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MOTHERBOARD LAYOUT & CPU COOLING
The ST62K uses a Shuttle FT62 motherboard with the ATI 9100 IGP
chipset. ATI has partnered with Intel to integrate high performance video onto
the motherboard. The 9100 IGP seems to compete directly with Intel's
865G chipset performance but has much more advanced onboard video performance.
The 9100 chipset consists of the RS300 northbridge and the IXP150
southbridge, both passively cooled on this system. Chalk up another
one for silence! The RS300 is compatible with Intel Socket 478 processors on
a 400, 533, or 800MHz front-side bus. This gives a wide range of CPU choices
from high-end Pentium 4s to low-end P4-based Celerons. This chipset also supports
Hyper-Threaded processors and dual-channel memory for up to 2GB of PC3200 DDR SDRAM.
The IXP150 southbridge supports six USB 2.0 ports, four external
plus two internal headers (which seem designed for the integrated card reader
Shuttle doesn't include). The SB also supports two ATA-100 P-ATA
IDE channels. There is no onboard support for Serial ATA. There is also an onboard Realtek 10/100 Fast Ethernet
controller and two Firewire ports courtesy of the VIA VT6307 Firewire controller.
L to R: Single PCI slot, heatsink
bracket, CPU socket, passively cooled RS300 NB and IXP150 SB.
The Radeon 9100 Integrated Graphics Processor supports DirectX
8.1 and utilizes a 128-bit DDR memory bus running at 300MHz. This will give pretty
fast video memory access and should be powerful enough for HTPC's, business
systems and non-hardcore gaming. The 9100 IGP has single VGA and S-Video outputs,
but no DVI output or multi monitor support without a PCI graphics card.
ICE Cooling System
The ST62K uses the familiar Shuttle ICE (Integrated Cooling Engine)
heat-pipe heatsink to cool the CPU, and the rest of the case for that matter.
The ICE cooling system consists of an aluminum heatsink with a swaged-in copper
base, four heat pipes and an aluminum finned radiator with an 80mm fan in front
of it. This fan serves two purposes. It acts as a case cooling exhaust fan and
it also transfers the heat from the radiator to the outside of the case. Shuttle
has chosen to replace the rather noisy standard Sunon fan with a much quieter
Bi-Sonic 80mm x 15mm DC Brushless Fan on the ST62K. This fan is rated at 45cfm
at 3500rpm but is speed controlled by the BIOS' "Smart Fan" technology
for quieter operation.
ICE cooler with copper base, aluminum fins,
four liquid-filled heatpipes and aluminum-finned radiator. Schweet!
80mm x 15mm BI-Sonic fan in shroud
with rubber grommets to reduce vibration.
ICE heatsink in place without fan, shroud and HS clip.
All of the ICE elements.
The ICE cooler is secured to the standard Intel heatsink retention
bracket by a nice retention clip that is easy to install and remove but still
holds the heatsink on quite firmly. Rubber washers are used to dampen vibrations
between the ICE cooler's fan shroud and the mounting points on the rear of
the chassis: Another nice little touch on a potentially noisy area.
