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ITreviewed checked out the Shuttle Prima SX58H7



Just when you think you've got it all in a diminutive PC platform, Shuttle gives you more. The SX58H7 packs amazing performance into a mini glossy aluminium enclosure that's ideal for gamers who don't mind constraining themselves to one double-slot or two single-slot graphics cards and mainstream PC users. Support for the latest cutting-edge Intel processors and DDR3 memory is a dream come true for hardcore users, as is support for both ATI and nVidia graphics cards. There are plenty of external storage and connectivity options thanks to the raft of eSATA and USB 2.0 ports, but I was disappointed by the lack of FireWire and Wi-Fi. Dual Gigabit Ethernet was a welcome surprise, but less welcome was the lack of any PCI slots for legacy add-on cards. The biggest criticism is price. Due to the extortionate price of Intel X58 motherboards, Shuttle has had to bump the price of the SX58H7 into stratosphere. From =A3478, it's more expensive that purchasing an enclosure, power supply, motherboard, and cooling separately. Remember you've got to further budget for an i7-compatible processor (from 225 for a 2.66GHz Core 920), memory (around =A365 for 6GB DDR3 PC3-1066), optical drive (around 60 for a Blu-ray reader), hard disk (around 50 for 500GB), graphics card (anything from 30 up to 330), and operating system (145 for Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit). If you can waiver the cost, the SX58H7 is an impressive exercise in power and compactness that also runs cool and quiet.
Shuttle Prima SX58H7 reviewed