Shuttles. Tell me what you know about them

[graywarrior]

I think I'm going to build my own as my Dell got zapped by lightening.

[reprobate]

1. Fairly small, but noisy as an F-15. I built a couple of SFF machines.

Problem with most of them is the small volume to disipate heat, so you need to move the air at high velocity.

Since then I've moved to the iMac G5. Beutiful machine, 2 inches deep and almost silent.

Thanks, but no more Gates systems for me.

[ezod]

2. I helped my girlfriend build a SB81P recently.

It looks really nice on her glass desk with it's blue-power on light. Runs pretty fast w/a P4 3.2GHz cpu. Adding a Plextor PX716A DVD writer behind the stealth front opening required a bit of doing, removing the tray bezel thingy and adjusting to optimum opening clearance. She's currently using the onboard sound and graphics, but is thinking about getting a PCIe graphics card. It's very well designed inside; we bought some custom drive cabling but ended up using what came with the Shuttle because it ultimately seemed more ergonomic.

The only very minor complaint is that it's a bit LOUD; the fans (I think 4 of them) keep it pretty cool though. We played with slowing them down in BIOS and checked the temps; it might have been a bit quieter but we ended up resetting it back to Smart-Fan to keep it the coolest. All in all a great little machine.

[graywarrior]

3. Intel or AMD? Any difference in quality?

[ezod]

4. Good question...

She had decided on Intel, hence the SB81P. AMD equivalent seems to be the SN25P. Since P4's are on the way out you might be more futuristic with a Socket 939 AMD chipset. Soon it'll all be dual core anyway, but I guess you'll be needing a machine before they become standard. I have read that P4's run hotter than AMD 64's so the AMD might be the way to go. It really depends what you'll be using it for: P4's w/ hyperthreading preferable for multi-tasking or AMD 64 for processor intensive aps like video conversion or gaming. http://global.shuttle.com/Product/Barebone/SN25P.asp

[graywarrior]

5. Very helpful info, thank you

http://www.zipzoomfly.com has the best prices for barebones equipment if you are interested.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

6. I recently investigated them as a possible project component

The big thing (sorry) to beware of is the power supply. Not only is it tiny, but it's tightly integrated and extremely difficult to remove if it dies. AND it can be harder to replace, since there are varying configurations and the exact power supply may not be available. (They redesign these things at an amazing pace.)

[graywarrior]

7. Good point. I will investigate that myself

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

8. I went straight to the company that makes them

They have a sales office/warehouse here in Dallas, and I went there and had a talk with one of their techies, who also gave me a tour of the warehouse. He was very up to date on them, and wasn't afraid to list their shortcomings. They're good computers, except that since the power supplies are so small, they can have a shorter overall lifespan than a full-sized computer power supply.

[graywarrior]

9. Like how whort a lifespan. I'm supposed to order my my

stuff tomorrow. What's your opinion of the XPC SK43G Athlon XP. I'm used to a Dell. Will I hate this Shuttle?

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

10. Within its technical limitations, it's a good machine.

Some shuttles use a water cooling system. Opt for that if it's available. And refrain from putting the box into a confined space. Give it plenty of air. That will keep it from overheating the electronics, and should prolong the life of the power supply.

Treat it well, and it should give good service.

[graywarrior]

11. Sweet. I'm ordering it tomorrow. Thanks, that info helped alot