The Shuttle ST61G4 XPC
ATi's Radeon 9100 IGP In Action...

By, Marco Chiappetta
January 26, 2004
 

A quick glance and Shuttle's XPC feature comparison table hints at one of the reasons why they have been so successful with their line of small form factor systems.  Browse over to that page and you'll see that they have consistently and quickly released new XPCs based on virtually all popular mainstream chipsets.  With such a wide variety of choices, and with feature sets that cater to buyers in nearly every market segment from the business user to the performance enthusiast, it's no wonder Shuttle's XPCs have been so dominant in the SFF PC arena.

Shuttle continues the tradition with the new ST61G4 XPC we'll be looking at today on HotHardware.Com.  This XPC is packed with features like SATA RAID and a new super-quiet 250W power supply.  In addition, courtesy of ATi's RS300 chipset, it sports the best integrated graphics on the market.  At the center of the RS300 chipset is ATi's Radeon 9100 IGP, a DirectX 8.1 compliant integrated graphics processor clocked at 300MHz (Details Here).  The RS300 is also equipped with a 128-bit dual-DDR memory controller and is compatible with all of Intel's socket 478 CPUs, including the P4 Extreme Edition.  The IXP150 Southbridge used on the ST61G4 lacks any integrated LAN or Firewire support, but those features are available thanks to on-board controllers from Broadcom and VIA.  On paper, the ST61G4 is a winner, but we all know good specs don't always equate to high-performance in the real world.  So, let's plug her in and find out what the ST61G4 is really made of...

Specifications & Features of the ST61G4
Shiny, SFF Goodness

CLICK ANY IMAGE FOR AN ENLARGED VIEW
           
SPECIFICATIONS TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM SPACEWALKER.COM

Processor
  • Intel Pentium 4 / Celeron in the 478 pin package with 400/533/800MHz FSB

Chipsets

  • ATI RS300 + IXP150
  • Support dual channel DDR200/266/333/400 DDR SDRAM interface

Memory

  • 2 x 184 pin DDR SDRAM DIMM slots
  • Support PC1600/2100/2700/3200 compliant DDR SDRAM compliant SDRAM - Up to 2GB capacity

VGA

  • Integrated high performance ATI Radeon 9100 graphic core

TV-out

  • Support NTSC and PAL format in S-video / composite terminal support maximum input active resolution up to 1024x768

Onboard headers

  • 2 x UDMA100 IDE Ports
  • 1 x FDD Port
  • 2 x 150MB/s S-ATA ports with RAID function
  • CD_in & Aux CD_in headers
  • 20-pin ATX and 4-pin ATX 12V power connector
  • 3 x fan connectors, Parallel port, IrDA header

IEEE1394a

  • VIA VT6307, compliant with 1394 OHCI specification version 1.0, up to 400Mb/s data transfer rate

AGP

  • Support AGP 4X/8x mode

PCI slot

  • 1 x 32bit/33MHz PCI slots

Audio
  • On board Realtek 650F six channel audio

Fast Ethernet

  • Onboard Broadcom 4401
  • Supports 10/100/1000 LAN operation

Serial ATA

  • Silicon Image 3512 supports two Serial ATA ports
  • Supports RAID 0,1 & Hot-spare & on-line Mirror rebuilding

Extension Bay

  • 1 x 3.5 bay (for built in Card reader)
  • 1 x 5.25 bay

Dimension

  • 300(L)x200(W)x185(H)mm, 2.85Kg(N.W.), 4.65Kg(G.W.)

Material

  • Aluminum

Power

  • Dimension: 82(W)x43(H)x190(D)mm (Max)
  • Input: 110/230V AC
  • Output: 250W (PFC)
  • EMI Certified: FCC, CE, BSMI
  • Power Cord: Depends on specific region demand

Accessories

  • 1 x Mainboard User manual
  • 1 x Mainboard CD-driver
  • 1 x XPC Installation Guide
  • 1 x I.C.E. Technology CPU heat-pipe
  • 1 x FDD Cable
  • 1 x HDD Cable
  • 1 x CD-ROM Cable
  • 1 x SATA cable
  • Screws, Twin Adhesive & Friendly Front Feet


     
ACCESSORIES INCLUDED WITH THE SHUTTLE ST61G4

The ST61G4's bundle includes the same set of accessories found with other Shuttle XPCs. The ST61G4 came with three manuals, one User's Manual for the FT61 motherboard used in the system, an installation guide that explains how to properly build-up the machine, and a manual that explains how to configure the Silicon Image 3512 SATA RAID controller.  Four cables were also included with the system - one SATA cable, two custom 80-Wire IDE cables and a single floppy cable. We also found the obligatory driver CD, as well as two small baggies containing some double-sided adhesive tape, screws, zip ties and two metal "friendly front feet" which are used to slightly elevate the front of the system for better air intake. Rounding out the bundle is an S-Video to Composite video adapter and a lint free cloth used for cleaning the ST61G4's mirrored front bezel.  The ST61G4 also ships with Shuttle's custom I.C.E Technology CPU heat-pipe with a copper core.  We've found Shuttle's heat-pipe coolers to perform very well in the past.  In fact, our 3.2GHz Pentium 4's temperature hovered around 40C when installed into the ST61G4.  Not a bad temperature, especially considering how small the system is.

"ClearView" From OutsideLoop.Com:

     

Another XPC accessory that we'd like to show you today isn't included with the ST61G4, but it's something many of you will surely be interested in.  It's the "ClearView" case cover developed by OutsideLoop.Com.  The ClearView panels replace the stock aluminum covers that ship with Shuttle's XPCs.  It consists of three individual pieces that mount to the top and sides of the case.  The two side panels are vented at the bottom, and have knockouts in the center that can accommodate 80mm fan grilles.  With the knockouts removed, the ClearView cover allows for increased airflow into the case, which in-turn lowers the system's internal temperature.  It can be personalized with custom fan grilles and adds a bit of style to an already attractive enclosure.  If you want to add some flair to your XPC, check the ClearView cover out.  Ours will definitely be put to good use!
 


A Closer Look at the ST61G4