[Server-devel] small form factor XS options?

[Bryan Berry]

I am shopping for some XS options to test out ahead of our spring
deployment.

I have looked at the MSI Wind PC, Eee Box, and the Shuttle X2700N. All
have nice small form factors, low prices, and Atom chips.

I am focused on Intel Atom-based PC's because they seem to be dropping
in price the fastest and there are a number of different vendors selling
atom-based pc's. Also, they are low-power.

MSI Wind PC - cheap at roughly $350 w/ 1.6 Ghz processor and 1 GB RAM
CON: looks like it has poor cooling and some customers complain it gets
quite hot.

Eee Box - more expensive but doesn't seem to have the same cooling
problem

Shuttle X2700N - slightly more expensive than the MSI at $200 but looks
to have much better cooling. I can't find any customer reviews on it.

Unfortunately, none of these have a spare PCI slot that I can use for
the XS's 2nd NIC card. We are considering using a USB NIC for the eth1.

Does anyone know of similar small form factor PC's that do have an extra
PCI slot? Or other good XS choices?




-- 
Bryan W. Berry
Technology Director
OLE Nepal, http://www.olenepal.org