-Qpack 2It's surprising what can be done with such a small interior volume. The Apevia X-Qpack 2 CM500 Camouflage SFF Case packs so much inside of its tiny 1.52 cu. ft. (2626.56 cu. in.) enclosure. Even despite this the case has room for creative expansion beyond the designed component enclosures. Even more surprising to me is that the X-Qpack 2 series doesn't offer a greater array of accessories available to the end-user. This case is going to be a primary part for gamers and hardware enthusiasts, since the lack of expandability is something most other consumers would find a problem with. So it would make perfect sense then for Apevia to possibly include interchangeable faceplates and sell one case with all finishes. It might add a few dollars, but it would please everyone.
The X-Qpack 2 CM500 Camouflage SFF Case didn't strike me as something particularly attractive to everyone, since the military motif doesn't go very far beyond the teenage years. Even though I am a former Marine Sergeant, I cannot say that I would always like the camouflage finish staring back at me. This is where the interchangeable faceplate idea comes in very handy. ConclusionApevia shipped the X-Qpack 2 CM500 case inside of the retail packaging, which was strong enough to survive the POW torments of UPS and still arrive looking pretty. The biggest appeal to these cases are the size, and since the retail package is both small and colorful, there is plenty of reason to believe that it would do very well on any retail shelf. The X-Qpack 2 series as a whole are some of the most attractive SFF cases I have seen. Maybe the CM500 Camouflage version isn't your style, which is fine. Apevia offers six other front bezel finishes to meet your requirements for an attractive appearance. The fully-aluminum frame construction shows dedication to the research and development into the X-Qpack 2 series. With no real room for mistakes, Apevia's engineers have done a first-rate job of making efficient use of the compact enclosure space. Expect this case to survive some questionable damage, because it's well reinforced and built for portability as well as durability. Aside from only a few questionable cooling choices, the overall functionality is very high. Expect your m-ATX motherboard to receive all of the benefits it would in a tower chassis, without all of the extra space. The pull out handle and LCD thermometer are both separately useful, and offer an added touch to this mighty-mite. One of the best things about the Apevia X-Qpack 2 CM500 Camouflage SFF Case is the excellent value. Presently this case and the included 500W power supply are available at NewEgg.com for only $99.99. Considering that most ATX tower cases cost more than this without a power supply, I would think that the x-Qpack 2 series is priced perfectly. Small form factor often means too little space or not enough cooling. While the X-Qpack 2 series could benefit from more cooling vents wherever they are possible, it does well in the current design. The WIN-500PS power supply unit does very well for this system, and could even offer the most serious gamer a perfect power solution without spending another dime on hardware. There are a few cosmetic suggestions for Apevia, which include removable/replaceable bezel inserts. Unless you are going to color match the LED cooling fans to the front bezel color (which isn't happening now), there is no real reason to offer the same exact case in so many different colors. Add two dollars to production costs and you make a lot of people happy with a perfect color insert for every taste. Pros:
+ Extremely lightweight chassis Cons:
- Cooling ventilation could be improved Ratings:
Final Score: 8.9 out of 10.Questions? Comments? Benchmark Reviews really wants your feedback. We invite you to leave your remarks in our Discussion Forum.
Related Articles:
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
