Small Form Factor Decision To Make.

What an attractive title, eh?

I bet you guys love these types of threads.

Anyway, I've got quite a decision to make. I was looking at PC cases, first I wanted the CM Stacker (huge), then I wanted a $180 Lian-Li case. Recently though, my cousin told me about his Shuttle. I did some research and I fell in love with the small size and the look.

However, I DO want to go 64 bit, no question about that. The only problem is that the Shuttle does not offer a 64 bit system with PCI-Express, be it socket 939 or 754. I don't even think it'd be worth it to take a step back and go with AGP when there's PCI-E available.


I was hoping someone here knew what Shuttle has planned for their next line of products, or just alternatives.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

 

First off going AGP isn't really a step back since it will be around for a while yet (obviously everything gets replaced eventually). Your correct in that atm there aren't any PCI-express based 64bit shuttles.

However I'm sure it's only a matter of time before they bring one out. They have already started making LG775 shuttles with PCI - express so a AMD version can't be that far off. I'd say wait for now.

 

what about replacing the motherboard?

 

I think in the next month or 2 there will be a 939 PCI-e shuttle released. Best e-mail shuttle HQ and see when it's coming

 

thing is i doubt there will ever be an SLi version wud be cool tho a flaming shuttle with SLi

 

I just e-mailed Shuttle USA and asked them about this. I also inclined as to whether SLi was on the horizon.

I will post their reply when I receive it.

Thanks for the help guys.

 

This question has been asked many times on the SFF Tech forums and the answer give by shuttle has always been a 'We haven't got one planned but we can't rule it out'. I'd be VERY suprised if they are released though simply because of cooling and space issues. Shuttles are about as big as they're going to get (I hope) and an SLI model would have to be a lot bigger.

 

Well this is the reply I got:

SN25P based on NVIDIA nForce4 will be available next month. It supports
PCI-E and DDR2. Please check back with us for official release date.

I looked SN25P on google and I found this: http://hardware.gamespot.com/Story-ST-x-1393-x-x-x

I like the look, nothing new from Shuttle, but I have an unusual feeling that it's going to be VERY expensive when it does actually come out.

 

Surely you could just get an AGP board and a 6800GT? You would be much better off financially, and like -H- said, AGP will be around for a long while yet. Don't be worried that AGP schtuff won't be sold after a week from tomorrow. Remember that PCI graphics cards are still being sold in large quantities, nearly 9 years after the introduction of the first AGP port.

So basically, I wouldn't sweat out waiting for a PCI-E AMD64 Shuttle, I would just get an AGP one .

 

They would need to make shuttles bigger if they were to support SLI, unless they went with 6600GT's only which would have to be very poorly cooled and there would be no further expansion slot for a sound card or tv tuner or whatever.

I really would suggest you wait for a PCIE version though. Zephyr if you'll care to notice PCIE boards don't have AGP slots, whereas they do have normal PCI slots. Old comps that don't have AGP slots (which clearly need to be replaced rather than upgraded) are the only ones getting PCI graphics cards. Very few new chipets will come out supporting AGP (for mobos and graphics cards, especially mobos though) and chances are AGP'll die before PCI does.

 

I'm actually starting to see that PCI-E cards are cheaper than AGP...

I think I'll just wait. I like the look a bit better anyway.

 

i would also do the same for future expansion if you stick with AGP and they bring out say a 6900 and then go into 7series 7800 etc and your left behind with AGP which they may not haven't continued to carry on making for. you would be stuck but if you wait the extra month get a pci-e there always the ability to upgrade

 

The cards you're describing there are at least a generation away, probably 18 months to 2 years. I'd say that at that point the CPU, RAM, mobo and everything else will be junk compared to a new graphics card. You'd buy a whole new system if that was the case.

 

It looks like waiting sure helped!

BEHOLD

If anyone see's that an online retailer is stocking these, please tell me. As I just recieved a paycheck today, and that makes things quite a bit easier.

Thank you for your help.

 

There's a section of links in the sticky and most of those places will probably be stocking the new Shuttle. Looks very nice btw...