Shuttle XPC SB65G2: Big Performance in This Small Package
by Wesley Fink on September 9, 2003 11:32 PM EST- Posted in
- Systems
Shuttle SB65G2: BIOS and Overclocking
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Shuttle uses the familiar Phoenix-Award Bios in the SB65G2 system. Most will be very comfortable with the menu/submenu arrangement that has been used for many years.
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Most of the submenus and options are familiar, including a full PC Health submenu with Smart Fan adjustments and a complete readout of fan speeds, temperatures, and power levels. As you can see in the screen capture above, Shuttle also provides much better help for setting these options than you usually find.
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You might not expect full control of memory timings on a SFF system, but Shuttle has provided excellent options for tweaking your memory for best performance.
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Overclocking controls were a surprise in the SB65G2 BIOS. The very complete ranges would do justice to any Intel 865PE motherboard, and include FSB to 355, vCore, vDimm, and vAGP.
FSB Overclocking Results
The last system you would ever think about overclocking would be a Small Form Factor system like the Shuttle. You buy this type of system for the small size and quiet unobtrusive operation. Since Shuttle appears determined to prove you don’t have to give up anything in a SFF system, we decided to take them at their word. The following setup was used on the Shuttle SB65G2 SFF for FSB overclocking:| Front Side Bus Overclocking Testbed | |
| Processor: | Intel 3.0 800FSB Pentium 4 |
| CPU Voltage: | 1.525V (default) |
| Cooling: | Shuttle I.C.E. heatpipe/fan |
| Memory: | 2x512MB Mushkin PC3500 Level II DS |
| Power Supply: | Enhance SFF 200W |
While we could boot into Windows XP at overclocked speeds as high as 240 FSB at default voltage, the highest stable FSB overclocking we could achieve at default voltage was 228 (912FSB). This translates into an astounding 3.4+ GHz speed in this little system with a 200-watt power supply. This 3.0 CPU is known to perform as high as 245 on other Intel motherboards, but keep in mind that our Intel testbed has a 470W power supply. The limitation is clearly the power supply, as we would expect, but the fact we could overclock to 228 on this loaded SFF box is a testament to the solid Shuttle design.
At 3.42GHZ, we ran the machine overnight, stress-tested, ran benchmarks, and still could not get the system to fail or the automatic setup of the fan to kick into high speed. With a loaded SB65G2, 1 GB of memory, 120GB hard drive, CD burner, and an ATI Radeon 9800 PRO all drawing power, consider these excellent results to be the worst overclocking that you are likely to see on this machine. A card drawing less current or a slower CPU will make fewer demands on the system and allow an even higher overclock.
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Anonymous User - Sunday, September 14, 2003 - link
Awesome little box. Built an SB61 last year, stuck a Ti4200 in it and it is magic - yet is quiet as a mouse.Whatever version of the SB62 is available at the end of this year will be my next PC purchase.
And you have to wonder what those who report heat problems are DOING with their boxes - I live in an un-airconditioned tropical location that regularly gets above 35C - and my Shuttle just keeps on keeping on.
Anonymous User - Saturday, September 13, 2003 - link
anyone have one of these aluminum machines from shuttle? I've been trying to find a cd drive that matches the finish before I buy the system.Anonymous User - Saturday, September 13, 2003 - link
I was curious about USB FDD in order to avoid putting a FDD In one of these and and according to the SB61G2 manual off of Shuttle's web site there is BIOS support for booting to USB FDD and USB CD/DVD.Anonymous User - Friday, September 12, 2003 - link
It's amazing what they can put inside that small box.Anonymous User - Friday, September 12, 2003 - link
Looks excellent for the price !Anonymous User - Thursday, September 11, 2003 - link
Where is the gigabit NiC??? and firewire 800 even!!!Anonymous User - Thursday, September 11, 2003 - link
#20 and #25My apoligies.
Anonymous User - Wednesday, September 10, 2003 - link
#25The difference between the SB61G1 and the SB62G2 are the following:
SB61G2- silver, firewire, SATAx2 (non RAID), AC '97 Realtek AL650 6 channel Codec, 200w Power Supply, usb, integrated Intel Extreme Graphics -865G chipset, 800mhz, spdif in/out, bugs with ATi Radeon 9500&9700s (until recent revision that fixed the capacitators that were the culprits), extra crackling noises in front Headphone jack due to some sort of interference.
SB62G2- BLACK, MESHED, NO FIREWIRE, SATAx2 RAID (ICH5-R), 220W POWER SUPPLY, DUAL 10/100 LAN, FIXES to ATi Radeon issues and supposedly the sound problems too, USB, Intel Extreme Graphics 865G chipset, 800mhz FSB, SPDIF in/out, same Realtek AL650 6 Channel AC '97 Codec.
yes, the PDF spec sheet is off, it was actually posted the last week of August, while the product page on the Shuttle HQ and US websites have been changed twice since then to reflect the 220W PS and some other typos. So until offical release, its specualation.
Anonymous User - Wednesday, September 10, 2003 - link
To #23...wow, that's kind of harsh.Actually, the info is from the shuttle site. See http://us.shuttle.com/specs2.asp?pro_id=380 and http://www.shuttle.com/hq/product/barebone/specs_b... Each page also has a PDF with detailed specs as well. No spdif is listed. Unlike these pages, the spec pages for the 61G2 specifically list the spdif. (According to the site, the 52G2 has a spdif.)
Of course, you may have a 61G2 right in front of you with a spdif, in which case the online info is wrong (wouldn't be the first time). It also seems the 62G2 doesn't have a 1394 port.
Still, no reason to abandon courtesy! Perhaps you'll share with us common folk what you see as the difference between the 61G2 and the 62G2?
(Disclaimer: Lest anyone think that what I post is "fact," please note that everything I say is "as far as I know." Believed accurate, but not guaranteed.)
Anonymous User - Wednesday, September 10, 2003 - link
Nice big pictures at http://www.shuttle.com/de/druck_sb65.htm. It's in German, only Shuttle site that has info so far.