Foxconn NetBox-nT330i Barebone Review

Others/All-in-one PC by stefan @ 2010-08-30

The NetBox-nT330i barebone from Foxconn is an interesting product for those that need a very small media center PC, which can be also used for office applications or browsing the internet; its performance varies depending on what 2.5inch HDD/SSD and DRAM you decide to use with it.

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A Closer Look Part 2

After the removal, we can see that the top cap does have some little plastic spaces in which the lateral feet of the barebone stay fixed:

Madshrimps (c)

Madshrimps (c)


When we look for the first time at the internals of the barebone, we can see that there is little to none space to fit anything else inside it; the HDD retention mechanism is placed near the air intake and we can find on the right part the little fan that is supposed to evacuate all accumulated heat along with the SODIMM memory slot:

Madshrimps (c)


After taking a closer look on the cooling system, we can see that the little blower assembles one used in low power laptops or netbooks and it is rated 5V/0.30A:

Madshrimps (c)


The antenna connector can be found near the blower and has a wire that travels from it to the Atheros Wi-Fi adapter:

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The Wi-Fi adapter installed does have support for one more antenna and is plugged in a port like we can find on most laptops:

Madshrimps (c)


The single memory slot can fit any 1GB/2GB SODIMM memory module; the Netbox seems to be a little picky regarding the 4GB modules and it is recommended to ask on specialized forums which models work best, because these modules are also really expensive:

Madshrimps (c)


The place where we have to install the HDD is fixed in the chassis with 4 screws and is surrounded by protective material, to avoid short circuits:

Madshrimps (c)


Installing the memory module is really easy if we follow the guide from the included manual:

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After the removal of the HDD support, we can find a large black protective material under it:

Madshrimps (c)


After we will sit properly the HDD (in this case a Hybrid SSD from Walton Chaintech) on the support, we can fix it with the included screws:

Madshrimps (c)


When the HDD is installed, we can slide it back for it to be connected to the SATA data and power ports:

Madshrimps (c)


The included speaker is a 1.2W, 8ohm one, manufactured also by Foxconn and it functions like one from notebooks or laptops (when there is no speaker or headphones connected, the little speaker will automatically take their functions, not only for system sounds like on desktops); also, its audio quality is pretty good, considering the sizes:

Madshrimps (c)


After putting all back together, it is recommended to use the case in one of the supplied cradles or with its magnetic feet, to avoid overheating under it:

Madshrimps (c)

Madshrimps (c)

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