Review: Shuttle SD36G5M SFF case

Shuttle's XPC always gets the thumbs up in terms of style.

Small, sleek and near silent, it's the perfect base for a home theatre PC.

In order to highlight it's home theatre capabilities, Shuttle has created the new SD36G5M around Intel’s new Viiv specification.

Featuring an attractive multi-coloured LED display at the front and mirrored panels, it suits both study and lounge environments.

The motherboard employs Intel’s 945G chipset with GMA950 integrated graphics. To keep things quiet, Shuttle’s Smart Fan will only increase its rpm should things start getting a little warm.

Being a barebone system, no processor comes as standard, so it's up to you to choose a model from the Pentium D, Pentium 4 or Celeron D family.

If the integrated graphics aren’t powerful enough for you, a 16x PCI Express slot sits in wait. With such a small case, it comes as no great surprise that just a single PCI slot lies alongside this, which will most likely be used for an internal TV tuner.

As expected, no operating system comes as standard. It’s worth noting that Windows Media Center can’t be bought in the same fashion as Windows XP . Since it’s only available to system integrators, you have to purchase some appropriate hardware at the same time.

So, if you want Media Center, it’s best to purchase it when you pay for your processor. Of course, there's nothing to stop you opting for a non-Microsoft home theatre application.

As is always the case with Shuttle, you end up paying a heft style premium. This barebones system will cost you just under £300 – you’ll then have to shell out for a processor, memory, TV tuner and more.

Nevertheless, it’s a quality system that falls in line with Intel’s Viiv dream.