XPC SN41G2 / SN41G2V2

When it comes to PCs, I've always thought bigger is better. (...) Big implies power, performance, and flexibility. (...)
But then I built my first small-form-factor PC, using a bare-bones package from Shuttle Computer Group. And wouldn't you know it, the little bugger absolutely blew me away with its excellent set of features and an attractive case I'd proudly place on my desk or in my living room. (...)

An Engineering Marvel
When you're going to cram the contents of a full-featured PC into a package roughly the size of a toaster, you need to plan ahead. The engineers at Shuttle clearly have: My #250 XPC SN41G2 bare-bones PC is so cleverly conceived and designed it nearly brought tears to my geek eyes.
Most notable are the cables (...) I was amazed by the way each cable sprang from Shuttle's diminutive motherboard and ingeniously intertwined within the chassis, keeping everything neat, clean, and manageable. (...) The motherboard provides an impressive list of inputs and outputs (...) Shuttle throws in a motherboard manual and an installation guide. I found both to be remarkably clear and complete; most vendors' documentation borders on unreadable. (...) Total build time: 50 minutes. (...)
I changed the fan settings to ultra-low and noticed a dramatic drop in the noise. (...) With the fans properly set, the system noise melted into the background. (...) In fact, the entire system easily handled everything I threw at it, from basic tasks like Web surfing and document creation to bigger jobs like media encoding and DVD burning. My modest processor and memory selections never caused problems, and the 200-watt power supply never balked. I'm impressed. Can you tell?

Never Say Never
And so, with great sorrow, I must retire yet another of my steadfast PC rules. "Bigger is better" joins other gems like "A 40GB hard drive is plenty big" and "Home RF is better than Wi-Fi" in the graveyard of misguided mantras. Sure, upgrades won't be easy with only one PCI slot to work with, and certainly I won't be adding any more internal hard drives or extra cooling fans--but these trade-offs are acceptable. I will say this, however: If this were my only PC, and I ran into that hypothetical emergency situation that required the installation of three optical drives, I'd be hosed. But I think I can live with that.

(...) Die CPU Kühlung ist sehr gut gelungen, und kann auch unseren XP 3200+ mit 200 FSB übertaktet ohne Probleme kühlen. (...) In punkto Stabilität braucht man nicht viel sagen, nForce2 immer gut. Mit der richtigen CPU und dieser on Board Lösungen wie Sound und Grafik können sich noch andere Systeme warm anziehen. (...)

Unsere Meinung: klein aber fein!

Layout: 100% 
Ausstattung/Zubehör: 90% 
(...)
on Board Chip: 100% 
Performance: 100% 
Preis: 100% 
(...)
Urteil: 90,25% 

Editor's Choice!

Ein kleines Computerlein!
Wieso stellen die Leute Ihren PC unter den Tisch? Weil sie groß und häßlich sind! Das hat sich verbessert: Mit Shuttle eleganten und kleinen XPCs!

Man lebt nicht nur von Brot allein...
Beim Endpreis kommt man vielleicht auf ein paar Slotti mehr als bei einem großen Standard-PC, SN41G2 ist aber viel eleganter.

Universell einsetzbar
Das kleine Gerät hat alle Anschlüsse wie ein großer PC und ist sogar noch erweiterbar. Es ist genauso schnell und manchmal sogar schneller als herkömmliche große Mainboards. Es kann problemlos im Büro oder auch für schwerste Arbeiten (z.B. Spielen) verwendet werden. Es ist auch gut für Präsentationen einsetzbar und ist leicht zu bedienen.

+ klein
+ sehr elegant und hübsch
+ volle Funktionalität, genauso wie ein großer PC
+ genauso schnell wie ein großer PC

This aluminium chassis with extremely small dimensions offers the latest, and even more important: extremely fast technology. This system doesn't leave much place to extra desires and it surely can replace any desktop full size system.

It was over a year ago, when we met one of the small, but well equipped Shuttle computer for the first time. The latest model proofs that small dimensions needn't necessarily mean, that it doesn't include all new technologies. The aluminum chassis makes it suitable for all kind of modern designed working area. More important is the weight of this computer. You can consider it as some kind of "mobile computer" having in mind that you don't take it too far and that on the end of the road you will have a network plug. Great silver carriing bag in which you can put the PC as well as all other accessories surely approves the above mentioned about traveling. More important for us that the components of the SFF system are not only stable, but also have excellent performance. Up to this model SFF computers were based on SiS or VIA chipsets where the performance could in best case be named as - adequate. If the user wants better performance he take a standard desktop computer and this means to give up all advantages of small form factor. Similar situation occurred in graphics field where the build-in system couldn't satisfy for all applications, especially gaming. Gamers always expect that they can add a highend graphics card. SN41-GLX successfully solves those problems by offering modern mainboard based on excellent nVidia nForce2 chipset which (at least in AMD world) presents the maximum of what is possible. Not only that it - offers full support for AGP 8X and useful USB 2.0 connection. In addition it supports the latest DDR memory modules. If you put memory in both slots then the chipset will access them simultaneously and this improves the datatransferrate between memory and CPU (...) SN41-G2 offers AGP slot so you can use any modern graphic board. (...) It is interesting that in this computer you will not find the usual floppy disc drive. In its place you find a special designed 6-in-1 memory card reader which is internally connected to USB-port. We salute this decision of computer assembler as FDD is not needed any more (except in special occasions). It is far more practical and functional, and those users who plan to buy digital photocamera will be especially satisfied. Our impression with this computer is even grater as it has Maxtor HDD with capacity of 80GB and excellent Plextor combination of DVD reader and CD-RW writer (...) If you need dynamite in small package - this computer is excellent choice!

Headline: Barebones attack - Quickfoot Dwarf
Conclusions: The new Shuttle barebone really impressed us. The taiwanese producer has developed a fast platform which surpass any former XPC for AMD. The tests proves the good choice of this vendor: FN41 mainboard is a real success. Also we are impressed by the low noise of the miniPC; with a single fan, the cooling system solves two delicate problems: processor cooling and case ventilation. Furthermore, the cooler speed is controlled by the processor temperature.

(The article explain the main advantages of the Shuttle barebones: cooling system, case, mainboard (which is compared with Asus A7N8X Deluxe regarding performance), the stability of the system, the Dolby Digital encoder, and the low noise)

Conclusion:
The Shuttle SN41G2 is a product that does not disappoint, by any stretch of the imagination. Harnessing all the power of a computer 3 times it size, the SN41G2 delivers full performance even at a very compact setting. The overall aesthetic of the SN41G2 makes it perfect to have in your living room, and a remote wonder coupled with a Radeon 9700 PRO All-In-Wonder graphics card would be perfect additions to an almost perfect product.

With the SFF craze reaching mainstream levels and companies like Alienware even offering products based on Shuttle's barebone systems, the SN41G2 is a very welcomed and unique addition to the very busy and growing SFF market. It is very impressive that Shuttle was able to cram the features present in the SN41G2 inside the box, including every feature any user, enthusiast to mainstream consumer would be looking for in their new system.

The versatility of the SN41G2 is another note I'd like to mention, as it can be used in many different situations very effectively. For example, it is ideal to use in office environments because of the speed and integrated components inside the box, ideal for enthusiasts because of the performance and wow factor displayed by the system, and ideal for gamers because of its portability and ease of use in LAN parties, among other situations.

The performance of the SN41G2 was up to par and often better than the two best selling nForce 2 solutions out, the NF7-S and the A7N8X by ABIT and ASUS. Reliability wise, we had no problems throughout testing with the SN41G2, and noise was also not an issue as the 80mm fan is only turned onto its highest levels when the CPU temperature crosses the threshold set in the board's BIOS.

Overclocking the SN41G2 was really not existent as there were no voltage adjustments inside the BIOS, partly due to the fact that the amount of people that would be interested in overclocking a SFF PC is very small.

And to conclude, the SN41G2 is definitely a quality product, one that was worked on for a significant amount of time and one that improves upon the first generation of Shuttle SFF bare bone systems. It combines great performance with equally impressive features and is a product that will keep Shuttle the SFF king well into 2003.

Good things come in small sizes * Do not judge its capabilities by its size. Shuttle is set to take its cubis mini-PC concept technology into a new dimension.

Small yet compact
This cool silver system, measuring 30 by 20 by 18.5 cm, fits perfectly into any working environment and is able to house two 3.5-inch drives and one 5.25-inch drive. Its front and back layout looks rather presentable with all the LEDs and I/O connectors arranged neatly (taking into consideration the large number of ports it has) and its brushed aluminum finish is complemented by a blue and orange sequence of bright LEDs, giving it a stylish look. Shuttle has also chosen the SN41G2 to launch its new G2 case desing for its XPC product line. Another impressive part of the SN41G2 Small Form Factor (SFF) system is the heat sink assembly, which incorporates heat pipe technology to provide excellent cooling with a very low profile on the socket.

It's All-Good!!
This system is rather simple to set up. All one needs to connect a hard disk drive, CPU, RAM and an optical reader and you are all set since the mainboard is already built-in and interconnects with all the other components haused on the chassis. (...)

To Buy or Not to Buy, That is the Question...
Roughly a quarter the size of most conventional PC cases, it seems almost impossible to have the same performance from such a small system, but our test have proven that the XPC SN41G2 is able to perform just as well. The list of possible configurations for this SFF system can simply go on forever and when configured properly, the SN41G2 also adds a great deal of versatility like playing DVDs and audio CDs and can be outfitted with a number of components such as a DVD-RW so that the user can create his or her own home DVD videos and even backups. At present, the Shuttle XPC SN41G2 is one of the best performing SFF systems in the market today.

The LAB-tested! in 50 Words or Less...
Shuttle, through some creative engineering and design have managed to come up with a very convincing replacement for the conventional desktops without compromising on its performance. With a clean and rich appearance, one cannot help but wonder what is behind the futuristic front-panel of the XPC SN41G2. Hence, we feel that this all-in-one solution is very viable for those wanting a cleaned-up home entertainment center with added functionality and versatility.

(...) the SN41G2 can be seen as a major milestone in the product line's development. Using NVIDIA's much loved nForce2 chipset, Shuttle has managed to cram a lot of functionality into such a small package. (...) Thanks to an amazing passive heatsink and radiator assembly, the SN41G2 manages the respectable achievement of providing support for the fastest new Athlon XP CPUs while keeping the noise level of the system to a minimum. (...) We encountered no issues with heat, even with a hot little RADEON 9700 PRO card mounted inside. Performance was up to the same stellar level that is seen on full-sized nForce2 motherboards, with some of the best quality PC audio available and integrated graphics that are light years ahead of anything else currently on the market.
With the SN41G2 Shuttle has not only reached an important development milestone, it has finally given consumers a serious reason to consider junking their unwieldy ATX cases. With a stylish chassis, hardly any ambient noise and a feature set to die for, the SN41G2 will change the way you look at the humble PC.

Ob bequem unterm Arm zur LAN-Party oder stationär im Wohnzimmer - das Athlon-Barebone XPC SN41G2 von Shuttle macht als handlicher Spiele-PC einfach eine gute Figur. (...) Besonderes Highlight des Nvidia-nForce2-Mainboards ist die integrierte Grafikeinheit, die der eines GeForce4-MX-Chips entspricht. (...) keine integrierte Grafik war bis dato so schnell. 

This barebone mini-PC shows just how far desktops have come
from the bad old days. The Shuttle SN41G2 has an 8X AGP slot and can use a state-of-the-art graphics card to bring convincing 3D action to the system. [... impressive graphics rendering performance] means that if you plan to use the SN41G2 mainly as an office PC you can save some money by not using the AGP slot and relying on the on-board graphics. It is thoughtful of Shuttle to give users both options and it means that the PC is just a viable for both home and office users. (...) there is no lack of connectivity options on the Shuttle.

More and more people want not just a grey, ugly and powerful PC but a stylish, beautiful and little one. Oh, I've forgotten the performance! Of course - everybody wants a powerful machine. The new Shuttle SN41G2 fulfills all demands, it's beautiful, easy to install and powerful! Combined with an ATi Radeon 9700 Pro it is a kickass machine with all of the features!

Computer - Magazin für die Praxis
Ausgabe 5/2003 (Mai/Juni), Seite 36
Issue 5/2003 (May/June), page 36

Translation:
Best-Buy-Award for "Attractive Home-Entertainment-Centre"
The complete PC "Alternate Mini-XPC System Athlon 2400+" based on Shuttle's XPC SN41G2 was awarded with "Best-Buy"-Award.

"This small system proves that a PC can have an attractive design. It comes with a small well-engineered aluminum case and is full featured. (...) ideal usable as Home Entertainment Centre. (...) The integrated cooling engine is a big plus and allows low noise processor cooling. (...)
Conclusion: This PC is pretty cheap considering its extensive set of features. It is very suitable for the living-room thanks to its extremly low noise fan and its design."

WCM magazine Austria
issue 185, Feb 2003, page 64,66

Translation:
Racing System in Small Form Factor
Shuttle has done it again (...) The remarkable to the new Shuttle Barebones is its Heatpipe cooling system (...) the assembly onto the processor becomes quite simple and also safe for the CPU thanks to 4 thumbscrews which can be tightened with the hand. (...) Pretty nice is the controlled fan, which turns only as fast as required (...) The integrated graphics solution is currently the most efficient 3D graphics processor which is embedded in a chipset. Its performance is almost similar with GeForce4 MX440, and this is not bad and is sufficient for modern Games, too (...) If somebody need more, one can also insert a more powerful graphics card thank to the AGP 8X slot. We have used a Radeon 9700Pro in our test, which is a pretty "hot" device, but this is no real termal problem for the Shuttle. (...) The MCP-T southbridge produces a superior sound, very good for an integrated solution and the "SoundStorm" driver are also good. (...) The Shuttle XPC SN41G2 ist almost a model pupil. The performance is similar with a full-size nForce2 board and it runs very stable (...) We can recommend the Shuttle XPC SN41G2 without reservation.

Translation:
Rating: Very good!
Conclusion: Because of its small dimensions the Shuttle barebone system is very suitable for small desks. The workmanship is excellent. Gamers can also upgrade a more powerful graphics card.