I recently decided to upgrade my desktop computer from an Athlon 64 3500+ (socket 939) to an Athlon 64 X2 4800+, so that left me with an extra socket 939 CPU. From time to time I’ve wanted a portable non-laptop computer, so I purchased a Shuttle ST20G5 barebone system, along with disk drives and RAM.
I chose the ST20G5 despite it having been discontinued, because I wanted DVI video output, gigabit Ethernet, 1394, and SPDIF digital audio connectors. Those features don’t seem to be available on the Nvidia-based Shuttle systems, but the ST20G5, which is based on an ATI chipset, does have them. It also seems that the X.org open source support for ATI chips is better than for Nvidia chips. ATI used to support open source drivers for their chips, but unfortunately they seem to have closed up again, just like Nvidia has always been.
I just got around to assembling the system. It works, but the CPU gets up to 90C with the fan at maximum speed, and that is far too hot. I need to take it apart and make sure that I installed the heat sink assembly correctly. I expect that it should be able to keep the CPU temperature to under 40C at maximum fan speed, and under 60C at low fan speed.
Aside from the CPU temperature issue, the only thing I dislike about the ST20G5 is the silvery-grey color of the case. I’d much rather have had a black case. All the people claiming that some other color is the new black are wrong; black is the new black. Some of the other Shuttle G5 barebones (e.g., SB77G5, SD36G5, SN21G5, and SN95G5) have a black case, so I’m considering buying one, swapping cases, and selling a silver barebone on eBay.