We're sure some of you reading this review are interested in one of these Small Form Factor PCs strictly for use as a portable LAN gaming rig.  To demonstrate the Thunderbolt's gaming prowess, we ran some benchmarks with MadOnion's 3DMark2001 SE and Quake 3 using both the integrated ProSavage DDR graphics and a 64MB GeForce 4 Ti4200.

Gaming Scores With 3DMark2001 and Quake 3 You Can't Work ALL The Time!

Well, there's a graph that's easy to read!  The integrated ProSavage DDR graphics could not even run 3DMark2001 SE's default benchmark.  The tests would start, but a minute or two into the routine the machine would either lock-up or drop us to the desktop.  Inserting a GeForce 4 Ti4200, obviously had a dramatic effect on performance, almost breaking the 10K mark.  It seems like the integrated graphics are not adequate for DirectX gaming, even for the most casual gamer.

The integrated graphics fared a bit better in the Quake 3 OpenGL tests.  At 640x480, using Quake 3's "Fastest" setting, the integrated graphics managed to hit a playable 78 FPS.  At those settings though, the game looked horrendous.  When we jacked up the resolution and color depth the integrated ProSavage DDR graphics crumbled, and couldn't even break 20 FPS.  With a GeForce 4 Ti4200 occupying the AGP slot, the Thunderbolt was able to spread its wings a bit, with frame rates that rival any similarly configured Pentium 4 system.

ZD Winstone Tests It's Time For Work!

We also ran ZD Labs' Business Winstone 2001 and Content Creation 2002 benchmarks.  These benchmarks measure a PC's overall performance when running actual Windows-based 32-bit applications.  The applications are run through a series of scripted activities and the time it takes the PC to complete those activities is used to produce the performance scores.

When using the integrated video, Winstone performance was adequate, but the scores were about 10-15% lower than similarly configured P4 systems using DDR memory.  These lower scores are caused by the integrated video's use of system memory, and because the ProSavage chipset doesn't accelerate all of the Windows GDI functions in hardware.  Installing a GeForce 4 Ti4200 alleviated these issues, and caused the scores to jump significantly.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Overall, we were very pleased with the CF-868 "e-cube" mini barebones system, AKA the "Thunderbolt", but there were a few things holding this product back.  The lack of official support for 533MHz FSB Pentium 4s, at least in this product's current state, doesn't sit well with us.  The amount of noise generated by the Power Supply and exhaust fans was also a little more than we would have liked, especially after hearing how quiet the Shuttle SS40 and SS51G are.  The integrated graphics were also abysmal.  One of the main selling points for this product is the available AGP slot though, so we won't hold too much against the Thunderbolt for a poor integrated video chipset.  Even with these drawbacks, we couldn't help but like the Thunderbolt.  Pentium 4s with 100Mhz FSBs are available as fast as 2.6GHz, even though the system isn't silent, it's quieter than most full sized machines and we had no intention of using the on-board graphics for anything other then benchmarking.  We really liked the case for both its looks and functionality.  An easily removable drive tray make working inside this small case relatively painless, and the removable Lucite panels open up a whole world of mod possibilities.  At $317 U.S., the Thunderbolt is also slightly less expensive than competing products from Shuttle.  If you're in the market for a small form factor PC, you should definitely look at the CF-868.  Based on its good performance, excellent case and competitive pricing, we give the CF-868 "e-Cube" a HotHardware Heat Meter rating of 7.5...

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