Introduction

"Shuttle has a history of innovation." Is that truth or a corporate P.R. line? Let’s take a look at some of their creations:

The SFF barebones itself.

In 2001, Shuttle created the SV24, a major accomplishment in cramming current technology into a shoebox. It was hailed industry-wide as a step forward, suitable both for desktop computing and as a stylish and useful addition to many a HTPC setup. In fact, until other manufacturers realized what a good thing was afoot, the acronym "SFF" even stood for "Shuttle Form Factor."

ICE module

This really needs no explanation in these here parts. In order to keep their cool in such a cramped space, Shuttle created the "Integrated Cooling Engine" - or ICE for short. (Convenient acronym, no?) Combining an efficient heatsink/fan combo with nifty heatpipes to wick heat away from your CPU, they were able to cram a lot of cooling into not a lot of space. On top of the hardware itself, locating the ICE unit’s fan directly against the exterior of the case meant that dangerous heat was immediately exhausted, rather than left to circulate inside as in other designs.  Finally, Shuttle’s introduction of heatpipes themselves helped popularize them throughout the industry.

XPC and other innovations

On the heels of their SV machines came the XPC line, which sold like hotcakes, and in 2004 they got even smaller - the XP17 - an all-in-one LCD solution. Their M1000 was a smart and classy convergence of PC and Home Theater, and their X100 took the term "small" to new heights.. er… lows? Smalls? Anyway, it was tiny and feature-packed.

In 2005, Shuttle was the first manufacturer to create a SFF box capable of SLI, and have throughout their run garnered dozens of awards and accolades. I think it’s safe to say that, yes, they’re an innovative company.

Continuing that path of innovation, today we look at the first and only PCI-E v2.0 ATI CrossFire small-form-factor system in the world: Shuttle’s new SX48P2-E. Having gotten to play with this bad boy, I have to break down and jump to the conclusion: It is NICE.

If you want more details, please read on.

 

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