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Heavy Gear February 2005 • Vol.5 Issue 2 Page(s) 27 in print issue |
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Shuttle SB95P |
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SB95P $430 Shuttle (626) 820-9000 us.shuttle.com CPURating: 4 Specs: LGA775, 2GB max DDR2-533, Intel 925X/ICH6-R chipset, 7.1-channel high-def audio, GbE, 4 SATA ports with Matrix RAID, 350W power supply, PCI-E x16 graphics, 4 USB 2.0, 2 IEEE 1394, 6-in-1 card reader  There's a certain notoriety that goes along with being the fastest, even if it's just barely. Why else do you think auto enthusiasts spend thousands of dollars to knock a tenth of a second from their quarter-mile? Why else would anyone pay extra money for the 925X chipset, when Intel's 915P is nearly as powerful? If you're a hardware performance junkie hopelessly addicted to the Pentium 4 and in love with small-form-factor enclosures, Shuttle's SB95P is the only game in town, beside Monarch's larger Hornet, for a reason. The Pentium 4 at 90nm is a particularly hot chip with demanding power needs. Cramming it into a compact chassis with a high-end graphics card isn't an easy task. Shuttle redesigned its proprietary thermal system in order to cope and simultaneously freed up space for a beefy 350W power supply and up to three hard drives. It also had room left over for a single optical drive bay and an integrated memory card reader. However, instead of providing a spare PCI slot, the SB95P comes with one PCI-E x1 to complement the PCI-E x16 graphics slot. Audio connectivity, another of the system's highlights, is perfectly suited for home theater use with optical in, optical out, coaxial out, and 1/8-inch miniplugs for 8-channel analog output. Exterior design on the SB95P is a matter of subjectivity. Although I'm partial to the hidden drive bays and chromed buttons, the SB86i is admittedly much sleeker. No matter your preference, you'll certainly find Shuttle's interior wiring job a boon to both cooling performance and organizational aesthetics. As with the other PCI-E XPCs, the only accessory that Shuttle neglects to include is a 6-pin power adapter for graphics cards. The SB95P is quiet, but less so than Shuttle's BTX SB86i. And here's a pleasant surprise for those who perpetually crave the best hardware—if you use some TLC and a steady hand, dual-slot PCI-E x16 graphics cards will fit into the SB95P. Factor in the GbE, high-def audio, enhanced SATA functionality, and DDR2 memory support for a no-compromise gaming platform in condensed trim.  by Chris Angelini |
