Installation
For the installation portion of the review, we decided to use a Via-based Macro ITX system to evaluate how user-friendly the SG05 is to people installing new components. This setup work greats for a simple Linux system or basic Windows file server.
Here’s a complete rundown of what we installed in the SG05:
- Motherboard/CPU/Onboard video: Via M10000G
- RAM: Super Talent 1GB DDR-3200
- Hard drive: Western Digital 160GB PATA
- Optical drive: Philips SDVD8431 slim DVD burner
Here are the three main components we chose to install in the SG05. Pictured above is a Via M10000G motherboard, Philips SDVD8431 slim DVD burner, and a Western Digital 160GB PATA hard drive.
The first component we installed was the Via motherboard. This board is very small so it was a snap to install and secure to the chassis. We also added the RAM to the motherboard before installing it.
Next, we screwed in the Philips DVD burner using four tiny screws. We also had to use one of our longer screwdrivers and go in through one of the side holes available on the chassis. We recommend using a magnetic tipped screwdriver for installing these screws as they will fall off the screwdriver pretty easy with out it being magnetized.
After securing the slim DVD burner, we added the IDE adapter, four pin power connector, and PATA cable to the back of the optical drive.
Lastly, we secured the hard drive to the removable hard drive cage using four screws and placed it back in the case.
After installing the hard drive, we started plugging in all the power and data cables. Overall, the entire installation took around 30 minutes. One of our biggest worries was cable management and air flow, but both should be just fine with this system. Using a larger motherboard and a third-party heatsink will definitely make things a bit more cramped. Add on a graphics card and things get extremely tight in the SG05. However, it’s great that it can even be done, users will just need to work harder to tie down loose cables to create a better environment for cooling the system.
Here’s a quick shot of the back panel with the motherboard I/O backplate installed. As you can tell, we only used onboard video instead of a separate graphics card.
Here’s what the SG05 looks like up and running. The power button glows bright blue and there’s also a small blue light above it to display hard drive activity. We also love how the slim optical drive looks in this case.
