SHUTTLE - Shuttle SN95G5 XPC nForce3 Ultra SFF Review

Shuttle has delivered another stellar product with their SN95G5. Its FN95 motherboard supports all of the latest AMD processors, and packs just as much performance as the latest desktop nForce3 Ultra motherboards. Overclockers and hardware enthusiasts will also like the board’s BIOS. All isn’t perfect on the SN95G5 however. Shuttle’s decision to rely solely on Marvell’s PCI-based GigE transceiver truly baffles us. NVIDIA provides a true native Gigabit Ethernet MAC, with a 2GBps link. In comparison, the PCI bus tops out at 133MB/sec. Since Shuttle elected to omit NVIDIA networking, you’ll also miss out on NVIDIA’s free Firewall software.

Shuttle’s enhanced cooling does a brilliant job of keeping the CPU and the rest of the system cool, without generating an excessive amount of noise, and while a 240-watt power supply sounds tiny, it was more than enough to power a fully equipped Athlon 64 3800+ system outfitted with NVIDIA’s GeForce 6800 GT.We also loved the look of the new G5 chassis. The new drive bay covers look great, especially with the SN95G5’s silver accents. Shuttle’s competitors have been providing these for over a year now so it’s great to see Shuttle finally getting onboard.

If you’re in the market for a solid performing Athlon 64 SFF, Shuttle’s SN95G5 should suit your needs perfectly. Stability was excellent, even with the high-end (read: hot) components we selected. Sure, there were a couple of things we were disappointed with feature-wise, but considering the target market the SN95G5 is intended for and its other positives, this high-end XPC comes highly recommended.

Score 90%

Shuttle SN95G5 XPC Review @ FiringSquad