Shuttle SD37P2

Overclocking:

Using our Core 2 Extreme X6800 processor, we set about overclocking the SD37P2. In the past, we haven't had great overclocking experiences with Shuttle XPC's, so we weren't expecting a lot of headroom here either. We managed to get the system stable at 315MHz FSB - at speeds above that, we lost the SATA ports (they just wouldn't initialise) and at 330MHz FSB, the XPC just refused to POST, even after slackening off memory timings. We suspect that we're limited by the voltage adjustments the SD37P2 has available to it, since overclocking with Intel's 975X chipset is limited by the MCH voltage.

Rounding things up...

After using this Shuttle XPC for a couple of weeks, I've found myself getting really attached to it, despite that fact there are some design shortfalls. Personally I would have preferred it if Shuttle had chosen to use the P965 Express and the ICH8R combination, which is "Made for Core 2", and would have offered 800MHz memory support out the bag.

The 975X is an ageing chipset and ICH7R has also been with us for a while. The fact is though, the pair has essentially been used to their fullest in this Shuttle: with 8 USB 2.0 and 4 SATA devices supported. You can't get six hard drives inside the chassis (six SATA ports are supported by ICH8R), unless you want three eSATA devices - that kind of defeats the point of having an SFF chassis in the first place though.

Four RAM slots is great for expandability and upgrading to 2GB of memory using cheaper 512MB modules is a nice option. You can even get away with cheaper PC5400 (DDR2 667) memory and save even more! It's not like you'll be missing the 1T Command Rate because the BIOS doesn't support it. The performance difference between a tight timing DDR2 667 and a mediocre-fast DDR2 800MHz isn't that much.

The black P2 chassis looks great, and despite losing the integrated card reader it looks neater and cleaner. However, the functionality loss doesn't stop at the loss of the card reader though, with there being no easily-accessible reset switch (which could easily be fixed into the hard disk LED "button") it means resetting via power cycling is a laborious task. The case has a very solid feel to it and the drop down doors used in the stealth drive covers have chunkier brackets than on the original P chassis. The original fascias were quite flimsy, and I've previously broken a cover simply by putting down an SN25P at the wrong angle.

The unit as a whole works very well and is extremely stable under heavy load for long periods of time. The orientation of the PCI-Express connector allows the use of dual slot cards, but it means the loss any sort of extra PCI slot peripheral, meaning an X-Fi or any number of useful PCI cards a lot of people have can't be used.

The graphics card orientation also means it uses warmer internal air rather than sucking in cooler, external air. The PSU is now a beefy 400W so should cope with a second card but the space between the slots and cables down the side of the PSU makes it practically infeasible. You could have to employ a solution like the SN26P in order to get away with multi-GPU but all in all, the second PCI-Express x16 slot is frankly a bit useless.

In saying that though, there is still masses of expandability from the eight USB ports, and you shouldn't even miss the loss of the PS2 ports and other legacy external connectors that have been removed. We say this because there are a wealth of USB peripherals that have been available on the market for some time now.

This is the only Shuttle XPC barebones that supports Intel's Core 2-based dual and quad-core processors available at the moment and it currently sells for around £310 including VAT. That price tag makes the SD37P2 one of the most expensive Shuttle's to date, but you're getting a lot of kit for your money. The SD32G(2/5) should be arriving soon, though. That one is based on Intel's 945G chipset and also supports Core 2 processors, but it's limited to using a smaller PSU and has fewer hard disk drive bays. With that said though, it should be cheaper than the SD37P2.

Final Thoughts...

When you consider that Shuttle's XPC product line is the standard-setter for small form factor barebones, you are unlikely to find an equivalent to the SD37P2 elsewhere. There are some limitations that you have to take into account before you consider buying the SD37P2, but then drawbacks are expected when you're packing a lot into such a small space. Even with these shortfalls, the SD37P2 would definitely be on my list if I was building a Core 2-based SFF system.