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Today we will be straying a
little from the norm with a review of a fairly uncommon
type of system that has been making quite an impression
around the internet in the last few months. The SV-24 Mini Barebones System is a
uniquely design mini barebones machine being offered by Shuttle,
Inc. Their goal is to provide a compact yet
powerful system capable of offering a user a wide range versatility
to create a customized system to fit their specific needs.
Whether you want to build a
workstation that has a small foot print or want to
create your own multimedia server, the SV-24 offers a lot
of options to accommodate both with relative ease.
Let's take a look at the specifications and features of
the SV-24, then we'll roll up our sleeves and get down to
business...
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| Specifications / Features of
the Shuttle SV-24 Mini Barebones System |
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How'd They Fit It
All... |
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Processor
Socket 370
Intel FC-PGA Celeron with 66 MHz FSB
Intel FC-PGA Pentium III with 100/133 MHz FSB
Cryrix III Socket 370 CPU series
Chipset
VIA PL133 Chipset
VIA VT8604, North Bridge
Integrated S3 Savage 4 2D/3D Graphic Engine
VIA VT82C686B, South Bridge
Form Factor
Flex ATX
Size: 178mm x 190mm
Expansion Slot
1 x PCI
Memory
2 x DIMM
Support PC133 SDRAMFlash EEPROM
Award PCI BIOS with PnP, Green and DMI Features
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On board IDE Controller
Support PIO Mode 4 and DMA Mode 2
Supoort Ultra 33/66/100 Synchronous DMA mode
On board I/O Controller
1 x Floppy port
1 x Serial port (16550 fast UART compatible)
1 x Parallel port (SPP, EPP, ECP port)
2 x USB port
2 x 1394 connectors
RTL 8139 LAN Controller
Lucent 1394 Controller
Other features
Onboard S3 Savage 4 VGA
Chrontel CH7006C TV-out Controller
Onboard AC97
Onboard 10/100 Fast Ethernet
S-Video and Composite TV-out terminal
Wake-On-Ring & Alarm
KB/Mouse wake
up
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Now that we've had a quick run-down of what the SV-24
Mini Barebones System brings to the table, let's take
a look and see what else you get when you purchase
this unique barebones solution...
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The Bundle:
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Along
with the SV-24 Mini Barebones System, Shuttle
includes the following items: One 80-Pin IDE
ATA 100 data cable, One 40-Pin IDE Data Cable, One
Floppy Data Cable, One low-profile CPU Heat sink/Fan Assembly,
One packet of thermal Grease, One ATX connector
label, One PCI 90 degree riser card, One Quick
Assembly Guide, One FV24 Motherboard Manual, One
Drivers CD. |
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Right out of
the box, the SV-24 immediately impresses with its
compact design and brushed aluminum finish. However,
the real fun didn't begin until we removed the case cover
and started looking at things a bit more closely.
In the core of the system
lies the small yet powerful FV-24 Flex ATX motherboard. It is
truly impressive how much Shuttle has been able to fit
on a board that is less than half the size of
traditional ATX motherboards. Essentially, this
board is a complete system minus a CPU, RAM and
Hard drive. Once these components are added, the
system becomes a flexible and capable computer able to
perform a multitude of tasks.
After one glance at the
connections on the back of the system, we were
thoroughly impressed with all of the features the
SV-24 offered. Not only are their the standard
ports and connections that one would expect to find on
a board, there are an equal number of additional items
as well. The SV-24 has an integrated Realtek
RTL8139C LAN Controller, supporting 10/100 Mb
transfers as well as two 1394 Fire wire ports for high
speed data transmission between fire wire compatible
devices. The SV-24 sports on-board S3 ProSavage
graphics with 4 - 32MB of on-board memory which can be
adjusted in the BIOS. Complimenting the S3
graphics is S/Composite video outs powered by a Chrontel CH7006C
TV-Out Controller. The status of the systems
critical temperatures and fan speeds can be monitored in
the BIOS as well as with the VIA Hardware Monitor
Utility which is provided on the drivers CD. The
only thing missing on the SV-24 was a standard joystick port,
however with the majority of manufacturers moving
toward developing USB devices, I doubt that this will be missed
by too many users.
In its quest to create a small
and potent mini barebones system, Shuttle had to come up
with a few unique approaches to its design of the SV-24.
Along with its limited space is the limited "elbow room"
that plays a role in putting together a complete rig.
One approach was the installation of the hard drive using
a sliding tray assembly. This was the perfect way to
deal with some of the larger components that need to be
installed by the end-user. Once the hard drive is
mounted to the tray, it simply slides into place and is
secured with two thumb screws. Another issue to
contend with is excessive heat. Shuttle did find
room to locate a case fan on the rear of the unit which
would be directly behind the 5 1/4" bay. With a
series of vent holes in the lower front of the case, this
was the optimal way to achieve decent airflow in such a
limited space.
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The BIOS & Setup |
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Nothing Out Of The Ordinary Here... |
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The BIOS
The SV-24 Mini Barebones System is equipped
with the ever popular Award 6.00v BIOS. The features
found in this particular version was pretty standard fare. Since
the intention of this system design is functionality rather than
high-end performance, you will not find any extra bells
and whistles here. Shuttle has focused on developing
a system that offers a balance between both stability and
performance with this product, omitting any advanced overclocking features.
Now that we've had a look at
the brains behind the brawn, why don't we move on to the
setup and some benchmarks for good measure shall we?
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