(Editor's Note: This article was updated September 24, 2004)

Everyone loves small form factor (SFF) PCs: they save space and they look cool. But the small size often means miniscule gaming performance and minimal cooling, too; modern components, especially gaming components, run hot and that becomes a big problem for these small boxes. We gathered three boxes in our small form factor (SFF) gaming PC roundup. It’s time to put up or shut up.

The Contenders

All three boxes are tailored to your liking so we gave each manufacturer lots of leeway to create their meanest SFF gaming machine. We had two rules: no P4EE CPUs and 1GB RAM maximum.

Performance

We said these were gaming machines, so we ran them through our gaming benchmark gauntlet. Let’s take a look at what these mini-monsters can do.

* FPS = Frames Per Second
** Benchmarks all run at 1600x1200 Resolution
*** RTCW: ET = Return To Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory

Both the Hornet Pro and the FragBox 2 sport NVIDIA’s kick-ass video card, the 6800 Ultra, which shows why they smoke the Voodoo Doll with its ATI X800 XT card in the latest (and most strenuous) game, Doom 3.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: When we first got the Monarch box, Doom 3 crashed regularly, thus the zero FPS score. According to Monarch PC, the system didn't have time to go through their regular burn-in process to meet our deadline. They told us that two 40 mm fans would solve the heating issue that was causing the crashes. We put in the fans that Monarch sent us and also reversed the polarity (intake to out) of the side fan. That did the trick. We got consistent scores in Doom 3, recording an average of 61.1 FPS. A bit more noise – yes, but for me, damn the noise for stability and performance. This little adventure stresses the importance of proper cooling in SFF PCs.)

Tried and true to our benchmarking, the Lab knows that AMD dominates in gaming and Intel rules in audio/video encoding, and the same holds true here. Falcon NW is the only company that chose Intel over AMD for their FragBox 2. Even with superior memory (DDR2) and 10K RPM hard drives in a RAID 0 configuration, the AMD-based Voodoo Doll keeps up in Far Cry and actually edges out the FragBox2 in Enemy Territory. The Hornet Pro took top honors in two games and narrowly lost to the FragBox 2 in Doom 3.

Note: Take these benchmark numbers with a grain of salt as all these systems can be fully customized for more performance.

Up Close and Personal

MONARCH HORNET PRO

Good

* Bang for the Buck: At $2700, the Monarch is the cheapest of the batch and the top performer in our benchmark battle.

* Dual Temperature Sensors: Located at the top left hand corner of the front panel, two displays let you monitor CPU, hard drive and video-card temperatures. (Only two displays though? I think you can move the sensor to any location). No software to use or bios setup screens to explore, just to check the heat levels.

* DIY Kit: You can also buy the Hornet Pro case and build out your own box. With the slide-out tray, adding PCI cards, installing memory or hard drives are all a snap. No more bloody fingers from working in a SFF PC. (EDITOR’S NOTE: Although the box they sent us was an AMD box, they do offer Intel systems that support the latest technology, PCI Express, as well as support for DDR 2 and Gigabit Ethernet.)

Bad

* Stability: Benchmarking this mutha was a bitch. Enemy Territory and Far Cry ran fine, but the uber-strenuous Doom 3 crashed regularly. In the end, we had to rip off the doors and use a fan to blast cool air into the case. That did the trick. According to Monarch PC, the system didn't go through their regular burn-in process to meet our deadline. The case supports two additional 40 mm fans that would probably help cool the innards. More noise – yes, but damn the noise for performance. (EDITOR’S NOTE: With the fan corrections suggested by Monarch, the system experienced no stability issues over a 3 day run.)

* Weak Power Supply (PSU): The included Enermax 270 watt power supply is adequate but if I’m running 2 hard drives; a gig of RAM, a high powered processor and the 6800 Ultra, I’d want more power. (Note: they offer a 350 watt PSU)

* Big Heavy Mofo: Weighing in at 8 lbs barebones, it plops down at a whopping 22 lbs fully loaded (same as FragBox 2). The beast measures 11" W x 9.5" H x 13" D.

* Crowded House: With all the components, wires, and such in the machine, the Hornet Pro looks cluttered. For such a big case, I’d expect a cleaner-looking interior. This also may affect airflow, thus affecting cooling. 

Verdict

Value is what you get with the Hornet Pro. Fix the stability/cooling issues and you MIGHT have a winner here. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but the Hornet Pro’s looks just don't ring my bell.

VOODOO DOLL AMD FX

Good

* Small Portable Size: The Voodoo Doll is the only contender to actually be the size of a traditional SFF PC. At 7.9” W x 7.3” H x 11.8”D and 10.25 lbs, it’ll be easy to tote this baby to your next LAN party. It doesn't have a handle, though.

* Quiet: With Voodoo’s Aggressor cooling system and a SilentX power supply, the Doll is the quietest one in the batch. Especially nice since most SFF PCs often sit topside on the desk.

Bad

* Limited Expandability: With the smaller size case, there are sacrifices to be made. We were told a double-slot video card like the 6800 Ultra will fit in the case. If you can cram it in, the card will wipe out the only PCI slot available. Like the Hornet Pro, there are only two memory slots.

* Weak PSU: Voodoo has modified the 250 watt SilentX PSU to support the FX-53 chip and the latest graphics boards. Probably enough power, but we still think anything less than 350 watts is iffy.

Verdict

We love the size and minimum noise, but the limited expansion bothers us. The case is sleek and small but seems rather pedestrian next to the FragBox 2 monster case.

FALCON NORTHWEST FRAGBOX 2

Good

* Great Looking Case: There is only one word to describe the FragBox 2: BADASS. The killer design includes a light-up front panel, lights inside, glowing feet, a mean gnarly skull (you can get a Falcon NW logo instead), and custom automotive paint. There’s even a switch to toggle the lights (inside the case and front panel light) on and off. Sweet!

* Unlimited SFF PC: Basically you can put anything you would put in a standard case in this little box. The Falcon future proofs the FragBox 2 with support of the latest technology including PCI Express and DDR2 memory support. Like bigger systems, there are even 4 memory slots (the others only have 2 slots). Why stop at a gig of memory when you can go for two or four?

* Nice PSU: A 520 watt PSU -- now that’s what I’m talking about! With that much power, you can run whatever you want. Not enough juice? Forgettaboutit!
  
Bad

* Too Bulky and Heavy: Its dimensions are a bit different (10.75" W x 8" H x 14.75" D) but it weighs the same as the Hornet Pro. You’ll need a legion of lemmings to drag this box to your LAN parties.

* Expensive: Cha-chinging in at $4700, that’s a lot of Benjamins, son. But to get the latest tech, you got to pay a premium. But damn, it costs more than my first car!

Verdict

Really no limit to what you can put into this little box. The case is beautiful and has all the latest and greatest goodies in it, but it does command P.Diddy dollars.

Final Verdict

Each box has its own redeeming qualities. For value, you’ll be digging the Hornet Pro. Short of building one yourself, you'll be hard-pressed to find a cheaper custom-built box. For pure size and portability, the Voodoo Doll takes the prize. You sacrifice expandability but you won’t get a hernia hefting this thing around. Although it’s the most expensive, the FragBox 2 is where the future of SFF PCs is heading. It’s big and heavy but still smaller than your standard cases. Falcon has taken the limitations off of building a powerful PC in a small package and finally allows the little brother (SFF PCs) to take on big brother (a standard-case PC). If you absolutely must have a SFF PC and have the loot to boot, get the FragBox 2.