Size Comparisons
One thing that isn't really clear from our pictures so far is the relative sizes of the cases. Being that this is the Small Form Factor market, a lot of people are going to be concerned with how large each unit is. To give you an idea of the sizes, we have included several comparison shots with the units. The larger units do have the advantage of additional room for hard drives, of course, so there really is no "one size fits all" choice. |
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The G5 chassis is clearly the smallest of any of the units, with both the SN95G5 and ST20G5 being identical in size. The 330P is slightly larger, with a relatively significant increase in size from the 330P to the EQ3901. Coming in as the largest of all the 939 SFFs is the SN25P. Not surprisingly, it also packs in the most features and expansion options (other than the lack of a PCI slot).
| System Dimensions in mm (Width x Height x Depth) | |
| Biostar 330P | 215 x 185 x 355 |
| Shuttle SN25P | 210 x 220 x 330 |
| Shuttle SN95G5 | 200 x 185 x 310 |
| Shuttle ST20G5 | 200 x 185 x 310 |
| Soltek 3901-300P | 215 x 200 x 340 |
You can see the dimensions of the cases all at a glance in the above table. Note that these are our own measurements, and while they agree for the most part with the manufacturers' dimensions, a few numbers were off by as much as a centimeter. We included the length of any thumbscrews or any other protrusions on the rear of the case, and we did the same for the farthest point on the front of the case as well. We've also made a chart of the volumes of the cases by multiplying length * width * height.
One last comment on the size is that it can be a bit tricky installing larger graphics cards into these small cases. The G5 chassis in particular requires a bit of finesse, and even the hinged design of the 330P doesn't make it simple to install our X800 Pro. The cards did fit in all of the units, and we're happy to report that they all ran without issue. The SN25P and the 3901-300P both have the most clearance around the GPU slot and were the easiest in which to install the graphics card. Of note is that out of these five units, only the SN25P can accommodate a dual slot GPU like the X850 XT PE or 6800 Ultra. So, if you have one of those or plan to purchase one, your SFF selection is very limited. It's a minor point, however, as the current champ of GPUs - the 7800GTX - is once again a single slot solution.
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JarredWalton - Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - link
So I spoke too soon. After finishing this article, I just happend to come across http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82...">the new Aopen 939 SFF. That actually looks pretty promising, though the IGP isn't going to beat the ST20G5 that I can see (no DVI port). Time to put in a request for that unit....rqle - Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - link
Price of these SFF are getting quite pricey lately. So much to the point when you add the cpu, hard drive, memory, video card, optical drive AND LCD it will comes very close to the price of a good high end laptop on a good day. Dell 17inch 9300 w/6800 on a VERY good sale day comes just over the price of these SFF 'system.' Big fan of these SFF, but prices should be a little bit more reasonable for me to buy again.JarredWalton - Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - link
I agree with you on a lot of that, but a SFF with a 19" (or larger) LCD and a 6800GT/X800XL is pretty much going to stomp all over any similarly priced laptop. There's basically a $150 price premium to get a high-end SFF case, which is going to prevent many from buying. Still, some people buy $200 cases just because they look nice, so it's all a matter of taste.If you need portability, though, there are very few options other than getting a laptop. Personally, laptops and gaming are something I just don't care about. I'd get a cheap laptop for the office work I do and then keep a second system at home for any gaming. Some of course feel otherwise, but laptop keyboards and such just don't do it for me.
R3MF - Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - link
love it.BigT383 - Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - link
I have a first-generation SN95G5. I bought it thinking that since it's socket 939 I'd be able to upgrade to dual-core when it came out.Apparently this isn't the case, but I haven't seen anybody say they've tried it yet- so far there seem to be only rumors.
So I know this is a weird request but what I'd like to see right now is an article testing a CPU like the Athlon X2 4400+ on the three different versions of the SN95G5.
I can understand that X2s need a bios update, but the physical motherboard shouldn't be holding me back, right?
dcuccia - Thursday, August 18, 2005 - link
X2 support for the SN25P w/o USB2 issues is now available through a BIOS upgrade:http://www.shuttle.com/share/fae/hq/download/bios_...">http://www.shuttle.com/share/fae/hq/download/bios_...
JarredWalton - Thursday, August 18, 2005 - link
Thanks, I made a quick comment on the SN25P page to mention this.JarredWalton - Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - link
I'm going to be dropping an X2 3800+ into the SN95G5v2 just to see what happens. I'll try to get some official word from Shuttle on the matter as well. I really have no idea what the SN95G5v1 will support. I think the main change between it and v2 was a switch from an 80mm fan to a 92mm fan.Zirconium - Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - link
I love the roundup articles. I find them to be the most useful because they allow you to hone in on what you are looking for quickly, and then you can go to other sites and check the reviews that are solely for the products you are looking for.That said, one thing I'm interested is the quality of the integrated graphics on these computers. I have an SK41G and I could tell the difference between the quality of the built-in graphics and the AIW Radeon 7500 that is currently in it. When the integrated graphics were hooked up to a TV (I tried two) you could notice bands moving up the TV.