Introduction
SHUTTLE SPRINGDALE SB61G2 XPC
Shuttle are on to a winner with the XPC series of Small Form Factor (SFF) PCs. Ever since the launch of the SS51G, an Intel S478 SiS-powered cube with the all-important AGP slot, Shuttle have never looked back. Subsequent releases for both Intel and AMD platforms has bolstered their position in the ever-so-cute SFF world.
As each company speed up their respective processors, new chipsets and motherboards are usually required to house the new CPUs. These occasions are a godsend for the likes of Shuttle. A new motherboard is as good as a new XPC. Shuttle already had the Intel bases covered with the SS51G (SiS 651) and SB51G/G2 (Intel i845(G)E). Now with Canterwood and Springdale motherboards making all the headlines by supporting dual channel DDR-400, S-ATA and 200FSB P4s, what better than a new Shuttle to take advantage of these new integrated chipsets.
Dual channel goodness carries a rather obvious benefit for those looking to manufacture all-in-one systems. These systems almost always use integrated graphics, as well as providing a myriad of other useful features. Integrated graphics, though, usually sap the system's memory bandwidth efficiency, simply because the on-board video uses it to provide their own internal bandwidth through dynamic allocation. Dual channel memory should help alleviate the performance disability imposed by integration.
It's of no surprise that Shuttle have been keen to jump on the Intel dual channel bandwagon. If you remember correctly, the Springdale chipset, in the form of the i865G, provided support for Intel's Extreme 2 on-board graphics. What better base to build a new, powerful Shuttle XPC on ?. Shuttle thought the same, obviously. A little box of tricks was born that may well be more powerful than your own home PC. Let's welcome the Shuttle XPC SB61G2.
