Shuttle XPC SB86i review

One of the big problems with mini PCs is cooling. A small space means more heat, which traditionally has meant more fans are needed for cooling. As well as the increased power requirements, there's the problem of noise.

Shuttle's XPC SB86i takes a different approach to this problem, using a redefined version of Intel's BTX specification. This new specification is designed to make cooling more efficient by placing the major components (processor, north and south bridges) in a row on the motherboard. A single fan at the front of the case is all that's needed to cool all three components, making BTX systems quieter than micro-ATX PCs.

This means that there's one giant processor heatsink with a large fan and passively cooled north and south bridges on the SB86i. It's a lot neater and quieter than previous cube systems we've seen, although the 275W power supply's fan is still quite loud.

The motherboard design and passively cooled components don't mean you lose out on power, though. The SB86i uses an Intel 915G chipset, which supports LGA775 Pentium 4 processors. The chipset also supports DDR or DDR2 memory, with DDR slots offered here. This case is going to appeal to anyone after the latest technology, so a 925XE chipset would be even better with its support for a 266MHz frontside bus processor.

We tested the PC using an Intel Pentium 4 550 processor (3.4GHz), 512MB of PC3200 RAM and a 160GB hard disk. The Shopper application benchmark result of 115 and PCMark 04 score of 4,101 show that it's a capable performer, although behind some similarly specified machines we've reviewed.

This is due in part to the onboard Intel Extreme graphics. While they're DirectX 9 certified, the 3DMark03 score of 1,398 shows that they're not good enough to play the latest games. However, as there's a PCI Express x16 slot, there's room to upgrade to a better card. This will greatly improve system performance.

Performance isn't the only reason to buy a cube PC such as this. Style is a big factor and Shuttle is at the top of its game. The case is stunning to look at, with a sleek white front panel and - a first for Shuttle - a trap door hiding the bezel of the optical drive. Our only problem with this setup is that the eject button on the case is mounted on a weak plastic arm, which is supposed to hit the eject button on the drive. In practice, however, it takes a degree of force to apply enough pressure to make contact.

That aside, it's a very well-designed case. The front panel has audio outputs, a memory card reader, USB2 and FireWire ports. They're located on the side of the facia, so the SB86i's good looks aren't spoilt by front-mounted ports. The rear of the case is similarly well decked out with four USB2, two FireWire, high-definition 7.1 channel audio and Gigabit Ethernet ports.

Building the PC is no problem either. Thumbscrews allow you access to the internal components. For such a small case, it's impressive to see how much space is available. As well as the optical drive, there are two 3.25" hard disk caddies.

While an excellent and attractive system, the XPC SB86i's high price means that this system is best suited to people looking for the very latest technology.