Designed for the Mini-ITX form factor. FC8 EVO is a compact all-aluminium computer chassis which is intended to bring silence to the home theatre.
Product on Review: FC8 EVO
Manufacturer & Sponsor: Streacom
Street Price: £125 GBP / $190 USD
There is no denying that in the Small Form Factor (SFF) segment there is fierce competition from an assortment of contenders. Each of the computer case vendors are appear to be delving into this arena to offer up what they consider the best compact computer chassis.
Combine SFF with silence and this is the playground that many home theatre advocates seek. Today we are to put one such case under the spotlight.
FC8 EVO is a compact computer chassis which is primarily designed for the Mini-ITX form factor. Streacom has adorned this case with a luxurious all-aluminium construction to give it that premium feel and to ensure it sits in pride of place beside other gadgets in the living room… or den!
Streacom on their FC8 EVO
The FC8 Evo is the next iteration of our acclaimed FC8 fanless chassis and with it comes a host of improvements and refinements that keeps this chassis on the cutting edge of design and performance.
The ultra-efficient heatsink has now been paired with our new direct touch heatpipes for even better cooling performance. The high grade aluminium extrusion is now finished with a fine sandblast texture and the front USB ports have been upgraded to support USB3.0*. Internal changes include easier drive assembly, support for an additional 2.5” drive and a universal optical drive eject button for added compatibility.
The ultra-efficient heatsink has now been paired with our new direct touch heatpipes for even better cooling performance. The high grade aluminium extrusion is now finished with a fine sandblast texture and the front USB ports have been upgraded to support USB3.0*. Internal changes include easier drive assembly, support for an additional 2.5” drive and a universal optical drive eject button for added compatibility.
Technical Specifications
Material
All aluminum, 4mm thick body
Available Colors
Silver / Black – sandblast finish
Motherboard Support
Mini ITX
Hard Drive Bays
1 x 2.5″ + 1 x 3.5″ or 2.5″ (shared bay)
Optical Drive Bays
1 x Slim slot loading drive, universal eject button
Front Ports
2 x USB2.0 (*USB3.0 Ready, cable sold separately)
Expansion Slot
1 x Low profile expansion card
Cooling
Heatpipe Direct Touch 4 Pipes – Max CPU TDP 95W**
Dimension
240 x 250 x 100mm (W x D x H)
Power Supply
NanoPSU & AC Adapter (not Included)
Remote Control
MCE Compatible IR Receiver & Remote (not Included)
Net Weight
2.5KG
All aluminum, 4mm thick body
Available Colors
Silver / Black – sandblast finish
Motherboard Support
Mini ITX
Hard Drive Bays
1 x 2.5″ + 1 x 3.5″ or 2.5″ (shared bay)
Optical Drive Bays
1 x Slim slot loading drive, universal eject button
Front Ports
2 x USB2.0 (*USB3.0 Ready, cable sold separately)
Expansion Slot
1 x Low profile expansion card
Cooling
Heatpipe Direct Touch 4 Pipes – Max CPU TDP 95W**
Dimension
240 x 250 x 100mm (W x D x H)
Power Supply
NanoPSU & AC Adapter (not Included)
Remote Control
MCE Compatible IR Receiver & Remote (not Included)
Net Weight
2.5KG
Bundle & Exterior
Cooling components bundled with FC8 EVO
Accompanying the FC8 EVO chassis are a number of bundled items, most of which are typically unrelated to computer cases.
Streacom include four copper heatpipes and a number of aluminium plates as an optional method to passively cool the CPU. They also include two tubes of thermal paste and various screws for installing this and other devices within the case.
Unfortunately our mini-ITX test system isn’t compatible with this cooling configuration so we cannot test and demonstrate how effective this is.
A beautifully crafted computer case
FC8 EVO is available in either black or silver and is furnished with a wonderful sandblast texture. Unveiling this case reveals a thing of beauty. The aluminium curves and attention to detail are immediately noticeable – as you may have guessed, FC8 EVO is designed for Small Form Factor (SFF) and is therefore ideal as part of a home entertainment system. Certainly from a styling point of view, this will compliment this type of setting.
The front of FC8 EVO
At the front of the case the aluminium treatment continues and there is a small cut-out at the top of the panel for a slim-line optical drive. Streacom also include a power button with LED and two horizontally aligned USB 3.0 ports. Next to these ports there is an integrated infrared panel which works in conjunction with the remote control (not included).
The back of FC8 EVO
Ventilation for the top panel
Around the back of FC8 EVO there is an opening for the rear IO panel as well as allocation for adding in a single discreet GPU. The only other noteworthy features to point out is the strip of ventilation across the top and the cut-out for Kensington lock.
Covering the top there is yet more ventilation to help bring down system temperatures since there are no cooling fans to fit within FC8 EVO.
The underneath of FC8 EVO
The underside of FC8 EVO has been given four circular rubber feet which prevent the case from slipping on smooth surfaces. Streacom has fixed these feet on via screws – so they can be replaced if required.
Again, we see more ventilation in key areas to alleviate heat. The underside also contains the model name and serial numbers should you need to contact Streacom directly.
On the next page we’ll move inside the case and install our system.
Interior & Install
The compact interior of FC8 EVO
In order to obtain access to the internals of FC8 EVO, a single panel must be detached. After removing this we can appreciate just how compact this case really is.
Due to the dimensions, FC8 EVO can only accommodate the Mini-ITX form factor and will also have limitations for the CPU cooler and graphics card – if you choose to install one. These particular aspect we’ll be covering over the page.
Bundled cooling kit incompatible with our system
Due to the fact that the heatsink on our ZOTAC ZOTAC E350-ITX WiFi motherboard covers two chips, the optional cooling kit that Streacom provide is unfortunately surplus to requirements.
As you can see from the above picture, the mounting plates are unsuitable for our motherboard.
Installation complete
Once the motherboard is installed within FC8 EVO there is actually quite a comfortable amount of space around the board and therefore it’s easy to arrange the few cables that are found within the case.
Installing kit inside this chassis is simple and easy.
Bracket for HDD and optical drive installation
HDD bracket installed over system
To install a hard drive, there is a bracket provided which can house a 2.5” drive and the slime-line optical drive. Four screws just need to be attached on the underside and then the bracket can be placed over the system components.
Streacom NanoPSU is used to power the system
The eagle-eyed amongst you will notice there is no allocation for mounting a power supply and that’s because Streacom has designed FC8 EVO to use their NanoPSU or PicoPSU (NanoPSU is a rebranded PicoPSU). This power supply isn’t provided with FC8 EVO, which is somewhat of a unwise move because this is an obligatory piece of kit for this case.
Nevertheless, this power supply is a nifty unit which can deliver up to 150W and provide power for 24-pin ATX, EPS/CPU power, SATA, Molex. Furthermore, because of the nature of the AC adapter there are no cooling fans to cause unwanted noise – so if you install an SSD, passive CPU cooling with the use of integrated graphics the system will be absolutely silent.
Clearance – CPU Cooler, Graphics Card
Identifying the clearance limitations within a case is important for those building a system as it helps to flag up hardware which can and cannot fit inside the chassis.
Tight space for passive CPU coolers
With the bracket installed within FC8 EVO, there is approximately 60mm for the height clearance of a CPU cooler – without the bracket we can probably just about get away with 80mm. So, if your motherboard doesn’t come with a pre-installed cooler, you will need to choose wisely due to the limitations.
Clearance for discreet graphics
Moving to the graphics card, there is a constraint here with the total length especially since the card will likely be in line with the PCB for the power button.
There is approximately 9” or 230mm for the total length of a discreet graphics card. For a SFF configuration, this leaves the door open for a wide selection of entry level cards.
Thermal Performance Testing
Inside FC8 EVO there are no cooling fans installed, therefore we will be relying heavily on the efficiency of the CPU cooler already attached to the motherboard.
To discover the thermal performance of FC8 EVO we will record idle temperatures after 20 minutes from a cold boot. I will then stress the system and temperatures will again be monitored after 30 minutes have elapsed.
For the purpose of accurate analysis the idle and load temperatures for CPU and motherboard will be recorded and the range between idle and load will be calculated to determine how efficient cooling is.
All fans will be connected to the fan controller and set to ‘high’.
NOTE: Ambient temperature is 20C
System Components
CPU AMD E-350 APU
Motherboard ZOTAC ZOTAC E350-ITX WiFi
Graphics Integrated (AMD Radeon™ HD 6310)
Memory 4GB 1066MHz SODIMM DDR3
HDD Kingston HyperX 240GB
PSU Streacom NanoPSU
Motherboard ZOTAC ZOTAC E350-ITX WiFi
Graphics Integrated (AMD Radeon™ HD 6310)
Memory 4GB 1066MHz SODIMM DDR3
HDD Kingston HyperX 240GB
PSU Streacom NanoPSU
Noise
All components inside FC8 EVO are passively cooled and we are without any fans, therefore we can experience the joys of total silence.
Conclusion
This is our first outing with Streacom but from what we’ve seen, we’ve certainly been impressed.
FC8 EVO is unquestionably a thing of beauty. The all-aluminium design, with its smooth contours and precise curves reveal a chassis which has been wonderfully crafted – of that there is no doubt.
Getting hardware inside the case is easy thanks to the layout and chosen features. The addition of being able to passively cool the system with Streacom’s optional components is a nice touch and although we couldn’t make use of it because of our configuration we’re sure will be a useful inclusion for other system builders.
However we were disgruntled by the fact that Streacom’s NanoPSU (or a PicoPSU) is a mandatory component to properly use FC8 EVO and yet it isn’t included with the case. Customers who purchase FC8 EVO are required to purchase NanoPSU separately and without it are not able to get the system powered up. This is rather an oversight for Streacom and should be addressed.
Priced at £125 GBP / $190 USD, FC8 EVO is quite a pricey investment when you consider what’s actually included. We understand this case is crafted with absolute precision and that for its entirety is aluminium but there are very few features actually included and buyers will need to factor in buying the proprietary power supply unit.
FC8 EVO is a masterpiece in engineering. It exudes luxury with the all-aluminium construction and will look superb as part of any home-entertainment system. Those keen on this elegant chassis should remember that Streacom’s NanoPSU will need purchasing too.
Pros
+ Beautifully crafted aluminium
+ Looks super sleek
+ Easy to install hardware
+ Optional passive cooling supplied
Cons
– NanoPSU required and not supplied.
– Pricey for included features
+ Beautifully crafted aluminium
+ Looks super sleek
+ Easy to install hardware
+ Optional passive cooling supplied
Cons
– NanoPSU required and not supplied.
– Pricey for included features
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.
