Shuttle Barebone Support Intel Core i7/i5/i3 (LGA1156) HDMI SH55J2 (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this barebone kit after my friend recommended shuttle to me for building a small form factor desktop. I have been running this desktop with a i5 quad core 2.8 ghz, MSI GTX 470, 8 gig ripjaw ram 1333 mhz, and Intel 80 GB SSD. Upgraded the power supply with a 500W one from shuttle. So far the performance of my desktop is flawless and the system is very stable. The form factor is a huge plus because I don't have much room in my room. But even with such a tiny case, I am running Crysis with everything on full on a dell 24" monitor and the FPS is quite playable.

I would highly recommend this desktop for anyone who wants a portable desktop that can perform like a full tower. In terms of noise and heat this case is actually very good. During normal desktop use, the fan is barely audible (there is only 1 fan cooling both the case and CPU). Depending on the video that you choose, the desktop may be significantly louder during gaming. For example, my GTX 470 generates a butt load of heat (90 C load temperature) and the computer is quite loud at full load. The sound level is similar to that of a PS3 during a video gaming session. It is loud but it doesn't take away from the gaming experience. You could actually reduce the heat quite a bit by keeping the cover off.

Pros:
Small form factor
Good heat management
SD card reading
2 USB + firewire port in the front
Stable motherboard

Cons:
Only 2 SATA slots
If you have a giant video card you won't be able to use the second PCI slot.

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Product Description:
The revolutionary Intel Core i7/i5/i3 processors based on Socket 1156 with high computing power and relatively low power consumption are outstandingly suitable for Mini-PCs. With the XPC barebone SH55J2, Shuttle's product range now includes a model for this processor platform. Despite its compact dimensions it still manages to find space for a PCI-Express slot, DDR3 memory, HDMI interface, Gigabit LAN, 8-channel audio with S/PDIF out(optional) and an array of interfaces. With an 80 Plus certified 300W power supply and effective heatpipe cooling system, the SH55J2 demonstrates industry-leading thermals and rock-solid stability.The design of the Intel new Core i3/i5/i7 processors will eliminate the need for the traditional Northbridge found on previous generation of mainboards. Thus, the Shuttle SH55J2 sports Intel's H55 Express Platform Controller Hub(PCH) from the Intel 5 series "Ibexpeak" family, which will integrate the hard drive controller, network controllers, monitor physical interfaces, PCI controller and other input/output functionalities.With the space-efficient design, the SH55J2 is as roomy as it gets, maximizing the headroom for enthusiasts and power users to upgrade to the latest graphics cards. Despite the small housing, the SH55J2 is capable of running dual-slot(double-width) PCI Express graphics cards. The Intel Core i3/i5/i7 processors integrate the Intel HD Graphics engine which supports full 1080p high-definition video playback, including Bluray disc movies. It features Intel Clear Video Technology and the optimized 3D graphics engine supports DirectX 10, and delivers the performance and compatibility you need for entertaining.Shuttle SH55J2 incorporates an eSATA-USB combo port into its front panel. The combo port combines the convenience of USB power while supplies the high speed of eSATA. There is no additional power source required when connecting the eSATA-USB combo device and thus helps to save space and maximize flexibility

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Acer AspireRevo AR3700-U3002 Slim and Compact Desktop - Blue Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is just a quick note to fill in a couple of details not in the listed specs, now that I've actually received and set up 2 of these.

The version of ION graphics is listed on the box as "GT218-ION" They work perfectly, so far as I can tell for You Tube HD (and Hulu) videos. (I did first upgrade Flash to version 10.1.)

The "wireless" mouse and keyboard work via a nano-size dongle installed in a USB port, and are fine up to a distance of about 5 feet. They are seen by Windows as 2.4GHz, but are not listed as Bluetooth.

Both the VGA video to a 20" 1600 x 1200 pixel LCD PC monitor and the HDMI video to a 46" 1080p (1920 x 1024 pixel) LED TV work fine. (I did reduce the resolution slightly on the TV due to the TV's overscanning otherwise hiding the edge of the PC display screen. I'm sure the overscan can also be adjusted in the TV settings to resolve this without reducing resolution, but didn't find the place to do so quickly enough.)

Speed is listed as 3.5 on the Windows Experience, compared to 2.1 on our Asus Eee PC 1000 running the 32 bit version of Windows 7 Home Premium. (These new PCs run the 64 bit version.)

These are marvelously quiet. The only time the fan is ever audible is for a moment during the initial power-on sequence.

I had no trouble installing our Samsung USB DVD player. Just plugged it in and it was immediately recognized. Likewise, pointing to my HP 2605 networked color laser printer - found and configured automatically. (One suggestion: when the printer installer offers to update its list of printer drivers, let it.)

It wasn't initially clear how I would reinstall everything if the hard drive ever fails. The PC didn't come with any media to be used for that. (I later discovered the included program eRecovery creates an image of the factory setup on 3 DVDs, with a fourth DVD for drivers, and easily made a set on DVD+RW disks, using the above-mentioned external DVD driveSamsung USB 2.0 8x DVD Writer External Optical Drive for Mac and PC SE-S084C/RSBN (Gloss Black).)

Another day in and I've removed some of the unneeded pre-installed programs, disabled unwanted startup programs with msconfig, installed Microsoft Security Essentials, Firefox (along with add-ins Firefox Sync, NoScript, Flashblock, and BetterPrivacy), and Microsoft Office 2007 (2010 comes pre-installed, but would have cost me extra.) Windows Update has found and installed dozens of security upgrades.

Day 3: Telecommuted using this PC today. The VPN link was fine, as was management of a remote database application and a GoToMeeting that included both audio and video. Nothing I did today spiked CPU utilization about 40%! I also checked electricity used, and found it usually under 25 watts, barely more than the 20 watts used by our Asus Eee PC 1000 netbook, despite this Acer having more cores (2 rather than 1), faster clock speed (1.8GHz in place of 1.6GHz), and a 216GB hard drive (rather than 40GB of SSD.) Both 802.11b WiFi and Gigabit Ethernet Internet links work fine.

I'll keep adding more as I finish configuring these, but wanted to post now in case anyone else has been wondering whether these actually exist and are any good. The answer is yes!

Update: Two weeks in, this has still been a perfect choice for both of us. Everything is now configured just the way we like, and a full system backup made, just in case. (I used our USB external DVD+RW drive, but any external USB drive with enough space would do.)

For anyone wondering whether the standard 2GB of RAM is enough, neither of ours has yet used even half of that yet, even though one of our PCs typically has a dozen windows open in different applications simultaneously.

Highly recommended!

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Product Description:

Acer AspireRevo AR3700: Mini Home Entertainment Center

Ultra-sleek and about the size of a book, the space-saving and quiet Acer AspireRevo AR3700-U3002 nettop is an easy fit for any room in the house--perfect for use as a fully functional home office PC or as a multimedia hub for casual gaming when connected to an LCD or HDTV. Its compact 1L size makes it easy to stand discreetly on a desk, and you can even attach it to the back of an HDTV or monitor with the included VESA mounting kit.

The space-saving AspireRevo is ideal for streaming movies, TV shows, music and other online media as well as tackling everyday computing needs with ease.

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eMachines ET1352-53 Desktop - Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Very impressed so far with this unit.

For the value for everything you really cant go wrong. As of 11/13/10, an HP of the same spec's would run you $539 w/ free ship as well from HP's website for a bto (built to order). So for $398 and free shipping, not a bad deal.

Emachines, after doing some research, are owned by Acer, all the software built in is Acer software, good to hear.

Over all it is very quite unit, and the case is pretty nice.

I added a tv turner card for windows media center and new video card with HDMI and works great. (The intergrated video card it good as well, but wanted the HDMI for my 46" tv.) There is also room to add another cd drive and hard drive if need be, however I only saw one extra power hook up aviliable. :(

The keyboard and mouse are good, can do better, but not complaining here, at lease the mouse is optical.

Windows 7 Home edition is fully loaded with all the features and office starter (basic word and excel) is just what it is, a starter edition. Can view and make basic edits with the software. As for power point, power point viewer is aviliable for download if need be to view the doc's as well.

The recovery software is nice, (they dont give you the restore disc's) so you need to make them yourself. SHOULD DO THIS! 4, 4.7 gb dvd's are needed. ALSO make note of your windows 7 cd key sticker on the side of the unit for restoring if need be.

Hope this helps

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Product Description:

Multitask more things at once with the eMachines ET Series desktop PC (model ET1352-53) featuring dual-core performance, 3 GB memory, large storage capacity, and expansion capabilities with the eMachines quality and price you expect. This stylish PC comes equipped with the new Microsoft Office Starter 2010 and Windows 7 Home Premium, delivering a truly immersive digital experience and making it easy to create a music library, edit and store digital photos, manage finances, surf the Internet and keep in-touch with friends and family.

The eMachines ET1352-53 desktop.

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