AMS eCube EG65D: Decent Performance, but Many Issues

Final Words

The AMS eCube EG65D has a very unique and attractive chassis, which should not come as a surprise since AMS is an enclosure company. However, bringing a competitive SFF computer to market involves more than just designing a nice-looking small box and equipping it with a contracted motherboard. The best SFF systems are a careful and well-engineered balance of component placement, system air flow/air volume, and attention to Sound Levels. On the surface, the AMS eCube appears to be a competitive system, but as we look deeper, there are many issues.

The most significant issues are certainly that the eCube runs much hotter than competitive systems. Compounding this problem, it is also the noisiest SFF system we have tested. Add to this, the eCube is the first SFF that we have tested with no overclocking options at all, and we are left with an SFF that is not very competitive in today's market.

There are many things that have been done right on the AMS eCube. The chassis is very well-designed, the internal wiring setup is at least competitive, and as a machine that can not be overclocked, it performs as well as any other SFF at stock speeds. With a different motherboard design and a better location for the CPU, the heat issue may no longer be a problem. AMS also needs to take a careful look at providing quieter fans and/or more effective fan locations for both the CPU fan and the xross cooling system. Finally, the power supply fan was also noisier than competing SFF solutions, and could be improved with a quieter Power Supply.

With the same chassis, a different motherboard, and better selection of fans and power supplies, the AMS could become one of the better SFF systems. Its performance is certainly competitive at stock speeds, but with the extra heat and noise, and no overclocking options at all, the AMS is not currently competitive with the best SFF systems available in today's highly competitive SFF market.