In the media centre world, Shuttle really need no introduction, they are renowned for creating some of the most beautifully designed media pc chassis. They have been ploughing through the competition in the Small Form Factor world for a good few years now and when it comes to building a high performing PC or new media centre there really isn't any reason we shouldn't consider any of the offerings from Shuttle. So with this in mind lets take a look at Shuttles top of the range AMD AM2 barebones system.

Shuttle package their systems very well and upon opening the glossy package we are greeted with the familiar reassuring sign of ample foam protection. All of the cables, screws, manuals and disks are in a small white box which protects the case finish.

Once unpacked we can further study the unit and although similar to many of the other shuttle systems, each new chassis has subtle yet important changes in design. This AM2 based system has been finished in a high quality black veneer that is a refreshing change from so many shiny silver, red or white units available. The black finish also has an advantage of blending into the background if hidden away in a TV cabinet when used as a Media PC. Additionally the CD/DVD unit and floppy driver are hidden behind small flaps on the front giving the cube a totally minimalist appearance. If you yearn for an overuse of LED lighting and other flashing gimmicks, look elsewhere.

Looking at the system from the front the CD/DVD drive is located about 1 inch from the top of the system and is hidden behind a brushed metal flap that opens as the drawer of the optical drive tray is ejected. One of the little details which separates Shuttle from many of the lower priced options is that the opening mechanism is smooth which gives a feel of quality.

The optical drive open button is operated via the chromed eject button located on the front, below the eject button is an LED that displays the Hard disk activity and below that is the power button displaying an electric blue light when powered. At the base of the front is a panel that clicks open to reveal another 2x USB slots, 1x Fire Wire (mini 1394), microphone, headphone and a reset switch, basically everything you would find on the front of a standard desktop.

Looking at the rear of the system you can see how packed with connectivity and goodies this really is, left to right, the system has 6x USB, 1x Fire wire (1394) 1x External SATA (data only, no power) 1x Gigabit Ethernet, 1x audio optical out, 1x coaxial digital out, 1x Audio Optical In, 2x Surround outputs, 1x Center/Sub output, 1x Standard stereo outputs and 1x line in.

So that's the external aspect of the P2 chassis, lets take a look at the inside...