Performance
We could compare the SH55J2 with the recently-reviewed high-end SX58J3, but let's face it, you don't need us to tell you that the latter holds the key to all-out performance.
Instead, we'll provide an alternative analysis by posing a question we feel is relative to the consumer; does the SH55J2 warrant upgrading from your previous-generation PC?
In order to get some answers, we armed our SH55J2 sample with a mid-range Intel Clarkdale CPU - the Core i5 661, complete with integrated Intel HD graphics - 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 1TB hard disk and Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system, bringing total build cost to approximately £650.
To find out if the Shuttle platform and our choice of components are worth the outlay, we compare performance against a two-year old system based on Intel's last-gen Core 2 Duo architecture.
Here's a breakdown of our comparison systems, along with a brief description of our benchmarks:
Comparison systems |
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|---|---|---|
| System | Shuttle SH55J2 | HEXUS Core 2 Duo |
| Processor | Intel Core i5 661 (3.33GHz, 4MB L3 cache, dual-core) | Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 (2.67GHz, 4MB L2 cache, dual-core) |
| Motherboard | Shuttle FH55 | Intel D975XBX2 |
| Memory | Corsair 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 | Corsair 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 |
| Memory timings | 9-9-9-24-2T @ 1,333MHz | 5-5-5-18-2T @ 800MHz |
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics | Sapphire Radeon HD 4850 |
| Graphics driver | Intel 15.17.9.64.2182 | Catalyst 10.6 |
| Disk drive | 1TB Samsung HD103SJ (HDD, 7,200rpm) | 500GB Seagate 7200.12 (HDD, 7,200rpm) |
| Optical drive | Generic 24x DVD-RW | Sony 16x DVD-RW |
| Chassis | Shuttle SH55J2 | Cooler Master ATCS 110B |
| Power supply | Shuttle 300W | Enermax 500W |
| Operating system | Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit | Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit |
Benchmarks |
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| HEXUS.PiFast |
Our number-crunching benchmark stresses a single core by calculating Pi to 10m places. | |
| Geekbench 2.1.6 | A cross-platform benchmark used to measure memory and processor performance. | |
| Cinebench 11.5 | Using Cinebench's multi-CPU render, this cross-platform benchmark stresses as many cores as possible. | |
| x264 3.0 HD encoding | Our media-encoding benchmark converts a 720p movie into the H.264 format. | |
| 3DMark06 | A PC benchmark used to test the DirectX 9 performance of a system's graphics card. | |
| Power consumption | We record mains power draw when idle and whilst stressing the systems with Prime95 and Furmark. | |
| GPU Temperature | We record the system's CPU and GPU temperatures when idle and whilst under load. | |
The single-thread PiFast test favours core clock speed, so it's no surprise to find the 3.33GHz Core i5 661 running into the lead.
Examining overall memory and processor performance, Geekbench shows a 60 per cent increase in performance when moving from the two-year old Core 2 Duo system to the Core i5-powered Shuttle SH55J2.
Both systems feature a dual-core processor, but the quicker hyper-threaded Core i5 661 clearly has the edge.
The four threads available to the Core i5 chip prove their worth in the multi-core Cinebench and HD encoding benchmarks.
It isn't a white wash, mind you. The Core i5 661's integrated Intel HD graphics chip is ideal for consuming high-definition media, but its 3D capabilities are severely limited.
Then again, that isn't really a limiting factor for the Shuttle. Using the available PCIe x16 slot, we add in a £130 Radeon HD 5770 discrete graphics card and see a massive performance increase. There's scope for gaming capability if you need it.
