RotorHead
03-27-2004, 05:15 PM
Shuttle XPC SB65G2
Big fun with a little box!
This all started with the need to upgrade my son’s computer. He’s been getting into a lot of the newer PC games like, Wolfenstein, UT2004…etc, all of which would bring his old Pentium 866 to it’s knees faster then a naughty nun at confession time.
So I thought to myself, what kind of system would a 12-year-old boy like. Then it hit me….Shuttle XPC!! A Nintendo Gamecube on steroids, what else could a kid ask for! And for me, what better opportunity for some quality Father-Son bonding.
So, off we went, to my favorite on-line retailer, NewEgg and here’s what we got. :D
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_1.jpg
What you're looking at above is:
1. Shuttle XPC SB65G2 Linky (http://www.us.shuttle.com/specs2.asp?pro_id=387)
2. Intel Pentium 4 2.4C Linky (http://www.intel.com/products/desktop/processors/pentium4/index.htm?iid=ipp_desk_proc+prod_p4p&)
3. Sapphire 9600XT Linky (http://www.sapphiretech.com/vga/9600-xt.asp)
4. 2x256 OCZ PC3200 EL Linky (http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/memory/OCZ+EL+DDR+PC-3200)
5. Lite-On Black Combo Drive Linky (http://www.liteonit.com/ODD/English/e_product/e_sohc5232k.asp)
6. Black Floppy Drive (do ya really want a link (http://www.mitsumi.com/products/floppyspec.html) )
Being the quick bunch that you are, you have noticed the lack of a hard drive in the picture. That’s because the WD600BB in his old system is being cannibalized for the upgrade.
Ok, lets break it down! Here’s a few shots of the Shuttle in it’s birthday suit.
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_2.jpg
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_3.jpg
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_4.jpg
One of the great features I like on the SB65 is the built in USB 802.11b Wireless LAN Module. The Shuttle folks have done a really good job integrating this capability in to an already tight case. It is neatly tucked in on the right side above the power supply. Have a look.
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_5.jpg
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_6.jpg
Let the Games Begin!
Ok, you’re probably wondering why I said that, right? Well, if you’ve never built one before, you’ll soon know why. These things are small, and you have to put them together like a jigsaw puzzle. Unlike a normal sized case, these little beauties have a pre-defined place for every thing, all the way down to how the cables are routed. Also, it came with one of the best user manuals I’ve see, easy to read, informative and nice color pictures too.
Here's a quick shot of the paperwork.
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_11.jpg
On to the build!
The first thing that we needed to do was disassemble the case. This was effortlessly accomplished because of the thumb screws provided for the cover and the rear fan. With those out of the way, we then removed the drive cage, by taking out the two small screws on top, slid it back about a half inch and it lifted cleanly. Piece of cake!
Next up, is to remove the heatsink from it’s shipping position. Simply press down on the center tab and flip the latches up. Presto done.
Speaking of heat sinks, Shuttle has come up with an ingenious cooling solution using the standard P4 retention mechanism. Designed specifically for these cases, it uses smallish heat sink with four heat pipes running up to a vertical radiator assembly. This has allowed them to utilize the system fan in two ways. It drawls cool air in from the vents on the side of the case, and expels it through the radiator assembly and out of the case.
Here’s a quick shot of the heat sink, removed.
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_10.jpg
Ok, next up is the processor and memory. We needed a decent CPU, so we went for the tried and true P4 2.4C. These chips have a good reputation for overclocking. But we’ll be running this one at stock for while. Sorry guys no overclocking today, but there is bonus surprise!
For the memory, we picked up some OCZ EL 3200. Supposed to be good stuff and designed with the enthusiast in mind.
Here’s some shots of the CPU lable and the memory.
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_7.jpg
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_8.jpg
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_9.jpg
Have you figured out what the bonus surprise is? If not, I’ll unwrap it in the conclusion.
After popping in the CPU, heat sink, and memory, we started to mount the drives in the drive cage. This is a fairly strait forward operation, so I won’t go into a lot of detail. Just line up the drives, insert the mounting screws and tighten them down. Like I said earlier, we cannibalized the Western Digital WD600BB. It’s not a screamer, but it will work fine and have decent performance. We also picked up a new Lite-On Combo drive and a generic floppy.
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_12.jpg
And here is a shot of my son putting the loaded up drive cage back in.
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_13.jpg
Last but not least, it time for the video card, but before we put that in, it’s a good time to recheck all your wiring. I had my son get the motherboard manual and double check every connection. He said it was all “good to go” so on with the video card.
We needed something that would be able to run all the latest games, but wouldn’t break the bank, so we settled on the ATI Based 9600 XT from Sapphire. For a sub $200 card this thing rocks!
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_14.jpg
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_15.jpg
With everything in place, it’s time to wrap it all up! Double checked all the connections one more time and fired it up. IT’S ALIVE!!….hehe, always wanted to say that. Anyway, we loaded up Windows 2000 without a hitch, then installed the all the drivers, again without a hitch. Got the display setup the way we wanted it, then configured the wireless LAN, and we were off to the Microsoft web site for some critical updates and service pack 4. About 2 and a half hours later everything was done.
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_16.jpg
We were about to put the cover back on when my son pointed out that we had forgotten something. What we had forgotten was the blue Antec LED fan, so we changed that out real quick and here’s what it looked like.
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_17.jpg
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_18.jpg
And here’s the Little Shuttle in it’s new home.
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_19.jpg
In conclusion
Putting together this little Shuttle system was a blast. With the clear instructions in the user manual and a Philips screwdriver, it took all of about three hours to be completely finished and surfing the net. There where some minor problems with building it up, like cabling and connectors. Those were expected due to the small size of the case
Ok, so your wondering about the surprise, well apparently by luck of the draw, I ended up with a SL6Z3 or commonly referred to as M0 stepping P4 2.4C. Now I don’t know a lot about the different steppings with the P4, but from what I’ve been told, the M0’s over clock real well. This coupled with the EL Ram from OCZ should equal a decent over clock.
So stay tuned, I’m going to let this system break itself in for a while and then start turning up the wick to see what it will do.
I think the components selected will perform well for their intended purpose, and that my son will be happy and proud of his nice new gaming system. I’ll have to say that this was a fun and easy build, and I got to spend some time with my son doing something that we both enjoy.
Big fun with a little box!
This all started with the need to upgrade my son’s computer. He’s been getting into a lot of the newer PC games like, Wolfenstein, UT2004…etc, all of which would bring his old Pentium 866 to it’s knees faster then a naughty nun at confession time.
So I thought to myself, what kind of system would a 12-year-old boy like. Then it hit me….Shuttle XPC!! A Nintendo Gamecube on steroids, what else could a kid ask for! And for me, what better opportunity for some quality Father-Son bonding.
So, off we went, to my favorite on-line retailer, NewEgg and here’s what we got. :D
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_1.jpg
What you're looking at above is:
1. Shuttle XPC SB65G2 Linky (http://www.us.shuttle.com/specs2.asp?pro_id=387)
2. Intel Pentium 4 2.4C Linky (http://www.intel.com/products/desktop/processors/pentium4/index.htm?iid=ipp_desk_proc+prod_p4p&)
3. Sapphire 9600XT Linky (http://www.sapphiretech.com/vga/9600-xt.asp)
4. 2x256 OCZ PC3200 EL Linky (http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/memory/OCZ+EL+DDR+PC-3200)
5. Lite-On Black Combo Drive Linky (http://www.liteonit.com/ODD/English/e_product/e_sohc5232k.asp)
6. Black Floppy Drive (do ya really want a link (http://www.mitsumi.com/products/floppyspec.html) )
Being the quick bunch that you are, you have noticed the lack of a hard drive in the picture. That’s because the WD600BB in his old system is being cannibalized for the upgrade.
Ok, lets break it down! Here’s a few shots of the Shuttle in it’s birthday suit.
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_2.jpg
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_3.jpg
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_4.jpg
One of the great features I like on the SB65 is the built in USB 802.11b Wireless LAN Module. The Shuttle folks have done a really good job integrating this capability in to an already tight case. It is neatly tucked in on the right side above the power supply. Have a look.
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_5.jpg
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_6.jpg
Let the Games Begin!
Ok, you’re probably wondering why I said that, right? Well, if you’ve never built one before, you’ll soon know why. These things are small, and you have to put them together like a jigsaw puzzle. Unlike a normal sized case, these little beauties have a pre-defined place for every thing, all the way down to how the cables are routed. Also, it came with one of the best user manuals I’ve see, easy to read, informative and nice color pictures too.
Here's a quick shot of the paperwork.
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_11.jpg
On to the build!
The first thing that we needed to do was disassemble the case. This was effortlessly accomplished because of the thumb screws provided for the cover and the rear fan. With those out of the way, we then removed the drive cage, by taking out the two small screws on top, slid it back about a half inch and it lifted cleanly. Piece of cake!
Next up, is to remove the heatsink from it’s shipping position. Simply press down on the center tab and flip the latches up. Presto done.
Speaking of heat sinks, Shuttle has come up with an ingenious cooling solution using the standard P4 retention mechanism. Designed specifically for these cases, it uses smallish heat sink with four heat pipes running up to a vertical radiator assembly. This has allowed them to utilize the system fan in two ways. It drawls cool air in from the vents on the side of the case, and expels it through the radiator assembly and out of the case.
Here’s a quick shot of the heat sink, removed.
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_10.jpg
Ok, next up is the processor and memory. We needed a decent CPU, so we went for the tried and true P4 2.4C. These chips have a good reputation for overclocking. But we’ll be running this one at stock for while. Sorry guys no overclocking today, but there is bonus surprise!
For the memory, we picked up some OCZ EL 3200. Supposed to be good stuff and designed with the enthusiast in mind.
Here’s some shots of the CPU lable and the memory.
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_7.jpg
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_8.jpg
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_9.jpg
Have you figured out what the bonus surprise is? If not, I’ll unwrap it in the conclusion.
After popping in the CPU, heat sink, and memory, we started to mount the drives in the drive cage. This is a fairly strait forward operation, so I won’t go into a lot of detail. Just line up the drives, insert the mounting screws and tighten them down. Like I said earlier, we cannibalized the Western Digital WD600BB. It’s not a screamer, but it will work fine and have decent performance. We also picked up a new Lite-On Combo drive and a generic floppy.
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_12.jpg
And here is a shot of my son putting the loaded up drive cage back in.
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_13.jpg
Last but not least, it time for the video card, but before we put that in, it’s a good time to recheck all your wiring. I had my son get the motherboard manual and double check every connection. He said it was all “good to go” so on with the video card.
We needed something that would be able to run all the latest games, but wouldn’t break the bank, so we settled on the ATI Based 9600 XT from Sapphire. For a sub $200 card this thing rocks!
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_14.jpg
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_15.jpg
With everything in place, it’s time to wrap it all up! Double checked all the connections one more time and fired it up. IT’S ALIVE!!….hehe, always wanted to say that. Anyway, we loaded up Windows 2000 without a hitch, then installed the all the drivers, again without a hitch. Got the display setup the way we wanted it, then configured the wireless LAN, and we were off to the Microsoft web site for some critical updates and service pack 4. About 2 and a half hours later everything was done.
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_16.jpg
We were about to put the cover back on when my son pointed out that we had forgotten something. What we had forgotten was the blue Antec LED fan, so we changed that out real quick and here’s what it looked like.
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_17.jpg
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_18.jpg
And here’s the Little Shuttle in it’s new home.
http://members.cox.net/ebecquet/review1_19.jpg
In conclusion
Putting together this little Shuttle system was a blast. With the clear instructions in the user manual and a Philips screwdriver, it took all of about three hours to be completely finished and surfing the net. There where some minor problems with building it up, like cabling and connectors. Those were expected due to the small size of the case
Ok, so your wondering about the surprise, well apparently by luck of the draw, I ended up with a SL6Z3 or commonly referred to as M0 stepping P4 2.4C. Now I don’t know a lot about the different steppings with the P4, but from what I’ve been told, the M0’s over clock real well. This coupled with the EL Ram from OCZ should equal a decent over clock.
So stay tuned, I’m going to let this system break itself in for a while and then start turning up the wick to see what it will do.
I think the components selected will perform well for their intended purpose, and that my son will be happy and proud of his nice new gaming system. I’ll have to say that this was a fun and easy build, and I got to spend some time with my son doing something that we both enjoy.