2005-11-29 - ZDNet: "Ditch your earplugs!"

"Whoever wears earplugs anyway when sitting in front of the PC, doesn't need to bank on notebook components and can set up a PC easier, cheaper and more powerful." But if you have high requirements and definitely want a low noise PC, the editors of the German IT website ZDnet recommend the Shuttle XPC Barebone SD11G5: "It reduces the noise level excellently. You barely notice the optical drive and the hard disk - and both of them are not from Shuttle." Just ditch your earplugs, but you needn't do without performance.

"The Shuttle XPC Barebone SD11G5 is optimized for low-noise operation," explain the editors of the German IT website ZDnet. But no wonder that, Shuttle didn’t change the winning G5 design. A very striking and hot feature is the external power supply providing a "very spacious interior for all components, so that you won’t brake your fingers when connecting the IDE cables." Installing the components was just a piece of cake: "When having the desired components at hand there are no real hurdles to take. Installation isn't done in any different way compared to standard PCs." Even beginners won’t have any problems, as Shuttle adds a "detailed, colored manual that gives you a good impression of every connector and onboard feature." Adding hard disk, optical drive, memory and processor to the Shuttle XPC Barebone SD11G5 won't be a problem, though. The integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator is a "good solution for office and allround systems," write the editors and continue: "Whoever is looking for additional performance can equip the Shuttle XPC Barebone SD11G5 with a separate PCI-Express graphics card."

Got all things together? Then just turn it on and enjoy. "It reduces the noise level excellently. You barely notice the optical drive and the hard disk - and both of them are not from Shuttle." Apart form the low noise level, the power consumption remains low as well. "Even under load in the CPU stability test it was 61,1 Watt only" – a Pentium 4 system sometimes goes beyond 150 Watt and even the less power hungry Athlon systems need around 100 Watt. Moving on to the standby mode, the Shuttle XPC Barebone SD11G5 could convince as well: "Mostly we had values of around 0,0 with some minor deflections upwards. The average value must definitely be under 1,0 Watt," explain the editors.

Speaking of performance then, this SFF PC from Shuttle will compete with mobile computers due to ist notebook components – and it easily shakes off its competitors: "We had better results with the SD11G5 as with a notebook with comparable CPU and memory," as the editors continue enthusiastically: "The Shuttle XPC Barebone SD11G5 fills the gap between notebook and desktop PC. Who wants to set up a home entertainment own its own, this Shuttle barebone is a good basis. It brings low noise operation and power together, even in your office and saves you money on the electricity bill."

Conclusion:

"The Shuttle XPC Barebone SD11G5 was impressive as an entertaiment system and good for use in the office – depending on the components you use. Its performance is equal to desktop PCs, but power consuming as a notebook."