Features

200W power supply

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Second generation chassis

The SB61G2 chassis sports Shuttle’s new look first introduced in its nForce2 XPC, the SN41G2, hence the G2 (Generation 2) designation at the end of its name. A marketing guru would boast of its “sleek new lines” or “bold new look”, but to be honest Shuttle’s previous chassis design was never hard on the eyes. The fact that Shuttle is going back to the G1 look in its nForce2 Ultra 400 XPC (the SN45G) is perfect validation of this.

In any case, the G2 chassis is still manufactured of aluminum, allowing the SB61G2 to weigh in at approximately six pounds. With Coolermaster aluminum cases at roughly 15 pounds, the SB61G2 is a virtual featherweight. Even with the system decked out with components, the SB61G2 barely registers on the scale.

The new G2 case design removes the translucent plastic front panel present in G1 models. The power and reset buttons have been redesigned as well. In all honesty, it does give the SB61G2 a more business-like look, especially since the new front panel is made of brushed aluminum. The only downside of this new design is its durability; we can imagine that it may be more easily prone to scratching.

For an added level of panache, Shuttle adorns the SB61G2 with blue LEDs, a feature that tends to be associated with high-end products.

Chassis analysis

Speaking of which, Shuttle’s attention to detail is apparent everywhere. The case is dissembled entirely with thumbscrews, while the drive cage itself has a convenient holder for your IDE ribbon cable. There’s a latch on the outside of the SB61G2 chassis that holds external AGP or PCI cards in place, in addition to the standard AGP retention mechanism. Zip ties are included in the packaging for bundling cables together. Even one of the IDE ribbon cables is partially rounded, giving you more efficient airflow within the SB61G2 case. If all this isn’t enough, Shuttle will also be offering a free copy of Personal Video Station to all XPC owners, we’ll be discussing this feature in particular shortly.

Latch holds AGP card in place

Located on the front panel of the SB61G2 are two USB 2.0 ports and a mini-1394 jack. These are more common on home electronics devices, so we can certainly understand why Shuttle has decided to go this route on the SB61G2 front panel (the first XPC with this feature that we’re aware of). You’ve also got microphone and line inputs, and an output for headphones on the front panel of the SB61G2.

The back of the SB61G2

SB61G2 front panel

On the rear of the chassis, Shuttle has four additional USB 2.0 ports, bringing the grand total up to six ports, two shy of the eight ports supported by the 865G chipset. You’ll have to purchase a USB header if you want the two extra ports; the connector is already present on the FB61 motherboard. In addition, the SB61G2 has an optical input and output, your standard audio connections, VGA output, and Ethernet and 1394 ports. A serial port rounds out the system’s back plate.