Product Listing

X58 in a Pocket - Shuttle SX58H7

By Kenny Yeo - 24 Jun 2009

Conclusion

Niche Following

As one of the first X58 based barebones system to hit the market, the Shuttle SX58H7 is a decent take. Aesthetically, Shuttle has done a good job to update the looks of its new SFF, while retaining the same dimensions as its older products. On paper, Shuttle has managed to reproduce a motherboard with all of the Intel X58 chipset's features. Unfortunately, performance does suffer a tad, but that is to be expected from a SFF board as it is usually not as optimized as its full-size ATX siblings. Still, it's not a slow system by any means.

However, with the Shuttle SX58H7, it is targeted at a very niche group of users. Allow us to explain. As a HTPC, the Shuttle SX58H7 is simply an overkill. There's no point in putting down so much money for a powerful Core i7 processor and DDR3 memory if all you want to do is watch movies from your hard disk, DVD or Blu-ray drive. The fact that the SX58H7 was rather noisy in our testing only made it less suited for this role.

Hardcore enthusiasts may have their eyes on the X58 chipset due to its Core i7 pedigree and its native ability to support both CrossFireX and SLI. Sadly, given the tight confines of the Shuttle SX58H7, that would only be possible with single slot cards, and that's not even factoring in the heat that two such graphics cards will emit while in operation. And then there's the limitation posed by the PSU. It might be certified 80 PLUS Bronze, but it is nonetheless only 500W. It too will be barely adequate to support two high-end graphics cards.

Thus, the Shuttle SX58H7 looks like overkill for a HTPC while being too lightweight for hardcore enthusiasts. However, as you may expect from a Shuttle SFF, it actually makes a very good system for those who frequent LAN parties. Even when fully assembled, it was light enough for us to pot around within our labs. And with a 500W PSU, it'll have enough juice to power a decent enough graphics card, such as our GeForce 9800 GTX, for a smooth gaming experience.

We don't know of any other Intel X58 SFF machine in the market at the moment, and this one from Shuttle isn't half bad. Pity about the price though.

But there's a stumbling block in its rather hefty price tag. At US$649 (S$947), that is enough to get you a decent X58 motherboard, a Core i7 920 processor and have money leftover for perhaps a PSU or a casing. Remember, the Shuttle SX587H comes only with the bare essentials, and that is the chassis, motherboard and PSU. If you want to set up two similarly configured systems, the Shuttle will inevitably cost more. And when you consider its lack of upgrade options, then it dawns on you just how much you need to pay for this little pocket rocket.

As such, the Shuttle SX58H7 will probably follow in the footsteps of its predecessors - the previous Shuttles small form factor machines using the X48 and X38 chipset - and retain its niche following of enthusiasts who demand a customizable (to a certain extent), portable, and powerful system.

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