Thoughts
I'd like to finish off by separating my thoughts on the two cubes.Shuttle XPC SB75G2
If it's Intel performance that you're after, the SB75G2 is Shuttle's obvious choice. It's a little bit faster than the horde of i865xx cubes doing the reviewing rounds currently, has prodigious overclocking ability, a strong BIOS, decent PSU, Gigabit Ethernet, and SATA support. Priced at under £200 at most e-tailers it's also represents reasonable value. It's also, subjectively speaking, one of the better-looking SFF systems. Does that make it perfect?.
The answer has to be no. All Shuttle's done is use a proven formula and changed motherboards, allowing the Canterwood to grace the XPC line. Shuttle declined to use the preferred direct Northbridge CSA Gigabit connection, hasn't gone to the trouble of using Shuttle-branded cables (a small point that's worth making), and hasn't bothered to upgrade the onboard sound to anything above the generic ALC650 CODEC. The '658's a better companion for the range-topping chipset.
The SB75G2 isn't bad at all. It's faster than a glut of i865xx pretenders but slower than a well-tuned desktop i875P board. There's no compelling reason why you should buy it, but there's also no evidence to sway you the other way. It's fast, quiet, and looks good. You could do far worse.
Shuttle XPC ST62K Zen
Whereas the SB75G2 is all about performance, the ST62K Zen focusses more on being a multimedia master. There's more obvious failings here. Video exporting options are let down by the lack of a DVI socket, there's no floppy header on the motherboard itself, and Shuttle hasn't had the foresight to include a matching card reader for the 3.5" bay. It's not all bad, though. 2D quality is great, integrated 3D performance is more than adequate, the Zen barely makes a sound, and it's a looker. We just get the nagging feeling that the Zen should have been named the Compromise. It does an awful lot of it.
Then there's the perennial question of price, which stands at just over £200 and not far short of the AGP-equipped and also 9100 IGP-powered ST61G4. That XPC offers an integrated card reader and discrete SATA support. Therein lies the problem. There's, arguably, a better Shuttle XPC for ATI's fledgeling chipset.
Editors Note: We are critical at HEXUS and we like to see improvement and change within products. Shuttle have done a brave thing bringing a 'Workstation' class Chipset to the SFF systems. They are the only company who (as far as I know) have a 875 based Shuttle on the market, and for a 'lunch box' sized PC it bring some huge performance to the market. Without doubt if you want the highest performing Intel Shuttle this is your puppy.
Shuttle have also made some significant changes with the introduction of the Zen Shuttle, this also is an interesting move, this new model does bring less noise, and smaller capacity. It is acknowledged that the integrated graphics solution is not as fast as an add in card, but compared to Intel Extreme, it wipes the floor with it.
With the new chipsets and graphics boards around the corner, coupled with BTX I for sure think we have an interesting time ahead in the SFF arena.
