Motherboard and finished look
A closer look at the FB65 motherboard now. It measures 254mm x 185mm and carries a number of useful features.
Looking at the SB65G2 from an unobstructed view shows the connections for the front panel's features, primary and secondary IDE ports and the main 20-pin power connector. Remember that this cube features a stout 220w PSU, capable of outputting 14A on the critical 12v rail. Shuttle's latest PSU and motherboard combinations have been surprising good voltage-wise. 2 DIMM slots, a vertically-mounted battery and the 4-pin 12v power connector can all be seen. Just in shot is Intel's ICH5 South Bridge, half of the i865PE chipset combination.
FW82801EB, if you know your Intel codes, is a standard ICH5 South Bridge. It can run 8 USB 2.0 ports and 2 SATA ports natively. It's just a shame that the ICH5R, the RAIDable version of the ICH5, isn't specified. Shuttle's thinking probably lies with the lack of space afforded by an XPC and the increased cost associated with the /R South Bridge. As it is, the ICH5's SATA capabilities extend to running drives in independent mode. The ICH5 allows the user to mix and match SATA and PATA channels.
Shuttle heatpipe-based I.C.E cooling is similar to that found on other models. The copper-bottomed cooler sits atop of the CPU, held on by a stiff clip. The heatpipe technology whisks heat away to the top. That's where the Sunon fan, shown on the previous page, helps turn the vapour back into liquid so that it can begin its cooling run again. Simple and effective design.
Two words always spring to mind when describing Shuttle's burgeoning range of XPCs; deceptively powerful.
And you thought Cubism was just some forgotten art form. SB62G2 on the left, SB65G2 in the middle, and SN85G4 on the right. It's power cubed (a bad joke, BTW).
