pimpshiznid Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 Another new techie item, a new review. This time around, I will be reviewing the Shuttle SB51G. For those new to Shuttles, the SB51G is an alternative to a full size ATX case, and, is instead, a small form factor PC. While the SB51G isn't the newest SFF on the market, it is certainly one to write home about... The Specs are as follows: CPU: Intel Pentium 4 or Intel Celeron Socket 478 processor; Supports 400/533Mhz Memory: 2 DDR slots supporting a maximum of 2 GB ram. Chipset: Intel 845GE w/ ICH4 Audio: Realtek ALC650, supports 5.1 Dolby Digital Drives: Supports up to 2 IDE HD's, one optical drive, and use of a floppy drive if used with one hard drive. Expansion Slots: 1 PCI, 1 4x AGP One of the first things you'll notice about the Shuttle is the size. No matter how many different reviews I read, and how many times I thought about the size, I was still blown away. Quite honestly, I realize that the picture doesn't do it justice, but it is only around 8 inches high. Sitting next to my computer, you can somewhat notice the difference. Opening up the case, you'll see the drive cage takes the cake. Easily removable, you can unscrew 2 screws, and be able to pull out any of the drives in the computer. Under that, you have access to the RAM & CPU, The drive cage doesn't need to be removed to add the RAM, but it makes things a heck of a lot easier. The CPU cooling system is going to be something new to veteran ATX case users. Shuttle decided to come up with a new revolutionary type of processor cooling system for their SFF computers, promptly named I.C.E. The system works as this: The I.C.E system attaches directly to the top of the processor, and then, the magic starts. When the computer is turned on, the processor heats up, dissipating heat though the heatsink, which, connected to the water filled heat-pipes, allows the heat to be moved easily up the the radiator, which then carries the heat out of the system by use of a fan. My system contains a Intel Celeron 2.2Ghz, which, wasn't my first choice for a processor, but it came with it, and I haven't had the money to replace it yet. Looking at the above photo, you'll see the PCI & AGP slots. The PCI slot in my system is currently filled with a LeadTek WinFast TV 2000-XP Deluxe Edition, which is going to turn the system into a HTPC. It isn't yet as I can't find anything to fix the problem occuring with the splitter knocking the internet out. Currently the AGP slot is empty, but it will soon be filled with a ATI Radeon 9800 Pro. For this system, I am using 2 IDE HD's. One WD 40GB 5200RPM Drive, and one WD 20GB 5200RPM Drive. Also being used is a Benq 4x4x12 DVD+R as seen in the drive cage picture. I decided not to use the floppy drive, as they are becoming a thing of the past. The SB51G comes equipped with a 200W Power Supply. This may also seem odd, as for people coming from the ATX crowd will wonder how a system with a 2-3ghz processor, 1 gig of ram, HD's running in Raid and a newer ATI or Nvidia video card of your choice can be powered by a 200W power supply. Well, Shuttle supplies a well built power supply that handles almost anything that can be thrown at it. Though, one setback is the noise that the power supply makes. But, wait, Shuttle also makes the optional 250W SilentX power supply, for those who feel like the need the additional power and silence that the optional power supply makes. The 200W is powerful enough and quiet enough for most applications though. A shot of the rear on the SFF can show the available ports, very typical of a ATX case, except on a smaller scale. The only setback in this area is the lack of TV-Out, for I was hoping that I'd be able to connect directly to my television without a video card. Putting everything back together is a snap. 3 screws are used to hold the case cover on. Then we plug everything in, and have a complete computer. Now to power it on. In bios, a few settings will be void to those users of ATX cases, and that has to do with the overclocking capabilities. You cannot change the voltage on the CPU. Sorry, can't be done, but, in most general use cases, overclocking isn't exactly necessary. Another option in bios is the settings for the fans on the system. The CPU fan is throttling, so it only winds up to full speed if a certain temperature is reached. This keeps the system quiet, but I found that with the fan at full at all times, it is still considerable more quiet than my old ATX case. With the system completely booted and done, that's where this review is complete. I found that the system performs remarkably better than my old pc, and, with temps staying at 39 degrees Celcius idle and 45 degrees Celcius under load, I'm happy. :D I give the Shuttle 2 big thumbs up! (Y) (Y) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kombolcha Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 all you need now is a flatscreen that matches the shuttle color ;) btw. i'm still working on the winfast review. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HPMCommander Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 Wow, that looks really really nice (Y) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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