2005-06-13 - Hardwareluxx: "Excellent Hardware"

"The search for a high-end AMD Athlon 64 barebone is finally over. The Shuttle XPC Barebone SN25P brings all important features and functionality along and combines them in a solid platform." The editors of the German Hardware Website Hardwareluxx are deeply impressed by the Shuttle XPC Barebone SN25P. Any negative points to mention? "None!" That is why the latest from Shuttle grabbed the "Excellent Hardware" award and a lot of praise in the process.

"After dropping out of the mainboard business, Shuttle now concentrates on the SFF PC business, and there is hardly a chipset that cannot be found in a Shuttle XPC Barebone." One of the latest is the NVIDIA nForce4 chipset which is included in the Shuttle XPC Barebone SN25P. This new Shuttle SFF PC was reviewed by the German Hardware Website Hardwareluxx.

Turning their attention to the barebone's looks, they wrote: "Optically, there is no difference between the Shuttle XPC SN25P and its Intel-pendant SB95PV2 with Intel i925XE chipset." But it's no drawback. The chassis of the Shuttle XPC continues to impress: "For the SN25P, Shuttle has used a plastic covering, but that doesn't spoil the general impression. The front is very clearly structured. At the top, a card reader can be found and beneath it two slots for 5.25-inch drives are provided."

Besides the outstanding design, the interior layout of this Shuttle XPC Barebone was no less impressive : "Apart from the integrated USB 2.0 card reader, one optical drive and three hard drives can be added. Leaving out the optical drive you can use up to even four hard drives. That's a lot if you consider the small size of the chassis."

When Hardwareluxx tested the performance, the Shuttle XPC Barebone SN25P could dazzle again. "While we still have fond memories of socket 939 performer XPC Barebone SN95G5, the SN25P now features the NVIDIA-nForce4 chipset for maximum performance. The Shuttle XPC Barebone SN25P offers high-speed at its best anytime - just think of USB 2.0, 8-channel digital sound, FireWire and, of course, 10/100/1000-Mbit-LAN. Packed with new generation Dual Core CPU technology linked to the memory, you'll get a powerful system."

But let's not forget the sound chip [...] The VIA Envy24PT seems to be the better choice compared to VIA ALC850. Adding an additional sound card is unnecessary, as the onboard sound does a good job for nearly all applications. Only those with a high-quality sound system at home or the need for special surround sound for gaming should upgrade to a higher class sound solution."

Conclusion:

"The search of a high-end AMD Athlon 64 barebone is finally over. The Shuttle XPC Barebone SN25P brings all important features and functionality along and combines them in a solid platform." It's not only the design that Shuttle improves continuously over the years, but also technical issues that are improved, so that Shuttle, again, can present a perfect product."

Pros of the Shuttle SN25P:

• Very good performance
• Good configuration (Gigabit Ethernet, 8-channel-sound, FireWire, Serial-ATA-RAID)
• Low noise cooling
• Space for three hard drives and one optical drive
• 8 in 1 card reader

Drawbacks:

None!

Source: http://www.hardwareluxx.de/cms/artikel.php?action=show&id=175&seite=19