SP35P2 Pro - Pictures and Initial Impressions

J

JBark

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Dec 13, 2002
Messages
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Looks like I'm the 1st one to get one of these at the [H], I got lucky and snagged some of the early stock that showed up last week. For those of you that are looking, you should start seeing stock today at quite a few places.

Box: Is all black a new look for the Prima Series boxes? My SN45G and SN25P sure didn't come in black


Case: I guess it looks like a P2 case, which looks pretty similar to my old P case.


Interior: As usual, there's a lot more room in here than you would expect. Note that the caddies are held in with screws, no more screwless stuff on this case.


Cooling: Here's a few pics of the Oasis stuff, plus the fan labels (if anyone cares)


Power Supply: Stupid clamp is over part of the spec label, I might try pulling it off here soon to get a better picture. Also took some pictures of the clearance between the PS and the memory slots. 1st pic of from the mobo to the PS, 2nd is from the top of the mem slot to the PS.


Parts Installed: Even with everything installed, there's still tons of room in the case.


And a bonus shot, I thought it was funny. Did someone forgot to change that generic label to FP35, or whatever they call this mobo?


Whew, that took a while. Here's the specs of what I've got in the box:
G0 Q6600
2x2GB RAM (DDR2 800)
eVGA 8800GTX
2x320GB Maxtor HDs in RAID1
1x750GB WD HD
Pioneer SATA DVD burner

So far, I haven't tried any overclocking. I want to give this thing a week or so, just to make sure it works ok with the stuff I've got right now. I looked in the BIOS menus, and it did look like there was a far amount of OCing options.

The RAID was a bit of an issue. Someone mentioned it before, but it looks like you can't hook up a SATA optical device and use RAID at the same time. As soon as I plugged in my DVD burner, the boot option to configure RAID went away. So I'm using a SATA to USB adapter for the DVD burner at the moment. Another problem was the lack of SATA power connectors. It has 4 SATA ports, but only 3 SATA power plugs. I ended up having to use a y splitter and a molex to sata adapter, so I could power the 2nd port on the 8800gtx, and power all my drives.

Vista64 installed without a hitch, all the drivers I found worked fine, and this thing is pretty quiet sitting at the desktop. No crashes or glitches to speak of, but I've only used it for a couple hours. I'm hoping to get a few games installed this weekend and start hitting it pretty hard. I want to see if the PSU can really handle this type of load.

So far, I'm pretty damn impressed. If this thing stands up to some abuse and overclocks good, I think I'm going to very happy.
 
Wow, those pictures rock, especially the one with the 8800GTX backside. That sure is a small case!
 
Nice! This is gonna be my next pc. I love the look, the gtx is nice and snug in there with a little room to spare.
 
I'm not a shuttle fan but their ability to get that unit working on a 400w psu amazes me. I'm curious how well it overclocks.
 
I love my SD37P2. It is black and beautiful and runs like a dream.

I'm able to get my E6600 to 3.0 ghz rock solid stable, and I'm sure I could've pushed it further but it'd require more cooling and I prefer the quietness of my case and CPU fans. People have run their processors higher though, and in tandem with 8800 GTX'es, too. The SilentX PSUs in those Shuttles are monstrous, probably the best you can find for a SFF case. There's even a 450 watt version out there, but it is rare and hard to find.

I was intending to build a new system and the SP35P2 Pro pretty much fits what I'm looking for. Just waiting on Penryn and the upcoming video card refreshes. Thanks for posting the review OP!
 
Just an update before I head to bed.

Had to drop my ram speeds way down (to 667 6-6-6-18), but it seems to be stable at 333x9 at Auto voltage (speedfan says vcore1=1.23V, vcore2=1.26V). I bumped the ram voltage up to 1.925 (reads 1.9), but I'm not sure if I really needed to with the timings so low. I'm a little confused as to why my ram speed would affect my overclock, since they seem to be completely separate in the BIOS, with no RAM divider option found anywhere. But I've been outta the OC game for a while, so I could just be an idiot. :)

Running Prime95 on all 4 cores, I get core temps of 57, 57, 54, 54. This is with the ICE fans reversed and the case off. Temp1 in speedfan reports 39C, which I believe is the northbridge. I do have an extra case fan in the box, since the NB seemed to be getting quite hot. Adding the fan dropped the NB temps 20C! Temp2 in speedfan is 68C, but I'm not sure what it's measuring. Seems to follow CPU temps, though.

Here's a pic of the extra fan I added, it's blowing down:


It's a low RPM fan, so I can't hear it over the stock cpu fans.
 
How much in all did you end up spending on this? I'd love to get a similar system with this case but I'm sure I'd be looking at $2k or so.
 
How loud was it stock?
I'm pondering using one of these in my TV room, as opposed to going with an HTPC case.
Thanks!
-Ghent
 
Id like to post my current temp of 48 C
I'm currently using XPC tools to set fan speeds.
I was just using the DVD-RW, so my chassis temp could be a little high,
either way
chassis temp 57
board temp 42,
I have an x1800x in this bad boy that pulls air from the same spot as the Ice In fan does, so it does mess with the designed airflow of this XPC.
 
killzone said:
weres the clear cmos button on the back did they do away with it??
Click to expand...
It's there, up on the top left. Kinda hard to see with the flash washing it out.

Ghent915 said:
How loud was it stock?
I'm pondering using one of these in my TV room, as opposed to going with an HTPC case.
Thanks!
-Ghent
Click to expand...

Pretty damn quiet. Even with the extra fan, the C2Q running at 333x9, and the case cover off, it's not bad at all. And it's sitting on my desk a couple feet from my head. With a C2D, and a much cooler video card (maybe an 8500gt?), it would probably be very hard to hear, especially from quite a few feet away.
 
The Cisco Kid said:
Man this makes me want to sell my SG01e and pick this baby up!!!
Click to expand...
Any comments on why? I'm pretty close to buying parts to build an SG01e system, but I'm not ruling out something like this Shuttle, so any thoughts you have would be useful to me. The SG01 route seems a hair cheaper (SG01e, NT-06, ST50EF-SC, and a Gigabyte G33M-DS2R = $404.87, this Shuttle = $439.99).
 
canislupy said:
Because its sexy? :D
Click to expand...
Both seem pretty sexy to me. Hm, it seems that Shuttle is a fair bit smaller and yet it can accommodate an 8800GTX unlike the SG-01, though. On the other hand, I always hear people complaining about problems with Shuttles and their horrible service, and the SG-01 can take new motherboards as they come out. Tough call. I'd love to see a picture of an SG-01 next to the Shuttle from various angles.
 
I own Shuttle's and have an SG01, which IMO doesn't compare. Sure, it can take a full size PSU and you can update the mobo when new ones come out, but I found it to be a hassle to work with.

I agree with another posters suggestion to go with the SG03 over the SG01 for better cooling/ergonomics/etc, if you don't go with a Shuttle.
 
aboof said:
Any comments on why? I'm pretty close to buying parts to build an SG01e system, but I'm not ruling out something like this Shuttle, so any thoughts you have would be useful to me. The SG01 route seems a hair cheaper (SG01e, NT-06, ST50EF-SC, and a Gigabyte G33M-DS2R = $404.87, this Shuttle = $439.99).
Click to expand...

aboof,

Well my SG01e is friggen great, but has one major draw back IMO. It can't hold anything larger than an 8800GTS. It can hold something larger, but needs some modification to the hard drive cage. Don't get me wrong, the SG01e is awesome, but I'm just concerned I may not have the best video card upgrade options.

This Shuttle is very sexy and they do build very solid products. The power supplies are top notch and can handle almost anything you throw at them. One negative could be cooling though. In my SG01e I have 4 x 80mm fans in various locations, which keep the Video Card temps very very low. Just something to consider.

I too would suggest an SG03 over an SG01 at this point. You can fit full sized video cards in the SG03, possibly two with the right mATX.
 
Thanks for the advice, guys. I don't really care for the looks of the SG03 - something shaped more like the SG01 or this Shuttle would fit better. I don't plan to buy a GTX either; more likely a 8800GT, actually. All things being equal, I'd prefer to have to the option of using a huge card like the GTX, but it's no deal-breaker. I suppose I am still leaning toward the SG01, since it appears that if I had a double-slot video card, I wouldn't be able to fit a sound card in there? I don't know that the onboard audio would be adequate for my DAW needs. If the 8800GT photos are real and it turns out to be a single-slot card, then the Shuttle would still be an option I'd have to think hard about, though. The fact that it'd be a dead-end as far as changing the MB or upgrading to a double-slot VGA card (without removing my audio card) is troubling, though. I wish I could see some head-to-head noise and temperature data for the two with the same hardware installed. And also some side-by-side photos.
 
It has been reported that shuttle will be selling new motherboards separately for its XPC line chasis when new tech comes out so that people can upgrade without need of buying a whole new box. Not sure how well this will all work, and how future compatible it makes the Shuttle vs MATX (prob not quite as much since mobo is still proprietary form factor, and Shuttle could come out with P3 chassis for example). But its a bone for those of us who do have Shuttle's. :D

http://www.digitimes.com/systems/a20070528VL200.html
 
Just so there's no question, I'm a complete n00bie, this is my first computer build. I got my SP35P2 on Monday and as far as I can tell I've assembled it correctly, the only odd thing is that the shroud on my graphics card rubs on the Oasis and the card is skewed slightly because of this. The problem is that when I start the computer It seems to power up normally but I get nothing on the monitor, absolute zilch, not even the BIOS! Also I've tried updating the BIOS with a floppy and the status LED never lights?

This is my setup:

Q6700
eVGA 8800 GTS KO
4x1GB OCZ SLI PC8500 5-5-5-15
1 WD Raptor X 150GB
Plextor SATA DVD Burner

Any help would be appreciated immensely!
 
overclock!!! hehe... max fsb? ;p i've been looking into this board for a long long while. trying to justify if it's worth the hassle to go shuttle
 
JavaBill2

Try getting it to boot with 1gb of ram

My brother had a dead stick never got any beeps the machine he was working on wouldn't post bois

After hours of trying to figure it out he yanked 3 sticks and it booted

One of the 4 was a dud
 
I did try clearing the CMOS, even to the extent of pulling the battery and letting it sit for a few minutes. I did try swapping one stick from slot to slot (but knowing my luck I was probably moving the same bad stick around).
 
Jalidi said:
I love my SD37P2. It is black and beautiful and runs like a dream.

I'm able to get my E6600 to 3.0 ghz rock solid stable, and I'm sure I could've pushed it further but it'd require more cooling and I prefer the quietness of my case and CPU fans. People have run their processors higher though, and in tandem with 8800 GTX'es, too. The SilentX PSUs in those Shuttles are monstrous, probably the best you can find for a SFF case. There's even a 450 watt version out there, but it is rare and hard to find.

I was intending to build a new system and the SP35P2 Pro pretty much fits what I'm looking for. Just waiting on Penryn and the upcoming video card refreshes. Thanks for posting the review OP!
Click to expand...

Not to derail the thread, but what video card refreshes are coming up? I'm planning on buying this system in the next month or so--but if there is going to be an improvements to the graphics card I might wait a bit.
 
I think your choices in a month or so will be either the 8800GT or the X2950 Pro, both should be single-slot along with a GPU die shrink and corresponding drops in heat production and power use, all positive things when you consider the small profile of a Shuttle.

If possible try to find a video card which vents air out the back as opposed to into the case, the exhaust is heat you don't want inside the case which, at least with my SD37P2, already gets hot enough as it is.
 
JavaBill2 said:
I did try clearing the CMOS, even to the extent of pulling the battery and letting it sit for a few minutes. I did try swapping one stick from slot to slot (but knowing my luck I was probably moving the same bad stick around).
Click to expand...


JaveBill2, you get that thing up and running yet????

Def reset bios, check RAM, you could have a bad HD, and if I were you anything on an IDE port i would make sure the jumpers are set to cable select, and if you where having difficulties with you Vid card fitting in the case, make sure its properly seated in the slot, otherwise she won't boot, has to be one of these. Where did you buy your components??... if you got em Ebay style, then you could have something bad, if new from new egg, still lots of broken shit commin from them from a lot of the product reviews i've been reading....
WIth the ram, try one Dimm at a time... to see if one of those are the culprits, other wise.. you could have a Bad MOB, if its new, and you put it together right, then something is bad...

I dont know how much that helps, but i thought id throw my two sense in ....

A Man
 
A Man,

It is still lifeless, I got the HD at Best Buy, the floppy drive and DVD Burner at TigerDirect, the case at Mwave, and everything else at NewEgg. I've tried nearly every combination of ram and slots I can think of, one moved from slot to slot, one in both red slots, one in both green slots, and all four installed. At I've tried booting it with the Burner, or HD, or Floppy disconnected, and I tried a know good Floppy all to no avail. I will pickup a cheap single slot video card this afternoon, maybe a 8400 or 7300 just to eliminate that as a possibility. The other weird thing is that, no matter what, the floppy drive status LED has never lit, even with a good drive out of my other shuttle. That's how things sit at the moment, thanks for all the help!

JavaBill2

P.S. I've been wondering if this first batch of mainboards isn't actually the tail end of a prototype run of boards, considering the generic SXXXPXXXXX model number and the fact that these are supposed to have surface mount "Solid" capacitors, but all the boards I've see so far have through hole capacitors. Makes you wonder.
 
I haven't seen any claims to the capacitors being surface mount anywhere, link?
 
As for the Solid capacitors:
http://us.shuttle.com/barebone/Models/sp35p2_pro.html

After what AA Man said I'm definitely thinking that the fan shroud on the video card is at fault, particularly since the 8800GTS 640MB KO ACS3 has a shroud which extends to the end of the card whereas a 8800 GTS or GTX has a shroud that stops at the edge of the blower. If a single slot card works, I may say "to heck with the warranty" and cut a hole in the shroud to accommodate the Oasis heatsink.
 
Right, but nothing in there says anything being surface mount, solid yes, but it looks to be the same to me as every other motherboard with solid capacitors out there. The board rev does give me pause, but I we shall see when I get mine to play with tomorrow.
 
It's Alive!!

Well, it turns out that the problem was the ram. I went to Circuit City and bought a 512MB stick of Kingston PC-667 and the thing came to life. However, I hate to see 4GB of memory turn into paperweights, I have 4GB of OCZ PC-1066 5-5-5-15 ram which is actually on shuttle's supported list, and yet no matter what settings I try I can't get it to post with this ram. Does anybody have any suggestions as to what BIOS settings I should try to get this to run? From what I've read in the reviews this stuff does like 2.1-2.2v.

Thanks
 
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