Two XPCs, same chassis, different logics
A couple of new XPCs from Shuttle.Shuttle XPC SN27P2
The vast majority of motherboard manufacturers have been showcasing their motherboards based on the soon-to-be-introduced socket AM2 for AMD's processors. AM2 motherboards will also require DDR2 memory and a socket that has 940 pins instead of the 939 available today.
Shuttle is usually one of the first SFF manufacturers to jump on a socket change and release a new iteration. The SN27P2 is destined to be that SFF when AMD officially announces a change of sockets later this year.
The guts of the system are based around NVIDIA's nForce5 chipset that supports AM2-based processors and provides integrated high-definition audio (Azalia). You will be able to install a maximum of 4GB DDR2 memory, run the latest graphics card (if it fits!) on the single x16 PCIe slot, upgrade older PCI components via a single slot. High-speed connectivity comes in the form of 10x USB2.0 and 2 FireWire400 ports, storage is served by 4 SATA2 ports and a single PATA133. Lastly, Gigabit LAN and a multicard reader finish off the package.
Aesthetically, the new P2-series chassis isn't as striking as we'd hoped. Clean lines give it a minimalistic look and a G5-esque appearance, but it's rather dull in comparison to other XPC chassis. Looks like it could well be the front-runner for early adopters of AM2 in SFF form. It's a shame there's no SLI version available immediately.
Shuttle XPC SN37P2
Another P2 chassis, this time the SN37P2.
It shares the same chassis as the SD37P2 but the similarities pretty much end right there. Supporting all current Pentium 4 LGA775 CPUs and stated support for Intel's upcoming Conroe CPUs, the SN37P2 is based on Intel's i975x/ICH7R chipset combination and ships with dual x16 slots for ATI CrossFire multi-GPU support. SATA2 RAID, high-definition-audio, dual FireWire, 10x USB2.0, and a 350W SilentX PSU round off matters.
Multi-GPU capability will make it one of the fastest gaming SFF around, although the graphics cards, assuming they're run in CrossFire mode, will need to have coolers that take up no more than a single slot. The SN37P2 will become a formidable gaming SFF unit when Intel's much-vaunted Conroe debuts.
