How much are you willing to pay for a high-spec HTPC? Shuttle's latest micro machine affords you a number of configuration options (and is tiny enough to mount to your monitor).
The appeal of a small, silent, efficient, yet powerful PC is immediately obvious. Not only is it a very capable media box, it’s great for flexible office needs. The Shuttle XS35GT is smaller than your average Uni textbook and is a tiny 252mm long, 154mm high and only 33mm thick. It doesn’t use any fans; the Intel Atom D510 CPU is passively cooled. This dual-core processor hums along at 1.6GHz and includes Hyper-Threading technology, letting you run even quite-demanding applications. The shuttle doesn’t come with any OS by default, so we installed Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit, though Shuttle has also tested the GT for Linux compatibility.
The Shuttle mini PCs are available in a number of configurations, including barebones, where you add your own HDD, optical drive and RAM of choice. Our test model ships with 2GB of DDR2, a 500GB HDD and a slimline DVD drive. Graphics are handled by the NVIDIA ION chipset, which has HDMI output as well as a legacy VGA connection. You can get a HDMI to DVI adaptor or cable if you want to connect to a standard monitor. The ION GPU has plenty of grunt for video playback and can handle Blu-rays if you upgrade the optical drive. Pleasingly, we were able to play back 1080p files with no stuttering or reduced frame rate. Gaming potential is limited unless you want to relive the '90s, but the XS35GT did manage a respectable 1,929 PCMark Vantage score.
You also get inbuilt Wi-Fi, five USB ports, Gigabit LAN and a Kensington lock point. The Shuttle can feed audio out via a 3.5mm jack or digitally over HDMI. While very quiet, you will need to swap the standard HDD for an SSD if you want a totally silent PC with no moving parts. On the plus side, with no fans, the Shuttle has no problems in dusty environments. The efficient XS35GT only draws 28W under load, with power supplied by a small, external, brick-style adaptor. The Shuttle can also be mounted to the back of your monitor via an optional extra bracket.
Available from Shuttle, retailing for $599.APC rating: 7/10