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Shuttle releases its first mini barebones system featuring an AGP slot to bring competition to what was the domain of the Arprotek e-Cube also known as Thunderbolt. Despite the obvious similarities in form factor, both systems are very different in terms of what they offer. IEEE 1394 is the exclusive property of the SS51G, while the Thunderbolt features a Game port and preconfigured infrared port integrated into the front panel. SIS 315 vs VIA ProSavage8, NEC USB 2.0 vs. native support of the same feature, heatpipe vs, heatsink, where does it start and where will it end. There is only one way to find out ...

A Dream

Mini barebones systems are the dernier cris in the saturated geekdom of PC hardware (and I am not talking about our Romanian friends here). Monster cases are out. Mods are still hot but you are at a LAN party, engulfed in mutual admiration of each others' creativity and along came the guy with the glasses. The one who still used to cry in 3rd grade and did his homework while we were already cool and only used him as a punching bag.... Nerd!

   

And now he carries with him the ultimate insult, a mini barebones system. Gotta hate him for that already but so far, these boxes were cute but no threat. Even better, they only qualified their owners as bird-feed at any LAN event, courtesy of the lack of AGP slots, meaning that the tiny PC surrogates were bound to either PCI graphics cards or else limited by "graphics integrated-central". Yes, sneak up on him and frag him from behind before he even notices what hit him.

Only, this time, it doesn't work, the freak has his lunchbox stuffed with one full Gig of memory and on top of that, runs a GeForce4, and while you still wait for the front panel of his setup to pop open and reveal mommy's peanut butter jelly sandwich that is supposed to be in there, you are already last place along with everybody else while the Nerd just shows his buck teeth and wipes his eye frames. It will happen to you....

The Reality

So what is behind this hype about barebones systems? Very simple, exactly what was written in the last three paragraphs and enabled by a rather seasoned veteran, Jack of all trades, designed by Chyang Fun and marketed under various brand names such as Arprotek, Thunderbolt or e-Cube provided by Tecnacom.

For a few weeks the Thunderbolt was the only mini-barebones system available featuring an AGP slot in addition to the integrated graphics which made it the system of choice for the die-hard LAN-partyist who needed the fast graphics for 3D-gaming. This has changed now with the release of the Shuttle SS51G XPC, latest addition to one of the most successful creations in small form factor computing.

We have been talking to Tecnacom almost since last winter, but there were some delays and some more delays and finally, both systems, that is the e-Cube and the SS51G arrived here on the very same day which is the reason why we were unable to review it earlier and give the e-Cube any headstart. Despite a very similar concept, both systems are very different, both in terms of specs and in terms of features and performance. The question is of course, does the e-Cube need a headstart at all compared to the highly anticipated and acclaimed Shuttle SS51G? Read on as we delve into the mainboard technology first...

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