Shuttle's SV24 Mini Barebones System


Shuttle's SV24 Mini Barebones System - Page 1

Shuttle's SV24 Mini Barebones System!
Taking "Coolness" To a New Level!

By, Jeff Bouton
December 30, 2001

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...

Specifications / Features of the Shuttle SV-24 Mini Barebones System
How'd They Fit It All...

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 SDRAM

Flash EEPROM
Award PCI BIOS with PnP, Green and DMI Features

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

 

 


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...

 

The Bundle:

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.

 

Quality
A Closer Look...

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.

The BIOS & Setup
Nothing Out Of The Ordinary Here...

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?

 

 Setup, Benchmarks and Conclusion

 

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