Layout and features
The expanses of unused PCB space inform us that a number of possible features have not been taken up. The board is of a regular ATX size (305mm * 244mm), yet it looks and feels larger, mainly due to the lack of discrete controllers that have become the norm for deluxe motherboards. We're thankful that Shuttle have kept the four mounting holes around the socket; that's a definite plus for those thinking of adding larger, aftermarket cooling. Our only concern is the proximity of the left-hand capacitors. A little bending may be needed if one is to use one of the new breed of super-large coolers.
Speaking of capacitors, Shuttle have wisely opted for a bank of high-performance 3300uf (10v) capacitors with a 3-phase power design. 2v of possible CPU voltage and 2200MHz+ of clock speed needs excellent regulation, especially at 200FSB+. The order of the day seems to be in beefing up the circuitry surrounding the socket. That appears to be the case here, clearly. Much like EPoX, Shuttle have decided to opt for a passive Northbridge heatsink design. This is something that many manufacturers agree to disagree upon. A number of manu's will steadfastly include a NB fan, whilst others are comfortable with a passive solution. We err on the side of quietness here, and 6,000 RPM NB fans are usually met with a slight groan. Thumbs up to Shuttle on this count.
The AN35N Ultra uses NVIDIA's premier, performance-based chipset. That boils down to some 200FSB CPU and dual-channel DDR-400 lovin'. Shuttle make dual-channel operation foolproof with the colour-coded memory slots. The Athlon XP's architecture doesn't make full use of the possible 6.4GB/s that the chipset can provide, so you may not see amazing gains when switching from single to dual-channel memory modes. The IDE ports and 20-pin ATX power port, together with a few ill-placed capacitors make it all a little tight here. To further compound matters, the DDR memory slot-locks pretty much interfere with any AGP card. It's a pain to insert and remove system memory once a card is in place. We're also not fans of locating the 4-pin 12v power connector so close to the 8x AGP slot.
Shuttle go with the cheaper MCP Southbridge for sound, LAN, PCI, USB, and P-ATA duties. We normally concentrate on the bottom-left (as we look at it from the above picture) of the board. This time, though, the lack of discrete controllers doesn't warrant a closer inspection. You can see the number of silk-screened PCB marking. Will their be a deluxe version of this board ?. We think so. The omission of the 6th PCI slot gives us plenty of room below the AGP slot.
The masters of low cost PHYs strike again. If you've read a number of Hexus motherboard reviews, you'll know that Realtek feature heavily on a number of motherboards. The two controllers you see above supply the physical routing of the sound and LAN functions. Tried and trusted over a period of time, they're good enough for most peoples' needs. The new jack-sensing AC '97 v2.3 ALC655 is out imminently, so it's a shame not to see it here. It's also a little remiss of Shuttle not to supply the S/PDIF digital transfer bracket with this motherboard, as there's a board header nearby.
A couple of extra USB2.0 ports would have been preferred to a second COM port, otherwise it's pretty standard for a back panel now. The overall layout isn't as good as it should have been, especially with the lack of discrete controllers and full width ATX board. The usual infra-red, audio-in (both auxillary and CD) and S/PDIF connectors are present. 3 fan headers give one some flexibility in their cooling requirements.
