|  WITH CUBES for every processor package since Socket 370, it was only a matter of time before Shuttle whipped up an XPC for AMD's 939-pin Athlon 64 processors. Sure enough, Shuttle has released the XPC SN95G5 for Socket 939. The SN95G5 surrounds a motherboard based on NVIDIA's nForce3 Ultra chipset with a carefully massaged variation of Shuttle's venerable G-series chassis. Sounds like a recipe for XPC perfection, doesn't it? Unfortunately, perfection is inherently fickle. And so are we. While the SN95G5 comes close to perfection—perhaps closer than any other XPC—a couple of unsightly blemishes taint the cube's otherwise considerable appeal. Join me as I explore what makes the SN95G5 so sweet, but also what ultimately leaves a bitter aftertaste. The specs: As always, let's kick things off with a look at the SN95G5's spec sheet. Anyone who can spot the first chink in the cube's armor gets a gold star. | CPU support | Socket 939-based Athlon 64 processors | | Chipset | NVIDIA nForce3 Ultra | | North bridge | NVIDIA nForce3 Ultra | | South bridge | NVIDIA nForce3 Ultra | | Interconnect | NA | | Expansion slots | 1 32-bit/33MHz
1 AGP 4X/8X (1.5V only) | | Memory | 2 184-pin DIMM sockets
Maximum of 2GB of DDR266/333/400 SDRAM | | Storage I/O | Floppy disk
2 channels ATA/133
2 channels Serial ATA 150 via nForce3 Ultra with RAID 0,1 support | | Audio | 6-channel audio via nForce3 Ultra integrated audio and ALC655 codec | | Ports | 1 PS/2 keyboard
1 PS/2 mouse
1 serial
4 USB 2.0 with headers for 2 more
2 Firewire via VT6307
1 RJ45 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet via Marvel 88E8001
1 analog front out
1 analog bass/center out
1 analog rear out
1 analog headphone out
1 analog mic in
1 analog line in
2 digital S/PDIF outputs (TOS-Link and Coaxial)
1 digital S/PDIF input (TOS-Link) | | BIOS | Phoenix AwardBIOS | | Bus speeds | CPU: 200-280MHz in 1MHz increments
AGP: 66-100MHz in 1MHz increments | | Bus dividers | CPU:HT: 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 1:5 | | Voltages | CPU: 0.8-1.7V in 0.025V increments
DDR: auto, 2.7-2.9V in 0.1V increments
AGP: auto, 1.6-1.8V in 0.1V increments
Chipset: auto, 1.7-1.9V in 0.1V increments | | Monitoring | Voltage, fan status, and temperature monitoring | | Fan speed control | |
