Shuttle X27 Small Form Factor Reviewed

The Shuttle slim PC X27 (~US$190 barebones with Intel Atom 230 processor) is a mini PC that has the following features:

• Mini ITX Form Factor
• Intel Atom 230 CPU
• Intel 945GC + ICH7 chipset
• 1 x 240 pin DDR2 DIMM Slots, 2GB per DIMM (Max 2GB)
• Intel GMA 950 integrated graphics
• Realtek ALC662 5.1 Channel High Definition audio
• 10MB/s,100MB/s,1GB/s LAN
• 1 x UltraDMA100 IDE channel Master
• 2 x On-board SATA connector
• 3 x 4pin fan connectors
• 1 x Serial port
• 1 x D-sub port
• 1 x DVI port
• 4 x USB 2.0 ports
• 1 x 2.5' bay
• 1 x Slim ODD bay
• dimensions: 250(L)x185(W)x70(H) mm

Tom's Hardware tested a Shuttle X2700 ($429), a fully-configured X27 (the X27 barebones plus 2GB of DDR2-667 memory, 80 GB hard drive, 8x DVD burner, optional wireless connectivity, and Foresight Linux OS):

"At just under $200, the X27 barebones is actually a fair deal considering you can finish it up for a bit north of $300. That is, of course, if you're willing to use the miniature machine as an online terminal in the kitchen or as an Internet portal in the living room. But to charge $429 for a fully configured X2700 is a bit much when you can piece together a fully capable Athlon X2 4050e-based machine with a Radeon HD 4670 for $10 less." [Tom's Hardware | Shuttle's X27]

As Tom's Hardware believes, the X27 is more likely aimed at people who'd buy a Dell Studio Hybrid or Eee Box. If you are looking to build a mini PC for net browsing and other simple tasks, the X27 is a sexy beast.

If you are more of a DIY person, you can also try building your own nettop. It may not be as small as the Shuttle X27, but can give you more flexibility in choosing the form factors of the HDD and ODD you'll be adding.

IceRocket : sff, shuttle, small form factor, x27, x2700