Internals II
Looking at the ST61G4 from the other side now.
Two DIMM slots are designed for a dual-channel memory architecture. At 200MHz FSB, each 64-bit controller can push out a theoretical 3.2GB/s. That's up to 6.4GB/s with both firing in tandem. Shuttle uses both the standard 20-pin and auxiliary 4-pin power plugs. You can just about see the primary and secondary IDE ports off in the distance. Installing system memory first is an absolute must - the drive tray covers both DIMM slots completely. There's no user intervention here. Everything is pre-routed by Shuttle. We wish it would adopt Biostar's excellent method of drive cable routing.
One of our observations of the Shuttle XPCs that have hit the HEXUS labs. in recent months has been the emerging trend of supplying more powerful PSUs. That's little wonder, really, as this XPC is capable of supporting a wattage-eating P4 3.2GHz CPU, discrete high-end card, and multiple hard drives, be they SATA or PATA. 200w, frankly, doesn't cut it any more. However, the recent PSUs have shared a common trait of clicking when idling. You'd think that was just a small problem in the large big of things. It can, though, lead to annoyance if low noise is your aim. Shuttle appears to have introduced another PSU for this model. The 250w PC40N250EV is touted as a powerful, quiet model. 16A on the critical 12v line makes it a stout performer.
We're glad to report that it really is pretty quiet in operation. By far Shuttle's most impressive PSU; that's a feature in itself. It hangs over the floppy port and contains a couple of 40mm fans along its rectangular form. During testing, it was subject to a 3.2GHz CPU with increased voltage, a Radeon 9800 Pro, 2 x 36GB Western Digital Raptors, a single 40GB IBM PATA hard drive and an 8x Toshiba DVD-ROM drive. That's the kind of equipment one would expect to see in a fully-laden midi-tower with a 400w+ PSU. To the power supply's credit, it didn't miss a beat and went about its job with the minimum of noise and fuss. An excellent addition, and one that may be initially overlooked by potential buyers.
Time for another gratuitous shot of the naked ST61G4
Perhaps the best card to accompany this XPC SFF system if you want to bypass the onboard graphics, the ATI 9800SE All-In-Wonder gives true multimedia flexibility to the ST61G4. One could literally list dozens of uses for such a combination. Further, one could in a DVD ReWriter, large capacity hard drive and, say, 1GB of PC3200 memory for a system that would be truly deserve the multimedia tag. All that's missing from the ST61G4 is Wireless connectivity support. It is available as an option, as is a remote control, a matching DVD-ROM drive and an accompanying carry bag.
The PSU flanks the other side of the chassis. Note the poor location of the floppy port on the extreme right-hand side ?. That's probably Shuttle way of stating that it doesn't see a place for the old format in its new range of XPC systems. The ST61G4 looks the part from both the exterior and interior. The chipset is specced up to do battle with Intel's i865G and positively hammer its Extreme Graphics 2 onboard video. We'll find out soon enough if it really has the beating of the i865G. Before we do, a look at the BIOS is in order.
