Specs. and thoughts
| System Name | MV Cubik GamePro |
| Processor | AMD Athlon 64 3500+, Winchester core, 90nm |
| Motherboard | Shuttle nForce3 Ultra |
| Memory | 1GB (2x512MB) Corsair XMS3200C2PT matched RAM (set at 3-3-3-8 @ DDR400) |
| Hard Drive | Hitachi Deskstar 7K250, 250GB SATA, 7,200RPM - 8MB cache |
| Screen | None as specified, optional extra |
| Graphics card | NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT, AGP 8x. 350/1000 |
| Optical drive #1 | Sony DW-D22A multi-format, dual-layer DVD ReWriter |
| Optical drive #2 | None |
| Back I/O | 2x USB2.0, RJ45 (GbE), PS/2, FireWire, 3 audio ports, optical & coaxial S/PDIF-Out |
| Sound | nForce3 Ultra routed via Realtek ALC655 CODEC |
| Speakers | None (optional extra) |
| Modem | None |
| Network | Marvell Yukon Gigabit Ethernet (PCI-based) |
| Wireless Connectivity | None |
| Operating system | Windows XP Home w/SP2 |
| Warranty | 1-year onsite (parts and labour) followed by 2 years RTB parts and labour |
| Software | Ability Office suite, Roxio Creator 7.1, Roxio DVD Max, Panda AntiVirus |
| Price | £959+VAT (£1127 inc.) as at 18/04/2005 |
| Other notables | Shuttle SN95G5 SFF chassis, multi-card reader |
At the time of writing, MV's Cubik GamePro SFF PC was priced at £1,127 including VAT. That's a lot of money for a system that doesn't include a monitor or speakers. Around £240 of that cost goes directly towards the high-spec. Shuttle SN95G5 barebones PC that Ryszard had the pleasure of reviewing in autumn last year. Given MV's desire of creating a fast mini-PC that caters for the gamer, the SN95G5's support for AMD's socket-939 gaming goliath CPUs is a sensible one.
The SN95G5's gorgeous, minimalist exterior is always worth another look. The brushed aluminium and stealthed drives make it one of the most aesthetically pleasing cubes around, and certainly one of prettiest in Shuttle's current 22-model range. The uppermost section hides a black Sony DW-D22A multi-format, dual-layer DVD ReWriter whose specs. are in line with most of the competition's. The drive's tray is accessed by pushing the silver button on the upper left-hand side, which, in turn, pushes down the stealthing flap in front.
Just below, MV has opted to install a matching multi-card reader instead of a floppy/second hard drive. Again, it's a sensible inclusion that adds decent extra functionality for the Cubik GamePro. The 6-in-1 reader supports the usual formats, including Compact Flash (both Type I and Type II), MultiMedia, SecureDigital, Memory Stick, and SmartMedia cards.
Front-mounted ports include a couple of high-speed USB2.0, 4-pin FireWire, microphone input and headphone output. These 4 are the norm for any self-respecting cube today, and MV's looks that much classier with the ports initially hidden via the lower latch.
