Join our community in the tech forums for uncut technology discussion.
Shuttle SB51G Review - XPC Mini Barebones
January 22nd, 2004
Author: Tekime - tekime@fury-tech.com
Why Small Form-Factor? (aka Heat, Cash, and Cases)
Before we even begin to look at this unit, it would make sense to ask ourselves what kind of benefit
a Small Form Factor (SFF) PC has to offer us. Two big negatives came to mind when I considered the Shuttle SB51G;
upgrades are somewhat limited, and the pricetag is also pretty hefty (about $240 USD). The SB51G has
room for one AGP card, one PCI card, one 5 ¼" bay device, and two 3 ½" bay devices (one external,
one internal). While this gives us a substantial path for video upgrades, it's not exactly an
enthusiasts dream.
This is, however, to be expected with a SFF PC. Aside from the obvious limitations of this form
factor, the real advantage here is size! The Shuttle SB51G is at least 1/3 as large as my
mid-tower. It has a very small footprint, letting you stick a computer just about anywhere that has
electricity and a little airflow. Coupled with a nice flat panel display, your computer could
actually compliment its surroundings, even in a "non-geeky" environment.
Will you be stuck with an outdated machine in a year? No. Will you have room for a fan controller,
DVD burner, floppy drive, CD-RW, and internal card reader? No. The performance path is decent, as
you can upgrade CPU, AGP, memory, and internal storage as you could with any other case. It is the
sheer number of components where we see the limitations.
The choice of SFF or full sized ultimately boils down to your needs. While you are weighing your
options, just remember to account for the price difference. You can find a barebones mid-tower for
easily half of the price as the SB51G.
Let's move along and see what this piece of machine is made up of.
Previous Page Next Page
There are no comments on this article. Become a member and post one now!
Join our community in the tech forums for uncut technology discussion.
| 
