Shuttle ST20G5

This small barebones system is among the smaller we’ve seen, measuring merely 30 x 20 x 18cm. That said it still manages to pack in two 3.5in hard drives with a 5.25in optical drive sitting on top of those.

This small barebones system is among the smaller we’ve seen, measuring merely 30 x 20 x 18cm. That said it still manages to pack in two 3.5in hard drives with a 5.25in optical drive sitting on top of those.

Not something we’ve come across in the past was the ability to underclock the onboard video. If you’re simply using it as a basic media box with the onboard video, there’s better use in slowing it down so as to have a cooler and quieter running machine. In the BIOS, it allows for the chip to be reduced from the full 350MHz down to 300MHz. Installing memory into it was a pain however, with the PSU hanging closely above the slots.

Of course if you do want a powerhouse, this has all the right bases for it, with a 16x PCI Express slot. This sits next to a standard 32-bit PCI slot, which just might be a godsend to some people, as many of the newer small barebones systems don’t have this. Instead, they pack a 1x or 4x PCI-E slot, which currently are rarely used.

With this slot, you can unlock ATI’s new multi-monitor technology and use both the onboard and your own video card at the same time. Given, the card must be of ATI origin, but you can have up to three screens fully operational thanks to the its new ‘SurroundView’. Which is sweet from an angle.

Silent operation and with the onboard video and high definition 8-channel audio, the ST20G5 is a great foundation for a home media box.